WHAT will happen to the global automotive industry in the year ahead? John Leech, UK head of automotive at KPMG, anticipates a few car crashes and podium finishes. In his 2016 automotive predictions, John anticipates:

Car market

“In 2016, the European car market will continue to improve as the UK and US plateau at record levels. The Chinese market will continue to under-perform expectations, as its economy slows, which will put pressure on the global automotive industry.

“Price wars will rage across Europe and US as manufacturers seek to win market share by spending their commodity gains in response to lacklustre volumes in China.”

Technology

“Data, privacy and cyber threats to connected cars will be hotly debated as US and EU standards-setters ponder how to deal with these emerging issues. We will see ride-sharing and one-way car sharing rapidly gain popularity as technology enables more consumers to easily access these mobility options.

“Semi-autonomous technologies will continue to grab headlines particularly traffic jam assist, autonomous emergency braking and highway autopilot, as consumers appreciate their convenience. Technology rivals will continue to work towards an autonomous car, challenging the industry to speed up its development of those innovations.

“2016 will be a bumper year for mergers and acquisitions as suppliers position themselves on technological innovations in powertrain, lightweighting and connected car technologies.”

Manufacturers

“In light of the emissions scandal in the latter part of 2015, emissions testing rules will be agreed that will enable diesel powered cars to remain dominant in Europe. As for Toyota, it will post the largest ever profit of any automaker – double that of its nearest rival.”