The Role of Augmented Reality in Car Shopping
Technology has changed nearly every part of the vehicle-shopping process.
Not long ago, shopping for a new car, truck, or SUV usually meant visiting several dealerships, collecting brochures, sitting inside multiple vehicles, and trying to remember how one model compared with another.
Today, much of that research happens before a shopper ever walks onto a dealership lot.
Customers can compare prices, browse inventory, research features, estimate payments, calculate trade values, watch vehicle reviews, and even begin the financing process from a phone or computer.
Augmented reality may represent another major step in that evolution.
Augmented reality, commonly called AR, blends digital information or virtual objects with the real world. Instead of viewing a vehicle only as a photograph on a screen, augmented reality can potentially allow a shopper to place a digital representation of that vehicle in their driveway, examine it from different angles, explore features, change colors, and better understand its size.
The technology has applications throughout retail, but automobiles are particularly well suited for it.
A vehicle is a large, expensive purchase that customers usually want to experience visually before making a decision. Pictures help, videos help even more, but augmented reality can provide a different level of interaction.
For dealerships like Chuck Anderson Ford in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, technology like AR isn't about replacing the traditional dealership experience.
It is about making the shopping process more convenient and giving customers better information before they make an important decision.
That fits closely with our Driven by Value philosophy.
Value isn't simply about price. It is about helping customers make an informed decision and making the process of purchasing a vehicle easier, clearer, and more efficient.
What Is Augmented Reality?
Augmented reality adds digital content to a person's view of the physical world.
You may already have used AR without thinking much about it.
Some smartphone applications allow you to point your camera at a room and virtually place furniture inside it. Social media applications can place digital effects over a person's face. Home-improvement apps may allow shoppers to preview a paint color on a wall.
Automotive augmented reality uses similar technology.
Imagine using your smartphone camera to look at your driveway.
Instead of seeing an empty driveway, your phone displays a realistic, full-size digital Ford F-150 sitting in it.
You can walk around the virtual truck.
You can see how long it appears next to your garage.
You can switch from Oxford White to Carbonized Gray.
You can examine different wheel designs.
You may be able to look inside the cabin or explore certain technology and features.
The truck isn't physically there, but your phone makes it appear as though it is.
That is augmented reality.
AR Is Different From Virtual Reality
Augmented reality and virtual reality are sometimes discussed as though they are the same thing, but there is an important difference.
Virtual reality generally places the user inside a completely digital environment. A VR headset might allow someone to enter a virtual showroom and walk around a digital vehicle.
Augmented reality keeps the physical world visible while adding digital elements to it.
For vehicle shopping, that distinction can be important.
A customer may not need an entirely virtual showroom.
They may simply want to know:
Will this SUV look too large in my garage?
What would this truck look like in my driveway?
How does this wheel design look on the vehicle?
Would I prefer this color or another one?
How does an F-150 compare visually in size with the vehicle I currently drive?
AR can help answer those types of questions by combining a virtual vehicle with a real environment.
Bringing the Showroom to the Customer
One of the biggest advantages of augmented reality is its ability to bring part of the dealership experience directly to the shopper.
Google demonstrated this concept several years ago by allowing users to view detailed AR versions of automobiles through Search. Users could view vehicles in different colors, examine details, and even virtually place a vehicle in their own driveway.
The idea is powerful because vehicle shopping is extremely visual.
Specifications can tell you that one SUV is several inches longer than another.
AR can potentially let you see the difference.
A website can tell you the dimensions of an F-150.
AR could allow you to visualize that truck next to your garage.
A photograph can show you a paint color.
AR can potentially show you how that paint color looks against your house, driveway, or surroundings.
Digital tools cannot perfectly reproduce seeing a vehicle in person, but they can help customers narrow their options before visiting the dealership.
That can save time for everyone involved.
Car Shopping Already Begins Online
Augmented reality makes even more sense when you consider how dramatically vehicle research has moved online.
Google reported that 89 percent of new-vehicle buyers in a 2021 study researched their vehicle online. The same research showed significant growth in consumers completing portions of the buying process digitally.
Those numbers help explain why automotive websites have become such an important part of the modern dealership.
Customers don't simply visit a dealership website to find an address anymore.
