CHARLOTTE, N.C. –

About six weeks after striking an alliance with an app development firm, Sonic Automotive launched its own iPhone application on Tuesday.

Sonic highlighted its app, Sonic Auto Search, is designed to guide consumers through an easy, yet comprehensive, search process to connect users to the vehicle and dealer that best fit their needs.

The Sonic Auto Search App can give users the ability to:

—Search Sonic’s new, used and certified car inventory by make, model, type, body style, year and payment
—Refine searches to vehicles geographically local to the customer
—Compare features of up to five vehicles
—Calculate estimated monthly payment based on price range, trade and APR
—Call, email and get directions to a dealership with one tap
—Locate a vehicle across Sonic more than 100 dealerships

Sonic Auto Search is the first of many mobile applications to be released this year as part of Sonic’s Mobile Business Unit (MBU) engagement with Lextech Global Services.

Heath Byrd, vice president and chief information officer of Sonic Automotive noted Sonic Auto Search is available for iOS devices now and will soon be released for Android.

“Our customers don’t want to be tied to their desks when they are researching vehicle information or looking for a dealership,” Byrd stressed.

“Sonic Auto Search lets them shop our inventory and find our dealerships directly on their iPhone. Anytime. Anywhere. The app is easy to use and gets the user the right information at the right time,” he added.

To download the app for iOS, visit http://app.sonicautosearch.com.