SMC Renault - SMC Renault News
What`s new at SMC
01/06/2009 New Van Service Centre Opens its doors for Surrey Van Drivers
SMC Renault is opening the doors to its brand new dedicated van service centre on Boundary Way.
The van service centre is ready for bookings and specialises in servicing Renault vans and sister vehicles such as the Nissan Movistar and the Vauxhall Vivaro, complementing SMC’s very successful van sales department.
The new service centre is staffed by highly-trained Renault technicians, using the latest Renault diagnostic equipment, and is managed by Wayne Thompson who was formerly the LCV workshop controller at the SMC Guildford dealership.
Wayne said: “There are many van drivers and fleets in the Surrey area, particularly in close proximity to both Heathrow and Gatwick, yet there is a distinct lack of places to go to ensure that your van is up-to-date with servicing.
“That’s why we decided to open a dedicated Renault Van servicing centre after the closure of the Guildford dealership with three ramps capable of carrying out work on vans of up to 3.5 tonnes. Our van sales department, headed by Mike Bedlow, who is a well-known face amongst local business people, is extremely successful thanks to solid customer service and a great range of vans from the New Kangoo Van to the Trafic and Master. We’re delighted to back up the reliable and practical van range with a convenient service department.
“We know van users are extremely pushed for time and that their vehicles are vital to the smooth running of their business, so we’ve set up a one-stop shop for all their servicing and MOT needs to ensure their vans are off the road for the shortest time possible.
“Courtesy vans are available and each van that comes in will get a wash. In addition to being open all week, we will also be open on Saturday mornings.”
02/06/09 NEW LOOK FOR RENAULT CLIO RANGE AT SMC RENAULT
Ever since it was launched in 2005 by Ben and Sophie of the much loved “French Car, British Designers” advertising campaign, Renault’s New Clio has received many plaudits including “European Car of the Year 2006.”
Now, the Clio 2009 has been updated with a new look which was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show for both its hatch and Sport Tourer versions.
The Clio 2009 range will be complemented by three performance versions: Clio GT, based on the three-door hatchback, combining racy looks, specific suspension and high performance; Renaultsport 200 Cup with the stiffer Cup chassis, and Renaultsport 200, with revised sport chassis for customers looking for a comfortable and extensively equipped performance hatchback.
Not only does the facelift give Clio the same purposeful looks as the New Laguna and New Mégane, the range of engines and transmissions has been improved, and interior space has been enhanced too.
The Clio also comes with an exclusive Carminat TomTom® satellite navigation system which is an option at £450. From launch, the TomTom Edition version with Carminat TomTom® and cruise control for just £360 will also be available. The easy-to-use Carminat TomTom® is the first fully-integrated GPS navigation system to market at this price and includes a 5.8-inch (14.7cm) colour screen for clear display.
Drivers will find everything they need for simple navigation, from detailed maps - including `bird’s eye view` display to the latest traffic information, speed restrictions and speed camera location alerts.
Renault has worked hard to ensure that the versions of Clio 2009 powered by the 1.2 16V 75, TCe 100 and dCi 86 and 106 engines meet the three criteria necessary to qualify for the Renault eco² signature; they are produced in an ISO-14001-certified plant, emissions do not exceed 140g/km, or are biofuel compatible, and are 95% recyclable and at least 5% of plastics used in production have been recycled.
As well as being ecological, Renault is renowned for cars with a raft of equipment. Options on the Clio 2009 range include hands-free card, cruise control, speed limiter, rear parking proximity sensor, automatic headlamp and wiper activation.
Renault is also well-known for its commitment to safety and the Clio has features including ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution, emergency brake assist, ESP, traction control and engine torque overrun regulation to help with active safety. The previous version of the Clio was awarded the maximum five-star Euro NCAP rating when it was launched and the new version is built on the same platform.
SMC Sales Director Keith Wheeler said: “Renault is unbeatable when it comes to producing small cars. Thanks to its comfort, practicality and reliability, New Clio has been extremely popular among drivers in the Surrey area.
“The Clio is a joy to drive; it’s affordable, roomy and stylish and we’re thrilled that this ever-popular supermini has been given a facelift. The build quality is even better, the design is fantastic and it’s as at home on the motorway as it is about town.”
28/04/09 ADVERTISER READERS RECEIVE VIP TREATMENT AT THRUXTON
Advertiser readers Mike Stables and Iain Johnston were treated to a fantastic day out at Thruxton circuit after winning VIP tickets to the British Touring Car Championship in the Surrey Advertiser online competition courtesy of SMC Renault.
