Addition of SEcureMetrics F&I allows every phase of the deal to be conducted and analyzed on one platform

NORTH HILLS, N.Y. and RICHARDSON, TX., February 12, 2020 – Dealertrack announces a new ground-breaking partnership with StoneEagle F&I to bring best-in-class reporting to its industry-leading platform. StoneEagle’s SEcureMetrics F&I solution will be integrated into the Dealertrack platform, providing dealerships with detailed F&I analytics in real-time to help optimize efficiency, drive performance and maximize profitability.

“From leads to contracts to reporting, powering a more productive and seamless workflow is vital for dealers as they continue to streamline the car-buying experience for consumers,” said Cheryl Miller, senior vice president and general manager of Dealertrack F&I Solutions. “Through the new partnership with StoneEagle, dealers can start, structure, finance, transact, and now analyze a deal all within one online deal jacket, helping to eliminate costly inefficiencies and pinpoint new ways to grow profits.”

SEcureMetrics F&I is the most comprehensive and user-friendly reporting solution in the automotive retail industry. It is easily customizable and adaptable to a dealership’s unique needs and offers an intuitive and dynamic analytics dashboard interface that is tailored to the user. By leveraging multiple certified DMS integrations, the solution pulls in data from the dealership daily, enabling secure access to more accurate and actionable performance insights.

Through this solution, dealers on the Dealertrack platform can now view detailed reports, as well as specify potential deals by specific F&I manager, sales manager, vehicle make, or lender. Additionally, reports are viewable on any device and can be automated and scheduled for delivery on a daily or recurring basis to authorized recipients.

“We are pleased to be partnering with Dealertrack to equip dealers with the easy, accessible, real-time access they need to take F&I reporting to the next level and attain deeper insight into their performance and profitability,” said Cindy Allen, chief executive officer at StoneEagle F&I.

Jason Gillette, vice president of sales and marketing added, “by integrating SEcureMetrics F&I with the Dealertrack platform, dealers will be able to run over 40 F&I reports without ever having to leave the online deal jacket, empowering them to uncover new  profit opportunities that will help refine and optimize their workflow.”

For more information about Dealertrack and to schedule a demo at NADA 2020, visit https://us.dealertrack.com/ or visit us at the conference at Booth #2336C. For more information about StoneEagle F&I, visit https://www.se-fi.com/.

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 StoneEagle F&I

StoneEagle F&I, Inc. provides innovative F&I solutions and legendary customer service to the retail automotive industry. Through its industry-leading Metrics, Menu, and F&I Administration solutions, StoneEagle F&I makes it possible for users across every facet of the F&I value chain to increase productivity, improve efficiency, and accelerate profitability. StoneEagle F&I’s products meet the needs of thousands of dealerships, general agencies, F&I product providers, and OEM’s throughout North America. For more information visit SE-FI.com, or write to sales@se-fi.com.

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- Cox Automotive deployment of on-demand owner experiences designed to help dealers drive more customer loyalty and service revenue.

- Xtime Schedule will allow dealers to create loaner reservations and service pickup appointments that will automatically be scheduled for fulfillment by valets using the Clutch platform.

- Clutch Technologies Fleet Sync and Service Pickup & Delivery software delivers maximum efficiency of loaner fleet usage.

- Partnership lays foundation for an EV future, which may include more out-of-store service.

ATLANTA and REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Feb. 12, 2020 – Clutch Technologies and Xtime are delivering even more ease and convenience to the customer service experience with a powerful integration that further supports Cox Automotive’s vision for fixed ops and dealer mobility services. In partnership with Xtime, the most fully integrated, end-to-end service experience platform, Clutch’s Fleet Sync and Service Pickup & Delivery software serve as the engine for this next-level service offering.

According to Cox Automotive’s recent Reimagining the Automotive Consumer Experience Study, consumers universally agreed – 89% – that an ideal ownership experience would include a service where a dealer picks up the vehicle in need of maintenance or repair and returns the vehicle when the work is complete.

“With the digital economy raising expectations of convenience, it’s critical for dealers to further modernize their fixed operations functionality to meet consumer demand,” said Adam Carley, vice president of product for Clutch Technologies. “This solution truly eliminates hassle for the consumer, boosting customer loyalty and driving higher retention on service.” 

Xtime Schedule and Clutch Fleet Sync

For dealers on Xtime, customers can book their service appointment at the dealership with Xtime Schedule and reserve a loaner through Clutch Fleet Sync. Leveraging Clutch’s partnership with TSD, the leading provider of loaner management software, Fleet Sync provides current and projected loaner availability within Xtime, so that a loaner reservation can confidently be made as part of booking a service appointment. When the service appointment is finalized, the loaner reservation will be created with the consumer’s information. The consumer will then receive a secure link to provide their payment card, driver’s license and insurance information, which are added to the loaner reservation.

