dec 8, 2010 no. 561 australia’s no.1 automotive industry ...dec 8, 2010 page 2 goauto news...
TRANSCRIPT
SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com ADVERTISE: Steve Butcher Ph: 0419 562 110 [email protected]
Dec 8, 2010 No. 561
GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s
Australia’s No.1 Automotive Industry Journal 70,000 Readers Weekly
AUDI’S LITTLE GEM ARRIVES
- page 3
Ford setFord setfor Figofor Figo
Ford looks certain to launch a sub-$13,000 budget car inside 18 months, with Figo likely to join the new Thai-built Fiesta in a two-pronged light-car attack
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By BYRON MATHIOUDAKISFORD’S homegrown Figo has emerged the
odds-on favourite to represent the Blue Oval
in Australia’s burgeoning sub-$13,000 light
car segment as early as next year.
GoAuto has learned the Figo – a full-
sized ‘B-segment’ model developed by Ford
Australia off a German base for the Indian
market (where it is built) as well as Africa and
other emerging markets – is the most likely
candidate to do battle with Australia’s newest
sub-light model, Holden’s Barina Spark.
The Figo would be a direct rival not only
for the Spark (priced from $12,490), Suzuki’s
pioneering Alto hatch (from $11,790) and a
plethora of other new or heavily upgraded sub-
light or A-segment vehicles from Asian nations
including China, but also cut-price B-cars such
as Nissan’s new K13 Micra, which went on
sale this month priced from $12,990.
Marking a departure from Ford Australia’s
European small-car approach, the strategy
would see the Blue Oval brand join an
increasing number of manufacturers offering
multiple vehicles in one category.
If Ford’s baby-car plan comes to fruition,
the fi ve-door/fi ve-seater hatchback will
slot under the high-fl ying Fiesta to give the
company a two-pronged light-car approach.
However, Ford Australia’s all-new sub-
Fiesta model remains up to 18 months away
from local dealerships, as the company
works through the intricacies of bringing a
low-cost hatch to market.
“Clearly there’s always an opportunity
there (with Figo), but you have got to get the
right car at the right price,” Ford Australia
general marketing manager David Katic
told GoAuto at this week’s launch of the
upgraded WT Fiesta range in Adelaide.
“We are looking very closely at that sub-
$15,000 area – but we won’t get anything in
Australia in the next 12 to 18 months.”
If it is sold here, the Figo could be sourced
from either India, where it has sold well
beyond initial expectations since being
launched there in February this year, or China.
Ford Australia is also developing a variation
of the Figo for the Chinese market.
But with the new Micra set to make hay for
Nissan, as well as the fl ood of cars expected
from China beginning with the Chery J1
early next year – and also including the fi rst
passenger car from Great Wall Motors –
Ford Australia is keen to become a light-car
segment leader sooner rather than later.
“It is clear that with cheap cars fl ooding in
from China and India, we have to do something,
and soon,” a Ford source told GoAuto.
Ford Australia is not new to this end of the
segment, successfully selling the Kia-built,
Mazda 121-based WA-WF Festiva from 1991-
2000, before having to relinquish the Korean
car when Hyundai took Kia over in 1999.Continued next page
Dec 8, 2010 Page 2
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GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s
Ford set for FigoFord set for Figo
Alto
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Continued from previous page However, its 1999-2003 Ka replacement
out of Europe failed due to the lack of an
automatic transmission, limited practicality
(three doors and four seats only), sub-B-
segment sizing and high pricing. Similar
problems preclude the Fiat 500-based Ka II
from entering our shores this time around.
Asked if the Festiva name might be
revived, a Ford source said the nameplate
still had residual currency in the marketplace,
but that a decade was a long time to be out
of the market and the expected younger
demographic to which the Figo would
appeal might not even remember the name.
The Figo is a re-skinned and re-engineered
version of the WP/WQ Fiesta sold in
Australia from 2004 to 2008. It employs
the B256 B-segment platform originally
developed in Germany.
As GoAuto reported in August, it will spawn
a family of derivatives such as the rumoured
B474 B-Max seven-seat crossover, but that
vehicle is unlikely to head Down Under.
Whether Ford will use the 52kW/102Nm
1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, or
51kW/160Nm 1.4-litre common-rail turbo-
diesel units as currently fi tted to the Figo,
is unknown. The WP/WQ Fiesta range was
mainly powered by a 74kW/146Nm 1.6-
litre four-pot in Australia. A development of
the turbocharged 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine
that powered the Ford Start concept car in
China earlier this year may even be under
consideration, our source revealed.
Back in August, Ford’s regional product
development manager for B-segment
vehicles in the Asia Pacifi c and Africa
region, Ian Constance, told GoAuto that the
Blue Oval recognised the need to provide a
signifi cantly different vehicle to consumers
who were willing to pay extra for a ‘premium’
light car such as the Fiesta, compared with
one that cost substantially less.
“We have big B-car plans,” Mr Constance
said at the time. “We think we will see
more growth in B-cars from second and
third-tier places.” Mr Constance added that
the B-segment market had “fragmented”
enormously with “many different layers” that
were quite clear and distinct to consumers in
regions such as China.
Meanwhile, Ford Australia is hoping to
strengthen its position in the upper end of the
light-car segment with the revised Fiesta.
Now imported from Thailand as the WT
(save for the WS Econetic, which continues
to come out of Germany), the Fiesta has
established itself as a popular player in the
$17,000 to $23,000 price bracket, opening
the way for a lower-cost proposition.
Since the current-shape WS was launched
in early 2009, Ford’s market share in the
segment has increased by almost 60 per
cent, to 7.8 per cent of the class, while sales
so far in 2010 are up 22.7 per cent over the
same period last year.
“This has happened despite supply
issues out of Germany,” Mr Katic said. “In
Australia, the Fiesta has been a victim of its
own success in Europe.”
The more keenly priced WT, combined
with greater availability out of Thailand,
should boost that further. Like Nissan, Ford
hopes to be a top-three light-car player, with
15 per cent of the segment in Australia.
FULL STORY: CLICK HEREAsian value equation – page 17
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PUBLISHER: John MellorEDITOR: Terry Martin MANAGING EDITOR: Marton PettendyJOURNALISTS: Byron Mathioudakis, James Stanford Philip Lord, David HassallPRODUCTION: Luc Britten, Haitham RazaguiSUB-EDITOR: Ron HammertonProduced by GoAutoMedia: Ph: (03) 9598 6477 [email protected]
ADVERTISE: Steve Butcher Ph: 0419 562 110 [email protected]
GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s
KIA SKETCHES PICANTOKIA has provided the fi rst offi cial glimpse of
its all-new baby in the shape of front and rear
renderings of its next-generation Picanto.
Now formally confi rmed to make its
global debut in fi nal production guise at the
Geneva motor show in March, the redesigned
version of Kia’s smallest model globally is a
good chance to be sold in Australia.
Kia’s third-generation Rio light car is
also expected to debut at Geneva and is
due for local release in mid-2011.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
Dec 8, 2010 Page 3
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Audi takes on Mini and other upper-crust micro-cars with the oh-so-cute A1
Sweetness and light
By BYRON MATHIOUDAKISTHE small Audi with big volume
expectations is now on sale in Australia
from $29,990 for the base A1 Attraction.
Aimed directly at BMW’s evergreen
Mini, as well as the Alfa Romeo MiTo,
Citroen DS3, Fiat 500, Renault Clio RS 200
Cup and even the in-house Volkswagen Polo
GTI, Audi’s all-new three-door four-seater
hatchback range initially arrives in just a
single body style with one engine choice.
That is the 90TSI unit also found in the
Volkswagen Golf 90TSI and Skoda Octavia
90TSI. In the A1 this 1.4-litre DOHC
16-valve engine produces 90kW of power
at 5000rpm and 200Nm of torque between
1500 and 4000rpm – thanks to a turbocharger
and intercooler.
Gearbox options are a six-speed manual or
a seven-speed dual-clutch DSG transmission
Audi dubs S-tronic. The latter ups the price
to $32,250, while plonking for the better-
equipped Ambition pack adds $2750.
The Australian-spec A1 1.4 TFSI hits
100km/h from standstill in 8.9 seconds
on its way to a 203km/h top speed, while
the combined average fuel consumption
and carbon dioxide emissions ratings are
5.3 litres per 100km and 122 grams per
kilometre respectively.
Next up – from mid-2011 – will be a
super-frugal diesel to combat the recently
re-engineered Mini D.
Shared with other models in
the VW Group, the 66TDI
common-rail turbo-diesel
will usher Audi Australia
into the sub-100g/km CO2
club, thanks to idle-stop
and brake energy recuperation systems on
manual models.
As the name suggests, the 1.6-litre 66TDI
delivers 66kW at about 4400rpm and
230Nm from 1500 to 2500rpm. It scoots to
100km/h in 11.5 seconds (Mini D achieves
the mark in 9.1), can manage 182km/h,
returns 3.8L/100km and emits 99g/km.
The recently revamped BMW-built Mini
D has equivalent economy and emissions
ratings, despite being considerably more
powerful (to the tune of 16kW and 40Nm).
At the other end of the spectrum will be
the 136kW 1.4-litre TFSI high-performance
A1, which will naturally have the Mini
Cooper S in its crosshairs when it comes to
Australia in the second half of next year.
Outputs are about 132kW at 6200rpm
and 250Nm from 2000
to 4500rpm – if the
mechanically equivalent
Polo GTI’s fi gures are
anything to go by.
It remains to be seen
whether the A1 will
eventually arrive with the 66kW/160Nm
1.2-litre TSI turbo four-pot unit, as seen in
the Polo 66TSI Comfortline.
Speaking of the Volkswagen, the A1 shares
its PQ25 architecture with the existing fi fth-
generation Polo that was launched last May,
although whether VW’s baby was actually
developed before the Audi is unknown. In
1974 the fi rst Polo was spun off the Audi 50
that beat it to market in Germany.Continued next page
PRICING:1.4 TFSI Attraction $29,990
1.4 TFSI Attraction (a) $32,250
1.4 TFSI Ambition $32,650
1.4 TFSI Ambition (a) $35,000
Dec 8, 2010 Page 4
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GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s
Te lephone: (02) 9957 4182Emai l : aust ra l ia@cour land .com
IN ASSOCIATION WITH GEDDES PARKER & PARTNERS
Our client, a rapidly expanding importer of a global brand, is seeking two dynamic, hands-on Dealer Development & Sales entrepreneurs to drive sales in VIC, TAS & NZ region and NSW & ACT region.
Reporting to the National Sales & Marketing Manager, the Dealer Development & Sales Managers will be responsible for dealer network development, sales management, state marketing, customer service and, most importantly, building the global brand in your state/territory/country.
