KUALA LUMPUR – In April 2019, TC Euro Cars, the brand guardian of Renault vehicles in Malaysia launched their car subscription service. This was a new way to own a car in Malaysia. An easy way to explain this service is to call this program ‘car leasing’.
This means, you never own the vehicle, you rent it with the idea of never worrying about maintenance, resale value, depreciation and wear and tear. You just pay a fixed monthly fee and drive (but you must keep to a reasonable yearly mileage of 20,000 kilometers).
Subscription durations start from as low as 1 month (30 days) and there is no down-payment needed.
The take up rate started a little slow and within a few months’ word got out and more urban Malaysians started taking up subscriptions instead of outright purchase and this also included company accountants taking up Renaults for their fleet needs.
This subscription success prompted a competitor, FLUX, to offer their service with added zest which started in October 2019. FLUX came into the market with a range of vehicles that included a BMW 3 Series, Kia Sportage, Mini Countryman, Mercedes A-Class and even a cheerful compact Kia Picanto. FLUX reached out to a wider market with their luxury cars and a program that looked from 30 days up to 3 years. With an initial number of 57 cars in their fleet, the business grew fast as the Malaysian economy was also growing.
Now, fast forward to October 2020, and both companies have grown in volume with a wider range of offerings and business is better because more urban Malaysians have started to realize and appreciate the need to have trouble free motoring in their daily life.
If you have owned a car in the last 7 to 8 years, you will be quick to understand that it is more important to have a trouble-free motoring experience in urban working life over having a dream car that sits in your car porch year after year with recall issues, reliability issues, after sales headaches and warranty claims. This sadly, is the new car ownership norm.
As cars get more technology-filled to cater to a growing requirement by new car buyers, issues will crop up and you spend time regularly visiting the dealer’s after sales outlet more than enjoying your favorite cup of coffee.
Before Renault Subscription and FLUX appeared, there was Socar which offered more like a car renting service. Short term, a few hours - to long term, and choices of cars according to your budget. They offered simple basic cars like the Perodua Bezza, to the sexy Mini and BMW 3 Series. With over 2,000 cars in their fleet and more than 1,000 zones to pickup and send back the cars, Socar’s business has been booming.
Then in February this year, Socar started their very own AirBnB for cars, called Trevo. This new service allowed car owners to earn extra income by ‘renting’ their cars out for a few hours, a day or more. For users, it was 20 percent to 30 percent cheaper than regular car rental.
Which Is Best?
Well, all three services offer urban Malaysians the chance to be mobile with zero ownership stress. For style conscious individuals, FLUX might be the answer, but you need to pay for it. For the young, trendy and hip new car owner, Renault Subscription might be your gateway to easy cost effective mobility. For someone who needs occasional transport, weekend breaks, heavy dating and emergency transportations across Malaysia, Trevo might be the answer.
At the end of the day only you can decide and we are just presenting the possible options right here.
Current Offers
Renault Subscription has just announced that it will be making its 1-Month Trial Plan with the Captur available for just RM699 (normal price: RM1,499), inclusive of road tax, insurance, regular servicing and unlimited mileage. No booking fee or security deposit is needed. The offer ends on 31 October 2020 and only 100 units are available, on a first come first served basis.
To celebrate being operational for a year, Flux is offering a 50 percent discount on the first 3 months of fees on all their car subscriptions reserved in October 2020.
Then there is Socar which recently offered those who used the promo code DEMIRAKYAT a 50 percent discount for a minimum booking of 48 hours up to 14 days. This promotion has sadly ended and was valid for all cars except the Mini Cooper and BMW in all zones in the Klang Valley and Putrajaya.
In addition, there is also a promo for Trevo, Socar’s very own people-to-people car sharing marketplace. From this week until 20 October 2020, a 50 percent discount will be given to all Guests who use the promo code DEMIRAKYAT to make a minimum booking of two days up to 14 days, with a cap of RM500.00. This promo code is applicable for all car bookings by Guests travelling from 14 to 27 October 2020 in Kota Kinabalu and the Klang Valley . – The Vibes, October xx, 2020
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