Key takeaways
Six findings on dealer group websites.
Messaging
The conversation is already there
45 of the 93 groups offer messaging on their website, or 48.4%. Together, they sell 52.4% of the new vehicles of the groups measured.
WhatsApp is still the exception
4 of the 93 groups let visitors write to them on WhatsApp from their website, or 4.3%. Two of them rank among the top 25.
Sharing
People share on WhatsApp, but do not write to the group
29 websites let visitors send a page or a vehicle to someone on WhatsApp: more than seven times the number of sites where they can write to the group.
Forms
The form is still the front door
87 of the 93 groups offer a contact form and 75 a click-to-call number. Only 17 groups offer a callback.
AI
AI arrives through messaging
7 groups present their messaging assistant as an AI, and 27 give a first name to the adviser who replies.
Opening hours
The WhatsApp button follows opening hours
At one of the four groups, the WhatsApp button only appears Monday to Saturday, 8 am to 8 pm. On Sundays and public holidays, it disappears.
Open WhatsApp to your prospects, at any hour.
An AI agent answers your campaign prospects on WhatsApp, qualifies their request and sends it to your CRM or DMS.
Next review · January 2027
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How many French car dealer groups offer WhatsApp on their website?
In the review of 2 November 2026, 4 of the 93 groups measured let visitors write to them on WhatsApp from their website, or 4.3%. The panel covers France’s 100 largest car dealer groups by new vehicles sold in 2025. These 4 groups sell 11.8% of the new vehicles of the groups measured.
How was the barometer carried out?
On Monday 2 November 2026, from 10:00 to 10:39 am, we read each group’s website like a visitor, on mobile and desktop: home page, contact, dealerships, stock and two vehicle pages. No form was filled in and no message was sent. Every ambiguous case was checked by hand.
What counts as a WhatsApp entry point?
A link or a button that opens a WhatsApp conversation with the group. Not counted: buttons used to share a page with someone, click tracking with no visible button, and prompts that mention WhatsApp without leading to it.
Why 93 groups and not 100?
Seven websites could not be read: website unreachable, access denied, anti-bot check or security certificate rejected by the browser. We did not bypass any of these protections. The percentages therefore cover the 93 groups measured.
Are the groups named?
No. The barometer publishes aggregated figures, by indicator and by ranking band. A group in the ranking can ask us for the details of its own review: pages read, elements found and screenshots.
Does Walexia have customers in the panel?
Yes, two groups in the ranking are Walexia customers. They were measured like the others, with the same criteria, and are not among the groups that offer WhatsApp on their website.
Can these figures be reused?
Yes, with the credit “Walexia barometer, WhatsApp and automotive retail, November 2026” and a link to this page. For a figure that is not shown here, write to us and we will tell you whether it was measured.
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