You will be experienced and hands-on, driving sales through dealer networks. You must be proactive, with excellent selling and relationship building skills, passionate about retail and working with dealers to achieve success, with a burning desire to make your mark.
This is a unique opportunity to join this organisation at ground fl oor level and to take responsibility for brand building in your state/territory/country.
To discuss these opportunities in absolute confi dence, please call Ross Geddes or email your resumé quoting Ref No. COU152 (VIC, TAS & NZ) or COU153 (NSW & ACT).
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Sweetness and lightSweetness and lightContinued from previous page
That means front-wheel drive only for
now, MacPherson struts up front and a
torsion beam axle out back – no BMW
Z-axle sophistication like the Mini has. Audi
responds that the rear suspension design is
light and compact for far improved space
utilisation in a vehicle this size.
Size? Dimensionally, the A1 is far and
away the smallest car the company has ever
sold in Australia, measuring 3954mm long,
1740mm wide and 1416mm high, with a
2469mm wheelbase and 1477/1471mm
front/rear track.
Kerb weights kick off from 1100kg for
the base car.
Steering is via an electro-hydraulic rack-
and-pinion set-up with an electric motor that
decreases input as speeds rise. At 14.8:1, the
ratio is more direct than the Polo’s, for a
sharper and more responsive feel, in keeping
with Audi’s desire to make the A1 feel fi rm
and sporty.
To that end, the front control arm bearings
are stiffer for improved lateral response
while the rear ones are tuned for comfort.
The optional Ambition trim line has “tautly
tuned sport suspension (settings)”.
Another VW idea appropriated for the
A1 is the Polo GTI’s electronic limited-
slip differential that – in concert with the
standard electronic stability control (ESC)
– initiates brief yet controlled braking to
whichever front wheel is losing traction
during cornering.
The internally vented front discs are
256mm (TDI) and 288mm (TSI) in diameter,
while a pair of 230mm solid discs resides
out back. Emergency stops trigger blinking
brake lights to warn other traffi c.
Other standard safety equipment includes
anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force
distribution (EBD) and brake assist (BA),
six airbags (dual front, side and curtain
items) and pre-tensioner seatbelts for all
four occupants.
Right now only the three-door hatch
has been announced, but a fi ve-door is
in the pipeline, as previewed by the A1
Sportback concept.
With no visual heritage to draw upon like
the Mini or Fiat – other than a hint of the
obscure NSU 1000 TT small car of the 1960s
– Audi’s designers have gone for a modernist
approach with the arching roofl ine, broad
shoulder line, short overhangs, Q5/Q7-style
wrap-around hatch, daytime driving lights
and ‘single frame’ grille forming the A1’s
visual touchstones.
That arched silhouette is meant to refl ect
the strength of the body structure and –
aided by an underbody plastic cover for
improved airfl ow – helps achieve a 0.32Cd
drag coeffi cient.
FULL STORY: CLICK HEREDRIVE IMPRESSIONS: CLICK HEREAudi A6 slims down – next page
Dec 8, 2010 Page 5
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GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s
Fleet Sales Manager – Carlton FC
Hyundai Motor Company and the Carlton Football Club have a sponsorship partnership spanning nearly two decades.
Carlton has been at the forefront of innovative initiatives to deliver outstanding results for its major partners and as
such employs a Hyundai facilitator to liaise directly with Carlton s extensive corporate database, on behalf of Hyundai.
The primary role of the Hyundai facilitator at Carlton FC is to drive eet sales through to Hyundai s dealer network,
primarily in Victoria but also to dealerships around Australia.
We require an experienced Fleet Salesperson or Account Manager to develop our Hyundai eet and membership business
via the Carlton corporate database and membership network.
Based at Carlton Football Club s Visy Park Headquarters, and reporting to Carlton s Director of Sales, you will work closely
with the Fleet Sales teams and Sales Managers at Hyundai dealerships to strengthen existing client relationships and
identify new opportunities for business development within the wider Carlton business network.
You will be an energetic person with immaculate presentation and very strong written and verbal communication
skills. You will be highly organised and have an e ective system for staying in touch with clients and identifying
new opportunities, and be able to tailor a package that will meet all of their eet requirements.
If you are looking for a challenging and rewarding role and believe that you can deliver what it takes to succeed, and more, then you should send your resumé and covering letter to Carlton FC, Luisa Amarella on email: [email protected]
• Unique Fleet Sales/Sponsorship Facilitator Role• Develop Relationships with key corporate partners• Excellent remuneration package, outstanding facilities
Aluminium panels and hybrid powertrain partof eco bent for next A6
Audi A6 slims downAudi A6 slims down
By RON HAMMERTONAUDI’S all-new 2011 A6 takes a leaf out
of big brother A8’s fuel-conservation book
by trimming fat with increased aluminium
content and more effi cient powertrains,
including a petrol-electric hybrid from 2012.
Set to arrive in Australia in the second
half of 2011 after an Australian International
Motor Show debut in Melbourne in July, the
leaner, shorter, lower and more aerodynamic
fourth-generation A6 revealed overnight is
nevertheless more spacious, thanks to a
longer wheelbase and wider body that is
now 20 per cent aluminium.
Audi claims fuel consumption has been
cut 19 per cent across the new range that
will be launched in Europe with a choice
of fi ve engines – two petrol and three diesel
– early next year, with the petrol-electric
hybrid powertrain following about a year
later. Also expect hot-shot S and RS variants
at some point.
Audi Australia has confi rmed that petrol
and diesel engines will be available at
launch in this country, although it says it is
still deciding which ones.
Australia is also considering the A6 hybrid
powertrain that is expected to debut in the
Q5 SUV in 2012. The hybrid combines a
155kW 2.0-litre TFSI four-cylinder petrol
engine with a 33kW/211Nm electric motor to
push a combined 188kW to the front wheels
via an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Audi claims the hybrid, driven by a
lithium-ion battery in the boot, will have the
performance of a V6 with the fuel economy
of a four, accelerating from zero to 100km/h
in 7.3 seconds and delivering 6.2 litres
per 100km fuel consumption with CO2
emissions of 142 grams per kilometre.
This, however, is way short of the
4.9L/100km and 129g/km delivered by the
2.0-litre TDI engine to be available in the
new A6. This tweaked version of the current
Audi TDI now delivers 130kW – up from
the current version’s 125kW.
Other engines include a 150kW/280Nm
2.8-litre normally aspirated FSI V6 that
does away with the inlet throttle body by
controlling air intake via the engine valves.
This engine is said to produce a 0-100km/h
acceleration time of 7.7 seconds and
combined fuel economy of 7.4L/100km.
A force-fed 3.0-litre TFSI V6 is the
performance leader of the range (at least
until the Rs arrive), pumping out 220kW and
440Nm to propel the A6 to 100km/h in 5.5
seconds – more than half a second quicker
than the current equivalent model.
FULL STORY: CLICK HEREUp Close on Personnel – page 22
Dec 8, 2010 Page 6
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GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s
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Swedish brand expects big sales spike with svelte, safety-focused S60 sedan
Volvo’s new hero
By JAMES STANFORDVOLVO Car Australia is looking to
dramatically increase its presence in the
mid-sized luxury class with its all-new S60
sedan against the well-established Mercedes
C-class, BMW 3 Series and Audi A4.
It is aiming to ramp up sales of the model
from fewer than 100 a year in the period
before the model was dropped from the
Australian line-up in 2008, to 1500 per
annum with the new model.
In doing so, it is looking to reduce its
dependence on its strong-selling SUVs for
the bulk of its sales.
Volvo Car Australia managing director
Alan Desselss said his company was not
being overly ambitious with its S60 targets.
“There will be a challenge to attract people
from that segment into the Volvo product,
but I’m confi dent given the quality, the level
of engineering and extremely competitive
pricing,” he said.
Advanced safety technology, including a
system that can actively stop the car when
it senses a pedestrian on a collision course,
will be a key part of the S60’s armoury, along
with progressive design, increased interior
space and strong engines, including an all-
new turbocharged four-cylinder petrol unit.
S60 range prices kick off with the T5 at
$51,950 and moves up to the D5 AWD at
$57,950 before topping out at
$64,950 for the T6 AWD.
The D5 diesel and T6 petrol are
available now, while the petrol T5
will come early next year.
Volvo has changed its naming
strategy so the 5 in T5 no longer refers to the
number of cylinders. The numbers, from 1
to 5, will now represents the relative power
output in the Volvo engine family.
The T5 is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder
turbocharged engine. It is called a GTDI
engine which suggests it might be a diesel,
but it is actually a petrol unit. ‘DI’ refers to
its direct injection technology. This engine
generates 177kW at 5500rpm and 320Nm
from 1800-5000rpm and propels the S60
from 0-100km/h in 7.5 seconds.
Its Australian fuel consumption rating is
still to be confi rmed, but the international
fi gure comes in at 8.3 litres per 100km.
This engine is linked to Volvo’s six-speed
Powershift dual-clutch automatic.
The revised D5 is a 2.4-litre fi ve-
cylinder common-rail turbo-diesel
generating 151kW at 4000rpm
and 420Nm from 1500-3250rpm.
It has an offi cial Australian
fuel consumption average of
7.1L/100km and a 0-100km/h acceleration
fi gure of 8.1 seconds.
The T6 is an upgraded 3.0-litre
transverse-mounted inline six-cylinder
turbo. It now produces 14kW more power
and a healthy 40Nm more torque, making
for totals of 224kW at 5600rpm and
440Nm from 2100-4200rpm.Continued next page
PRICING:T5 (a) $51,950
D5 (a) $57,950
T6 (a) $64,950
Dec 8, 2010 Page 7
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GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s
Volvo’s new heroVolvo’s new heroContinued from previous page
The fuel consumption is 10.2L/100km but
it is the acceleration number from 0-100km/h
of 6.1 seconds that will be of most interest to
potential customers.
Both the D5 and T6 run a six-speed
automatic torque convertor-type transmission
linked to a constant all-wheel drive system,
while the T5 is front-wheel drive.
The S60 uses a platform similar to that used
for the S80, V70, XC60 and XC70 but with
signifi cant revisions. It has new suspension,
with MacPherson struts at the front and a
fresh multilink set-up at the rear. Volvo says
the damping and spring rates are fi rmer than
before in order to aid sportier handling.
Volvo will offer the ‘Four C’ active
damper system as an option. There will also
be an R-Design sports suspension option.
Electronic stability control is standard on all
S60 models, with the system now including a
sport mode which turns off the traction control
element to allow for some spirited driving
with a safety net in the background.
The system also features torque vectoring
which means it can brake an inside wheel
during a bend and send more power to the
outside wheel for improved drive.
