The road ahead

What to expect when buying a car now

CAR sales probably have been the biggest retail casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s hard to think of any other retail sector that took a 97% tumble, a staggering blow to add to the problems it has faced in recent years, not least from the influx of UK imports.

VRT and VAT revenue on car sales are important to the Exchequer coffers, so it was little surprise that dealerships and service operations were in Phase One of the reopening roadmap last Monday.

The Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) had already issued guidelines to its members in this regard, as had the major importers to their franchise holders. These include a significant level of investment in hand disinfectant, PPE equipment, signage, training, acrylic glass, specialist vehicle sanitising equipment and other procedures.

‘The size of dealerships relative to footfall lends itself to social distancing, while sanitisation and other measures being put in place for both premises and vehicles should give customers reassurance,’ says Brian Cooke, director general of SIMI. ‘The industry has already played an important role during the lockdown in supporting emergency and essential services, and the increased opening will allow members to contribute to their local economies in terms of business activity and supporting employment.’

Quietly and without fanfare, many have loaned vehicles to frontline staff; one company I contacted made available two cars to the daughters of a friend of mine, as both are doctors. The public relations person there asked I make no fuss — they simply wanted to help.

EVERY major brand also has increased its warranties by three months to make up for the time many cars were off the road, so if yours expired at the end of March, for instance, it now is in place until the end of June, offering you ample time for a service and any work that needs to be carried out under warranty.

As for dealerships, the Volkswagen Group measures are emblematic of what is happening across the industry as a whole.

SEAT is offering a free Sanity System vehicle clean to all customers at no cost as part of any new or used car collection and any service, maintenance or warranty visit to a SEAT workshop. The offer is available across SEAT’s retail network in Ireland for a period of three months.

The natural cleaning system, which regenerates and purifies the air within vehicles, is designed to provide confidence and peace of mind for customers who are returning to dealerships following the period of lockdown. It kills more than 99% of germs and bacteria present in the cockpit and air conditioning system in cars, and is a powerful cleaning agent in the fight against allergies, asthma and infections because it destroys the microbial charge present in the air and on surfaces.

Škoda has introduced social distancing guidance in the showroom, hand sanitisers for staff and customers as they enter, the use of protective equipment, regular cleaning and disinfection of exhibited and test drive cars, protective screens at reception and sales people’s desks, disposable covers on seats, gearstick and steering wheels, the same Sanity system of cleaning, and remote temperature units that monitor people’s temperatures when they enter the showroom at selected dealers.

Many Škoda dealers will collect or deliver vehicles to the customer’s home, and are also offering a remote sales service whereby you can contact them via WhatsApp or e-mail, and they will present you with product information on the car you are interested in. This could include extensive video footage from the salesperson outlining all the details of the car.

Volkswagen itself has introduced what it calls the Safer Measures system. All counters and workplaces are disinfected regularly, thorough hand washing is practised by all staff, and distance measures are in place in all seating areas, service bays, parts areas and workshops.

Should you need to have your car serviced, you can book by phone or online, and from there, the process is contactless. Technicians practise best hygiene measures, and workshop tools are disinfected between use. All vehicles are cleaned and sanitised inside and out before the vehicle is handed back to the customer. Customers also can log on to

to assist in choosing what sort of new car best suits their needs — be that petrol, diesel, hybrid or full EV. Sales staff are available through remote contact, by telephone, e-mail contact forms or Live Chat to guide them through the process.

When a customer does come to the premises, he or she is greeted with signage outlining clear instructions on how to proceed, and staff observe strict social distancing measures during any vehicle demonstration, test drive and handover.

It’s a whole new world, but one that we will have to get used to. For the industry itself, there also is the hope that 202 registrations, beginning on 1 July, will restore some impetus and save what very likely will be the worst year since 2009, when sales bottomed out at just over 57,000 cars.

With 50,166 already sold year to date, it won’t be as bad as that trough, but it will come nowhere near last year’s total of 117,100 new cars sold.