How to Choose a Market Research Company: A Buyer's Checklist
A ten-point checklist for vetting market research vendors before you buy, using the in-car infotainment market as a live test case — from GM's Gemini over-the-air upgrade to Euro NCAP's 2026 physical-controls scoring.
Source: Next Move Strategy Consulting · In-Car Infotainment Market, 2023 base year, 2030 forecast
Introduction
4 millionCadillac, Chevrolet, Buick and GMC vehicles in GM's Gemini over-the-air upgrade
100% vs 0%Euro NCAP 2026 driving controls scores, BMW iX3 against Leapmotor B05
10 checksQuestions to put to any research provider before commissioning a forecast
On April 28, 2026, General Motors announced that it would upgrade approximately 4 million model year 2022 and newer Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick and GMC vehicles in the United States from Google Assistant to Google's Gemini conversational assistant, delivered over the air across several months. A single software release of that scale moves value away from fixed head-unit hardware and toward software and services, and it is exactly the kind of event that a research vendor either captures or misses when sizing the in-car infotainment market.
According to Next Move Strategy Consulting's In-Car Infotainment Market report, the global in-car infotainment market was valued at USD 16.4 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 35.4 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 11.6% from 2024 to 2030. With spending of that size attached to every forecast, the choice of research company deserves the same discipline as the choice of a supplier.
This buyer's checklist uses the in-car infotainment market as a live test case. It sets out ten questions that investors, OEM strategy teams and Tier-1 suppliers can put to any research provider, and it shows why each question matters by pointing to recent developments in connected-vehicle software, cockpit controls and market definition.
At a Glance
Market Snapshot
$16.4BGlobal in-car infotainment market size in 2023 (NMSC)
$35.4BNMSC forecast for 2030
11.6% CAGRNMSC forecast growth rate for 2024 to 2030
Note on sources: market size, forecast and CAGR figures come from Next Move Strategy Consulting's primary research and analysis. Event data, safety scores and standards come from the named external organisations and are not interchangeable with NMSC's market model.
The Buyer's Checklist
Ten Checks to Run Before Commissioning In-Car Infotainment Market Research
General Motors' April 2026 Gemini rollout is one of two recent events that expose weak research. The second arrived on October 13, 2026, when TimesLIVE reported the latest Euro NCAP test results. Under Euro NCAP's revised 2026 protocols, essential functions such as indicators, wipers, hazard lights, the horn and the eCall emergency button should work through direct physical controls rather than touchscreen menus. The BMW iX3 scored 100% for driving controls, while the Leapmotor B05 scored 0%. One event moves value into software and services, and the other limits how far a cockpit can be built around a screen. A vendor that models only touchscreen unit shipments and ignores both will mis-size the segments that matter.
NMSC Strategic Perspective
Why Infotainment Punishes Loose Definitions
NMSC's analysis divides the in-car infotainment market by offering (hardware, software and services), vehicle type, fit type (OEM fitted and aftermarket) and form type (embedded, tethered and integrated systems). That structure matters because value can move between categories without any change in vehicle sales. When GM moves the voice assistant in roughly four million vehicles already on the road to Gemini through an over-the-air update, engineering effort and customer value shift from hardware toward software and connected services in a single release. Buyers should test whether a vendor's segmentation can register that shift. A model with only a hardware line, or only a regional total, cannot show whether an 11.6% CAGR is carried by head units, software licences or services. In NMSC's view, the quality of a forecast is visible in its segment architecture long before it is visible in the headline number.
01
Match the market definition to your decision
Hardware · Software · Services
NMSC's market definition describes in-car infotainment as touchscreen displays, audio systems, navigation, smartphone integration, internet connectivity and voice recognition. Ask each vendor to list exactly which products, services and vehicle classes sit inside its number.
NMSC's report separates hardware such as audio, display, head-up display, navigation and communication units from software such as operating system licences, middleware and applications, and from services such as navigation, media, telematics and over-the-air updates. If a vendor cannot show where its boundary sits, its USD figure cannot be compared with any other. This one question removes most of the confusion between narrow hardware numbers and broad connected-vehicle numbers.
02
Check the base year, forecast window and update date
Base year 2023 · Forecast 2024–2030 · Last update Oct 16, 2026
NMSC's report uses 2023 as the base year and forecasts the period from 2024 to 2030. Its report page lists September 25, 2026 as the publishing date and October 16, 2026 as the last update, so a buyer can see how current the analysis is. Ask every vendor for the same three dates.
