New Delhi: India’s car purchase journey has turned into an AI-enabled, multi-platform research loop. A Google-Kantar study of 1,022 recent auto shoppers in metro and Tier 1 cities, conducted in May 2026, found that 93% of buyers now use AI surfaces while researching their next vehicle.
A non-linear research journey
Buyers are not moving in a straight line from advertisement to showroom. On average, they evaluate 7.8 touchpoints before deciding. Google platforms are central: 87% of car buyers engage with Search, YouTube, Maps or Gemini during the process.
AI-powered tools are layered on top of that behaviour. Among surveyed Google Search users, 90% encounter AI Overviews, while 89% use AI Mode to work through complex specifications and financing questions. Crucially, AI is not a closed loop—80% of AI chatbot users also turn to Google Search or YouTube to validate the information they receive.
- 93% of shoppers use AI surfaces during research
- 7.8 touchpoints is the average evaluation journey
- 80% of AI chatbot users cross-check on Search or YouTube
YouTube leads discovery; family seals the decision
Early consideration is heavily shaped by video. Eight in 10 buyers start with a set of brands already in mind, and around six in 10 browse brands on YouTube before active research begins. Among YouTube users, 77% trust professional reviewers during the discovery stage.
YouTube is also a daily habit for 63% of respondents, and 55% watch YouTube on television screens every day. That compares with 54% who read newspapers daily and 43% who watch linear television daily. The emotional trigger is social: matching social standards is the primary reason buyers consider a new vehicle. Safety, styling and modern features matter for 41%, and the choice is usually shared—64% involve the entire family and 53% decide with a spouse.
What auto marketers should do
Siddharth Shekhar, Director, Google India, describes the moment plainly: “The car buying journey in India is deliberate, non-linear, and deeply digital.” With festive season consideration peaking, he says Google’s ad and commerce solutions can help brands respond to buyer intent and connect curiosity to the showroom.
Hyundai’s work on the Hyundai VERNA shows how this plays out. Virat Khullar, Head – Marketing, Hyundai Motor India Limited, says the brand used YouTube’s scale to build awareness and AI-powered Search ad solutions to identify and convert high-intent consumers—unifying upper- and lower-funnel marketing to turn consideration into action.
For automotive marketers, the implication is structural. Plan media by the job it does: YouTube for early discovery and reviewer-led trust, Search and AI Mode for specification and financing validation, and search ads for high-intent conversion. Treat AI answers as an entry point, not the end of the journey.
Source: MediaNews4U
