Now Reading: 33% of festive car buyers undecided, survey finds
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33% of festive car buyers undecided, survey finds
The Story in Brief
A Grant Thornton Bharat survey of over 1,300 consumers and 500 dealers across India has found that one in three potential car buyers remain undecided this festive season. The Festive Passenger Vehicle Pulse 2026, published on Thursday, 5 November, shows 32.9 per cent of respondents are still exploring options, while 24.9 per cent consider themselves likely or definite buyers and 42.2 per cent say they are unlikely to purchase.
The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers reported passenger vehicle sales of approximately 2.61 million units in the first half of FY2026-27, up 28 per cent year on year. SUVs remain the most preferred format at 58.3 per cent, though their share fell from 64 per cent in the 2025 survey. Hybrids lead powertrain preference at 37 per cent, virtually unchanged from 38 per cent in 2025, while electric vehicle consideration edged up from 21 per cent to 22.8 per cent. Safety emerged as the top purchase factor for 57 per cent of respondents, followed by fuel efficiency at 51.6 per cent and price at 47.2 per cent.
The survey also found that only 32.6 per cent of respondents were aware of the upcoming Corporate Average Fuel Economy Phase III norms, effective April 2027. Carmakers and dealers will need to invest in powertrain innovation and transparency on ownership costs to turn interest into sales, the report said.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The Grant Thornton Bharat survey dominates both reports, but each outlet frames the findings through a different headline lens. Business Standard leads with the 32.9% undecided figure and the challenge of converting interest into sales, giving weight to the dealers’ and automakers’ difficulty. The Hindu Business Line instead leads with safety emerging as the top purchase factor at 57%, ahead of fuel efficiency and price, emphasising a consumer-driven value shift. Both outlets report identical survey numbers, 24.9% definite buyers, 32.9% undecided, 42.2% unlikely, and the same SIAM first-half sales figure of 2.61 million units up 28% year-on-year. Business Standard omits the financing shift that The Hindu Business Line covers: blended loan-and-self-funding falling from 66% to 53.9% and full self-funding rising from 14% to 22.5%. The Hindu Business Line omits Business Standard’s breakdown of digital versus dealership influence.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): business-standard.com (neutral report), thehindubusinessline.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