Finally, as the appointment approaches, the system automatically assigns the right vehicle to the right customer. The dealer benefits from increased efficiency at the loaner desk and higher utilization of the loaner fleet. Consumers benefit from greater availability of loaners and a streamlined experience.  

Xtime Schedule and Clutch Service Pickup & Delivery

Scheduling a concierge pickup of their vehicle for service – with the option of a loaner to be dropped off when pickup happens – is just as simple. Dealers and consumers can add pickup to service appointments booked within Xtime’s multichannel scheduling tools. Xtime Schedule will display availability of both loaners and valets so that appointments can be made with confidence. From that point, Clutch handles the full workflow for the dealer, including scheduling concierge labor and messaging with the consumer. Through its integration with TSD Cirro, Clutch also has the ability to deliver digital loaner contracts for signature in seconds within Clutch’s Sideflip concierge app.  

In addition to driving customer loyalty, this collaboration is intended to generate extra service revenue for the dealership, with 67% of today’s consumers willing to pay a premium for a more convenient service experience. Additional revenue will be realized over time with a more efficient usage of loaner vehicles and repeat business from customers.

“Convenience is key when evaluating how to implement or enhance a dealership’s customer-centric service experience,” said Tracy Fred, vice president and general manager for Xtime. “Marrying the very best of what Xtime and Clutch have to offer provides dealers with an opportunity to standout in the market and not only attract new business but turn them into repeat customers.”

Functionality of the new Cox Automotive fixed ops solution offered by Clutch Technologies and Xtime will be available progressively over the second quarter of 2020.

About Clutch Technologies

Clutch Technologies is the leader in subscription and mobility services software to the automotive industry. Utilizing Clutch’s end-to-end platform, automotive dealers, OEM’s, car rental companies and fleet operators can increase asset utilization, offer new revenue streams and deliver innovative consumer experiences. Clutch, a Cox Automotive company, is recognized as a pioneer in the subscription category and has been chosen, trusted and recommended by more than 200 dealer rooftops and nearly 20 OEM brands across the U.S., Canada and Germany. Learn more about Clutch at www.driveclutch.com.

About Xtime

Xtime increases customer retention for automotive dealer service departments by using technology to transform the ownership experience. Improving customer satisfaction and retention drives dealer revenue and profitability. Xtime is committed to delivering the experience consumers demand – an experience which emphasizes value, convenience and trust. In 2019, Xtime booked 55 million service appointments and processed more than 100 million repair orders annually. Forty-four global OEMs have chosen Xtime to drive that same type of success for their businesses, converting more than $23 billion in service revenue last year for more than 7,300 dealerships.

About Cox Automotive

Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using cars easier for everyone. The global company’s 34,000-plus 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 revenues exceeding $20 billion. www.coxautoinc.com

Enhanced Functionality Brings Tools Together to Help Dealers Improve Efficiency and Overall Gross Profits During the Appraisal Process

IRVINE, Calif., February 11, 2020 – Today Kelley Blue Book announced the integration of its Instant Cash Offer tool with vAuto’s Provision tool to help dealers win more trades and maintain or improve efficiency during the appraisal process which helps overall gross profits. 

Dealers are currently facing a difficult dilemma: While inventory is entering the market and turning at a rapid rate, profit margins continue to decline. Furthermore, the average cost to market on a trade-in has risen more than 1.2 percent every year for the last three years, according to a 2019 Historical Margin Compression Study from Cox Automotive, making the fight for profitable inventory more competitive than ever. With the rise of online bidding and national competitors, dealers must utilize technology to improve efficiencies and distinguish themselves from rivals to win more trades. 

Evolving with these industry dynamics, the Instant Cash Offer integration with vAuto Provision’s appraisal report improves dealer efficiency by helping them find and improve win rates on needed trade-ins. Features of this integration include:

- An appraisal report enhanced with Instant Cash Offer information allows dealers to clearly see how effective the offers are in helping to efficiently find and maximize trade-in win rates to improve profit margins.

- Easily add or associate Instant Cash Offers to the vAuto appraisal report, bringing together valuable information about the vehicle.

- An exclusive market report containing Instant Cash Offer information gives dealers access to other offers for similar vehicles to validate the offer and provide a more comprehensive view to help dealers win the trade.

- Easily identify existing Instant Cash Offers on recommended vehicles dealers need, sourcing inventory directly from the consumers versus typical acquisition methods.

“With inventory turning at its highest rate ever, it has never been more critical for dealers to ensure no trade is missed,” said Paul Whitworth, senior vice president of inventory management solutions for Cox Automotive. “These integrations help dealers maintain a competitive advantage by increasing the flow of information from third-party sites to inventory management systems, modernizing the appraisal process and ultimately winning more trades with information from the No. 1 most trusted third-party automotive brand, Kelley Blue Book.”

Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offer is offered as a standalone product and can be integrated with vAuto’s Provision. Both products are available for purchase at NADA 2020.

“We started using both vAuto Provision and Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offer a little more than three years ago,” said Firas Makhlouf, chief information officer for Driver’s Village. “Instant Cash Offer is a great product, and the integration into vAuto has been tremendous. It’s very easy to populate the information and click through to see the full report with the information from Kelley Blue Book. We use the Instant Cash Offers during the appraisal because consumers see the offer is from Kelley Blue Book and know they can trust the offer.”

For more information on the Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offer and vAuto Provision integration, please visit Kelley Blue Book (booth #2528C) or vAuto (booth #2316C) at the 2020 NADA Convention and Expo, or online at www.b2b.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 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. The same year, the company expanded its integrations with Cox Automotive's HomeNet unit and acquired iRecon, an online reconditioning workflow platform. The moves extend vAuto's efficiency-focused used vehicle management solutions into vehicle merchandising and reconditioning.

Headquartered near Chicago, Illinois, vAuto 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 34,000-plus 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 revenues exceeding $20 billion. coxautoinc.com

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Enhancements introduce added efficiency, customization and visibility to the digital merchandising arena for dealers

EXTON, Pa., February 11, 2020 – As car buyers spend more time online and fewer days in-market,[i] the pressure is mounting for dealers to deliver a more tailored and engaging shopping experience that separates them from the competition. But adapting to the needs of today’s informed and tech-savvy consumer is easier said than done. While 83% of dealers believe they can increase vehicle turn if they improve digital merchandising, only 12% think their online presence is highly differentiated.[ii]

To help dealers turn this industry-wide obstacle into an opportunity and drive greater engagement online, HomeNet Automotive will unveil a new targeted digital merchandising solution as well as several enhancements to its 360-degree capture technology at the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) convention in Las Vegas on Feb. 14-17, 2020.

“As vehicle sales are increasingly being won and lost online, having a digital merchandising approach that is engaging and targeted is only becoming more critical,” said Randy Kobat, senior vice president of inventory software at Cox Automotive. “With the latest innovations from HomeNet, we’re elevating the dealer-to-customer relationship dynamic by giving dealers the essential tools they need to create deeper connections with car buyers at every stage of the shopping journey, whether it be on a third-party advertising site or dealership page.”

Bringing a new level of efficiency and personalization to digital merchandising, HomeNet’s latest enhancements include:

Targeted Promotions:

Set to debut at NADA this year, HomeNet’s all-new Targeted Promotions solution helps enable dealers to automatically generate targeted image content that is uniquely tailored to their dealership’s marketing strategy, helping establish much-needed differentiation online. Targeted Promotions includes three key features:

- Targeted Image Overlays: Dealers can automatically create custom calls to action within vehicle photos that align to their market strategy on specific advertising sites. By developing special overlays for each online destination, dealers can better track calls and leads and help guide car shoppers toward more informed buying decisions.

- Targeted Billboards: With Targeted Promotions, dealers can now insert custom designs within the photo stream to tell a stronger story about their dealership.

- Professional Services: As an added benefit, dealers also receive direct access to a dedicated team of experts at HomeNet who are focused on enhancing online listing quality and streamlining merchandising operations.

"Since we started using Targeted Promotions with HomeNet, we have experienced a significant lift in the number of calls from interested car shoppers,” said Aimee Rogers, marketing manager at Brad Deery Auto Group. “We simply added call tracking numbers to our photo overlays and have been shocked by the increase in online engagement."

SnapLot 360 Enhancements:

Introducing unprecedented automation to the digital merchandising experience at last year’s NADA, HomeNet’s SnapLot 360 solution is being enhanced for 2020 to help ensure dealers can get their inventory online and in front of consumers in a more efficient and engaging manner. According to HomeNet’s 2019 360 Consumer Study, 73% of consumers who browsed and then bought or leased a vehicle rated 360 displays as extremely or very helpful.[iii] SnapLot 360, which is an interior and exterior 360-degree image capture solution, helps dealers capitalize on this sentiment and raise visibility with car shoppers. The solution will now include the following enhancements:

- Easy Photo Capture: Dealers can now automatically extract photos once an exterior 360 is captured, eliminating the need to capture photos and 360s separately, creating greater efficiency.

- Automated Tagging: Leveraging the power of machine learning, vehicle hot spots that will draw the attention of online car shoppers, such as the wheels, headlights or trunk, are now automatically tagged.

- Reporting: Dealers can gain a better understanding of customer engagement through robust reporting capabilities, which measure merchandising performance.

For more information about HomeNet and to schedule a demo at NADA 2020, visit https://www.homenetauto.com/, or visit us at the conference at Booth #2316C.

