Autocar sibling title What Car? will replace its New Car Deals configurator with Auto Trader new car listings as part of a deepening tie-up between the two brands.
From October, some 20,000 in-stock and 'available soon' new cars listed for sale on Auto Trader will also be advertised to users of whatcar.com. Prospective buyers who click on a listing on What Car? will be transitioned to Auto Trader to complete their buying journey.
It represents an extension of the partnership between Haymarket Automotive (publisher of Autocar and What Car?) and Auto Trader. Auto Trader and What Car? are two sites that more than half of UK buyers would visit first for their next new car purchase, more than four times the nearest competitor, according to recent Auto Trader and Which? surveys.
Since July 2022, Auto Trader listings for used cars have featured on the two publications’ websites, and the 20,000 in-stock and available soon new cars will join the 430,000 used and 37,000 nearly new cars already available to What Car? users.
The extension of the deal "will enable the combined unique audience of nearly 11 million people to research, locate, and buy a brand-new car across both platforms in a single seamless journey," read a statement from the two brands.
"And as challenges increase in the new car market, retailers and manufacturers will be able to significantly extend their reach to a highly qualified audience at the beginning of their new car buying journey, all on a single Auto Trader contract."
The deal is intended to remove the "pain points" associated with researching and buying a new car. "Rather than having to use multiple platforms to research, to find, and to calculate the cost of a new car, consumers will now be able to complete most of the necessary car buying jobs in one convenient and seamless journey," read the statement.
Rachael Prasher, managing director of Haymarket Automotive, said: “Building on the success of our used car partnership, we are delighted to now be working with Auto Trader on new cars, too.
“The synergy between our brands and audiences is obvious, and by working together we can offer consumers, retailers and car manufacturers an unrivalled end-to-end car-buying and selling experience.”
Catherine Faiers, chief operating officer of Auto Trader, added: “Combined with our significant new car consumer marketing campaign, bringing together two of the UK’s most influential automotive brands marks a very important step in our commitment to helping our partners meet the challenges of the new car market.
“These significant investments will not only make it easier and more cost-efficient to access a huge new car buying audience earlier in the journey but also drive more highly engaged new car buyers to our partners’ stock.
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