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Opel clears outAustralian market ‘unviable’ for GM’s Euro brand – gone in less than 12 months

By BARRY PARKOPEL is unlikely to ever return to Australia as a standalone brand after pulling out of the sales race here less than a year into a bold international expansion.

Instead, Opel will work with its Australian sibling Holden to re-establish a line of niche lion-badged cars sourced from the German car-maker, sounding the death knell for any likely return of the European badge.

“Coming back as Opel Australia is highly unlikely,” Opel head of corporate communications Michelle Lang told GoAuto on Monday.

“In any event, Opel in Germany have terminated their supply agreement with

us, so there will be no Opel brand here for the foreseeable future.”

Opel’s 20 Australian dealers are believed to have been told of the brand’s demise at a meeting on Friday afternoon that was booked more than two weeks ago.

However, according to Ms Lang, Opel Australia only found out about Germany’s decision to pull back last week.

“This was a decision from Opel in Germany,” Ms Lang said. “Opel Australia’s business model was based on a set of market conditions which have since moved dramatically.

“There is now a veritable price war in our most important segments, which we cannot viably compete in.

“These changing market conditions, and the extent to which they have changed, were not foreseeable at the time the model was prepared. It is simply not profitable for us to compete.

“Therefore to minimise the financial cost for all stakeholders, Adam Opel in Germany have made the difficult decision to close the current Opel Australia operations, and ... we were made aware of that here in Australia last week,” she said.

Continued next page

► Dealer anger at Opel exit► Other niche brands hold firm► Market Insight: Opel’s woes► Toyota invests $123m here► Ford to reduce local output► Industry slams $200m pledge► FBT reform hits car orders► Car sales up, but FBT to bite► Futuris sees ‘bright future’► ACL Bearing Co to close► NZ market drives forward► Penske to buy Western Star

HUGE INDUSTRY ISSUE

AND MUCH MORE...

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Opel clears out

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Continued from previous page“Opel in Australia is a very small-scale

case, and building a brand in a market of such aggressive price competition quickly became commercially unviable.”

GoAuto has requested an interview with Opel Australia managing director Bill Mott, but was told he was busy dealing with the fallout from last week’s shock decision and unavailable before GoAutoNews closed for publication.

“As this is a very recent decision from Germany, who terminated the agreement to supply cars to us last week, Bill is more focused on his team, customers and dealers right now than his own moves,” Ms Lang said.

“He has a lot of work to do as we navigate the closure of 20 dealers, and at such time as he has any announcements to make on his next professional move, I’ll let you know.”

Opel Australia has refused to disclose how much money it has spent on its

reintroduction to the Australian market, or how many of its cars remain unsold in Australia, claiming the information is “commercially privileged”.

It is also unwilling to speak about how its network of dealerships – some with investments in the brand believed to be worth as much as $3 million – would be compensated in the wake of the withdrawal.

“It’s too early to comment on this, and it is confidential information,” Ms Lang said. “We will be speaking with each and every dealer on an individual basis.”

She said those talks between individual dealers and Opel Australia started on Monday.

In the meantime, the car-maker says it wrote to all its customers on Friday informing them of the change in circumstances.

“Servicing and warranties will be completely upheld, with the most likely scenario being via Holden’s dealer network,” Ms Lang said.

“This is still under discussion, however, given the recency of this announcement.

“However we will absolutely support and honour all commitments we have made to our customers, without question.”

According to Ms Lang, Opel’s international expansion plans remain in place, with the company’s optimism “underscored by the recent announcement of 350 new engineer hires in Germany”.

“(US parent company) General Motors is committed to making Opel profitable again,” she said.

“There is a plan for a total of 23 new vehicles and 13 new engines by 2016, and a long term-partnership is in place with PSA (Peugeot Citroen).”

Dealer anger at Opel exit – next page

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Dealers left to count hugecosts involved with shockOpel move to cut and run

Dealer anger at Opel exit

By JOHN MELLOROPEL’S 20 Australian dealers are reeling from the shock announcement that the franchise is being withdrawn from the market after just 12 months of operations, leaving retailers totalling up massive losses from their investment in the brand.

While dealers are to receive payments from Opel Australia for unsold stock, demonstrator stock and signage, dealers are counting up the collateral damage that will be inflicted on them from the closure.

Dealers were reluctant to go on the record with GoAuto this week as there are still many negotiations to come before Opel Australia finalises its compensation payments to its retailers.

But one leading dealer was scathing in his assessment of the withdrawal from the market after such a short time and said the level of pain inflicted by the importer on dealers “who were backing the brand to the hilt” was “a perfect example of why dealers are pushing the federal government to review the franchise code”.

Dealers have been arguing with the government that they are being placed under intolerable financial pressures by car companies using their “power of life and death” over retailers because car-makers have an uneven bargaining

position over their dealers.They argue that because there are

such huge sums involved in setting up a dealership compared with other franchises (Baker’s Delight, for example) the government needs to create special rules to protect car retailers from overbearing behaviour.

While dealers are not yet aware of the budget that Adam Opel AG has put aside to close the operation down, many dealers contacted by GoAuto said they would seek compensation that would be “nothing short of recovery of all losses associated with our setting up the brand and establishing a sales base for Opel”.

One said that dealers were on five-year contracts and therefore had “every expectation that Opel was here for at least five years at a minimum”.

A key ingredient will be recovery of the investment made in showrooms.

The investment commitment by dealers into Opel showrooms varied between $500,000 to around $3 million.

The end came so swiftly that some new Opel showrooms are still under construction and others have yet to have the signs erected.

