Care by Volvo on the table for Australia
Swedish brand to expand customer base in Australia with pre-tax subscription service and ride sharing?Volvo Australia is evaluating its suite of concierge services – Care by Volvo – for Australia, but not before it introduces a telematics-based mobile phone app to maintain vehicle security and safety.
Asked about Care by Volvo during last week's launch of the second-generation XC60, Greg Bosnich, Volvo Australia's Director of PR, told motoring.com.au that the importer was still some way off from announcing a decision.
"We don't know a great deal about [Care by Volvo], but what we do know is it requires a thing called Volvo On Call. And Volvo On Call isn't currently here in Australia – and we're not getting access to it for at least another 18 months."
That's the same message Volvo delivered for the global reveal of the XC40 (pictured) a month back. According to Bosnich, Volvo On Call is similar in concept to Holden's recently announced OnStar service for its Equinox SUV, but goes a step or two further.
Volvo On Call provides the means for a vehicle owner with a mobile phone to lock or unlock the car remotely, as well as start and stop the engine, immobilise the vehicle if stolen and track the vehicle. In markets where it's already available, the service will also direct emergency services to a vehicle crash or breakdown. In this respect, Volvo is playing catch-up with at least one of its prestige rivals.
Volvo On Call is the essential infrastructure the company needs before it can offer Aussie consumers Care by Volvo, which requires the car to be connected for some of the associated services, such as fuelling, cleaning, service pick-up and e-commerce.
Asked how Care by Volvo would work in Australia – a country where novated leasing is one of the pillars for new-car sales – Bosnich agreed that salary sacrifice could be an integral element of the service, rolled out here.
"We'll have to have a look to see how it would fit in the local landscape, but I think that's effectively the concept – the fact that you can subscribe, you can pay per month.
"There's a couple of countries [testing the concept] – the UK I think is trialling it right now."
Bosnich confirmed that Volvo Australia anticipated a timeframe of "12 to 18 months" for Volvo On Call to go live in the local market.
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