kbb.com App for iPhone(R) Empowers on-the-go Shoppers With Arsenal of Car-Buying Information

IRVINE, Calif., May 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Kelley Blue Book www.kbb.com, the leading provider of new and used car information, today announces the official launch of its application for iPhone.  The free, interactive kbb.com app provides iPhone users with the trusted Kelley Blue Book® Values and crucial information to negotiate with dealers on the spot.  With this app, users will find both new- and used-car values, including MSRP, Invoice, New Car Blue Book, Certified Pre-Owned, Suggested Retail, Private Party and Trade-In Values.  

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/kelleybluebook/44062/

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100518/MM05563 )

In addition to Kelley Blue Book's trusted Values, users also can find a local dealer with detailed maps and directions.  The availability of 360-degree photos of potential new cars and instant access to new-car video reviews from the expert editors of Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com provides shoppers with all the information they need at their fingertips.  In addition, the app features kbb.com's Twitter feed, giving insight into the latest in automotive news and information from Kelley Blue Book's team of automotive experts and enthusiasts.  Ultimately, car shoppers will have the information they need to help make a confident purchase decision.  As a fun added bonus, there is a hidden "Easter egg" within the app, featuring a copy of the first Kelley Kar Blue Book which was published in 1926, if you can find it.  

The kbb.com app for iPhone went live in the iTunes store in late April and has since garnered more than 66,000 downloads.  Its popularity has kept the app in the top 25 list within the lifestyle category since its debut.  

"While car shoppers have long used kbb.com to research their next new or used car, there are often situations that require this same information on the go," said Justin Yaros, executive vice president of product design and development for Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com.  "With kbb.com's app for iPhone, shoppers are empowered with car-buying information from their pocket.  If someone is on the dealership lot and finds a car they were not previously considering, they can now obtain its value and read the reviews on the spot.  This new app gives shoppers the means to negotiate confidently with dealers and provides the tools they need to make the best decision possible.”

To launch this all-new app, Kelley Blue Book has teamed up with one of the leading U.S. auto manufacturers, Chevrolet.  Chevrolet is the exclusive sponsor for the kbb.com app for iPhone throughout 2010.  Chevrolet branding is present throughout the app and on Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com, including the mobile section of the website.  Chevy will reach the thousands of Kelley Blue Book mobile users each week who are in the market to buy a new car.  In addition, kbb.com's new-car video hub and sponsored photos within the app will be Chevy-branded.  

"With the use of mobile apps increasing and shoppers' expectations for real-time information, Chevrolet sees this app as a great addition to the electronic marketing we do today," said Steve Rosenblum, director, Chevrolet Advertising. "We continue to expand our mobile and digital efforts to reach consumers in places they go naturally even when they aren't shopping for a vehicle to provide valuable information on the full line-up of Chevrolet cars, potentially impacting a purchase decision."

MediaPost.com reports that mobile application stores will exceed 4.5 billion downloads in 2010, eight out of 10 of which will be free to end users, based on a Gartner report from January 2010.  Gartner forecasts worldwide downloads in mobile application stores to surpass 21.6 billion by 2013.    

Kelley Blue Book also offers a mobile optimized site for non-iPhone users.  To access the site, visit www.kbb.com on a mobile device to be automatically redirected.  For more information about the app and other mobile offerings from kbb.com, visit www.kbb.com/company/mobile.  iPhone is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc.

About Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com)

Since 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource®, has provided vehicle buyers and sellers with the new- and used-vehicle information they need to accomplish their goals with confidence.  The company's top-rated website, www.kbb.com, provides the most up-to-date pricing and values, including the New Car Blue Book® Value, which reveals what people actually are paying for new cars.  The company also reports vehicle pricing and values via products and services, including software products and the famous Blue Book® Official Guide.  According to the C.A. Walker Research Solutions, Inc. - 2009 Spring Automotive Website Usefulness Study, kbb.com is the most useful automotive information website among new- and used-vehicle shoppers, and half of online vehicle shoppers visit kbb.com.  Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com also is a W3 Gold Award winner, sanctioned by the International Academy of Visual Arts.  Kbb.com is a leading provider of new car prices, used car Blue Book Values, car reviews, new cars for sale, used cars for sale, and car dealer locations.

SOURCE Kelley Blue Book