The primary objective of this report was to investigate the motivations, attitudes and contextual factors that influence vehicle choices among Canadians, with a focus on light trucks such as SUVs. This report presents the results of a multi-method analysis that includes a cross-Canada online survey of a representative sample of 1,377 Canadians and qualitative research involving in-depth interviews and focus groups across Canada.

The questionnaire survey identified four major aspects that influence the propensity to choose an SUV: personal contextual aspects, such as location and lifestyle; personal psychological aspects, such as the dominant values and attitudes that guide a person's life; external environment aspects, such as social norms and media influence; and finally, aspects directly related to the product. The interviews show that people who own an SUV are absolutely convinced of its superiority, especially in terms of safety and comfort. The interviews also showed the influence of family on vehicle preferences. Finally, the focus groups highlighted the role of advertising in shaping individuals' attitudes and purchase motivations toward certain vehicles. The focus groups also showed that the inclusion of environmental information in advertisements was not relevant to the participants.

This report therefore highlights several potentially interesting levers for raising consumer awareness of the effects of gas-guzzlers. These levers will be tested in a second confirmatory study, and will be the subject of a second research report.