Automotive Research in Poland

Automotive market research encompasses projects spanning the entire automotive ecosystem: vehicle manufacturers, dealer networks, leasing companies, parts suppliers, and the aftermarket segment. These studies analyze driver preferences and behaviors, the car purchase journey (one of the longest and most complex decision cycles in consumer markets), dealer service satisfaction, and attitudes toward new mobility technologies.

The automotive market is undergoing unprecedented transformation. Drive electrification, car-sharing growth, shifting generational attitudes toward vehicle ownership, and rising expectations for in-vehicle technology (ADAS, connectivity, infotainment) are fundamentally reshaping the industry. In Poland, new electric vehicle registrations are growing dynamically, though BEV market share remains in single digits. Simultaneously, Poland is the EU’s largest used car market, creating a unique research context.

The most common automotive research types include: car clinics (testing prototypes or new models under controlled conditions, where respondents evaluate design, ergonomics, and features), purchase journey studies (from online research through showroom visits to contract signing), brand image tracking, dealer service satisfaction measurement (CSI — Customer Satisfaction Index), electromobility attitude research, and pricing studies (conjoint analysis — optimizing vehicle configuration and pricing).

Methodologically, automotive research draws on a wide range of tools. Car clinics are a specialized format requiring logistics — secured vehicle display areas, photography controls, and NDAs. Quantitative studies (CAWI, CATI) support tracking and large-sample attitude research. Qualitative interviews (IDI, focus groups) explore brand-related emotions and purchase motivations. Virtual Reality for prototype presentation and eye-tracking for digital cockpit interaction research are also increasingly deployed.

A specific challenge is the long purchase cycle — averaging 3–6 months from initial research to purchase — which complicates studying the full decision path in a single project. Additionally, driver-respondents tend to rationalize decisions that are actually highly emotional, making projective and implicit methods increasingly important.