ATLANTA -

A new app from AutoTrader.com offers dealers an opportunity to position their inventories in front of the growing number of people who use their tablets to shop for vehicles. 

The AutoTrader.com iPad app also offers car shoppers a way to find their perfect vehicle quickly, even if they’re undecided on brand.

Company officials say the app addresses a demonstrated consumer need: According to its research, 67 percent of AutoTrader.com visitors haven’t identified a specific model and 58 percent haven’t identified a specific brand of car they’re interested in buying. 

“We designed this app around the concept of discovery; we wanted to make it as easy as possible for car shoppers to find and learn about vehicles they have not even considered,” said Jose Puente, director of mobile products and strategy for AutoTrader.

“With this new experience, you can start out with a very vague idea of what you want and the app does the work for you,” he said.  

Users can begin their search based on price, style or location, in addition to make and model, then narrow results with dozens of additional filters such as color, features and options, fuel economy or mileage.

The app also integrates AutoTrader.com editor reviews and shopping tips into each listing, and allows users to save favorite vehicle listings to AutoTrader’s website, iPhone and Android apps. 

Once a shopper is ready to visit the dealership, the iPad app pinpoints a dealer’s location and provides contact information and directions via integrated mapping features. Shoppers can also communicate directly with dealers via email from the app, the company said.

AutoTrader research shows a large increase in consumers’ use of mobile devices as part of the car shopping process: Mobile traffic to AutoTrader.com has experienced double-digit growth since January and hit record levels in August, up more than 60 percent year-over-year.

More specifically, use of tablets rose by Millenials has risen by 28 percent, and a quarter of Generation X shoppers report using a tablet in their car shopping process, the company said.

“Mobile is changing the way people shop for cars, and every day we work to create new, innovative products that make the process more enjoyable and effortless,” Puente said.

The AutoTrader.com iPad app is currently available for download from the Apple App Store.  

Continue the conversation with Auto Remarketing on both LinkedIn and Twitter.