Thank you to our existing London-based personal lease customer for sending through pictures of their replacement vehicle – the ever-popular VW Golf.
The quintessential middle-class hatchback of the UK has proved to be one of the foremost cars which we have supplied over the years.
With design, quality and technology, the Golf is without doubt one of the mainstay vehicles appealing to personal and business users alike; with an ardent range of petrol and diesel options plus a wide range of specifications, the Golf has managed to be one of the foremost leasing options in the UK.
In particular the GTD and GTI have been considered class-leaders. Unfortunately, stock on the Golf has now become a little thin as the effects of WLTP have now begun to bite many manufacturers. The VW group in particular are seen as a target for the new testing-standards as a result of the scandals which have hit them over the years – CO2/MPG etc In the USA, the group have been hit with fines and have been forced to purchase cars back from customers, leading to large scale losses which have cost billions of dollars.
This has placed VW in the spotlight and their vehicles will now have to reflect their advertised technical data.
For the customer this will mean a more accurate reflection of performance but on the other side, this is going to create delays for vehicles coming through to the UK.
Our customer here had fortunately organised their vehicle well in advance of the exchange and so they were able to secure a car from a limited batch of pre-WLTP cars which were registered on 31 August 2018, one day before the new testing regulations came into effect. While they had to receive a car which was an “18” plate and a couple of months old, they were practical enough to understand that they would have been left without a vehicle for the purposes of vanity. Without hammering sales clichés, sometimes there are only “a few left” or “this deal will not be replaced”. We understand customers do have a little trepidation, or doubt, about what is said to them at the sales stage BUT in most cases this is entirely genuine and serves only to treat them fairly within the lease deal.
It provides us no benefit to orchestrate a customer into a vehicle which is not fit for purpose.
Because the car was a little older than the customer originally wanted, they asked about the situation of a) warranty and b) servicing. These are two very distinct elements on a car and this is not something customers readily pick up. A warranty is something which is offered by the manufacturer to cover defects and issues not caused by the driver. The warranty will last for anywhere between 3 – 7 years depending upon the manufacturer and will be subject to certain conditions; in particular you will be expected to service and maintain the vehicle in accordance with their instructions.
This does not necessarily mean you have to get the car serviced at a franchised dealer but it does mean you have to service the car at the correct intervals and use genuine parts when the service is carried out.
If you do not do this, you may invalidate the warranty and any issues with the vehicle are yours to manage. One key point to note is the a warranty DOES NOT cover the actual cost of servicing and maintenance.
In terms of the car shown here, the Volkswagen GOLF DIESEL HATCHBACK 2.0 TDI 184 GTD 5dr Manual, this is based on the following configuration:
· Indium Grey Metallic Paint
· Jacara cloth – Titan black/grey
· 18″ Seville alloy wheel
As standard the car includes rain sensing wipers, automatic post collision braking, front and rear carpet mats, Bluetooth, adaptive cruise control with pedestrian detection and speed limiter, driver alert system, 8” touch screen, front and rear parking sensors, auto dimming rear view mirror, body coloured mirrors, cooled glovebox, stainless steel pedals, multifunction steering wheel, LED daytime running lights and fog lights, ambient lighting pack, mirror pack, space saver spare wheel, SDX differential lock, alarm with interior protection, 18” Seville alloys and the winter pack. In terms of additional factory options (if available) consider – 90% light absorbing heated insulated glass, rear view camera and keyless entry for the perfect vehicle.
On the technical-side, company car and business users can note the P11d at £28,780.00 and CO2 at 125g/km for car tax allowance/calculations. The 1968CC 6 speed manual engine delivers 184ps, 60.1 combined MPG and 0-62 times of 7.5 seconds. Service intervals on a diesel VW Golf are currently every 24 months or every 10,000 miles.
So would you select the VW Golf as your next car leasing option? Or would the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series or Mercedes A-Class get your vote. There are clearly some great vehicles nationwide to choose from.
Find the very best leasing for personal or business needs on a VW Golf @CarLease UK – or – read more VW reviews below.