Best Filming Locations 2026: Scenic Spots in Car Ads

Car commercials have always relied on stunning backdrops to amplify their message. In 2026, location scouting has evolved from a logistical necessity into a core narrative strategy, with agencies traveling across continents to find cinematic landscapes that reflect the very essence of each vehicle. This year’s most memorable campaigns are defined not just by the cars they sell, but by the awe-inspiring worlds they traverse. This article explores the most impressive real-world locations used in 2026 car ads, decodes why they were chosen, and analyzes how they forge a deeper connection between brand, machine, and consumer. You’ll also find direct YouTube links to experience these breathtaking campaigns.

Why Location Scouting Matters More Than Ever in 2026

In an era dominated by CGI and virtual production, the deliberate choice to film in real, often remote, locations has become a powerful statement of authenticity and ambition.

Visual Impact & Performance Storytelling: A scenic landscape is more than a pretty picture; it’s a dynamic co-star. The sweeping turns of a coastal highway demonstrate a car’s handling, while a rugged desert climb showcases its torque and 4x4 capability. The environment physically proves the vehicle’s promise.
Brand Alignment & Identity Crafting: The location is a direct extension of the brand’s persona. Rugged, untamed terrains are chosen for SUVs to communicate durability and adventure. Sleek, futuristic urbanscapes or sinuous alpine roads are selected for sports cars and luxury vehicles to highlight performance, precision, and elegance.
Global Resonance & Aspirational Appeal: Exotic or iconic locations tap into the viewer’s wanderlust. They transform a product demonstration into a mini travel film, appealing to international audiences’ dreams of exploration and making the brand synonymous with a certain lifestyle.
Authenticity as a Premium: In a skeptical market, real-world settings filmed with advanced drone and camera technology create a tangible, trustworthy quality that pure studio or CGI backdrops often lack. The dust on the wheel arches, the reflection of a mountain range on the hood—these details feel earned and real.

The Top 5 Cinematic Locations of 2026 Car Campaigns

1. Utah, USA – Subaru Outback 2026: The Monument Valley of Adventure

Location: The otherworldly desertscapes of Southern Utah, including the iconic mesas of Monument Valley and the deep canyons near Moab.
Why It Was Chosen: Subaru’s brand identity is built on dependable adventure. Utah’s vast, rugged, and visually staggering terrain is the perfect metaphor for this promise. The red-rock canyons and expansive skies represent both the challenge and the breathtaking reward of exploration.
How It Enhances the Story: The 2026 Outback isn’t just shown on a dirt road; it’s seamlessly integrated into a geological masterpiece. First-Person View (FPV) drones perform exhilarating fly-throughs of narrow slot canyons, with the Outback emerging into vast sunlit plains. The landscape tells a story of capability, resilience, and discovering hidden beauty—core Subaru values. The color grading emphasizes warm, earthy tones, making the car’s design look both rugged and harmonious with nature.
YouTube Link:

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2. Croatia – BMW XM 2026: The Symphony of Luxury and Performance

Location: The Dalmatian Coast, specifically the winding coastal highway between Split and Dubrovnik (the Magistrala), and the mountainous interior roads of the Dinaric Alps.
Why It Was Chosen: Croatia offers a stunning duality: the serene, crystalline blue of the Adriatic Sea and the aggressive, technical curves of its coastal mountain roads. This is ideal for the BMW XM, a high-performance hybrid SUV that balances opulent luxury with thrilling dynamics.
How It Enhances the Story: The campaign cuts between serene, elegant shots of the XM poised against cliffside villas overlooking the sea and dynamic, gripping sequences of it carving through forested mountain passes. The contrast is intentional. The calm, luxurious seaside scenes highlight the vehicle’s design, comfort, and high-tech interior. The aggressive mountain runs, captured with helmet-cams and chase cars, viscerally demonstrate its raw power and pinpoint handling. The location itself becomes a testament to the car’s dual character.
YouTube Link:

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3. Morocco – Land Rover Defender Dakar 2026: The Forge of Endurance

Location: The demanding and dramatic routes of the Atlas Mountains, specifically the winding Tizi n’Tichka pass and the surreal, rocky vistas of the Dades Gorge.
Why It Was Chosen: To launch a vehicle named "Dakar," paying homage to the legendary rally, there is no substitute for North African terrain. Morocco’s landscapes are unforgiving, ancient, and epic—the ultimate proving ground. It signals that this is not a mere cosmetic package, but a vehicle forged for extreme capability.
How It Enhances the Story: The commercial feels less like an ad and more like an expedition documentary. The Defender Dakar is shown conquering steep, loose-rock ascents, navigating dry riverbeds, and casting long shadows at sunset in the desert. The color palette is dusty and sun-bleached, emphasizing heat and challenge. By placing the vehicle in this harsh, majestic environment, Land Rover communicates that every component has been tested and that it carries the authentic spirit of exploration.
YouTube Link:

