CHARLOTTE, N.C., Dec. 10, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Sonic Automotive, Inc. (NYSE: SAH), a leader in automotive retailing, announced today the launch of its new sonicautomotive.com national website. It provides Sonic with a truly national footprint in the on-line automotive shopping world.  The updated website provides information on vehicles located at all of Sonic's dealerships as well highlighting the Company's culture, values and career opportunities.  

Highlights of the new Sonic Automotive website include:

• Easy home page access to multiple vehicle search methods — by new, certified and used inventory,
• desired payment and even body style.
• Instant access to vehicle inventory, including vehicle information, photos, 360-degree tours and videos.  
• Convenient compare feature to provide instant, side-by-side comparison of selected vehicles.
• Robust inventory search engine delivers real-time access to all Sonic Automotive new and used inventory.
• Sonic Automotive dealership locator (by brand or location)
• Service, Parts and Collision center locators.
• Convenient payment calculator.  
• Financial services credit application.
• A vehicle value calculator. Our dealerships will buy your car even if you don't buy ours.

Commenting on the launch, Rachel Richards, the Company's Vice President of Retail Strategy, said, "We are excited about the launch of our updated website and the opportunities it provides for our customers, investors and associates.  This represents the next step in the evolution of our eCommerce strategy as we provide a single portal for our customers' virtual shopping experience.  The new website leverages the power of our vast dealer network to allow customers and our sales associates to search our national inventory."

About Sonic Automotive

Sonic Automotive, Inc., a Fortune 500 company based in Charlotte, N.C., is one of the largest automotive retailers in the United States.  Sonic can be reached on the Web at www.sonicautomotive.com.

Included herein are forward-looking statements, including statements with respect to our eCommerce strategy.  There are many factors that affect management's views about future events and trends of the Company's business.  These factors involve risk and uncertainties that could cause actual results or trends to differ materially from management's view, including without limitation, economic conditions in the markets in which we operate, new and used vehicle sales volume, the success of our operational strategies and the risk factors described in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2009 and the quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ending September 30, 2010.  The Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking information.

SOURCE Sonic Automotive