The S60 comes with a full suite of front,
side and curtain airbags and also has a
rollover sensor (which is rare for a non-
SUV model) that sets off the curtain airbags
– which are tuned to stay infl ated for longer
than usual – and pretensions the seatbelts in
anticipation of impact.
It has advanced electronic active safety
features, some standard and some optional.
City Safety, which was introduced on the
XC60, is standard. This system uses laser
radar to counter low-speed nose-to-tail
crashes at 30km/h, and is designed to stop
accidents usually caused by inattention.
The sensor, fi tted behind the rearview
mirror, looks at traffi c within a range of six
metres in front and makes 50 calculations
per second to determine if a vehicle in front
is a threat. If the system calculates that a risk
of collision is imminent it will automatically
brake the car and wind back the throttle.
Volvo claims the system can lead to a
20 per cent reduction in insurance costs
compared with rivals.
Next up is the adaptive cruise control,
which uses radar to maintain a standard
distance between the driver and the car in
front. If this system predicts a possible
impact with a car in front it will sound
an alarm and fl ash up a red line on the
windscreen to warn the driver.
If no action is taken, the car will brake
heavily to try to avoid a crash or at least
limit its severity.
This system can maintain a distance to
the car in front in stop-start traffi c with no
driver input until the car is stopped for three
seconds or longer, in which case the driver
is required to either accelerate or press the
cruise control’s resume button.
The new pedestrian detection system
makes its debut with the new S60. This
system uses both radar and a camera to
detect pedestrians and, if sensors predict an
impact is likely, will hit the brakes.
It uses radar to detect objects that may
be pedestrians, while the camera is used to
identify whether the object is a person.
Volvo says the system can detect
pedestrians 80cm and taller, but as it uses
camera vision to identify pedestrians it needs
light and therefore cannot function at night.
Senior Volvo safety advisor Thomas
Broberg, who fl ew to Australia for last
week’s launch, said the system was not
going to stop all pedestrian fatalities and
injuries, but would help.
FULL STORY: CLICK HEREDRIVE IMPRESSIONS: CLICK HERE
Dec 8, 2010 Page 8
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GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s
Deloitte Motor Industry ServicesWe are growingClient Manager – Auckland, New Zealand
We seek an experienced motor industry professionalto join our Motor Industry Services Consulting Team.
You will be required to deliver consulting projects within New Zealand and Australia for Manufacturers and Dealerships, as well as facilitation of regular Profit Enhancement Dealer Groups. Critical to the role will be your business development acumen and an ability to leverage existing networks to identify business opportunities and enhance existing client relationships.
For more information please contact Bridget Ellisemail: [email protected]
Client Manager – Sydney, Australia
We are looking for a highly motivated industry expertto join our existing team.
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Melbourne fi rm set for major role in mobile EV charge points worldwide
Club Assist charges inClub Assist charges in
By RON HAMMERTONAN AUSTRALIAN company that has
built an international network specialising
in roadside battery replacement for 70
automobile clubs in nine countries is getting
set to introduce emergency electric vehicle
charging for stranded EV drivers around the
world from April next year.
Club Assist, which is 80 per owned by
Australian motoring organisations such
as the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria
(RACV), New South Wales’ NRMA and
Queensland’s RACQ, is also dabbling with
fast-charge stations in a move that could pit
the organisation against global providers
such as Better Place.
The Melbourne-based company is
installing Australia’s fi rst fast-charge station
at the Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited
(MMAL) head offi ce in Adelaide, where it
will be used to charge Mitsubishi i-MiEV
company fl eet and customers cars once it is
commissioned in about three weeks.
Club Assist’s next station is expected
to be installed in Sydney for the NRMA,
which is trialling an i-MiEV electric car as
part of Mitsubishi’s Australian fi eld trials.
Club Assist is in negotiations to install a
third station in Brisbane for the RACQ.
The RACV, which invested $2 million
in Better Place’s Australian infrastructure
rollout earlier this year, is getting a fast-charge
station from Better Place under a Victorian
government EV trial of about 300 vehicles.
Club Assist CEO Stuart Davies, who
founded the company as a battery shop
with his brother Brett in Dandenong,
Victoria, in 1977 before starting the
emergency roadside battery fi tting service
for the RACV in 1992, told GoAuto that
Club Assist’s priority was developing
technology to supply emergency roadside
charging for EVs that run out of power.
He said the company saw the service as
an extension of its current main business –
supplying emergency replacement batteries
for cars of motoring club members.
This year, Club Assist has fi tted about 2.2
million batteries to stranded conventional
cars on behalf of motoring clubs from
Norway to the United States, where Club
Assist operates in all 50 states for auto
clubs affi liated with the giant American
Automobile Association (AAA).
Club Assist has been working with
American fast-charging equipment supplier,
Aker Wade Power Technologies, which has
a Mitsubishi i-MiEV at its US laboratories
in Virginia for testing purposes.
The fast-charging station at Mitsubishi’s
HQ is an Aker Wade DC Fast Charge unit,
which the American company also supplies
to major emerging fast-charge networks
such as Coulomb Technologies’ ChargePoint
– the company that installed Australia’s fi rst
roadside charging points in Sydney this year
as part of an EV trial in that city.
Mr Davies said Club Assist had been
trialling its mobile fast-charge system, which
he hoped would be introduced by April.
He said the service, which he likened to a
roadside assist van delivering a few litres of
petrol to a stranded car, would be rolled out
internationally, including Australia.Continued next page
Dec 8, 2010 Page 9
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GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s
Based in Victoria, this is an opportunity to play a fundamental role within the exciting
automotive industry. Engage business leaders in a fast-fuelled and challenging
environment. Really put your sales skills and business development know-how
to the test and maximise the growth potential of our Business and Government
Fleet customers within a de ned sales territory and secure a greater share of their
business. Develop tactical customer and business acquisition plans and play a key
role in RFP responses.
You have previous sales, business development and/or marketing experience with
a desire to extend your relationship management skills. Your experience in selling
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valuable. As a strong communicator your customer focus is your forte and you are
highly driven by securing business results. Get going! Apply today.
To apply please email: [email protected]
or call Nick Ferry on (03) 9647 2379
for more information.
www.holden.com.au/careers
For over 60 years we’ve
inspired generations of
Australian’s with the
Holden name, and over
those years there’s been
one simple goal, to make
cars that go better.
Working at Holden, you
are surrounded by people
who are driven by sheer
passion, determination
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FLEET BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER – VIC
A CAREER THAT’S NOT DIFFERENT SHADES OF BLAND.
By RON HAMMERTONAUSTRALIA’S fi rst electric vehicle (EV)
fast-recharging station in Adelaide will be
not be the last, with others destined for
capital cities across the country.
The station – installed at Mitsubishi Motors
Australia Limited’s (MMAL) headquarters in
Clovelly Park – can recharge the Mitsubishi
i-MiEV’s lithium-ion batteries to 80 per cent
capacity in just 30 minutes.
Using a standard 240-volt/15amp
household plug, the same batteries take
about seven hours to charge fully.
MMAL president and CEO Masahiko
Takahashi said the fast-charging station
would be ready in three weeks and would be
used to recharge Mitsubishi’s own i-MiEV
pool cars as well as customer cars.
“We believe this is not just the fi rst fast-
charge station in Australia, but the fi rst in
the southern hemisphere,” he said.
Mr Takahashi said the charging station
would be “the fi rst of many” in Australia,
with others to be installed in capital cities
to service EVs.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
Mitsubishi unveils fi rst EV fast-charge station
i-MiEV
Club Assist charges in
Continued from previous page“Say we are in Chicago and someone runs
out of fuel - we don’t go out there and fi ll
the whole tank,” Mr Davies said. “We fi ll
them up just enough to get them to the next
petrol station.
“It will be the same with EVs. Say they
need to drive 3km. We will be giving them
enough to drive 6km and get them to a place
where they can get a longer fast charge.
“We are really applying that fuel-can
system in an electric vehicle scenario.”
Mr Davies said the trick to mobile charging
was the ability to charge quickly and safely,
with special fast-charge equipment that could
withstand the rigours of life on the road.
He said equipment that was being trialled
could give an EV a burst of high-voltage
electricity via a fast-charge unit to have the
driver on his way in a matter of minutes.
“It is in the trial state,” he said. “We
expect the target date (for rollout) to be
April next year.
“Potentially, we will have a battery bank
with the fast charger dumping it down.”
Mr Davies said the system would
help to alleviate “range anxiety” – the
phenomenon of potential EV owners
concerned about limited range and what
to do if they run out of power.
“People know and understand a breakdown
in a current vehicle,” he said. “You talk to
anyone about electric vehicles and it’s ‘how
far can I drive’ and ‘what happens when I
run out of power’.
“That’s where we are trying to play a
key role. I suppose the priority for us is the
mobile charging because we see that as a
core or the DNA of our business – assisting
motoring clubs.”
But Mr Davies did not rule out expanding
into fi xed charging stations like that now
being installed at Mitsubishi’s HQ, and
going into competition with global fast-
charge companies such as Better Place.
“We are basically in discussion and it is
not a set platform at the moment, but that is
what we are actually identifying, based on
demand,” he said.
“I suppose our reach is a little different to
some of the typical integrators out there. We
are looking at the total solution, through not
only keeping them (EVs) charged but taking
care of them if they do break down.”
Mr Davies was coy about the prospect of
going into competition with providers such
as Better Place.
FULL STORY: CLICK HEREAhead of the game – page 21
Dec 8, 2010 Page 10
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6
By MARTON PETTENDYTOYOTA extended its dominance of
Australia’s new-vehicle market in November,
when the Corolla benefi tted from a generous
fi nance offer to become the nation’s top-
selling vehicle and reclaim small-car sales
leadership from the Mazda3.
According to offi cial VFACTS sales
fi gures, Toyota claimed 22.8 per cent of the
industry by selling 19,911 vehicles, growing
its lead over GM Holden to 71,299 units or
7.5 market share points in the process.
However, while the world’s biggest car-
maker’s year-to-date market share increased
slightly to 20.4 per cent and Toyota will now
easily surpass the 200,000-vehicle mark
in 2010 for the seventh consecutive year
(193,778 YTD), its market share remains
well down on its 2009 fi gure of 21.4 per cent
– and its high of 23.6 per cent in 2008.
Toyota lifted its sales by 1.6 per cent in
November, when the total industry volume
lifted by 1.8 per cent, and now lies 7.4 per
cent ahead of its November 2009 result while
the overall market is 11.8 per cent (or more
than 100,000 vehicles) up on 2009 numbers
at 948,987, putting the industry on track for
1.036 million vehicle sales this year.
