Nueva casa

IF YOU OWN a new vehicle, you make a beeline to your dealership (or casa) when the odometer reading calls for it. Of course, you are careful to adhere to your ride’s preventive maintenance schedule (PMS), else you risk voiding its warranty.

But what if you’ve reached past that point? The usual practice is for owners of out-of-warranty vehicles to seek the path of least resistance — to their budgets, that is. That often means eschewing the casa in favor of more affordable third-party service centers. But that also carries an inherent risk of getting less-than-ideal service and, gasp, even sub-standard parts.

Cognizant of this anxiety, the Autohub Group, a distributor, retailer, and service provider to “some of the most desirable brands renowned throughout the world,” has opened Nexthub Auto Care.

Last Thursday, its seven sites — in Taytay, Quezon Avenue, Valenzuela, Otis, Marikina, Pasig, and the Bonifacio Global City (BGC) — were simultaneously launched in a ceremonies held at the BGC location.

“Nexthub was conceptualized because we know that a lot of customers, after the warranty period lapses on their vehicles, don’t return to our dealerships. We think it’s a pity if we lose these customers who have been going to our (OEM) dealerships for three or five years. After the warranty period, a lot of them would transfer to three-star shops,” said Autohub Group President Willy Tee Ten.

He continued, “It’s an opportunity for us to continue taking care of their vehicles after the warranty period. Nexthub is designed to service clients with the same casa quality and experience, but with lower prices. The customer also has the option to go for original equipment or parts, or an aftermarket one. However, the aftermarket parts we sell are also high-end, reputable parts. We don’t want to work with disposable parts.”

Expect Nexthub to be cheaper than your casa, while having a slight premium over what Mr. Tee Ten called “three-star shops.” He explained, “We’re a five-star shop with four-star pricing.”

Even if the Autohub Group does boast a portfolio of vehicle dealerships, Nexthub is positioning itself as brand agnostic. Mr. Tee Ten replied to this writer’s question that they welcome brands that are not in the fold of the group. “There are only a few brands not among the Autohub marques — like Toyota, Honda, and Isuzu. What we do is hire technicians for these brands that are not in our group. As for the rest, we’ll take care of them as members of the Autohub Group.”

The executive clarified, “We don’t want to compete with our casas. Rather, instead of losing out-of-warranty clients to three-star shops, why don’t we go after them ourselves?” Even luxury brands are welcome — specifically at the BGC location, which has been dubbed Nexthub Premier.

The girth of the Autohub Group also allows Nexthub to accommodate a large number of clients. “We’re open to accommodating the needs of fleets,” joined Autohub Group VP for Marketing, Creatives, and Fleet Owee Cruz. “We bring in expertise and the best practices in casa operations to Nexthub.”

Being brand agnostic doesn’t mean slacking off on quality, either. “We may not be under any manufacturer, but we set our standards high, and are practical. After 24 years in the auto industry, we know what is appreciated by our customers. We’ve also tied up with reliable and prestigious companies to make sure that our products are not only above average but the best,” maintained Mr. Tee Ten.

These partners are Motolite, Shell lubricants, Automobile Association Philippines, Pioneer Insurance, All Inclusive Sales, ACCS, and Moto ACCS. Nexthub promises best pricing on Motolite batteries. “If there’s anybody cheaper, we’ll refund the difference,” declared the executive.

Nexthub offers services such as oil change, mechanical repairs, ATF dialysis, wheel alignment, towing, rotor disc refacing, exterior and interior detailing, and underwashing. It can even facilitate vehicle trade-in and insurance renewal. Meanwhile painting and body repair services are handled by sister company Painthub.

Mr. Tee Ten is understandably bullish on the company, which he described as a “pandemic-proof business.” He concluded, “Customers will always need to maintain their vehicles, and we’re here for them.”

For more information, follow the company on Instagram and Facebook (NexthubAutoCare).