The What Car?, Autocar and Pistonheads brands have surged forward in 2012 with massive digital investment focused on online users buying new and used cars, says Haymarket. Launches this month include True MPG fuel economy tests in partnership with Tesco, a free car valuation app on iPhone and Android smartphones, an all-new Autocar website featuring the UK’s most in-depth car verdicts, and a cutting-edge Pistonheads classifieds site, containing the biggest range of exotic used cars on sale in the UK.
David Prasher, managing director of Haymarket Consumer Media, said: ‘This month has been a time of transformation for Haymarket Motoring as we see the first big rewards from our massive digital investment in What Car?, Autocar and Pistonheads. We’re delighted with the very high levels of engagement we have seen in these new industry-leading tools, all of which help our users make better decisions about their next new or used car.’
Patrick Fuller, group director of Motoring and Motorsport, said: ‘We've got an amazing team in Haymarket Motoring and these successful launches have already been embraced by our audience, with record traffic levels across the board. We salute the many people who have worked hard to make it happen.'
Launched in May 2012:
1) What Car? True MPG
According to Haymarket, True MPG is a global first - a genuinely scientific, real-world fuel economy tool that gives you a personalised mpg figure you can expect to achieve on UK roads, measured by our independent experts using industry-leading equipment. The product achieved a very high profile at launch, with extensive media coverage, and was used by more than 60,000 motorists in the first three days.
2) What Car? Valuations mobile app
The Car Valuations mobile app, offering new car prices, used car values, concise car reviews and a dealer locator is now live on the iTunes App Store and Google Play.
3) All-new Autocar website
Built from scratch on a new platform, Autocar includes a new review section boasting the UK’s most in-depth car verdicts, focused on performance, styling, ride and handling, running costs and accompanied by nearly 10,000 hi-res images, alongside its legendary, agenda-setting news coverage and opinion.
4) New Pistonheads classifieds
Pistonheads has launched a new, high-tech classifieds section that allows the site’s five million unique users to search for cars more easily, and advertisers to sell cars more effectively than ever. The new classifieds tool, which is now live in beta, was developed with the help of the users, and contains a number of features designed specifically for buyers’ needs, such as fast geographical search and the unique ability to search by power, mpg and engine type, and select multiple makes and models.
