{"id":36549,"date":"2026-10-06T17:22:46","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T15:22:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/?p=36549"},"modified":"2026-10-06T17:22:46","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T15:22:46","slug":"cetelem-observatory-2027-car-price-vs-automotive-patriotism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/automobile-en\/cetelem-observatory-2027-car-price-vs-automotive-patriotism","title":{"rendered":"Cetelem Observatory 2027: Car Price vs. Automotive Patriotism?\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><strong>When specifications are equal, 6 out of 10 motorists choose a cheaper foreign car<\/strong><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">he study confirms that <strong>car price remains the decisive factor<\/strong> for consumers:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><div class=\"container\">\n<li><strong>40%<\/strong> rank it first for a new vehicle, and <strong>52%<\/strong> for a used one.<\/li>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<li><strong>60%<\/strong> would forgo a national brand if a foreign one is cheaper (except in <strong>Japan, China, and the United States<\/strong>, where local brands prevail).<\/li>\n<\/div><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Yet automotive patriotism endures:<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><div class=\"container\">\n<li><strong>1 in 2 Europeans<\/strong> would prefer a brand from their own country (peaking in <strong>France, Germany, and Italy<\/strong>).<\/li>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<li><strong>Young people (18-30 years old) are willing to pay 5-10% more<\/strong> for a locally made car.<\/li>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<li><strong>Europe as a safe haven:<\/strong> <strong>60%<\/strong> would trust an unknown European brand over an Asian or American one (50%).<\/li>\n<\/div><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>&#8220;Price is the ultimate arbiter, but it doesn\u2019t tell the whole story. National brands enjoy a trust advantage, especially in times of crisis.&#8221;<\/em> \u2013 <strong>Flavien Neuvy<\/strong>, Director of the Cetelem Observatory.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Concrete example:<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><div class=\"container\">\n<li>In <strong>France<\/strong>, <strong>48%<\/strong> would choose a French brand at equal price, but only <strong>30%<\/strong> if it\u2019s 10% more expensive.<\/li>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<li>In <strong>Germany<\/strong>, <strong>53%<\/strong> opt for a local brand if the price is the same, but only <strong>40%<\/strong> if it\u2019s higher.<\/li>\n<\/div><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. Impact of the Iran Crisis on 2027 Fuel Prices: How the Surge Is Accelerating Electric Car Purchases<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>With gasoline over \u20ac2\/L, 1 in 2 motorists is considering an electric vehicle<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>Iran crisis<\/strong> and its impact on <strong>oil prices<\/strong> have profoundly altered purchasing behavior:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><div class=\"container\">\n<li><strong>Conflict in the Strait of Hormuz<\/strong> (spring 2026) \u2192 <strong>30% increase in oil prices over 6 months<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<li><strong>Direct impact on fuel prices:<\/strong><div class=\"container\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><div class=\"container\">\n<li><strong>Diesel:<\/strong> from <strong>\u20ac1.59\/L to \u20ac2.05\/L<\/strong> in the EU between February and April 2026.<\/li>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<li><strong>Gasoline:<\/strong> exceeds <strong>\u20ac1.85\/L<\/strong> (peaking at \u20ac1.90 in July 2026).<\/li>\n<\/div><\/ul>\n<\/div><\/li>\n<\/div><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Consequences for purchasing decisions:<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><div class=\"container\">\n<li><strong>50% of motorists<\/strong> reduce non-essential trips.<\/li>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<li><strong>30%<\/strong> switch gas stations or fuel types to save money.<\/li>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<li><strong>1 in 5<\/strong> considers an <strong>electric or hybrid vehicle<\/strong> to avoid fuel price volatility.<\/li>\n<\/div><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Key data on electric cars:<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><div class=\"container\">\n<li><strong>Increased purchase intent:<\/strong><div class=\"container\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><div class=\"container\">\n<li><strong>50%<\/strong> of potential buyers consider an electric\/hybrid model (vs. 30% in 2025).<\/li>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<li><strong>Peaks in China (65%) and Italy (68%)<\/strong>, but only <strong>34% in the US<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/div><\/ul>\n<\/div><\/li>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<li><strong>Brand perception:<\/strong><div class=\"container\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><div class=\"container\">\n<li><strong>62%<\/strong> associate electric cars with <strong>China<\/strong> (vs. 54% for Japan).<\/li>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<li>In <strong>Europe, local brands (Renault, Volkswagen) remain preferred<\/strong> for their networks and after-sales service.<\/li>\n<\/div><\/ul>\n<\/div><\/li>\n<\/div><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>&#8220;The Iran crisis acted as a catalyst. Consumers no longer want to bear the brunt of geopolitical fuel price fluctuations. Electric vehicles are becoming an economic necessity.&#8221;<\/em> \u2013 <strong>Flavien Neuvy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. French Car Price vs. Foreign Car Price: Does Automotive Protectionism Change the Game?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Tariffs, local subsidies&#8230; Who really protects motorists?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Protectionist measures<\/strong> are multiplying in 2027, with varying impacts on <strong>car prices<\/strong> and <strong>consumer choices<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th><strong>Country\/Region<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>Automotive Protectionist Measure<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>Impact on Car Prices<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>European Union<\/strong><\/td><td>Additional tariffs (+17% to +35%) on Chinese EVs<\/td><td>10-20% price increase for Chinese models (e.g., MG, BYD).<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>United States<\/strong><\/td><td>100% tariffs on Chinese cars<\/td><td>Near-total exclusion of Chinese brands (except Tesla, locally produced).<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>France<\/strong><\/td><td>Purchase incentives limited to low-carbon EVs<\/td><td>Advantage for Renault, Peugeot, Citro\u00ebn (excludes Dacia Spring, MG).