Automotive Consumer Insights refers to the systematic research and data analysis used to uncover consumers' underlying needs and behavioural patterns across car-buying decisions, brand perception, tech preferences, and ownership experiences. It serves as the core foundation for carmakers when crafting product strategies, brand positioning, and marketing plans. According to McKinsey’s "2026 China Automotive Consumer Insights", the Chinese automotive market has entered a new high-quality development cycle driven by the twin engines of "value creation" and "technological innovation", where car buyers have shifted from passive market "onlookers" to active "shapers".
The protracted price war, spanning over three years, is taking a toll on consumer confidence. Survey findings reveal that among buyers who purchased a car in the past year, those with a negative sentiment towards the price war reached 22.2%, outpacing the 16.5% who viewed it positively—resulting in a net negative sentiment of 5.7%. In stark contrast, the net positive sentiment driven by technological upgrades and enhanced equipment levels surged to 20.7%, almost doubling from the previous year's 10.8%—showing that value-driven competition delivers seven times the efficacy of price-driven competition.
Budget constraints have not dampened buyer expectations. On a global scale, 60% of respondents ranked "value for money" as the second most critical purchasing factor behind quality. Furthermore, roughly 50% of global respondents had a car-buying budget below USD 40,000 (approx. RM270,000), yet their expectations regarding vehicle features, technology, and aftersales services were practically on par with affluent buyers.
The weighting of brand reputation in electric vehicle (EV) buying decisions has climbed from its long-standing fifth place up to second, trailing only "driving range and charging duration". However, the fundamental definition of a brand is being profoundly redefined. Buyers are no longer paying purely for geographic heritage like "German Engineering" or "Japanese Craftsmanship". Instead, the real purchase driver is "proven tech delivery capability": key technical aspects such as vehicle safety, handling dynamics, and smart cabin experiences scored an importance rating of 61%, far exceeding long-standing brand heritage at 28%.
Brands now act as "complex information compressors", guiding buyers to make quick, definitive choices amidst an ocean of homogeneous technical specifications. After years of expansion, the initial shortlist of brands considered during the purchase journey has contracted for the first time, reflecting a more focused consumer mindset.
The charging and refuelling experience is undergoing a qualitative shift. The proportion of BEV owners confident that highway fast-charging can meet non-festive travel needs rose from 45% last year to 65%. In top-tier cities, 60% of PHEV and EREV owners are considering transitioning to a pure electric vehicle (BEV) for their next car. Moreover, 71% of respondents are optimistic that public charging networks will match petrol station convenience before 2033, while 99% of current BEV owners stated they will stick with pure electric for their next vehicle.
Internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, however, are not exiting the stage rapidly. Among buyers who purchased a petrol car over the past year, roughly 63% explicitly stated they would still consider an ICE vehicle for their next purchase. As market demand fragments across varied usage scenarios and distinct paces of adoption, carmakers must move away from a "single-powertrain bet" mindset.
Intelligent driving systems and in-cabin AI agents are rapidly evolving from "nice-to-have" add-ons into "must-have" baseline features. 69% of respondents now view City NOA (Navigate on Autopilot) as a standard requirement, while 84% expect on-board AI agents to serve as "proactive companions capable of understanding, remembering, thinking, and acting". Nearly 90% of respondents believe privately owned vehicles will achieve Level 4 autonomous driving before 2035. Globally, around a quarter of car buyers are willing to switch brands for superior autonomous driving capabilities, with that figure hitting an impressive 50% in China.
Consumer preferences are becoming increasingly granular. Through co-occurrence network cluster analysis of user behaviour, Dongchedi further segmented eight major consumer groups into 25 distinct "mindshare tracks"—demonstrating that even within identical demographics, individual priorities can differ vastly. Buying preferences across different brand camps show marked divergence: joint-venture brand buyers prioritise fuel economy and servicing costs; emerging EV brand buyers focus on assisted driving and active safety features; domestic brand buyers show strong interest in high-tech hardware like LiDAR; while luxury brand buyers extend their focus to immersive tech experiences and bespoke personalisation.
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