An infotainment forecast frozen before GM's April 2026 announcement cannot reflect one of the largest Gemini deployments in the industry, as GM describes it, and a buyer should know that before paying. Ask also how the vendor treats revisions: a provider that publishes a dated change log after major events is showing the habit that keeps a purchased forecast usable.
03
Demand a methodology you can audit
Top-down and bottom-up estimation · ARIMA · Monte Carlo simulation
Ask whether the vendor combines top-down and bottom-up estimation and how the two are reconciled. NMSC states that it applies both approaches and forecasts with statistical techniques including multilinear regression, exponential smoothing, moving averages, ARIMA and Monte Carlo simulation. The specific techniques matter less than the willingness to name them.
A vendor that describes its method only as proprietary leaves the buyer unable to judge whether a growth rate comes from vehicle volumes, content per vehicle or both. Request one worked example, such as how a single segment's 2030 value is built, and check that the arithmetic reproduces the published total.
04
Probe the depth of primary research
GM's Gemini on a centralized computing platform from 2028 (Wards Auto)
Desk research alone cannot explain why a cockpit platform wins an OEM programme. NMSC describes qualitative methods such as in-depth interviews, focus groups and observational studies alongside quantitative surveys and statistical modelling.
Ask how many interviews the vendor completed in the past year with OEM product planners, Tier-1 engineers and software suppliers, and request the interview guide. Wards Auto reported that GM will add Gemini to a next-generation centralized computing platform launching in 2028, a timeline that only OEM-side conversations can interpret. Also ask whether interviewees are described in the methodology note by role and region, because anonymous claims cannot be weighed.
05
Verify source quality and independence
ISO 20252:2019 · research service requirements
Every material figure should trace to a company filing, regulator, standards body or established news outlet. Ask for the source list behind the five largest numbers in the sample. Be cautious where one vendor's forecast simply repeats another's, because an error is then copied rather than checked.
ISO 20252:2019, titled Market, opinion and social research, including insights and data analytics, sets service requirements for research providers, so asking whether a provider has attested its processes against it is a fair test of documentation discipline. Where a figure cannot be traced, the vendor should say so and drop it, rather than present it with a confident decimal.
06
Test regulatory and interface awareness
BMW iX3 100% · Audi Q7 90% · Xpeng X9 20% · Leapmotor B05 0%
Euro NCAP's 2026 results show how far interface design now diverges between models. As TimesLIVE reported on October 13, 2026, the Audi Q7 scored 90% in Euro NCAP's driving control assessment, while the Xpeng X9 scored 20% for its primary driving controls because it relies on the central touchscreen.
A forecast of display units that treats every touchscreen as equivalent misses the pressure that rating protocols place on screen-centred design. Ask the vendor which regulations and rating protocols are explicit inputs to its model.
Euro NCAP 2026 Driving Controls Scores by Vehicle Model
Driving controls score (%) · Euro NCAP 2026 test results
Score of 80% or aboveScore of 20% or below
BMW iX3
100%
Audi Q7
90%
Cupra Raval
80%
Geely E2
80%
Xpeng X9
20%
Zeekr 7GT
20%
Aion UT
20%
Leapmotor B05
0%
The chart shows the driving controls scores that TimesLIVE reported for eight vehicles in Euro NCAP's 2026 tests, from 100% for the BMW iX3 to 0% for the Leapmotor B05. The source describes the metric as the driving control assessment and, for some models, as primary driving controls. The data covers only the models named in the report.
Source: TimesLIVE, Why carmakers are switching back to physical buttons (October 13, 2026), reporting Euro NCAP 2026 test results
07
Confirm geographic and fit-type coverage
28 countries · North America largest region
NMSC's report covers 28 countries across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the rest of the world, and it identifies North America as the largest regional market for in-car infotainment. Ask any vendor for its country list and for the split between OEM-fitted and aftermarket systems.
An analysis built mainly on U.S. launches such as GM's will under-describe markets where Euro NCAP scoring or local platform choices shape cockpit design, and it will say little about the retrofit segment.
