TheCustomerOdysseyTheCustomerOdyssey2ContentsFromownershiptoexperienceSummaryThetrustfactorThepathtopurchaseDigitalexpectationsBeyondthebuy3458TheCustomerOdyssey3FromownershiptoexperienceCustomerexpectationsaroundmobilityFromownershiptoexperienceshiftingacrosseverystageofthejourney.Fromhowpeoplefirstdiscoverandpurchasevehicles,totheservicestheyexpectin-carandpost-purchase,thedefinitionofvalueischanging.Thisreportisbasedonaglobalstudyofmorethan1,000participantswhorecentlyboughtItexploreswhatcustomersreallywantin2026acrossfourkeycategories:emotionalmotivation,digitalinteraction,thepathtopurchase,andtheownershipexperience.Thefindingsrevealaclearpictureofhowtoapproachthedemandsofamorediscerningandmoreconnectedcustomer.Formobilitybrands,thisrepresentsanopportunitytocreatelastingdifferentiationthroughmeaningful,end-to-endexperiences.OurresearchconfirmsthatthefundamentalsofmobilityarebeingOurresearchconfirmsthatthefundamentalsofmobilityarebeingredefined.Buyersaremovingbeyondproductfeaturesandimagetowardsubstance,trustandseamlessexperiencesthatspantheentirejourney.Morethanhalfofwanttheirnextpurchasetobefullyonline.Atthewhenitmatters,provingthatdigital-firstdoesnotmeannohumanconnectiInsidethecar,expectationsareaccelerjustasquickly.Nineintendriverswantvoiceassistantsforpractical,real-timetasks,andthedrivingexperience,withadoptionledbyGenZandMillennials.Appetitefortwo-thirdsofrespondentsarewillingtopay€11–30permonthfordigitalservices,establishingaclearmonetizationsweetspot.SummaryTakentogether,thesesignalsshowthatcustomersaren’twaitingforthefuture—theyalreadyliveinit.ForOEMs,thclosethegapbetweenaspirationanddelivery:makedigitaljourneyseffortless,ensurehumansupportisavailableattherightmoments,andfocusonpracticalinnovationthatdriversloyaltyprogramwouldkeepthemwiththebrand,experienceinnovationmustextendbeyondthepointofsale.Thepost-purchasejourneyhasbecomethedecisivelinkbetweentoday’sbuyerandtomorrow’srepeatcustomer.TheCustomerOdyssey5Thetrustfactor米TheCustomerOdyssey米overallwanttocompletetheirnextcarPeoplearenolongerjustexploringIncreasingly,theyexpecttocompletetheentiretransactiondigitally,fromconfigurationtofinancingtodelivery.Thisshiftreflectsagrowingdemandfortransparencyandconveniencethroughoutthedigitalpurchasejourney.Comparedtothefollowingstudies,from2022anupwardtrend,withinterestinfullyonlinecarbuyingcontinuingtoincreaseyearoveryear.WhileOEMsarebuitransformation,manycustomersarealreadywillingtobuyonline.6Previousindustryforecasts6PreviousindustryforecastsOnlinecarsalesareprojectedtoaccountfordependingonmarketmaturityandadoptionspeed(2022)129%ofconsumerssaidtheywouldbewillingtopurchaseonlineiftheexperiencewereseamless米TheCustomerOdyssey7andGenZaredrivingtheshiftOverallMillennialsOnline-firstexpectationsarestrongestgenerationsalreadyrepresentthedominantshareoftheworkforce,andtheirinfluencecontinuestogrow.Manycustomersarereadyforadigitalbuyingjourneyandexpectbrandstomeetthemthere.Thisisnotjustaboutenablingonlinecheckout.Itrequiresafullrethinkofhowthecarbuyingjourneyisdesignedanddelivered.Thebrandsthatsucceedwillbethosethatmaketheprocessstraightforwardandinspiringfromstarttofinish.FullonlineHybrid●DealershipWhereuserswanttoFullonlineHybrid●Dealership35%35%30%29%56%0102030405060708090100TheCustomerOdyssey8ThepathtopurchaseTheCustomerOdyssey9theircarbuyingexperience.Whetherit’stoclarifyspecifications,negotiatepriceorsimplyfeelreassured,humaninteractionwillcontinuetoplayacriticalrole.Thispreferencedonotcontradictthemovetowardonlinesales.Instead,itpointstotheneedforablendedcustomerexperiencethatfeelsintuitive,notintrusive.Itshowscarbuyerswantfletoreachhumansontheirownterms.arethemostpreferredchannels,standingoutfortheirlowrejectionratesandstrongshareofrespondentswhowantthemasprimarytouchpoints.Theseasynchronouschannelsgivecustomerstheabilitytoaskquestionsintheevening,outsideofshowroomhours,andattheirownpace.Theyallowovertime,buildingathreadthatcanseamlesslycarryacrosstouchpoints.humansupport—butshifttolivehelpwhenit’stimetodecideTheCustomerOdyssey10Asbuyersmoveclosertofinaldecisions,importantinlaterstages,whenquestionsaroundpricing,financingorconfigurationneedtoberesolvedBycontrast,videocallsshowhighlightingthatmostcustomerswanthumanreassurancewithouttheextraeffortorintrusionofavisualinteractionAIchatbots(377%strongtoprimary)playaroleinansweringbasicquestions,butthehighshareofno-to-lowinteraction(323%)thatcustomersdon’tyettrustthemwithvaluesensitivestepslikenegotiationTheopportunityistodesignhybridflowswhereAIhandlessimplequeriesbeforehandingoffseamlesslytoahumanagentattherightmomentBrandscannotassumethatbeingdigitalfirstbuyerswhoarecomfortablewithonlinetoolsstillexpectpersonalsupportwhenthingsgetcomplexoruncertainTheyexpectastagedjourney:asynchronoussupportintheearlyphases,hybridAI+humanascincreases,andsynchronousreassdirect-to-consumeroragencymodels,thishassignificantimplicationsEmailandmessagingshoucoresaleschannels,notafterthoughts,withtheabilitytohandoverthreadsseamlesslyacrosstouchpointsAI-poweredchatshouldbebalancedwithhumanfallbackoptions,especiallyforpricing,configurationandfinancingconversationsSelf-servicedesignmustaccommodatekeymomentswherecustomerswanttopause,askquestionsorverifydecisionsStaffingstrategiesshouldevolvetowardhybridrolesthatsupportdigitaljourneysthroughremote,ondemandengagementappfirstplatformsandAIledautomationtoscaleinteractionsButsuccesswilldependoncombiningthesetoolswithhumansupportthatfeelsaccessible,flexibleandtrustworthySelfserviceconfiguratorAIchatbotMessagingappVideocallconversationDistributionofchannelsintermsofdesiredinteraction(n=514,Participantswhowouldbuyfullyonli33.5%%36.2%020406080100NotolowInteractionNeutralStrongtoprimaryinteraction米TheCustomerOdyssey米TheCustomerOdyssey11Thesurveyshowsthatcarbuyersarlockedintoasingleownershipmindset.Theyareincreasinglyopentomixingmodels,combiningthereassuranceofpurchaseorfinancingwiththeadaptabilityofsubscriptions,rentalsorshort-termleases.Whilepurchaseandfinancingstillleadassingle-choicepreferences,oneinfiverecentbuyersalreadyfindflexibleownershipthenextthreeyears,respondentsonaverageselectedtwodifferentaccessmodelstheywouldconsider.Traditionalaccessmodelsincludevehiclepurchaseandfinancing,whileflexiblemodelsincludeleasing,subscription,carsharingandrental.Takenintoaccount(3-yearperspective)UsedorintendedfornextpurchaseAccessmodelsToday,tomorrowandinth01020304050607080%01020304050607080%TraditionalaccessmodelsFlexibleaccessmodelsTheTheCustomerOdyssey12AdaptingtoshiftingneedsThisshiftdoesn’treplaceownership,butitdoessignalademandformobilitythatadaptstocustomerneeds.Accordingtoa2024study,65%ofconsumersareopentomobilityservicesoverownership3,whereasanotherstudyin2023projectedthatsubscriptionscouldreach10%ofnewvehicleregistratmarketsby20254.AnotherdimensionshapingtheexperienceistheBuild-to-Order(BTO)vs.Build-to-Stocka-kindcarconfiguredandbuiltforthem,whileotherswanttheimmediacyofselectingfromanavailableinventory.Flexiblwiththesepathwaysdopportunityhereistodesignflexibilityacrossbothproductandaccessmodels.Thegoalshouldbetoensurethatwhetheracustomerchoosesinstantgratificationorpersonalization,theprocessfeelseffortlesstothem.Theaccumulateddataunderlinesthisblendofpreferences,withpurchaseandfinancingstilldominant,butflexibleoptionslikeleasing,subscription,rentalandcarsharinggainingtractionacrosstheboard.AccessmodelstakenintoaccountoOverallUSEUoGenZ+Millennials●Digital-firstonlineshoppers