Vauxhall has denied speculation that it may offer a three-year warranty on the Agila mini people carrier, on sale from June, to match the deal on the platform-sharing Suzuki Wagon R.

A spokesman said Vauxhall was sticking with its one-year warranty across the model range since customers prefer a better deal on price than a three-year warranty, but they “could buy a three-year warranty if they want one”. Cap price expert Craig Adamson was quoted in Autocar claiming that Vauxhall would be “compelled to match the warranty” in order to compete with the Wagon R.

The issue of shared platforms affecting separate warranty packages is not a new one since Ford encountered a similar problem when it launched the Ford Maverick, which shares the Nissan Terrano platform. Its solution was to offer a standard warranty plus two years dealer cover to make up the shortfall.

Most UK carmakers now offer the three-year/60,000-mile package after Peugeot this year extended its product, but Ford, Vauxhall, Fiat and Renault are among leading manufacturers who are resisting the change to across-the-range three-year warranties.