08
Ask how the vendor uses AI in its own research
ESOMAR's 20 Questions to Help Buyers of AI-Based Services (2024)
Conversational assistants are changing the market the vendor is measuring, and AI is also changing how research is produced. ESOMAR published its 20 Questions to Help Buyers of AI-Based Services for market research and insights in 2024. Ask whether any estimate, summary or survey response in your deliverable was machine-generated, which named analyst validated it, and whether your data was shared with third-party models.
A vendor that cannot answer clearly is a governance risk, whatever its forecast says. Ask for the vendor's AI policy in writing.
09
Examine the competitive analysis, not just a company list
15 companies profiled · market shares for 10
NMSC profiles 15 companies in the in-car infotainment market, including HARMAN, Robert Bosch, Continental, Panasonic Automotive Systems, Visteon, DENSO and Aptiv, and provides market shares for 10 of them. The useful question for any vendor is the basis of those shares: revenue, units or design wins, and for which fit type and region.
A list of logos without a share method, a time stamp and a source for each company event gives a buyer nothing to defend in an investment committee. Ask also how recent product launches, partnerships and investments are logged, and whether each carries an official announcement date.
10
Compare support, customisation and the sample
Free sample download · licence tiers set customisation hours
Ask for a sample before purchase and compare what each vendor will adjust afterwards. NMSC's licence table lists free customisation hours and analyst support periods that scale with the licence tier, and its report page offers a free sample download. A sample shows table structure, source discipline and segment depth in minutes.
A vendor unwilling to provide one is asking for payment before the buyer can test any of the nine points above, so re-read this checklist against the sample before signing.
Industry Impact Analysis
How the In-Car Infotainment Market Value Chain Is Affected
The two events reach different parts of the value chain, so the quality of research matters differently to each stakeholder. Because infotainment spans hardware, software and services, a single research error can travel through procurement, product planning and investment decisions at once.
OEMs
GM's release, as reported by Wards Auto, extends Gemini to commercial customers and to additional markets and languages over time, so planners need research that separates passenger from commercial fleets and tracks rollout market by market.
Tier-1 Suppliers
Euro NCAP's 2026 scoring, reported by TimesLIVE, rewards direct physical controls for indicators, wipers, hazard lights, the horn and eCall, so suppliers of display units and control panels need forecasts that model mixed screen-and-button cockpits.
Software and Platform Providers
Gemini reaches vehicles already on the road through an over-the-air update, so research should size software and services separately from new-vehicle hardware.
Aftermarket and Fleet Operators
Because NMSC separates OEM-fitted from aftermarket systems, buyers serving retrofit or commercial segments should insist that any vendor does the same.
Investors
A headline growth rate such as NMSC's 11.6% CAGR is only as defensible as the segment, regional and source detail beneath it.
Weighing the Trade-Offs
Pros and Cons of Recent Market Developments
Recent developments create clear gains for buyers and vendors, along with costs that a disciplined research brief should capture.
Market Development
Pros
Cons
Over-the-air assistants
Over-the-air assistants such as Gemini reach millions of installed vehicles without hardware changes (GM, April 28, 2026).
Eligibility rules limit reach: customers must be connected to OnStar, signed in to the Google Play Store, use U.S. English and opt in.
Euro NCAP 2026 control scoring
Euro NCAP's 2026 control scoring pushes essential functions toward simpler, safer physical controls.
Screen-centred designs lose points, as the Xpeng X9 at 20% and the Leapmotor B05 at 0% show, which forces redesign.
Segment-level market models
Segment-level market models show where hardware, software and services diverge.
Finer segmentation demands primary research that lower-cost reports may not provide.
ESOMAR's 20 Questions
ESOMAR's 20 Questions give buyers a shared language for vetting AI-based research services.
Applying the questions takes buyer time and depends on vendor transparency.
ISO 20252:2019
ISO 20252:2019 offers a recognised benchmark for research service quality.
Attestation is voluntary and may cover only selected annexes of the standard.