About HomeNet

HomeNet Automotive gets inventory out of your systems and in front of online shoppers. Today’s car shoppers are researching, locating and evaluating cars online before they ever set foot in a physical dealership. Yet, dealers struggle to ensure inventory is consistently updated and distributed to all online destinations with speed, accuracy and quality. At HomeNet, we help dealers and industry partners merchandise and distribute their inventory from one unified platform and seamlessly push this information to their own website and all their third-party advertising sources. Based in Exton, PA, with offices across the U.S., HomeNet is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cox Automotive.

About Cox Automotive

Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using cars easier for everyone. The global company’s 34,000-plus 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 revenues exceeding $20 billion. www.coxautoinc.com

Industry leaders to deliver aftermarket presentation on any device creating one paperless workflow on one platform with one deal jacket; Dealertrack to transition from eMenu to Darwin over the next 18 months

NORTH HILLS, N.Y. and ISELIN, N.J., February 11, 2020 – Dealertrack and Darwin Automotive are partnering to introduce a new best-in-class integration between Dealertrack’s paperless credit workflow and Darwin’s aftermarket presentation. As Dealertrack winds down its eMenu offering, the new partnership will provide a seamless workflow and deliver the flexibility dealers desire.

Through this new joint F&I offering, the deal data received from Darwin will include the aftermarket products accepted and declined by the customer, such as vehicle service contracts, GAP insurance, pre-paid maintenance, complimentary maintenance, theft protection, key replacement and paintless dent repair. This information will integrate seamlessly into Dealertrack’s online deal jacket, helping to ensure deal compliance and equipping the dealership with a complete and accurate payment structure inclusive of aftermarket products. 

Dealerships will be able to present F&I add-ons via a menu presentation powered by Dealertrack’s largest aftermarket provider network and armed with the following unique, easy-to-use capabilities:

- Use Darwin’s prescriptive selling to leverage big data and personalize the F&I selling process

- Build menu presentations that automatically match payments for fewer keystrokes and greater F&I deal efficiency 

- Map to an existing sales process that helps F&I managers increase per vehicle retail (PVR) through the sale of aftermarket products on every deal

“Darwin brings the latest innovations in both analytics and mobile technology to Dealertrack’s powerhouse F&I platform,” said Cheryl Miller, senior vice president and general manager of Dealertrack F&I Solutions. “The result is fewer keystrokes and more deal data from Darwin’s final menu, telling the dealer which aftermarket products the customer wants and how those choices impact the terms of the deal. All Darwin’s information will flow seamlessly into Dealertrack’s one online deal jacket, bringing greater ease of use and more compliance confidence to every deal.” 

“Dealerships today need a connected workflow with best-in-class tools that fully integrate to provide the largest profitability opportunity in a seamless environment,” said Phillip Battista, chief executive officer of Darwin Automotive. “This Darwin-Dealertrack partnership will bring multiple leading products into one workflow, creating the most powerful F&I platform ever introduced to the marketplace. Over the next 18 months, Dealertrack eMenu customers will have the opportunity to convert to Darwin’s menu platform to take advantage of this powerful workflow.”

Dealertrack and Darwin will be available to discuss the partnership further at the upcoming National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) convention in Las Vegas on Feb. 14-17, 2020 at Booth #2336C. 

For more information about Dealertrack, visit https://us.dealertrack.com/. For more information about Darwin Automotive, visit https://darwinautomotive.com. 

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 Darwin Automotive 
Darwin Automotive currently operates in all 50 states with over 5,300 dealerships subscribed to its programs and was recently recognized by Automotive News as a 2019 All Star in Finance & Insurance. Darwin delivered 504,000 deals on its platform last month and is on track to deliver 6.5 million units for the year. More information is available at https://darwinautomotive.com, or by calling 1-732-781-9010.

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New partner integrations and enhanced capabilities deliver one paperless workflow on one platform with one deal jacket  

NORTH HILLS, N.Y., February 6, 2020 – Combining the power of the industry's most holistic F&I workflow solution with new best-in-class partner integrations, Dealertrack is continuing to set industry standards by delivering on its promise of one integrated and paperless F&I workflow. These latest partner integrations and enhancements coupled with the company’s industry leading Dealertrack platform, digital contracting capabilities and largest lender network, enable a seamless workflow mapped to a dealer’s own process, from leads to contracts.  

“At Dealertrack, we believe in the course of doing business dealers should never have to turn their back on a customer to access the information needed to structure a payment, secure financing, calculate taxes and fees, or jump between technology solutions,” said Cheryl Miller, senior vice president and general manager of Dealertrack F&I Solutions. “By leveraging the power of partnership, Dealertrack is giving dealers the flexibility and connectivity they need to drive a seamless workflow for faster funding and a renewed, more fully engaging customer experience.” 

