Zero per cent offer to give Captur, Clio a kick-along

AMIDST ferocious competition in the small-SUV segment, Renault Australia is hoping to capture some interest in its new Captur by offering zero-interest finance.

Managing director of Renault Australia Justin Hocevar hopes that a new zero per cent finance offer for the small-sized SUV and the Clio will lift sales for both models.

Launched in February, the Captur has been caught in the crossfire of some of the small SUV’s strongest performers, the Mazda CX-3, the Honda CR-V and Mitsubishi ASX.

The Mazda has already netted an 8.6 per cent share of the sector with 4251 sales recorded for the first six months of 2015, while the HR-V holds 10.5 per cent with 5191 sales for the same period, and class-leading Mitsubishi ASX commands a 12.1 per cent share with 5984 sales year-to-date.

The Captur holds just 1.3 per cent of the small SUV market, with 650 units sold in the four months since its launch.

“Captur is a vehicle we have great ambition for, and it’s been extremely successful for the brand on a world stage,” said Mr Hocevar.

“We were unfortunately late to get it to the Australian market, and it certainly didn’t do us any favours launching it in between two other strong competitors in this segment.”

Last year, Renault sold 196,000 units of the Captur worldwide.

Mr Hocevar said that the company sees improvements in key leading indicators for the Captur, while June’s figure of 170 was its strongest to date. He hopes that the zero per cent offer will bring more buyers through the doors.

“We think that’s a great way to add value we know it’s priced well and specced well, but we wanted to stand out in the market as a viable alternative,” he said.

“By putting low rate finance on the vehicle, it’s a good way to make it stand out.”

The Clio, meanwhile, has logged 1386 sales in 2015, up 26.3 per cent on the same period last year. However, it is a long way behind sector leaders Mazda2 (7692) and Toyota Yaris (7567).

A limited edition 220 Cup version of the RenaultSport Clio is expected early in 2016.

Having just announced that the company will abandon both the Australian small and medium sedan sectors, Mr Hocevar sees a potential to focus upon the growth of Renault’s other categories.

“We’ll be well placed to focus our energies upon those products in those key segments that are representing good growth,” he said.

The finance deal for the Captur and the Clio is available for vehicles ordered between July 1 and September 30, and delivered before the end of November 2015.