This leaves dealers seriously exposed. Dealers typically borrow the capital to build their showrooms and factor in funding of the debt over 10 to 12 years of operating the brand for the car company.

But, by pulling the pin so soon, dealers are left with an unused showroom without any sales to support the overhead.

Several dealers said that, as part of their settlement, they would be asking Opel to take over their showroom investment overhead until they could get another brand installed.

But they said most of the franchise appointments for new brands have now been made and there would be thin pickings for finding a franchise to take over the Opel showrooms.

Continued next page

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Citroen, Smart, Infiniti,Proton and SsangYongsay they’re here to stay

Niche brands hang tough

By BARRY PARKNICHE car brands have rushed to distance themselves from Opel’s shock announcement on Friday that it would stop selling cars in Australia.

French car-maker Citroen, Korean brand SsangYong, city car specialist Smart, Malaysian brand Proton and even the newest car brand in Australia – luxury marque Infiniti – say they are all here for the long haul.

Citroen sales are down 31 per cent this year with just over 700 cars sold to end of July, however the French brand’s Australian general manager John Startari told GoAuto the car-maker was still going through a transformation.

“We don’t want to comment on Opel, but from our point of view we’re on target in terms of our plans,” Mr Startari said.

“There was a transition period after the changeover (from Ateco Automotive to Sime Darby as Australian distributor for the Citroen brand earlier this year) and our business plans are essentially from July 1.

“We hit our target last month (June) and we’re on track to achieve our results at the end of the year.

“We only took over in February and we instituted what we consider a clean-

up of stock, and we’re continuing with our formal relaunch from July 1.”

Niche luxury brand Infiniti arrived in Australia late last year, and its 2013 sales tally to the end of last month is at 170 units.

“Infiniti’s plans in Australia are well advanced and progressing as expected,” said Infiniti Cars Australia general manager of corporate communications Peter Fadeyev.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE Buyers steer clear of Opel – page 23

Continued from previous pageAnother issue is the losses dealers have

made in supporting the sales of the brand in the first year. One dealer estimates he has “seen off the better part of a million dollars in losses” to establish a strong customer base for service and ongoing sales.

“We always expected in the first place that we would be taking losses in the first year because it would take a

while to get it (Opel) established (in the minds of buyers),” he said.

“We have worked really hard to get our sales up but we were losing on those sales this year in order to get Opel established. Now they just walk away.”

Dealers are also concerned that customers who bought Opels from their company will be left with a sour taste in their mouths about ever buying a car

again from the same dealership group.One long-standing dealer said: “I

have never known anything like this to happen before. I cannot work out what they were thinking. Why did they ever come here in the first place if they were just going to pack up their bags and go after such a short time?”

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Opel dealers left to total up massive losses from their investment in the brand

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Latest $123m investmentsecures Altona for modelupgrade but not third line

Toyota bolsters local plant

By MIKE COSTELLO and BARRY PARK

TOYOTA will pump $123 million into its local car-making operation to help fund the production of a facelifted Camry and Aurion from 2015.

This week’s funding announcement, which includes a $23.6 million federal government grant and an undisclosed sum from the Victorian government, should shore up production at the company’s Altona production line through to the end of the decade.

News of the funding boost came on Monday, just hours after the federal government pledged an additional $200 million to the Australian car-making industry should it win re-election on September 7.

However, this $23.6 million package has not been sourced from this pool, and it remains unclear what, if any, additional funding would go to Toyota from the $200 million tabled on Monday.

Toyota Australia media and external affairs manager Beck Angel said this week’s announcement was not tied in with the car-maker’s work towards adding a third model to the Camry mid-size and Aurion large sedan range built on the Altona production line.

The car-maker is believed to be assessing the viability of adding a high-volume, high-yield model, such as the

Camry and Aurion-based RAV4 compact SUV, to its Australian operations.

“We’re always looking at the potential to add a third model, and we’ve said that decision is likely to be made in 2014,” she said. “Today’s announcement is unrelated to that.”

Toyota has also received an extra $5 million in federal grants towards its five-year, $15 million supplier development program. The $123 million figure is inclusive of this $15 million supplier scheme.

The 25 per cent funding boost will, according to the company, “allow the program to be accelerated and intensified to assist companies that supply components to Toyota”.

Concern over the security of key suppliers to Toyota and fellow local brand Holden have intensified since Ford announced its intention to

quit local manufacturing by 2016, diminishing supply scale.

“It is vital that we continue to have an ongoing partnership with governments to ensure the long-term viability of local manufacturing,” said Toyota Australia president and chief executive Max Yasuda.

“Today’s announcement is a positive step forward. This investment was secured due to the enormous effort undertaken by many people at Toyota Australia during the past 18 months and the critical support of the Victorian and federal governments.”

Toyota Australia exports about 70,000 Camry and Aurion vehicles per year predominantly to the Middle East, with some exports to New Zealand and the South Pacific Islands.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Kevin Rudd at Altona, December 2009

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‘Down days’ set at factoryas closure announcementand FBT changes hit sales

Ford to reduce local output

PENSKE RETURNS TO OZUS CAR and truck giant Penske is poised to return to Australia after more than a decade, announcing plans to take over the Western Star distribution business for about $220 million.

The deal, which will see Penske take over the Western Star business from current owner Transpacific Industries Group, is expected to be worth up to $500 million in revenue a year, the company says.

The deal is expected to be completed within the next couple of months pending approval from businesses tied in with Transpacific, as well as other conditions.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

By MIKE COSTELLO and BARRY PARK

FORD is considering more production cuts at its Broadmeadows factory as a buyer backlash relating to its decision to close down its manufacturing operations in Australia in 2016 rumbles through showrooms.

