Impel is an AI-powered platform built for the automotive industry, delivering a comprehensive suite of merchandising, conversational, and digital retail tools to help dealerships drive engagement, streamline operations, and increase conversions. Focused on transforming the way vehicles are marketed online, Impel combines interactive media, conversational AI, and data-driven personalization to deliver next-generation car shopping experiences.
Whether it’s enhancing vehicle listings with 360° spins or automating lead follow-up with AI-powered conversations, Impel empowers dealerships to boost online engagement and turn website visitors into buyers. The platform integrates seamlessly with dealer management systems (DMS), CRMs, and inventory feeds, making it easy to scale and deploy across multiple rooftops.
Features
360° Vehicle Spins: Create interactive 360° vehicle experiences with zoom, hotspots, and click-to-call features that enhance shopper engagement and transparency.
Conversational AI: Automate customer communication with AI chat and SMS tools that handle lead capture, qualification, and follow-up 24/7.
AI-Powered Lead Response: Respond to leads in seconds with AI-driven replies tailored to customer intent, vehicle preferences, and dealership inventory.
Merchandising Automation: Automatically enhance vehicle listings with real-time inventory data, pricing, and feature highlights optimized for search and conversion.
Digital Retailing: Offer end-to-end online buying experiences including financing, trade-ins, and appointment scheduling, directly from the dealership’s website.
Inventory Syndication: Push enhanced listings to third-party marketplaces and classified platforms with consistent, branded content.
CRM and DMS Integration: Sync with systems like VinSolutions, Elead, DealerSocket, and more to maintain a unified view of customer interactions.
Performance Analytics: Access detailed reporting and insights into shopper behavior, lead response times, engagement metrics, and sales pipeline effectiveness.
How It Works
Impel begins by integrating with a dealership’s existing inventory system, CRM, and website. Once connected, it automatically enhances vehicle listings using interactive media like 360° spins and real-time feature data. These listings are published across the dealer’s digital channels and third-party marketplaces to ensure consistency and quality.
Meanwhile, the conversational AI engine monitors website activity and incoming leads. When a customer inquires, the AI responds instantly via chat or SMS, answering questions, recommending vehicles, scheduling appointments, and collecting essential lead data.
Dealerships can customize workflows and scripts to align with their sales process, and managers can monitor conversations and conversions through a centralized dashboard. The entire system is designed to increase speed-to-lead, reduce missed opportunities, and support seamless digital retail experiences.
Use Cases
Franchise Dealerships: Automate lead engagement, digital merchandising, and online selling for new and used car inventories.
Independent Dealerships: Boost visibility and professionalism with interactive media and AI chat support.
Auto Groups: Centralize and standardize digital operations across multiple locations with scalable automation and reporting.
BDC Teams: Empower business development centers with AI tools that capture, qualify, and nurture leads more effectively.
Marketing Managers: Optimize listings for search, engagement, and lead generation with automated merchandising and content syndication.
Sales Teams: Focus on closing deals while the AI handles lead capture, vehicle recommendations, and appointment booking.
Pricing
Impel provides customized pricing based on dealership size, number of rooftops, and selected modules. While exact pricing is not listed publicly, the platform offers flexible packages for:
360° Vehicle Merchandising
Conversational AI
Digital Retailing
Inventory Syndication
Analytics and Reporting
To receive a tailored quote or schedule a product demo, dealerships can contact Impel directly via their official website.
Impel also offers onboarding support and ongoing account management to ensure optimal usage and ROI for every dealership partner.
Strengths
Purpose-built for the automotive industry with deep integration capabilities
Delivers real-time, AI-powered engagement and lead handling
Increases shopper confidence with interactive, transparent listings
Enables full-funnel digital retail experiences from browsing to buying
Highly scalable for multi-rooftop dealer groups and OEM programs
Improves operational efficiency and lead-to-sale conversion rates
Drawbacks
Custom pricing may deter smaller dealerships without clear cost benchmarks
AI chat requires initial setup and training for best performance
Advanced features may require staff onboarding and adaptation
Focuses exclusively on automotive—less applicable to other industries
Relies on consistent inventory feeds and CRM data for full functionality
Comparison with Other Tools
Compared to generic chatbot platforms or content syndication tools, Impel stands out as a vertical-specific solution tailored for automotive retail. Unlike CarNow, which focuses heavily on live chat and digital retail, Impel combines merchandising, automation, and conversational AI into a unified platform.
Versus platforms like SpinCar (now part of Impel), which originally focused on 360° merchandising, Impel expands into AI communication and full digital retail functionality. This positions it as a more comprehensive platform for modern dealerships looking to streamline operations and engage customers online.
Impel also offers stronger native integrations with dealer software systems compared to general-purpose marketing tools like Drift or Podium, which are not purpose-built for automotive workflows.
Customer Reviews and Testimonials
Impel is trusted by thousands of dealerships and OEMs around the world. Users report significant increases in engagement metrics, better lead response times, and higher conversion rates since implementing the platform.
Testimonials include:
“Impel helped us reduce response times from minutes to seconds while keeping conversations consistent and professional.”
“Our VDPs with 360° spins saw up to 30% more engagement compared to standard listings.”
“The AI chatbot is like having a 24/7 BDC that never misses a lead.”
The platform’s impact on sales enablement, customer experience, and dealership efficiency has made it a popular choice for forward-thinking auto retailers.
Conclusion
Impel delivers a powerful, AI-driven solution for modern automotive retail. From interactive vehicle merchandising to intelligent lead response and digital buying tools, the platform equips dealerships to meet the demands of today’s online-first car buyers.
With seamless integrations, automation at every touchpoint, and a focus on results, Impel helps dealerships turn more browsers into buyers. For auto retailers seeking a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving digital landscape, Impel is a strategic partner worth considering.