<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>China<\/strong><\/td><td>EV production quotas (48% in 2026) + tax exemptions<\/td><td>Market dominance (13.4M EVs sold in 2025).<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Unintended consequences:<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><div class=\"container\">\n<li><strong>Higher car prices<\/strong> for consumers (e.g., <strong>MG4 costs 15% more<\/strong> in Europe than in the US).<\/li>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<li><strong>Risk of shortages<\/strong> in certain segments (e.g., affordable EVs in Europe).<\/li>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<li><strong>Competitive advantage for local brands<\/strong>&#8230; but <strong>at the expense of purchasing power<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/div><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Case study: France<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><div class=\"container\">\n<li><strong>38% of sales<\/strong> go to <strong>Renault, Peugeot, Citro\u00ebn<\/strong> (vs. 25% for foreign brands).<\/li>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<li><strong>But<\/strong> average prices for French EVs (<strong>Renault M\u00e9gane E-Tech at \u20ac40,000<\/strong>) remain <strong>unaffordable for 60% of households<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/div><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>4. 2027 Car Prices: How to Balance Budget, Patriotism, and Geopolitics?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Summary of Trends and 2028 Outlook<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><div class=\"container\">\n<li><strong>Car price prevails&#8230; but automotive patriotism persists<\/strong> (especially among young people and in major manufacturing countries).<\/li>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<li><strong>The Iran crisis accelerates the electric transition<\/strong>&#8230; out of economic necessity rather than environmental conviction.<\/li>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<li><strong>Automotive protectionism protects local brands<\/strong>&#8230; but at the cost of purchasing power.<\/li>\n<\/div><\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2028 Outlook:<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><div class=\"container\">\n<li><strong>If oil prices remain high<\/strong> \u2192 <strong>Surge in electric car sales<\/strong> (especially in China and Europe).<\/li>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<li><strong>If geopolitical tensions ease<\/strong> \u2192 <strong>Partial return to combustion engines<\/strong>, but with increased preference for local brands (&#8220;reassurance&#8221; effect).<\/li>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<li><strong>The big winner?<\/strong> <strong>European manufacturers<\/strong> (Volkswagen, Renault, Stellantis) that combine <strong>competitive pricing, strong networks, and patriotic appeal<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/div><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>&#8220;In 2027, motorists are strategists: balancing their wallets, values, and geopolitical risks. Brands that can reconcile competitiveness, proximity, and crisis resilience will have a decisive edge.&#8221;<\/em> \u2013 <strong>Flavien Neuvy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>5. Cetelem Observatory 2027 Key Figures: Car Prices, Automotive Patriotism, and Iran Crisis Impact<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th><strong>Indicator<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>2027 Data<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Car price as top criterion<\/strong><\/td><td>40% (new) \/ 52% (used)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Preference for national brand<\/strong><\/td><td>1 in 5 on average (1 in 2 in France, China, US)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Premium accepted for local car<\/strong><\/td><td>5-10% for 40% of motorists (90% of 18-30 year-olds)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Iran crisis impact on gasoline<\/strong><\/td><td>+\u20ac0.46\/L in 6 months (April 2026)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Electric car purchase intent<\/strong><\/td><td>50% of potential buyers (vs. 30% in 2025)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>EV market share in China<\/strong><\/td><td>53% of sales (8.2M vehicles in 2025)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>EU tariffs on Chinese EVs<\/strong><\/td><td>+17% to +35% (on top of existing 10%)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\"><div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/di-bnp-10013_obs_auto_2027_210x210_inter_gb_pap.pdf\">Download the study (PDF format)<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/lobservatoire-cetelem-de-lautomobile\/observatoire-automotive-2027-country-or-price-motorists-have-made-their-choice\">Read the full study<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/cp_observatoire-cetelem-automobile-2027_en.pdf\">Press release<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About BNP Paribas Personal Finance and the Cetelem Observatory<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>BNP Paribas Personal Finance<\/strong>, a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, is a leading <strong>consumer credit<\/strong> provider in Europe.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>Cetelem Observatory<\/strong>, established in <strong>1985<\/strong>, is a benchmark in <strong>consumer behavior and mobility studies<\/strong>. Directed by <strong>Flavien Neuvy<\/strong>, it publishes two annual international reports, including one on <strong>automotive trends<\/strong>, based on surveys in <strong>16 countries<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When specifications are equal, 6 out of 10 motorists choose a cheaper foreign car. he study confirms that car price remains the decisive factor for consumers: Yet automotive patriotism endures: &#8220;Price is the ultimate arbiter, but it doesn\u2019t tell the whole story. National brands enjoy a trust advantage, especially in times of crisis.&#8221; \u2013 Flavien [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1932,"featured_media":36545,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1444],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36549","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-automobile-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36549","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1932"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36549"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36549\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36550,"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36549\/revisions\/36550"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36549"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36549"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36549"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}