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Article High Intent Meets High Intelligence: How Impel and TrueCar Are Redefining the Marketplace Read More

Last year, the industry was bracing for impact. Volatility was the 2025 forecast; resilience was the reality. As Impel analyzes the latest data from Cox Automotive, the narrative shifts—this is a 16.3-million-unit masterclass in market strength that leaves ‘recovery’ in the rearview.”

Momentum Wins

Despite a fourth-quarter cooldown, new-vehicle sales finished the year up 1.8%. While 2024 felt like navigating through fog, 2025 saw buyers rushing the gates. We saw a spring surge as consumers sprinted to beat incoming tariffs, followed by a mid-year EV frenzy.

The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” turned July into a fireworks show for electric vehicles, driving the best quarter for EVs on record before tax credits vanished in September. It was a classic “now or never” moment—the kind where Impel AI helps dealerships turn sudden demand into sustained relationships.

Leading the Pack

The big got bigger. General Motors is poised to remain the top-selling automaker for the fourth straight year, claiming a 17.3% market share. Toyota wasn’t far behind, gaining ground with an 8.4% sales increase.

But here is the reality: the gap is widening. The top four automakers grew their share by 2.6 points, while others felt the squeeze. This isn’t about who has the most metal on the lot—it’s about who uses intelligence to keep their lean, time-constrained teams ahead of the curve.

2026: From Reaction to Action

The Cox Automotive team forecasts a more challenging landscape for 2026:

  • New Sales: Expected to dip to 15.8M (-2.4% vs 2025).
  • New Lease Volume: Facing a significant drop to 2.8M (-12.6% vs 2025).
  • Used Sales: Projected at 38.3M (-0.9% vs 2025).

Headwinds like inflation and the lack of EV incentives are real. But Impel doesn’t see a slowdown; Impel sees a shift.

How Impel’s AI Operating System Bridges the Gap

When lease volume drops by double digits, your dealership can’t afford a single missed moment. Impel’s AI Operating System acts as the “central nervous system” for your entire operation. It replaces siloed chaos with unified retail, ensuring your tech stack hums and your lean team moves with purpose.

  • Sales AI: While lease volume tightens, Sales AI works 24/7 to book showroom appointments and deftly handle questions, ensuring every lead—leasing or not—is captured at record speed.
  • Service AI: If new sales take a hit, your service bay becomes your lifeline. Service AI uses clockwork outreach to keep bays full and your “loyalty meter” increasing.
  • Unified Intelligence: Instead of juggling generic tools, Impel AI syncs your website, CRM, DMS, scheduler, inventory feeds, and more. It turns your data into high-octane fuel, uncovering “dynamite” wins buried in your customer lifecycle.

The road ahead is ours to shape together. Let’s put your business in hyperdrive.