AIC's AutoEspanol Vehicle Research Tools Help Honda Connect with Hispanic Online Shoppers

    IRVINE, Calif.--Dec. 18, 2002--Automotive Information Center (AIC), a division of Autobytel Inc. and a leading supplier of vehicle data and comparative information to the automotive industry for over two decades, has developed customized versions of its AIC AutoEspanol(TM) Spanish-language research tools for American Honda Motor Co., Inc.'s Spanish-language consumer site, hondaenespanol.com. Honda now offers the same cutting-edge AIC vehicle comparison and viewing tools for its Spanish-speaking shoppers that it provides for their English-speaking counterparts. The launch of the Spanish-language research suite coincides with the expansion of the AIC research suite already on the English-language U.S. Honda site.
    With the deployment of AIC's AutoEspanol, Honda, which has had a Spanish-language site since 1996, is improving its online content for customers who prefer to shop in Spanish. In a survey conducted for Autobytel Inc. measuring Hispanic Internet automotive shopping behavior(a), 70% of the U.S. Hispanic Internet users polled indicated that they planned to use the web during the car purchasing process. A full 84%, moreover, indicated that they would be more likely to do their automotive shopping and research online if they could do so in Spanish. Hispanics currently represent more than one out of nine U.S. residents, wielding an estimated buying power of $630 billion(b).
    "AIC's goal is to create tools that help manufacturers meet the needs of today's car shoppers. These consumers are discerning, information-savvy -- and a significant number of them also speak Spanish," said Andrew Donchak, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Autobytel Inc.
    "Honda en Espanol provides our Spanish-speaking customers with the latest automotive research data and tools in their preferred language -- providing them with comprehensive and comfortable on-line shopping environment," said Barbara Ponce, manager, Emerging Markets National Advertising for American Honda.
    The Spanish-language tools mirror the enhanced research tools that AIC recently developed for the English-language www.hondacars.com site. Specifically, AIC upgraded the site's cross-comparison tool with a "Total Equipped Price" (TEP) feature that automatically equips competitive vehicles to match the standard level of the Honda vehicle being considered by shoppers during vehicle comparisons. The TEP feature then displays the total equipped price for each vehicle for a true "apples-to-apples" comparison. (Shoppers can now view detailed TEP comparisons between any Honda model and up to three similarly equipped competitive models.)
    www.hondacars.com also features AIC's AutoGallery(TM), which enables shoppers to view up to 19 side-by-side interior and exterior digital photos of the Honda vehicle they are considering and any car or light truck currently sold in the U.S. AIC has also provided Honda with a customized version of its AutoAdvantages(TM) tool that automatically showcases objective Honda model feature advantages during vehicle comparisons, in either text or icon form.
    These tools are backed by AIC's authoritative automotive information -- which features up to 500+ data points on every car and truck sold in the U.S., and which is currently used by 20 of 26 major automotive manufacturers.

    About Automotive Information Center (AIC)

    A division of Autobytel Inc. , a leading Internet automotive marketing services company that helps retailers sell cars and manufacturers build brands, AIC provides the auto industry with highly accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date research platforms. With over two decades of industry experience, AIC is responsible for the automotive data used by 20 of the 26 major manufacturers, and its content, data and intelligent tools power numerous top-tier Internet services and portals. AIC's competitive automotive report engine, AutoSite Pro, provides automotive manufacturers and suppliers with a spectrum of data and pricing details for every new make and model sold in the U.S. For more information, visit www.aicautosite.com.

    (a) Conducted by the Roswell Group. Results of the survey were based on telephone interviews conducted August 3-7, 2001 with a randomly selected sample of adults 18 years and older with Spanish-surnames who defined themselves as "Hispanic" according to the Census definition, and who speak Spanish at home as much or more than English.

    (b) Santiago & Valdes Solutions, March 2001