Report
Automotive trends report: marketing trends spring 2026
New car enquiries are rising. Call volumes are up. And yet automotive marketers are under more pressure than ever to prove their spend is working. Spring 2026 brings a market full of opportunity – but also new complexity, as AI-powered research, rising fuel costs, and the growing influence of Chinese EV brands reshape the buyer journey.
Mediahawk’s spring 2026 automotive trends report analyses anonymised call tracking and attribution data from April 2025 to March 2026. It gives you a clear picture of what’s happening in the UK automotive market right now – and practical guidance on how to respond.
What’s inside:
- Calls per dealer up an average of 12 percentage points across the first quarter of 2026
- Website visitors up 10% year-on-year in March 2026 – despite shrinking marketing influence
- Why channel diversification is working, with PPC share falling from 36% to 24%
- How Google Business Profile maintains a 56% share of calls
- The impact of AI tools on buyer research – and what it means for attribution
- Four strategies to improve ROI with flat or shrinking budgets
"While increased call and visitor numbers are positive developments, automotive marketers working with constrained budgets must focus on quality over volume."
Harry Bott, Director, Mediahawk
Trusted by marketers like you
“The excellent support [Mediahawk gives] our industry with critical information is invaluable.”
– Nancy Rignall, Managing Director, Prospecting Dynamics
“[Mediahawk’s trends report] is a fantastic resource for all dealerships irrespective of marketing spend and budget.”
– Anderlea Butters, Anderlea Butters Marketing Consultancy