Motorsport fan Mike, aged 34 from Guildford, was the lucky winner of the two VIP passes. Mike chose to take his friend Iain, aged 33, as his guest where they enjoyed the VIP treatment courtesy of SMC Renault and Renaultsport.
As well as watching all the thrilling BTCC action, the winners got to enjoy rounds four of the ELF Renault Clio Cup with Michelin and the Michelin Formula Renault UK Championship – both prominent support races of the BTCC.
Mike and Iain were also treated to breakfast and lunch in Renault’s exclusive hospitality area which is located in the competitors’ paddock and not open to members of the public.
During their day, the pair also got to meet Formula Renault UK driver James Calado. James gave a detailed insight into what it’s like racing at speeds of more than 150mph around the Hampshire circuit.
Mike said: “We both had a great day out albeit slightly sunburnt! It was most enjoyable.”
For more information on SMC Renault in Woking and Weybridge call 01483 720322 or 01932 855021 respectively or visit www.smcrenault.co.uk
20/04/09 New Spring/Summer Offers At St Johns Service Centre
Is your car ready for Spring/Summer, the long summer drive with all the family packed into the car, can you afford for it to let you down ? That’s a question you should be asking yourself and here at SMC we have already thought about that and are ready and waiting for you.
Our St Johns service centre also has some very special Spring/Summer offers including, a Free Safety check on you vehicle to ensure your car is in tip top condition for the season, Free brake pads when you buy a pair of discs and we fit them*, Oil and Filter change from only £39.99*, Air Conditioning check £11.99* and many other summer offers.
They have an excellent selection of tyres off the shelf at prices that are the most competitive on the high street*.
Call Iseult or one of her team on 0845-125 4674 and they will be more than happy to help you with your inquiry or click here for more information.
*All prices include parts and labour and vat, for brake pad and tyre offers contact us with the details of your vehicle and we will be able give you an individual competitive quotation.
07/04/2009 Take the worry out of buying your next new car
Renault has announced free Payment Protection Insurance giving reassurance to customers buying new cars and vans across the range in April. The free insurance will cover customer’s payments for the first 12 months of their Renault Finance agreement should they be unable to work through accident, sickness or redundancy.
The free offer is included in Renault finance hire purchase agreements on new cars and vans ordered during April, including 0% and Renault Selections scheme.
Renault’s 0% hire purchase package is now available over three years with no deposit on all new cars (excluding Twingo Freeway, Twingo Extreme, Clio Extreme and Clio Renaultsport).
Announcing the new offers, Roland Bouchara, Managing Director, said, “Buying a new car is a sizeable financial commitment and, at a time when there may be uncertainty, we feel it is essential to encourage confidence.”
Sample finance payments:
|
Model |
Version |
Finance type |
Deposit |
Term |
Monthly payments |
Final payment |
APR |
|
Twingo |
Extreme 1.2 8V 60 |
Selections |
£999 |
37 months |
£159 |
£2,583 |
5.9% |
|
Clio 3 door |
Dynamique 1.2 16V 75 |
HP |
Nil |
36 months |
£313 |
- |
0% |
|
Clio 3 door |
Dynamique 1.2 16V 75 |
Selections |
£999 |
37 months |
£169 |
£3,408 |
5.9% |
|
Grand Modus |
Dynamique 1.2 TCE 100 |
HP |
Nil |
36 months |
£349 |
- |
0% |
|
Grand Modus |
Dynamique 1.2 TCE 100 |
Selections |
£999 |
37 months |
£229 |
£3,387 |
5.9% |
|
New Mégane Hatch |
Expression 1.6 100 |
HP |
Nil |
36 months |
£393 |
- |
0% |
|
New Mégane Hatch |
Expression 1.6 100 |
Selections |
£999 |
43 months |
£199 |
£4,452 |
5.9% |
|
New Mégane Coupé |
Expression 1.6 110 |
HP |
Nil |
36 months |
£424 |
- |
0% |
|
New Mégane Coupé |
Expression 1.6 110 |
Selections |
£999 |
43 months |
£249 |
£4,475 |
5.9% |
|
Scenic |
Scenic Team 1.6 VVT 111 |
HP |
Nil |
36 months |
£446 |
- |
0% |
|
Scenic |
Scenic Team 1.6 VVT 111 |
Selections |
£1,999 |
37 months |
£249 |
£3,185 |
5.9% |
16/03/2009 SMC GUILDFORD TO CLOSE AT END OF MARCH
Management at SMC have taken the difficult decision to close the dealership on the Astolat Business Park owing to the current financial climate.
