New Delhi: Almost 89% of car purchases in India were digitally influenced in 2017, up from 75% in 2016, a report by Google and Kantar TNS said.

Prospective customers exhibited three key digital behaviors —96% of them search online, while 80% watch online videos and 88% of them prefer to research on their smartphones—the report titled ‘The Drive to Decide’ said.

The report noted that in the last two years, there has been a two-and-half-times increase in consumers who take just two months to buy a four-wheeler. Concurrently, the number of dealer visits has also dropped by almost half in the last three years and two-thirds of the digitally influenced buyers are searching and discovering dealers online.

“Online video has emerged as the biggest disrupter for the four-wheeler industry in India. YouTube has over 225 million Indian smartphone users who watch online video every month. Content related to automobiles itself has witnessed an astounding 225% year-on-year watch time growth," said Vikas Agnihotri, industry director, Google India.

Breaking up the types of videos consumers are watching, the report shows that 41% are regarding vehicle safety tests, while 41% showcase the technology and features of the car, 38% are on performance and 33% of them are customer reviews.

It also highlights that 79% of consumers who watch online videos do take an action - underscoring the important role of online video in the decision-making process. The percentage of online video usage in the process of buying a car in 2017 has nearly doubled, to 80% from 43% in 2016.

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