The Japanese giant was hit hard by an 18.9
per cent slump in light truck sales overall,
which was more than offset by a fi ve per
cent increase in total passenger car sales and
a 13.4 per cent lift in SUV demand.
As a result, HiLux 4x2 sales were down
37.3 per cent and HiLux 4x4 sales were down
13.9 per cent in November, while volume-
selling Toyota models lifted considerably,
including the Corolla (up 37.1 per cent),
Yaris (up 31.6 per cent), RAV4 (up 29.6 per
cent), Kluger (up 19.0 per cent) and Camry
(up 11.4 per cent).
Thanks in part to a 2.9 per cent fi nance offer
for entry-level Yaris and Corolla variants
plus the Prius and Camry Hybrid, Toyota’s
light and small cars outsold Hyundai’s Getz
and the Mazda3 respectively in November.
With a massive 4536 Corolla sales in
November, Toyota’s evergreen small car
outsold Holden’s Commodore by 765 units
to be Australia’s top-selling car for the 12th
time last month – and overturn the Mazda3
in the 2010 small-car sales race.
However, the outstanding fi nance offer
did not prevent Prius sales spiralling by
73.8 per cent last month, leaving the hybrid
icon down 45.6 per cent for the year. Other
Toyotas to decline in November included
the Aurion (down 39.0 per cent), Tarago
(down 39.2 per cent) and Prado (down
10.1 per cent).
Over at Holden, 11,354 vehicle sales
gave GM a stronger 13.0 per cent share in
November, maintaining its 12.9 per cent
share with 122,479 YTD sales.
The Commodore found 3771 new homes
last month (down 4.7 per cent) to account
for 51.3 per cent of all mainstream large-car
sales and guarantee its title as Australia’s
favourite car for the 15th year running.
Another top-10 Holden model was the
Cruze, which had its second strongest
monthly sales result with 2721 to fi nish third
in the small-car class right behind Mazda3.
With 1367 sales, the new Barina Spark
micro gave the Barina nameplate its highest
ever monthly sales fi gure, while 1364
Captiva sales saw Holden post its highest
ever monthly SUV sales number.
On the fl ipside, Colorado 4x2 was down
52.3 per cent, Colorado 4x4 was down 9.2 per
cent and the Holden Ute was down 37.9 per
cent. YTD, Holden’s sales growth is ahead of
the overall market, at 13.6 per cent.
Ford’s monthly market share climbed
from just 8.8 per cent in October to 9.0 per
cent last month, but the Blue Oval’s 9.3 per
cent YTD market share remains a full one
percentage point down on its 2009 YTD
slice of 10.3 per cent.Continued next page
Top 10 Brands in NovemberPos Brand Sales % Share
1 Toyota 19,911 22.8
2 Holden 11,354 13.0
3 Ford 7844 9.0
4 Mazda 6474 7.4
5 Hyundai 6220 7.1
6 Nissan 5263 6.0
7 Mitsubishi 5015 5.7
8 VW 3427 3.9
9 Subaru 3378 3.9
10 Honda 2488 2.8
Source: VFACTS, December 2010
VFACTSWRAP
Corolla
Corolla back on top as generous fi nance offersees Toyota sales surge
Leader of the packLeader of the pack
Dec 8, 2010 Page 11
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MORE THAN JUST The Sharpest Dealer Management Systems!
+61 3 9535 2222 or ++++++
Challenges
Continued from previous pageAt 2368, Falcon sales were 17.3 per cent
in November, while Falcon Ute sales were
off 45.6 per cent for the month, Ranger 4x2
was down 26.6 per cent and Mondeo was
down a big 42.6 per cent.
Fiesta (up 36 per cent) and Focus (up 14.2
per cent) were the only shining lights for
Ford in November, when sales were down
11.5 per cent. YTD, 88,065 Ford sales are up
just 0.8 per cent in a boom market.
Mazda retains its fourth place overall and
8.2 per cent YTD share with 77,788 sales so
far this year, following a 1.8 per cent sales
slide in November, leaving it with YTD
growth of 11.2 per cent.
The Mazda2 (up 6.0 per cent), Mazda3
(up 17.0 per cent) and CX-7 (up 36.5 per
cent) were the only models to lift their sales
month-to-month, with big declines posted
by the BT-50, Mazda6, CX-9 and MX-5.
Hyundai starred in comparison in fi fth,
posting its best ever November result of
6220 vehicle sales for a monthly share of 7.1
per cent – enough to lift its YTD share to 7.8
per cent with a record 74,161 total sales – up
25 per cent on 2009.
The booming Korean brand – up 18.2 per
cent in November and 25.3 per cent YTD –
says it was the fourth-best-selling passenger
car brand with a share of 9.4 per cent.
The Getz was gazumped for the month
by Yaris but remains the nation’s top-selling
light car in 2010 with a 16.1 per cent share,
while the ix35 posted its best monthly sales
so far with 887 and a 9.1 per cent share of
the compact SUV class.
The i45 was the third-best-selling
mainstream mid-size model – behind Camry
and Mazda6 - with 350 examples sold.
In the second half of the top-10 brands
list in 2010, Nissan earned a 6.0 per cent
November share to post the same 6.0 per
cent YTD share as Mitsubishi – which was
down 5.8 per cent in November – although
the Adelaide-based importer narrowly
retains sixth with 57,327 sales (up 14.2 per
cent) to Nissan’s 57,115 (up 19.5 per cent).
Nissan sales were up 8.4 per cent last month
due to increases from X-Trail, Pathfi nder,
Dualis, Navara and the run-out Micra.
Subaru (up 10.8 per cent in November,
11.0 per cent YTD) has overtaken Honda
to be Australia’s eighth-best-selling vehicle
brand so far in 2010 (37,285 v 37,096
sales), by claiming 3.9 per cent of the
market last month – the same as its YTD
market share – while Honda could only
attract 2.8 per cent of November sales. Its
sales were down 21.1 per cent last month,
and remain 2.2 per cent down YTD.
Volkswagen remains in 10th YTD, but
nabbed 3.9 per cent of November sales to
lie within 2000 sales of Honda with a 3.7
per cent market share YTD. VW sales were
up by 28.4 per cent last month, to be a large
25.9 per cent up YTD.
FULL STORY: CLICK HEREKiwi comeback – next page
Leader of the packLeader of the pack VFACTSWRAP
Barina Spark
Dec 8, 2010 Page 12
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GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s
Fancy yourself an Asset Finance Top Gun?PROVE IT! Join our Car and Equipment Finance Team that’s gunning above the rest!
“ Coming from a car dealership background, I was looking for greater stability and security in my job, a better work-life-balance and more flexibility in my role. I found that when I joined the Car Finance Centre, the team is young, vibrant and passionate about what they do. It’s incredible how simple the loan process is, it makes life easier for me but more importantly all the customers I service.”
New Car Finance Centre Sales Associate recent recruit Keiron Rice.
Commonwealth Bank is renowned for providing quick and easy, accurate car and equipment finance. Due to recent growth, we are seeking Car and Equipment finance professionals that are highly motivated and energetic to join our sales, credit and customer service divisions.
To apply please visit www.commbank.com.au/careers and click on the Job Search link. Enter Job reference number 914256 in the keyword search area and complete an online application.Experience in finance is essential, preferable in vehicle or equipment finance.
OUR VISION IS TO BE AUSTRALIA’S FINEST FINANCIAL SERVICES ORGANISATION THROUGH EXCELLING IN CUSTOMER SERVICE.
Late rental sales play arole in big return to form for New Zealand market
Kiwi comebackKiwi comeback
By JACQUI MADELIN in NEW ZEALANDNEW Zealand’s new-vehicle market
recorded a substantial lift in November,
rising 28.6 per cent over the same month
last year – almost double the year-to-date
increase of 14.5 per cent.
New-car sales were up 30.8 per cent in
November, while commercials rose 20.6
per cent.
Used imports rose 17 per cent over last
November, to be up 27.1 per cent year-to-date.
Motor Industry Association CEO Perry
Kerr said the November numbers broke the
usual trend of a year-end dip.
“Sales were up across all sectors,
with no standout reason,” said Mr Kerr.
“However, a range of collective factors
including the recent run of good spring
weather, farmer payouts and a positive
business outlook all helped.”
Holden NZ managing director Simon
Carr said there had been a high level of
rental sales, which are traditionally strong in
September and October, but this year carried
through to November.
“We came into the month with a fair number
of carry-over (rental) orders, which was a trend
through the industry,” said Mr Carr.
Ford NZ managing director Trevor Auger
said one-third of Ford’s November volume
was rentals, accounting for more than 300 sales
compared with 183 in November last year.
Toyota again led the market, lifting 38.5
per cent to 1849 sales over last November
for a 25.1 per cent market share.
Toyota exceeded its retail forecast by
about 15 per cent due to a signifi cant lift in
government orders and an aggressive retail
campaign offering three-year free service
plans to lure private buyers.
Ford scored second place with 914
sales, up 46.9 per cent for a 12.4 per cent
share, on the back of the best month for the
current shape Fiesta and second-best for
Focus Zetec. Holden remained third on 651
sales (up 15.4 per cent), with Mazda fourth
at 536 (up 11.4 per cent) and Hyundai fi fth
with 528 (up 36.9 per cent).
Hyundai NZ chief operating offi cer Tom
Ruddenklau said heavy investment in the
dealer network was paying off.
“The return is there in terms of enquiry
and sales results without a doubt. People
like being around confi dent people and
successful organisations,” he said.
Suzuki was up 30.9 per cent to 428 for
sixth, Nissan was up 25.8 per cent to 409 for
seventh, Mitsubishi was up 38.4 per cent to
353 for eighth and Honda fi nally had good
news with a 24.0 per cent lift to 269 sales for
ninth, including 113 new Insights.
Volkswagen rounded out the November
top 10 with 228 sales.
Toyota’s Corolla remained NZ’s top-
selling nameplate in November and year-
to-date, followed by Suzuki’s Swift, with
Ford’s Falcon third – just one unit ahead of
Holden’s Commodore.
Honda NZ managing director Graeme
Seymour said it was a good month, but
remained cautious about the future.
“We are starting to see a little more
traffi c, with more confi dence coming into
the market (but) all retail activity will still
be a bit depressed this Christmas across all
industries,” he said. “The economy is still a
long way from full recovery.”