However, Ford Australia has also pinned the sales slump on proposed changes to fringe benefits tax laws that will make it more expensive for people to own a Falcon or Territory if they lease it or attempt to sacrifice part of their tax-free income.

According to Ford Australia public affairs director Sinead Phipps, the car-maker has seen a significant drop in sales since the July 16 announcement that the FBT laws would change – despite both Toyota and Holden saying the full impact is yet to hit.

The revelation comes as industry figures released this week show that the Broadmeadows-based car-maker sold only 594 Falcon family sedans in July – its worst result ever in the car’s 50-year-plus history – as sales slumped by almost 40 per cent compared with

the same month last year.“Everybody seems to be holding off

at the moment on forward orders, so we’ve made the decision that we need to take some production out in August and September,” Ms Phipps told GoAuto.

“We’ve flagged that we may need some more in (the fourth quarter) as well, but we’ll wait until closer to the time to confirm that.”

Asked if Falcon production at Broadmeadows could be cut, Ms Phipps said everything was on the table.

“We’re managing it via down days at the moment,” she said. “We have no plans to do anything different at this stage, but if it was to be a long-term, consistent downturn we may have to look at something else.”

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE ‘Nothing more than a sop’ – next page

Former PM Julia Gillard with industry minister Kim Carr (right) and Ford Australia CEO Bob Graziano

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Extra $200m in federalfunding fails to dampenindustry anger over FBT

‘Nothing more than a sop’

By IAN PORTERTHE Labor Party’s $200 million plan to boost sales of locally made cars has attracted derision from industry bodies and no comment from the car-makers that stand to benefit.

The three car-makers, Ford, Holden and Toyota, were unable to comment early this week without more details about how the $200 million would be used to encourage sales of Australian-made vehicles.

As Toyota announced a separate deal that secures its manufacturing operations in Australia for the next few years, GM Holden said it would wait until after next month’s federal election before making a final decision on its vehicle production future, which in part depends on whether factory workers agree on new employment terms (to now be voted on next Tuesday).

In addition to the latest $200m handout, the government this week announced that regulations would be changed to make it mandatory for Commonwealth vehicle fleets to only buy Australian-made vehicles, except where special circumstances apply.

In a separate announcement, the federal government and the state governments of Victoria and South Australia announced $7.3 million of new grants under the Automotive New Markets Program.

But it was the well-meaning attempt to boost sales of the Commodore and Cruze, Falcon and Territory and Camry and Aurion that inflamed tempers, coming as it did a few weeks after the ALP’s much-criticised changes to fringe benefits tax (FBT) policy.

“Frankly, it’s nothing more than a sop,” said Australian Automobile Association executive director Andrew McKellar, whose organisation represents all seven

state-based motoring clubs.“It’s disappointing motorists have

been slugged with an increase in fringe benefits tax. This ($200m allocation) does not, in any way, offset that impact on motorists.

“The increase in FBT was a tax on newer, safer, more environmentally friendly vehicles. That’s what it remains.”

Mr McKellar was referring to a tightening-up of FBT regulations that will force business users to document their business vehicle use to prove they qualify as business users before claiming tax deductions.

Continued next page

Holden VF production

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CAR ORDERS DRYING UPORDERS are drying up at new-car dealers, and almost all say they will have to cut staff levels as the full impact of changes to the way novated and salary-sacrificed cars are taxed hits home.

The Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC) last week released the findings of a survey of Victorian new-car showrooms, revealing an industry that is already losing orders and preparing to shed staff as order books dry up.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Continued from previous pagePreviously, the Australian Tax Office

would automatically grant anyone the tax deduction as if they exceeded the minimum threshold of 20 per cent of their kilometres for work use.

Many leasing specialists said the change would affect as many, if not more, low-paid workers employed by charitable organisations as it would high-paid executives who merely drive their cars to and from work.

Mr McKellar said the decision to spend $200 million to try to boost sales of locally made cars was effectively an admission by the government that it had made a mistake on the FBT rules.

“Frankly, it is chaotic and it’s a shambles and the only responsible course of action is for the government

to reverse its original FBT decision.”The Federal Chamber of Automotive

Industries took a similar line, being unable to comment on the $200 million plan due to a lack of detail.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Camry production

‘Nothing more than a sop’

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Growth potential high forlocal parts giant under USparent, despite Ford’s exit

ACL BEARING TO CLOSETWO more Australian-based components-makers are facing closure amid the continued struggle of Australia’s car industry and industrial base.

In Tasmania, the country’s only manufacturer of engine bearings, ACL Bearing Co (in receivership), has finally lost its long battle for survival, with receivers Grant Thornton announcing the plant would be closed in June 2014.

And in Albury, the country’s only transmission plant, Drivetrain Systems International, is also looking at an empty order book when its only current contract expires in October 2014.

Both companies rely heavily on exports, but disadvantageous exchange rates due to the high Australian dollar over the past three years have bitten deep.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

By IAN PORTERAUSTRALIA’S biggest homegrown car parts supplier Futuris Automotive is now in a position to realise its growth potential following its sale to a US private equity group last week, according to managing director Mark de Wit.

The company is bracing for a hit to its operations with Ford’s exit from Australian manufacturing in 2016, and, like the entire industry, is facing further uncertainty as Holden thrashes out a make-or-break enterprise agreement with its factory workers and looks to cut costs in other areas in order to remain viable.

However, in an interview with GoAuto Mr de Wit said he was confident that under new owner Clearlake Capital Group – which has purchased the company from listed rural services group Elders at a knocked-down value of $69 million – Futuris would be able to expand its overseas operations to more than compensate for the exit of Ford.

