This is one of the conclusions of Spyne, an India-based automotive retail technology company, in its recent report: 2026 Will Test U.S. Dealership Agility More Than Ever, which forecasts the used-vehicle market will “hold steady thanks to sustained replacement demand and limited availability.”

Analysts predict that used-car values will maintain their level or tick up marginally throughout most of 2026, noted the report.

“If new-vehicle prices climb faster than wages, used vehicles become the release valve,” said Sanjay Varnwal, co-founder and CEO of Spyne. “But even used-car pricing won’t behave uniformly; electrified vehicles, luxury SUVs, and imports will each have their own trajectory.”

Wholesale prices are staying strong because used-car supply is limited and more buyers are turning to pre-owned models. The return of leased vehicles — especially electric cars from 2021-2022 — should increase inventory, but higher repair costs and slower reconditioning may delay their appearance on dealer forecourts.

The report looked at how the combination of new tariffs, shifting supply chain dynamics, and weakening consumer affordability is altering how vehicles are priced, sourced, and sold.

Spyne’s proprietary dealer analytics point to a widening “intent gap”, which the company defines as the lag between consumer browsing behavior and real purchasing action. “This mirrors public sentiment data and serves as a leading indicator of slowdown risk,” found the report.

Affordability crunch

Affordability “remains the soft underbelly of the market,” said the authors, citing Kelley Blue Book data indicating that the average U.S. new-vehicle transaction price reached $50,080 in September, the first time it had crossed the $50,000 threshold, and up 3.6% year over year.

“The Cox/Moody’s Vehicle Affordability Index shows it now takes more weeks of median income to buy a new car than at any time in the past decade,” stated the report, adding that tariffs alone could add $2,000-$3,000 per unit once costs are fully passed on to buyers.

“Tariff exposure and broader economic headwinds are likely to cool U.S. car demand in 2026, as supply complexities intensify,” stated the report authors.

“Tariffs, consumer sentiment, and production shifts will converge in 2026, making the interplay of supply, demand, and price the single most important lens for forecasting dealership profitability and buyer behaviour.”

Dealership inventories have bounced back from their Covid-era nadirs, but sourcing the right vehicles is still difficult amid tariff-related supply realignments.

The report cited Cox Automotive data showing that as of July this year, total U.S. inventory reached 2.83 million units, equivalent to 82 days’ supply, up 12 days from the previous month.

“Import-heavy models are facing allocation volatility as automakers respond to tariffs and rising landed costs,” said Varnwal. “Dealership supply will become more about composition than volume. You might have full lots, but not of the models customers want. The challenge in 2026 is to match the right vehicle to the right buyer faster than anyone else.”

The CEO added that tariffs have caused manufacturing and supply routes to be revised, with automakers re-evaluating sourcing from China, Europe, and Mexico, and suppliers moving to localize production.

In the meantime, “landing a vehicle in the U.S. will involve longer lead times, fragmented shipping routes, and higher compliance friction,” predicted the report.

The report concludes that “2026 will test dealership agility more than ever. While macro conditions remain unpredictable, the ability to react faster than market averages will separate winners from laggards.”

It urged dealers to track not just overall inventory but its alignment with demand, integrate real-time digital metrics, and adjust incentives and financing strategies dynamically — emphasizing payment-focused messaging over price. Dealers should also invest in AI-driven retail systems linking pricing, inventory, and demand analytics.

Spyne is an AI-based automotive retail technology company headquartered in India, with a subsidiary in the U.S. Founded by Sanjay Varnwal and Deepti Prasad, the company provides digital tools for automobile dealerships, including imaging, 360-degree visuals, and AI systems for lead management and customer engagement.

It serves dealerships and OEMs across multiple regions, including the U.S., Europe, EMEA, and APAC, and has raised more than $25 million from investors such as Vertex Ventures SEA and India, Accel, Storm Ventures, and Alteria Capital.

The advice comes in a new report from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and ChatGPT developer OpenAI, which poses the question: Will AI become the best car sales advisor?

The report reveals that the companies’ detailed model suggests that by 2030, more than 40 million car-buying journeys of private customers worldwide every year will be “meaningfully influenced” by GenAI.

“Online car marketplaces must become GenAI-powered advisors, offering seamless, end-to-end, GenAI-native consumer journeys combining vehicles, insurance, home charging, and mobility subscriptions to position themselves as true one-stop ecosystems. The key is not just to compile accurate data but also to infuse it with meaning and context that enables a superior car-buying journey,” wrote the report authors.

