Renault takes the top spot in the Auto Express Driver Power Dealer Aftersales Service Survey 2016.

• Renault rated number one in industry for dealer aftersales service
• Owners were 94.4 per cent on average satisfied with their aftersales experience
• Renault climbs from 12th place in 2015
• Impressive results for Groupe Renault with Dacia finishing in second place overall

Renault has achieved its best ever performance in the Auto Express Driver Power survey for Dealer Aftersales Service Satisfaction, topping the survey for the first time. Across the whole Renault range, customers were on average 94.4 per cent satisfied with their overall aftersales experience at a Renault dealership in the 2016 survey.

The impressive result sees the French car manufacturer rise through the rankings from 12^th, out of 31 brands, in the survey in 2015.

The announcement comes after Renault received its best ever ranking in the Auto Express Driver Power vehicle ownership survey, with the ZOE electric supermini and Renault Kadjar crossover awarded second and third overall respectively out of 183 vehicles surveyed.

Mark Crockett, Director of Total Customer Experience, Groupe Renault UK & Ireland, said: “This outstanding result demonstrates the progression of our vehicles and reaffirms our commitment to customer service throughout the entire lifespan of our cars. We are delighted to have topped the list, especially as this comes directly from our own customers. This ranking comes at a time when we are also selling a record number of vehicles in the UK. We strive to provide customers with the very-best ownership experience, and 94.4 per cent of customers stating they have been satisfied with our After Sales service is proof of that.”

Brian Walters, Director of Research and Insights at Driver Power, said: "Renault improved in all six of the Driver Power aftersales attributes, most notably in keeping its customers informed on progress and cost of work, and the technical knowledge of its workshop employees. Renault now leads the industry with respect to the helpfulness and attitude of its dealership personnel. In fact, Renault is among the top three brands in all six of the Driver Power dealer attributes."

The result is partly attributed to the redefinition of the Groupe Renault UK Services and Quality division in early 2016 to two new departments: Total Customer Experience (TCE) and After Sales.  TCE supports a further emphasis on customer experience and performance and demonstrates the brand’s collective commitment to positively driving customer experience throughout the business and its dealer network. The TCE team is now also complemented by a new Customer Journey team in order to deliver the best possible Renault experience to customers, whilst After Sales now has a renewed focus on the commercial operations of parts, accessories, options and services functions.

Over the last few years the Groupe Renault UK dealer network has been investing in a new physical showroom experience for its customers with 132 new ‘Renault Store’ showroom concepts already opened across the country adding a completely new dimension to customers’ buying experiences. The concept includes a striking new exterior look to the dealerships, featuring new corporate colours and signage, a dedicated brand bar and specific model zones. Combined with the youngest model line-up of any generalist car manufacturer in the UK and the new TCE and After Sales divisions, this means that a customer will have a completely different Renault experience when they walk into a showroom than they would have done just four years ago.

The result is further proof that Groupe Renault UK is on track to complete its GO5+ 5-year mid-term plan –two objectives of which are to secure a top 10 ranking in the Auto Express Driver Power Customer Ownership Survey and also a top 10 Global Opinion rank for the Renault brand by 2017.

Full Five Star award in latest Euro NCAP tests for the Volkswagen Touran.

• Maximum five-star rating for all-new Touran MPV
• High scores recorded in all four EuroNCAP test categories
• Based on Volkswagen’s MQB platform with a range of new safety systems and features
• New Touran available to order now from £22,240 – first deliveries in December

The all-new Volkswagen Touran has been awarded a five-star rating by independent safety organisation Euro NCAP – with an overall score that marks it out as one of the safest and most protective family cars in the industry.

Set to arrive in the UK in December, the new Touran excelled in the latest round of Euro NCAP tests, thanks to its a first-class safety package that includes an optimised body structure, highly effective belt, seat and airbag combination and innovative driver assistance systems. 

The Touran performed strongly in all four key areas: occupant protection for adults and children, pedestrian protection and safety assistance, and highlighted Volkswagen’s commitment to occupant and pedestrian safety.

