China’s car owners consider in-car infotainment as an important part of the user experience.
According to Counterpoint Research’s In-Car Entertainment Study in China, consumers are increasingly prioritizing in-car infotainment systems during purchase, ranking them above factors such as price and design.
The research group has observed that a growing number of consumers are looking at their cars as an extension of their lifestyles. This is particularly visible in China, where buyers are more open to adopting new technologies than in many other markets.
These lifestyle-driven experiences are centered on personalization and connectivity, combining the comfort of home and the versatility of smartphones. As a result, vehicles are increasingly becoming spaces where drivers and passengers can enjoy entertainment, connect with others, work, or simply unwind.
Three in four car owners surveyed believe that vehicles featuring advanced in-car entertainment technologies are perceived as premium and symbolise an aspirational lifestyle.
The importance of this shift is also evident at the point of purchase, with 7 in 10 car owners rating in-car infotainment as “very or extremely important” when choosing a vehicle. This importance has increased slightly since 2025, reinforcing that infotainment-led experiences, supported by innovations such as Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, are a must-have rather than a nice-to-have.
The Counterpoint survey highlighted that entertainment features, such as content consumption and smartphone integration, ranked over traditional functions like navigation and calling or messaging. Further, among entertainment options, music, movies and podcasts/audiobooks ranked as the top three activities car owners found most engaging.
What has changed is the importance of shorts and user-generated content, which has increased by 7% to 42% since 2025 and has moved to the second spot in terms of frequency of daily use, ahead of gaming, movies and TV shows.
Immersive entertainment received the highest interest, with 73% of the surveyed car owners associating their vehicles with immersive entertainment, along with multifunctional in-car experiences such as personal productivity, wellness, and shared social spaces.
Commenting on the experience of car owners, Associate Director Claudia Krehl said, “86% among those owners who have Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos-enabled cars said they are satisfied with their vehicle’s in-car infotainment system, an 8% increase year-over-year compared to 2025. In interviews, consumers confirmed that their vehicle cabin feels like a small living space with Dolby technology enabling an entertainment experience that matches a cinema or concert venue in a private space. Moreover, cars enabled with audio-visual technologies such as Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos play a critical role in the entertainment experience, as three in four car owners perceive cars as a premium product representing an aspirational lifestyle when they are enabled with such technologies.”
Krehl added: “High in 10 consumers planning to purchase a new car within the next six months say they are willing to spend extra for vehicles offering the Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos combined experience, viewing it as a meaningful lifestyle upgrade.”
Drawing on insights from NEV owners, carmakers are expected to elevate cabin experiences across hybrid and combustion engine models as well, according to Counterpoint. Features such as larger screens, high‑fidelity three-dimensional sound and intelligent voice assistance are quickly becoming standard expectations, extending beyond premium models into budget and mid‑range offerings within the alternative fuel lineup.
About the study
Counterpoint Research and Dolby conducted a consumer study in China, which involved surveys and in-depth interviews with consumers and creators to understand how owners of cars that feature Dolby experiences, as well as prospective buyers, define premium audio and video experiences in the car. The study was conducted in April 2026 across five Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Chongqing, with a sample size of 1,200 respondents.