NZ Top 10 Brands in NovemberPos Brand Sales % Share
1 Toyota 1849 25.1
2 Ford 914 12.4
3 Holden 651 8.8
4 Mazda 536 7.3
5 Hyundai 528 7.1
6 Suzuki 428 5.8
7 Nissan 409 5.5
8 Mitsubishi 353 4.8
9 Honda 269 3.6
10 VW 228 3.1
Source: MIA NZ, December 2010
Insight
NZ SALES
Dec 8, 2010 Page 13
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GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s
General Manager – Subaru DoncasterSubaru Melbourne, part of the leading automotive retail group Inchcape Automotive Retail, are seeking a strong and experienced leader to fill the newly created position of General Manager, Subaru Doncaster. With responsibility for new and used vehicle sales, an onsite Service Centre and two satellite Service Centres, this is a senior leadership role requiring the ability to drive and motivate people to achieve customer, volume and profit targets.
You will be:• Ready to take on the challenge of driving Subaru Doncaster’s market share through a focus on Customer 1st and
improved processes• Able to build strong partnerships with key stakeholders through your outstanding communication and interpersonal relationship skills
• A natural leader who achieves results through motivating and inspiring others
You will have:• Extensive automotive experience in a senior role, preferably with prestige brands• A strong history of success in customer service, people leadership and sales
This is a fantastic opportunity to join a successful business and take it to the next level, so if you want to accelerate your career in a well-established organisation that offers great opportunities for growth and employee benefits like lump sum loyalty bonuses and Family Days, please forward your application to [email protected] or call Tony Price on (03) 8698 3580.
Applications close December 18th 2010.
Inchcape are an EEO employer. Women encouraged to apply for this role.
Creating the ultimate customer experience
MP4-12C orders mount as McLaren prepares for 2011 launch with Trivett
Here comes McLarenHere comes McLaren
By RON HAMMERTONAUSTRALIA’S newly appointed McLaren
distributor, Trivett Automotive, expects to
sell up to 20 of the 322km/h British supercars
in 2011 from a new Sydney dealership that it
plans to open in May.
The Sydney-based prestige car group –
named last week by Formula One team boss
Ron Dennis’ McLaren Automotive as one
of 35 distributors around the world – says
it has already been fi elding strong enquiries
from potential buyers in Australia, with one
customer looking at buying two of the mid-
engined MP4-12C two-seaters.
Trivett executive chairman Greg Duncan
told GoAuto that he expected sales of the
carbon-fi bre-bodied super-sportscar to grow
to about 50 units in 2012, when it also plans
to add a Melbourne retail outlet.
And with two more models due to roll
out from McLaren’s Surrey production
centre by 2014, that volume could double,
Mr Duncan said.
That would have the new brand nipping
at the heels of long-established Ferrari
which sold 104 cars in Australia last year
and should sell about 120 units this year,
and well ahead of Lamborghini, which has
delivered 40 units so far in 2010.
In its offi cial announcement, McLaren
described Australia as a key market for its
super-sportscars in the Asia-Pacifi c region.
McLaren joins other top-end brands such as
Rolls-Royce, Bugatti, Bentley, Aston Martin
and Lotus in Trivett’s Australian distribution
stable. Trivett also owns a string of retail outlets
selling BMW, Mini, Jaguar, Porsche, Peugeot,
Honda, Land Rover, Volvo and Peugeot.
The 441kW 3.8-litre V8 two-seat
McLaren MP4-12C – which can sprint to
200km/h in 10 seconds – made its debut
at Britain’s Goodwood Festival of Speed
earlier this year.
It will go on sale in Europe from early 2011
before being rolled out around the world to
cashed-up car-lovers. In the UK, the starting
price is £168,500 – about the same price as
a Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Balboni,
which sells in Australia for $489,000.
The initial production run from McLaren’s
Surrey plant in the UK will be 1000, but the
company claims to have 3000 expressions
of interest from potential buyers.
Announcing the Australian distribution
arrangements, Ian Gorsuch, McLaren
Automotive’s regional director for the
Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacifi c,
described Trivett as “among the best car
retailers in the region – if not the best”.
“Australia is a key market for us, and
the extremely positive feedback we have
received so far from potential customers
is evidence of the strength of the McLaren
brand there,” he said.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
Dec 8, 2010 Page 14
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GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s
Contact Summit Fleet Leasingand Management today.
www.summitlease.com.au
Summit has an excellent reputation for building and maintaining long-term business partnerships, as well as being a great place to work. Summit is seeking a person to join our Team for several positions available in our head office located in Rydalmere NSW and our Regional office in Preston VIC.
SALES AND CLIENT SERVICES CONSULTANT - VICThis role presents an exceptional opportunity for a dynamic candidate with strong attention to detail, proven success in networking with executives at senior levels, and the capacity to deliver results in a fast-moving and competitive environment. You will exhibit excellent written and verbal communication skills and competence in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. You will be required to develop and sustain new fleet business opportunities and establish strong long-term business relationships. You will need to be comfortable working both autonomously and within a team.If you have a strong background in New Business Development and Client Management within the Leasing Industry this role provides an exciting opportunity to be a part of this growing vibrant organisation.Please send your resume to Jeff Norfolk via email: [email protected]
FLEET SERVICES OFFICERAs the successful candidate you will be reporting to the Fleet Services Manager and will be involved in national procurement of vehicles.You will liaise with our key dealer networks ensuring vehicle quotations, orders and deliveries are processed in a timely manner, and be committed to providing exceptional service to both internal and external customers. You will need a high level of attention to detail with excellent communication skills and competence in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. This role presents an excellent opportunity if you have strong experience in the Fleet Leasing Industry with a background in vehicle stock control or sales.Please send your resume to Jim MacGillivray via email: [email protected]
Big dealer group says it has no plans to become a Chinese vehicle importer
AP Eagers ‘pure retailer’AP Eagers ‘pure retailer’
By JOHN MELLORAUSTRALIA’S second largest dealer
group, AP Eagers, has moved to dispel any
suggestions that it is a fi nancial backer of
plans to import Chinese trucks and light
commercial vehicles to Australia.
The company has issued a statement
to GoAuto regarding its relationship with
Chinese truck and light commercial importer
White Motor Corporation (WMC) because
of the extreme sensitivity the threat that
Chinese vehicles pose to well-entrenched
car companies seeing their retailers taking
on Chinese brands.
GoAuto understands that the sensitivity
has spilled over into outright concern that
well-resourced dealers might fund
the direct importation of cars from
China.
An article in GoAutoNews last
week gave the impression that AP
Eagers might be taking a minor
equity position in the importer
WMC which is setting up sales
networks for JAC trucks and Higer
light commercials.
GoAuto understands that the
article sparked fears with some leading
vehicle importers that AP Eagers might
be going into competition with the very
companies that supply it with vast numbers
of its vehicles for sale.
The managing director of AP Eagers
Martin Ward has told GoAuto that AP
Eagers was not interested in entering into
arrangements where it became a
competitor to the import businesses
which supply Eagers’ dealerships
with their vehicles.
Mr Ward said AP Eagers
would be a retailer of Higer light
commercials through its 100 per
cent ownership of the Adelaide-
based Adtrans. Adtrans has been
appointed a retailer in Sydney and
Adelaide for Higer by importer WMC.
But he stressed: “AP Eagers is a pure
retailer and does not import any motor
vehicles.
“We are not an equity partner and have
not been asked to become an equity partner
in the importer WMC.
“We are one of their appointed retailers
and we don’t see any issues with that.
But we are not a fi nancial partner that is
supporting them.
“We are not trying to follow John
Hughes (Geely), we are not trying to follow
Neville Crichton (Great Wall, Chery). We
are a retailer and we will retail all sorts of
products, including Chinese products, but
we are not going to be an equity partner with
an importer,” he said.
According to WMC, the publicly-listed
Automotive Holdings Group (AHG),
Australia’s largest dealership group, is
providing funding to set up WMC Chinese
import operations, network development
and distribution back-end.
Martin Ward
Higer P1
Dec 8, 2010 Page 15
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AUTOMOTIVE PERSONNELINTERNATIONAL
DRIVING THE MOTOR INDUSTRY – Sydney / Melbourne / Adelaide / Brisbane / Auckland
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By PHILIP LORDFRESH from the Volkswagen factory is a
new 2011 Caddy range that boasts standard
electronic stability control (ESC) across
the range, more effi cient engines, a new
dashboard and front-end sheetmetal, plus
lower prices on some models and upgraded
features at no extra cost on others.
The 2011 facelift also heralds the return
of the Caddy Life, the short-wheelbase
people-mover ditched from the range when
the long-wheelbase Caddy Maxi Life was
introduced in 2008.
The Caddy Van is a star performer for
Volkswagen: second only to the Toyota
HiAce in the van segment, it is Volkswagen’s
top-selling light commercial vehicle.
The Caddy Maxi Life has not fared so
well; it has been a low-volume seller in the
people-mover segment, currently running
at 2.2 per cent of the sub-$55,000 people-
mover segment.
The all-new engine range is labelled
according to its peak torque fi gure, as per
Volkswagen’s commercial range convention.
Two new TSI turbocharged petrol engines
are offered in the 2011 Caddy, replacing the
MPI 1.6-litre. Both the TSI 160 and TSI 175
engines are variations of the direct-injection
1.2-litre engine available in Volkswagen’s
latest Polo and Golf hatchbacks.
The 1.2-litre TSI 160, standard in the
entry-level Caddy, develops 63kW at
4800rpm and 160Nm of torque between
1500 and 3500rpm. The TSI 160’s combined
fuel consumption is 6.9L/100km and CO2
output is 160g/km.
The 1.2-litre TSI 175, available in the
Caddy Maxi, develops 77kW at 5000rpm
and 175Nm of torque at 1550rpm.
Combined fuel consumption is 7.0L/100km
and CO2 output is 163g/km.
The Caddy’s 1.9-litre Pumpe-Duse engine
has been replaced with two common-rail
direct-injection diesel engines: the 1.6-litre
TDI 250 in the Caddy and Caddy Maxi and
the Caddy Maxi-only 2.0-
litre TDI 320.
The people-movers, the
Caddy Life and Caddy Maxi
Life, are fi tted with the
diesel engines only: the TDI
250 in the Life and Maxi
Life and the TDI 320 in the
Maxi Life only.
The TDI 250 has a peak
power output of 75kW at
4400rpm and peak torque
of 250Nm at 1500rpm.
Fuel consumption and CO2
emissions for the Caddy TDI
250 manual is 6.6L/100km
and 149g/km respectively
(Caddy Life manual: 6.7L/100km and
152g/km). The automatic Caddy TDI 250
DSG achieves 6.5L/100km and 149g/km
and Caddy Life TDI 250 DSG 6.6L/100km
and 152g/km.
The long-wheelbase diesels are slightly
heavier on fuel and carbon emissions. The
Caddy Maxi TDI 250 manual averages
6.7L/100km and 152g/km and the Caddy
Maxi TDI 250 DSG 6.6L/100km and 152g/
km. The Maxi Life TDI 250 is DSG-only
and achieves 6.7L/100km and 155g/km.
