Zuto renews partnership with Auto Trader

ZUTO, the fast-growing online car finance provider, has renewed a key deal with used car sales portal Auto Trader.

Zuto, which has seen its annual sales race to £20m after growing 100% a year for the last four years, has secured an exclusive two year partnership with the recently-listed Manchester company.

Zuto provides car finance to customers by partnering with a panel of more than  15 lenders. It also carries out free vehicle history and valuation checks to confirm the purchase price.

The partnership sees Zuto continue as the sole online finance partner for private car adverts across Auto Trader’s digital marketplace. Zuto, which rebranded from Car Loan 4U last month and has just launched its first nationwide TV campaign, has been working with Auto Trader since October 2012.

James Wilkinson, founder and chief executive of Zuto, said: “Our partnership means we can offer a finance solution to thousands of motorists searching for a car through Auto Trader and help them during the buying process. Buying a car can be a daunting experience because there are a lot of unknowns, but we aim to make this an easier process.  

“Not everyone has a mechanic on-hand to reassure them they’re making a sound buying decision or is confident they’ll be approved for a loan. We make our customers aware of their finance options and ultimate budget before beginning their car search.  

“We know that to truly help car buyers we also need to forge stronger relationships with dealerships so will be working to expand our recommended dealer programme in the coming year.”

Headquartered in Macclesfield and with a new office in Manchester, Zuto’s staff numbers are up nearly 40% to 294 since June 2014.

Backed by venture capital firm  Scottish Equity Partners, Zuto has ambitions to be the North West’s leading technology business.