New capabilities support a paperless workflow to help speed up funding and improve cash flow

NORTH HILLS, N.Y., Feb. 2, 2021 – Dealertrack F&I announces new digital workflow and contracting solutions for dealerships and lenders to adapt to consumers’ accelerated shift toward digital purchasing. These enhancements, debuting at the Cox Automotive Experience, National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) 2021 and AFSA 2021 Vehicle Finance Conference, provide crucial e-solutions that expand opportunities for dealers and lenders to connect and contract digitally via an even more streamlined financing process. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, preferences for online engagement and interactions continue to increase, underscoring the importance of digital integration. In fact, the 2020 Cox Automotive COVID-19 Consumer and Dealer Impact Study found an overwhelming 85% of dealerships are going beyond conducting business in their physical location, indicating that the option to conduct business digitally from anywhere is an essential element of future-proofing any dealership’s 2021 business strategy.

“Following the sea change brought about by circumstances in 2020, dealerships are moving fast to adapt to a virtual workforce, which requires the right technology partners and platforms to provide a digital workflow for all,” said Cheryl Miller, vice president of operations for Dealertrack F&I Solutions. “At Dealertrack, we’re working on providing a fast-track solution to digitally connect more car dealers with more lenders through a streamlined financing process, enabling an efficient and flexible workflow that drives faster funding and improves cash flow – even when in-store visits are no longer the only option for customers.”

With more dealerships and lenders embracing digital workflow, client adoption of Digital Contracting Ready Sign functionality grew approximately 135% based on Dealertrack data from July 2020 to December 2020.  The number of deals signed with Ready Sign has seen an estimated 173% increase and the number of eSign documents created using Ready Sign grew up to 233% over the same time period.

The following Dealertrack capabilities continue to fulfill the company’s promise to provide dealerships and lenders with solutions that work more collaboratively in a digital world:

• Digital Contracting Choice: Dealertrack Digital Contracting Choice extends a dealership’s functionality to submit contracts digitally to non-integrated (paper) lenders, eliminating errors and additional steps in the submission process. With this solution, lenders currently outside the scope of full digital contracting can now appear digital to their dealers, enabling the convenience of a digital workflow to more lenders of a dealer’s choice.
• Seamless DMS Integration: Further increasing efficiencies, Dealertrack Digital Contracting offers seamless integration to an increasing number of DMS providers while allowing dealers to map workflow and reduce deal data entry. This seamless integration, now available on the Auto/Mate and DealerBuilt DMS platforms as well as on Dealertrack DMS and others, contributes to dealership staff being able to conduct more essential areas of business digitally, which is a necessity for the future. For users of both Dealertrack DMS and Dealertrack uniFI the level of harmony goes one step further allowing for remote signing of all required documents in a single signing ceremony - adding another dimension of convenience for both consumers and sales staff.
• Dealertrack Ready Sign: Enables dealership staff and customers to eSign documents through a single signing ceremony either in-store or remote and submit any deal document digitally as permitted by their state. This new technology not only currently facilitates dealership staff’s adherence to social distancing protocols but will also continue to be useful beyond the pandemic to allow the consumer digital flexibility during their car buying journey.
• Compliance: Every year brings new changes to the compliance landscape, requiring a dealership to safeguard against fraud, fines, and audits with integrated compliance checkpoints throughout the deal. Dealerships can protect profits and ensure mishaps are mitigated through real-time updates and checkpoints along each step of building one complete digital deal jacket. Dealertrack’s annual Compliance Guide has been updated for 2021 and is easily accessible, so retailers can seamlessly share updates.

“We equate the value of solutions in terms of the money, time and customer satisfaction they generate,” said Cris Aviso, Finance Director, Regal Automotive Group in Lakeland, Florida, “We used to wait several days for a deal to be funded, but now with Dealertrack Digital Contacting Choice we can have the deal verified within hours if not minutes, never miss a signature, and it pre-fills with our DMS – that constitutes very real value!”

Dealertrack will be highlighting new solutions and enhancements to keep the F&I process safely moving forward at the upcoming virtual NADA 2021 show and AFSA 2021 Vehicle Finance Conference. For information on all Cox Automotive’s 2021 new offerings, visit www.coxautoinc.com/experience.

About Dealertrack
Dealertrack provides industry-leading software solutions that give dealerships, lenders, and partners the confidence to thrive in an ever-changing automotive market. The company’s integrated suite of powerful easy-to-use products and services helps dealerships and their lending partners grow by increasing efficiency and improving decision-making. Dealertrack is part of the Cox Automotive family, a company that is transforming the way the world buys, sells, owns and uses cars. Dealertrack—along with its unmatched network of dealership and lending partners—is improving the car buying experience by embracing the technologies that will shape the future of automotive retail. For more information about Dealertrack, visit www.dealertrack.com.

About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using vehicles easier for everyone. The global company’s more than 27,000 team members and family of brands, including Autotrader®, Clutch Technologies, Dealer.com®, Dealertrack®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, NextGear Capital®, VinSolutions®, vAuto® and Xtime®, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five continents and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with annual revenues of nearly $20 billion. www.coxautoinc.com

Media Contact:

Lisa Aloisio

Lisa.Aloisio@coxautoinc.com

c. 404.725.0651

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Elevates Offerings From Next Generation Web Experiences and Beyond   

Burlington, VT, Feb. 2, 2021 – Dealer.com unveils new innovations at the 2021 virtual NADA show to help dealerships inspire more successful conversations in more places with its end-to-end digital marketing solution backed by extraordinary knowledge of the consumer. From Connected Video advertising and holistic reputation management to digital storefront experiences and digital retailing, Dealer.com leads with superior technology, thoughtful customer experiences, and a comprehensive digital marketing strategy that helps drive sales.

Current market conditions demand an agile approach, and strategies misaligned with consumer expectations can lead to inefficient marketing spends and insufficient results. By bringing the best of the dealership to wherever consumers browse, shop, or buy online, dealerships can engage with shoppers on their terms, resulting in confidence and transparency during the process. With more customized, coordinated outreach across all digital touchpoints, dealerships can influence how quickly shoppers find the right vehicle, and that connection leads to higher conversion. Dealer.com turns data into digital marketing that works and powers personalized consumer experiences from anywhere.

