Volvo Trucks North America and International Truck and Engine Corp. are the latest truck manufacturers to give truck owners an extra reason to buy trucks equipped with the new low-emissions engines.
International’s incentives are designed to address what the truck maker has found to be its customers’ two biggest worries for 2003: the slow economic recovery and the reliability of new engines. In an encore of its “Catch it while you can” promotion in 2002, International is offering zero-interest financing for the first year on trucks purchased during the first three months of 2003. The company’s truck sales jumped 30 percent last year when it offered a similar financing program under the same name.
In response to reliability concerns regarding the new engines, International is offering a warranty enhancement on class 8 trucks sold between Dec. 16 and March 31. The Diamond-Plus Support Program guarantees to get a customer’s truck running within 24 hours of a breakdown or to provide a replacement truck for up to three days and 1,500 miles at no charge. That is in addition to the two-year, 200,000-mile warranty.
Meanwhile, customers who buy Volvo VNs and VHDs delivered by April 30 will receive a $2,000 cash incentive and three-year/300,000-mile extended engine warranty. The incentive is limited to retail customers buying one to five new Volvo trucks. Buyers have the option of receiving the cash incentive as a $2,000 check to be used against the purchase or to decrease the interest rate on a new truck loan financed through Volvo Commercial Finance.
The free extended engine protection for the new Volvo VED12 and Cummins ISX low-emissions engines covers parts and labor for engine emissions control systems, other components and towing. Volvo is also offering insurance and financial service incentives with the program.
