How many times have we heard that Volkswagens are expensive to maintain? There are some owners who would disagree, but in general, this one factor alone was enough to steer people away from the German brand. Keeping these concerns in mind and as a part of their new India strategy, the folks at Volkswagen have now reduced the maintenance costs of their vehicles and will also offer 4 years/1,00,000 km warranty with roadside assistance and 3 free services for up to 1 year or 15,000 km. Overall service costs have dropped down from 24% to 44%, depending on a particular model.
Volkswagen seems to have addressed a major customer concern by introducing this new scheme. As one would expect, this new benefit comes with no change in quality or any other compromises. Volkswagen tells us that every car sold from the 1st of January, 2019, will come with a 4-year/1,00,000 km warranty with free RSA, instead of the 2 years/unlimited km warranty that was in place before. Moreover, instead of just one free service after 7,500km/6 months, customers will benefit from three free services before 15,000 km or a year, whichever comes first.
Speaking on this occasion, Mr Steffen Knapp, Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars said, “Volkswagen is determined towards providing the best of our offerings to the value-driven Indian customers. The brand has been making conscious efforts towards addressing its key requirement of the customer – high maintenance costs. By adopting an India centric approach, there’s been an overall reduction in the total cost of ownership while retaining the same quality, safety and value-for-money proposition that is expected of a Volkswagen. Thus, it gives me immense pride in announcing an affordable ownership experience for the aspirational Indian customer.”
