Comma lubricants respond to requirements of a changing market

Comma reports that, with the economy recovering, it has been an eventful twelve months for the vehicle lubricants sector of the UK passenger vehicle aftermarket. Smaller sump capacities and extended oil service intervals more than explain the slight decline – 1.4% per annum* – in volumes, but sales value is steadily increasing as the technology of contemporary lubricants becomes more complex and justifies a higher price per litre.

With 99% coverage of the UK car parc, the Comma range of Performance Motor Oils (PMO) has been developed to meet the majority of application requirements, and is covered by a unique 100% quality and compatibility guarantee. Longer oil drain intervals demand such high quality products, which include new technology Low SAPS oils specially formulated to protect catalytic converters and diesel particulate filters. It should be noted too that turbochargers are very sensitive to which engine oil is used. Leading supplier BTN Turbo - with whom Comma has a collaborative relationship – reports that no less than 95% of turbocharger failures are lubricant related. And there’s no escaping the relentless expansion in vehicle manufacturers’ own lubricant specifications and oil industry standards. These now play a significantly more critical role in lubricant selection than viscosity or synthetic type alone, and the Comma brand PMO range is constantly updated to stay abreast of their exacting requirements.

An independent motorist consumer study commissioned in October 2014 by Comma’s parent company, Cosan Lubricants, revealed that while 40% of vehicles are covered by a warranty, 51% of consumers now visit an independent workshop to have their vehicle serviced. And while 46% of consumers say they “haven’t got a clue what goes on” when their car is serviced, nine out of ten are more concerned with quality than price alone when it comes to selecting a service destination. This last statistic is supported by the study’s finding that 85% of consumers trust the workshop to select parts of the right quality.

“These are telling insights for our sector of the industry,” says Cosan Lubricants spokesperson, Mike Bewsey. “The impact of EU block exemption can certainly be detected in the findings, and that’s a great positive, with motorists increasingly relying on independent workshops to make the vehicle maintenance decisions. With the fully cpmprehensive Comma PMO range, we are fully committed to supporting independent distributors, factors and their customers to satisfy their needs in a changing, more complicated vehicle parc.