Closing a deal may mean different things in different sales transactions, but all deals require one thing: the most updated information possible. Dealers need the most up-to-date data to make a sale, and this means understanding (on the spot) all financing options and and incentives that are currently available.
First introduced in 2016, Cox Automotive’s CAR&I is the combination of two of Cox’s operations: Dealertrack Rates & Residuals, a data provider for lease and residual value calculation; and AIS Rebates, a reader-friendly guide to incentivized manufacturer offers. The platform was well received by the dealer community: it’s consulted for more than 86,000 dealer applications per month.
Cox recently announced enhancements to the CAR&I platform. These features were added with a goal of generating a more consistently accurate industry indicator of retail buying motivation available on a monthly basis, said the company.
“Thanks to these enhancements, CAR&I has new capabilities to systematize data faster and with improved accuracy. With the advent of digital retailing, speed and accuracy of information are non-negotiable for customers,” says Brad Korner, CAR&I general manager. “In a climate where the impact of a missed sale is so great, every deal is critical and having the information you need to close every deal at your fingertips is essential.”
Specific changes to CAR&I include:
Better automation of data input. The platform now facilitates added speed and accuracy of information release by allowing dealers and software integrators to publish and update new incentives quicker for more precise and up to date offers and discounts.
Dynamic transaction templates. Reformatting data allows for real-time deal scenario-building, enabling the consumer to transact 100 percent online with incentives that are specific to their household, vehicle and location with full compliance.
Advertised specials. CAR&I now contains a full set of OEM compliant tier-one and tier-two advertising offers well suited for digital advertising and backed up by competitive research, ostensibly making it easier to implement single integration for all OEM’s including factory and dealer disclaimers.