Ford Australia currently provides about 25 per cent of Futuris’ annual turnover of $350 million, and is the

parts-maker’s single biggest customer. But Mr de Wit is hopeful of keeping

on the bulk of the 210 workers employed at the Futuris site located inside Ford’s Campbellfield compound

north of Melbourne, switching to programs unrelated to Ford.

“In the end, whilst (the Ford decision) is large and important and unfortunate, the opportunities we have in front of the business are far more sizeable than that, so we feel pretty good that the business

has a very, very bright future,” he said. “At least we have got that certainty,

and the buyer has that certainty, and we all know the cards we are playing with.”

With Ford, at least. The $69 million sale price of Futuris

was well below the book value at the start of the year and was affected by the announcement in May that Ford Australia would close its manufacturing operations in 2016.

In March, directors of Elders downgraded the value of Futuris Automotive by $166 million, but even that was not enough.

Announcing the sale of Futuris last Thursday, Elders Limited managing

director Malcolm Jackman said Elders would book a further loss of $28 million on completion of the sale to Clearlake.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Mark de Wit

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Car sales maintain record pace last month but orderbanks down, pain to come

Top 10 Brands in JulyPos Brand Sales % Share

1 Toyota 17,433 19.3

2 Holden 10,137 11.2

3 Mazda 8525 9.4

4 Hyundai 8009 8.9

5 Ford 6733 7.5

6 Mitsubishi 5655 6.3

7 Nissan 5074 5.6

8 VW 3705 4.1

9 Subaru 3102 3.4

10 Honda 2746 3.0

Source: VFACTS, August 2013

By MIKE COSTELLOAUSTRALIA’S car industry will have to wait until next month to see if the federal government’s controversial proposed changes to the fringe benefits tax will have as big an impact as key players suggest.

VFACTS figures for July, released this week, show a record 90,235 new vehicles were sold last month, up 4.1 per cent on the same month last year. This upward trajectory was only 0.5 per cent lower than industry growth for the year-to-date figure.

Car-makers and industry bodies alike have repeatedly warned that the government’s proposed FBT changes, tabled on July 16, would have an

enormous impact on sales by removing strong incentives for workers to access cars using novated leases or salary sacrificing.

Last week the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries – the group responsible for VFACTS – said new-car sales could drop 10 per cent if the policy became law, while nine out of 10 Victorian members of the Australian Automobile Dealer Association have said they had already lost orders.

But with the proposed FBT changes not tabled until mid-month, and many sales working on a forward-order basis, it is expected the August figures will tell the true tale of the level of impact.

Having said that, Ford Australia has told GoAuto this week that it had “definitely seen an impact on sales” since the July 16 announcement, and that a severe reduction in forward orders had forced it to reduce production of its locally

built cars during August and September.The usual suspects again topped the

sales charts in July, with the year’s top-seller, Toyota’s Corolla, again beating all-comers – and stretching its annual sales lead – with 3945 units.

Last year’s champion, the Mazda3, came second with 3464 sales for the month on the back of an aggressive campaign, while the Toyota HiLux took the final place on the podium with 2971 sales overall.

In news to warm the cockles of the local industry, Holden’s Commodore had its strongest month in some time with 2827 units. Transport delays hurt sales of the much-publicised new VF-generation Holden in June, but the Adelaide-built large car had a clearer run at it in July and delivered accordingly.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE NZ market drives ahead – next page

FBT reform still to bite VFACTS WRAP

Toyota Corolla

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Sales up 12.4 per cent lastmonth in New Zealand aspositive outlook continues

NZ market drives ahead

NZ Top 10 Brands in JulyPos Brand Sales % Share

1 Toyota 1703 18.1

2 Holden 1088 11.6

3 Ford 1051 11.2

4 Mazda 682 7.3

5 Hyundai 619 6.6

6 Nissan 604 6.4

7 Mitsubishi 509 5.4

8 Suzuki 416 4.4

9 Volkswagen 401 4.3

10 Kia 241 2.6

Source: NZ MIA, August 2013

By JACQUI MADELIN in NEW ZEALAND

NEW Zealand vehicle sales remain well above 2013 predictions, with July combined passenger and commercial sales climbing 12.4 per cent to 9401 units, after 19 consecutive months of growth.

The 2632 commercial sales marked a rise of 25.5 per cent above the same month in 2012 and the highest number since 1984, while the 6769 passenger registrations represented a rise of five per cent, according to NZ Motor Industry Association CEO David Crawford.

The strong results, said Mr Crawford, were largely down to the strong New Zealand dollar and low inflation.

Industry experts suggest the market has still to reach post-recession equilibrium, with last year seeing recovery to a 100,000 benchmark, and the subsequent increase since then filling the shortfall as both private and fleet buyers slowly return to pre-recession purchase cycles.

Individual brands see month-on-month

fluctuations largely caused by supply, with some suggesting a struggling European economy is freeing deliveries Down Under that are selling well thanks to increased consumer confidence.

Meanwhile, the shift from conventional cars to SUVs continues, with commercials underpinned by the Christchurch rebuild – the closed ‘red zone’ around the former CBD has opened – and strong housing growth in Auckland, with no influence as yet recorded from the capital’s July earthquakes that caused some damage to Wellington’s central city infrastructure.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

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Area Sales Manager – Fiat & Alfa Romeo BrandsNorthern Region (Brisbane Based)

As the Australian subsidiary for the iconic Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Fiat and Alfa Romeo brands, Fiat Chrysler Group is undergoing a significant transformation with inspirational models like the 2012 ‘4x4 of the Year’ Jeep Grand Cherokee creating increased demand and sales.

