Car Wars Unveils Key Insights and Innovations at NADA 2026
Dallas, Feb. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Car Wars has concluded a successful presence at the NADA 2026 Show, engaging in extensive discussions with dealers, partners, and industry leaders about the modern utilization of phone communication within dealerships. This year, the conversation centered on real performance data, actionable strategies, and the pivotal role of phone interactions powered by AI in dealership operations.
Insights Gained from NADA 2026
Highlighted by data from the event, several notable themes emerged regarding dealership operations:
- Connect Rates Persist as a Challenge: The average connect score for sales in 2025 stood at 62.39%, indicating significant room for improvement in answering and connecting inbound calls.
- Neglected Opportunities: A troubling trend was noted where only 44% of missed calls that contained buying signals resulted in timely follow-up, revealing a gap in opportunity management.
- Increased Demand for AI: Dealers are now prioritizing AI technologies that ensure dependable performance, enhancing call coverage and reporting accuracy which leads to improved connect rates.
- Demand for Accountability: Dealership leaders are seeking greater visibility into call performance, routing decisions, and follow-up measures, underscoring the need for immediate action on missed opportunities.
Notable Platform Enhancements
Car Wars took the opportunity at NADA to unveil several product enhancements aimed at empowering dealerships to act on critical opportunities swiftly:
- Cari Receptionist: This feature now offers expanded reporting capabilities, providing insights into call handling and routing decisions.
- Cari Service Scheduler: Improved with enhanced DMS and scheduling integrations, this tool assists in easing the appointment booking process and reducing manual workload.
- AI-Powered Pursue Opportunity Index: This new addition identifies and ranks high-intent missed calls, enabling targeted follow-up by teams.
- Fresh Up Call Tag: This feature enables quick identification of first-time sales callers for prioritized outreach.
- Summarized Call Coaching: Weekly performance snapshots help agents refine their outbound call strategies.
Additional Highlights
Throughout the NADA Show, Car Wars also conducted panels and interviews with industry leaders to shed light on real-world dealership challenges. Expert Allison Kemp, Marketing Director at Rich Ford, shared insights into how Car Wars enables proactive resolutions to leakage in phone processes, directly impacting revenue.
"The partnership with Car Wars has been invaluable for us. They bring data-driven insights that help plug the gaps in our operations," said Kemp.
Stephane Ferri, CEO of Car Wars, emphasized the importance of actionable insights for dealerships. "The discussions at NADA were rooted in real challenges facing our industry, guiding us to develop solutions that enhance call response and follow-up efficiency."
For further details on Car Wars’ innovative AI-driven solutions, visit www.carwars.com.
About Car Wars
Car Wars is a foremost provider dedicated to revolutionizing phone and communication solutions for the automotive retail industry. With over three decades of expertise, the company is recognized for its cutting-edge call tracking and engagement tools tailored specifically for dealerships aiming to optimize phone interactions and enrich customer relationships. Empower your dealership with Car Wars to dominate the competitive landscape of automotive retail.
Media Contact
Alyssa Whitmore, Car Wars, 1-888-801-5485, [email protected], https://carwars.com/main/
