Every little extra helps

REMEMBER when "car accessories" meant a wheel brace and a decent tool kit - if you were lucky? It wasn't that long ago that cigarette lighters or radios were automotive luxuries.

Headrests only became standard in the Eighties, and if you wanted a cup holder it was a case of asking the person in the seat next to you.

Now the family car isn't worth a locking wheel nut unless it has a bewildering list of accessories. Manufacturers have leapt on the lifestyle bandwagon, which allows buyers to turn their vehicle into a home from home.

At a price.

Instead of popping down to Halfords to buy a ski rack or seat covers, motorists are relying on carmakers to supply bits to "tailor" their motor.

Car price specialist CAP says the average buyer now spends "several hundred pounds" on extras, and we're not talking about the ubiquitous cup holder or sun blind - there are scores of handy items to choose from for every model, all displayed in glossy magazines which would put the latest Freemans catalogue to shame.

While air-conditioning and alloy wheels are big after-sale sellers for any vehicle, it's the Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV) market which manufacturers are homing in on. These spacious family runabouts are perfect for the accessory trade.

Renault's versatile Scenic is a mini-MPV with a lot going for it. Its 16-page accessory brochure is full of items that you never thought you'd need but soon realise you can't live without.

As Renault spokesman Graeme Holt explains, motorists now want to personalise cars to suit their lifestyle.

"The accessory market is very important, especially with a car like the Scenic," he says. "It's made for people who take part in a range of activities but also want the purpose-built gear that fits their vehicle image."

There are more than 120 items in the Scenic catalogue alone, ranging from specialist child seats, from 119, to a rather stylish magnetic ski carrier at 52. That's all very well, but who's going to buy a 16 Renault coat hanger that fits in the back of the passenger seat or a 255 fridge, capable of holding 19 litres of pop?

"The fridge is very popular, it replaces the rear centre seat and locks into the floor," adds Holt. "The power comes from the cigarette lighter and you can use it to keep food hot as well as cold."

There's also a 22 first-aid kit, a 36 fire extinguisher and half a dozen different tow bars from 135. A personal favourite is the 5 red or green emergency glow stick, in case of serious lighting failure!

Even the pooch doesn't miss out.

Renault has an 85 boot loadliner that stops your Scenic interior from becoming a dog's dinner.

For "personality" models, like the Clio, Renault offers cheaper items.

"Scarves and watches are sellers; people want something which identifies them with their car," adds Holt.

MEANWHILE, the ink is still drying on the brochure for the Fiat Multipla.

If a 73 limited-edition print of eight Fiat people-carriers or a 22 Multipla kite doesn't have you scurrying to the nearest dealer, wait until you hear what you can have in the MPV itself. It must be the only car in the UK which offers a clothes rail, an 18 must for converting the rear luggage space into a wardrobe on wheels. There's also a waterproof double-sided rug at 40 and a designer baby bottle warmer for 15.

It's difficult not to be impressed by the snack bag at 39, which fixes onto the back of the front seat and folds down to create a table. Then there's the 65 Multipla baby-changing kit - a must for six-seater, family-mobiles.

Fiat also has matching sleeping bags, 66 each, a hammock for 12 and a tricky travel puzzle called Bimbo On Board for 10.

If you think this is branding gone bonkers, the bad news is that even the sensible Swedes at Volvo are getting in on the act. The dashing new V70 estate offers a PC table for 160, sleep pillows for 10 and an 11 bag holder that keeps your tikka from tilting on the way home. While you can pay 200 in high-street motoring stores, a bespoke V70 version will set you back 827.

Ford is launching the Galaxy in June and you can expect an equally impressive range of family accessories. But while they may enhance your lifestyle vehicle, they add little long-term value.

CAP says that if you spend 1,000 on extras you may only see a return of a couple of hundred when the car is sold.

Spokesman Tony Styles adds: "Most accessories make no difference. They may be worth a lot to you but a manufacturer's child seat or fridge could be useless to the next person.

"Accessories which will help sell your car are air conditioning and alloy wheels. They add value but you won't get all your money back."

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