The Caddy Maxi and Maxi Life are available
with the 2.0-litre TDI 320, which develops
103kW at 4200rpm and 320Nm of torque at
1500rpm. Fuel consumption
is 7.2L/1200km and CO2
emissions are 171g/km.
A fi ve-speed manual
transmission is standard for
the two TSI engines and
the TDI 250, with a seven-
speed DSG transmission
optional on TDI 250 (the
TSI 160 and 175 are fi ve-
speed manual only). A
six-speed DSG is the only
transmission available for
the TDI 320.
Measurements remain
almost identical to the
previous models. The Caddy
Maxi Life’s new roof-rails add 25mm to
overall height and the front is new from
the A-pillar forward, while the rear section
features only minor styling tweaks.
The side-opening ‘barn’ rear doors are
standard on Caddy Van, with the one-piece
lifting tailgate a no-cost option.
FULL STORY: CLICK HEREDRIVE IMPRESSIONS: CLICK HERE
PRICING:Caddy Van TSI 160 $21,990
TDI 250 $26,650
TDI 250 (a) $29,650
Caddy Maxi Van TSI 175 $24,990
TDI 250 $27,990
TDI 250 (a) $30,990
TDI 320 (a) $32,990
Caddy Life TDI 250 $28,990
TDI 250 (a) $31,990
Caddy Maxi Life TDI 250 (a) $39,990
TDI 320 (a) $41,990
Maxi Van
VW’s new Caddy arrives with fresh engines, DSG options and standard ESC
Delivering the goodsDelivering the goods
Dec 8, 2010 Page 16
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GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s
Due to further growth, AVC require an experienced Vehicle Maintenance Controller for our Fleet Management division. This role is based in our South Melbourne of ce.
In addition to coordinating the authorisation process, the successful candidate will be actively involved in account management through direct client contact and the analysis of related information for constant procedural and reporting improvements.
Excellent communication, motivational and time management skills are core requirements of this role. Ideally, you will be a quali ed automotive mechanic and have a minimum of 12 months Fleet Management experience. An attractive salary package commensurate with industry experience will be offered to the successful applicant.
Please forward your application and resumé to: hr@avc eet.com
Vehicle Maintenance Controller– MELBOURNE OFFICE –
www.vehicleconsultants.com
Mitsubishi claims 4x4 is on the wane for compact SUVs as 2WD takes hold
Outlander out in frontOutlander out in front
By RON HAMMERTONSPORT utility vehicles sold in Australia
are shedding four-wheel drive at a rapid
rate, with one in every two compact SUVs
destined to be two-wheel drive, according to
Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited.
Mitsubishi’s Outlander is the latest SUV
to join the push to 2WD, slicing more than
$4000 from the entry price of the country’s
fi fth-best-selling compact SUV.
While the AWD Outlander LS is list-
priced at $33,240 in manual form, the two-
wheel-drive LS manual is $4250 cheaper at
$28,990 – the same price as Toyota’s two-
wheel-drive RAV4 CV manual.
On the Outlander, CVT (continuously
variable transmission) auto adds $2500.
Figures shown by Mitsubishi last week
suggest that half of all RAV4s sold in
Australia are two-wheel drive, while the
2WD component of Nissan’s Dualis has
risen to some 80 per cent.
Launched as part of the updated
2011 Outlander range at the Australian
International Motor Show in Sydney in
October, the Outlander 2WD already
accounts for 30 per cent of volume, and
Mitsubishi expects that to rise steadily to
about 50 per cent – a fi gure already achieved
by its smaller SUV stablemate, the new
ASX.
MMAL product manager for passenger
cars and SUVs Chris Maxted said the move
to two-wheel-drive SUVs was a major shift
in the Australian motor vehicle market.
He said the 2WD SUV was the new
wagon in the marketplace, gaining 20 per
cent of the SUV market since 2004.
“It doesn’t have the stigma of a station
wagon, and is more
appealing to younger
couples,” he said.
Mr Maxted said these
“lifestyle wagons” were
more affordable than the
4WD variants because
they require fewer
driveline parts.
So far, two-wheel
drive is available only
on the base Outlander LS range, providing
Mitsubishi with a new sub-$30,000 price
leader to appeal to a wider audience,
particularly families and young couples.
Powered by the same 2.4-litre four-cylinder
petrol engine that drives the AWD LS and
XLS, the Outlander LS 2WD has 125kW of
power at 6000rpm and 226Nm of torque at
4100rpm – fi gures that are almost identical to
those of the rival four-cylinder RAV4.
The Mitsubishi engine comes with a choice
of fi ve-speed manual transmission or CVT
auto with sports mode sequential shift.
Outlander’s optional 3.0-litre V6 – with
169kW of power and 291Nm of torque –
remains the province of AWD Outlander VR
and VRX models only.
By dispensing with the rear drivetrain,
the 2WD Outlander slices 65kg from the
kerb weight of the equivalent AWD model
(1480kg v 1545kg) and
has room for a bigger
fuel tank – gaining an
extra three litres to 63
litres.
The weight reduction
has a further impact at
the petrol pump, with
the 2WD LS shaving
0.3 litres per 100km
from the Outlander’s
combined fuel consumption fi gure. Instead
of 9.5L/100km for the manual, the 2WD
version comes in at 9.2L/100km, while
the CVT automatic registers 9.0L/100km
instead of 9.3L/100km.
Driving only through the front wheels like
a regular hatchback, the LS 2WD loses the
electronically coupled rear-drive system that
provides a degree of extra traction on slippery
surfaces and for light off-road bush forays.
FULL STORY: CLICK HEREDRIVE IMPRESSIONS: CLICK HERE
PRICING:LS 2WD 2.4 $28,990
LS 2WD 2.4 (a) $31,490
LS 4WD 2.4 $33,240
LS 4WD 2.4 (a) $35,740
LS 4WD 2.4 7-seat (a) $37,690
XLS 4WD 2.4 (a) $40,490
VR 4WD 3.0 (a) $40,990
VRX 4WD 3.0 (a) $51,990
Dec 8, 2010 Page 17
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FINISH YOUR STATEMENTwith New Euro Premium Plates
Toyota, Honda unveilnew low-cost city carsbut launch here unclear
Asian value equationAsian value equation
By MARTON PETTENDYTOYOTA and Honda presented two new city
cars last week, both of which are designed
to target high-volume Asian markets – and
could eventually also be sold in Australia.
As Honda took the covers off its new entry-
level Asian-market hatchback, the Brio, at the
Thailand motor show, Toyota Motor Corp
president Akio Toyoda was in India – the
world’s second-most-populous nation and
Asia’s second-fastest-growing major economy
– to unveil the Indian-built Etios sedan.
The pint-sized Etios is crucial to the
world’s largest car-maker’s hopes of
increasing its seventh-place position in India
– which is dominated by Maruti Suzuki with
39 per cent of India’s passenger car market
– from just 2.8 per cent so far this year to 10
per cent in fi ve to 10 years.
Mr Toyoda, who was attending his
fi rst car launch as TMC president, told
Bloomberg in Bangalore: “Profi tability may
be thin in small cars, but we are looking at
the long-term.
“The all-new Etios refl ects our
determination to serve an even broader
range of customers here with genuine
Toyota quality.”
On sale now in India priced from 496,000
rupees ($A11,290), Toyota’s cheapest Indian
model undercuts Ford’s Fiesta (589,030
rupees or the equivalent of $A13,400) and
Honda’s City (815,000 rupees or $A18,560)
– but not Suzuki’s dominant Swift (405,300
rupees or $A9235).
Of course, Tata’s Nano remains India’s
(and the world’s) cheapest car at 131,331
rupees ($A2195), while Nissan also plans
to launch a super-low-cost car – built by
the nation’s second-largest motorcycle
manufacturer, Bajaj Auto – in 2012.
Toyota’s aggressively priced compact sedan
is expected to fi nd 70,000 annual sales – more
than the total number of vehicles Toyota sold
in India to October this year, when 874,000
Suzukis and 299 Hyundais were sold.
Mini and compact cars comprise three
quarters of the market volume in India,
where sales rose 18.7 per cent last year to
1.43 million units. Last year, Honda was the
fourth-largest car-maker in India, behind
Suzuki, Hyundai and Tata Motors.
Around the same size as the Mazda2 sedan
(and only 35mm shorter than Toyota’s own
Yaris sedan), the Etios measures 4265mm
long, 1695mm wide, 1510mm high and is
powered by a new 1.5-litre engine, Indian
production of which will eventually bring
the car’s local content to 90 per cent, creating
up to 2500 Indian jobs.
The Etios sedan will be joined in April
by a hatchback version also built by TMC
subsidiary Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM).
The smaller ‘Etios Liva’ hatch will come
with a 1.2-litre engine.
Toyota says the Etios was designed
specifi cally for India’s rapidly expanding
middle-class – hence its “status-evoking”
styling and “smooth ride even in demanding
conditions” – over a fi ve-year period,
development of which continued unabated
during the GFC.
Variations of the roomy B-segment sedan
– dubbed by some within Toyota as the “21st
Century Corolla” – will also be exported
from India, which supplies Australia’s fi rst
affordable sub-compact model, the Suzuki
Alto hatch ($11,790), and now Hyundai’s
i20 (from $15,490).
However, like this month’s all-new Nissan
Micra hatch, which will be joined here by a
Thai-built light sedan in 2012, the Etios will
also be produced in China and Thailand, from
where Australian’s Honda Jazz and City,
Ford’s Fiesta and the Mazda2 are sourced.
Toyota Australia makes no secret of
its desire to import its smallest vehicles
– including the Yaris and Corolla – from
lower-cost Asian production sites rather than
Japan. Toyota already makes the Yaris sedan
in Thailand and China, where it has sold just
644,000 vehicles this year to General Motors’
1.98 million and Volkswagen’s 1.65 million.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
Etios
Brio
Dec 8, 2010 Page 18
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FOR SALEFRANCHISED MOTOR
DEALERSHIPSPlus Equity opportunities
to approved applicants
WERON AUTOMOTIVE GROUP has franchised automotive motor vehicle
dealerships to sell on behalf of the owners.
Locations – Melbourne metropolitan, Victorian rural and South East Queensland.
Interested parties must be prepared to sign and be bound by
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For further information please contact Colin Brown on
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Australian designer set to reshape Lincoln with new direction – and a small car
Ford snares WolffFord snares Wolff
Toyota to fi x more than 6500 Prius water pumps hereBy MARTON PETTENDY
TOYOTA has confi rmed 6566 examples of
the previous-generation Prius hybrid – built
between August 2003 and May 2007 – are
affected in Australia by a “customer service
campaign” to fi x the water pumps in more
than 650,000 MkII Prius models globally.