“Consumers have extremely high expectations when it comes to their shopping experience, and we’ve heard from many of our dealer groups that they want to offer a differentiated experience and start having more meaningful conversations with their customers,” said Bob George, associate vice president of products for Dealer.com. “We’re able to provide solutions to problems dealers don’t even know they have by giving them the tools to create more of a dialogue with a continuous customer experience that starts with strong targeting and ends with a tailored, one-on-one experience.”

Dealer.com’s latest innovations include:

• Connected Video advertising to reach in-market shoppers wherever they consume media: Dealer.com gives dealerships the power to deliver hyper-targeted video ads to consumers watching connected TV and over-the-top media. In the age of “cord-cutting” and internet TV, dealerships can target consumers on streaming platforms and devices with as much precision as their other digital channels—with verifiable ROI that challenges traditional TV spend.
• Redefining Digital Retailing functionality that meets dealer and user demands: Pave the path to purchase and help streamline customer interactions by eliminating back-and-forth both in-person and online. Dealer.com’s next generation digital retailing experience provides a more seamless workflow for shoppers and dealerships that reduces time spent in-store. Through guided navigation, the tool simplifies the sales process and fosters consumer confidence, trust, and transparency.
• Reputation management tools to attract more customers and increase leads: Dealers should be taking full advantage of customer reviews to reinforce their dealership reputation and appeal to new shoppers. Review Generation uses a high-converting SMS-based review request system to engage customers while the transaction is still top-of-mind to create a constant stream of reputation-based reviews that can improve sales and customer retention. Reviews are an increasingly influential factor among car buyers, and dealerships need an efficient, easy way to solicit and manage these natural endorsements.
• Gain visibility and interact more with shoppers through a more immersive digital storefront experience: The foundational redesign of the Dealer.com website platform over the past 24 months features a complete code rebuild and secure cloud-based hosting, along with data and shopper-guided site redesigns—all to inspire confidence and drive leads. New innovations like free-text search with auto suggestions through the new SRP Experience get in-market shoppers to the content they are looking for as quickly as possible, driving up the quality of conversion. Dealerships can upgrade online “curb appeal” and engage shoppers at critical decision-making moments with new home and interior page designs while putting important offerings like Home Services front and center on the VDP to attract more shoppers interested in remote sales and service areas.

"The Dealer.com platform enables me to visualize the general goal of helping customers find what they need, where they need it, as quickly and hassle-free as possible," said Scott Shepherd, internet manager, eCommerce and marketing director for Classic Cadillac of Atlanta and Cadillac of Birmingham. “I always feel like progress is being made on my websites—whether changes we’ve set into motion or new components, tools, and formats that are being done by DDC, there’s always forward-thinking, positive change."

Lead generating digital campaigns, combined with first-class customer service and digital marketing expertise, directly impact a dealer’s bottom line. To learn more about Dealer.com customized solutions The 2021 NADA Show will be held via a virtual experience February 9-11, 2021. To learn more about these new products and enhancements, visit Dealer.com at https://www.coxautoinc.com/experience/ddc.

About Dealer.com

Backed by unmatched expertise and unrivaled consumer behavior data, Dealer.com is the premier digital marketing solution for the automotive industry. Providing an integrated platform of Websites, Advertising, Digital Retailing and Managed Services, Dealer.com allows OEMs, dealer groups, retailers and agencies to leverage advanced digital technology, data and insights to deliver the shortest, fastest and most personalized path to customer engagement, delivering over 43M unique visitors monthly across 15,000 plus Dealer.com websites. The company practices a deep commitment to its culture of progress, with a focus on community, health, and wellness. Based in Burlington, Vermont, Dealer.com is a Cox Automotive brand. For more information, visit www.dealer.com.

About Cox Automotive

Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using vehicles easier for everyone. The global company’s more than 27,000 team members and family of brands, including Autotrader®, Clutch Technologies, Dealer.com®, Dealertrack®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, NextGear Capital®, VinSolutions®, vAuto® and Xtime®, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five continents and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with annual revenues of nearly $20 billion. www.coxautoinc.com
 

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Connects advanced merchandising functionality with inventory intelligence to help increase the likelihood to sell new and used vehicles.   

OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill., Feb. 1, 2021 – vAuto with Intelligent Promotion will launch at the Cox Automotive Experience and NADA 2021, expanding upon vAuto’s legendary inventory management capabilities with all new functionalities. Intelligent Promotion integrates within vAuto Conquest and Provision to help automate the merchandising of the most marketable attributes of each and every vehicle.  Using vAuto live market insights and the Intelligent Promotion tools allows dealerships to create merchandising campaigns for specific groups of vehicles and automatically apply the content as vehicles arrive in their inventory, creating more consumer engagement where the shopping experience begins – online.    

vAuto with Intelligent Promotion upends the long-held assumption that due to their uniformity new cars would not equally benefit from the robust and descriptive merchandising that belays used cars’ pricing stability. Recent market dynamics and changes in consumer shopping behaviors, have driven dealerships to rethink traditional approaches to running their business, and to marketing new cars.  Historically, dealerships have applied consistent inventory management practices across their entire portfolio of inventory. This includes vehicle merchandising where dealers often emphasize a process that creates a standardized digital presence, missing the opportunity to highlight compelling information, such as lease specials or dealer services, that can help them capture market share. 

Industry-forerunner vAuto now provides the insights and tools to more efficiently identify local trends and develop enhanced merchandising that tailors the content to the market trends.  Armed with a better understanding of the local market, vAuto with Intelligent Promotion enables dealers to formulate a data-driven pricing and merchandising strategy, that improves the appeal of new and used inventory and boosts overall sales performance.   

“For years trends showed that merchandising was a ‘check the box’ requirement. Successful dealerships are adjusting their marketing and merchandising strategy to focus on quality, not just quantity of work done,” said Randy Kobat, vice president, Inventory Management Solutions for Cox Automotive. “By combining vAuto’s industry-leading market data to power Intelligent Promotion, while also integrating SnapLot 360’s stunning visualizations, vAuto clients can easily and effectively create compelling inventory listings and engage a wider audience with transparency and confidence.”  

vAuto with Intelligent Promotion provides dealerships with the insights and tools to create differentiated merchandising and automatically apply it to the right inventory.   

• Bulk campaigns make it easy to apply content to multiple vehicles.  Inventory filters create rules, so campaigns are applied to the right inventory and Smart Fields automatically insert VIN specific information without editing each listing.  
• Modern creative tools provide the flexibility to augment VDP image carousels with more information using virtual billboards and image overlays.  

