In the driver’s seat: Almost six in 10 Australians viewed online automotive content last month – Ipsos iris July data
The rapid electrification of the automotive market, coupled with strong interest in searching for car brands and deals, have seen the automotive category reach almost six in 10 of the nation’s online audience in July, Ipsos iris data released today reveals.
The automotive category reached 57.5% of online Australians aged 18 and over across websites and apps last month, as more than 12.2 million Australians sought out automotive information and news, fuelled by the rising cost of petrol and the current economic climate.
Australians spent an average of just under 19 minutes per person viewing the automotive category, with people aged 45 to 54 consuming the most content at more than 23 minutes on average per month. Women comprise 6.16 million of the auto category audience, while men made up 6.08 million. Men spent more time on average consuming auto content at 22.5 minutes per month, compared to women at 14.7 minutes.
Automotive search recorded the highest average minutes spent per person at 20.8 minutes in July, while automotive brands followed with 10.6 average minutes spent per person consuming content a month.
The July Ipsos iris data is the first to include new methodology reporting an 18+ audience, which means month on month and year on year comparisons of Ipsos iris data are invalid*.
The recent Ipsos iris Automotive Category Report uncovered shifting digital behaviour when it comes to the auto category online, as Australians move towards researching electric and hybrid vehicle brands. Interest is particularly high in the growing influence of Chinese manufacturers, with the success of newer brands placing unprecedented pressure on some established manufacturers.
The adoption of AI being used by Australians when researching car brands is now one of the top 10 influences on car research, according to Carsales^. Ipsos iris’ Automotive Category Report found that there were three main uses for AI in car search: model comparisons, simplifying industry technical jargon and financial options for the purchase of new vehicles.
In general automotive news, there was strong interest in the BYD refund story, demonstrating that Australian audiences closely follow issues involving product quality, vehicle specifications and brand accountability. Other automotive news also continues to command Australians’ attention, including stories such as manufacturers scaling, sales suspensions, import decisions, and market disruptions, particularly the influx of EVs.
The chart above shows the Automotive brands’ ranking during July 2026 by online audience size.
Taylor Swift’s wedding, Commonwealth Games kick off, Spain’s FIFA World Cup win and Telstra outage lead online consumption on News websites or apps in July
The FIFA World Cup continued to captivate Australians in July, with the final between Spain and Argentina drawing significant online attention.
According to the latest Ipsos iris data, almost 20.1 million people used a news website or app in July, reaching 94.3% of online Australians aged 18 and over, with users spending 3.25 hours on average last month reading news online.
Several major national news stories garnered interest, including the nationwide Telstra outage, where mobile, internet and communication services were disrupted, affecting millions of Australians and driving extensive public interest in service updates, outage impacts and restoration efforts. The Commonwealth Games in Glasgow kick off on 23 July, also attracted high interest.
Changes to road rules and enforcement penalties, with motorists seeking to understand the implications of new regulations, compliance requirements and potential fines, was also a top story, along with the arrest of a former Sydney childcare worker on alleged abuse charges, and the announcement of Betts’ widespread store closures, which became a major business story.
US Politics and live updates from the Iran War also continued to be a significant news topic, with Australians showing interest in major global conflicts and potential implications, including strategic discussions at major summits like NATO, held in Ankara.
Globally, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding drove sustained interest across celebrity, fashion and entertainment, along with coverage on the British Royal Family, particularly stories on Prince Harry and ongoing family dynamics, the rescue of 16 children from a property in Ohio, reports of a cargo aircraft disappearing over Pakistan, the appointment of Andy Burnham as the new UK Prime Minister, and the recall of baby wipes from Target due to bacterial contamination concerns, as consumers sought information on affected products, health risks and safety guidance.
The chart below shows the News brands’ ranking during July 2026 by online audience size.
Online media most consumed category last month, as more than 21 million Australians use the internet in July
Ipsos iris, Australia’s digital audience measurement currency endorsed by IAB Australia, showed that 21.3 million Australians aged over 18 used the internet in July, spending an average of 5.15 hours daily on average online.
The most consumed categories in July were online media (21.09 million), social networking (21.08 million), search engines (21.07 million), technology (20.98 million), and entertainment (20.76 million).
Ipsos iris provides accurate data about the 21.3 million Australians aged 18+ who access a wide variety of digital content and services across smartphone, PC/laptop and tablet devices.
*Methodology change: From the July 2026 reporting period, Ipsos iris audience measurement is based on Australians aged 18 years and over, with 14–17-year-olds no longer included in reported digital audience figures. As a result, updated guidelines for the use of Ipsos iris data in market communications no longer permit comparisons between historical 14+ audience data (all reporting periods before July 2026) and the new 18+ audience data (July 2026 onwards). Comparisons across the trend break, including measures such as percentage growth or decline in website or app audiences, are not valid and should not be used.
^ Australia’s Car Buyer Report 2026 developed by Carsales and Nature.