KPMG International’s latest Global Automotive Executive Survey, which canvassed 200 automotive executives, shows that short-term market issues are taking precedence over strategic innovations.

The document, the sixtheenth survey, notes that respondents view market growth in emerging markets as the most important trend in the global automotive industry to 2025, followed by the downsizing and optimising of the internal combustion engine.

Self-driving cars, battery-electric mobility and connect car technologies came last in the list of key trends to 2025.

Interestingly enough, 60% of North American respondents believe that autonomous driving is more than 21 years away, with 28% convinced it will never take off.

In Western Europe, 43% of respondents believe this technology-shift is more than 21 years away, with 11% believing it will materialise in the next five to ten years.

Respondents in the KPMG survey see BMW as leading the field in connectivity and autonomous driving, followed by Daimler and General Motors.

When it comes to selecting vehicle features driving the purchasing choices of consumers, fuel efficiency was rated as most important, followed by enhanced vehicle life-span.

For some questions the survey divided respondents into two groupings: The Triad countries, namely Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the US; and the Bric countries, namely Brazil, Russia, India and China.

Eighty-one per cent of Triad respondents expect the basic and small segment of the automotive market to grow until 2020.

Only 49% believe that the midsize segment will grow, and 25% that the large and large-plus car segments will expand.

However, in the Bric market, 79% of respondents believe the basic and small car segments will grow, while 73% has faith the midsize segment will grow, and 57% that this will also be the case for the large and large-plus car segments.

It seems Triad executives see little growth potential in the large car segments.

When considering the future, most respondents believe organic growth is the number one strategy for future success, followed by expansion of the value chain and diversification, and cooperation with players from converging industries, such as IT.

Respondents view BMW, Volkswagen, Toyota, Hyundai/Kia and General Motors most likely to remain independent, while Fuji Heavy/Subaru, Isuzu Motors, Mazda and Geely are considered to require mergers to survive.

The two companies rated as most likely to increase market share until 2020 are Hyundai/Kia, and Volkswagen.

By 2020, respondents believe Volkswagen will be the world’s largest vehicle maker, followed by Toyota, Renault-Nissan, General Motors and Hyundai.

The 2014 standings were Toyota at number one, followed by Volkswagen, Renault-Nissan, General Motors and Hyundai.