Euro NCAP has been regarded as one of the most important benchmarks for vehicle safety in Europe since 1997. The new Touran was put through the organisation’s newest and most rigorous test programme, and recorded an 88 per cent rating for adult safety. The tests carried

out included:

• Frontal impact into a deformable barrier at 40mph with 40 per cent overlap
• Frontal impact at 30mph into a rigid barrier with 100 per cent overlap
• Impact from the side at 30mph into the vehicle side structure
• Side impact against a pole at 20mph

The new family MPV also recorded excellent results in the important child protection sub-section. Thanks to ISOFIX and top tether child seat anchors being fitted as standard, the new Touran achieved over 89 per cent of the available points. 

In the pedestrian protection category, the Touran was given a total score of 71 per cent with recognition of the Touran’s numerous engineering features designed to reduce the risk of injury to passers-by.

The new Touran is available to order now with prices starting from £22,240. Based on Volkswagen’s MQB platform, the new model offers more space, greater practicality and lower running costs than the previous model. 

Safety equipment includes airbags for driver and front-seat passenger (with front-seat passenger airbag deactivation and including knee airbag on the driver's side) and a head airbag system for front and rear-seat passengers, including side airbags. 

The new Touran also has systems such as Electronic Stability Control (ESC), including ABS with Brake Assist, Automatic Post-Collision Braking, a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System and Driver Alert on board as standard.

Five Star rating for new Qashqai, with maximum points for driver.

• Maximum points scored for driver in front and side impact protection
• Exceptional performance in child protection tests
• Innovative Safety Shield technologies in the  new Qashqai  help to avoid accidents

The all-new Nissan Qashqai secured a five-star rating by independent safety organisation Euro NCAP.

The new model, which is now on sale across Europe, features a host of new and highly innovative safety features which helped it confidently pass all Euro NCAP's increasingly stringent tests to record the maximum five-star rating.

High levels of protection

During front impact tests, the passenger compartment of the Qashqai remained stable, with dummy readings indicating good protection for the knees and femurs of the driver and passenger. The driver dummy scored maximum points, with good protection of all body regions. Maximum points were also scored in the side barrier test with all parts of the body well protected.

Designed and engineered to offer the best possible levels of protection for children, the new Qashqai also shone in the Child Occupant tests. Based on readings from the child dummies used in the dynamic tests, the Qashqai scored maximum points for its protection of an 18-month old infant.  

Completing the report, the Qashqai's front bumper scored maximum points for the protection provided to pedestrians' legs.

Safety designed in from the start

A key factor in the Qashqai's strong Euro NCAP performance was its highly advanced network of safety features. Packaged together to form an innovative Nissan Safety Shield, the new Qashqai's electronic systems combine to offer the driver and occupants extremely high levels of passive protection. The new Qashqai's Safety Shield technologies incorporate Forward Emergency Braking, Driver Attention Alert, Lane Departure Warning, High Beam Assist and Traffic Sign Recognition. The Nissan Safety Shield also features Blind Spot Warning and Moving Object Detection, systems made possible and accessible thanks to Nissan's acclaimed Around View Monitor technology.

New Qashqai: defining the second-generation crossover

Premium technology, second-generation crossover design and enhanced dynamics all combine to form the backbone of the new Nissan Qashqai. With the original version having recorded more than two million sales, Nissan used its unrivalled knowledge and experience to design and engineer the perfect family car.

Building on the core values and strengths of the first-generation model, the all-new Qashqai combines style, technology and excitement in a unique and thoroughly original package.

A remarkable success story... already

The five-star Euro NCAP test result is the latest in a succession of high-profile achievements recorded by Nissan and the new Qashqai. Production of the new car has been seamlessly integrated into Nissan's record-breaking Sunderland (UK) plant, with a new model completed every 61 seconds.

The second-generation has also proved a hit with the world's media, with leading UK editorial brand What Car? awarding its Car of the Year 2014 title to the all-new Qashqai.

New Qashqai - a truly international car

Designed and engineered in Europe, for Europe, the new Qashqai has been created by Nissan's experts at Nissan Design Europe (London, UK) and Nissan Technical Centre Europe (Cranfield, UK and Barcelona, Spain). Extensive input has also come from Nissan's designers and engineers in Atsugi, Japan.