Overview
Cox Automotive’s VinSolutions introduced a direct integration between its CRM desking tools (including Deal Central) and Toyota Motor North America’s retail platforms—Toyota SmartPath and Lexus MONOGRAM—to speed deal creation and reduce manual re-entry at Toyota and Lexus dealerships. The connection is designed to carry customer and deal details from online activity into in-store systems, creating a more consistent workflow from web to showroom.
What’s new
- One-click deal handoff: Sales managers can push deal information from SmartPath or MONOGRAM directly into VinSolutions.
- Supports handoffs from the SmartPath/MONOGRAM Mobile Sales Tablet and Management Console into VinSolutions for desking.
- Maintains alignment with Toyota- and Lexus-specific deal structures (e.g., incentives, financing rules) to improve accuracy during desking.
Reported benefits
- Time savings: Early testing cited potential savings of up to 15 minutes per deal when transferring information from SmartPath or MONOGRAM into VinSolutions (Toyota SmartPath System Data, time study December 2025–January 2026).
- Reduced errors and rework by eliminating duplicate data entry.
- Closer sync between online quotes and in-store desking numbers for a smoother customer review process.
How it works in the store
When a shopper submits a deal online, their information appears with the lead in VinSolutions, allowing sales managers to structure offers, calculate payments, and finalize terms without re-keying. The data handoff can include items such as vehicle selection, trade details, and payment preferences, helping keep online and in-store figures aligned.
Dealer perspective
A Lexus Akron Canton sales manager noted that having SmartPath deal details arrive directly with the lead reduces confirmation and re-entry steps, enabling staff to spend more time engaging customers and simplifying the handoff.
Operational context
VinSolutions’ desking features sit within Cox Automotive’s broader CRM and retail ecosystem. According to the company, these tools aim to help dealers manage leads, communicate with customers, structure transactions, and complete paperwork, using data-driven insights, AI-enabled capabilities, automated marketing, and buyer-intent signals to coordinate outreach and follow-up.
What’s not specified
- Rollout timing and pricing.
- Whether integrations with additional automaker brands are planned.
Why it matters
As dealers balance digital shopping with showroom visits, removing duplicate entry at the desk targets a common friction point in the “last mile” of the sales process. The integration is positioned to accelerate the number-review stage with customers and reduce inconsistencies that can slow deal finalization.
About Cox Automotive (as stated by the company)
- Operates a global portfolio of automotive services and technology brands, including Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book, Manheim, vAuto, Dealertrack, NextGear Capital, CentralDispatch, and Cox Fleet.
- Describes itself as the world’s largest automotive services and technology provider and as having the industry’s largest breadth of first-party data, derived from 2.3 billion online interactions annually (company claims).
- Employs more than 29,000 people across five continents; parent company Cox Enterprises reported $23 billion in annual revenue, per the announcement.