They expect to see:
Current inventory
Vehicle photos
Pricing
Mileage
Features
Window stickers
Financing information
Trade-in tools
Payment calculators
Service scheduling
Vehicle comparisons
Manufacturer incentives
Video
Detailed specifications
Augmented reality is a natural extension of that experience.
Instead of simply looking at information about a vehicle, shoppers can begin interacting with it.
Visualizing Vehicle Size
One of the most useful applications of augmented reality could be surprisingly simple: understanding how large a vehicle actually is.
Automotive dimensions can be difficult to visualize.
Suppose you are deciding between a Ford Explorer and Ford Expedition.
Reading that one vehicle is a certain number of inches longer than another doesn't necessarily help you understand what that difference will feel like in everyday life.
Can you comfortably fit it in your garage?
Will there still be enough room to walk around it?
How much space will you have when opening the doors?
How will it compare with the SUV you currently own?
An accurate AR model could help provide perspective before you even leave home.
The same concept can be particularly helpful for truck shoppers.
Someone moving from a midsize truck like a Ford Ranger to a full-size Ford F-150 may understand that the F-150 is larger.
Seeing a full-size digital representation in the driveway can make that difference much easier to appreciate.
Of course, customers should still verify actual vehicle dimensions before making a purchase. AR is a visualization tool, not a substitute for official specifications or physically checking important clearances.
But it can make those specifications much easier to understand.
Choosing a Vehicle Color
Selecting a vehicle color sounds simple until you actually have to do it.
Customers frequently find themselves deciding between two or three colors.
Should the Bronco be Eruption Green or Shadow Black?
Does the F-150 look better in a darker color?
Would you prefer a bright Mustang or something more understated?
Traditional online configurators already help shoppers explore these options.
Ford's current Build & Price tools, for example, allow customers to configure available vehicles and select equipment before contacting a dealer or searching for matching inventory.
Augmented reality can potentially take that experience one step further.
Instead of viewing a vehicle against a generic digital background, imagine placing it in your own environment.
That may sound like a small difference, but context affects how people perceive colors and designs.
A customer may discover that the color they initially preferred online isn't their favorite when the vehicle is visualized at full scale.
AR can make vehicle personalization more interactive.
Exploring Different Wheels and Appearance Packages
Wheels have a major effect on how a vehicle looks.
So do appearance packages.
A Ford F-150 with one wheel design can have a completely different personality than the same truck equipped with another.
The same applies to vehicles such as the Bronco, Mustang, Explorer, and Maverick.
Augmented reality can potentially allow customers to swap wheels, trim details, accessories, and appearance packages in real time.
That could make optional equipment easier to understand.
Instead of reading a list of package contents and trying to imagine the finished vehicle, shoppers may be able to see the changes immediately.
This becomes especially useful when customers are ordering a vehicle.
If the exact configuration isn't sitting on the dealership lot, an AR representation could help customers better understand what they are ordering.
Understanding Interior Features
Exterior visualization may be the most obvious AR application, but interior technology has possibilities as well.
Today's vehicles can have hundreds of individual features and controls.
Touchscreens.
Digital instrument clusters.
Drive-mode selectors.
Towing technology.
Driver-assistance systems.
Seat controls.
Climate controls.
Storage areas.
Charging ports.
Connectivity features.
For customers unfamiliar with a particular vehicle, understanding everything during a short test drive can be difficult.
Augmented reality could eventually allow a shopper to point a phone or tablet at a feature and receive additional information about it.
Imagine sitting inside a Ford F-150 and pointing your phone toward a button you don't recognize.
An AR system could identify that control and explain what it does.
Point toward the center display and interactive instructions could explain available functions.
Point toward the trailer-related controls and the system could provide additional information about towing features.
This type of technology could be useful during shopping, vehicle delivery, and even years after the purchase.
AR and Vehicle Education
One of the biggest challenges facing automakers and dealerships is not a lack of vehicle technology.
It is helping customers understand the technology already available.
Modern vehicles contain an enormous number of features, and many drivers probably use only a fraction of them.
That represents an opportunity for augmented reality.
A dealership could use AR to turn a vehicle into an interactive learning experience.
Rather than simply telling someone that a truck has a particular camera system, the technology could visually demonstrate where cameras are located and how they contribute to different views.
Instead of simply explaining a driver-assistance feature, AR could visually identify the sensors associated with the system.
For truck buyers, AR could highlight bed features, towing equipment, storage solutions, and available accessories.
