New Cobalt product lets buyers "build" dream cars online

The Cobalt Group launched a product designed to give consumers the ability to build and select their dream cars right on a dealer's web site.

Cobalt's Make & Match, integrating vehicle configuration technology and data from Chrome Data with Cobalt's new proprietary inventory matching software, could help auto dealers market their new vehicle inventory and secure more qualified leads from their Internet sites.

"Cobalt's Make & Match enables online car shoppers to submit purchase requests for the exact vehicle they desire," says John Holt, president and CEO of The Cobalt Group. "Not only will this provide Cobalt dealers with highly qualified and specific leads, but it will save them considerable time by delivering better informed customers to their dealer-ships."

Consumers can configure a car, compare multiple vehicles and research pricing information. Once a buyer identifies a preferred car, the buyer selects the make, model, style of vehicle, price and color.

The buyer then searches the dealer's inventory for the closest matches and/or submits a purchase request using an email form from the dealer's web site. It will integrate with the dealer's new car inventory.

Dealers will pay a monthly fee to integrate the product with their Cobalt-created web site. "I anticipate a lot of interest from our customers," says Timothy McCarthy, Internet sales manager for Toyota of Whittier in Whittier, CA.

The vehicle configuration technology and pricing information is provided by Chrome Data, business-to-business provider of data and configuration technology for selling cars online. Chrome Carbook offers research functions including make and model search, type search, payment search, and vehicle comparison.