As dealers become FCA authorised, this year we expect to see an impact of what we must recognise as being a confident, emboldened regulator as a major driver of change in the showroom.

New F & I processes and controls are inevitable. However, transparency in F & I with the right online finance tools could ensure more consumers see finance from their dealer as their very best financing option; especially if they can control their own finance buying journey.

We see finance as integral to our expectation of sustained sales volume growth in new and used car sales. We expect PCPs to be a real driving force, with used cars increasingly sharing the same impact achieved in the new sector over recent years.

Sales growth will benefit from a more confident, but circumspect consumer. The cautious consumer’s car buying journey will unquestionably start online. The very reason that finance must be online and in a fully transparent format. Finance ‘threat’ really can be finance opportunity!

Shaun Harris, Sales Director at Codeweavers