The S8 is a top-end limousine with air suspension, rear-axle steering and keyless entry: here it is theft prevention and electronics that determine acceptance.
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A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
With an S8 the conversation moves from power to technology and theft. The car runs on air suspension, has a steered rear axle, active suspension and a large number of sensors around the body. That makes repair after apparently limited damage laborious: parts have to be not only replaced but also programmed in and aligned. Insurers take that into account in the own-damage rate, even on an example that is already a few years old.
The second point is the key. Cars with keyless entry and start are stolen by amplifying the signal from the key from wherever it is lying indoors. Insurers therefore often make requirements as to security: an approved vehicle tracking system, an additional immobiliser or the use of a shielded key pouch. If such a requirement appears as a condition on your policy and has not been met, the insurer can refuse a theft claim.
Finally, note that the S8 is a version built in small numbers. After a loss the assessor looks for comparable cars for sale, and here there are hardly any. The calculation is then quickly based on the value of an A8 with a similar mileage, while the S8 has a market of its own. If you want to avoid that, have the car valued. An agreed value is binding under Article 7:960 of the Dutch Civil Code. See also the S7.
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Compulsory
Third-party liability
Damage you cause to others.
Required by law
As long as the registration is in your name
Suspend the registration when not in use
Third-party liability plus
Third-party, fire and theft
Causes beyond your control.
Fire and storm
Theft
Windscreen damage
Comprehensive cover
Comprehensive
Including damage you cause yourself.
Own fault
Vandalism
Replacement-as-new period
What is covered
Situation
Third-party liability
Third-party, fire and theft
Comprehensive
Damage to the other party
Yes
Yes
Yes
Theft
No
Yes
Yes
Fire and storm
No
Yes
Yes
Damage you cause yourself
No
No
Yes
Wear and mechanical defects
No
No
No
Driving without a valid licence
No
No
No
This overview is general in nature and is not personal advice. What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) of the insurer; you receive both before you take out cover. Taking out cover without advice? Then read what execution only means for you.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
Security requirements appear as a condition on the policy
For cars in this class insurers tie theft cover to a demonstrable system: a tracking system with a subscription, an approved alarm class or an additional immobiliser. That subscription must actually be running. A contract cancelled or not renewed is one of the most common reasons a theft claim fails. Keep the installation certificate and the payment receipts with your policy, so that you can produce them straight away when you report a claim.
Air suspension and electronics after a collision
A collision on an S8 rarely affects bodywork alone. The ride height sensors, the air suspension compressor, the wiring to the steered rear axle and the camera systems all have to be programmed in and recalibrated after the repair. Those hours count in the estimate and mean that the repair costs work out high in relation to the market value. On an older example that more often leads to a total loss than to a repair.
A small production run makes the market value arguable
The S8 is an exceptional version within an already limited model range. Several comparable examples are rarely for sale at the same time, so on a total loss an assessor falls back on the nearest reference: an A8 of the same age. That does not do justice to the version. A valuation report from a recognised assessor fixes the value in advance and removes that argument, even on a car that is already several years old.
What is not covered
The following remain outside the cover: theft while the security requirement set in the policy has not been met or while the key has been left in or on the car; carrying passengers for payment and hire; mechanical failures of the air suspension, compressor or electronics without a collision; damage sustained on a circuit or in a speed event; and damage caused intentionally or by recklessness, on which the insurer can rely through Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code.
What does your premium depend on?
Security class and tracker. An approved system with a current subscription is often a condition of acceptance in this segment.
Storage at night. A locked garage counts for more here than on lighter models, precisely because of the theft risk.
Weight and list price. The S8 falls into the highest weight classes, which feeds through into both the third-party and the own-damage part.
Market value or valued amount. On a version built in small numbers, the chosen basis of value also helps determine the own-damage rate.
Region and postcode. Theft figures by area count more heavily in the own-damage rate in this class.
Excess in the event of theft. For theft, insurers sometimes apply a different, higher excess than for collision damage.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, your risk and your wishes.
We compareseveral insurers, on premium as well as conditions.
You receive a proposalWith an explanation of the differences and the exclusions.
We arrange the switchIncluding cancellation, so there is no gap in cover.
Customers rate our service on four aspects: personal service, service delivery, availability and the outcome. The reviews are collected and published by NH1816 and come from customers who have actually taken out a policy with Finass Advies B.V. or reported a claim.
On a car in this class many insurers make that a condition, sometimes combined with an approved alarm class. If it appears as a requirement on your policy schedule, it is not advice but a condition of cover: without a working system and a current subscription, a theft claim can be refused. Ask in advance which systems are accepted, because not every make qualifies.
Is theft by amplifying the keyless signal covered?
In principle yes, because this is theft and not carelessness. The argument usually turns on the keys: can you produce all the keys and have the security requirements been met. So keep the key in a shielded pouch or tin and make sure you can hand in both keys when you report the theft.
Is a valuation worthwhile on a used S8?
Often it is. Because there are few comparable cars for sale, the market value after a loss is derived from an ordinary A8 of the same age and mileage. A valuation report fixes the value of the version in advance, including the options that set the car apart. Do note that such a report has a period of validity and must be renewed in good time.
Is damage to the air suspension insured?
Only where it results from a covered event, such as a collision or a hard knock in a pothole. Wear, a leaking air spring or a compressor that has failed with age is a mechanical defect and falls outside every own-damage cover. That distinction matters on this car, because the system is expensive to replace.
Finass Verzekert is a trading name of Finass Advies B.V. We advise on and arrange non-life insurance on the basis of an objective analysis of several insurers, and receive commission for this from the insurer, which is included in the premium. You pay no separate advice fee. Before you take out cover, we establish your wishes and needs.
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