The showroom on Old Portsmouth Road has been open for seven years. It will close its doors on Saturday, 28th March, with the group hoping to redeploy staff at the nearby Woking and Weybridge sites, keeping staff redundancies at a minimum.
James Kimber, Managing Director at SMC Renault said: “As everyone is well aware, the economic conditions are particularly challenging at the moment, and have hit the motor industry particularly hard. This, combined with the overheads at the showroom in Guildford, has led us to reassess our trading standpoint.
“After exploring various possibilities, we’ve reluctantly concluded that the only way to adjust our business to the recession is to close the Guildford showroom and relocate to our existing sites in Woking and Weybridge.
“It has been a very difficult decision, at a time when we are marking the 25th anniversary of SMC Group and also with the sad news that our chairman Colin Knight passed away suddenly in February.”
SMC is currently consulting approximately 40 staff over their future employment, with up to 16 possible redundancies across the group. SMC have written to more than 30,000 customers to advise them of the changes. A collection and delivery service will be in place to ensure that the group’s existing customers are able to have their cars serviced and the Woking and Weybridge sites.
The group hopes that the closure of the Guildford site will ensure the future of the Woking and Weybridge sites for its customers and staff.
Mr Kimber added: “We would like to take the opportunity to thank all of our customers for their loyalty. We are hopeful that they will notice little disruption and would urge them to give us a call at SMC Woking or SMC Weybridge if they have any queries or concerns.”
11/02/09 SMC RENAULT HANDS OVER £2000 FOR A RAINY DAY!
Tony and Becky Stephens from Godalming were the lucky recipients of a £2,000 cheque after SMC Guildford’s latest prize draw.
The New Year prize draw was held at all four SMC sites across Guildford, Woking and Weybridge with customers who bought a used Renault during the Christmas and New Year period through until the end of January, going into a hat for one lucky customer to win the cash.
Mr and Mrs Stephens bought the Mégane as they were looking for a used car which was more spacious than their previous car, and winning the money has proved to be timely as they need it to spend on their house.
Keith Wheeler, Sales Director at SMC, who handed over the cheque, said: “We’re happy to be able to hand over the £2,000 to a lovely couple who turned up on a very wet day to collect the prize. Perhaps we could say that it might come in handy for a ‘rainy day’!”
07/01/ 09 RENAULT INTRODUCES NEW ENTRY-LEVEL TWINGO FREEWAY
- New entry-level Twingo Freeway on sale now
- Renault’s feisty and practical small car now made even more accessible priced at just £6,995 on the road
- Available with petrol 1.2 60hp engine
- Available to order now and arriving in UK showrooms from mid-February
When the New Year arrives, it’s usual to make lots of unrealistic resolutions but if your aim is to inject some style without breaking the bank then Renault has the answer with the launch of its lowest-priced Twingo, the Freeway.
Priced at just £6,995 on the road, Twingo Freeway offers practicality, interior space and style joining the rest of the Twingo line-up - Extreme, Dynamique, GT and Renaultsport 133. Pennies are always tight after Christmas, but the Freeway will leave plenty left over for the January sales! The new model undercuts the entry-level Fiat 500 by over £1100 and the Ford Ka by over £830!
Impressive standard equipment for the price
Twingo Freeway boasts an impressive level of equipment despite its low price tag. Peace of mind is assured with standard-fit ABS with EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution) and Brake Assist, driver and passenger airbags, passenger airbag deactivation, dead-locking, anti-drill door locks, an insurance-approved engine immobiliser and R.A.I.D. (Renault Anti-Intruder Device).
Twingo Freeway beats the opposition with other standard features such as remote control central-locking, electric windows, tinted glass, a 2 x 15W radio single CD with fingertip remote control and a height-adjustable steering wheel.
It will be available in a choice of five colours – one non-metallic, Capsicum Red and four metallic, Mercury, Pearl Black, Tempest and Blaze.
Options include the opportunity to stamp your own individuality on your Twingo, with a wide range of personalisation exterior decals available. This includes a chance for customers to show off their style with door handle graphics (£49) and wing badges (£15). Customers can also enhance the look of their Twingo Freeway with white or black racing stripes (£98) or chequered flag door graphics (£98).
