ATLANTA, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- AutoTrader Latino, the nation’s leading automotive marketplace for the Spanish speaking consumer, will complete the roll out of its mobile car shopping service this month in the United States’ top Hispanic auto-buyer markets. This service is one of the most comprehensive mobile car shopping solutions serving the growing number of Spanish speaking consumers by integrating AutoTrader Latino’s print and digital products in a unique and powerful way.

This solution comprises a mobile AutoTrader Latino web site that offers vehicle search functionality by type of car, price and dealer; text codes in the AutoTrader Latino print magazines that allow readers to check on the availability of cars and ask for more details to be forwarded to their cell phones; and the ability of shoppers on the AutoTrader Latino web site to send car listing details to their cell phones for easy access and review while they are out shopping for those cars.  The solution is compatible with most phone makes and models and carriers, including the iPhone and optimizes itself for best use on each type of device.

The service also alerts advertising dealers when one of their listings has been accessed via a mobile device or downloaded as a text message.  Dealers have the ability to connect via text messaging with those prospective buyers that access their listings to potentially spur a sale.  However the dealers will not have access to those shoppers’ phone numbers or other identifying information, to preserve the shoppers’ privacy.

Almost 5 million Hispanic-American adults in the United States regularly use mobile phone data services, representing about 18 percent of the 27 million adult Hispanic-Americans in the United States and outpacing the percentage of non-Hispanic populations using these services.  The percentage of the Hispanic-American population using these services is also expected to continue growing.

AutoTrader Latino began rolling out this mobile auto shopping solution in July and will complete the roll out in mid September when the service goes live in Sacramento, California.  AutoTrader Latino consists of www.AutoTraderLatino.com, a nationwide, Spanish-language automotive classified site, and AutoTrader Latino classified print magazines distributed in the largest markets for Hispanic-American car buyers and the mobile shopping solution.  The brand now serves major U.S. Hispanic car-buying markets, including most of California, Florida, Arizona, Texas, Georgia, Illinois and the whole of Puerto Rico.  The print magazines offer ads in Spanish and English, feature car listings from dealers in those local areas and are available free in high-traffic areas.

“AutoTrader Latino serves the Hispanic-American car shopper where and when they are ready to search – online, in print and now mobile,” says AutoTrader Latino General Manager Jose Ignacio Puente.  “This is one of the most comprehensive mobile shopping solutions, not just in car buying, and based upon early results we believe it will make a huge impact on dealers seeking to sell used cars to this growing population of buyers looking to find the right car at the right price.”

With double digit growth in car sales to Hispanic Americans over the past few years, more than $1 trillion in buying power owned by this segment and continued migration of Hispanics into the United States, Hispanic-Americans represent a current and future growth market that can not be ignored by auto makers, dealers and marketers

The AutoTraderLatino.com web site has up to 1 million vehicles listed for sale and thousands of unique monthly visitors in every major Designated Market Area.  The web site offers national reach for ads placed there and the ability for car buyers to search for cars by geographic location, model, body style, color, price range and other criteria.  Shoppers on the site can also search for new, used or certified pre-owned vehicles.

AutoTrader Latino increases its reach with print and on-line partnerships with top national and local market print and on-line media targeting the Hispanic-American community.  Nationally, AutoTrader Latino provides auto listings on Univision.com’s city pages.  Major local-market partnerships include Mundo Hispanico, an Atlanta-based general news publication and web site targeting Hispanic Americans in Atlanta and north Georgia.  AutoTrader Latino provides auto listings in the print publication and Mundo Hispanico’s web site.

About AutoTrader.com

AutoTrader.com, created in 1997 and headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., is the Internet's leading auto classifieds marketplace and consumer information website.  AutoTrader.com aggregates in a single location about 3 million new cars, used cars and certified pre-owned cars from thousands of auto dealers and private sellers and the site attracts about 14 million unique monthly visitors.  Through innovative merchandising functionality such as multiple photos, videos, detailed descriptions and comprehensive research and compare tools, AutoTrader.com unites new and used car buyers and sellers online to improving the way people research, locate and advertise vehicles. AutoTrader.com is a majority-owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises.  The venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers is also an investor.  For more information, please visit www.autotrader.com.