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MITSUBISHI Motors has opened an online shop for its vehicles in the US that complements the brand’s dealership network.

Its new ClickShop is touted as a 24-hour digital showroom (hosted on mitsubishicars.com) which aims to allow customers to have a customised shopping experience and offer greater transparency in the car-buying process.

Mitsubishi in the US said that ClickShop allows customers “to browse real-time inventory at their area dealers; build a custom deal, with pre-populated applicable incentives, including payment, trade, and taxes; submit their credit application and book an in-person or virtual appointment.”

“For customers, this means no more driving from dealership to dealership looking for a particular car, and a greatly reduced amount of time in the store to finalise a purchase.”

The online shop was opened this month to coincide with the launch of the latest Outlander model. It is the first of three revised models to be launched in the US in the first half of the year.

Mitsubishi is the second car-maker in the US after Tesla to launch a fully integrated, digital retail experience across its sales network, directly from the manufacturer’s website.

This allows customers to see the full picture of inventory in their area, right from their phone, tablet or laptop. Customers are also not required to submit their contact information to unlock deals.

Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited told GoAutoNews Premium that there were no plans to introduce ClickShop “at this time”.

“In the future we always reserve the right to work with our dealer council and dealers to determine the best courses of action to respond to changing market conditions,” a spokesperson said.

“We do collect leads on our website and pass them to the dealers for that MSA, but this isn’t the same as the ClickShop scenario.”

ClickShop was designed with the modern customer in mind and in partnership with digital retailing solutions provider, Motoinsight.

Mitsubishi said that it and Motoinsight will continue to roll out additional functionality for the platform with the ultimate goal of “breaking down unnecessary and burdensome barriers to the car-buying process and providing a more seamless experience for customers.”

White Bear Mitsubishi (White Bear Lake, Minnesota) dealer principal Richard Herod III said: “We want people to feel good about buying a car, after all it is one of the most expensive purchases people will make in their lifetime.

“This means we have to meet them where they are, be respectful of their time and sensitive to their budget, and we must be transparent. ClickShop allows us to show up for and support our customers, even before they walk in the door.”

Mitsubishi Motors North America has about 330 dealership owners in its network. The factory division employs 8000 people in the US.

By Neil Dowling

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