Colin Christie

MORE pop-up stores, mobile service vans and an expanded test drive program but no plans to disrupt the Subaru dealer network are part of a 10-year outlook by Subaru Australia managing director Colin Christie.

Mr Christie also said that the inclusion of Peugeot and Citroen under the same Inchcape Australia parent distributor as Subaru, would not affect Subaru.

“The two businesses are run completely separately and that’s the way Inchcape operates,” he said.

“I’m not sure if Trivett (Inchcape’s retail group) is onboard with Peugeot franchises – I don’t have anything to do with that – so in terms of the business within Inchcape, we have some service functions but they are completely separate.

“There will be a full management structure to run Peugeot and there will be an announcement about a new public affairs representative in the near future.

We can help each other but they are to be separate businesses.”

Mr Christie, who succeeded long-standing head of the brand and now boss of parent Inchcape Australia, Nick Senior, said this week that its volume selling Impreza passenger car and new-generation XV compact SUV, would form the vanguard in trialling new sales concepts.

“Subaru is giving people options,” he told GoAutoNews Premium. “It is our job to see what they want and then for us to put those concepts or programs into practice.”

The concepts include new pop-up stores, an expanded mobile service van coverage that now includes Melbourne, more online services including access to a test drive program and a post-purchase free service for customers who want more information about their vehicle’s technology.

Overriding these new programs is Mr Christie’s confirmation that the traditional dealership will remain in place for at least the next 10 years. (See separate story)

The first step for Subaru Australia is rolling out a new test-drive program for customers that is expected to be launched within two months.

“We will use Facebook to market it to gauge the level of interest and then it will go through our Build and Buy online platform to allow people to book test drives,” he said.

“We will trial it initially in a few different locations and get feedback from the customers and dealers and then we’ll improve the process and then roll it out nationally.

“We’ll start with Impreza and XV because they are the top selling models.

“The time available to the customer to test drive will depend. The reality is the dealer will drop it off at the person’s house and then introduce the car and do the test drive.

“But we also have programs such as Drive It Your Way which we have had for a long time for customers who want a longer test, for example, overnight. These can be arranged through a dealer.”

Subaru will open three new pop-ups in three states next month specifically to showcase the XV that was launched in its second-generation version this week.

The three mini-stores – at shopping centres in Castle Hill, Sydney; Highpoint in Melbourne’s Maribyrnong; and Queen Street Mall in CBD Brisbane – add to Subaru’s first concept outlet at Werribee and which has now become permanent.

Mr Christie said the new pop-ups will showcase the technology of the XV – including explaining the workings of Subaru’s EyeSight safety system – but will also allow test drives from cars in the shopping centre carparks.

SubaruWerribee

“We have terrific feedback from this shopping-centre test drive program because for them it is real life environment,” he said.

“Werribee is selling 45 cars a month. Now it will have a mobile service van. We know that we have lost some customers who wanted a service facility for their car but now we will be able to service the customers from Werribee.”

Subaru Australia last month added a third mobile service van, based in Melbourne to complement the two in Sydney.

“We are also just about to expand the mobile service program into fleets so we can visit offices and maintain cars,” Mr Christie said. “This will include fleets.

“We are trialling two things – firstly as a service for customers of traditional dealers and the second as a support with Werribee for customers who have no access to service departments.

“The feedback has been encouraging and something we’ll roll-out elsewhere.”

The vans are able to do tasks such as lift the customer’s car, safely remove oil, fit new parts and re-gas the air-conditioning. It is limited to vehicles made since 2012 because Mr Christie said that is when the new engine type was introduced and “it means we can reduce the amount of spares we carry”.

“Surveys show 80 per cent of Subaru’s new-car owners go back to their dealer for servicing,” he said.

“This percentage is one of the highest in the industry in Australia and I think only Toyota is ahead.

Subaru BuildnBuy

“Mobile servicing will increase the service contact with customers.”

Mr Christie said fast services at dealerships were also an option for customers.

“It needs to be booked and takes about 40 minutes – actually we allocate an hour but it’s a multi-technician task and this ‘pitstop’ philosophy is generally done quicker.”

Customers also have access to a post-service program that was introduced 12 months ago to assist them with understanding their cars.

“It is a free service that we do because some customers want to know more about their car,” he said.

“A lot of the queries are about the infotainment centre so we teach them how it works and how to personalise it. We have a take-up rate of 80-85 per cent within the first four to six weeks of ownership.”

By Neil Dowling