For SUV buyers, it could explain seating configurations, cargo space, and safety systems.
For EV shoppers, it could identify charging equipment and explain how different components work.
The result could be a more informed customer.
Comparing Vehicles More Easily
Vehicle comparison is another area where AR could become valuable.
Suppose you're shopping for a Ford truck but aren't sure whether you need a Maverick, Ranger, or F-150.
You can read specification charts.
You can compare prices.
You can look at photographs.
But imagine virtually placing all three trucks in your driveway one after another.
The differences become much more tangible.
The same could apply to SUVs.
Escape.
Bronco Sport.
Bronco.
Explorer.
Expedition.
Ford offers SUVs across several different sizes and use cases.
Augmented reality could help customers quickly visualize how those vehicles differ before deciding which ones deserve an in-person test drive.
This could make dealership visits more productive.
Instead of arriving with a list of six vehicles to investigate, a customer might arrive having already narrowed the decision to two.
Augmented Reality Doesn't Replace the Test Drive
With all this technology, it might be tempting to imagine a future where customers no longer need to physically experience vehicles.
We don't think that's the likely outcome.
There are parts of vehicle shopping that technology simply cannot reproduce perfectly.
How comfortable is the driver's seat?
How does the steering feel?
Can you easily see out of the vehicle?
Is the suspension comfortable?
How quiet is the cabin?
Can your children comfortably fit in the second or third row?
Does the truck drive the way you expected?
Do you like the position of the controls?
How does the vehicle feel under acceleration?
Those questions are best answered in the actual vehicle.
Augmented reality is more valuable as a complement to the dealership experience than as a replacement for it.
Use digital tools to research.
Use AR to visualize.
Use online inventory to find available vehicles.
Then come drive the real thing.
That combination can create a much more efficient buying process.
AR Could Make Vehicle Ordering Easier
Ordering a vehicle presents a unique challenge.
The customer is buying something that may not physically exist yet in the exact configuration they selected.
Traditional configurators are already extremely useful for this process.
You choose the model.
Select the trim.
Pick the engine.
Choose the color.
Add packages and options.
Review the finished vehicle.
AR could make that experience more immersive.
Imagine configuring your ideal F-150 and then instantly projecting a life-size representation into your driveway.
Change the wheels and see the difference.
Switch colors.
Add an appearance package.
Compare trims.
Walk around it.
Then save the final configuration and discuss ordering or locating a similar vehicle with the dealership.
For customers who enjoy customizing vehicles, this could make the ordering process considerably more engaging.
Helping Customers Shop From Farther Away
Digital retail has also expanded the geographic area from which dealerships can attract customers.
A shopper may find the exact vehicle they want at a dealership 50 or 100 miles away.
That shopper naturally wants as much information as possible before making the drive.
Dealerships already help these customers with extensive photos, video walkarounds, window stickers, phone conversations, text messages, and vehicle history information on applicable used vehicles.
AR could eventually add another layer.
A detailed digital representation could give a remote shopper a better sense of a vehicle before traveling to see it.
For a dealership like Chuck Anderson Ford, that technology could help us serve customers throughout the Kansas City area and beyond while still providing the personal dealership experience customers expect when they arrive.
Augmented Reality and Used Vehicles
Most AR demonstrations focus on new vehicles because manufacturers have accurate digital models of those products.
But augmented reality could eventually have interesting applications in used-vehicle shopping too.
Used vehicles present a different challenge because every vehicle is unique.
Mileage differs.
Condition differs.
Options differ.
Previous ownership differs.
A generic digital model cannot communicate all of those details.
Future technology could potentially combine high-resolution vehicle scans with AR to create more accurate digital representations of individual pre-owned vehicles.
A shopper might virtually inspect a specific used vehicle rather than simply viewing a generic representation of that model.
That could make remote vehicle shopping even more useful.
Greater Transparency Through Technology
Any technology used in automotive retail should ultimately make the buying process better.
The objective shouldn't be technology for technology's sake.
Augmented reality is valuable when it makes information easier to understand.
Can it help someone understand vehicle size?
Good.
Can it help someone compare trim levels?
Useful.
Can it show customers equipment that might otherwise be confusing?
Even better.
Can it help someone avoid ordering the wrong color or configuration?
That provides real value.
