Renault and Dacia dealerships in Ireland will have to, as all others, close in a physical sense during the current lockdown, but they are remaining open virtually for new car sales.
Virtual showroom
According to Renault Ireland, it's 'virtual showrooms' for both brands - where customers can talk to product experts who will answer questions and demonstrate the latest cars via live one-to-one video chat - are open seven days a week from 10am to 8pm.
Finance applications and trade-ins can be organised online, and for new customers, there's a click-and-deliver service in place, so a sanitised new car can be dropped to your house.
Special offers
Service departments at all 29 Renault and Dacia dealers will remain open, as that's seen as a critical service. Renault and Dacia's existing special offers remain in play too, on Clio and all-new Captur you can get €1,000 cashback, 3.9 per cent APR and three months' deferred payments.
On the new Mégane range, customers will receive €1,250 cashback, 3.9 per cent APR HP or PCP and three months' deferred payments, while Kadjar customers can take €1,500 cashback on top of the low APR offer and deferred payments.
Dacia's 211 offers on Duster and Sandero range have been extended to 31st January with Duster Prestige available at 0 per cent APR with three months' deferred payments and on new Sandero and Sandero Stepway Alternative dCi models there is €500 Cashback; 4.9 per cent APR and three months' deferred payments.
Number one in electric
In spite of the lockdown, Renault has retained its position as the best-selling electric car maker in Ireland. Last year, Renault sold 862 electric vehicles, mostly the Zoe hatchback, which put it ahead of Tesla, Nissan, Hyundai, Kia and Volkswagen. Renault will continue to offer its €1,000 'Green Grant', on top of the Government subsidy for all-new EV, hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars purchased before 31st January 2021. The €1,000 Green Grant and 2.11 per cent APR offer delivers "real value and real savings to customers", who can choose to defer the first three months' payments, making the switch to electric easier.
Patrick Magee, Country Operations Director, Renault Group Ireland said: "While entering 2021 in a level 5 lockdown is hard for everyone, customers can still buy cars and vans in new and different ways to the traditional sales routes and managing sales remotely through phone, email and online will become a much bigger part of all our businesses. We want to assure customers that they can still collect their existing ordered cars safely and that dealerships will offer 'click and deliver' and deliver to their homes safely, and that although it may not be business as normal, we are open virtually for business. Maintaining the No.1 EV Manufacturer status in Ireland is hugely important to us as pioneers and leaders of electric vehicles in Europe, and with our electric range of cars and vans and our new hybrid and plug-in hybrid offerings, we hope to see many more customers make the switch in 2021."