• Engage shoppers with interactive visuals using 360 media spins. SnapLot 360 is now integrated with vAuto Conquest and Provision and provides a new way to merchandise inventory without the need for an additional inventory management platform.    

For more information on vAuto with Intelligent Promotion, visit www.vauto.com/products/conquest/. For information on SnapLot 360, visit  www.vauto.com/snaplot360.  For information on all of Cox Automotive’s 2021 new offerings, visit www.coxautoinc.com/experience.  

About vAuto   
vAuto® provides innovative technology, tools and business intelligence to thousands of dealerships across the United States and Canada, helping them compete more effectively and increase new/used vehicle sales volumes and profits. Founded in 2005, vAuto revolutionized dealers’ used vehicle operations with the groundbreaking Provision® suite of tools. Leveraging The Velocity Method of Management®, pioneered by vAuto founder, Dale Pollak, Provision helped dealers adopt a more transparent- and turn-focused approach to used vehicle acquisition, appraising, pricing and merchandising based on real-time, local market supply-and-demand data. vAuto’s solutions also include Conquest, a new vehicle inventory management and pricing system, and Stockwave, which enables dealers to efficiently find and purchase vehicles from leading wholesale sources via a single platform. In 2018, vAuto released the Provision ProfitTime metric and methodology to help dealers maximize inventory turn and gross profit based on the investment value or profit potential of each vehicle. In 2020, the company debuted an all new iRecon solution, integrated with Provision, to help dealers recondition vehicles and get them retail ready faster.   

Headquartered near Chicago, Illinois, vAuto is a Cox Automotive™ brand.  

About Cox Automotive  
Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using vehicles easier for everyone. The global company’s more than 27,000 team members and family of brands, including Autotrader®, Clutch Technologies, Dealer.com®, Dealertrack®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, NextGear Capital®, VinSolutions®, vAuto® and Xtime®, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five continents and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with annual revenues of nearly $20 billion.  www.coxautoinc.com  

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All-New, Enhanced Tools Provide Transparency and Efficiency Across Inventory Acquisition to Fixed Operations 

Kelley Blue Book, the No. 1 most trusted third-party automotive resource, is leaning into the first-ever virtual NADA with enhanced digital solutions that offer consumers a more seamless trade-in, car-buying, and owning experience while helping to ensure dealerships achieve greater efficiencies without sacrificing profitability. Kelley Blue Book's newest offerings featured at NADA 2021 include Kelley Blue Book® Instant Cash Offer Buying Signals and Featured Auto Repair Center. 

"Last year was full of unexpected challenges and, ultimately, accelerated innovation. We are eager to maintain that momentum through our latest digital solutions," said Randy Kobat, vice president of operations for Inventory Management Solutions at Cox Automotive. "And while some of 2020's problems are rolling into 2021, acquiring profitable inventory and understanding consumers' intent to purchase shouldn't be negatively impacting your business by not knowing more about the consumers coming to your store." 

Kelley Blue Book® Instant Cash Offer Buying Signals Kelley Blue Book builds on its existing Instant Cash Offer tool to tap into data-driven insights to help unlock the full potential of dealerships' Instant Cash Offers to customers. The industry-leading tool analyzes customer shopping behavior data from across Cox Automotive data sources to provide a more complete picture of the consumer, allowing for a more targeted approach to offers, and an understanding of their vehicle shopping preferences and purchase timeline without having to manually dig through data. In fact, Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offer leads with Buying Signals had a transaction completion rate nearly 24% better than leads without Buying Signals, whether the vehicle was sold through Instant Cash Offer or elsewhere, from July through October 2020.1 

"When a dealership starts the conversation knowing where customers are in their buying journey, they are taking a targeted approach to leads while providing a personalized customer experience," said Kobat. "These actionable insights enable better engagement with consumers and a data-driven way to acquire profitable inventory." 

Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offer Buying Signals appear alongside the Instant Cash Offer within the Dealer Admin Tool and shoppers are tagged according to their purchase timeline, including "Casually Browsing," "Actively Shopping," and "Ready to Buy." Plus, dealerships see shopping preferences like the year, make, model, mileage, and more. 

"As an Instant Cash Offer client for many years, this tool has become a vital piece of our inventory acquisition process. Leveraging the data and information from one of the most trusted brands in the automotive market has helped us own more cars for less," said Jonathan Hakes, used vehicle inventory director at Dorschel VW. "With new functionality from Kelley Blue Book's Instant Cash Offer Buying Signals, we are eager to take our data-driven approach to the next level. The more we know about a customer, the better the experience we can deliver and make the most of that opportunity." 

Kelley Blue Book® Featured Auto Repair Center allows franchise dealers to turn KBB.com's millions of service-ready consumer visits per month into new business. In fact, 63% of service customers coming from KBB.com are new to participating dealerships.2 Consumers are increasingly looking for guidance on key maintenance, repair, and recall questions, including pricing. The Service and Repair Guide on KBB.com provides consumers with the trusted information they need to make confident decisions about their vehicles and connects them with Featured Auto Repair Center dealerships that can do the work. Also, Kelley Blue Book's Fair Repair Range guides owners on service and repair price ranges based on regionalized service pricing. 

If dealerships are looking to protect their market share and beat out local competition, as a Premium Featured Auto Repair Center dealer, dealerships can claim brand-exclusive placement on KBB.com's Service and Repair Guide for their area, making it the first listing consumers see when searching for dealerships to service their vehicles. 

The 2021 NADA Show will be held via a virtual experience February 9-11, 2021. To learn more about Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offer Buying Signals, visit https://b2b.kbb.com/ico/buying-signals/. To learn more about Featured Auto Repair Center, visit https://b2b.kbb.com/featured-auto-repair-center/. 

About Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com)  

Founded in 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource®, is the vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry. Each week the company provides market-reflective values on its top-rated website KBB.com, including its famous Blue Book® Trade-In Values and Kelley Blue Book® Price Advisor tool, which provides a range for what consumers can reasonably expect to pay for a vehicle in their area. Car owners looking to sell immediately can also get a redeemable, transaction-ready offer with Kelley Blue BookSM Instant Cash Offer. The company also provides vehicle pricing and values through various products and services available to car dealers, auto manufacturers, finance and insurance companies, and governmental agencies. Kelley Blue Book is a Cox Automotive brand.  

