Personal car remains the most used daily transportation mode for 40% of Romanians, and 63% believe that it is likely to remain the preferred mobility choice over the coming years, according to Deloitte 2022 Global Automotive Consumer Study.
In this context, Romanian consumers are willing to pay extra for a vehicle equipped with advanced technology, especially to improve safety systems (91%) and for alternative engine, electric or battery-powered (89%), or for connectivity devices (87%).
However, even if Romanians would pay more for an electric car than for one with an internal combustion engine, 70% of them expect to pay less than 100,000 lei for such a vehicle.
As a payment method, Romanians still prefer to pay cash (55%), while only four out of ten plan to loan or lease their next vehicle.
They are also reluctant to buy a car online, thus over 80% still want to acquire their next vehicle via an in-person experience.
The pandemic had a high impact on consumer behavior, given that almost half (44%) of the Romanians participating in the study said they changed their plans regarding the purchase of a vehicle.
For 16% of them, the change was that they decided to buy a personal car, although they did not previously intend to, in order to avoid public transportation.