The latest problem to strike the world’s
largest car-maker and its petrol-electric icon
is not classed as a recall because it has not
been deemed a safety issue, but involves a
defective electric water pump that allows
air bubbles to enter the cooling system,
which could slow down the circulation of
coolant and increase water temperatures.
Toyota says a warning light will come
on if the engine begins to heat up but, if
left unchecked, the car could overheat and
go into ‘limp-home’ or ‘fail-safe’ mode, in
which engine power is cut.
Toyota Australia has received three reports
of the problem in Prius vehicles locally via
its dealer network, but says no accidents or
injuries have occurred as a result.
Media and communications manager
Laura Hill said Toyota Australia was now
sourcing newly designed components for
the repair and that affected Prius owners
would be advised “in the new year” to
bring their vehicle in for water pump
replacement, which will be carried out free
of charge from around February.
“The engine will enter fail-safe mode at a
certain temperature and reduce its output,”
Ms Hill told GoAuto. “There is potential
for the engine to overheat and eventually
stop but it would take a long time and you’d
have to be pretty silly.”
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
Prius II
By TERRY MARTINAUSTRALIAN designer Max Wolff has
left General Motors to work for arch-rival
Ford in the United States, with the Blue
Oval brand naming the Cadillac exterior
design chief as its incoming design director
for the Lincoln luxury brand.
A protégé of former Holden design
director Mike Simcoe, Mr Wolff, 38, who
has followed Mr Simcoe throughout the
GM world – from Australia to South Korea
and on to the US – has elected to leave The
General just a fortnight after Mr Simcoe
announced that he was returning to Australia
as executive director of design for GM’s
international operations division.
Reporting to Ford Motor Co’s executive
director of design for The Americas, Moray
Callum, Mr Wolff will play a key role in
Ford’s plan to push Lincoln outside North
America and into Asia-Pacifi c markets,
possibly including Australia, with a range of
new vehicles – large and small.
The latter has now been confi rmed
to include Lincoln’s fi rst-ever small
(C-segment) vehicle, while the expansion
plans outside the US – including a
possible tilt Down Under – was detailed
to journalists, including GoAuto, by Ford
president and CEO Alan Mulally at the
Paris motor show in October.
Mr Mulally said he expected a completely
new range of Lincoln luxury models to go
global within about fi ve years, expanding
beyond – and improving upon – the current
line-up which includes the mid-sized MKZ
(including a just-released hybrid), the larger
MKS and Town Car sedans, and the MKX,
MKT and Navigator SUVs.
For Mr Wolff, the Monash University
graduate who joined Holden in 1998 has
applied his skills to a range of vehicles over
the past 12 years, including the 2002 Holden
SSX sports hatch concept – Holden’s fi rst
attempt at an all-wheel-drive performance
road car – the 2002 HRT 427 super-coupe
from Holden Special Vehicles, the 2004
Elfi n Clubman MS8 track racer and the
2004 Holden Torana TT36 concept.
Having moved to GM Daewoo’s design
studio in Incheon, South Korea, in May 2004
as deputy director of advanced design (under
Simcoe), Mr Wolff’s infl uence is refl ected in
models such as the 2005 Daewoo T2X and
2007 Chevrolet Trax concepts, the current
Chevrolet/Holden Cruze sedan, Captiva
SUV, the recently released Barina Spark and
the forthcoming Barina/Aveo.
As exterior design director for Cadillac
based in Warren, Michigan, since 2007 –
a role which again placed him under Mr
Simcoe, who by then was GM’s executive
director of North American exterior design
and global architecture strategy – Mr Wolff
has shaped the acclaimed CTS coupe,
CTS-V high-performance variants and the
CTS sport wagon, among other models.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
Max Wolff
Dec 8, 2010 Page 19
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Local vehicles fail to win in latest auto club awards, even in the large-car class
It’s ‘un-Australian’It’s ‘un-Australian’
By TERRY MARTINNO AUSTRALIAN-MADE vehicles have
made it onto the 2010 ‘Australia’s Best
Cars’ winners list, with the coveted motoring
association awards this year favouring
imported vehicles – most of them diesels –
across all 15 categories, including the low-
volume Superb large car from Volkswagen’s
Czech brand Skoda.
In a blow to the local car manufacturing
industry, the judges determined the niche
Superb 125 TDI Ambition station wagon as
‘Australia’s best large car’, scoring it 758
points across the program’s broad criteria,
with the 118 TSI variant coming in second
on 748 points.
Ford’s FG Falcon XR6 was back in third
place on 738, while last year’s winner,
Toyota’s Aurion AT-X, was relegated to
fourth with 705 points.
Despite a signifi cant Series II upgrade
this year which included E85 ethanol
capability, Holden’s VE Commodore sedan
and Sportwagon – Australia’s most popular
model line and the runaway large-car market
leader – was not even among the fi nalists,
with both SV6 and Omega variants failing
to reach 700 points.
Other vehicles tested in the large-car
category were the Nissan Maxima, Honda
Accord, Citroen C5, Hyundai Grandeur and
Chrysler 300C.
This is the fi rst time in the event’s 11-year
history that an Australian-built car has failed
to win the large (or family) car category.
Holden has not claimed the title since
winning in the fi rst two years (2000 and 2001)
with the VX series – the billion-dollar VE has
never struck a gong – while Falcon has taken
the top award four times (2002-2004, 2008)
and Aurion three (2006-07, 2009). Mitsubishi’s
ill-fated 380 also won gold in 2005.
Best Cars chief judge and RAASA
technical services manager Mark Borlace
described the Superb as “probably a surprise
winner to a lot of people” but insisted the
award was well deserved.
“In this traditional class dominated by
Australian-made cars, the combination
of European engine technology in a well-
packaged vehicle with a wagon option has
upset this market and is a well-deserved
winner,” he said.
In accepting the award at a presentation
in Sydney last week, Skoda Australia head
Matthew Wiesner said the company had
“broken the stranglehold on the large-car
segment”, although this overlooks the fact
that the Superb’s sales volume is still only a
fraction that of the Australian-built cars.
To the end of October, Skoda owned just
0.4 per cent of the market segment for large
cars under $70,000 with 278 Superb sales
for the fi rst 10 months of this year.
By comparison, Holden had racked up
more than 38,400 Commodore sales for a
48.8 per cent share over the same period,
while Ford had sold more than 25,200
Falcons for a 32.0 per cent share.
Toyota had managed more than 9600 sales
with Aurion for a 12.2 per cent share over
the period, while all other vehicles tested
in the Best Cars award – bar the Hyundai
Grandeur, which will soon be discontinued
– had also outsold the Superb.
“Skoda has broken the stranglehold on
the large-car segment with its refreshing
approach to delivering customers a
winning combination of space, technology,
performance, safety and fuel effi ciency in a
stylish package,” Mr Wiesner claimed.
“Since we launched the Superb, it has
grown in popularity and given our customers
a new-found appreciation of what they can
expect from a large car in this segment.
“This award will give Skoda even greater
awareness and will no doubt put a new
model on people’s shopping list in what is
one of Australia’s most iconic segments.”
FULL STORY: CLICK HEREThe power of petrol – next pageX5
Superb
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John Mellor’s
Dec 8, 2010 Page 20
Diesel cars are still small beer in Australia, despite big results in ‘Best Cars’
2010 passenger car sales in Australia
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By TERRY MARTIN‘AUSTRALIA’S Best Cars’ awards are
claimed to be the most comprehensive
and, given their size and profi le, most
infl uential new-vehicle gongs of their kind
in Australia, refl ecting what representatives
of the nation’s motoring clubs consider to
be the best cars in their respective classes.
As evidenced by the Skoda Superb’s win
in this year’s large-car section, however,
‘Best Cars’ is no indication of a car’s
popularity in the marketplace – or what
most buyers consider to be the best car for
them, as refl ected by actual vehicle sales.
Whereas Skoda has managed 321
sales so far this year for the Superb, for
example, Holden has sold more than 42,000
Commodores – yet that was not enough to see
the updated VE Series II make the fi nals in its
category, let alone claim the winner’s trophy
and the marketing kudos that comes with it.
Another interesting point with this
year’s awards was that nine of the 15
category winners were diesels, spanning
light cars, small cars, medium cars, large
cars and SUVs.
Among the high praise for the diesel
powertrains bestowed upon the various
winners this year, the judges made the
obvious point that “turbo-diesel cars
are growing in popularity due to their
pleasing blend of punchy performance
and low fuel consumption”.
But to what extent are diesel cars growing
in popularity?
Such a high number of award winners
with diesel power sparked Market Insight’s
attention as the Federal Chamber of
Automotive Industries last week released
its latest VFACTS fi gures, which showed
that diesel cars accounted for just 7.0 per
cent of Australia’s passenger car market in
November, compared to 91.2 per cent for
those running on petrol.
There is no doubt that diesel sales
have climbed as the new-vehicle market
has returned to form and, likewise, it is
impossible to overlook the increasing
number of diesel engine options across
model ranges – particularly those from
luxury brands – available in Australia.
But despite their improved refi nement,
effi ciency, performance and suitability to
local conditions generally, diesel sales growth
in Australia is continuing to occur slowly.
During the course of this year the
popularity of diesel power has remained
on a relatively even keel when viewed as
a percentage of ‘fuel type’ (which as well
as petrol includes hybrid, LPG and now
electricity), rather than in comparison to last
year when the industry was still recovering
from the economic downturn.
Over the course of this year, diesel’s
monthly share in passenger car sales in
Australia has fl uctuated from a low of 6.7
per cent to 8.4 per cent, compared to petrol
sales ranging from 89 to 92.1 per cent.
While fi gures released this week show
the share of diesel in the British new-car
market in 2010 year-to-date at 45.8 per
cent – up more than four per cent – and
petrol at 53 per cent, the diesel-versus-
petrol YTD share in Australia is currently
at 7.7 versus 90 per cent.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
The power of petrolThe power of petrol
Dec 8, 2010 Page 21Green issues in the auto world
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By RON HAMMERTONAUSTRALIA’S fi rst plug-in hybrid SUV
– due from Mitsubishi by 2013 – will
boast the pioneering company’s second-
generation electric vehicle technology that
is likely to include batteries that are faster
to recharge and probably cheaper.
As well, Mitsubishi’s full-electric i-MiEV
city car is set to get an upgrade by the time
it goes mainstream in the second half of
2011, when the general public will at last be
able to buy one of the pioneering city cars
off the showroom fl oor.
