Buying a new vehicle online is very different from browsing used stock.
For many customers, choosing the model is only the beginning. There are trims to compare, engines to consider, colours to choose, wheels to explore, and optional extras that can completely change the specification and feel of the vehicle.
This is where a configurator-style journey starts to add real value, giving customers the freedom to explore the options that matter to them, and helping dealers create a more engaging new-car experience online.
Making new vehicle research more engaging
New-car customers often arrive on a dealer website at a relatively early stage of the buying process.
They may have settled on a manufacturer but not a model. They might know the model but still be comparing trim levels. Or they may be trying to understand what difference an engine, colour or option pack makes before they are ready to speak to the dealership.
The website has an important role to play during that research.
With Autonomy's configurator-style journey, customers can explore different combinations of trims, engines, colours, wheels, interiors and available packages or extras in one place.
Instead of moving between multiple pages or trying to piece together information themselves, they can build a clearer picture of the vehicle and specification that suits them.
Helping customers understand their choices
New vehicle ranges can be complex.
A single model may have numerous trims and powertrains, each with different equipment, design details and available options. For someone who does not know the range inside out, that can quickly become overwhelming.
A configurator makes those choices easier to understand.
Customers can move through the available options step by step, reviewing how each decision shapes their preferred vehicle. It gives them more control over the research process and allows them to explore at their own pace before submitting an enquiry.
For dealers, it also creates an opportunity to showcase more of what is available rather than relying on the customer to already know what they are looking for.
Better-informed customers can mean better enquiries
There is also a benefit at the point that the customer makes contact.
A traditional new-car enquiry can sometimes begin with very little information beyond a make and model. The sales team then has to establish everything else: preferred trim, engine, colour, specification and options.
A configurator journey allows more of that thinking to happen beforehand.
If a customer has already spent time exploring the range and identifying the configuration they are interested in, their enquiry can arrive with much more context.
It does not replace the role of the sales team. Instead, it gives them a stronger starting point for the conversation.
It can mean less time establishing basic requirements and more time discussing availability, finance, part exchange and the other factors that move the customer closer to a purchase.
Supporting the manufacturer brand experience
For new vehicle retailers, the website also needs to represent the manufacturer effectively.
Customers expect a polished digital experience that reflects the quality and choice they associate with the brand. Simply listing models and specifications can make the journey feel functional rather than engaging. A richer configurator-style experience gives dealers another way to bring the product to life online.
Colour, specification and design choices become part of the browsing experience, helping customers engage with the vehicle before they ever enter the showroom.
It also allows individual retailers to offer a stronger new-car journey within their own digital environment, rather than relying entirely on external manufacturer websites for that research.
Building more capable dealer websites
For us, the configurator is another example of how Autonomy is continuing to evolve beyond the traditional dealer website.
A modern automotive platform should help customers do more than browse stock and submit an enquiry. It should support the different stages of the buying journey and give dealers the tools to create better digital experiences around them.
For new vehicles, that means allowing customers to explore the choices that actually influence their decision.
By bringing trims, engines, colours, wheels, interiors and extras together in a more intuitive journey, Autonomy helps dealers create a more engaging new-car experience while giving sales teams the potential to receive better-informed enquiries.
The result is a website that does more of the work before the customer even makes contact.