Dealertrack will be highlighting the following new product enhancements and enriched partnerships offering best-in-class menu selling, F&I reporting, credit bureau capabilities and CRM integrations at the upcoming National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) convention in Las Vegas on Feb. 14-17, 2020.  

- Dealertrack Partners with Darwin: Darwin brings the latest in analytics and mobile technology to Dealertrack’s powerhouse platform. The result is less keystrokes and more deal data from Darwin’s final menu, telling the dealer which aftermarket products were accepted and which were declined by the customer and how those choices affect monthly payment, term of loan and cash down. All this information will flow seamlessly into Dealertrack’s one online deal jacket to ensure deal compliance. 

- F&I Insights Reporting Powered by StoneEagle F&I: Dealertrack is partnering with StoneEagle F&I, a provider of innovative solutions for the automotive retail industry, to bring SEcureMetrics F&I to the Dealertrack platform. This partnership allows dealers to analyze the deal and see new ways to grow profits using insights that will be presented within the online deal jacket. As the industry’s most comprehensive and user-friendly reporting solution, SEcureMetrics F&I is easily customizable and will arm dealers with actionable insights to help improve efficiency, drive performance and increase potential profitability. 

- Dealertrack Partners with National Credit Center (NCC): Dealers will now have access to an enhanced financing process through an all-new partnership with National Credit Center (NCC). NCC credit bureau service will integrate directly into Dealertrack’s online deal jacket, improving the finance process for dealers to make smarter and immediate credit decisions. Key features and enhancements include Military Lending Act (MLA) inclusion on reports and Smart Default capabilities (coming in March 2020) that give deeper insights to secure better finance terms and to automatically pull an additional bureau if a higher score is available. This improved financing process increases the value dealers derive from Dealertrack’s largest lender credit application network. 

- New CRM Integrations: Committed to mapping to a dealership’s unique workflow, Dealertrack will offer enhanced integrations with several CRM providers to now push a completed credit application directly from their CRM to Dealertrack, helping save time and reducing the need for data re-entry.  
 

- Enhanced Compliance Checkpoints Throughout the Deal: Dealers 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 is also going paperless in 2020, so dealers can easily access and share updates. 

- Paperless Deal Submission: Dealertrack’s unique Digital Contracting capabilities now include local file upload so dealers can now add stips and documents in multiple ways. Additional enhancements, such as built-in verifications, live funding checklists and point-of-sale capture allow dealers to submit more accurate contracts for same day funding to a growing list of leading lenders.  

“From a customers’ viewpoint, the less time they have to spend at the dealership, the better,” said Will Pollard, finance director of Tim Short Auto Mall. “On Dealertrack uniFI, we’re now able to connect the entire deal workflow through one single platform, minimizing back and forth and enhancing employee productivity for faster funding and happier customers.” 

For more information about Dealertrack and to schedule a demo at NADA 2020, visit https://us.dealertrack.com/ or visit us at the conference at Booth #2336C. 

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 cars easier for everyone. The global company’s 34,000-plus 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 revenues exceeding $20 billion. www.coxautoinc.com 

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REDWOOD CITY, Calif., February 6, 2020 – As fixed operations continue to play a dominant role in dealership profitability, service departments must come up with innovative ways to drive owner loyalty and meet customers’ rising expectations. To help with this challenge, Xtime is showcasing a series of new products and enhancements at NADA 2020 to improve customer engagement while helping to boost service department operations and efficiency.

“The ability to offer a superior, technology-forward service lane experience allows dealerships to stand out in a crowded market and find increased revenue opportunities,” said Tracy Fred, vice president and general manager for Xtime. “Attracting customers and delivering results for your business all comes down to providing consumers with trust and transparency throughout the entire process, and Xtime offers the most fully integrated, end-to-end service experience platform to do that, period.”

These new products and enhancements demonstrate Xtime’s continued commitment to improving every touchpoint in the service experience to support dealership success, including:

- Self Check-In is a faster, more efficient way to alleviate bottlenecks in the service drive from customers waiting to check-in, boosting advisor efficiency and more potential dollars per repair order.

- Upon scheduling an appointment or check-in, Rideshare Powered by Lyft provides a premium customer experience through cost-effective, more personalized and familiar transportation options integrated into the existing appointment booking and service process to help get customers back home or to the office.

- New Xtime Mobile Application reimagines the process of performing a multi-point vehicle inspection by making the experience faster, easier and more capable on an increased number of devices.

- Service Tracker through Inspect offers customers access to real-time vehicle service status updates on repairs from the palm of their hand, resulting in decreased phone calls and improved consumer transparency.

- From any location, customers can review video via an online quote to approve recommended repairs through new Enhanced Multi-Media features, allowing technicians to attach video and photo files to several service lines on the repair order.