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4. Queensland, Australia – Mazda CX-80 2026: The Harmony of Lifestyle and Design

Location: The scenic, lush hinterland roads of Queensland, particularly the cane-field-lined routes near the Atherton Tablelands, with glimpses of tropical rainforest.
Why It Was Chosen: Mazda’s "Kodo: Soul of Motion" design philosophy emphasizes organic, flowing lines and a connection between driver, car, and environment. Queensland’s vibrant greenery, rolling hills, and dappled light through tree canopies provide a living, breathing canvas that complements this philosophy.
How It Enhances the Story: The campaign focuses on graceful movement and harmonious integration. The CX-80 glides along wet, black asphalt roads framed by walls of vibrant green sugarcane. Sunlight filters through forests, highlighting the precise curves of its sheet metal. The location emphasizes a balance—performance for engaging drives, yet serenity for daily life. It’s an advertisement for a lifestyle that is active, stylish, and connected to natural beauty, perfectly mirroring Mazda’s target audience.
YouTube Link:

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5. Los Angeles, USA – Audi Q5 Sportback 2026: The Urban Ecosystem of Progress

Location: A composite portrait of Los Angeles: the sleek, modern architecture of Downtown’s financial district, the iconic curves of the Pacific Coast Highway at sunset, and the panoramic views from the hills of Angeles National Forest.
Why It Was Chosen: Los Angeles is a global symbol of aspiration, innovation, and diverse lifestyles. For Audi, a brand built on "Vorsprung durch Technik" (Progress through Technology), LA’s blend of urban sophistication, coastal cool, and accessible wilderness is the ideal ecosystem.
How It Enhances the Story: The ad dynamically moves from one LA to another. It showcases the Q5 Sportback’s sleek coupe-like silhouette against glittering cityscapes, its agile handling on winding canyon roads, and its relaxed, premium ambiance during a coastal cruise. The location scouting here demonstrates versatility. It tells the consumer that this vehicle is technologically sophisticated enough for the urban jungle, stylish enough for the coast, and capable enough for a weekend escape—all within one metropolitan area.
YouTube Link:

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The Technical Side: How These Shoots Are Made Possible

Pulling off these global campaigns requires immense planning and cutting-edge technology:

Advanced Drone Technology: FPV drones, as seen in the Subaru ad, allow for impossibly dynamic, high-speed shots that chase the car through environments where traditional camera cars can’t go. Heavy-lift cinema drones carry high-end cameras for stable, cinematic aerials.
Streamlined Logistics & Permitting: Filming hubs like Los Angeles have perfected the permit process, while agencies now work with specialized location fixers in remote areas to navigate local regulations and secure access to protected landscapes.
Weather Intelligence & Contingency: Reliable, sunny climates are favored, but productions also use hyper-local weather forecasting and often have extensive contingency plans and schedules to mitigate delays.
Mobile Infrastructure: The rise of compact, high-quality digital cinema cameras and mobile LED lighting solutions allows smaller, more agile crews to capture feature-film quality in remote locations, reducing environmental footprint and cost.

Benefits, Risks, and The Future of Automotive Location Scouting

Benefits for Brands:

Memorability & Shareability: Striking locations make ads stand out and are more likely to be saved and shared on social media, effectively becoming travel and automotive inspiration.
Emotional Resonance: Landscapes directly evoke powerful, universal emotions—freedom, adventure, serenity, aspiration—that are transferred to the vehicle.
Global Market Appeal: A well-chosen location can resonate simultaneously with audiences in multiple countries, making the campaign more efficient.

Risks & Challenges:

Exponential Costs: International travel, shipping equipment, and large on-ground crews create budgets that only major campaigns can sustain.
Complex Logistics & Unforeseen Events: Remote locations can present challenges from scarce accommodations to unexpected political or environmental issues.
Cultural & Environmental Sensitivity: Brands must work respectfully with local communities and adhere to strict "leave no trace" protocols to avoid backlash for exploiting or damaging pristine environments.

The Future:
The trend will likely bifurcate. On one hand, the pursuit of unique, untouched real-world locations will continue for brands seeking ultimate authenticity. On the other, we will see a sophisticated blend of virtual production (shooting cars on LED volume stages with real-time rendered backgrounds) for greater control and sustainability, combined with shorter, targeted real-location shoots for essential establishing shots and authentic details.

Conclusion

In 2026, location scouting has transcended its supporting role to become the very soul of automotive storytelling. The deserts of Utah, the coast of Croatia, the gorges of Morocco, the green roads of Australia, and the urban sprawl of Los Angeles are not mere backdrops; they are active narrative engines. They provide the visual grammar to articulate a brand’s identity and a vehicle’s purpose. These carefully chosen landscapes do more than showcase a car’s features—they embed it within a powerful, aspirational story of freedom, capability, luxury, and harmony. As technology opens up even more of the world to filmmakers, the future of car commercials promises to be a continued tour of our planet’s most breathtaking stages, with the automobile playing the leading role.