806040200PurchaseFinancingLeasingSubscriptionCarsharingRentalOtherTheCustomerOdysseyofprospectivebuyerspredictthedealershipvisitwillbetheirbiggestfrustrationImaginingpaperwork,waittimes,orfinancingconcerns,morethanoneinthreefuturebuyersexpectthedealershiptobethemostpainfulpartofthecarbuyingexperience.Thisinsightexposesafoundationaltrustissue.haveinvestedintools,trainingandhybridexperiencesdesignedtoimprovethebuyingprocess,theimprovementshaven’tfullytranslatedintoconsumerconfidence.pointtothein-dealerexperienceasatopfrustration.Inotherwords,thepainisreal,buttheexpectationofpainAcrosstheboard,intendersalsoanticipatedmorefrictionpoints,selectinganaverageofasexpected—ithighlightsacontinuedtrustdeficitthatshapesthewayfuturecustomersapproachthejourney.TheCustomerOdysseyDigitalexpectationsTheCustomerOdyssey15ACXtransformationopportunityCustomerswantlow-pressureengagement.Iftheyfeelunequippedtonavigatetheconversationorunsureofthesalesagenda,trusterodesbeforethetransactionbegins.Thisisespeciallyyoungersegments,36.4%ofintendersexpectthedealershiptobetheirbiggestfrustration,buyersarealreadydigital-first,sowhenofflinetouchpointsfailtodelivertransparencyandempowerment,thedisappointmentismagnified.Reformingthedealershipexperiencethroughseamlesschanneltransitionsandclearvaluecommunicationcanhelpdriveconversions.OEMsandtheitofindtargetedanswersforthissegmentbyadaptingtheexperiencetotheirneeds.Pinpointingwheredigitaltoolsfallshort,wheretrustbreaksdown,andwherethehumanelementmakesorbreaksthejourneyshouldbekeyfocusareasforbrandstryingtoenhancethebuyingexperience.Experiencedorexpectedfrustrationsinthecarbuyingjourney26%28.6%None-itwent/willgosmoothlyOnlineconfiguratororexperienceFindingtrustworthyinformationonlineComparingmodelsandfeaturesUnderstandingtechfeatures34.8%34.8%In-dealerexperience32.2%32.2%Paperworkorfinancingprocess33.6%33.6%DeliveryorwaittimesRecentbuyersIntenders米TheCustomerOdyssey16RespondentsstronglyprioritizedclearpricingandtrustRespondentsstronglyprioritizedclearpricingandtrustintheselleroverfastdelivery,appfeaturesoraddeddigitalconveniences.oftendominatetheconversation,thisfindingbringsthefocusbacktowhatactuallybuildscustomerconfidence.Thisquestiontestedacommonindustryassumption:modernbuyers—especiallyyoungergenerations—aremotivatedprimarilybydigitalcontrolandconvenience.Butthedataisareminderthatthedigitaljourneyisonlyaseffectiveastheconfidenceitbuilds.Digital-firstonline-shoppersMostimportantfactorsDigital-firstonline-shoppersMostimportantfactorswhenchoosingwheretobuyacarOverall●GenZ+Millennialsstepsorpromisefasterdelivery.Butwhenourrespondentsrankedtheirtopdecisiondrivers,speedconsistentlyfallsbelowclarity.Buyerswantpricingtheycantrust,notjustaquickerpathtocheckout.Transparencyinpricing,consistencyincommunicationandtrustinthebuyingexperienceremainthepillarsofcustomerconfidence.OEMsthatrefocustheirretailjourneysaroundthesefundamentalswillbebestpositionedforsuccess.2050transparencyTrustinConveniencebrands/sellerAbilitytocomparemodelsDigitalself-serviceoptionsSpeedofdeliveryAbilitytoaskquestionsviachat/videoAfter-salespromise米TheCustomer米TheCustomerOdysseyassistantsorin-carchattocompletespecifictasksVoiceinteractionisbecomingacoreexpectationinsidethevehicle.Customersareincreasinglycomfortablewithconversationalinterfacesandwanttousethemforawiderangeoftasks.Weaskedparticipantstoselectfromarangeofin-vehicletaskstheywouldconsidercompletingthroughavoiceassistantorchatsystem.Theseincludedservice-relatedactions,navigationenhancements,lifestyleintegrationsandbrand-specificrequests.Thepercentagesonthefollowingpagereflectthenumberofrespondentswhoselectedeachoption.Onaverage,respondentsselected4.4tasksThisdemonstratesthatdriversviewin-carvoicenotasanicheadd-onbutasamulti-purtoolsupportingseveralaspectsoftheirjourney.Checkingrecallstatusandscheduling0203Payingfortollsorcongestioncharges(304Updatingnavigationwithvoice-baseddestinationsearch(28.05ReservingachargingstationorfuelTheCustomerOdyssey18Whatcustomerswantfromin-carvoiceassistantsVehicle-relatedservicesMobility&navigationenhancementsBrand&ecosystemservicesLifestyle&commerceonthegoVehicle-relatedservicestopthelist:34.6%ofrespondentswantvoiceaccesstorecallchecks,30.2%totollsandcongestionpaymentsand22.4%toservicebookings.Mobilityandnavigationfeaturesfollowclosely,favoringvoice-basednavigationand28.4%interestedinreservingchargingorfuelstops.Lifestyleandcommerceintegrations,suchasorderingfood,bookinghotelsorarrangingInteresting,butsecondarytocoredrivingtasks.Brandandecosystemservices(likeloyaltypoints,upgradesandprofilemanagement)landthoughtfulframingtoavoidfeelingintrusive.Categoriesoftaskschosenbyparticipants(%,n=1,0060510152025303540Overall●GenZ+Millennials米TheCustomerOdyssey米Youngerdriverspushthesenumbetheaverageby2–4percentagepointsonfeatureslikerecalls,chargingandnaviconfirmingthatfuturebuyerswillexpectvoice-firstexperiencesasthedefaultforcarownershipandmobility.Themostpreferredusecasesfromoursurveyrevealacleardemandforpractical,real-timeutilityofin-carvoiceassistants.Customerswantconversationaltoolsthathelpthemsolverealproblems,inrealtime,frombehindthewheel.experimentingwithcockpitAI,theseresultsofferanimportantrealitycheck.Theappetiteforvoiceinteractionishigh,butsoistheexpectationthatitshouldfeelpurposeful.In-carassistantsareexpectedtoserveafunctionandnotjustbenoveltyfeatures.AnaturalfitfortheTaskslikeupdatingnavigation,schedulingaserviceorrequestinglivesupportareintuitiveinahands-free,conversationalformexperimentalorcommerce-drivenfeatures,unlessintroducedwithcare.Ratherthanfocusingonthefullrangeofpossiblecapabilities,thechallengenowistofocusontherightones.Deliveringvaluemeansunderstandingthedifferencebetweenexperiencesthatfeellikeanaturalpartofthedrivingexperience.米TheCustomerOdyssey米AIasameaningfulcontributortoeverydayparticipantswereaskedtoselectfromarangeofAI-drivenfeaturestheywouldconsiderusinginsidethecar.Thesecoverepersonalization,proactivevehiclemanagementandlifestyleintegration.Onaverage,respondentsselectednearlyfourcustomersaren’tlimitingthemselvestooneortwotrialfeatures.Theyarealreadyimaginingabroad,AI-enhancedin-carexperience.saidtheywouldn’twanttouseAIatall.AmongGenZandMillennials,thatnumberfallstojust5.9%.Inotherwords,refusalisqtheexception,especiallyamongyounger,digitallynativedrivers.20Smartnotificationsthatanticipatemy02suggestionsbasedoncontext(38.0%)03Anaturallanguagevoiceassistantthatcan04Multi-modalassistantthatlearnsover05AIthatadjustsseat,climateandlighting米TheCustomerOdyssey21Co-pilot,notconciergeGenZ+Millennials●OverallCategoriesofAI-featureschosenbyGenZ+Millennials●OverallAdvancedsafety&drivingassistanceCommerce&lifestyleintegrationProactivevehiclemanagementVoice&conversationalinteractionPersonalizeddriving&in-carexperienceTheseresultsreflectstronginterestinAIfeaturesthatofferrelevant,in-the-momentsupport.Customersaremostdrawntofunctionsthatsimplifyroutinedecisions,anticipateneedsandmakedrivingfeelmorepersonal,withoutaddingcomplexity.Acrossthefivebroadercategories,personalizeddrivingandin-carexperienceleadsat26.8%Voiceandconversationalinteractionfollowsproactivevehiclemanagementandadvancedsafetyanddrivingassistancefallbetweenconfidenceandpeaceofmind.Attheotherend,commerceandlifestylethatdriversprioritizepracticalutilityovernice-to-haveextras.Generationaldifferencesstrengthenthissignal:GenZandMillennialshigherthanaverageacrossthetopcategories,experimentandmoreasadefaultexpectationamongyoungerdrivers.Butthisinterestcomeswithclearboundaries.conversationalassistants,mood-basedinteractionandlifestyleintegrations,mostcustomersareaskingforsomethingtosimplyThemostpopularAIfeaturesinoursurveyrankedsignificantlyhigherthansocialorlifestyle-basedfeaturessuchasrestaurantbookingoremotionallyresponsiveassistants.Thiscontrastrevealsthatcustomersdon’tTheywantittobehavelikeahelpfulco-pilotinthebackground.ThechallengeisnotconvincingcustomerstotryAI—thedatashowsthetoprioritizetherightusecases.Focusshouldbeonpractical,assistivefunctionsthatsolverealproblems,notongimmickyorintrusiveexperiments.ThemaintaskforOEMsisnottoimplementisolatedAIfeaturesinselectapps.Itistocreaaseamless,AI-nativeexperiencethatwillmakethemfuture-ready.saidmorestablesmartphoneconnectivitysaidmorestablesmartphoneconnectivityTheCustomerOdyssey22Ascockpitintelligenceandnext-genfeaturestakecenterstage,it’seasytoassumethatdigitalinnovationisthebiggestleverforin-carsatisfaction.Butthedatarevealssomethingmorefundamental.Fouroutofthetopfiveconsumerprioritiesfocusonbasicusability:stableconnectivity(40.2%),fasterresponseGroupedintobroadercategories,usabilityandinterfaceissuesaccountfornearlyone-thirdconnectivityaddinganother21.thesetwoareasmakeuconsumerconcerns—faroutweighingdemandforadvancedfeaturesordesignextras.Smartphoneconnectivitymaynotbeflashy,butitisfoundational.Itshapesthedriver’sperceptionoftheentiredigitalexperience.WhetherthroughAppleCarPlay,AndroidAuto,USBcableorwirelesspairexpecttheirphonestointegrateseamlesslywiththecar’ssystems.Whenitdoesn’twork,itunderminesconfidenceintheentirevehicleinterface.ThisiswhereexpectationsandinvestmentoftencustomersarestillaskingOEMstogetthebasicsright.Onaverage,respondentsselectednearlyfourimprovementseach—underliningthatfrustrationcomesfromaclusterofeverydayissues,notjustasinglepainpoint.Fixingtheseeverydaypainpointsmdigitalperceptionthananynewfeature.63%ofU.S.consumerssaiditisimportantheirnextvehicleretainstheabilitytoconnectwiththeirsmartphone5.SelectedareasofimprovementUsability&interfaceConnectivity&integrationPersonalization&intelligenceFeatureset&innovationVisual&designqualityTheCustomerOdyssey2365%ofrespondentsarewillingtopaybetween€11and€30permonthfordigitalservicesandfeaturesUSEUGenZ+MillennialsWillingnesstopayfordigitalservices&featurespermonth454035302050€30+€20-30€10-19upto€10NothingAsvehiclesbecomeincreasinglysoftware-defined,digitalservicesarebecomingastandardpartoftheownershipexperience.Fromconnectednavigationtoenhancedsafetyfeatures,consumersaregettingusedtotheideathatthein-carexperiencecanevolimproveafterpurchase.Thesweetspotsitsinthemiddleoftherange.Whilesomecustomersexpectvalueatthelowerend,andasmallersegmenthemajorityfallaround€20permonth.Asingle,fairlypricedbundleofferstheclearestpathtosustainablemonetization.Complexityorpremiumpricingriskskillingmomentumbeforeitstarts.FollowingatangiblebenchmarklikethisempowersOEMstodesignbundlesandtestpricesensitivitytobetterunderstandwhatcustomerstrulyvalue.Tounlockthefullpotentialofdigitalmonetization,OEMswillneedtobuildstrategiesaroundbothbuyersegmentsandpersonalendtopurchasetheirnextcarfullyonline,digitallyengagedconsumerstopayforin-cardigitalservices.Theyarealsofarmorelikelytopayforadditionaldigitalservicesandfeatures.Upsellandsubscriptionstrategiesshouldfocusonyounger,digital-firstbuyerswherebaselineacceptanceofpaiddigitalvalueisalreadyhigh.Atthesametime,brandscanunlockadditionalrevenuebyaddressingreluctanceinothersegments.Clearvaluecommunication,transparentpricingandhybridtrialmodelsmayhelpconvertmorecautiousoroffline-leaningcustomers,expandingtheoverallreachofdigitalmonetization.TheCustomerOdyssey24BeyondthebuyTheCustomerTheCustomerO