Canada’s leading automotive marketplace to launch a next-generation AI-powered platform and comprehensive suite of dealer tools, marking a bold new chapter in buying and selling cars

TORONTO, March 5, 2026 /CNW/ – AutoTrader, Canada’s largest and most trusted automotive marketplace, is set to launch the next evolution of its platform. The next-generation marketplace is designed to better align with how dealers operate in an increasingly data-led and demand-driven market based on how Canadians shop for vehicles.

Marking the brand’s largest marketplace transformation and biggest investment to date, the new platform brings together Artificial Intelligence (AI), a more intuitive, forward-looking car shopping experience, and an expanded suite of dealer tools designed to drive more relevant outcomes across the buying and selling process.

Following a year of testing, refinement, and validation with both dealer partners and Canadian car shoppers, the new platform has already demonstrated strong early momentum. Results show stronger alignment between shopper intent and dealer inventory, generating higher-quality inquiries and improved engagement rates, ahead of its full national launch this spring.

“We recognize that car shopper behaviour is evolving quickly. Discovery today looks very different than it did even a few years ago, and Canadians expect the experience to be as intuitive and flexible as the technology they use every day,” says Jody Gill, Chief Sales Officer at AutoTrader. “The new AutoTrader marketplace reflects that shift by meeting consumers where they are and leveraging AI to power more relevant connections between buyers and sellers. For dealer partners, that means smarter demand allocation, improved inventory performance, and a clearer line of sight between marketplace investment and revenue outcomes.”

The New AutoTrader Features:

DemandAI: At the core of the transformation is DemandAI, a new intelligence layer that powers discovery, relevance, and performance. It evaluates more than 50 vehicle attributes alongside over 30 car shopper intent signals to determine how listings are ranked, matched, and surfaced, connecting dealership inventory with the right buyers at the right time.
All-New Dealer Dashboard: Complementing this intelligence is the all-new Dashboard, which provides a centralized command centre that enables dealers to actively manage inventory performance and make data-driven decisions that directly impact conversion and revenue outcomes. With Dashboard, dealer partners are empowered with improved visibility into marketplace and investment.
Refreshed Car Shopping Experience: Designed for how Canadians search for and buy vehicles today, the new AutoTrader.ca features an updated consumer experience built around modern search and shopping behaviour. A cleaner design, simplified navigation and AI-powered capabilities deliver more relevant results and help car shoppers move from research to action faster – building on the unmatched trust the brand has earned for more than 50 years.

“This represents a major step forward for our brand and platform,” says Justin Re, Chief Product Officer at AutoTrader. “Developed through more than a year of consultation, testing, and refinement, and backed by the work of over 300 engineers, product leaders and designers, every enhancement is driven by a single goal – creating a more relevant and intuitive journey for car shoppers, enabling dealers to turn buyer demand into opportunity. By enhancing the foundation of our marketplace, we’re delivering smarter insights, making it easier for our dealer partners to sell cars.”

In addition, AutoTrader has simplified its offering into three new packages – Go, Smart, and Pro. The new packages enable dealerships to scale visibility and performance to their strategy and needs while reducing complexity and ensuring dealers remain focused on what matters most – selling cars.

Looking ahead, AutoTrader will continue to invest in innovation and ongoing marketplace enhancements designed to better serve the evolving needs of both dealers and consumers, building on more than 50 years as one of Canada’s most trusted automotive marketplaces.

To learn more, visit go.trader.ca/newera or connect with your AutoTrader account representative.

About AutoTrader
AutoTrader is the largest and most trusted automotive marketplace in Canada. Offering the largest inventory of new and used cars, AutoTrader boasts hundreds of thousands of vehicles for sale to Canadians across the country. Canadians can buy or sell cars, trucks or other motorized vehicles quickly, easily, and confidently. Buyers can search based on vehicle model, make, colour and geographic location to find the deal that is right for them. AutoTrader is also an online destination for automotive research and entertainment, featuring news, reviews, videos, and podcasts from award-winning automotive journalists. Follow AutoTrader on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.