France-based auto marketplace La Centrale has launched used-car leasing in collaboration with CGI Finance.
“Today, nearly 3 out of 4 cars bought in France are secondhand. However, leasing is still largely reserved for new vehicles. To change the situation, we are launching our new used car leasing offer, in partnership with CGI Finance,” the company wrote in a LinkedIn post.
La Centrale added that 15,000 used vehicles were now available for leasing on the site, with this figure expected to double by the end of the year.
It said that “[the] offer that covers all uses, from city cars to family models, with a large place given to hybrid and electric engines.”
For professionals, it represents “a growth opportunity to capture a rapidly expanding demand and differentiate themselves in a competitive market,” La Centrale maintained.
“All brands will be available for sale. However, Volkswagen, Peugeot, Citroën, and Audi will be particularly well represented initially. In terms of engines, the offering includes a significant proportion of hybrid and electric vehicles (39%) alongside traditional engines (42% of which are gasoline and 16% diesel),” JournalAuto.com reported.
“This first partnership with CGI Finance allows La Centrale to strengthen its ambition to become the benchmark platform for all the automotive needs of the French,” La Centrale president Philippe Chainieux told the site.
“Through this partnership with La Centrale, CGI Finance is leveraging its expertise in automotive financing to concretely meet the needs of its dealership partners, while facilitating access to mobility for as many people as possible,” commented Fabrice Perina, CEO of CGI Finance.
Le Centrale is the No. 2 auto marketplace in France, behind Adevinta’s LeBonCoin. The former has been quietly rebuilding over recent years, with a new executive team, an internal overhaul and a ramped-up focus on dealers.
Last week, it was revealed that multinational marketplaces operator Prosus had agreed to buy La Centrale Group for €1.1 billion ($1.3 billion).
