Mobility Barometer 2025

The new trend: how we view the importance of car brands – and where they come from

Hand on heart: how important is a car brand to you? One thing is clear – many have changed their view on that, and not only that. There’s also a noticeable shift in how people see the importance of a car’s country of origin.

Do you choose BMW, Volvo, Volkswagen, Toyota or Tesla? Or another of the roughly 130 active car brands in the world today?*

For some, choosing a brand is about identity, perhaps even making a statement. For others, it doesn’t matter at all; what counts is that the car does its job. And for many, economic realities simply limit the freedom to choose the brand closest to their heart.

Regardless of which car people drive, the 2025 Mobility Barometer shows a clear trend: more people believe the brand plays an important role. Just over four in ten – 43 percent – say the brand matters to them. Four years ago, that number was roughly three in ten, or 35 percent. Norwegians see it as the most important of all.

At the same time, fewer say the brand is unimportant. One in four (26 percent) now say the brand doesn’t matter much to them, down from one in three four years ago.

“Made in” has gained importance

There’s another equally notable shift: today it’s more important than four years ago to feel comfortable with where a car comes from. One in three, or 34 percent, now say the country of origin matters to them. In 2022, the figure was 25 percent – and the change has been particularly strong over the past two years. Swedes place the least importance on car brands.

Perhaps this reflects something more human. In uncertain times, we tend to seek comfort in what feels familiar. A car’s origin can symbolize values, trust, and quality. Chinese brands spark curiosity but sometimes also skepticism, while European and American makes are often associated with tradition and in many cases reliability.

At the same time, perceptions can shift quickly. Tesla’s recent decline in several European markets shows how strongly a brand can be influenced by the person behind it – and the values that person represents.

*Source: Autoevolution, oktober 2025