vAuto announced what it called “a significant expansion” of Upside, bringing its wholesale solution to the Texas market.

The system, which combines Cox Automotive brands vAuto, Kelley Blue Book and Manheim Marketplace, is designed to enable dealers to acquire trade-ins at the right price while helping secure a profitable wholesale exit, directly from their vAuto workflows.

“At vAuto, we strongly believe dealers can — and should — be profitable in retail and wholesale, which is why we took the traditional wholesale risk-reward equation and flipped it on its head,” Cox Automotive vice president of operations for inventory management solutions Derek Hansen said.

“The saying goes, ‘Everything is bigger in Texas,’ and we look forward to showing our Texas dealers just how much bigger their wholesale profits can be with Upside.”

Cox said Texas dealers can join more than 500 dealers in more than 30 states who are already using Upside. The company said those Upside dealers who have a Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offer Buying Center close between 30-40% more retail deals on their Instant Cash Offer leads than dealers who don’t subscribe to Upside.

Upside starts with a Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offer and promises sellers an amount above that offer if they wholesale. All vehicles are guaranteed to sell on the first run for at least the amount of the Upside minimum, which is always higher than the Instant Cash Offer. If a vehicle sells for more than the minimum, sellers keep the majority of that amount.

If a dealer decides to wholesale a vehicle, the service provides an inspection at the dealer’s lot and a detailed condition report with imaging, and the vehicle will be listed in the next Upside Direct sale.

Cox Automotive said Upside minimizes risks for both buyers and sellers by providing assurances for pricing and condition, while accelerating the wholesale process.

“From the beginning,” Hansen said, “we knew Upside offered dealers a whole new way to wholesale, and the response from buyers and sellers alike has been resoundingly positive. In the coming months, we look forward to bringing this unique solution to even more dealers across the nation, as we know demand is high for the kind of value that only Upside can provide.”