Mitsubishi’s fi rst hybrid SUV – based
on the company’s PX-MiEV concept fi rst
shown at the 2009 Tokyo motor show and
most likely to be launched here as part of
the Outlander range – will be just the fi rst
Mitsubishi 4WD wagon to be powered by
Mitsubishi’s EV systems as the company
attacks the ‘environmental vandal’
stigma attached to off-roaders
while at the same time satisfying
Australian drivers’ demands
for practical large vehicles with
greater effi ciency.
The concept PX-MiEV is said to
be capable of driving up to 50km
on a single charge of its lithium-
ion batteries via twin electric motors before
the 85kW 1.6-litre petrol engine kicks in.
The vehicle generally drives through the
front wheels via an electric motor fi tted to
the front powertrain, but switches into all-
wheel-drive mode by powering up a rear-axle
electric motor when wheel-slip is detected.
At higher speeds, the petrol engine also
helps to drive the front wheels directly,
while the rear electric motor can kick in to
provide a measure of stability control and
rapid acceleration.
Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited
(MMAL) plans to have its second-
generation EVs on the market around the
time the plug-in SUV hits the showrooms
in about 2012-13, when, it says, its rivals
are introducing their fi rst-generation EVs
into Australia.
MMAL vice-president of
corporate strategy Paul Stevenson
said last week that billions of dollars
were being poured into battery
research and production facilities
globally, with exciting developments
being reported by researchers.
He said that as battery technology
improved, it would be applied to more all-
electric Mitsubishi models.
“As an interim stage, we will be going
to more plug-in hybrids until the range of
batteries is viable for everything under the
sun,” he said.
Mr Stevenson said the fi rst of these would
be a plug-in SUV that would be similar in
concept to the PX-MiEV.
“The key point is you get to drive it
during the week as your daily commute in
pure EV mode, and if you go heading off on
the weekends using your 4WD or driving
longer distances, the charger kicks up in the
back and charges it up,” he said.
Mr Stevenson said such vehicles would
help to restore the lifestyle element to
motoring which he said had been lost in the
electric vehicle debate.
“At present, everyone has it in their
heads that we have to drive towards
smaller cars, for the environment and all of
that,” he said. “That means for Australians
in particular we are asking them to make
lifestyle changes, because we like bigger
cars – we like SUVs etc.
“But with plug-hybrid and EV technology,
it that doesn’t matter what size car you want
– you can have an electric or plug-in hybrid
Outlander or a Pajero.
“While you are driving it around in
electric mode, recharging it from renewable
sources, it is completely clean.”
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
2013 Mitsubishi plug-in SUV set to benefi t from new-generation EV tech
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Paul Stevenson
PX-MiEV
Dec 8, 2010 Page 22GoAuto Personnel
John Mellor’s
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By TERRY MARTINAUDI Australia has announced the
appointment of Carlos Santos as sales
general manager, replacing Andrew Doyle
who has been appointed director of the Audi
brand at Volkswagen Group Ireland.
Mr Doyle starts his new job on January
1 and will be charged with increasing sales
for the prestige German brand as the Irish
new-vehicle market continues its recovery
from the global fi nancial crisis and as the
economy improves with an €85
billion ($A115 billion) bailout
from the European Union and
International Monetary Fund.
Figures released by the Society
of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI)
last week show that passenger car
sales are up 54 per cent to the end
of November this year, to 87,988
units, with around 16,500 of these achieved
through a vehicle scrappage scheme. Light
commercial vehicle sales are up 15 per cent,
to 10,420 units, year to date.
SIMI director general Alan Nolan said
the scrappage scheme had “fuelled the
recovery in new-car sales and in business
overall including an increase of over 3200
employees over last year, but this recovery
is clearly fragile as we have seen from some
recent business failures”.
Mr Santos moves to the role at Australia’s
independent Audi distributor from
his position as commercial vehicles
sales manager for the factory-
run Volkswagen Group Australia
(VGA). The position becomes
effective December 13.
VGA has advised that it is
currently in the process of fi nding
a replacement for Mr Santos, who
will be working to ensure Audi achieves
its target of 15,000-plus
sales in Australia in the
next few years.
VFACTS fi gures
released last week show
the German brand is on
track to achieve a record
14,000 sales this year, with
new-vehicle registrations
up 16.9 per cent to November 30.
Audi Australia has also appointed a new
general manager of communication, Janet
Markus, who has moved from Audi AG
HQ in Ingolstadt, Germany, where she was
involved in the company’s management
development program. Ms Markus has been
associated with Audi in Germany for more
than a decade, with experience as a dealer
general manager and in a variety of corporate
roles spanning dealer development, dealer
marketing, communications and PR.
NEW SALES CHIEF FOR AUDI AUSTRALIA AS DOYLE HEADS TO IRELAND
Carlos Santos
By TERRY MARTINBMW has announced the appointment of
Anders Warming as its Mini design chief,
succeeding Gert Hildebrand who will leave
the company at the end of the year.
Mr Hildebrand has led Mini design since
January 2001, reshaping the brand under
BMW control with vehicles including
the Cooper hatch, Cabrio and four-door
Clubman, the Countryman SUV now on
sale in Europe and the forthcoming 2011
Coupe and 2012 Roadster.
Mr Warming is currently head of exterior
design for BMW Automobiles, a position
he has held for the past three years
and which has seen him credited
with a range of vehicles including
the latest Z4, 5 Series and the
forthcoming 6 Series Coupe. The
latter was shown in near-production
‘concept’ form at this year’s Paris
motor show.
The 38-year-old Dane joined
BMW’s DesignworksUSA studio in
California in 1997 and worked in a variety
of roles before transferring to BMW
headquarters in Munich in 2005 as
team leader of advanced design for
the BMW Group.
BMW Group design chief Adrian
van Hooydonk said Mr Warming
“has the expertise, the necessary
experience and the intuition to take
the Mini brand, with the support of
the entire Mini design team, into a
ever more successful future”.
WARMING TO THE MINI DESIGN TASK AS HILDEBRAND SIGNS OFF
THE Victorian Automobile Chamber of
Commerce (VACC) has elected Tony La
Rosa as its new president.
The 53rd president in the chamber’s
92-year history, Mr La Rosa owns Sunset
Auto Sales in Watsonia and is a member of
the VACC’s executive board and board of
management, and executive committee of
the Used Car Traders’ Division.
He entered the car industry as an
apprentice panel beater and became a VACC
member in 1987 through the Service Station
and Convenience Stores division. He is
also regarded as one of the fi rst people to
introduce self-serve car washes to Australia.
Succeeding Graeme Hill, Mr La Rosa
said he would work closely with the
executive board “to ensure VACC meets
the inevitable challenges and remains an
effective and effi cient association”.
“Like many of
VACC’s members, I am
a small business owner,
and so I can identify with
the issues and challenges
faced by our members
and the wider Australian
automotive industry on
a day-to-day basis,” Mr
La Rosa said.
VACC ELECTS TONY LA ROSA AS PRESIDENT
Anders Warming
Andrew Doyle
Tony La Rosa
Dec 8, 2010 Page 23
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GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s
GoAuto’s latest car review www.GoAuto.com.au
Ford Focus RSFORD’S new high-performance small-car fl agship, the Focus RS, will only make it into 315 garages in Australia and New Zealand, due to limited availability from Europe, where the next-generation Focus is about to be wheeled out. Hauled by a cracking 224kW/440Nm fi ve-cylinder turbocharged engine from the Volvo stable, the three-door RS largely overcomes the inhibitions of front-drive hot hatches to break new ground as a light, nimble and blisteringly fast road-runner. FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE FULL STORY: CLICK HEREFULL STORY: CLICK HERE
LPG FOR COLORADOGM HOLDEN has released an LPG-
compatible Colorado, powered by the same
Australian-made 3.6-litre dual-fuel Alloytec
V6 as the Commodore, less than 18 months
before a replacement for its imported one-
tonner arrives.
An all-new Colorado will be one of 10
new models Holden committed in October
to releasing by mid-2012, but that has not
stopped the current model joining Ford’s
Falcon Ute and Holden’s own Commodore-
based Ute becoming LPG-friendly.
Three dual-fuel V6 Colorado models
are on sale nationally now, joining the E85
ethanol-compatible 3.0 and 6.0-litre VEII
Commodores in Holden’s ‘EcoLine’ range:
the 4x2 Single Cab Chassis and both LX and
LT-R versions of the Crew Cab pick-up.
Covered by a three-year/100,000km
warranty, the LPG system is a $3850 (plus
GST) option and can be offset by a $2000
federal government rebate for eligible
private customers, plus a rebate of $1000 for
vehicles registered in Western Australia.
Delivering lower performance outputs
than the Commodore Ute’s 175kW/325Nm
LPG V6 (and the Colorado’s 157kW/313Nm
3.6-litre petrol V6), the engine produces
155kW of power at 5400rpm and 300Nm of
torque from 2700rpm.
458’S RACE FACEFERRARI may have fallen short of
snatching the World F1 Championship from
Red Bull, but the Italian supercar company
nevertheless opted for a competition theme
to its stand at this week’s Bologna motor
show, including the world debut of the new
458 Challenge road-racer.
The mid-engined track car is derived from
the 458 Italia supercar and will be produced in
limited numbers, with a considerable premium
over the road version’s $526,950 pricetag.
It is the fi fth model built by Ferrari since
1993 for its one-make Challenge Cup race
series held in Europe, North America, Italy
and (starting next year with rounds in Japan
and China) Asia-Pacifi c.
What sets the Challenge apart from the
regular Italia is the reduction of weight, which
no doubt improves the 0-100km/h acceleration
time of just 3.4 seconds, although no offi cial
fi gures were revealed in Bologna.
MORE PAJERO SPECIALSMITSUBISHI has continued the rollout
of limited-edition Pajero models with the
release of the value-added RX, which comes
at no extra cost over the mid-range GLX
upon which it is based.
Unlike the GLX, however, the RX is
available with both four-cylinder diesel and
V6 petrol power, and adds a host of free
cosmetic and convenience features for the
same starting price as the standard Pajero
GLX 3.2-litre turbo-diesel ($55,190).
Externally, they include 18-inch alloy
wheels, chromed mirrors and doorhandles,
side steps with integrated mudguards, front
skid plates, rear defl ector, rear spoiler, silver
roof-rails and exclusive RX badging.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
CHRYSLER CASHES INCHRISTMAS has arrived early for Chrysler
customers, who took advantage of price cuts of
up to $16,500 in record numbers last month.
Chrysler’s volume-selling 300C large
sedan came in for hefty price cuts of up to
$15,000 in November, just months ahead
of its successor’s release in North America
early next year.
As a result, 300C sales spiked by more
than 400 per cent, from just 43 in October to
216 in November.
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