CarGurus announced it has introduced a new digital retail platform designed to power more efficient connections between dealers and purchase-ready shoppers in Canada.

The company said Digital Deal enables consumers to start their financing application online for eligible new and used vehicles, book an appointment and start a trade-in before completing the process at the dealership.

“By allowing car shoppers to handle more steps from the comfort of home, CarGurus Digital Deal helps facilitate a more seamless online-to-in-store experience that benefits both sides of the transaction,” principal product manager Seamus Cassidy said.

“Dealers can access ready-to-buy shoppers while continuing to work with their preferred technology systems and lending partners. At the same time, consumers can shop with greater confidence by understanding their financing eligibility up front, and save time in the dealership by completing more of the transaction ahead of time.”

CarGurus said it’s launching Digital Deal in Canada following strong demand in the U.S.

Active listings are marked with badging on CarGurus.ca search results and vehicle detail pages. From eligible vehicle pages, shoppers can complete a three-step process to build a personalized vehicle and dealership-specific finance application that is submitted directly to the participating dealership. Shoppers can also schedule an appointment at the dealership and share details about a trade-in.

Shoppers can then finalize their financing and complete the transaction at the dealership.

Digital Deal was built in partnership with dealer finance portal platform CreditApp and can be configured to work with a dealer’s preferred lender networks. As part of the initial rollout, CarGurus Digital Deal is active across more than 15,000 vehicle listings, which the company said helps participating dealers throughout Canada connect with higher-converting leads for faster, more efficient sales.

“Digital Deal leads have significantly assisted our sales and finance teams in simplifying the buying process,” said Casey Pilip, marketing director for British Columbia dealership Klas Auto Group. “By having this information up front, our team can better prepare and creatively engage with our shoppers.

“Successfully converting additional leads each month at a high closing percentage truly makes a significant impact in today’s market.”