Virtual showrooms and sales meet resistance at Mazda

Mazda’s cars may be set to pioneer ground-breaking engine technology, but the marque will keep it old school in terms of its sales channels– at least Down Under. Indeed, Mazda Australia's managing director, Martin Benders, says streamlining car ownership via online buying is not on the company’s agenda.

"As good as you can make your online experience -- seeing the car and seeing the difference between a high or a low spec car, or perhaps driving a 2.5 then a 2.0-litre CX-5; it's still something you can't really explain online or visually or in words," Benders told motoring.com.au.

"It really requires people feeling it and touching it,” he said.

In the face of global brands like Jaguar Land Rover and Audi pushing into the virtual showroom space, Benders contends that even tech savvy consumers are not ready to buy cars online.

"The things people buy online are phones, travel, accommodation, clothes – which can be sent back.

“This is one of the problems of ICT companies. They assume that what they're doing there applies to cars. But cars are unique in that they're big and expensive and do have a personal interaction component."

The world's largest new car market, China, saw just over 28 million brand-new vehicles sold in 2016 and that country looks set to lead the technology charge in regards to changing the way people buy cars.

One Chinese car maker, Volvo owner Geely, has taken the step to create Lynk & Co which purports to be the world’s first online car brand. A car sharing and online car sales company with global aspirations, many pundits say Lynk & Co has enough capital behind it to become a trend-setter.

Benders isn't convinced.

"I know that Lynk & Co and all that sort of stuff, say, "we're going to do all this online". But I could go back to Daewoo, they were going to do all their stuff direct sales, and it all sort of fell apart. So let's see what happens.

"My gut tells me that the customer experience is making it as easy and seamless as possible to get a car. And from our perspective, from Mazda's perspective, the dealer is still a key part of that," he said.