Zero-km cars: what they really are and when they beat new or nearly-new
Zero-km cars are units registered by the dealership with barely any use. The real advantages, the fine print, and when to choose one.
A zero-km car is one the dealership registered in its own name — to hit brand targets — and sells afterwards with a few hundred kilometres. Technically a used car with one previous owner; in practice, a new car at a discount.
The real advantages
A price below the equivalent new car, immediate delivery (already registered and on the lot), and de-facto first use: plastic on the seats and a motor with hundreds of metres.
The fine print
The manufacturer's warranty runs from the FIRST registration, not your purchase: a zero-km registered eight months ago has eight fewer months of warranty. The spec is whatever the dealer ordered — colours and options come as-is. And administratively you'll be the second owner, worth explaining at resale time.
When it pays off
When the discount clearly outweighs the warranty haircut and the available spec matches what you wanted. If you were going to factory-order specific options, zero-km is rarely your path; if you wanted “that model, now, cheaper” — it almost always is.
In the catalogue
At Autamo, zero-km cars carry their own label derived from the real number of previous owners in the registry — not from what the ad claims. A car’s ownership history is a record, not an opinion.