Carfind.co.za, one of the pioneers of online buying and selling of cars in South Africa, is now offering 360° interior views of cars that are for sale.
The 360° interior view is not generic. Each view is that of a real car – be it new or used. No library files are used; buyers can view the interior of the actual car that they’re interested in purchasing.
“The internet has played a massive – and important – role within the motor industry globally,” explains Frank McDouall, who conceptualised and co-founded Carfind.co.za in 2000 and is the current CIO. “But it’s not without its challenges.”
One of those challenges is taking the conventional dealer showroom floor experience (whereby the buyer examines the car inside and out) and then replicating this experience online. “Honestly speaking, this is not easy to do. Of course there are photographs of the vehicle online. But flat photographs have limitations; they’re designed to portray the car’s finest features. Furthermore, photographs are better suited to displaying the exterior of a car,” McDouall explains.
He contends that photographs do not work as well for the interior of a vehicle. “It is much harder to examine the interior of any car if one only has flat photographs in front of you. And there is no denying that the interior of a car is very important; after all, it’s where you spend your time.”
This is where 360° viewing comes in. “Thanks to this brand-new concept, we are offering car buyers the opportunity to see a 360° view of the car’s interior. This adds further value to the consumer and highlights our drive to be consumer focused. We’re constantly striving to add value for the end user,” McDouall says.
Carfind.co.za is rolling out the concept nationally across the 1 000-plus dealership showroom floors that list their cars on Carfind.co.za, with around 900 cars already boasting the 360° interior view feature.
“Many dealers have recognised the benefits of the 360° interior view, and so the number of cars with this feature is growing daily,” says McDouall. Buyers can filter out cars without this feature – so they can view only those models that do have the 360° interior view.