High-quality product and equipment information are a means for car dealerships to distinguish themselves from the crowd. In this article, I will present the most common problems related to equipment information and provide an overview of the future of product information.

The cheapest Škoda Octavia costs just under 30,000 euros, the most expensive twice that. One has lights, the other an “Intelligent Light Assistant”. One has a mirror, the other additionally has lane departure warning, both have air conditioning, but only one is automatic. One has a gas pedal and the other Adaptive Cruise Assistant.

In this article, I delve into 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 stores: car product information, more specifically equipment features.

The differences in car equipment are growing year by year. Differentiating car models is becoming increasingly challenging, as car equipment lists grow and are happily mixed with essential and completely superfluous features. I looked at the equipment list for the 2018 Volkswagen Polo model year, where automatic air conditioning and remote-controlled central locking were advertised as equally important. Are there many new cars without remote-controlled central locking?  

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

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

Where do car equipment details come from?

In theory, it is easy to get car equipment details sorted on websites, as the equipment installed in the car can mostly be retrieved from background systems, such as by using the registration number.

So why is it that car equipment details are not always accurate?

Often, the reason is that the features were installed after registration and are consequently not reflected in the car's data. Additionally, cars have equipment packages installed, whose details are not automatically found, even though the equipment has been in the car since the factory. In certain cases, the registration number returns multiple equipment versions of the same car, from which the correct one must be selected.

Car equipment details as sales support

In the Finnish car market, the significant role of various portals (such as Autotalli and Nettiauto) in car searching is exceptional. For example, I searched for a 2015–2016 model year Nissan Qashqai with low mileage (< 50,000 km), and found just under 80 units.  

While browsing either portal, it did not become clear to me why a particular individual car would be the right choice for me. The advertisements mainly highlighted things like service records. This advice applies equally to portals and car dealerships' own sites: when space is limited, prioritize the features that distinguish cars – not those that are found in every car!

How to move forward?

The importance of equipment details in car sales will surely increase, and useful features will impact the sales price and desirability of the car. So, focusing on their development is definitely advisable!

The first step is to ensure that every car’s equipment information is up-to-date. If a feature has been added to the car post-purchase, it must absolutely be included in the details.

The next level is achieved by enriching product information. At this point, reliance on automatic listings is abandoned, and more details are provided about the car and its features: what is unique about the car, is it a sporty choice or rather a luxury car for those who value comfort?

At this point, we reach a sales tactic that is essential: directly addressing the consumer's needs. When a car dealership succeeds in conveying the benefits of features in a way that interests the user, success is guaranteed.

The next level of product information and personalised sales texts are largely manual work, but correctly planned enrichment can be automated with the help of PIM. Financial and sports news are already generated automatically based on results and statistical data, so why not car sales texts through equipment lists?