Buyers say they’d rather go for ‘remanufactured’ cars than approved used

Approved-used car programmes look set to be displaced by manufacturer-refurbished initiatives.

That’s according to new research by What Car? which found that buyers would opt for used models ‘remanufactured’ with new components rather than going for approved-used cars.

Brands such as Renault and Toyota have introduced manufacturer-refurbished – or  ‘remanufactured’ – programmes.

They involve used vehicles being taken back to a factory for retrofitting with new components or upgraded parts.

The manufacturers say that doing so will help them meet their environmental targets, as well as offer buyers more choice.

What Car?’s research of 903 in-market buyers showed that just 16.6 per cent had heard of manufacturer-refurbished or factory-refurbished programmes and knew what they were.

But after the process was explained, 55.7 per cent said they’d prefer to buy a refurbished used model over an approved-used model.

Nearly two-thirds (63.1 per cent) also said they’d be prepared to pay the same or more for a refurbished model versus an approved-used.

And more than a third (35.7 per cent) said they’d be tempted to keep their current car for longer if they knew they could send it to a factory to have it refurbished with new components.

What Car? editor Steve Huntingford said: ‘Manufacturer-refurbished programmes are a new concept in the industry, but something we’re likely to see a lot more of in the coming years as sustainability and recycling become increasingly important agendas for buyers and brands.

‘The concept offers a lot of benefits to buyers, as they’ll know they’ll be getting a factory-standard vehicle for less than the price of a new model, and our initial research shows there’s plenty of appetite for it in the industry.

‘The first challenge is to increase awareness, however, as only a minority of buyers are currently aware of the practice.’

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