Franklin-based Mitsubishi Motors debuts cinematic virtual test drive technology
If you've ever configured a car online, you know it can be a very fun rabbit hole. There's a rainbow of paint colors to choose from. Then wheels, trim levels and a world of accessories. Custom floor mats? Check! Trailer hitch? Absolutely. Roof rack? Done.
The marketing team at Franklin-headquartered Mitsubishi Motors North America has combined traditional static online car customization with video game technology to make configuration more like a virtual test drive than just pretty pictures.
Mitsubishi partnered with ZeroLight, a UK-based software visualization platform with roots in the video gaming industry, to introduce what they say is the world's first real-time cinematic car configurator experience where consumers can customize the 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid EV online and then see it in motion.
Configuration can even continue while the digital car is driving through a computer-generated mountain pass.
As of now, the Outlander hybrid is Mitsubishi's only car that can be configured utilizing the new cinematic technology, but others could be added down the road.
Kim Ito, vice president of marketing at Mitsubishi Motors North America, said one of the company's marketing goals is to continue to drive a strong customer experience.
"The digital space allows us to create these one-to-one experiences with our customers we wouldn’t normally have," she told The Tennessean. "We don’t have the dealer network or marketing budgets that larger automotive manufacturers have, so the digital space allows us to create those experiences. This technology is another way of showing our commitment to elevating that experience."
Darren Jobling, CEO of ZeroLight, said cars are traditionally configured online with images, but they are all about motion.
"What this does is entice the consumer to say 'that looks great, I want to go to my dealer and take a real test drive,'" he said. "You can see the upgrades and concentrate on what you are interested in. Just like a computer game, you can put your head in the camera and look at whatever you want to look at."
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Mitsubishi and ZeroLight first teamed up for the launch of the 2022 Outlander SUV utilizing interactive real-time 3D that allowed customers to explore the car in different virtual environments.
According to Mitsubishi, demand for reservations exceeded expectations, with 75% of the full campaign goal taken within the first 24 hours. By the end of the reservation period, the team had achieved 236% of the reservation goal.
Ito said conversion rates without the 3D visualizer were 1% to 2%. With the 3D version, that shot up to 20%.
"Over the past three to five years we’ve seen a shift in how people are shopping and researching new vehicle purchases," she said. "Our Outlander plug-in hybrid customers are our most well-researched customers coming into our showroom. We want people to be able to spend more time engaging with the vehicle in a more personal way."
Once configuration on the website is complete, the cloud-based software will send the customer a personalized interactive microsite featuring images and videos of their customized vehicle.
This new online technology also interfaces with Mitsubishi's ClickShop digital showroom, so that when a customer is done configuring a car online, ClickShop can find a dealership with that exact car in stock or where that car may be in the transit process.
Go to 2023Outlanderplugin.com to see the technology in action.
Melonee Hurt covers growth and development at The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee. Reach Melonee at mhurt@tennessean.com
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Configure a car online while it drives with Franklin-based Mitsubishi
