2021 Global Automotive Consumer Study

From September through October 2020, Deloitte surveyed more than 24,000 consumers in 23 geographies to explore opinions regarding a variety of critical issues impacting the automotive sector, including the development of advanced technologies. The overall goal of this annual study is to answer important questions that can help companies prioritise and better position their business strategies and investments.

Within the Southeast Asia region, six geographies – Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam – were covered in the study. Overall, our findings have revealed four key themes around the regional consumers’ changing automotive and mobility preferences that have emerged on the back of the pandemic:

1. Changes to mobility patterns as a result of COVID-19: The preference to commute by personal vehicles has increased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Southeast Asian consumers are rethinking the type of vehicle they will buy next and their need for credit protection.
   
2. Acceptance of new technologies: Fuel efficient vehicles are gaining traction, but concerns over the lack of charging infrastructure mean that Southeast Asian consumers continue to prefer hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) over battery electric vehicles (BEVs).
3. Vehicle financing: The amount of time spent researching financing options varies across the Southeast Asia region, with a growing interest observed for vehicle subscription services.
   
4. Virtual experiences: While most Southeast Asian consumers prefer an in-person buying process, there appears to be an increased receptivity for virtual buying and servicing processes as a result of COVID-19.