GardX – AI Product 2026 – Car Dealer Magazine

12:50 pm, July 14, 2026

Recent years have seen a wave of changes throughout the automotive industry but few innovations have had as much of an impact as the introduction of AI into the market.

From boosting enquiry rates to streamlining operations, these products are helping dealerships work smarter, not harder.

Our second ever winner in this category is a firm that has helped dealerships implement more AI processes, streamlining administration and improving customer journeys.

The prize this year has gone to GardX, which impressed dealers with its ability to use AI to deliver real, measurable results for retailers.

The performance was enough to see off stiff competition from our highly commended firms – Dealerkit and Impel – the latter of which scooped the top prize this time last year.

The result caps a special Car Dealer Power Awards for GardX, which was also victorious in the Paint Protection category for an incredible 12th year in a row.

Explaining what the latest victory means, Billy Coutin, CEO of GardX Group, said: ‘It is great to win a new award. We’ve been fortunate enough to retain Paint Protection Provider of the Year for – I’ve actually lost count of how many years now – but winning a brand new award is really special.

‘It reflects the hard work of the team. We’ve tried to diversify, we’ve tried to innovate, and we’ve tried to make sure we’re still providing dealers with solutions that work at the front end.

‘To receive this award is great recognition for what I know has been a lot of hard work, and probably some stress, for the team over the last 12 to 24 months. It’s a true reflection of the efforts of everyone involved.

‘To be frank, it means more to be recognised by our customer base than by an independent panel because it shows we’re genuinely delivering value in the marketplace.’

Looking ahead, GardX is now looking to further enhance its existing AI and technology offering rather than launching brand new products.

The business plans to introduce new features, deepen integrations and continue refining its platform to help dealers get even more value from the tools they already use.

‘We’re probably not launching anything brand new between now and the end of the year,’ Coutin explained. ‘We’ve launched a lot over the last three to five years, and now we want to consolidate and make sure our dealers are getting the most out of those products.

‘On the technology side, we’ll continue to iterate. There’ll be new features added to existing products, and a lot of our work will focus on integrations and building on what we’ve already created.

‘From a wider business perspective, it’s about doubling down on everything we’ve released over the last three to five years and continuing to grow the value we deliver across our dealer network.’