This year, 800 auto executives from 38 countries gave their insights to KPMG on topics such as business model disruption, connectivity and digitalization, customer data, new products and who will be the winners or losers in the auto industry. To give further insights and ‘reality checks’ to the industry, for the first time we surveyed over 2,100 customers from around the world. 

According to the survey findings, major business model disruption is extremely likely for around 10 times more of the auto executives surveyed this year compared to last year—82 percent of the auto executives surveyed estimate a major business model disruption in the next five years to be extremely likely or somewhat likely.

Key highlights from the report:

Disruption ahead

Executives who ranked connectivity #10 in our 2015 survey moved it up to #1 this year, with 50.1% rating it as extremely important. For the last three years, the top concern was growth in emerging markets and that has dropped to #4

How to cope with disruption

Service and data driven business models pave the way towards owning the customer relationship. OEMs need to transform into becoming consumer oriented service providers.

Who’s best prepared

- Last year’s owner of the top spot, Hyundai, has fallen to fourth place this year with 50 percent of respondents expecting an increase in market share. Hyundai is followed by Ford at number five with 49 percent. In general, most auto executives responding to the survey are optimistic and only few expect a decrease in any of the OEMs market share.

- For many of the OEMs, respondents see stability in their future. For instance, while 34 percent of respondents expect Daimler to have an increase in market share, 53 percent expect them to remain stable. Similarly, ‘new player’ Tesla, is expected to increase in market share by 37 percent of respondents yet remain stable by 52 percent of respondents.

- BMW and Toyota will also be the leaders in the fields of e-mobility and autonomous driving. They are also ranked in the top spots as being the most groundbreaking innovators in the future followed by Honda, Ford and Tesla.