VW, Economy Parts program
What is tasty in the "package"?
The information is promising. The Economy Parts program is designed for cars older than five years. It supposedly will reduce the cost of repairs and maintenance. Components for train cars are produced at the plants of the concern, which means that their quality is ensured by corporate standards, therefore, the highest. As with original spare parts for new cars, Economy parts are given a 2-year warranty. However, all these goodies are only in the “package”: spare parts + their installation in VW / Škoda / SEAT branded technical centers.
Interests and tricks
With skepticism I go for clarifications to the top manager of VW Group Rus Zdenek Dresler - the patron of the project Economy Parts.
Zdenek, why did this company take care of old cars when there is enough trouble in the highly competitive new market? Let the owner hurt his head … Or did the interests of profit play a key role in launching the program?
Zdenek Dresler, VW Group
- Do not look for a trick: the interests of car owners and ours coincide. They will receive inexpensive products, but we will maintain the reputation of a manufacturer of quality products. I will explain how. Nowadays, buyers of new cars are guided by a certain list of desirable characteristics of candidate cars. Now for our machines, the criterion of extended durability is becoming much more tangible than before. And guaranteed.
“But there is no“lack of fish”in the spare parts market: there are more than enough of them for VW Group machines
- And the quality? We could not track the condition of the cars if users purchased parts of any kind. Say, the Chinese, yes, have passed the tests, but in an organization unknown to us, not according to our methodology. Who will vouch for their reliability?
Not “worse,” but “others”
Your economy spare parts are cheaper than the original ones, but then, logically, they are made of less reliable materials. Meanwhile, the warranty period for both is the same …
- There is no contradiction. We use materials for the economy class no worse, but others. For example, in exhaust systems, stainless steel was replaced with aluminized steel. The walls are thickened, the body is two-layer - and those sitting in the cabin feel acoustic comfort. The design of the resonant silencer eliminates the possibility of condensation accumulation: there are no areas where it could accumulate, which, of course, reduces the risk of corrosion. Misting can not be avoided, but the perforated inner pipes are designed so that immediately after starting the engine, even from a cold muffler, the liquid is blown out with exhaust gases … There are enough conditions for the component to serve for a long time, right?
Another thing is that the service life of the product may be shorter than that of the component for a new car. But you must admit why a muffler is needed for a 10-year-old car, which will last another 10 years and survive all other components and assemblies!
VW, Economy Parts program
This is a silencer, and what about brake pads: they have to be changed much more often
- Everyone knows that their shelf life is variable, it depends on driving style, weather and operating conditions. For us, the measure of reliability is the braking distance. Both the original and economy pads are the same.
Sorry, but not convinced. At the lowest base counterfeit, the braking distance at first is also a reference, another thing is how long the product retains its characteristics. If the kit "lives" for three months and 3 thousand km, we do not need this
- The durability of Economy pads was determined in different, up to incredible, conditions. Firstly, in the three-week test by nature, the Grossglockner high-mountain road, famous for its complexity and treachery. For tens of thousands of kilometers, replacing worn out ones with new ones, they tormented the pads with extreme loads on test benches. In total - 250, 000 km "at a distance" … Ultimately, I can say that Economy pads can last at least a year.
Owners of old cars will probably ask: what other parts are under the Economy Part program?
- Those that are most susceptible to wear: silencers, brake discs, spark plugs, shock absorbers, batteries … Many items. These are spare parts for Volkswagen passenger cars and commercial vehicles. But not only for passenger cars Škoda and Seat.
Overpayment misconception
“Still, many will hesitate to accept your terms.” After all, you offer spare parts, as they say, “ with a load”, that is, only in branded technical centers. "Takeaway" is impossible.
- There is a common truth that many neglect: the part will last a long time if it is mounted with a special tool and the hands of a qualified mechanic.
Yes, but it is on the one hand. And on the other hand, the client leaves more money in branded service stations than in non-branded service stations
- A common misconception! It is confusing that in a service without a reputation, the rate of payment for a standard hour is lower. But after all, our masters with their skills and special tools do everything faster, and therefore the amount of the check will still be less than in a third-party technical center. I assure you that customers save in branded service stations.
Age qualification
You propose to use economy spare parts in cars older than five years. Why not in 3-4 years?
- Clearly, the temptation to save is great. However, judge for yourself: we tested the economy parts by installing them on old cars, and we know how they work in them. Whether the younger ones will take root is another question. For example, for new cars almost annually tighten the standards for the content of harmful substances in the exhaust. What will happen if you install in a fresh car a part of the exhaust system designed for a car of previous years of production and which does not ensure compliance with standards? You can not go through a state inspection. Another option: an economy part will simply not be in place in a new one, because the geometry of the component has changed.
VW, Economy Parts program
Do you need to understand that the Economy Parts program was designed specifically for the Russian Federation, because our terms of owning one car exceed, by world standards, all conceivable limits?
- Russia is not unique in this respect. Say, in the Czech Republic, the age of owning a car by its first owner is 14 years. (To avoid misunderstandings: the program, of course, is entitled to use both the second and subsequent owners.) In this country, the Economy Parts program has already been run-in, and judge by its popularity by indicators. They began to implement the program last year, but over the 9 months of this year, the turnover of economical spare parts has increased by 80%. It turns out that the audience appreciated: repairing cars is convenient and profitable.
How much is it in rubles?
“Profitable” is how much?
- Compare. The original muffler for the new car costs 4, 511 rubles, the economy class - 2170, that is, 52% cheaper. On brake pads, savings will be more than 40%, shock absorbers are about half cheaper. The average savings for all parts is about 25%.
Do not ask to compare the prices of spare parts of the economy segment from VW Group and the cost of others sold on the market. They may be cheaper, but it is not known whether the money for which they are sold is worth it.