Fiat Chrysler Group is seeking a seasoned sales management professional to focus on the Fiat and Alfa Romeo brands. As Area Sales Manager you will be responsible for working with authorised dealers to maximise vehicle sales, customer satisfaction and dealer profitability.

This challenging and rewarding role is based in our Brisbane (Murarrie) regional office and reports to the General Manager Northern Region.

KeY ReSpoNSiBiliTieS:• Assisting dealers in achieving their sales targets and ensuring business plans are in place to achieve goals.• Assisting dealers with marketing programs and promotions within their pMA.• Measuring dealer performance and implementing improvement plans across various Kpis including sales,

marketing, customer satisfaction, service, facilities, etc.• Weekly/monthly stock and sales analysis and reporting.• involvement in training events as well as local and national shows and functions.• Managing vehicle specifications and stock levels.

SKillS ANd expeRieNCe RequiRed:• Self-motivated and results driven.• Automotive industry experience in the retail/wholesale sector.• excellent oral and written skills.• Strong business and marketing acumen (degree qualification preferred).• Solid negotiation and relationship management skills.• Computer literate in excel, Word, powerpoint, etc. (SAp would be beneficial).

This excellent opportunity is your chance to make your mark in a dynamic and challenging environment. Don’t hold back! Apply now. Please email your resumé to lauren.yu@chrysler.com. Applications close Tuesday 20th August 2013. All applications will be treated in strictest confidence.

CAReeR oppoRTuNiTY

Aug 7, 2013 Page 13

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Rolls-Royce’s dramatic465kW twin-turbo V12two-door coupe arrives

$645K Wraith rolls in

FAITH IN THE WRAITHROLLS-ROYCE’S decision to produce a Ghost-sized coupe looks set to pay dividends, with the Wraith super-coupe likely to become the company’s top-selling model in Australia.

A pre-production version of the $645,000 Wraith super-coupe arrived in Australia last month for customer launch events in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

Rolls-Royce Asia-Pacific general manager Dan Balmer would not elaborate on pre-order numbers for the Wraith, but told GoAuto at the Melbourne leg yesterday that interest from prospective buyers was strong.

“We are very happy with the performance (but) we are not going to reveal a number,” he said. “The (Sydney) launch was one of our biggest, if not the biggest, in terms of attendance in the region so far.”

Mr Balmer said the 465kW/800Nm V12-engined Wraith was opening the iconic British marque up to an audience it had previously not managed to capture.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

By TIM NICHOLSONROLLS-ROYCE’S Australian expansion plans have received a shot in the arm with the arrival of the two-door Wraith before expected customer deliveries later this year.

As previously reported, pricing for the hyper-luxury coupe will mimic that of the four-door Ghost on which it is based, kicking off from $645,000 driveaway.

One of the Wraith’s key rivals, the 6.0-litre W12 Bentley Continental GT, starts from $408,870, almost $270,000 less than the Rolls. For the same price as the Wraith, buyers could buy a Continental GT and a base-model Audi R8 sportscar.

Showcased at a special event in Melbourne this week, the two-tone black-and-silver Wraith shares a platform with not only its four-door Ghost sibling but German parent BMW’s 7 Series luxury saloon.

The hallowed British luxury marque calls the Wraith the “boldest, most dramatic and powerful Rolls-Royce that has played host to the famous Spirit of Ecstasy figurine”.

Power comes from a 6.6-litre twin-turbocharged V12 matched with an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, producing a massive 465kW of power and maximum torque of 800Nm between 1500-5500rpm.

This is enough power to propel the 2360kg coupe from a standing start to 100km/h in 4.6 seconds before hitting an electronically limited top speed of

250km/h. This figure is identical to the W12 Continental GT and edges out the Ghost which can sprint to 100km/h in a very respectable 4.9 seconds.

Official fuel consumption for the rear-wheel-drive Wraith is 14.0 litres per 100km on the combined cycle.

At 5268mm long, the Wraith is 132mm shorter than the Ghost and despite maintaining the same front-end styling as its donor car, carries a sleeker, fastback-like shape from the A-pillar back.

The Wraith’s wide rear track, shorter wheelbase and lower roof height than the Ghost gives it a lower-slung appearance than the four-door sedan and huge 21-inch alloy wheels give the impression of a performance-oriented offering.

Rolls-Royce has tuned the Wraith’s suspension to minimise bodyroll, but retained “waftability” (Rolls-Royce’s word), while steering weight adjusts with speed.

Rolls-Royce has upped the technology by including a smartphone-like mulitimedia screen that can be pinched or swiped like a phone, while drivers can use their hands to draw letters on a touchpad to search rather than scrolling through menus on the screen.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Aug 7, 2013 Page 14

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GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s

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GISFV6

Big, brash, loud, fast and affordable, HSV’s GTS flagship is a fitting farewell to the Commodore program as we know it

Roar power

By BARRY PARKI’VE waited a long time for this day. Before me is the most powerful production version of the Commodore ever built, and I’m just about to jump behind the wheel – the last motoring journalist at HSV’s launch of its new VF Commodore-based Gen-F range to do so.

All the day before, and all morning today, car scribes have been falling over each other to get behind the square-bottomed steering wheel of the $92,900 four-door sedan that, with the addition of a supercharger to the 6.2-litre V8, costs $10,000 more than the model it replaces.

