Pontypridd-based Vauxhall and Hyundai dealer Hutchings has launched its new website with what is believed to be the UK’s first ‘fully configurable’ finance calculator.

The facility enables customer’s individual payment deposits to be input and can return finance calculations for both PCP and HP schemes.

The calculator has also been configured to enable users to search in a budget-led way according to both the monthly amount and the length of the finance plan required.

The website – www.hutchings.co.uk - has been created by Progress Automotive Solutions in partnership with Webzation, creators of automotive technology which enables the transaction of finance and leasing products to customers via existing web platforms.

Hutchings redeveloped its website to coincide with the addition of the Hyundai brand to its portfolio.

Progress’ internet operations manager Alex Knight said: “To our knowledge, no other provider has gone live with such a system which offers the ability to completely customise the deposit input and for results to be calculated for both PCP and HP products.

"The need for this system was obvious – each customer visiting the website is going to have an individual set of needs and budget constraints. Traditional finance searches aren’t built to accommodate these individual circumstances, and as a result the website browser loses out.

“The calculator we’ve developed using Webzation technology is markedly different to other websites whose budget searches either only use fixed interest rate hire purchase quotes, or use fixed deposit amounts, and therefore the results for PCP quotes can be cached.

"Such systems don’t allow the user to put in a very specific deposit, such as £3,121, and calculate the exact finance examples on multiple products accordingly. Traditionally the barrier to this was the speed of the look-up given the advanced calculations going on, but we have cracked it; and the Hutchings calculator is performing extremely well.”

Richard Tavernor, chief operating officer at Webzation, which is about to rebrand as iVendi, said: "The foundations have also been laid for the future as more sophisticated online finance propositions are already possible including online finance applications; the uploading of website proposals onto the showroom system and then onto the lender; and software to profile finance applications with individual lender criteria.

"For the technology to be made available to browsers, it needs to be embedded in a dealer’s website which means working with the web company to make that happen and that can often be the stumbling block."

Sales and marketing director Steve Hutchings said: “This was the perfect opportunity to further develop our web showcase. We made the decision to incorporate cutting edge technology to help make us stand out in a crowded market and I believe that has been achieved.

"The website is technologically advanced, easy to use and simple to navigate. We are delighted to be among the first, if not the first, to incorporate the new technology in this way and we will certainly continue to look at ways to develop it further."