About Cox Automotive 

Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using vehicles easier for everyone. The global company's more than 27,000 team members and family of brands, including Autotrader®, Clutch Technologies, Dealer.com®, Dealertrack®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, NextGear Capital®, VinSolutions®, vAuto® and Xtime®, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five continents and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with annual revenues of nearly $20 billion. www.coxautoinc.com 

1 Cox Automotive Data Analysis, July-October 2020 

2 Xtime Product Analytics Data Average 9/16/19-11/30/20 

SOURCE Kelley Blue Book 

For further information: Brenna Buehler, 949-473-6595, Brenna.Buehler@coxautoinc.com 

Automotive Marketing Platform Powered by VinSolutions Uses Automation and AI to Help Optimize Marketing Efforts Across Dealership Departments

MISSION, Kansas, January 26, 2021 – Dealers share a common goal to engage customers and maximize profits but doing so efficiently while minimizing marketing spend can prove challenging. With the new Automotive Marketing Platform powered by VinSolutions, dealers can elevate their marketing without increasing their workload. Automotive Marketing Platform is a marketing tool that integrates with the CRM providing an end-to-end view across marketing and sales. This enables dealers to leverage data insights and automate workflows to deliver personalized experiences across the ownership lifecycle. Ultimately, Automotive Marketing Platform is the complete package for driving consumer engagement and helping to maximize ROI.

“Until now, dealerships had to manage campaigns across different departments, vendors and marketing channels, which inevitably created inconsistencies, depleted resources and compressed ROI,” said Tracy Fred, vice president of operations for Cox Automotive brands VinSolutions, Xtime and Dealertrack DMS. “With centralization and automation, Automotive Marketing Platform addresses the reality that two-thirds of a salesperson’s time is typically spent on non-revenue-generating activities like managing different tools across departments and duplicate data entry.[1]”

Automotive Marketing Platform helps protect dealership revenue with improved customer engagement, greater efficiency in marketing spend, increased marketing reach across departments, time-saving automation and centralization, and superior campaign performance. Key features include:

• CRM Integration: Marketing activity is stored directly in the customer record in VinSolutions’ Connect dealership CRM instead of another tool, making it easier to guide personalized conversations, determine next steps and avoid duplicated efforts that frustrate customers and team members alike.
• Automated Marketing Workflows: Marketing outreach is informed by data science and real customer behaviors, creating a series of “if, then” scenarios throughout the process that allows communication to be both automated and personalized.
• Data Insights: Cox Automotive proprietary data identifies the types of customers who are most likely to be ready to buy based on their online behavior, maximizing sales opportunities, and proactively converting leads before they are even submitted.
• Automated Offers Engine: With access to customer data from Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader, Automotive Marketing Platform sends customers personalized offers, matching them with current inventory and including personalized payment recommendations based on their equity position and applicable incentives data.
• Marketing Account Manager: All campaigns built in Automotive Marketing Platform are backed by the support of a dedicated Marketing Account Manager, an automotive marketing specialist who guides and executes the dealership’s strategic marketing direction.
• Dashboard/Reporting: A robust reporting dashboard enables dealerships to quickly understand the performance of campaigns and channels so impactful adjustments can be made effectively, helping to maximize ROI on marketing spend.
• Marketing Channels: Recommendations and automated CRM tasks ensure customers are reached on the right channels, including email, phone calls, and Facebook/Instagram ads.

“One of the greatest strengths of Automotive Marketing Platform is being able to target customers with the right message, at the right time—at the right moment when the customer is most likely to act and create opportunities for our stores,” added Justin Harmon, Marketing Director, Eide Automotive Group.

The Automated Marketing Platform joins VinSolutions’ portfolio of products that leverage data science and artificial intelligence, including Connect Automotive Intelligence. In addition to providing salespeople with insights to better understand their customers, dealers will now be able to use Connect AI Buying Signals as a lead source with the new automated lead creation functionality. Connect AI and Automotive Marketing Platform can be purchased separately as well as integrate seamlessly to create even more powerful and accurate customer engagement.

To learn more about Automotive Marketing Platform powered by VinSolutions, visit www.vinsolutions.com.

About VinSolutions
As the provider of Connect CRM, Connect Automotive Intelligence, and the supporting suite of Connect solutions, VinSolutions helps more than 6,000 dealers make every connection count. VinSolutions’ industry-leading tools—including customizable customer relationship management, artificial intelligence, and desking—help dealerships drive more leads, increase profits, and accelerate the path to purchase. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Mission, Kansas, VinSolutions fosters dealership success by providing a fully customizable suite of solutions, including equity mining, market pricing and desking tools, combined with the continuous, personal support of a designated Performance Manager. VinSolutions is OEM certified by every major manufacturer and is Autosoft, CDK, Reynolds & Reynolds and Dealertrack DMS certified. www.vinsolutions.com

About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using vehicles easier for everyone. The global company’s more than 27,000 team members and family of brands, including Autotrader®, Clutch Technologies, Dealer.com®, Dealertrack®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, NextGear Capital®, VinSolutions®, vAuto® and Xtime®, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five continents and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with annual revenues of nearly $20 billion. www.coxautoinc.com

Media Contact:
Lisa Aloisio
Lisa.Aloisio@coxautoinc.com
c. 404.725.0651

Vinessa Allows Salespeople to Lean on Tech to Maximize Sales Opportunities Without Maxing Out Dealership Resources

MISSION, Kansas, January 26, 2021 – As dealerships look for new ways to connect with customers outside of the showroom and pursue leads in today’s digital world, technology is becoming an increasingly useful addition to sales teams. Vinessa™, VinSolutions’ AI-powered, CRM-integrated virtual assistant, allows salespeople to prioritize their time more efficiently thanks to the ability to vet leads by providing human-like customer engagement at the early stages of the sales process. With Vinessa’s help, salespeople can guide more customers through their unique paths to purchase, increase conversion rates and ultimately boost profits for the entire business.

“Dealership staff are tasked with filtering through massive volumes of online leads–-and dedicating the necessary resources to vetting and communicating with every customer can get in the way of salespeople doing what they do best—selling vehicles and closing deals,” said Tracy Fred, vice president of operations for Cox Automotive brands VinSolutions, Xtime and Dealertrack DMS. “As the consumer path to purchase continues to evolve and default to digital, it also means a 24/7 sales cycle. Dealerships need to be ready to engage with prospects around the clock in a scalable and cost-effective way.”