“In doing so, they must figure out how to balance maintaining their perceived independence as a trusted, objective advisor with the need to find new monetization models, such as partnering with OEMs and third parties, including leasing companies and banks. In e-commerce, platforms that tilted too far toward vendor-sponsored placements lost consumer credibility. The same risk applies here: if consumers lose trust in an advisor’s objectivity, they will turn to others for advice.”

BCG and OpenAI share the conclusions of the AIM Group’s recent webinar, AI Personal Assistants: Ally or Enemy for Auto Marketplaces? — in collaboration with digital customer engagement specialist Kaisa — that car-buying will be revolutionized by the advent of AI.

Car shoppers aren’t keen on many of the steps in the consumer journey.

The BCG and OpenAI report comments that “many customers find both the offline and online car-buying experience fragmented, opaque, and frustrating. According to a recent BCG consumer survey, almost half of respondents who have recently purchased a car were dissatisfied with the experience.”

So the sector is ripe for disruption.

“GenAI has the potential to transform the car-buying experience,” wrote the two companies. “GenAI will fundamentally empower how consumers discover, evaluate, and commit to life’s biggest purchases — not with clicks, forms, or phone calls, but with natural conversations that truly understand all the nuances of a customer’s needs.”

The report underlines how AI technology is poised to remove several of the oft-bemoaned pain points in vehicle shopping.

Both graphics from BCG and OpenAI report

“Successful transformation will turn a once-fragmented, complex experience into a seamless journey — one that feels as effortless and personal as talking to a friend,” it stated. “It’s a reimagining of trust, simplicity, and personalization in the car-buying experience, powered by GenAI.”

The report describes how today’s car-shoppers are left “navigating a maze of websites, dealerships, financing options, and endless trade-offs. There is no neutral, multidimensional advisor that consumers can consult on their purchase. No online platform filter allows consumers to enter anything about their driving patterns, design preferences, luggage needs, or charging infrastructure at home and work.”

BCG research suggests that many vehicle shoppers would be “willing to pay more in exchange for a simpler, more transparent purchasing experience without the need to compare prices for the same model or engage in negotiation.”

Being able to skip this painful part of the process would be a boon for car shoppers.

“Every second customer finds comparing and negotiating prices to be the single most annoying step in the customer journey; when given the choice, most consumers prefer not to bargain at all,” noted the report.

AI can help personalize the process. Individual car buyers have a complex mix of personal needs, habits, and priorities that static online tools can’t capture.

“This makes the car-buying experience well-positioned for transformation by GenAI in terms of both customer experience and commercial impact. For consumers, buying their next car will become as easy as telling their story,” added the authors.

GenAI-powered assistants could narrow down models, clearly explain the trade-offs, and even schedule test drives and generate pre-filled financing options, and offer real-time, unbiased recommendations across brands and prices.

The report’s authors were Andrej Levin, Robin Wagner, and Ferdinand Harries of BCG, and Michal Bednarczyk, Shikhar Kwatra, and Philipp Eulenberg of OpenAI.

Source: Vend Marketplaces

Norway-based Vend Marketplaces has named Yale Varty as chief commercial officer (CCO), effective Dec 15.

“Vend is entering a new phase of growth with a clear focus on further commercial development,” said the company, announcing the hire.

“In line with this, we have been looking for a leader with solid experience in data-driven marketing, an international background and broad commercial expertise — someone who can bring fresh perspectives and build on the strong commercial foundation established under the leadership of Ruben Søgaard, former EVP marketing and sales.”

Varty joins Vend Marketplaces’ executive management team from Lyst, a global fashion marketplace and aggregator, where he was also CCO. Prior to that he worked at AI company Supernormal.

Vend Marketplaces said that Varty had “played a key strategic leadership role when [Lyst] was acquired by the Japanese e-commerce group Zozo earlier this year.”

It added that he “brings more than 15 years of international leadership experience across ecommerce, travel, fashion and consulting, including senior roles at Expedia, ASOS, HostelWorld and Boden.”

“Varty’s background and experience give him unique expertise in driving growth, customer engagement and digital transformation in highly competitive international markets.”