On sale now
Insurance groups are still to be confirmed but are expected to be an extremely low 2E. Renault’s lowest priced Twingo Freeway is available to order now at just £6,995 on the road. More Details click here
28/11/08 SMC Group sign up to the Motor Industry Code Of Practice
The code is S Surrey Renault dealer group SMC has signed up to the new Motor Industry Code of Practice introduced at at the end of August 2008.
All dealerships including Guildford, Woking and Weybridge were among the first in the country to sign up to the voluntary code and the new accreditation means staff at all sites are proven to be committed to open, fair and responsible practices and can display the Motor Industry Code of Practice logo which is recognised by both Trading Standards and the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
SMC Renault Service Director Tim Golding said all staff were proud to sign up to the scheme.
He said: “Any initiative like this can only help the industry as it will give motorists the confidence and trust in their dealership. At SMC, we’re delighted to receive the accreditation as it reflects the openness and honesty we have shown here since the dealership was started.”
Other clauses in the Code of Practice commit service and repair centres to carrying out work as agreed and to make sure final invoices match the original quote.
There is also a simple complaints procedure, free conciliation if there is a dispute, a free telephone advice line and the whole package gives consumers more rights than the law requires.
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26/11/2008 Renault`s New Mégane achieves highest ever score in EuroNCAP
With a score of 37 points out of 37 in its Euro NCAP crash tests, Renault’s New Mégane has achieved the joint highest-ever score, matching that of Qashqai, from sister company Nissan, last year.
New Mégane becomes the 11th Renault model to earn the top five-star rating, which is unsurprising given that safety is in its genes. As a fundamental part of the car, its active and passive safety levels were developed from the outset to deliver new standards in its class.
Renault and safety: a comprehensive approach
Across its entire range, Renault’s safety approach builds on accident research and real-world safety with the aim of producing vehicles adapted to the realities of the road. This means that it prioritises technologies that prevent the risk of accidents, correct abnormal driving situations, and protect occupants in the event of a collision. Over the years, Renault has emerged as the standard-setter in road safety:
Euro NCAP results for Renault: only manufacturer with top rating 11 times
New Mégane - 5 stars (2008)
Koleos - 5 stars (2008)
New Laguna - 5 stars (2007)
Clio III - 5 stars (2005)
Mégane II Coupé Cabriolet - 5 stars (2004), first five-star vehicle in its category
Modus - 5 stars (2004), the first five-star vehicle in its category
Scénic II - 5 stars (2003), the first five-star vehicle in the compact MPV segment
Espace IV - 5 stars (2003)
Mégane II - 5 stars (2002), the first five-star vehicle in the C segment
Vel Satis - 5 stars (2002 and 2005)
Laguna II - 5 stars (2001 and 2003), first-ever vehicle to achieve this level
6/11/08 SMC HANDS OVER CHEQUE FOR £2,000 TO ITS PRIZE DRAW WINNER
Charles Beresford from Weybridge is the lucky winner of SMC Renault’s recent prize draw to win a £2,000 cheque.
Mr Beresford who runs Charles Beresford Design in Weybridge bought a Grand Scénic in October for use with his business. The purchase of the nearly-new car gave him entry into the draw to win the £2,000 which SMC offered to all customers at its four sites throughout the month of October.
His name was pulled out of the hat by SMC Managing Director James Kimber who presented Mr Beresford with his cheque.
Mr Beresford said: “I don’t usually have this sort of luck with competitions, so I am thrilled. I decided to go for a Grand Scénic as it’s got seven seats and enough capacity for the samples and literature I need to take to my customers in my work with Brightwood Windows and Conservatories which designs and manufactures conservatories, orangeries, windows and doors.
“As our work takes us all over Surrey, I was looking for something comfortable and stylish. We have bought Renaults for years and like them as they’re reliable, French and sexy!”
In an interesting twist, Mr Beresford received his cheque shortly after handing over another for £5,400 to the Sam Beare Hospice raised by the Wider World Group at St. James Church, Weybridge.
SMC Managing Director James Kimber added: “Congratulations to Charles whose name came out of the hat from all the entrants at the end of the month. We’re delighted that the £2,000 has gone to a loyal Renault customer and hope it helps with the family’s Christmas shopping!”
14/12/07 UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENT UNION STRIKES A GREAT DEAL WITH SMC
11/10/2007 SMC TV IS NOW AVAILABLE NOW ON THIS WEBSITE
That`s right where you see this logo you can now view video. Look at the safety pages and see how the cutting edge systems that make our some of the safest available in the market. Click Here to see more.
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