Global sales of passenger vehicles (PV) with embedded Wi-Fi grew 10% year-over-year (YoY) in 2025, according to Counterpoint’s new Global Automotive Wi-Fi Tracker.
This growth was supported by the increasing integration of connected infotainment systems, the rising adoption of software-defined vehicle (SDV) architectures, and growing consumer demand for seamless in-car digital experiences.
“Automakers are increasingly embedding Wi-Fi connectivity across both premium and mass-market vehicles to support wireless smartphone projection (such as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay), over-the-air (OTA) software updates, cloud-based services, and provide Wi-Fi hotspot access to in-vehicle occupants,” Counterpoint Associate Director Greg Basich said.
Wi-Fi 5 was the most commonly supported standard in cars sold in 2025, as it can support most current automotive use cases. However, the biggest momentum of the year came from Wi-Fi 6 adoption in cars, which grew 142% YoY in 2025. Compared to earlier Wi-Fi generations, Wi-Fi 6 delivers higher bandwidth, lower latency, and improved efficiency in environments with high densities of connected devices.
China, the United States, and Europe remained the top three automotive Wi-Fi markets globally in 2025, collectively accounting for nearly 77% of cars with embedded Wi-Fi. China remained the leading market for automotive Wi-Fi 6 adoption in 2025, driven by aggressive software-defined vehicle (SDV) development and rapid digital cockpit innovation by domestic automakers.
Counterpoint Associate Director Kevin Li, who oversees China automotive research, said, “Chinese automakers are pushing digital cockpit innovation much faster than international rivals. As vehicles become more software-driven and display-heavy, the need for faster, more stable internal wireless connectivity is increasing rapidly. Wi-Fi 6 is becoming an important enabler for these next-generation in-car experiences.”
Toyota Group held the leading position globally in passenger-car sales with embedded Wi-Fi in 2025, supported by its large global vehicle volumes and broad connected-vehicle portfolio. Volkswagen Group and Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group followed closely, benefiting from strong connectivity integration strategies and expanding digital cockpit deployments.
“As vehicles evolve into software-driven digital platforms, automakers are integrating a wide range of digital features that require OTA updates and connections to off-board networks,” Counterpoint Vice President of Research, Peter Richardson said. “With them, the need for more advanced wireless communication standards is also growing. As a result, Wi-Fi 6 is increasingly becoming the preferred standard for modern digital cockpit systems.”
