Kia Australia CEO Damien Meredith has cited Kia’s extended warranty as a key factor in the brand’s growth.
“If you look at where we were in 2014 and what happened in the following years, there was a dramatic jump in sales,” Meredith said in a media statement.
“So there’s no doubt it helped, but I think it was the most significant in that it gave Australians permission to look at the brand and that’s where the strength came from.
“I think our seven-year warranty was a fantastic catalyst for us, and it did a great job,” he added.
Skoda: Seven years/unlimited km
The Czech brand owned by Volkswagen became the first European manufacturer to offer a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty when it moved its offer from a promotion to a permanent mainstay in 2022.
The warranty covers private, government or fleet vehicles only, and excludes models used for commercial purposes such as taxis, rental cars and/or courier cars.
Skoda said the remaining warranty coverage “stays with the original car” if owners decide to sell their vehicle in the future.
“Ease of ownership, peace of mind and more metal for money – these are values on which Skoda prides itself,” Skoda Director, Michael Irmer, previously said in a media statement.
“Seven years’ warranty is full cover without common exclusions such as infotainment systems or starter batteries. We remain intent on becoming a leading brand in the sphere of lifetime ownership experience in Australia,” he added.
SsangYong: Seven years/unlimited km
The Korean carmaker’s seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty applies to new and demonstrator models purchased and delivered from 1 September 2018, regardless of use.
Ssangyong said the warranty period on ex-demonstrator vehicles begins the day the vehicle is registered and “put into service” as a demonstrator.
Customers will be “entitled to the remaining balance of the warranty period” if they opt to purchase a SsangYong demonstrator car.
This caveat applies to all SsangYong dealerships across Australia except in Western Australia, where the seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty starts from the day buyers purchase an ex-demonstrator vehicle.
LDV: Up to seven years/200,000km
LDV is one of the few manufacturers with a warranty period that varies depending on the specific model you buy.
The Chinese carmaker offers a seven-year/200,000km warranty on its T60 Max ute and Mifa people mover.
For its electric range, which encompasses the eT60 ute, Mifa 9, eDeliver 9 and eDeliver 7, LDV provides a five-year/160,000km warranty.
Different again is the LDV D90 SUV – the brand’s only SUV offering – which comes with a factory-backed five-year/130,000km warranty.
Meanwhile, LDV’s Deliver 9 range – which includes the Deliver 9 bus, van and cab chassis – has a three-year/160,000km warranty coverage, and the G10 and V80 Van have a warranty period of three years/100,000km.
Isuzu: Six years/150,000km
Isuzu offers its D-Max ute and MU-X SUV with a six-year, 150,000km warranty for models with a warranty start date on or after January 1, 2019.
The warranty excludes coverage for trays and accessories but can be transferred to subsequent owners.
Isuzu also covers its new vehicles with five years or 75,000km of flat-price servicing and seven years (with no kilometre limit) of roadside assistance.
BYD: Six years/150,000km
BYD – the second-best-selling electric vehicle manufacturer in Australia – currently offers customers a six-year/150,000km warranty period across its entire range.
The warranty coverage extends to all of its models regardless of use.
In 2022, the Chinese EV manufacturer originally announced it would offer a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty on its Atto 3 to compete with its compact SUV rival in the MG ZS EV, which then offered similar coverage, as previously reported by Drive.
