News in brief: Vauxhall revives the Frontera; Fleet transactions up through 1Link; Insurance relief for Range Rover customers

Vauxhall Frontera makes a comeback

AFTER a break of 35 years, Vauxhall is reviving the Frontera nameplate. It returns as an all-new electric SUV making it entirely suitable for BCH and salary sacrifice customers.

Vauxhall describes it as a “fun car with functional features”. It will join the all-electric Grandland which is also launching this year.

Vauxhall says the arrival of the battery-electric variant of the new Frontera will mark an important milestone in the British brand’s transition to becoming a fully electric brand.

epyx sees SMR transactions rise 6%

The epxy 1link Service Network saw a rise of 6% for SMR transactions through its platform in 2023.

According to epyx, the 1link Service Network is used by fleets totalling more than 4m cars, vans and trucks to manage their SMR processes, working with over 8,500 franchise dealers, independent garages and fast fits.

Tim Meadows (pictured), chief commercial officer at epyx, said that 2023’s figures followed on from a successful 2022, when record annual growth had been recorded.

“There have been a number of trends powering growth in transactions through the platform. The key general fact is that fleets continue to operate cars and vans for much longer than prior to the pandemic, meaning they simply require more SMR actions.

“While there are some indications that this situation is in the process of stabilising as new vehicle supply gradually improves, the prospect of returning to the shorter replacement cycles seen previously seems remote, at least for the foreseeable future.”

Bespoke insurance for Range Rover customers

Range Rover has launched its own insurance product for its new and used customers.

Provided through Land Rover Insurance, Range Rover says the product is designed for clients who may be facing challenges with increasing insurance premiums, which are affecting the industry.

However, recent reports suggest that Range Rovers have become virtually uninsurable due to the constant targeting by thieves and villains.

“Customers of luxury cars and other luxury goods are experiencing an increase in thefts due to organised criminal activity in the UK. The desirability of our luxury vehicles, coupled with concerns around thefts, has recently led to challenges in obtaining insurance cover for some clients.

“We are fully committed to doing everything we can to address this by adopting a multifaceted approach: from our significant investment in vehicle security, to now providing our own insurance.

“While our new insurance proposition is a key milestone, we want to reassure clients that we will continue monitoring and refining our service so that even more clients can take advantage of it.”

Patrick McGillycuddy, JLR UK managing director Tweet