Kia Picanto service pricing fixed
Importer puts ACCC penalty behind it and promises no service will cost Picanto owners more than $415Kia has officially revealed the capped-price servicing details for its Picanto micro hatch – and over the seven-year warranty term the all-up cost of servicing a Picanto will be no more than $2345.
According to Kevin Hepworth, Kia Australia's General Manager – Media & Corporate Communications, the importer has conducted some careful market research to come up with competitive service pricing for the recently-launched Picanto. Kia has been understandably careful to make sure all the capped-price servicing details are spot-on after coming to grief with the ACCC last year.
During the course of the research, Kia stumbled across some questionable points in the capped-price servicing programs of other car companies, including direct competitors for the Picanto.
One particular rival "has six-month services on their costings, not 12," Hepworth explained to motoring.com.au. "So what looks like a really good price early on actually doubles up almost. It's 10,000km or six months."
Another rival was showing capped-price servicing details for the previous generation of its car on the company's public domain website, despite that car being recently replaced. Drilling down into what's covered indicates some carefully worded conditions and stipulations that might be overlooked by a consumer in the first flush of enthusiasm for purchasing a new car.
"Other than Micra, we are the only ones that replace brake fluid – and we do that every second scheduled [service], same as they do. We're the only ones that [replace] pollen filters at every service. None of the others do it at all," Hepworth observed.
Kia also replaces windscreen washer additive in every service, costing the owner no more than the official service price.
"A lot of companies, what they're doing is they're putting into their schedule 'inspect'… that doesn't include 'replace'," Hepworth continued.
Using brake fluid as an example, replenishment will be an extra cost over and above the fixed price.
Without naming names, Hepworth mentioned that one company had a disclaimer tucked away in the fine print allowing it the option of changing prices with just 48 hours' notice.
"It's the same stuff we got nailed for by the ACCC."
Picanto capped-price servicing schedule:
15,000km – $272
30,000km – $348
45,000km – $310
60,000km – $369
75,000km – $306
90,000km – $415
105,000km – $325
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