75 per cent of buyers unwilling to book a car online: CarWale survey

India is one of the largest and fastest growing markets for digital consumers. After all, we have more than half a billion internet subscribers. However, the adoption is uneven among businesses. We at CarWale have conducted a survey to learn more about buyer affinity towards online car bookings. Our report is based on 20,992 survey responses from metro and non-metro regions. 

Based on the survey, 25 per cent of car buyers are willing to book a car online. The rest 75 per cent of the respondents were not willing to book a car online, of which, 38 per cent have quoted lack of a test drive as the main reason. However, 47 per cent of the respondents have agreed that a digital tour of the car might help them in making a purchase decision, while the rest of the respondents have still insisted on a test drive.  The other reasons cited for not booking a car online were – trust and security issues, preference of cheque/cash payment and complexity of online payments.   

The survey respondents who are willing to book a car online were presented with a series of questions to further analyse their responses. Among the total respondents who are willing to buy a car online, 69 per cent of them are willing to do so without a test drive, while the rest 31 per cent will not go ahead with the booking process without a test drive. 

The survey further reveals that 60 per cent of the respondents are willing to book a car online if they have already researched about their car of choice online. Meanwhile, 21 per cent of buyers will do so if the car was recommended by a trusted family member or a friend. Moreover, 19 per cent buyers will book a car online if they have already seen or driven the car. 

Although the survey results do not reveal a strong inclination towards online car bookings, we believe that over time, as digital capabilities improve and connectivity becomes omnipresent, the percentage for online car bookings is likely to improve.