Somehow, more by bad luck than anything else, I’m right at the end of the queue to drive it. Everyone else has had a steer of the most potent HSV yet around the gymkhana course set up around the Phillip Island Grand Prix

circuit, but I am about to drive it at full noise around an open circuit. Quietly, I’m cacking myself.

What I’m about to drive, though, is the equivalent of a rough-cut diamond. The one-off early build car wearing the famous GTS badge low on the gaping front airdam and an LFA badge on the rear has the same huffed 430kW/740Nm 6.2-litre V8 engine as the production version, but there are still a few rough spots to iron out, we’re told.

Jumping behind the wheel, the HSV GTS looks the same as the upmarket ClubSport R8 on which it is based. We’re in a six-speed automatic version, with the gearshift lever looking as though it is in exactly the same spot even though the GTS’s engine has been tilted, and the gearbox extended by 50mm to accommodate what lies in wait under the stock-looking aluminium bonnet.

Apart from the badge in front of the

extra couple of gauges low on the centre console, and the GTS nameplate bearing its production number, the interior of the GTS shares much in common with the bog-standard Commodore, although the faux carbon-fibre trim and bespoke HSV instrument binnacle stand out from the commoner.

It’s beguiling to me that HSV’s performance hero keeps its self-parking function. The entire HSV range has electrically assisted power steering, meaning the car is now capable of guiding itself into a parking spot while the driver just controls the throttle and brake pedal. It seems wrong that such a big, blokey car should still have to bend a knee to shopping-centre convenience.

On with the show. Push the dash-mounted start button and the LS3 engine borrowed from GM’s Camaro program rumbles into life.

Continued next page

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City Holden is the most successful Holden dealer in South Australia. Recognised as a top three dealer nationally for new Holden sales volume, the company is also the no. 1 HSV dealer in SA and has been for the past ten years. the business is renowned as an automotive industry leader and an employer of choice. the brand is built on integrity and an attitude of excellence in everything they do. the company is a privately-owned family business and employs more than 100 staff.Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) produce some of the most desirable high performance passenger vehicles in the world. There has never been a more exciting time for HSV, with the introduction of the new Gen F range. These world-class vehicles offer luxury and performance, and rival the best value for money anywhere. The passion and loyalty of HSV owners is celebrated and there has never been a better time for consumers to consider an HSV.A rare vacancy exists for a tech-savvy, driven, sales performer to take ownership of this part of the business. Based in Adelaide’s CBD, the HSV Sales Specialist will work closely with the Dealer Principal in maintaining, developing and growing a loyal customer base. This position demands previous dealership experience, preferably with luxury or high performance vehicles, together with the ability to work as part of a dedicated and dynamic professional sales team.Key ReSponSibilitieS• Managing the new state-of-the-art HSV showroom.• Consistently achieve and exceed monthly sales targets and profit objectives.• Involvement in business development activity, including prospecting and follow-up.• Developing and maintaining strong relationships with customers.• Participate in HSV and Holden training methods to enhance skills and knowledge.• Assist in the development and execution of HSV business and promotional plans.

Key RequiRementS• Automotive industry knowledge and experience,

preferably with luxury or prestige brands.• Successful track record in achieving sales targets.• Professional communication, interpersonal and presentation skills.• Strong negotiation and problem solving ability.• Demonstrated discipline for process and procedure.• Commitment to excellence in customer service and a high attention to detail.• Energetic approach with proven ability to build rapport with people at all levels.WHAt’S on offeR• Attractive base salary and excellent earnings potential (uncapped commission).• Fully-maintained company vehicle, laptop computer, mobile phone allowance.• Specialist HSV drive programs.• Supportive team environment and a progressive management structure.• Ongoing training and development.• Modern Dealership facilities.if you are a results driven, dynamic sales professional looking to establish a rewarding career with a respected and successful company, please forward your resumé and a brief application letter to: jpihir@cityholden.com.au Alternatively, initial enquiry may be directed in strict confidence to Jacqui pihir on 0417 824 906. Applications close tuesday 13 August 2013.All applications treated in strictest confidence. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

HSV SaleS SpecialiSt – adelaide“Ignite your Sales Career”

www.cityholden.com.au

Roar powerContinued from previous page

At idle, there’s little to suggest what lies in wait for the first stretch of straight track that lines up in front of the GTS. There’s a tiny bit of supercharger whine under throttle from the big Eaton strapped between the cylinder banks, and the low purr takes on a harsher edge.

Being in a six-speed automatic version is a bit of a shame because this portends to be a real driver’s car.

A better match is always going to be the six-speed manual gearbox. Testing it in the lesser HSV models earlier in the day show it has a clutch pedal that has improved markedly over that of the previous-generation HSV models.

It still has the off-centre spring that gives the pedal’s action a meaty, easily defined ramp-over point, but it has lost the heaviness of the old pedal that made low-speed traffic work in particular a bit fatiguing.

It’s not that you are going to necessarily need to use the clutch all that much. The LFA engine under the same aluminium bonnet as the bog-standard Commodore on which it is based has a big spread of both power and torque on tap.

Nothing to do, then, but to place a foot on the standard-sized brake pedal, snick the GTS into drive, and idle out to the track.

There’s no lurch as the GTS jumps into gear, and under a light throttle the big-hearted HSV rolls easily on its 20-inch Continental tyres, with a lighter feel than the numbers would suggest thanks to the electrically assisted steering.

Stomp on the throttle, though, and the GTS is transformed. If the car’s electronic safety net is dialled into its more sporty mode, the burble from the rear becomes a roar as the rear end tucks down and the heavy nose pitches skyward, and the hint of supercharger whine suggests the cylinders are now gulping, rather than sipping, air.