- FlexPay gives dealers the ability to offer customers flexible service financing options through a fully integrated system, making vehicle maintenance more affordable by spreading the cost out over time and helping drive increased dollars per repair order.

- Text Marketing with Invite helps dealers communicate targeted messaging to customers (i.e., if a customer chose not to have a repair completed) through a channel proven to drive higher engagement and more service appointments while remaining TCPA compliant.

- Robust Intra-Dealer Chat makes internal dealership communications between departments easier than ever by centralizing messaging to one platform.

To learn more about these new products and enhancements, visit Xtime at the 2020 NADA Convention and Expo, booth #2821C.

Also, please join David Foutz, vice president of sales for Xtime, for a session on “Fixed Ops Customer Experience for Growth, Retention and Profit” with Tully Williams, parts and service director for The Niello Company, during the 2020 NADA Convention and Expo on Friday, February 14, from 2:30-3:30 PM (room N228) or on Saturday, February 15, from  10:30-11:30 AM. Foutz and Williams will discuss how service departments can put customer experience at the center of every interaction.

About Xtime

Xtime increases customer retention for automotive dealer service departments by using technology to transform the ownership experience. Improving customer satisfaction and retention drives dealer revenue and profitability. Xtime is committed to delivering the experience consumers demand – an experience which emphasizes value, convenience and trust. In 2019, Xtime booked 55 million service appointments and processed more than 100 million repair orders annually. Forty-four global OEMs have chosen Xtime to drive that same type of success for their businesses, converting more than $23 billion in service revenue last year for more than 7,300 dealerships.

About Cox Automotive

Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using cars easier for everyone. The global company’s 34,000-plus 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 revenues exceeding $20 billion.www.coxautoinc.com

BURLINGTON, February 5, 2020 – Dealer.com, a leading automotive industry end-to-end digital marketing solution, announces new enhancements to its digital storefront during the runway to the 2020 NADA Show. The company’s latest offering harnesses Cox Automotive data – the largest collection of automotive shopping behavior insights available – to ensure dealers have the tools necessary to deliver unrivaled consumer experiences, forging the shortest and most personalized path to customer engagement and dealership growth.

With brands from all categories bombarding shoppers, there has never been a more critical time for dealers to capture consumer mindshare by delivering tailored experiences that capitalize on available intelligence and technology. The industry is at an inflection point; to remain relevant and competitive, dealers must prepare themselves for the ride.

Through new leading-edge capabilities designed to bring ease and efficiency for the consumer wherever they are in the buying process, Dealer.com’s digital storefront experience tailors every interaction based on individual consumer demands. This level of personalization gives dealers the ability to build stronger customer relationships to help ensure enduring growth in a volatile consumer climate. The progressive site architecture is built for speed, security and flexibility to serve dealers today and well into the future. Beyond technology, Dealer.com’s team of experts use their years of experience to guide and develop a digital strategy that brings in buyers.

"The combination of Dealer.com’s new end-to-end technologies and services powered by Cox Automotive data insights are invaluable resources for dealers, providing car buyers with the most dynamic, efficient and personalized online shopping experience available,” said Wayne Pastore, vice president and general manager of Dealer.com. “With our new technology as the industry benchmark for dealership website experiences, dealers can meet the evolving high demands and shopping preferences of their customers, ultimately taking their sales success to new heights.”

Dealer.com enhancements for 2020 include:

- Reputation Management offers coordinated consumer review and response management, including Google My Business review optimization, that reinforces a dealer’s customer service commitment online, strengthens local SEO, and turns every customer interaction into a selling tool. Auto dealership reviews influence more than half of consumers[1]. The Reputation Management solution allows dealers to proactively monitor and respond to all ratings and reviews – increasing review volume – to drive higher Consumer Satisfaction Index (CSI) scores, increased consumer engagement and shopper loyalty. 

- Turnkey Video Advertising provides scalable, dynamic video content that leverages Cox Automotive’s unique audience and householding data for dealers looking to promote their inventory on high-engagement social channels like Facebook and YouTube. With nearly four million automotive videos viewed on YouTube each day[2] and many consumers abandoning cable TV, video consumption among automotive shoppers is growing rapidly. Dealers that may lack resources or expertise now can enjoy barrier-free access to high-quality video assets and advertising content. Tailored video solutions are also available, leveraging OEM and dealership footage to develop creative that brings customer engagement to the next level.

- Dynamic Inventory Search experience delivers the crucial inventory information consumers need to advance their shopping journey. A brand new UX-driven Search Result Page experience (SRP) appeals to a modern, mobile-reliant consumer, offering larger vehicle images, a multi-photo carousel, tabbed content and customizable page design to fit individual dealer needs.

