Pushing the envelope for better aftersales services is a vital component in any carmaker’s survival game in a challenging market such as India. To do just that, Volkswagen India has announced an enhanced aftersales package for all its products. The main highlights include a total of four years of free roadside assistance, a standard vehicle warranty of 4 years/1,00,000km and three free services in one year or up to 15,000km, whichever is earlier. These benefits apply to all VW cars sold in India on or after January 1, 2019. Quite a way to wish Happy New Year to all its loyalists and prospective customers!

Now, compare those benefits with what was being offered until December 31, 2018. All models came with two years of free roadside assistance, a standard warranty of 2 years/unlimited kilometres and one free service at 7,500km or 6 months, whichever is earlier. The service at 15,000km or 1 year was a paid one. Volkswagen claims that with the introduction of three free services within the first year of ownership, the regular service cost has dropped by at least 24 per cent.

To inject a much-needed level of transparency, Volkswagen has also placed a standard menu pricing across its dealer workshop in India. The said menu comprises of all the costs that a VW customer could potentially incur. Furthermore, the brand also utilised last year to bring the cost of spare parts at par with the industry standards.

Last year, Volkswagen India introduced the option of purchasing add-on warranty packages. The idea was to extend the warranty period beyond the standard timeline. Customers can purchase add-on warranty packages ranging up to 7 years or 1.25 lakh km. Apart from that, Volkswagen India also introduced ‘Digital Workplace Experience’ across all its dealerships pan India. Do let us know how you like Volkswagen’s latest attempt to bolter aftersales service in the comments section.