Straight-line speed gives the GTS a claimed 4.4-second 0-100km/h sprint with the launch control function activated, and the standing 400 metres – a quarter mile in the old measure – is away in 12.3 seconds.

Point the big-engined GTS at a corner, though, and you’ll need to be prepared to commit. The big torque-vectoring differential in between the wider rear wheels – it is part of the reason why, in a world of showcar hoops, the most powerful and expensive HSV sits on unremarkable 20-inch alloys in a world of much bigger showcar hoops to help the car increase ground clearance – only works under throttle.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Aug 7, 2013 Page 16

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GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s

Fordham Business Advisors Pty Ltd ABN 77 140 981 853

is part of the Perpetual Group

... adding to more than 60 years of combined experience in advising the retail

automotive industry, the Partners at Fordham Motor Dealer Services are delighted

to announce Neil Cahir and Laura Bourns as Associate Partners.

Neil and Laura have a wealth of experience in profit improvement, best practice management,

dealership valuations and buy/sells, equity buy-ins, taxation, succession planning and estate

planning. They are committed to assisting the team in delivering outstanding client services

and solutions that are personalised, commercial and innovative.

Visit us at www.fordhamgroup.com.au

or call us on 03 9611 6611.

Announcing two new Associate Partners to Fordham’s Motor Dealer Services team ...

motor dealer services

Italian light car back for fresh crack at Australian market, now from $16,000 d/a

Fiat Punto returns

By TIM NICHOLSONITALIAN brand Fiat is hoping its European heritage and a sharp $16,000 driveaway price will entice people into the seven-year-old Punto hatch that returned to Australian showrooms last week.

Punto is back on Aussie roads after originally going on sale in 2006 before being discontinued by Fiat’s previous distributor, Ateco Automotive, in mid-2010, marking a three-year absence from the local market.

While the ‘new’ Punto is essentially the same vehicle Fiat sold here previously, it benefits from an update to the range that went on sale in Europe late last year, meaning refreshed exterior styling, an upgraded cabin for top-spec models and a boost to equipment levels.

But the biggest change for the resurrected Punto is the price. Kicking

off from $16,000 driveaway for the entry-level Pop with a five-speed manual gearbox or $17,500 driveaway with the ‘Dualogic’ automated manual transmission, it undercuts its 2010 price of $18,990 plus on-roads by nearly $3000.

The Pop may be the only variant with driveaway pricing, but a spokesperson for Fiat Chrysler confirmed the $16,000 starting point is not just an introductory price and is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.

By reintroducing the Punto at

this price point, Fiat is gunning for established light-car competitors such as the Ford Fiesta (from $15,825 as of late August), Holden Barina ($15,990) and Hyundai i20 ($16,590), while undercutting European rivals including Peugeot’s 208 Active ($18,490) and the Volkswagen Polo Trendline ($16,990).

Fiat is offering the Punto in three model grades – base Pop, mid-spec Easy and range-topping Lounge – and all are powered by the same 57kW/115Nm 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine, with the availability of a five-speed manual or auto in the Pop, while the Easy and Lounge are auto-only.

The power figures rightly suggest the Punto is no performance car and the 0-100km/h time of 13.2 seconds confirms it, but fuel economy is the ace up the little Fiat’s sleeve.

Continued next page

Aug 7, 2013 Page 17

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Fiat Punto returnsContinued from previous page

Official combined-cycle fuel consumption figures of 5.7 litres per 100 kilometres in the manual and 5.4L/100km in the automatic are competitive against other light-car contenders including Kia’s 1.4-litre Rio on 5.7L/100km and the just-axed 1.4-litre Opel Corsa with 5.8L/100km.

Front-end styling changes have given the range a fresh look, including a new front bumper, rounder, more streamlined air intakes, new foglights on top-spec models and a black honeycomb grille.

At the rear, it gains a new bumper, redesigned tail-lights and new rear lamps, while pressing on the large Fiat badge on the rear operates the tailgate.

New dash materials and seat fabrics have been introduced, with one of the trim options featuring ‘electro-welded’ sections to assist with ventilation in hot weather. While the dash of the Pop model appears to be carried over, higher-spec models feature a new premium dash design with gloss-black trim, chrome accents and soft-touch materials.

For the Pop’s $16,000 driveaway price, standard features include engine idle stop, six airbags, daytime running lights, air-conditioning, electric front windows, remote central locking, six-speaker audio system, Blue&Me hands-free connectivity with Bluetooth, and 15-inch steel wheels.

Mid-spec Easy is priced from $19,300 plus on-road costs and replaces

the steel wheels with 15-inch alloys, adds a driver’s knee airbag for a total count of seven, a premium dash, cruise control, leather-clad steering wheel and gearshift, front centre armrest, electric

front and rear windows and the Bluetooth system as well as a USB and auxiliary jack.

Finally, the flagship Lounge variant starts from

$21,800 plus on-roads and features a sportier, more premium look thanks to 16-inch alloy wheels, a sports bodykit with side skirts and rear spoiler, adaptive foglights with cornering function, aluminium exterior mirror caps and a chrome exhaust tip.

The more luxurious cabin includes leather seats with electric lumbar adjustment, dual-zone climate control, ambient lighting, tinted glass and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.

A dual-pane sunroof can be optioned for $1500 on Easy and Lounge models,

while a TomTom sat-nav unit is available on any model for $595.

As with Fiat’s other light car, the 500, the Italian brand offers an almost unlimited number of accessories for the Punto, from external chrome flourishes and different coloured mirror caps to alternative key designs and an Italian flag badge on the B-pillar.

