Insurance company Discovery Insure – in partnership with second-hand car dealerships Motus Select and Weelee ­– has launched the Discovery Insure Vitality Car Rating offering ­­– a market-first, data-driven innovation that sets a new standard for determining a vehicle’s condition and value.

Through the offering, Discovery Insure clients can now get up to a 15% boost when they sell their car at participating Weelee and Motus Select dealerships.

Leveraging over 20-billion kilometres of driving data and insights into driver behaviour, Vitality Car Rating reflects the true state of a vehicle and also rewards drivers who prioritise responsible driving over the lifetime of a vehicle.

“I'm extremely excited to just be sharing what we really believe is creating a new category in the short-term insurance market.

“Locally and internationally, we're doing something really, really special with the data that we have, that's going to be hard to replicate, but importantly, adding real, significant, tangible value to our clients,” said Discovery Insure CEO Robert Attwell during the launch on February 10.

In a media release, Discovery has noted that Discovery Insure’s Vitality Car Rating stems from careful analysis of 13 years of advanced telematics-based driver behaviour data, as well as underwriting and accident and repair claims data.

It noted that Discovery Insure's data indicates that good drivers are less likely to claim for vehicle breakdowns than poor drivers, given that good drivers also tend to look after their cars and drive them in a way that reduces wear and tear on their vehicle.

This means that when it is time to sell, their vehicles are generally in a better condition – hence, good driving behaviour results in a higher resale value.

Vitality Car Rating incorporates Discovery Insure data from underwriting and accident and repair claims.

Driver behaviour data is then accessed through Vitality Drive, a unique driver behaviour and rewards programme that uses telematics to measure how and where a vehicle is driven.

Discovery Insure analyses this data to give each vehicle a score out of 1 000 based on driver behaviours and historical vehicle repairs which impact the risk of future mechanical breakdown.

“Our core purpose is to create a nation of great drivers . . . ” said Attwell.

The Vitality Car Score considers three factors about a vehicle’s condition and how it’s been driven, namely accident history, driving behaviour and mileage type – whether the vehicle has been frequently driven in stop-start traffic or on the open road.

Based on the overall score, vehicles get a rating out of five, whereby a rating of five results in a 15% boost in resale value.

Discovery has explained that qualifying clients looking to sell a vehicle can contact Discovery Insure on 0860 751 751 to request their Vitality Car Rating certificate and corresponding resale value boost.

The Vitality Car Rating certificate can be used at Weelee or Motus dealerships nationwide, creating significant value for clients, thereby helping buyers in the second hand vehicle market make more informed decisions about the car they are buying. 

Also speaking at the event, Motus digital operations executive Suraiya Naidoo explained that, by integrating the data collected by Discovery Insure with Motus’ pricing tool, the company has managed to create a completely digital process for customers.

She explained that customers can input their Vitality Car Rating, and their vehicle details, on the Motus Select online platform and thereafter receive an offer certificate for their vehicle that provides the market value of the vehicle, as well as the basic price that they earned through the Discovery Vitality Rating.

“The benefit that we have is that Motus, of course, stands for quality, and we are assured, when we buy a Discovery Vitality vehicle, that we have a very good indication of the quality of a vehicle prior to it landing on our dealership floor,” said Naidoo.

She explained that the digital platform allows customers to “drive the sale” and check the value of their vehicles at any time and engage with the dealership when ready, ensuring a seamless transition from digital to physical interaction.

“We are thrilled with this new process, and we are very excited to extend our partnership,” she said.

Describing the rating as a “gamechanger”, Weelee CEO Anton de Souza discussed the importance of trust in the second-hand vehicle market, emphasising that a Vitality Car Rating can provide transparency and reliability when purchasing a second-hand vehicle.

“Weelee is ecstatic . . . to partner with Discovery on this. We see that this will go from strength to strength with additional data that will be available, will be made, that’ll make it possible to buy better quality cars and sell off better quality cars,” he expressed.