Click Dealer has launched a new car search plugin for ChatGPT that connects consumers directly with to independent dealers with more than 120,000 vehicles in stock.
The plugin allows customers to describe the type of vehicle they need using natural, everyday language, drawing on factors such as budget, family requirements, preferred fuel type and intended use to identify relevant live stock.
Unlike marketplace-led car search experiences, customers who select a vehicle through the Click Dealer plugin are directed to the supplying retailer’s own website.
This allows them to continue their journey within the dealer’s digital showroom, supported by the retailer’s brand, vehicle information and Click Dealer’s lead conversion tools.
The launch forms part of Centeca’s strategy to connect automotive retail, finance and technology more closely across the customer journey.
Developed initially through Click Dealer, it also creates the foundation for future integration with the automotive finance capabilities of Evolution Funding, another Centeca brand.
Paul Saggar, chief innovation officer at Centeca, said: “AI is changing where consumers begin the search for their next car, but for retailers, the important question is where the customer goes next.
“The Click Dealer plugin gives consumers a straightforward way to describe what they need and identify relevant live vehicles. Rather than adding another marketplace step, it takes them to the dealer’s own website, keeping the next stage of the journey between the customer and the retailer.”
The plugin has been developed as part of Click Dealer AI, Click Dealer’s wider application of AI across the automotive retail journey. It also represents the first stage of Dealer in a Box Reach, the next development of the award-winning Dealer in a Box proposition from Click Dealer and Evolution Funding.
