Toyota is shaking up the Australian automotive market with a new finance plan that guarantees the future value of its vehicles*.
The company today launched Toyota Access, which it says offers customers a more affordable and flexible way to buy a new motor vehicle.
Toyota Australia’s executive director sales and marketing Matthew Callachor said Toyota Access – available on all new Toyota vehicles – meets customer demand for a low deposit, low repayments and a financial guarantee.
“Toyota Access guarantees that the resale value of your Toyota will never be less than the final payment, totally removing any risk of being out of pocket,” Mr Callachor said.
“Monthly instalments are fixed, so there are no hidden financial surprises, and they are often more affordable than with other forms of borrowing,” he said.
“As a result, customers may be able to upgrade their choice of vehicle, or add extras like accessories – and even purchase a brand-new model more often.
“Flexible terms also mean that customers can benefit from low maintenance costs through our capped-price servicing plan – in fact, they may never be out of warranty.”
Mr Callachor said that, with traditional finance, many people entered long finance terms – up to seven years − in a bid to reduce their monthly repayments and final payout.
“One of the great concerns highlighted by our customer surveys is that, at the end of the finance term, the amount owing might be more than the value of the car.
“With Toyota Access, we have set out to eradicate that concern.”
Toyota Access works by deducting a customer’s deposit from the amount to be financed and deferring to the end of the contract an amount equivalent to the minimum Guaranteed Future Value**.
The maximum term is four years (48 months) and the contract is subject to fair wear and tear guidelines and agreed kilometres being met.
At the end of the contract period, owners can upgrade to a newly financed Toyota, pocketing the difference if the market trade-in value of their Toyota is higher than the minimum Guaranteed Future Value.
Alternatively, they can pay the Guaranteed Future Value and keep their car, or hand back the car to their dealer and walk away with no more to pay^.
Mr Callachor said Toyota Access would appeal especially to owners who wanted the flexibility to update their Toyota to suit their changing circumstances.
“If, for example, a customer wants a bigger Toyota as their family grows, they can update more easily.
“For most people, family planning and financial planning go hand in glove. Until now car finance hasn’t necessarily been part of that consideration. Now it can be.
“Our goal is to secure customers for life, so it’s in our best interests as well as our customers to make every stage of the ownership experience easy.”
