A November 2026 feature in Restyling magazine describes how the aftermarket lighting category has split into two tiers. Oracle Lighting chief revenue officer Jaclyn Bradham said LED has replaced halogen as the default expectation rather than a premium add-on, while Vision X marketing manager Brandon Nelson argued the market has moved from the lumens and output race to a control and integration competition.
Diode Dynamics sales director Justin Steller points to backlighting, startup sequences and integrated electronics becoming common, with buyers weighing where products are designed and manufactured. Baja Designs reports customers now ask about beam patterns, color temperature and sealing instead of raw output, while Westin notes SAE testing shows advertised performance does not always translate into compliant light. RINA TECHNOLOGY builds LED ambient strips, door welcome lights and grille lighting around controlled optics, stable electronics and verifiable compliance.