Using VR & AR to enhance the Car Buying Experience

Emerging communication and presentation technologies almost always tend to change the way customers shop. The increasing popularity of Virtual Reality(VR) and Augmented Reality(AR) is a case-in-point in the automotive industry. For a long time, the only source of information for new car buyers regarding vehicles was the dealership staff themselves, and customers had to physically visit a showroom in order to learn about a car that they were interested in. The internet changed all that and, as a result, customer expectations have changed as well.

In this article, we are sharing two of the latest trends that are making waves in auto retail - Augmented Reality(AR) and Virtual Reality(VR) -and how they are causing a shift in the car buying journey, and why OEMs and dealers alike must implement them quickly so as to not miss the bus.

Lower Inventory Required

Vehicle dealers are always faced with the problem of only keeping vehicles that are high in demand in their stockyards, but this makes them unable to showcase all variants and colors that are available for a particular vehicles.

Now, VR headsets can be used in order to enable potential customers to experience the exteriors and interiors of all the cars your auto dealership has on sale, and change trim levels and colors without the dealership having to add anything to its inventory.

Buyers can also configure their new car to their exact specifications, and experience what the end result will look like.

Transforming Vehicle Marketing

In the case of car dealerships, 3D product visualization with augmented reality provides dealers with a new, improved way to showcase their vehicles. Prospective customers can view multiple trim levels and different models, and then work around with their configuration at home on their own, or on the showroom floor itself.

Highly realistic models of cars can be placed in any real world environment using AR so that buyers can see what they’ll actually look like.

Limitless Combinations in No Time

This concept is significantly more appealing for high end luxury car manufacturers, whose exclusive personalization levels result in thousands of possible trim level combinations.

AR and VR aren’t distant concepts anymore. These systems are already in place and functioning well at many dealerships across the globe.

Prospective buyers now spend more time shopping online, and visit fewer dealerships when they are in the purchasing cycle. In order to appeal to them and convince them to choose your auto dealership, dealers have to quickly adopt new technologies such as VR and put them to use.

For more information on how VR and AR are transforming the vehicle purchasing and retail experience and to know how izmoFx can support your auto business, contact us.