Honda Motor will become the first Japanese automaker to start selling new cars online in Japan, Trend reports citing NHK.
It's in response to a growing desire among customers to avoid face-to-face communication during the coronavirus pandemic.
Sources say the automaker will launch a website as early as next month to handle all sales procedures, including estimates, contracts and screenings for loans.
The site will feature flagship models with high sales volume. Areas to be covered will be expanded outward from cities.
Deliveries of cars will be done at dealerships, as before.
New car sales negotiations are usually conducted in-store as they involve large monetary transactions. But Honda is responding to a growing demand from customers wanting to avoid in-person conversations.
The automaker also expects to cultivate new customers amid the pandemic, especially young people who in recent years have been less interested in car ownership.
US automaker Tesla and Germany's BMW are already selling their vehicles online in Japan.