The motor show wants to reassure customers about their mobility

The Brussels Motor Show is back after two years of the pandemic. The edition in five palaces, smaller than the previous one, is generally considered successful. This is in particular for manufacturers to reconnect with individual customers which is currently avoiding the new car market.

A study by Traxio, the dealers’ association, however suggests that 20% of Belgian individuals say they want to buy a new car this year.

To review the Heysel palaces, the word seems clear: it is a question of reassuring customers in the face of rising prices floating and electrifying vehicles. “The customer does not have to accept the technological risk on his shoulders,” reaffirms Denis Gorteman, CEO of D’Ieteren Auto.

Long hesitant in front of subscription or monthly payment formulas, the Belgian customer will be more and more ready to take the plunge. The trend is also European. “We are about half of sales to individuals made with financing. Of this half, half have loyalty products with a promise of residual value behind”, details Fabrice Cambolive, COO of Renault.

We are thinking here of all these types of contracts with balloon credit or others where there is a real guarantee on the recovery values ​​of the vehicles.

The Dutch from DirectLease welcome you an electric MG at 329 euros per month for a 60-month show contract.

Because of this, Belgium will “get on the train”. About 22.5% of Belgian customers now opt for this type of product with monthly payments such as balloon credits at Renault Belgiumabounds Martin Domise, the boss of Renault in our market.

“It’s not just individuals. Everyone is looking for security. The professional market was also shocked by the huge inflation, prices of materials, etc.“, details Jeroen Lissens, spokesman for BMW in Belgium. “Today 75% of customers opt for an all-in formula,” he added.

Clearly, today’s car buyers want to protect themselves from market uncertainties, whether in the value of cars, choice of engines or the inflation of after-sales prices. “I can tell you what an interview costs today, I can’t tell you what it will cost a year from now,” Gorteman said.

You have to “reassure the customer” and tell him to “choose what best suits your situation”, believes Gorteman. This is what its teams will try to do with guaranteed residual value or private lease offers. The idea is that the customer can change his rifle without problems in the future.

But that’s only part of the solution you’ll find at the Auto Show. At Astara, which imports Hyundai, Suzuki, MG, etc., Olivier Serneus believes it is about presenting electrification to customers as mobility services.

The company thus markets S04 quadricycles from the Spanish brand Silence with replaceable batteries. These are “L7e” approved vehicles which are not cars and cannot exceed 90 km/h.

Silence is not the only vehicle from another category at the show. Let’s mention the Ami de Citroën or the Microlino in D’Ieteren.

D’Ieteren had a whole palace in the Salon. Here, all mobility services go hand in hand with the Volkswagen Group’s car brands, from the electric ID family to luxury supercars. We are talking about solar panels, shared cars, charging stations, taxis, etc.

But also ofa brand new division of the company dedicated to luxury cars, luxury after-sales service, concierge, classic rallies, events, networking. “All of our brands have an electrification program by 2030,” recalls Eric Cortois, CEO Luxury Brands.

But when you arrive at D’Ieteren Palace, there are bicycles facing you. It is not insignificant, while the Lucien stores, numbering 11, are set to be more numerous. “We were asked if it wouldn’t be better with Velofollies which will take place soon. But Velofollies is a fair for enthusiasts and professionals. We’d rather be here to reach another audience of consumers”explained Karl Lechat, CEO of Lucien.

With the increase in car prices, the electric bike and especially the cargo bike is increasingly positioning itself as an alternative to the car. “I often take the example of the Skoda Fabia. The customer sees that he bought it for 12,000 euros and wants to buy it now that it costs 21,000 euros. He can redirect himself to the bicycle”, said Lechat who previously operated of the Skoda brand.