The in-car electronics market’s hitting a few bumps in the road — and according to new data from NielsenIQ’s Max Templeman, the current cost-of-living crunch is still putting the brakes on car tech upgrades.
While consumers are splashing their spare cash on air fryers, coffee machines and home cinema set-ups, they’re tightening the belt when it comes to in-car gadgets. NielsenIQ’s consumer confidence tracker has barely moved into the positive at any point over the past decade, and with wallets stretched into 2025, car upgrades are among the first to stall.
Here’s how the five key ICE categories are shaping up — and where the market’s still finding some acceleration.
Navigation Devices: Smartphone or Standalone?
The navigation devices market, once worth £139 million back in 2015, now boasts a value of just £18 million annually (July 2024-June 2025) — the rise of smartphones, as demonstrated by the growth in the phone holder market (also tracked by NielsenIQ, up 10.2% in the past 12 months), is one of the main causes.
If consumers are going to purchase a standalone navigation device for their car, they will be looking for one that has something a mobile app doesn’t, so a move towards premium features like large screens and voice control has driven up the average price per item to £191 in H1 2025 (it was £105 in 2015).
The category is also becoming increasingly specialist, with devices boasting features designed for niche use cases — such as motorbikes (glove-friendly touchscreen, weatherproof), trucks (large screen, custom routing for large vehicles), and campervans (option to take scenic routes, aerial view of campsite) — gaining a share of the market.
Car Audio: When Built-In Beats Bolt On
Upgrading your head unit or adding an amplifier and a subwoofer isn’t top of many people’s to-do lists anymore — especially when factory systems have improved in leaps and sounds.
The value of this market has halved in the past five years (£8 million in 2021 vs £4 million today).
Analogue radios still make up 64% of head units sold, but digital options are gaining (up 2% YoY) and expected to overtake in time.
A future digital radio switchover could shake things up — if we ever get there.
Speakers: Louder Prices, Softer Sales
This one’s been cruising along fairly steadily.
Market value’s holding around £5 million annually since 2021.
Fewer units sold, but prices are up — now averaging £60 (up from £43 in 2021), thanks to more component systems and premium brands taking the lead.
Car Vision: Eyes Off the Aftermarket
If your car already has a screen, you’re probably less likely to buy another one.
The car vision category (mostly double-DIN stereos) is down 25% in value year-on-year, now worth £7.9 million annually.
Built-in infotainment is the big culprit — newer cars simply aren’t crying out for an upgrade.
Dashcams: The Only Category Gaining Ground
One bright spot in an otherwise cautious market: dashcams are still on the up.
Value up 4.5%, volume up 3.9% in the past year, taking the market to over £30 million annually.
Premium features like voice control, smart app integration, and motion detection are getting cheaper, helping fuel the rise.
Cloud-connected cams are losing favour (down 13% in volume) thanks to privacy worries, while local memory card storage is booming (up 36% year-on-year).
The next big leap? AI-enabled dashcams that can spot danger, share footage, and even call for help automatically.
The Road Ahead
With money tight and new cars rolling out loaded with tech, the ICE aftermarket is having to fight harder for its share of attention. The brands that win will be those who differentiate — through premium features, niche specialisation, and real innovation that your smartphone or stock system can’t match.
NielsenIQ publishes market intelligence reports on a monthly basis for ICE categories.
For more insights, contact: cathy.butt@nielseniq.com or max.templeman@nielseniq.com
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