The Automotive industry believes in its future. Its leaders aren’t so sure they’ll be part of it

Feb 26, 2026 | 8 min read | 1,404 words | Share article

Glenn Butler

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Glenn is one of Australia's best-known automotive experts, with more than three decades of experience in Media and the Auto Industry. A former editor of Wheels, and contributor to Drive, WhichCar, CarsGuide, CarSales and CarAdvice, Glenn has also been an executive for some of Australia's most prominent car companies.

The Automotive industry believes in its future. Its leaders aren’t so sure they’ll be part of it

KPMG surveyed 110 automotive CEOs. What they revealed about their own confidence – or lack of it – should concern every executive in this industry.

There is a number buried in KPMG's latest Industrial Manufacturing and Automotive CEO Outlook (download here) that deserves more attention than it will probably receive.

Eighty-seven percent of automotive CEOs – more than any other industry sector surveyed – say they are confident in their industry's global growth prospects. That is the headline the report leads with, and it is the kind of finding that gets reprinted in trade media without much interrogation.

The number that follows it is the one that I think matters more.

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Glenn Butler

Connect with Glenn

Glenn is one of Australia's best-known automotive experts, with more than three decades of experience in Media and the Auto Industry. A former editor of Wheels, and contributor to Drive, WhichCar, CarsGuide, CarSales and CarAdvice, Glenn has also been an executive for some of Australia's most prominent car companies.

Recent articles by Glenn

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