High-quality product and equipment information provide car dealerships with a way to stand out from the crowd. In this article, I will present the most common issues related to equipment information and give an overview of the future of product data.

The cheapest Škoda Octavia costs just under €30,000, while the most expensive is double that. One has lights, the other an “Intelligent Light Assistant”. One has a mirror, the other also has a lane assistant, both have air conditioning but only one is automatic. One has an accelerator pedal while the other has an Adaptive Cruise Assistant.

In this article, I explore a phenomenon that affects everything mentioned in the writings. An aspect that is a crucial part of selling cars online, but also supports traditional brick-and-mortar sales: car product information, specifically equipment.

Differences in car equipment are increasing year by year. Distinguishing between car models is becoming increasingly difficult as car equipment lists expand, mixing crucial and completely irrelevant features. I looked at the equipment list of the 2018 Volkswagen Polo, where automatic air conditioning and remote central locking were advertised as equally valuable. Are there new cars that do not have remote central locking?  

Now we are getting to the root of the problem. Certain features, such as remote central locking and air conditioning, are becoming assumptions, but is automatic air conditioning still a luxury? Cruise control will soon fall into the 'default' category, while adaptive cruise control will remain a special feature for a long time.

When discussing adaptive cruise control, another issue arises: a beloved feature goes by many names. Adaptive Cruise Assistant, active cruise control, and adaptive cruise control all mean exactly the same thing. Cruise control with a speed limiter does not obviously belong to this category but rather to the traditional ones – logical, isn't it?

Where do car equipment details come from?

In theory, it is easy to have car equipment details in order on websites when the equipment installed in the car can mostly be retrieved from background systems, for example, using the registration number.

So why are car equipment details not always correct?

It is often because the equipment was installed after registration and therefore does not appear in the car’s details. Additionally, accessory packages are installed in cars, and their information is not automatically available even though the equipment was in the car from the factory. In certain cases, the registration number also returns multiple equipment versions of the same car, from which the correct one must be chosen.

Car equipment information as sales support

In the Finnish car market, the significant role of different portals (such as Autotalli and Nettiauto) in car searching is unique. For example, I searched for a low-mileage (less than 50,000 km) 2015–2016 Nissan Qashqai, of which I found almost 80.  

Browsing through either portal, it was not apparent why any particular car would be the right choice for me. The listings primarily highlighted things like service books. This advice applies equally to portals and the own pages of car dealers: when space is limited, it is wise to highlight features that make cars stand out – not those that are in every car!

Where do we go from here?

The significance of equipment details in car sales is sure to grow, and useful features will influence the selling price and desirability of the car. It is therefore definitely worth focusing on their development!

The first step is to ensure that every car's equipment details are up to date. If equipment has been installed in the car afterwards, it must definitely be included in the details.

The next level is achieved by enriching the product data. At this point, we no longer trust automatic listings but provide more detailed information about the car and its equipment: what is unique about the car, is it a sporty choice or rather a luxury car for those who appreciate comfort?

This is where we get to a sales-critical tactic: directly addressing the consumer's needs. When a car dealer succeeds in communicating the benefits of the features in a way that is engaging to the user, success is assured.

The next level of product information and personalised sales texts is largely manual work, but when properly designed, the enrichment can be automated with the help of a PIM. Financial and sports news is already generated automatically based on results and statistics, so why not car sales texts through equipment listings?

Discover the solutions we have implemented.