"tim..." wrote in message
...

"Rod Speed" wrote in message
...


"Roger Mills" wrote in message
...
On 05/06/2016 12:11, tim... wrote:

"Roger Mills" wrote in message
...
On 04/06/2016 16:23, DerbyBorn wrote:
What is it that tends to define the typical specification of cars
imported
into a particular country?

Some countries I have been to do not seem to have reversing sensors
over a
time when they have become commonplace in the UK.

Cruise Control whilst unusual in the UK is very common across all
classes
of car in other countries.

I suppose other additions like GPS / SatNav are a bit country
specific.


I can see how an Importer of one brand would make a decision, but
this
seems to go across brands.

All of these things are available everywhere as options - even on low
end cars.

As a manufacture fit they are most certainly not available on low end
cars.



I'm not sure which low end cars you have in mind, but thinks like power
steering, anti-lock brakes, air conditioning, etc. - which were at one
time only available on luxury cars - are now available either by default
or as factory fit options on pretty much everything.

There are plenty of low end cars which don't have manufacturer options
for GPS / Satnav, essentially because so many use their smartphone for
that.

OTOH, if there is an easy aftermarket fit then there is no incentive value
forcing the driver to upgrade a model class to get that toy and thus more
incentive to offer it as a manufacturing option.

And for this particular option it is now getting to the point where it is
cheaper for a manufacturer to specify a "smart" centre console in all of
their cars that muck around with two different supply chains.

And yet there are plenty like Hyundai and Kia
that don't include them in their cheapest cars.

Once you have a smart centre console, sat nav is just a software upgrade
(and the addition of a GPS aerial - the wiring for which will probably
already be in situ for the same reason as above)

See above.