5 Locomotive Alternatives for Your Dealership (2026)
Locomotive is everywhere in dealerships but doesn't answer calls. Here are 5 alternatives: Natalia, Sandra AI, Diago, eKonsilio and Meditrust.
Locomotive: What it does well
Be honest: Locomotive built a solid product. About 300 dealerships, 100 used car resellers, 50 RV distributors in France. Not an accident.
The platform puts SMS, web forms and missed call notifications in one interface. Sales teams don't juggle multiple tools. Webchat on the dealership site captures visitors and continues via SMS. +260% leads according to their numbers.
Google reviews automation works. Jaqu'Auto case: +400 reviews per year from automatic requests after interactions. For dealerships working on online reputation, that matters.
LeBonCoin and LaCentrale integration pulls leads automatically. Teams stop copy-pasting inquiries.
Why look for an alternative?
Locomotive has limits that push some dealerships elsewhere. The big one: Locomotive doesn't answer calls. It notifies after a call is missed. Doesn't prevent the miss.
35-40% of dealership calls go unanswered. Salespeople with customers, lunch breaks, evenings, weekends. Lots of chances to lose leads. At 63 euros per automotive lead, it adds up.
SMS, Locomotive's main channel, has a 6% response rate. WhatsApp hits 45% (source: Gartner). When follow-up messages are 7x more likely to get a reply, conversions change.
Static SMS templates work for simple stuff. Customer asks a specific question, gets a generic reply. Conversational AI adapts to context.
No public pricing. You talk to sales to get a quote. Some dealerships want to know costs upfront.
Alternative 1: Natalia - Voice AI + WhatsApp
What Natalia does: Conversational AI. Automatic voice response plus WhatsApp follow-up. Unlike solutions that manage missed calls, Natalia prevents them by answering in under 2 seconds, 24/7.
AI understands why the person called, qualifies the lead (vehicle interest, service, workshop appointment), transfers to the right person or takes a message. If the call doesn't connect, WhatsApp goes out in under 10 seconds.
Strengths: Voice AI 24/7 (Locomotive only notifies), native WhatsApp with 45% response rate (7x SMS), conversational AI that adapts, transparent pricing (50-149 euros/month), works with Nextlane, MPA and Bee2Link.
Limitations: Webchat coming soon (focus is calls and WhatsApp), no Google reviews automation, portal lead capture (LeBonCoin, LaCentrale) coming soon, SMS on request.
Best for: Dealerships losing calls (busy salespeople, evenings/weekends), moving from SMS to WhatsApp, wanting AI that qualifies instead of templates.
"We tried both. Locomotive told us when we missed calls. Natalia stops us from missing them. That's the difference."
Alternative 2: Sandra AI - Voice Specialist
What Sandra AI does: Intelligent phone switchboard for dealerships. Answers incoming calls, qualifies requests, routes to the right department.
About 150 clients, 70,000 calls per year according to their site. Some automotive experience.
Strengths: 100% voice focus, automotive experience, call qualification.
Limitations: No WhatsApp, no SMS, no webchat, no Google reviews. Phone only.
Best for: Dealerships that only need to fix unanswered calls. No multichannel needed.
Alternative 3: Diago - Voice AI, Recent Funding
What Diago does: Voice AI for automotive dealerships. Raised 1 million euros in June 2025. Active development.
References include GCAP (Peugeot group). Can work with distribution groups.
Strengths: Recent funding (resources to build), big account reference (GCAP), voice AI focus.
Limitations: Newer solution, fewer public performance numbers, less documentation than established players.
Best for: Dealerships willing to try a growing player. Interested in new AI approaches.
Alternative 4: eKonsilio - AI + Human Hybrid
What eKonsilio does: Hybrid model. AI plus human intervention. 80% of their clients pick the mixed option over full automation.
AI handles simple requests and extended hours. Human takes over for complex situations or when customers ask for one.
Strengths: Human backup for tricky cases, reassures dealerships nervous about full AI, flexible model.
Limitations: Higher costs (human intervention), availability depends on staff, less scalable than full AI.
Best for: Dealerships automating gradually, customers who want human contact, complex requests that need judgment.
Alternative 5: Meditrust (Bee2Link) - Google Reviews
What Meditrust does: Bee2Link subsidiary. Online reputation management, especially automating Google review requests. Not a full Locomotive replacement. Covers one specific feature.
If you use Locomotive mainly for Google reviews, Meditrust is a targeted alternative.
Strengths: Reviews and reputation expertise, Bee2Link ecosystem (DMS) integration, automotive focus.
Limitations: No customer communication (calls, SMS, WhatsApp). Single function. Need other tools for the rest.
Best for: Dealerships where Google reviews are the priority. Already have communication covered elsewhere.
Feature Comparison Table
What each solution does:
| Feature | Natalia | Locomotive | Sandra AI | Diago | eKonsilio | Meditrust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voice AI Response | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Native WhatsApp | Yes | No | No | No | Partial | No |
| SMS | On request | Yes | No | No | Partial | No |
| Webchat | Coming soon | Yes | No | No | Partial | No |
| Auto Google Reviews | No | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
| Portal Leads | Coming soon | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Conversational AI | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Human Support | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
Pricing (Estimates)
What we know about costs:
| Solution | Pricing | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Natalia | 50-149 euros/month | Publicly displayed prices, no commitment |
| Locomotive | Estimated 100-300 euros/month | Sales contact required |
| Sandra AI | Estimated 150-400 euros/month | Variable based on call volume |
| Diago | Not disclosed | Recent startup, custom quotes |
| eKonsilio | Estimated 200-500 euros/month | Higher (human intervention) |
| Meditrust | Estimated 50-150 euros/month | Single-function solution |
Note: estimates are based on market standards. Contact each vendor for accurate quotes.
How to Choose
Depends on your main problem:
Unanswered calls? Natalia, Sandra AI or Diago. All three answer calls. Locomotive only notifies.
Want WhatsApp over SMS? Natalia has native WhatsApp with automatic follow-up. 45% vs 6% response rate (source: Gartner).
Nervous about full AI? eKonsilio has a hybrid model with human backup. Costs more.
Google reviews are the priority? Locomotive or Meditrust. Natalia and others don't do this.
Need LeBonCoin/LaCentrale leads? Locomotive has it. Natalia adding it soon.
Want to see prices upfront? Natalia shows pricing. Others require sales calls.
Bottom Line
Locomotive is solid for SMS, webchat and Google reviews. But if unanswered calls are your problem, it doesn't fix that. It notifies. It doesn't answer.
If you're losing leads by phone, AI alternatives like Natalia, Sandra AI or Diago solve that directly. Natalia adds multichannel (voice + WhatsApp, webchat and portal leads coming) and shows pricing upfront.
For many dealerships, the answer is a combination: Natalia for calls and WhatsApp (SMS on request), something else for Google reviews if needed. Right tool for each job.
One thing is clear: doing nothing costs money. 63 euros per lost lead. Every unanswered call hits your revenue.
FAQ
Can I use Natalia and Locomotive together?
Will Locomotive add voice AI?
Best alternative for a small dealership?
Does my DMS work with these alternatives?
How long to migrate from Locomotive?
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30 minutes on your use cases. We show you how Natalia answers calls and follows up with prospects.