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With so many new developments in the car industry - from electric to driverless - car makers might be forgiven for their lacklustre interest in such untested realms as car subscription services.

 

Yet finally Volkswagen has teamed up with subscription firm Drover to provide a car subscription service to UK customers.

 

The pilot service will be accessed entirely online, with the whole process from sign-up to car receipt taking as little as 48 hours, according to VW.

 

At time of writing, the service offers Golfs, Passats and Tiguans, among which are diesels and estates. A Golf starts at £528 per month, a Passat £514 and a Tiguan £643.

 

Considering you could pick up a reasonable second-hand runabout for little more than this, the pricing may seem steep.

 

However, subscribers get access to a brand new car and do not have to pay anything extra, aside from fuel costs. The price covers taxes, MOTs, servicing, maintenance and breakdown cover.

 

But one of the best aspects of the service is its flexibility - with the ability to subscribe on a month-by-month basis. This means a subscriber can try out several cars over a certain period - either to find one that best suits them, or because they enjoy changing their wheels for the sake of it!

 

For those seeking more stability - and decent discounts - 12 month plans are available.

 

There are relatively few car subscription services operating globally, with most established in the US. UK players such as Cocoon Vehicles Ltd., and Short Term Leasing Ltd., are small in comparison to the Drover-VW service.

 

Other big car makers may well be watching closely to see if the new venture is successful, before considering their own provisions.