The Automotive Online Experience was created with the aim of exploring the dynamics of the online experience provided to customers in the automotive sector, with a particular focus on the role played by dealership websites as an increasingly important hub in the customer journey. In light of the growing interest in online purchasing and the digital initiatives promoted by automakers, the study aims to provide a structured analysis of how dealers’ digital presence is evolving.

The third edition of the study evaluates this aspect using the Website Experience framework, which collects, summarizes, and highlights the most relevant elements of the customer’s online experience. The analysis is divided into four key areas: product presentation, sales functionality, after-sales functionality, and customer-dealer interaction, thereby providing a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the main components that define dealerships’ digital presence.

Automotive Online Experience 2026 provides a detailed overview of the development of online services at dealerships through three integrated analytical approaches: an assessment of dealers’ online presence for each service category, a comparison with the Top 50 Italian dealers and the Top 20 European dealers, and an examination of representative case studies in Italy and Europe. In this way, the study highlights strengths, areas for improvement, and the evolutionary trajectories of the digital channel in the automotive sector.