Reference Data
Key Data and Statistics
NMSC Disclosure Benchmark for the In-Car Infotainment Market
Indicator
NMSC Disclosure
Market size, 2023 (base year)
USD 16.4 billion
Market forecast, 2030
USD 35.4 billion
CAGR, 2024–2030
11.6%
Segmentation
Offering, vehicle type, fit type, form type
Geographic coverage
28 countries across four regions
Companies profiled
15 (market shares for 10)
Report publishing date
September 25, 2026
Report last update
October 16, 2026
Standards and Frameworks for Vetting a Research Provider
Framework
Issuer
Year
Use in Vendor Selection
ISO 20252:2019
ISO
2019
Service requirements for market, opinion and social research providers, including access panels
20 Questions to Help Buyers of AI-Based Services
ESOMAR
2024
Questions on AI use, validation and governance in research services
Questions to Help Buyers of Online Samples (the 37 questions)
ESOMAR
2021
Questions on sample sources, recruitment and project management
How to use the tables: the first sets the benchmark of disclosure that NMSC itself publishes, namely market size, forecast, growth rate, years, coverage and segmentation. Hold every other vendor to at least the same list. The second names the external frameworks that make those questions credible, since each comes from an international standards body or a professional association rather than from a research vendor.
Looking Ahead
Future Outlook & Forecast
NMSC projects the global in-car infotainment market to reach USD 35.4 billion by 2030, a CAGR of 11.6% from 2024. Three developments will decide how well any vendor's forecast holds. First, GM's Gemini upgrade, which Wards Auto reported will extend to a centralized computing platform launching in 2028, points to continued migration of value toward software. Second, Euro NCAP's 2026 protocols, applied model by model through the year, will keep reshaping how much of the control set sits behind a screen. Third, buyer scrutiny of AI in research, framed by ESOMAR's 20 Questions, will raise the disclosure expected from every provider.
NMSC forecast: USD 35.4 billion global market by 2030
Buyers should schedule a refresh of any purchased forecast when these developments change, and ask each vendor in advance how it handles updates. NMSC's forecast and any external benchmark should be reviewed side by side whenever a vendor revises its figures, with the reason for each change recorded.
Next Steps for Stakeholders
OEM Strategy and Planning Teams
Run the ten checks against every shortlisted vendor, and require separate passenger and commercial assumptions for software rollouts.
Tier-1 and Software Suppliers
Ask vendors to show how Euro NCAP's 2026 control scoring enters display, control-panel and software forecasts.
Investors and Analysts
Request the source list, update date and segment split behind any headline CAGR before relying on it in an investment memo.
New Entrants and Procurement Teams
Download a sample from each vendor first, compare segment depth and source discipline, and then request AI-use disclosures using ESOMAR's 20 Questions.
Need Custom Data?
Need this modeled for a different segment or region?
What is the size of the in-car infotainment market?
NMSC values the global in-car infotainment market at USD 16.4 billion in 2023, projected to reach USD 35.4 billion by 2030.
What is the CAGR of the in-car infotainment market?
The NMSC report projects an 11.6% CAGR from 2024 to 2030.
How does NMSC segment the in-car infotainment market?
By offering (hardware, software and services), vehicle type, fit type (OEM fitted and aftermarket) and form type (embedded, tethered and integrated systems).
What did General Motors announce on April 28, 2026?
GM announced that it would upgrade approximately 4 million model year 2022 and newer Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick and GMC vehicles in the United States from Google Assistant to Gemini, delivered over the air across several months.
Why do Euro NCAP's 2026 protocols matter for infotainment?
Essential functions such as indicators, wipers, hazard lights, the horn and the eCall emergency button should work through direct physical controls rather than touchscreen menus. The BMW iX3 scored 100% for driving controls, while the Leapmotor B05 scored 0%.
Which standards help buyers vet a research provider?
ISO 20252:2019 sets service requirements for market, opinion and social research providers, and ESOMAR's 20 Questions to Help Buyers of AI-Based Services (2024) cover AI use, validation and governance.
Choosing a Research Company Is a Decision About Evidence Quality
Choosing a market research company is a decision about evidence quality. The in-car infotainment market shows why: GM's Gemini upgrade moved value toward software, and Euro NCAP's 2026 scoring is changing how cockpits are laid out, so a forecast built on loose definitions or stale dates misleads quickly. NMSC projects the market to reach USD 35.4 billion by 2030, and businesses tracking it should apply the ten checks together, comparing definitions, methods, sources and samples before they commit budget.
Source: Next Move Strategy Consulting, In-Car Infotainment Market report (2023 base year, 2030 forecast); General Motors; Wards Auto; TimesLIVE reporting Euro NCAP 2026 test results; ISO; ESOMAR; 2026.
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