AutoNation Inc. and Automatic Labs Inc., a unit of SiriusXM Holdings Inc., are expanding the AutoNation Connected Car Program to new markets.
The Connected Car Program, powered by Automatic Labs' in-vehicle adapter and app, was launched at five AutoNation stores in the U.S. in April 2019, the automotive retailer said in a statement Thursday.
The program is expanding in AutoNation's Houston, Phoenix and New York markets, Marc Cannon, AutoNation's chief marketing officer, wrote in an email to Automotive News.
The Automatic app gives customers and AutoNation access to vehicle health notifications, active recalls and engine light-check alerts. AutoNation said 97 percent of customers who activated the Connected Car Program at point of sale remain engaged with the program, and it has seen a higher retention of customers' vehicle maintenance and service business.
"This service establishes a strong and lasting connection between dealers and their customers long after the sale. We are very excited to continue building on the program's success with AutoNation," Joe Verbrugge, executive vice president and division president of Connected Vehicle for SiriusXM, said in a statement.
"When the product is installed in the vehicle, it gives the consumer a great view of what's going on in their vehicle," Cannon said.
"The bottom line is customers like the product. We like it because it gives us insight to when they're going to need service or what we can do to help them. It's highly personalized. … Our brand is about delivering a great customer experience, and this is just one more way to do that."
