International Motors Group, the official importer for Subaru, Isuzu and Great Wall in the UK, has announced the 2015 launch of its ‘ProParts’ range of automotive service and upgrade items.

Available through IM’s dealer network, the range offers OEM quality and warranty cover.

The move is a response to what IM says is the "predictable drift of owners with older cars away from its dealer network".

Cars within their warranty periods (now five years on most IM vehicles) will be serviced and maintained with the appropriate franchise’s OEM parts as normal.

ProParts is aimed at offering a range of service lines to allow dealers to rival independent factors and ‘fast-fit’ outlets.

The lines will initially include staples such as exhausts, brake pads and discs, windscreens, batteries, cabin filters and wiper blades.

Darren James, IM’s group director of parts and logistics, said, “The ProParts range is a very important tool for our dealer network.

"Not only does it allow us to compete squarely on price with the independent aftermarket to retain the owners of older cars, but it actually means we can out-compete them in terms of aftersales care and warranty coverage, meaning that our end-users get a much better deal all round.

"In the case of items like windscreens, our dealers will be able to buy them so competitively, that they will also be able to supply local specialists and bodyshops.

The range has been put together in conjunction with the world’s leading OEM suppliers, and supported by IM’s much vaunted logistics network, we are confident that our dealers will become a creditable alternative to high street factors and independent garages, whilst giving drivers a real choice, industry-leading back-up and genuine value for money.”