The automotive industry sometimes becomes fascinated with new technology simply because it is new.
At Chuck Anderson Ford, our Driven by Value philosophy encourages us to look at technology differently.
Does it make the customer's experience better?
Does it help customers make smarter decisions?
Does it save them time?
Does it improve transparency?
If the answer is yes, it has value.
AR and the Future of Automotive Websites
Automotive websites will likely become increasingly interactive.
For years, dealership sites consisted largely of photographs, text, and contact forms.
Then came video, payment tools, trade estimators, online credit applications, digital retailing, and increasingly sophisticated inventory searches.
The next stage may involve more immersive experiences.
Instead of clicking through 30 photos, customers may explore a detailed three-dimensional model.
Instead of guessing how a vehicle fits their lifestyle, they may place it virtually into their environment.
Instead of reading descriptions of equipment, they may interact with features visually.
As smartphone cameras, processors, artificial intelligence, and spatial-computing technology improve, creating these experiences should become easier.
Customers may not think of it as "augmented reality."
They may simply think of it as another normal part of shopping.
The Human Side of Car Shopping Still Matters
It is easy to discuss technology as though every new invention eliminates the need for something that came before it.
Online shopping didn't eliminate dealerships.
Vehicle configurators didn't eliminate sales consultants.
Digital financing tools didn't eliminate finance professionals.
Online trade estimates didn't eliminate physical vehicle appraisals.
Likewise, augmented reality probably won't eliminate the human side of vehicle shopping.
Buying a vehicle is still a significant financial decision.
People have questions.
They want advice.
They want clarification.
They want to know whether one model fits their needs better than another.
They want someone to explain financing options.
They want to understand their trade.
They want to drive the vehicle.
They want support when they need service later.
Technology is most effective when it makes those human interactions better rather than trying to eliminate them.
A customer who arrives at Chuck Anderson Ford after conducting extensive digital research may already know exactly what they want.
That's fine with us.
Our job becomes helping them verify that decision, answering the questions that remain, and making the transaction as straightforward as possible.
Another customer may arrive having no idea what vehicle fits their needs.
That's fine too.
The best shopping experience meets customers wherever they are in the process.
What AR Means for the Future of Car Shopping
Augmented reality probably won't transform vehicle shopping overnight.
Instead, it is likely to become one of many technologies gradually making the process more visual, interactive, and convenient.
Customers will continue researching online.
Manufacturers will continue improving vehicle configurators.
Dealership websites will become more sophisticated.
Three-dimensional vehicle models will become more detailed.
Phones and wearable devices will become better at understanding physical spaces.
Artificial intelligence may make it easier to answer questions about the vehicle a customer is viewing.
Over time, the line between online research and the physical dealership may become increasingly blurred.
A customer could discover a Ford Bronco online, configure it, place it virtually in the driveway, estimate the payment, value a trade, locate a similar Bronco at Chuck Anderson Ford, schedule a test drive, and arrive at the dealership already knowing exactly what they want to see.
At that point, the technology hasn't replaced the dealership.
It has simply removed unnecessary friction from the process.
Driven by Value in a More Digital Automotive World
The tools consumers use to shop for vehicles will continue changing.
Our philosophy doesn't have to.
At Chuck Anderson Ford, being Driven by Value means helping customers receive value from the entire dealership experience.
That includes competitive vehicle pricing.
But it also means respecting customers' time.
Providing useful information.
Helping them understand their options.
Making vehicles easier to research.
Making financing easier to understand.
Providing support after the sale.
And adopting technology when it genuinely improves the customer experience.
Augmented reality has the potential to do exactly that.
It can help customers visualize vehicles before seeing them in person.
It can make complicated features easier to understand.
It can help compare models and trim levels.
It can make custom ordering more interactive.
It can help customers narrow their search before visiting a dealership.
Most importantly, it can help customers become more confident in one of the largest purchases they make.
The future of car shopping probably isn't completely digital.
It probably isn't completely traditional either.
The best experience may combine both.
Research online.
Visualize with new technology.
Explore your options.
Then get behind the wheel.
Because no matter how realistic augmented reality becomes, there is still something different about starting the engine, putting the vehicle in gear, and experiencing your next car, truck, or SUV for yourself.
When you're ready to turn the virtual vehicle into a real one, Chuck Anderson Ford is here to help.
Driven by Value.