Using CRM artificial intelligence, machine learning and data provided by the dealership, Vinessa can answer questions from online and showroom sales leads about inventory availability, vehicle features and more, as well as schedule follow-up tasks for staff. Vinessa provides more qualified leads and ensures that no sales opportunity falls through the cracks whether an early-stage lead or one submitted after hours. With data provided by the dealership, Vinessa is also supported by VinSolutions Performance Managers who will help ensure the dealer gets the most out of the tool so partners can be confident that Vinessa is effectively guiding customers through their unique paths to purchase and delivering sales conversions.

Vinessa’s key features include:

• CRM Integration that captures all customer communication from Vinessa directly within the customer record, with in-CRM alerts to ensure preparedness when meeting the customer where they are in the car buying process.
• Appointment Setting that enables salespeople to stay focused on advanced selling tasks with Vinessa's ability to schedule showroom appointments with customers on a salesperson's behalf.
• Lead Nurturing to engage customers 24/7, Vinessa can respond to leads after hours and follow up on conversations when salespeople are unavailable.
• Smart Conversations using powerful artificial intelligence and natural language processing Vinessa can understand customer questions and provide real-time answers about inventory and schedule follow-up appointments to keep customers moving through the journey to purchase.
• Reporting Features record and detail all of Vinessa’s customer interactions in a dashboard to help dealership staff better understand and measure Vinessa’s contribution to sales.  
• Customizable Engagement Settings allow dealers to control how and when Vinessa responds to leads, including who to assign appointments to and if Vinessa should automatically turn off when a salesperson takes over customer communication directly.
• Connect Automotive Intelligence Integration enables Sentiment Analysis on customer interactions with Vinessa when the products are combined, which allows dealers to identify trends in customer communication and quickly resolve issues in the event of dissatisfaction.

“Vinessa is not only a backstop for missed communications; it’s also a strong driver for two-way communications. I strongly believe our two-way connections, appointment set rate, and customer satisfaction will all continue to improve,” said Chad Humm, Digital Performance Manager at D-Patrick Auto Group in Evansville, Indiana. “We chose Vinessa over other virtual assistant tools based on its integrations with all of our Cox Automotive tools especially with Connect CRM. Vinessa’s conversations live in the CRM.”

To learn more about Vinessa, the VinSolutions Virtual Assistant, visit www.VinSolutions.com.

About VinSolutions
As the provider of Connect CRM, Connect Automotive Intelligence, and the supporting suite of Connect solutions, VinSolutions helps more than 6,000 dealers make every connection count. VinSolutions’ industry-leading tools—including customizable customer relationship management, artificial intelligence, and desking—help dealerships drive more leads, increase profits, and accelerate the path to purchase.  Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Mission, Kansas, VinSolutions fosters dealership success by providing a fully customizable suite of solutions, including equity mining, market pricing and desking tools, combined with the continuous, personal support of a designated Performance Manager. VinSolutions is OEM certified by every major manufacturer and is Autosoft, CDK, Reynolds & Reynolds and Dealertrack DMS certified. www.vinsolutions.com

About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using vehicles easier for everyone. The global company’s more than 27,000 team members and family of brands, including Autotrader®, Clutch Technologies, Dealer.com®, Dealertrack®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, NextGear Capital®, VinSolutions®, vAuto® and Xtime®, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five continents and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with annual revenues of nearly $20 billion. www.coxautoinc.com

Media Contact:
Lisa Aloisio
Lisa.Aloisio@coxautoinc.com
c. 404.725.0651

IRVINE, Calif., January 13, 2021 – As cars become more advanced, electronic technology and integrated systems are musts to consider when shopping for a new vehicle. The array of safety, security, connectivity, and communication systems available in today’s cars makes life on the road easier without causing driver distraction. Today, Kelley Blue Book names the 10 Best Automotive Technologies of 2021 to help consumers make sense of what to look for when it comes to the latest and greatest car tech this year.

“In 2021, we continue to be amazed by the incredible advancements made by automakers, as the technology within a vehicle deserves as much consideration as the mechanics under the hood,” said Matt DeLorenzo, senior managing editor for Kelley Blue Book. “Kelley Blue Book prepared this list of technologies to provide car buyers with a handy reference as they evaluate the systems that make their trips safer, more efficient, and more enjoyable.”

10 Best Automotive Technologies of 2021

Advanced Driver Assist Systems

These systems can react to hazards, reduce driver fatigue, and even park the car. Shoppers seeking technologies like adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane-keep assist, blind-spot alert, cross-traffic alert or reverse brake assist can secure these services as standalone options or in bundled suites, such as Ford's Co-Pilot360, Subaru’s EyeSight, and Toyota Safety Sense, among others.

Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB)

AEB is a part of many advanced driver-assist systems, and it’s becoming more common. Often a standalone feature, it can sense a potential accident before the driver does and immediately apply full brake pressure to stop the vehicle quickly, possibly preventing a collision.

Connected Mobile Apps/Digital Key

Carmakers continue to offer the next evolution of connected smartphone apps that can remotely lock and unlock the doors, check the fuel level and tire pressure, and even remotely start the car. Additionally, the digital key has extra security measures built in to link individual vehicles to owners.

Teen Driver Technology

Teen Driver – offered exclusively by General Motors – serves as a safeguard for new drivers, allowing owners to be notified if the car is driven over a certain speed or if seatbelts aren’t in use, and to set a volume limit on the sound system. There is even a report card that will tell parents if safety systems like ABS or forward collision alert have been triggered.

Exit Warning to Protect Cyclists

The exit warning alert uses rear-looking sensors to detect approaching bicycles and traffic, ensuring that a passenger doesn’t open a car door as a cyclist passes. The most advanced systems will even physically lock the door to prevent it from being swung open into the path of the approaching object.

Wireless Smartphone Charging and Connectivity

Most vehicles today offer audio connectivity through Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Wireless connectivity allows drivers to stow their phone anywhere within the vehicle instead of tethering it to a USB port. These features can also be enhanced through wireless charging, which typically uses a charging pad that is easy to set up and use.

360-Degree Camera

A 360-degree camera changes the way drivers park cars by providing increased confidence, visibility, and safety. Cameras on every side of the car combine to show a virtual top-down view of a vehicle’s surroundings. This enhanced visibility can prevent dents and scratches – and can even reduce insurance claims from low-speed crashes.