Vend Marketplaces CEO Christian Printzell Halvorsen commented that Varty’s “wide-ranging experience — including leadership at Lyst — makes him an exceptional addition to our leadership team. He combines strategic vision with operational expertise, and his appointment marks an important step in strengthening Vend’s commercial leadership for the future.”

Originally from Seattle, Varty will relocate from London to Copenhagen, Denmark, to assume his new role.

“Vend has strong brands and growing demand across its markets,” he said. “There is a major opportunity to enhance customer experience and loyalty, sharpen the verticals, and make full use of the platform strategy. I look forward to working with the team to deliver on this next phase of growth.”

“I’ve been fortunate to work across marketplaces in travel, ecommerce and fashion. I hope to leverage that breadth as a strength, to connect the dots, adapt quickly, and work with the Vend team through change.”

Vend Marketplaces, formerly known as Schibsted Marketplaces, owns marketplace brands Finn, Blocket, DBA, Bilbasen, Oikotie and Tori. It operates marketplaces across four core verticals — mobility, recommerce, real estate and jobs — across the Nordic region.

Source: Carsales.com.au

Carsales Mediahouse, the media arm of Carsales, Australia’s leading digital automotive marketplace, has launched an interactive content section in partnership with automotive group Stellantis, in a bid to increase interest in electric vehicles (EVs).

Called Electric Avenue, the new section is hosted on Carsales’ site and was developed by its in-house strategy and creative agency Fuse.

It covers five Stellantis brands, including Jeep (the Jeep Avenger), Fiat (Fiat 500e) and Leapmotor (the Leapmotor C10).

“After years of flatlining, we’ve seen the first lift in EV consideration since 2022 with 37% of Aussies saying they’ve considered buying an EV, up from 30% late last year,” said Brooke Wilson, group business director at Carsales Mediahouse.

“That tells us the appetite is still there — we just need to reignite the excitement and make the category feel approachable again, which is exactly what Electric Avenue sets out to do.”

“Brands are asking for smarter, more engaging solutions,” said Shane Dawson, creative director at Carsales Mediahouse. “Electric Avenue shows what happens when you combine playful interaction with serious intelligence. Brands are very much present, but it’s the category that’s the hero here. Every quiz, every scroll, every brand switch — it all generates insight while keeping audiences genuinely entertained.”

Dawson said the platform, which went live earlier this year, mixes EV explainers, fun facts and interactive brand moments.

“Stellantis is home to some of the most iconic auto brands, each packed with personality, and Electric Avenue gives us a unique platform to show them off,” added Rachel Semmens, senior brand marketing manager at Stellantis, the owner of a range of car brands including Peugeot, Citroën, Fiat, Jeep, and Chrysler.

Carsales offers more than 200,000 new and used cars, alongside vehicle inspections and history reports, car valuation and pricing tools, and independent expert news and reviews.

It’s owned by Car Group, the automotive marketplace specialist formerly known as Carsales. The new name and brand identity adopted in 2023 reflects the group’s increasingly global scale. With assets in five countries, more than half its revenue now comes from overseas.

Besides its No. 1 auto site in Australia, the company operates the auto marketplaces ChileAutos in Chile, Encar in South Korea, WebMotors in Brazil, and, through Trader Interactive, a network of non-automotive marketplaces in the U.S.

In the 2024 financial year, the company also reached a significant milestone: annual revenue exceeded AUD1 billion ($654.4 million U.S.) for the first time since the company’s founding in 1997.

Most of the information is automatically generated, requiring no extra effort from dealers. This should generate higher-quality leads that convert faster, says AutoTrack.

The company cited recent research it had conducted showing that visitors to its website and app require more in-depth information about electric cars, with real-world driving range and the condition of a used car’s battery the two standout issues, followed by battery capacity and warranty, real-world energy consumption, fast-charging time, WLTP range and home-charging times.

(WLTP, or Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure, is a standardized laboratory test used in the EU to measure the fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and the electric range of new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles.)

AutoTrack will now include all of this information in every listing for registered EVs.

“These are exactly the questions and concerns our visitors have, which is why it’s important to make this data visible in the car advertisements,” said Ingrid Spierts, head of product, marketing and strategy.

“The best part is that car dealers don’t have to do anything at all: The information is automatically added, and the car immediately becomes discoverable as soon as a buyer searches with these additional filters.”