- Free-Form Search is all-new, full-site, and now includes predictive recommendations and intelligence to handle misspellings, ensuring consumers will find what they’re looking for.

- Fixed Operations Advertising, Managed Services and Website Personalization highlights a dealer’s service department utilizing Cox Automotive data to deliver service-related specials and coupons to vehicle owners identified as in-market for local service. Additionally, thanks to a new integration between Dealer.com and Xtime, dealers automatically can target shoppers looking for local service with relevant fixed ops advertising content.

In addition to these product enhancements, Dealer.com continues to invest heavily in a Performance Management model that helps reach more relevant shoppers by properly leveraging all of the digital marketing tools within the Dealer.com suite to help dealers achieve their business goals in the most efficient manner possible. The client service team dominates with excellence by listening, learning and making continuous progress on solutions to deliver enduring value to dealers. As consumer buying expectations and shopping behaviors shift, dealers need to invest in digital solutions that bring delight to consumers. Dealer.com combines these innovations with extensive consumer intelligence to bring dealers the tools to build their best digital storefront.

To learn more about Dealer.com’s 2020 NADA product announcements, visit Booth #2629C or book a demo at https://www.dealer.com/demo.

About Dealer.com

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. 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 cars easier for everyone. The global company’s 34,000-plus 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 revenues exceeding $20 billion. www.coxautoinc.com

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Mission, Kansas, February 5, 2020 – VinSolutions is introducing new personalization capabilities at NADA 2020 that will help dealers unlock data potential to help win customers and drive brand loyalty like never before. As technology adoption increases across industries and generations, consumers have developed a taste for personalization. The car buying journey is no exception, and with much of it being spent online, dealers are presented with an opportunity to harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to make valuable connections through a personalized experience. At NADA, VinSolutions will debut its Automated Offer capabilities and showcase new enhancements to Connect Automotive Intelligence, including a robust manager dashboard and a preview of upcoming Customer Enrichment features.

“Our research continues to show customers expect their dealer to have an understanding of their needs well before entering the dealership,” says Lori Wittman, senior vice president of Dealer Software Solutions at Cox Automotive. “By taking advantage of AI and automation for personalization, dealers can create an early and lasting advantage over their competition by recommending inventory and options that improve the car shopping experience.”

Connect Automotive Intelligence Buying Signals are now easier to work into the CRM workflow.  Salespeople and managers can more quickly create new sales opportunities based on the AI predictions and put those leads into their normal and custom follow-up processes. Additionally, the enhanced manager dashboard in Connect Automotive Intelligence helps create more senior level visibility of customer buying signals and the customer journey to improve employee engagement and sales opportunities. The enhanced benefits of this product include:

- Higher Customer Awareness is just clicks away with buying signals generated by a combination of Cox Automotive in-store and online data that can help determine how ready a customer is to buy as well as predict information like price range, preferred make, model and body style.

- Shorter Sales Cycles are created thanks to the power of machine learning and AI, which can help dealers anticipate customer questions and concerns to more effectively sell to a customer through personalization.

- Actionable Insights and data mining opportunities are more easily identifiable from a single view display for managers.

- Attribution for AI opportunities is more visible with side-by-side comparisons of close ratios and profit between AI leads and non-AI leads.

In addition to the manager dashboard, Connect Automotive Intelligence is offering demos of its upcoming Customer Intelligence functionality at NADA which further personalizes the customer experience and maximizes deal-making. Customer Intelligence connects shoppers with the right inventory for them by integrating data from thousands of different data sources such as public information and specialty data providers.

- Precise Vehicle Matching powered by demographic and psychographic data, the tool analyzes lifestyle indicators that correlate with vehicle preferences to help salespeople recommend highly relevant inventory.

- Meaningful Upsell Opportunities can be better identified and executed thanks to a more acute awareness of customer lifestyle and vehicle needs.

- Potentially Close Deals Faster with more specific data about customer financials, attitude and lifestyle.

Moreover, at NADA dealers will be able to demo Automated Offers predicted by customer data that can drastically reduce the time it takes to manually create multiple offers per segment. This capability also helps dealers meet the customer expectation that an offer will realistically meet their needs, making it even more likely a deal will close.

“VinSolutions Connect CRM combined with Connect Automotive Intelligence helps us make our customers' experience better and more memorable,” said Scott Risley, Digital Marketing Manager, Mohawk Honda. “You can put the pieces of the puzzle together in a way that a salesperson, manager and BDC rep can all look at without needing to know how to use a specific tool. It is all right there in layman's terms.”

The 2020 NADA Show will be held Feb. 14-17, 2020 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV. To learn more about these new enhancements, visit VinSolutions at the 2020 NADA Convention and Expo, booth #2837C.

