Santander Consumer Unveils ‘Drive Together’ to Help Dealers Convert Web Traffic into Pre-Qualified Leads
Santander Consumer USA Inc. (“Santander Consumer”), a leading provider of auto financing solutions in the U.S., has officially launched Drive Together, a groundbreaking digital retail tool designed to empower car dealerships and simplify the car-buying journey for consumers. This innovative service builds on the success of Santander’s Drive® platform and is aimed at modernizing the online automotive retail experience by turning dealer website traffic into high-quality, pre-qualified leads.
Reimagining Online Automotive Retail
At its core, Drive Together is a subscription-based digital retail solution developed specifically for car dealerships. Integrated directly into dealers’ websites, the platform leverages Santander’s proprietary pre-qualification technology to assess consumers through soft credit checks—an approach that does not impact a shopper’s credit score. This seamless and non-intrusive evaluation method allows potential buyers to quickly see what they qualify for and browse inventory accordingly.
With just a click, online shoppers can be matched with vehicles that align with their financial situation, enabling them to shop with clarity and confidence. For consumers, this feature means the ability to explore car options that are truly affordable—long before stepping foot inside a dealership. For dealers, it means access to a steady stream of transaction-ready leads who are pre-qualified and motivated to purchase.
Enhancing the Dealer Experience
Drive Together represents a significant evolution in lead generation for dealerships. By embedding this tool into their websites, dealers gain access to a sophisticated platform that does far more than display inventory. It actively engages web visitors, captures data, and delivers actionable insights that can improve sales outcomes.
The platform’s functionality is centralized in the Santander Dealer Portal—a comprehensive back-end system that allows dealers to manage subscriptions, monitor customer sign-ups, and access real-time inventory information. This gives dealerships control and transparency over the lead generation process, enabling them to adjust strategies based on live performance data.
The subscription model is designed to scale with dealer needs, whether they’re managing a single franchise or a larger dealer group. By continuously updating and refining the platform, Santander Consumer ensures that Drive Together evolves in tandem with changes in digital retail trends and customer expectations.
A Dual Win: Consumer Empowerment and Dealer Efficiency
Santander’s rollout of Drive Together addresses two persistent pain points in automotive retail—consumer uncertainty and dealer inefficiency. Buyers often enter dealerships unsure of their budget or financing eligibility, leading to drawn-out negotiations or lost sales. At the same time, dealers struggle to convert anonymous website traffic into meaningful engagement that translates into showroom visits and sales.
Drive Together solves both challenges. Consumers are equipped with accurate affordability estimates from the start, increasing their confidence and satisfaction. Dealers receive leads that have already been screened for creditworthiness, shortening the sales cycle and increasing close rates. The net result is a smoother, more efficient, and mutually beneficial car-buying experience.
Leadership Insights and Vision
The national launch of Drive Together follows a successful pilot program that demonstrated measurable improvements in lead conversion and dealer satisfaction. Bruce Jackson, Head of the Santander US Auto Business and CEO of Santander Consumer USA, emphasized the strategic importance of the program:
“Following a successful pilot stage, we are excited to expand Drive Together to all dealers nationwide,” said Jackson. “This product enables consumers to better understand what they can afford and ensures more ‘transaction-ready’ customers are showing up at dealers in the Santander network.”
Jackson also highlighted how Drive Together aligns with Santander’s long-term vision of creating a more transparent and streamlined automotive retail ecosystem. He emphasized that innovation in finance and digital tools is critical for dealers navigating today’s competitive environment.
“Our dealers are essential to our business. They are the driving force behind our effort to pioneer change and create greater transparency and efficiencies within the auto business,” he added. “This enhanced Drive product is an exciting step forward in building a seamless car buying experience for the dealers we serve, as well as the consumers who are seeking fewer friction points and greater clarity.”
A Product of Collaboration and Innovation
The foundation of Drive Together lies in Santander’s ongoing partnership with AutoFi, a fintech company specializing in digital retail and financing software. The Drive® platform, co-developed with AutoFi, provides the digital infrastructure necessary to pre-qualify consumers in real-time and integrate that data into the dealer’s sales process.
This collaboration has yielded a robust ecosystem of tools designed to meet the needs of today’s digital-first shoppers while also empowering dealers to embrace modern retail practices. The expansion of Drive Together demonstrates Santander Consumer’s commitment to remaining at the forefront of innovation in automotive finance and retail technology.
Part of a Broader Strategy
Drive Together is the latest in a series of initiatives by Santander Consumer aimed at enhancing value for both consumers and dealer partners. The company serves more than three million customers across the full credit spectrum, offering financing solutions that range from prime to subprime, thereby expanding access to vehicle ownership.
As part of its broader Drive® suite of tools and services, Drive Together complements existing offerings that include dealer marketing support, financing integrations, and analytics-driven insights. Together, these solutions form a cohesive strategy designed to help dealers thrive in an increasingly complex and digital marketplace.
Santander Consumer’s Legacy and Market Position
Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Santander Consumer USA Inc. has been a key player in the U.S. auto finance market since originating its first retail installment contracts in 1997. Today, the company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Santander Holdings USA, Inc. and operates as part of the Santander US Auto business. As of December 31, 2024, the combined asset portfolio under its management exceeds $60 billion.
Santander Consumer is a division of Banco Santander, a global financial institution headquartered in Madrid, Spain. In 2024, Banco Santander was named one of the World’s Most Admired Companies by Fortune magazine, a testament to its strong reputation for innovation, stability, and customer service.
The company’s ongoing focus on digital transformation, responsible lending, and dealer-centric solutions positions it as a market leader in the ever-evolving landscape of automotive finance.
Conclusion: A Step Toward the Future of Car Buying
With the official launch of Drive Together, Santander Consumer USA is doubling down on its mission to make car buying simpler, smarter, and more transparent for all parties involved. By bridging the gap between online browsing and dealership visits, the platform not only enhances lead quality for dealers but also improves the overall customer journey.
As the automotive industry continues to embrace digital innovation, platforms like Drive Together will play a critical role in shaping the future of retail auto finance. Through this initiative, Santander Consumer is not just keeping pace with industry trends—it is helping to define them.
