Renault offers five-year LCV warranty

RENAULT has announced Australia’s longest warranty on a light-commercial vehicle range in Australia, with a five-year/200,000km cover for its three-model van range.

As well, the French vehicle importer has extended to the van range the capped price servicing already offered on its passenger cars and SUVs, guaranteeing service for $299 a year over the first three years.

The Renault warranty on its Kangoo, Trafic and Master vans eclipses Mitsubishi’s five-year/130,000km warranty on its LCVs, while also giving Renault a point of difference over its most direct European rivals, Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz, which both offer three-year warranties on their vans, including the VW Caddy and Mercedes Vito.

The new customer care package was announced by Renault Australia managing director Justin Hocevar, who said Renault had “renewed its relationship” with Australian van drivers and buyers over the past 18 months with new models, new equipment and new value.

“The result has been a significant increase in sales momentum, with 119 new vehicles delivered to customers in September,” he said.

Mr Hocevar said the new warranty and capped price servicing was designed to continue to raise awareness of the Renault LCVs “in this highly competitive sector”.

“We have a high degree of confidence in the reliability of our Renault LCVs,” he said.

“We have been number one in LCV sales in Europe for the past 14 years, which proves beyond doubt that our Kangoo, Trafic and Master can get the job done efficiently, safely and reliably.”

The LCV capped price servicing falls into line with the three-year passenger car and SUV service offer, but is $100 more expensive per year than the $199 cover on the Megane, Fluence, Latitude and Koleos.

So far this year, Renault’s top-selling vans are the mid-sized Trafic and large Master, which have achieved 297 and 302 sales respectively.

The small Kangoo van has found 231 new owners to the end of September, representing a 6.5 per cent rise over the same period last year.

Overall, Renault’s LCV sales are up 31.3 per cent in 2012, to 528 units, but it remains a minnow in the business, ranked 12th for LCV sales in Australia.