About VinSolutions

As the provider of Connect CRM, a leading dealership customer relationship management system, VinSolutions helps more than 5,000 dealers make every connection count. VinSolutions products integrate dealership systems, processes and tools to deliver a single view of the customer across the business – so dealers can focus on building relationships throughout the sales cycle. 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. VinSolutions is a Cox Automotive™ brand. www.vinsolutions.com

About Cox Automotive

Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using cars easier for everyone. The global company's 34,000-plus 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 revenues exceeding $20 billion. www.coxautoinc.com.

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IRVINE, Calif., February 5, 2020 – While many shoppers think negotiating a good deal up front is the best way to save money when buying a new vehicle, choosing a car with low ownership costs can create even greater savings over time.  Purchase price is only one of the many costs associated with vehicle ownership. Once shoppers consider the ongoing costs of fuel, maintenance, insurance and more, the overall financial picture can change significantly from model to model. To help in-market shoppers buy smart and save money, Kelley Blue Book’s experts today name the 2020 model-year brand and category winners of the ninth annual 5-Year Cost to Own Awards. These awards recognize new vehicles with the lowest projected ownership costs over the initial five-year ownership period. 

“Our 5-Year Cost to Own information breaks down typical ownership costs to help shoppers evaluate the impactful out-of-pocket expenses they will incur over time beyond the initial price paid,” said Eric Ibara, director of 5-Year Cost to Own for Kelley Blue Book. “Subaru claims the top brand position for the second year in a row, right on the heels of winning a Kelley Blue Book award for Best Resale Value Brand of 2020. Accordingly, Subaru’s key advantage in claiming the top brand ownership cost award is its high residual value, which lowers depreciation costs. In addition, Acura claims the top luxury brand prize with several key models in its lineup performing well above the segment average in many vehicle ownership cost categories.”

Available on Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com for new models, 5-Year Cost to Own information takes into consideration depreciation, expected fuel costs, finance and insurance fees, maintenance and repair costs, and state fees. This data allows consumers to see the big picture of what a new vehicle will cost them over time, helping shoppers save money by choosing a vehicle that best meets their needs and their long-term budget.

2020 Kelley Blue Book 5-Year Cost to Own Award Winners

2020 KELLEY BLUE BOOK 5-YEAR COST TO OWN AWARD: BRAND

SUBARU

2020 KELLEY BLUE BOOK 5-YEAR COST TO OWN AWARD: LUXURY BRAND

ACURA  

2020 KELLEY BLUE BOOK 5-YEAR COST TO OWN AWARDS: BY VEHICLE CATEGORY

COMPACT CAR:  Hyundai Elantra

MID-SIZE SUV – 3-ROW:  Mitsubishi Outlander

MID-SIZE CAR:  Honda Accord

FULL-SIZE SUV:  Chevrolet Tahoe

FULL-SIZE CAR:  Chevrolet Impala

LUXURY SUBCOMPACT SUV:  Lexus UX

ENTRY-LEVEL LUXURY CAR:  Acura ILX

LUXURY COMPACT SUV:  Lexus NX

LUXURY CAR:  Volvo V90

LUXURY MID-SIZE SUV – 2-ROW:  Lexus RX

SPORTS CAR:  Fiat 124 Spider

LUXURY MID-SIZE SUV – 3-ROW:  Acura MDX

HYBRID/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY CAR:  Toyota Corolla Hybrid

LUXURY FULL-SIZE SUV:  Infiniti QX80

ELECTRIC VEHICLE:  Nissan LEAF

OFF-ROAD SUV:  Jeep Wrangler

SUBCOMPACT SUV:  Hyundai Venue

MID-SIZE PICKUP TRUCK:  Toyota Tacoma

COMPACT SUV:  Subaru Forester

FULL-SIZE PICKUP TRUCK:  Chevrolet Silverado 1500 

MID-SIZE SUV – 2-ROW:  Hyundai Santa Fe

MINIVAN:  Chrysler Voyager

(2020 model-year vehicles’ projected ownership costs are based on the average Kelley Blue Book 5-Year Cost to Own data for the initial five-year ownership period).

Kelley Blue Book 5-Year Cost to Own information is developed using Kelley Blue Book® Residual Values to calculate depreciation costs. Kelley Blue Book calculates total ownership costs for new vehicles by applying a sophisticated valuation methodology along with critical financial data from third-party providers.  

For more information about the 2020 5-Year Cost to Own Award winners, please visit https://www.kbb.com/articles/best-cars/lowest-5-year-cost-to-own-cars-trucks-suvs/.

To discuss this topic, or any other automotive-related information, with a Kelley Blue Book analyst on-camera via the company’s on-site studio, please contact a member of the Public Relations team to schedule an interview.

For more information and news from Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com, visit www.kbb.com/media/, follow us on 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 34,000-plus 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 revenues exceeding $20 billion. coxautoinc.com

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