Video Rearview Mirror

A video rearview mirror uses a rear-mounted camera to display the view behind the car in the same position as a rearview mirror, allowing drivers to toggle between the mirror view or the video setting as needed. This is particularly helpful for drivers when their view may be impeded by distractions or objects within the car preventing clear line of site.

Stolen Vehicle Tracking Software

With hundreds of thousands of vehicles stolen each year, built-in tracking technology affords a new level of security for car owners. In addition to its ability to locate a vehicle’s exact location for law enforcement to recover it, this software also provides diagnostics, concierge, and post-crash notifications for rescue services.  The technology is part of assistance and security systems, such as Subaru Starlink, Kia UVO, Hyundai Blue Link, and GM OnStar.

Blind-Spot View Monitor

A video-based blind-spot view monitor uses a small camera on either side of the car to display traffic in adjacent lanes, which aide in the prevention of collisions during lane changes. Genesis, Kia, and Hyundai vehicles each offer particularly easy-to-see displays within the gauge cluster.

For additional information on the 10 Best Automotive Technologies of 2021, visit https://www.kbb.com/awards/best-car-technologies/.

For more information and news from Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com, visit www.kbb.com/media/, follow us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/kelley-blue-book/, Twitter at www.twitter.com/kelleybluebook (or @kelleybluebook), like our page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kbb  and follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/kbb_com/ (or @kbb_com).

About Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com) 
Founded in 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource®, is the vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry. Each week the company provides market-reflective values on its top-rated website KBB.com, including its famous Blue Book® Trade-In Values and Kelley Blue Book® Price Advisor tool, which provides a range for what consumers can reasonably expect to pay for a vehicle in their area. Car owners looking to sell immediately can also get a redeemable, transaction-ready offer with Kelley Blue BookSM Instant Cash Offer. The company also provides vehicle pricing and values through various products and services available to car dealers, auto manufacturers, finance and insurance companies, and governmental agencies. Kelley Blue Book is a Cox Automotive brand. 

About Cox Automotive 
Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using cars easier for everyone. The global company's more than 27,000 team members and family of brands, including Autotrader®, Clutch Technologies, Dealer.com®, Dealertrack®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, NextGear Capital®, VinSolutions®, vAuto® and Xtime®, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five continents and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with annual revenues of $21 billion. www.coxautoinc.com

Media Contact:
Brenna Buehler                                                                               
949-473-6595

brenna.buehler@coxautoinc.com           

ALBANY, N.Y., and NORTH HILLS, N.Y., January 11, 2021 — Auto/Mate, a business unit of DealerSocket, and F&I solutions provider Dealertrack today announce a new integration that connects Auto/Mate’s award-winning Dealership Management System (DMS) to Dealertrack’s Digital Contracting. The real-time data exchange is designed to streamline and automate a dealer's digital contracting process, resulting in seamless contract submission, reduced errors from manual data entry, and faster deal funding.

Auto/Mate users simply log into Dealertrack Digital Contracting and enter the deal number to import the contract information from the DMS and populate the required data fields. All that is left is contract validation, having the customer sign electronically, and submission to the finance source for funding.

"Since the acquisition of Auto/Mate, we have directed significant investments toward streamlining workflows, reducing keystrokes, and addressing what matters most to dealers when it comes to their F&I operations: faster funding and reduced contracts in transit," said DealerSocket Chief Product and Technology Officer Alok Tyagi. "Today's announced integration with Dealertrack Digital Contracting accomplishes all three while giving our customers access to one of the industry's leading providers of digital contracting."

Recent Dealertrack user studies1 reveal that 60% of dealership F&I staff who have not yet adopted an eContracting solution feel DMS integration is the most important capability they lack.

"We view the DMS as the core of a dealer's business and an enabler of everything they do. That's why this integration with Dealertrack is so important, as digital contracting and eContracting represent a critical step toward delivering a digital car-buying experience," said Tony Graham, executive vice president and general manager of Auto/Mate. "Enabling a seamless flow of data while preserving data integrity is equally critical for dealership employees operating in a fast-paced, results-oriented environment, and the elimination of unnecessary paper-pushing and user errors often results in steadier cash flow for the dealer."

Cheryl Miller, vice president of operations for Dealertrack F&I Solutions, added: “With the addition of the Auto/Mate DMS integration, we advance our goal to have as many dealerships as possible benefitting from the ease of use of the completely digital contracting workflow that Dealertrack Digital Contracting can provide.”

Auto/Mate DMS customers must be on Dealertrack uniFI and signed up for the platform's digital contracting enhancement to take advantage of the new integration.

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1 Source: 2019 eContracting/Digital Contracting Research Study; (size=84)

About DealerSocket

DealerSocket is a leading software provider to franchised and independent dealerships in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Our award-winning, innovative software solutions simplify dealership operations and increase efficiency to help dealers grow their business and maximize profitability. Our tools are seamless, easy to use, and designed to meet the needs of dealerships of all sizes — from small operations to the industry’s largest dealer groups. We currently serve 9,000 dealerships and more than 400,000 users with an integrated suite of solutions, including Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Dealership Management System (Auto/Mate DMS and IDMS specifically for independent dealerships), Inventory Management (Inventory+), Websites (DealerFire), Digital Retailing (PrecisePrice), and Data and Equity Mining (RevenueRadar). Our team is dedicated to the success of our dealership customers and strive to offer best-in-class customer service every day. DealerSocket team members are former dealership employees and software industry experts who live by our taglines of “By Car People for Car People” and “We Are Automotive.” For more information, visit DealerSocket.com, or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. 

About Dealertrack

Dealertrack provides industry-leading software solutions that give dealerships and lenders the confidence to thrive in an ever-changing automotive market. The company's integrated suite of powerful but easy-to-use products helps dealerships, lenders, providers, and their partners grow by increasing efficiency and improving decision-making. The Dealertrack Ohio Registration & Titling solution, delivers a unique combination of industry-leading technology, best-in-class service and support, and an unwavering commitment to compliance that can help mitigate margin compression, maximize profitability, and help you deliver the start-to-finish experience your customers expect. Dealertrack is part of the Cox Automotive family, a company that is transforming the way, the world buys, sells, owns and uses cars. Dealertrack — along with its unmatched network of dealership and lending partners — is improving the car buying experience by embracing the technologies that will shape the future of automotive retail. For more information about Dealertrack, visit www.dealertrack.com.

