DALLAS — Santander Consumer USA recently revealed it has expanded its auto finance lending program to include the prime tiers.

The company — previously specializing in providing services to those with less-than-perfect credit — announced it has adopted a “full spectrum” take on auto lending.

It contends this move “will make it easier for dealers to sell more vehicles while helping more consumers purchase a car or truck.”

Commenting on the expansion, Matt Fitzgerald, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Santander, noted, "As leaders in automotive lending, adding the prime tier to the Santander Auto program is a natural extension to our business.

"This will be a huge benefit for dealers, because it takes the guesswork out of matching customers with lenders based on credit quality,” he added.

In the past, the company has primarily focused on auto loans for customers with near-prime, non-prime and sub-prime credit, officials noted.

And Santander’s new program allows the company to fund car loan deals for consumers in upper or prime credit tiers.

“The program will provide competitive market pricing for any approved loan application received from the Santander dealer base,” officials added.

So, what does this mean for dealers?

The company asserted that “the new program simplifies the process of auto lending by creating a one-click destination for every application/customer.”

“Dealers can send all of their applications through Santander Auto Finance for decisioning without having to think through which lender or program is best suited for a customer based on credit type,” the company concluded.