Renault pilots Minute aftersales programme

Renault is looking to keep owners of older models within its franchised network, raising aftersales profits for dealers, with the pilot launch of Minute.

The fast-fit operation, based on a similar scheme in France, is initially being piloted in Dixon Motors' Barnsley and Huddersfield outlets in Yorkshire, before rolling out to 10 sites by the end of the year. Within a further two years Renault plans to have around 80 sites in the UK.

A Renault spokesman said Minute would “speed up the servicing process” by specialising in jobs that could be completed in less than two hours, such as exhaust replacement and oil changes. The while-you-wait service also removes the need for costly courtesy cars.

Dixon's dealerships were chosen because they already had large service facilities, he added, which were located in a region where there were “fewer Kwik-Fit type competitors”. He said Renault might extend Minute to include other makes as a long-term objective, but claimed there were no plans to involve Nissan dealers.