Media contacts:

Greg Arroyo

garroyo@dealersocket.com

m. 323.253.1998

Lisa Aloisio

lisa.aloisio@coxautoinc.com

m. 404.725.0651

New integration of Ford Accelerate and vAuto’s Stockwave boosts buying power for Ford dealer base through personalized local market insights and stocking recommendations

OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill., Dec. 17, 2020 – Ford Credit’s dealer-direct purchasing site, Accelerate, is now integrated with vAuto’s Stockwave used vehicle platform, vAuto announced today. Helping save time and energy, the new integration helps eliminate the guesswork of what will sell and for how much for Ford and Lincoln dealerships through real-time local market data and pricing insights that match upstream off-lease inventory to the right market faster.

“As new vehicle inventory remains tight in today’s environment, a strong and efficient used car operation grounded in data has become a key pillar of success for OEMs and their dealer bases,” said Patrick Janes, business development director for vAuto’s Stockwave. “By integrating Ford Accelerate and Stockwave, dealerships can let the local market data drive their purchase decisions to help ensure that when they bring an off-lease vehicle to the lot, it will always make a profit.”

In addition to automatically factoring in aspects of vAuto’s Live Market View for more informed, investment-minded decisions, the integration provides Ford and Lincoln dealerships with personalized buying and stocking level recommendations based on their sales velocity and target days’ supply. This allows them to communicate more seamlessly with their OEM to analyze and buy inventory more effectively and efficiently than ever before.

“Today's car shoppers are very clear about their vehicle preferences so we can’t afford to fly blind when it comes to stocking decisions,” said Mark Rodgers, general sales manager for Koons Ford in Baltimore.  “Having vAuto Stockwave’s insights and recommendations directly inside Ford Accelerate puts our finger right on the pulse of local market demand as we manage inventory.”

For more information on Stockwave, visit www.vauto.com/products/stockwave/.  

About vAuto
vAuto® provides innovative technology, tools and business intelligence to thousands of dealerships across the United States and Canada, helping them compete more effectively and increase new/used vehicle sales volumes and profits. Founded in 2005, vAuto revolutionized dealers’ used vehicle operations with the groundbreaking Provision® suite of tools. Leveraging The Velocity Method of Management®, pioneered by vAuto founder, Dale Pollak, Provision helped dealers adopt a more transparent- and turn-focused approach to used vehicle acquisition, appraising, pricing and merchandising based on real-time, local market supply-and-demand data. vAuto’s solutions also include Conquest, a new vehicle inventory management and pricing system, and Stockwave, which enables dealers to efficiently find and purchase vehicles from leading wholesale sources via a single platform. In 2018, vAuto released the Provision ProfitTime metric and methodology to help dealers maximize inventory turn and gross profit based on the investment value or profit potential of each vehicle. In 2020, the company debuted an all new iRecon solution, integrated with Provision, to help dealers recondition vehicles and get them retail ready faster.

Headquartered near Chicago, Illinois, vAuto is a Cox Automotive™ brand.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification; mobility solutions, including self-driving services; and connected services. Ford employs approximately 188,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.

Media Contact

Lisa Aloisio

Lisa.aloisio@coxautoinc.com

c. 404.725.0651

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IRVINE, Calif., December 8, 2020 – What better time than end-of-year to expand your horizons and embark on the car shopping journey? Following head-to-head testing, evaluation and data analysis of 2021 model-year vehicles across 17 major categories, Kelley Blue Book® revealed today the 2021 Best Buy Award winners—with the coveted trophy for the Best New Model for 2021 awarded to the Kia Seltos.  

Following a year like no other, where cars have become a safe haven and even an escape, Kelley Blue Book is giving consumers an exciting new way to experience the 2021 Best Buy Awards with the launch of KBB.com HQ, a fully immersive virtual island created within the popular video game Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Players who visit the island can snap share-worthy photos, grab cool merchandise from the shop and participate in games and activities like virtually fishing in the ocean and rivers. As players fish out items to keep the water clean, Kelley Blue Book will donate up to $10,000 to American Rivers to help preserve rivers across the country.  

“Car buying is meant to be an enjoyable experience, and what better way to celebrate the 2021 Best Buy Awards than through engaging with consumers in a way we’ve never done before with an activity that’s not only fun, but has also been a small escape from everything going on during 2020,”said Greta Crowley, vice president of marketing for Kelley Blue Book. “Games based on life simulation have surged during this time and we’re excited to venture into the gaming world for the 2021 Best Buy Awards. For those on the hunt for their next vehicle, we’ve designed the Best Buy Awards to instill confidence in the car shopping journey and help buyers narrow down their consideration set by defining the best of the best, so there is sure to be a car for everyone.” 

Players can visit KBB.com HQ in Animal Crossing: New Horizons from December 8 through December 17 between 3:00 p.m. – midnight ET each day to celebrate the 2021 Best Buy Awards with “Kelley,” the island tour guide. Visit Kelley Blue Book's Twitter to get more information on how to get a custom code to enter the island. 

The annual Best Buy Awards are determined based on a year-long regimen of expert vehicle evaluation and testing of nearly every new vehicle available in the U.S., along with analysis of a broad array of vehicle-related data, including vehicle pricing, 5-Year Cost to Own data—which includes depreciation, insurance, maintenance, financing, fuel, fees and taxes for new cars—consumer reviews and ratings and vehicle sales information. To be considered for Kelley Blue Book’s highest accolade, Best New Model, the vehicle must be an all-new or redesigned vehicle and offer a strong value proposition to consumers based on pricing, innovation, and available standard technology and safety features.   

2021 Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Award Winners 

Best New Model: 2021 Kia Seltos 

The 2021 Kia Seltos has become the new benchmark in the subcompact SUV segment. The Seltos is full of surprises, starting with its stylish, refined interior. Not only is the Seltos available with class-above convenience and connectivity features like a 10.25-inch touch screen with navigation and Bose premium audio, but there is plenty of rear-seat legroom, even for tall passengers.  

Compact Car: 2021 Hyundai Elantra 

In a tough segment, the all-new Elantra has come out on top. How? Hyundai has brought the refinement and quality of its larger siblings (the Sonata and the Palisade SUV come to mind) into the realm of the compact sedan. In addition to a stout chassis and attractive styling, the new Elantra boasts excellent driving manners and a thoroughly modern interior.  

