Old brands, it seems, are finding it harder and harder to keep pace. Tesla held onto first place in the 2026 Digital Automaker Index from consulting firm Gartner, pushing its score up to 82.7%. Right behind it came four Chinese manufacturers: Nio scored 73.1%, Xiaomi hit 69.2%, XPeng reached 57.7%, and Li Auto posted 57.0%. American EV maker Rivian rounded out the top six with 55.5%.
For the old guard of the auto industry, the picture is far less flattering. Hyundai-Kia landed in tenth place with 37.5%. Mercedes-Benz came out as the best European company, yet still only managed 11th place with 35.8%. BMW scored 30.9% for 14th, Volkswagen posted 29.5% for 16th, and Stellantis slid to 22nd with 23%. At the very bottom of the ranking, ecomento points to Nissan and Mazda. Still, these percentages shouldn't be read as a direct verdict on any one car's infotainment system or everyday comfort.
Gartner evaluated 24 automakers on how well they use digital technology across the entire business and lineup: electronics architecture, connected features, electrification, autonomous driving, talent, and more. In 2026, artificial intelligence became a standalone category for the first time.
The methodology also got tougher. Gartner no longer just checks whether a technology exists — it now measures how widely that technology is actually deployed across a manufacturer's lineup. That means even a cutting-edge new platform doesn't guarantee a high score on its own. It's one reason BMW's Neue Klasse still only landed the brand in 14th place. The same logic goes a long way toward explaining why Chinese companies have pulled ahead.
According to a separate industry study, Chinese manufacturers aren't just developing new vehicles noticeably faster than their European rivals — they're also more likely to build their own software-defined vehicle systems in-house. Gartner singles out in-house AI development for special praise: Tesla ranked first in that category, Xiaomi second, and XPeng third.
Volkswagen is a telling case: the group is already trying to close the technology gap alongside Rivian, and their joint development of a new software-electronics architecture has already reached vehicle testing. Yet in Gartner's ranking, Rivian itself sits in sixth place — ten spots above Volkswagen. Food for thought.
A low ranking doesn't mean any particular Volkswagen, BMW, or Mercedes is necessarily worse than a rival when it comes to interface design or driver-assist features. What the ranking actually shows is something else: digital capability is becoming baked into a car's entire design and development process, and Tesla, along with the new generation of Chinese automakers, is currently rolling out that approach far more broadly than traditional manufacturers.
Tarantas.news previously reported on the surprising results of a Hyundai vs. Kia comparison: which cars turned out more reliable in 2026.
