Designing for the Sexes.(Column)(new cae designs for women)

Byline: Dutch Mandel

Volvo eased one out at the Geneva motor show last month when the firm unveiled the YCC. It did not go unnoticed. YCC, for Your Concept Car, was an experiment that afforded a band of women the chance to design a car "targeting the most demanding premium customer-the independent, professional woman.'' American expert on female consumer patterns Marti Barletta helped female Volvo executives formulate and incubate YCC. Barletta said something my wife has been telling me for years: "If you meet the expectations of women, you exceed the expectations of men.'' That idea resonated enough with Volvo Car president and CEO Hans-Olov Olsson that he gave the project a green light.

Does YCC pander to women? Is YCC sexist? Did Volvo, the Unofficial Soccer Mom Car Co., set the women's movement back 30 years with this show car, or did it address a legitimate marketing need?

Targeting buyers is not new. Take the Honda "Dorm Room on Wheels'' Element, or Toyota's entire Scion division, aimed at a youthful generation. Then there is Rolls-Royce or Porsche or Chevrolet's Suburban, or for that matter any other car company. They all target consumers' needs and wants, and in some cases they satisfy them. The problem comes not with announcing a target but with announcing a polarized one; we are a society of inclusion, and no one likes to be outside the target's rings looking in.

(Historically, the auto industry has failed miserably to build "cars for women.'' That includes, egads!, special trim packages with extra vanity mirrors, fingernail-friendly door pulls or various shades of pink paint. "To design a car specifically for one audience is absurd,'' says a designer. "What next: cars for Catholics or Jews? Cars for left-handed basketball players?'')

Indeed. Everyone wants features that make ...