Midsize Car: 2021 Honda Accord 

The Honda Accord continues to stand out for its roomy cabin, particularly the rear seat, large trunk, and advanced powertrains, including a hybrid that delivers up to 48 mpg. The Accord is the complete package, from its affordable price through to its traditionally high resale value. 

Subcompact SUV: 2021 Kia Seltos 

The all-new 2021 Kia Seltos is this year’s winner, thanks to its impressive roster of modern tech, a choice of two excellent engines, and striking good looks. It also has plenty of space – boasting best-in-class cargo area and excellent rear-seat legroom.  

Compact SUV: 2021 Toyota RAV4 

No matter which RAV4 you choose, they have something in common: Easy manners and great practicality. The RAV4 is a pleasant partner in both the city and beyond. Non hybrid models use a well-matched 8-speed automatic transmission that feels more natural than the CVTs of competitors.  

Midsize SUV – Two-Row: 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe 

The Hyundai Santa Fe was all new just two years ago and already an excellent choice among 2-row/5-passenger midsize SUVs, proved by its Best Buy Award win last year. But for 2021, Hyundai has made it even better with significant revisions.  

Midsize SUV – Three Row: 2021 Kia Telluride 

The 2021 Kia Telluride is our Best Buy not just because of all the bells and whistles available here, but that many of these features come with such an affordable price tag. The base price for the Telluride is below the average transaction price of all new vehicles, which is pretty remarkable when you consider the size of the Telluride and the class in which it competes. 

Full-Size SUV: 2021 Ford Expedition 

The 2021 Ford Expedition continues with a proven formula based on a rugged ladder frame with independent rear suspension. As such, the big aluminum-bodied Ford shines as a comfortable truck-based family hauler that’s at home in the daily grind or when doing work like towing a trailer to a campsite.  

Pickup Truck – Midsize: 2021 Toyota Tacoma 

The tough, rugged Toyota Tacoma is built to last. Even as newer models have arrived on the scene, the Tacoma remains a favorite, thanks to its reliability, excellent resale value, and wide range of models designed to suit the needs of just about every midsize truck buyer. 

Pickup Truck – Full-Size: 2021 Ford F-150 

The Ford F-150 has been a Best Buy Award winner seven years in a row, staying in this top spot because it continues to advance the full-size truck segment. New for 2021, the F-150 has best-in-class towing and payload capacity. It also offers the only full hybrid powertrain available in a pickup, with 430 horsepower and more than 700 miles of range.  

Minivan: 2021 Toyota Sienna 

The 2021 Toyota Sienna assumes the crown this year on the strength of its new design, standard hybrid powertrain that racks up some impressive mileage, available all-wheel drive, and the comfort and flexibility of its interior. Beyond the mechanical changes, Toyota also boasts a good track record when it comes to quality, reliability and solid resale value at the end of your ownership experience. 

Electric Vehicle: 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric 

Hyundai's secret is that it managed to make it simple to forget that you were driving an electric car. The Hyundai Kona Electric is certainly a spirited little ute with instant-on acceleration that allows you to light up the front tires almost at will. The rest of the time, while commuting, shopping, heading into the big city at the end of the day to see a drive-in movie, or just cruising along the coast for a few hours, you'll find yourself completely satisfied. 

Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle: 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime 

With the combination of the 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine and tri-motor setup checking in with a total of 302 horsepower, the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime sprints to a very impressive zero-to-60-mph time of just 5.7 seconds. When you pair that truth with the little SUV's fuel economy of 40 mpg in city driving and 40 mpg on the highway, you've got an AWD "performance" SUV that can also take you towards 600 miles with a full charge and a full tank of gas. 

Luxury Car: 2021 Lexus ES 

The 2021 Lexus ES continues to offer a blend of elegant styling, a high-quality interior, refined road manners, and pricing that makes it a value in a segment where the competition is only getting stiffer. There are plenty of choices among luxury 4-door models, even as the mass market midsize sedan competitive set continues to shrink.  

Subcompact Luxury SUV: 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLA 

At a time when this segment is hotter than ever, Mercedes committed itself to doing great things at the entry level, replacing the old GLA with a model that's shorter, but roomier, and packed style and substance. The new 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLA strikes a modern look that is more SUV than ever, while still lathering lots of Mercedes-Benz elegance and ability. 

Compact Luxury SUV: 2021 Audi Q5 

The 2021 Audi Q5 has the goods to satisfy a wide variety of buyers. Whether you desire innovative technology, great safety systems, engaging driving manners or all-around practicality – all awash in the premium experience expected in an Audi – the Q5 delivers. 

Midsize Luxury SUV: 2021 Genesis GV80 

The GV80 is the first SUV from Genesis, and it’s a big hit. This 2- or 3-row SUV exudes elegance inside and out, and its outstanding chassis blends excellent daily ride comfort with great composure on winding roads. Available with a turbocharged 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine or a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6, the rear- or all-wheel-drive GV80 also has a robust infotainment system (with a 14.5-inch touchscreen) and a thorough standard safety suite that includes automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control. All that, plus a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. 

For full coverage of the 2021 Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Awards, including additional editorial comments about each model, photos, video reviews, pricing details, listings and more, visit https://www.kbb.com/awards/best-buy-awards/. 

For more information and news from Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com, visit www.kbb.com/media/, follow us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/kelley-blue-book/, Twitter at www.twitter.com/kelleybluebook (or @kelleybluebook), like our page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kbb  and follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/kbb_com/ (or @kbb_com). 

About Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com)  
Founded in 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource®, is the vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry. Each week the company provides market-reflective values on its top-rated website KBB.com, including its famous Blue Book® Trade-In Values and Kelley Blue Book® Price Advisor tool, which provides a range for what consumers can reasonably expect to pay for a vehicle in their area. Car owners looking to sell immediately can also get a redeemable, transaction-ready offer with Kelley Blue BookSM Instant Cash Offer. The company also provides vehicle pricing and values through various products and services available to car dealers, auto manufacturers, finance and insurance companies, and governmental agencies. Kelley Blue Book is a Cox Automotive brand.  

About Cox Automotive  
Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using cars easier for everyone. The global company’s more than 27,000 team members and family of brands, including Autotrader®, Clutch Technologies, Dealer.com®, Dealertrack®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, NextGear Capital®, VinSolutions®, vAuto® and Xtime®, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five continents and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with annual revenues of $21 billion. www.coxautoinc.com 

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