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Scion Online Sales Program | DrivingSales News

Scion Aims For 60-Minute Dealership Deals

August 5, 2015 0 Comments

Toyota is piloting a Scion online sales program. This pilot program allows consumers to shop for a new Scion using an online format. Consumers can choose a vehicle; figure out what is called a no-haggle, no-hassle price that they can bring to the dealership. Consumers can also find out what price dealers would pay for their trade-in using a built-in Kelly Blue Book tool. Using Toyota’s credit arm, consumers can also apply for an auto loan and upon approval, bring a printout of those terms to the dealership. This process is meant to cut down the time at the dealership significantly. The Scion website even indicates the goal as “reduced dealer time.” A vehicle delivery option is also available.

In a press release back in November 2014, Scion spoke about this pilot program as an “experiment.” In a press release, the company stated, “Scion is innovating around core values of efficiency and transparency when purchasing a car. Scion’s Pure Price means that the dealer’s advertised price is the price a consumer pays. No haggle. No hassle. This process – in place at more than 50 Scion dealerships across the country – allows buyers to research a car through Scion.com, find it at a dealership, apply for credit and secure a price, all without leaving the couch.”

This move on the part of Scion is due to their feeling that consumers don’t like to spend hours shopping for a vehicle and hours negotiating a price. Speaking about the new endeavor to cut down time at dealerships, Doug Murtha, Toyota’s VP in charge of Scion told USA Today, “People want to spend less time in the dealership. It can take a typical buyer around four hours to convince a car dealer to agree to take thousands of dollars from them. The process can be infuriating. We’re shooting for an hour.”

The question is, will Scion’s parent company Toyota follow suit? Could other automakers potentially be involved in similar ventures? What impact will the trend of shorter time at a dealership have on retail automotive and what are customers telling you? Do they want more of the sales process to be online or in-person?

About the Author:

The DrivingSales News team is dedicated to breaking the relevant and the tough stories affecting car dealers. Have questions for DrivingSales News? Reach the team at news@drivingsales.com.

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