Discovery Insure is looks to transform South Africa’s second-hand vehicle market with its new Vitality Car Rating.

• This first-of-its-kind innovation uses advanced data analytics and real-world driving behaviour to enhance a vehicle’s resale value.
• This looks to offer Discovery Insure clients up to a 15% boost when selling through participating Weelee and Motus Select dealerships.
• Discovery Insure hosted media at Volkswagen Advanced Driving at Zwartkops Raceway to give select media a first-hand test-drive of this new rating system.
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For years, buying a used car has been an exercise in trust. While reputable dealerships conduct inspections and roadworthy tests, they have never been able to factor in how a vehicle was driven. That changes with the introduction of Vitality Car Rating.

Historically, buying a second-hand vehicle has come with some degree of risk. Reputable dealerships perform the required tests and inspections, but it’s impossible to factor how a vehicle was driven into the sale price—until now.

// CEO of Discovery Insure, Robert Attwell

Vitality Car Rating leverages Discovery Insure’s vast dataset, built over 13-years, including insights from underwriting, accident and repair claims, and over 20-billion kilometres of driving data. This extensive pool of information allows Discovery Insure to create an accurate and reliable assessment of a vehicle’s true condition, benefiting both buyers and sellers.

Through the Vitality Drive programme, Discovery Insure collects telematics data that measures how and where a vehicle is driven. This data is analysed to assign each vehicle a score out of 1’000 based on driver behaviour, historical repairs, and overall risk of mechanical failure. Vehicles are then given a rating out of five, with a top rating of five qualifying for a 15% boost in resale value.

When a Discovery Insure client wants to sell their vehicle, they simply contact Discovery Insure to request their Vitality Car Rating certificate. This certificate, when presented at Weelee or Motus Select, ensures that the vehicle’s driving history and condition are factored into the final offer.

As we launch the Discovery Vitality Car Rating, we are incredibly excited to see how this innovation will benefit our mutual customers. Together, we’re offering a journey—one that’s built on trust, fairness, and a commitment to making every step easier for the customer.

// Motus Executive of Retail Digital Operations, Marketing, and Fleet, Suraiya Naidoo

South Africa’s used car market is significantly larger than the new car market. Between 2019 and 2024, the country saw an average of 3.6 times more used vehicle registrations per month than new ones. However, with economic pressures persisting, buyers remain cautious when making a second-hand purchase. The introduction of the Vitality Car Rating is expected to provide much-needed transparency and confidence.

This partnership with Discovery Insure is a game-changer for the used car market. For years, sellers have struggled to demonstrate their car’s true condition and value. With the Vitality Car Rating, Weelee now has access to objective data captured over the life of the vehicle, unlike the current industry norm of point-in-time vehicle assessments and proxies such as service history. This is a massive win for South African drivers.

// CEO of Weelee, Anton de Souza

One of the most significant insights from Discovery Insure’s data is that good drivers experience fewer breakdowns and mechanical failures. This is because responsible drivers take better care of their vehicles, avoid reckless behaviour, and reduce wear and tear over time.

Even being a good driver doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get what your vehicle is truly worth.That’s because a vehicle’s market value is usually based on its physical condition, mileage, and service history, but not on how it was driven.

// CEO of Discovery Insure, Robert Attwell

Vitality Car Rating changes this dynamic by factoring in responsible driving behaviour. Vehicles that have been driven carefully and maintained properly will now receive a higher resale value, ensuring that good drivers are rewarded beyond just their lower insurance premiums. While sellers benefit from a potentially higher resale price, buyers also gain from the added transparency. Knowing a vehicle’s true history—beyond what’s visible on the surface—reduces uncertainty and builds confidence in the purchase.

During Vitality Car Rating’s development, we realised the second-hand vehicle market presents an untapped opportunity for Discovery Insure clients to enjoy tangible value by getting more money when they sell their vehicles. It also gives buyers peace of mind—knowing a vehicle’s true condition before even putting the key in the ignition.

// CEO of Discovery Insure, Robert Attwell

With the launch of Vitality Car Rating, Discovery Insure is not only looking to enhance resale values but also setting a new benchmark for trust, fairness, and innovation in South Africa’s thriving second-hand car market.

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