Many people including me will say that this is obvious, but even if it took a study, why wasn't this study done at some point _before_ incorporating this major design change into nearly every new car on the market?
* Most people will never voluntarily measure things. Instead people form intuitive assumptions and extrapolate performance and potential from that. This happens all the time for almost everybody.
* Business people need corporate promotions and incentive pay. The best way to achieve such is to pitch a popular idea full of shine and glitter. As an example have you ever participated in a "hack day" event? It does not matter what your final product is (or isn't). What matters is the 2 minute pitch at the end.