Volkswagen has rolled out its first vehicle subscription service in the UK, a pilot scheme which is being run by subscription service specialist Drover and in partnership with sister organisation, Volkswagen Financial Services.
The scheme will initially offer a limited number of vehicles, such as the Golf from £528 per month, the Passat from £514 per month and the Tiguan from £643 per month – all of which are Volkswagen's best sellers.
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Those prices include the cost of the car, as well as comprehensive insurance, VED, servicing, maintenance and breakdown cover; no deposit is needed an customers need to only add fuel.
Contracts work on a rolling 12-month basis, and the process is handled completely online, with users of the system able to secure their car in as little as 48 hours.
"Given the changes we face in the automotive landscape, and as drivers' needs change, we need to adapt and diversify from traditional concepts like outright ownership, into more flexible and user-friendly options like subscriptions," said Claire McGreal, Brand Strategy and Mobility Services Manager at Volkswagen UK. "Our pilot partnership with Drover is Volkswagen UK’s first exploratory step into subscription services, but represents the first shoots of something much bigger – an evolving brand."
"Subscription services in general offer the convenience, freedom and ease of use that people have come to expect from Volkswagen."
Felix Leuschner, Founder and CEO of Drover, added: "We are excited to start working with Volkswagen and Volkswagen Financial Services, and feel proud to be able to make this announcement. Together, we’re helping to drive a shift within the industry toward exploring new business models to meet the needs of the next generation driver.
“The partnership brings together some of the most popular cars in the world, with our innovative business model and we can’t wait to see how this can impact ownership as we know it."