Kwik-Fit is keeping quiet over the progress of a trial which has seen six of its outlets expand their service to include servicing and MoTs.

The locations included in the trial, known as Supercentres, are three times the size of a normal Kwik-Fit operation with around 20 staff, compared with five or six at typical Kwik-Fit sites.

Each offers MoT testing, servicing and mechanical repairs in addition to the usual tyre and exhaust fitting. The pilot was the brainchild of former chief executive Tim Parker, who is now chief executive at the AA.

A Kwik-Fit spokesman would not be drawn on the progress of the initiative, which began at the beginning of the year, or how long it will continue. “We will not be making further comments until the Supercentres have undergone evaluation, and at the moment we don’t want to mislead motorists. They are still under trial,” he says.

However, staff at the company’s freephone customer line seem unaware of the Supercentres. One operator states: “I’ve not heard of them, and Kwik-Fit doesn’t do servicing any longer.” The business used to provide servicing through its HomeTune subsidiary, which has since been sold.

Nevertheless, a call to one of Kwik-Fit’s Cardiff operations confirmed servicing is still available. A member of staff revealed that the term Supercentre was applied to branches that meet a specific threshold of monthly turnover, but was unable to disclose the figure.