The car is no longer just a mode of transportation – it’s a personal sanctuary, a digital companion, and a cultural statement.

The rigid boundaries of the automotive industry are dissolving. Customers now demand both sustainability and spectacle, privacy and hyper-personalization. As the classic ownership model gives way to fluid mobility services, and the showroom competes with immersive digital worlds, staying ahead requires more than just adapting – it demands a fundamental reinvention of your brand's strategy.

VML's "Future 100: 2026" Automotive vertical cut is your essential guide to the 10 trends transforming the industry. We provide the critical insights and strategic direction needed to transform disruption into opportunity. Understand the technological and cultural shifts, from the factory floor to the digital interface, and build a resilient brand that connects with the next generation of consumers. 

Top trends in Automotive from our Future 100 report include:

Reality interface 01

#16: The reality interface

Learn how the in-cabin experience is evolving beyond screens, as ambient, anticipatory AI creates a seamless and intuitive environment that understands driver and passenger needs before they're spoken.

Shared luxury 01

#80: Shared luxury

Discover why Gen Z is more captivated by the freedom of access than the burden of ownership, and how to pivot your brand from a hardware manufacturer to a provider of fluid mobility services.

Next wave biomaterials 01

#96: Next-wave biomaterials

Explore the material revolution, where lab-grown fibers and circular supply chains are enabling interiors that are as ethical and sustainable as they are luxurious, meeting the demands of tomorrow’s buyer.

Download our 2026 Future 100 Automotive vertical cut here:

The industry faces a pivotal shift driven by AI integration, the rise of shared luxury over ownership, advanced biomaterials, and the need for monumental brand experiences. Our report details the 10 most critical trends.

Gen Alpha's influence on household spending is growing. They are digital natives who expect seamless connectivity and sustainable options. The report outlines strategies to build trust and cultural fluency with this emerging consumer base.

AI is creating an ambient, "reality interface" where screens recede and anticipatory intelligence provides hyper-personalized support, entertainment, and safety features, transforming the vehicle into a sentient companion.

It requires an evolution from selling cars to providing flexible, on-demand mobility services. Our report explains how to build a brand that thrives on an access-based model while maintaining its premium positioning.

Watch our Future 100 video

F100 2026 Promo Video 1

Welcome to the 12th edition of “The Future 100” – VML’s unparalleled research report examining key global trends. This report features our latest projections, interviews with top industry experts, exclusive statistics and global consumer insights for 2026 from a proprietary 16-country survey.

At a Glance
89%

Want more control over their data and who can access it

At a Glance
75%

Believe the line between what is human and what is technology will blur

At a Glance
49%

Of Gen Z report forming a meaningful relationship with AI

About The Future 100 report:

After another year marked by economic upheaval, polarizing political currents and environmental setbacks, 2026 will be a year for building resilience, courageous creativity and redrawing the boundaries of what’s possible. From the personal to the planetary, from human engineering to geoengineering the climate itself, a new class of creators and collaborators is multiplying potential in ways we are just beginning to imagine.

Helping to shape these worlds are AI tools that democratize world building and new economic models for building empires. As both creativity and AI go global, voices from Buenos Aires to Busan are challenging Western dominance and creating tools that reflect their own cultures.

Amidst this “metamorphic” current, the desire for human connection remains unmistakable. In the year ahead, human impulse will shape brand strategies, influencing the top marketing trends in 2026, and draw people back to immersive, high-impact experiences that demonstrate the value of authenticity and unlock infinite possibilities.

Download your copy of our 2026 Future 100 report here:

Welcome more guidance? We can help.

white male in suit

Tom Corey

VML Executive Director, Consulting

Please provide your contact information to continue.

Before submitting your information, please read our Privacy Policy as it contains detailed information on the processing of your personal data and how we use it.

Related Content

F100 2026 Hero
Insight

The Future 100: 2026

VML reveals our 100 trends set to transform the market and drive growth in 2026 and beyond.
Read Article
Giellette Labs Football
In The Press

GilletteLabs Turns Bathroom Nicks Into Football Drama

Starring creator DJMaRiiO, The Cocktail campaign launches GilletteLabs Body by giving shaving cuts their own football-inspired identity
Read More