Manufacturer-refurbished programmes on the cards

New research has found that car buyers would choose manufacturer-refurbished programmes over approved-used programmes.

The manufacturer-refurbished programme, already introduced by the likes of Renault and Toyota, involves car maker ‘remanufacturing’ used models with new components to give them a new lease of life.

According to What Car?’s latest research, just 16.6% of buyers are aware of programmes like these. However, once the programme had been explained, 55.7% said they’d prefer to purchase a refurbished used model over an approved-used model, while 63.1% said they’d be prepared to pay the same amount or more for a refurbished model compared to an approved-used.

More than a third (35.7%) also said they’d be tempted to keep their current car for longer if they knew they could send it to a factory to have it refurbished with new components.

Steve Huntingford, editor, What Car?, said: “Manufacturer-refurbished programmes are a new concept in the industry, but something we’re likely to see a lot more in the coming years as sustainability and recycling become increasingly important agendas for buyers and brands.

“The concept offers a lot of benefits to buyers, as they’ll know they’ll be getting a factory-standard vehicle for less than the price of a new model, and our initial research shows there’s plenty of appetite for it in the industry. The first challenge is to increase awareness, however, as only a minority of buyers are currently aware of the practice.”