As some users find the stated WLTP range too generic and unrealistic, AutoTrack says it now provides the real-world range for every EV, displayed as an average for daily use throughout the year. Visitors can also see how certain conditions affect the range — for example, city versus highway driving, in summer and winter conditions.

“If buyers have all of this information upfront, it saves many questions and extra research in the showroom. It also helps prevent disappointment afterward, reducing the need for additional after care,” added Spierts.

The real-world range, (fast) charging times, WLTP range, battery warranty, energy consumption, and the type of charging port are automatically provided by EV Database.

Information on battery condition will initially be handled by launching partner GO Remarketing Solutions, the official reseller of Moba CertifyPro.

“For all used cars, the technical condition is a concern, and this applies specifically to the EV battery due to the high replacement costs,” said Spierts. “When car dealerships are in possession of an SoH [state of health] certificate, they can add this report to their car advertisements at no cost, directly addressing the needs of potential buyers.”

The EV landscape in Europe is set to be drastically disrupted over the coming years as a new EU regulation concerning electric batteries comes into force. The shift presents an opportunity for automotive marketplaces to become important stakeholders in the EV lifecycle.

AutoTrack.nl, one of the leading auto sites in the Netherlands, is owned by Automotive Mediaventions, which also operates auto verticals Gaspedaal.nl and AutoWereld.nl.

“We unveiled new consumer AI features in the spring and early summer that are ramping quickly, contributing to differentiation and driving our marketplace flywheel,” Alex Vetter, president, CEO and director of Cars.com, told investors in the company’s Q2 2025 earnings call.

He noted the marketplace’s “continuous AI innovation and new enhancements we’ll be launching for our customers later this year.”

Vetter said Cars.com — which is owned by Cars Commerce — sees AI as “a critical tool to drive lead volume and quality.”

“Consumers browsing Cars.com are benefiting from a major update in the form of our new AI-powered search capabilities,” he added.

In May, the company began augmenting standard keyword searches with natural language recognition, converting conversational queries like ‘new SUVs under 35,000’ into tailored shopping results.

“It’s still early days, but lead selection rates from visitors using AI search are already two times higher than regular search and account for nearly 20% of Internet leads submitted,” said the CEO.

“The feature is prominent on top of our homepage, and we encourage everyone to try it out for a more enhanced car-buying experience.”

The autos marketplace also intends to marry its AI offering with its vast content, noted Vetter.

“We have immediate plans to integrate editorial content into the search experience for the personalized results and comparisons and enable completion of leads, submissions and trade-in value requests using AI,” he said. “We’re committed to developing and implementing ways to leverage AI to drive performance and open up new growth vectors.”

The CEO added that the company’s “extensive content library complements the rising use of AI agents, who rely on our expertise and heavily reference our content and brand… We’re layering [our content] into as many of the AI engines that we can, which is rendering our brand recognition and serving as a real halo for our authority.”

The AIM Group has contacted Vetter to ask for more specifics on Cars.com’s AI enhancements and will update this article if we receive a response.

The site’s AI efforts are in line with those of its rivals.

In June, CarGurus, the No. 1 visited autos site in the U.S., released a conversation search experience based on OpenAI’s generative AI.

The new interface provides “a more personalized and intuitive car shopping experience,” the company announced at the time.

Available on desktop and mobile, it was introduced as an optional way to search for cars; on desktop, users can find it by clicking the “discover” tab at the top of CarGurus’s homepage. Structured search remains the default.

Cars Commerce posted a decline in profit and flat revenue in Q2 2025, with growth in car-maker ad sales offsetting a slight year-on-year dip in the company’s core dealership business.

Revenue fell just shy of $179 million, virtually unchanged from both the previous quarter and the year-ago quarter. Net income came to $7 million, down 38% year on year (y-o-y).

The company counted 19,412 dealer customers at the end of June, up more than 160 from the previous quarter, the biggest sequential increase Cars had enjoyed in three years. However, monthly average revenue per dealer was down about 2% y-o-y to $2,435.

Cars.com was launched in June 1998. It was originally a division of Classified Ventures LLC, owned by major media companies including A.H. Belo, Gannett, The McClatchy Company, Tribune Company and The Washington Post Company.

Cars.com was spun off from Tegna, Inc. in 2017. In late 2023, the company rebranded its commercial offerings — including its core marketplace, software, and marketing products — as “Cars Commerce.”