Renault was the first European brand to introduce a five-year/unlimited kilometres warranty for its passenger car range and now the French giant has broadened that coverage to include the Renault Sport range.
All Renault Sport models – the iconic Megane and Clio RS models, which are the best of the hot hatches – delivered after 1 July will bring the peace-of-mind of the five-year/unlimited kilometres warranty which includes roadside assistance.
The same applies to the new Megane GT220 hatchback and wagon models – the latest versions of which were launched this week and shift from being limited editions to permanent additions to the freshened Megane lineup.
Renault has left no stone unturned in the revitalization of its model range and after-sales service and the results are paying off – sales are up 53 per-cent in the first six months of this year and by the end of this month Renault will deliver its 50,000th vehicle to an Australian customer since the brand was re-introduced to Australia in 2001.
Those efforts include capped-price servicing, Renault Financial services, insurance and a focus on parts and servicing costs.
For example, the just-launched refreshed Renault Megane hatchback with capped price servicing and 12 month service intervals will cost just $897 to service in that period – that’s cheaper than Volkswagen Golf, Mazda3, Peugeot 308 and Ford Focus to name a few.
Same for the 40 most commonly purchased replacement parts – again Renault Megane is cheaper than rivals like the Hyundai i30, Mazda3, Volkswagen Golf and even Toyota Corolla.
So clearly the perception that Renault vehicles are expensive to own is now wrong.
Some say you wait a long time for Renault parts to be delivered. That too is now wrong – aided by sharing the distribution services of sister company Nissan, Renault is now averaging a 96 per-cent fulfilment rate for parts – that’s amongst the best in the industry.
And with Renault production quality at its European plants amongst the best in the business, locally warranty costs have tumbled by 68 per-cent in the last six years to be ranked amongst the lowest you’ll find.
Hence the confidence Renault has in extending its five-year/unlimited kilometres warranty to the excellent Renault Sport range.
BRAD LEACH
Mazda Rolls-Out Mazda Service Select Across The Range
Mazda too has upped its game in capped price servicing – extending its comprehensive Mazda Select Service – launched with the all-new Mazda3 – across the range.
Under the Mazda Select Service umbrella, Mazda owners can service their car every 10,000kms or 12 months (whichever comes first) and the price of every service is capped for the life of the vehicle.
So if you travel around 15,000kms per year, the maximum you will pay ranges from $1,342 for Mazda2 and CX-5 to $1,983 for a BT-50.
