Not visiting your local Toyota dealership is getting even easier. Toyota Motor North America (TNMA) has revealed the next iteration of its SmartPath retail experience, which allows customers to have the flexibility of doing the entire vehicle purchasing process online, including financing. Volkswagen rolled out a similar program last year.
TMNA worked in partnership with Toyota Financial Services (TFS) on the project, the pace of which was accelerated in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 Cox Automotive COVID-19 Digital Shopping Study showing two out of three shoppers are more likely to purchase a vehicle 100 percent online.
The SmartPath service allows customers to choose the right path to ownership for them. They can start their journey online and come back to it later, complete their purchase at a dealership, or complete their purchase entirely online. At no time will SmartPath leave the internet, go to the break room, make a cup of coffee, and pretend to be negotiating a better rate for you.
Toyota has laid out a complete path to ownership via online sales.Photo courtesy of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc.
“Our goal is to ensure we create the best experience for our customers and our dealers,” said Jack Hollis, senior vice president, Automotive Operations, TMNA.
“As our customers’ expectations evolve, SmartPath provides our dealers the technology to exceed those expectations. Our shared mission is to make the experience of shopping, buying, and owning a Toyota as easy and carefree as driving one.”
Currently, SmartPath is available to customers in select markets at more than 50 dealerships. An additional 50 dealerships will go online with the purchasing platform this spring. Toyota intends to aggressively enroll more dealers through 2021.
This year and next are expected to be busy ones for Toyota as they gear up to launch a next-generation Tundra along with other models that have undergone revisions, giving buyers more choices at as they shop online fro their next new vehicle.
