DS Automobiles Offers Immersive Virtual Reality to Transform Showrooms and Car Buying Experiences

Dassault Systèmes (Paris:DSY) (Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA), the 3DEXPERIENCE Company, world leader in 3D design software, 3D Digital Mock Up and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, today announced that DS Automobiles, the premium brand of PSA Group, is using the “Virtual Garage” industry solution experience to fully support the launch of its new SUV, DS 7 CROSSBACK, unveiled at the 87^th Geneva International Motor Show. With this, DS Automobiles transforms its showrooms and invigorates the car buying experience by offering “DS Virtual Vision” immersive virtual reality experiences for all its vehicles.

Most consumers visit a car dealership only once or twice. Virtual technologies can help automotive brands to make this visit a game changer for both the consumer and the retailer. DS Automobiles is leveraging virtual applications and virtual reality to deliver a visual, high-impact marketing and sales experience to consumers that emotionally connects them, to discover DS 7 CROSSBACK virtually before the commercial launch, but also all DS models. DS Automobiles can adopt an alternative retail format that helps to optimize dealership space and boost sales.

DS Automobiles used “Virtual Garage” to tailor the experience, called “DS Virtual Vision,” for an immersive journey into DS 7 CROSSBACK and all the collection. Based on Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform, “Virtual Garage” delivers 3D automotive sales and marketing materials, applications and event experiences that communicate emotional brand or product themes to their target audiences.

Geneva International Motor Show attendees can immerse themselves in the virtual Place de la Concorde in Paris, where they can preview the SUV and its limited edition DS 7 CROSSBACK La Première model alongside their physical cars during their official reveal. They can sit inside the SUV, walk around it, and explore its interior and exterior unique selling points in a realistic environment, simply by wearing an HTC Vive head-mounted display.

Following the show, DS Automobiles plans to deploy “DS Virtual Vision” in its retail network across Europe in DS STORES. Here, consumers can discover and configure their dream DS car exclusively in virtual reality by choosing from multiple combinations for each model such as trims, body colors and equipment.

“Effective vehicle sales and marketing help complete a circle that first began with ideation and design,” said Olivier Sappin, Vice President, Transportation & Mobility Industry, Dassault Systèmes. “The 3DEXPERIENCE platform lets automotive brands differentiate themselves and reinvent the event and showroom experiences by infusing gamification, virtual reality, interaction and discovery, as well as real-time consumer tastes and preferences, into the discovery and purchase processes, even before a vehicle is physically available.”