Hyundai is asking its customers the following question: “Is your driveway in need of a makeover?” To celebrate the new Elantra GT, coupe and sedan, the OEM has introduced an online tool that “allows customers to style and tailor their favorite Elantra model, in the comfort of their home.” [Read More]

Reynolds and Reynolds recently announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued two U.S. patents relating to docuPAD, the F&I selling and document processing system for dealerships. Officials reiterated that docuPAD is a menu-driven, interactive F&I solution that can enable dealership personnel to engage consumers in the finance and insurance steps of a […] [Read More]

Though many say the potential for using social media for sales has not been tapped into yet, social media application company xChange Automotive said it has released a product that may take a step in that direction. The company launched this week two call-to-action transaction apps for Facebook. xChange Automotive contends that these transaction-based social […] [Read More]

Provider Exchange Network, a division of Open Dealer Exchange, announced Wednesday that it has agreed to integrate with the OptionSoft Technologies F&I Menu. Officials believe this integration will allow OptionSoft to better serve its thousands of dealers via PEN’s streamlined electronic rating, forms and contract booking connection. The company reiterated that PEN is designed to […] [Read More]

According to a recent eMarketer report, 88 percent of mobile phone users check their email via their device daily. With that level in mind, the dealer support staff at Cars.com wondered if your dealership sends mobile-friendly email. Cars.com acknowledged that getting your contacts to open an email, read it and take action on it may […] [Read More]

Autobytel went to the auto finance sector to find the newest member of the vehicle purchase request website’s board of directors. Set to be a part of the board and its audit committee is Michael Carpenter, Ally Financial’s chief executive officer. “We are honored to welcome Mike to the Autobytel board,” said Michael Fuchs, chairman […] [Read More]

Lease returns just got easier for Nissan and Infiniti customers. And dealers may be able to take advantage of more potential customers coming in to purchase a new ride after cashing their lease in. The two Japanese brands revealed late last week their new app called RPM Mobile. “This app allows dealers to complete a […] [Read More]

Dealerships may want to look into where they are putting their dollars while investing in digital media, according to online auto shopping behavior research company Dataium LLC. In a study commissioned by Cars.com, Dataium apparently found “inefficiencies” between dealerships’ digital marketing mix and the quantity and quality of traffic to their websites.   [Read More]

Edmunds.com is expanding its “Hack Days” program to invite auto industry professionals in to share their ideas on improving the car-buying experience for dealers, consumers and automakers. Edmunds.com has set the date for this two-day “Hackathon” as Nov. 29–30. It will be at the company’s Santa Monica, Calif., headquarters. Industry insiders and other innovative thinkers […] [Read More]

Salesforce.com has announced the addition of its new chief automotive officer, appointing a longtime leader from Nissan and Renault. Joining salesforce.com as executive vice president and chief automotive officer is Patrick Pelata, who will be responsible for leading the company’s strategy for delivering social and mobile cloud technologies to the automotive industry. Pelata has 28 […] [Read More]