All Punto variants come with a five-star ANCAP crash safety rating and along with the aforementioned airbags feature ABS, ESC and hill-start assist.

Cargo space is 275 litres or 1030 litres with the rear seats folded, short of rivals such as the Ford Fiesta (295 litres).

Planning for Fiat’s model expansion, including the return of the Punto, kicked off when the Chrysler Group took over distribution of Italian brands Fiat and Alfa Romeo from Ateco in May last year.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE DRIVE IMPRESSIONS: CLICK HERE Fiat 500 sales start to fire – next page

PRICING:Pop $16,000 d/aPop (a) $17,500 d/aEasy (a) $19,300 Lounge (a) $21,800

Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee, and its network of member firms, each of which is a legally separate and independent entity. Please see www.deloitte.com/au/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited and its member firms.

Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.

© 2013 Deloitte Motor Industry Services Pty Ltd

The 2014 NADA Convention and Expo will be held in New Orleans.

The NADA Convention and Expo bring together members of the National Automobile Dealers Association, plus automotive manufacturers, industry leaders, and affiliate companies and retailers. From the latest in products, equipment and services to networking and education, you will be exposed to information about the techniques which are being used in the field related to the automobile industry.

Your hosts are the Partners from the Deloitte Motor Industry Services Team. We also have our own dedicated on-site travel consultant to look after your every need. Come and join us for some fun in the French Quarter from $3,890 twin share land only.

For further information please contact : Grant Cameron Tel: +61 418 409 784grcameron@deloitte.com.au

Click here to register for our early bird pricing.

24–28 January 2014 New Orleans, Louisiana

NADA Study Tour Early bird registration – Land only from $3,890

Don’t miss out, register now!

Aug 7, 2013 Page 18

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GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s

Career OpportunitiesA career with Honda is a career with an innovative, award-winning automotive brand, with an international presence in almost 200 countries. Careers at Honda encourage you to exercise unique ideas and challenge conventional everyday thinking.

Reporting to the Customer Relations Manager, this position requires an experienced automotive professional who would like to use their talents to successfully manage Honda customer enquiries and concerns to the satisfaction of all parties. Ideally you will be an automotive professional who is currently in, or is looking to move into, a corporate position in an office environment working with other CS professionals. Key responsibilities of the role include:• Working with Honda dealers and state offices to manage customer enquiries and concerns;• Offering expert advice to customers on all matters regarding Honda products;• Working with internal Honda departments and/or dealer staff to provide resources, information and assistance as required to fully address

customer concerns;• Using customer feedback to educate Honda dealer staff to improve their CS skills; and• Use effective written and verbal communication to accurately document and maintain case files for continuous improvement of Honda

products and services.Candidates will possess an automotive technical certificate(s) and a minimum 10 years automotive industry experience (ideally at a dealer Service Department level). You need to demonstrate previous automotive experience with handling customers. Excellent communication skills, attention to detail and ability to meet targets are essential.If you fit the above requirements and possess the ambition and acumen to succeed in this role, please submit your application directly via email to: careers@honda.com.au by Monday 12th August 2013.No agency applications will be accepted and only successful applicants will be contacted.

SENIOR CUSTOMER RELATIONS SPECIALIST– Award-winning Automotive Manufacturer – Work in a professional team environment– Head Office role, Tullamarine location – Onsite gym, canteen, lease options and fully-maintained company vehicle

www.honda.com.au

Retro mini model rangereshuffle, lower pricingbring record sales result

Fiat 500 sales start to fire

QUEUE FORMS FOR 4CIT IS not available here for at least another six months, but that has not stopped 85 cashed-up Australians from throwing money down for Alfa Romeo’s shapely 4C sports coupe.

The super-hot lightweight coupe is scheduled for a local release in the first half of 2014 and is already building a waiting list, with a number of keen punters putting down “serious cash” for their deposits, Alfa says.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

By TIM NICHOLSONFIAT’S recent decision to relaunch the retro 500 city car with a $14,000 driveaway entry price is paying dividends after it recorded its best ever Australian sales result since its 2008 launch.

Fewer than two months from the relaunch, Fiat’s Australian factory importer has sold out not just one Italian shipment of the reborn Bambino, but two.

Overall sales for the first six months of 2013 were up by 252 per cent with 518 units shifted, and VFACTS figures released this week show 236 cars were sold in July alone, up 186 per cent on the same month last year.

The boom comes after Fiat’s range reshuffle in June that included the introduction of a new entry-level 1.2-litre Pop variant from $14,000 driveaway – effectively more than $6000 cheaper than before – plus a more powerful new $16,900 Sport variant and a limited-run $23,200 Gucci edition.

Fiat reduced prices of other variants including the 0.9-litre two-cylinder TwinAir models in February this year, with the cabriolet version benefiting from a $5290 price cut for a new $22,700 starting point.

Fiat Chrysler Group director of corporate affairs Karla Leach said despite the increased demand for the 500, any waiting lists would be kept under control.

“The pipeline is full and there are lots of little Fiat 500s coming on their way out from Italy as we speak,” she said.

Ms Leach said some buyers may face a wait for their 500 in the coming months, but predicted it would not blow out beyond a month.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Aug 7, 2013 Page 19

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GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s

John Mihelakis M: 0431 110 774 E: john@citywideconsulting.com.auwww.citywideconsulting.com.au

Your SucceSS iS our SucceSS• Buying or Selling a Dealership

• Conducting an Operational review • Planning for Growth of your Business

For a FREE initial consultation call Citywide Consulting today;

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Fiesta treats

New look, extra spec, EcoBoost triple for Ford hatch

Ford’s hot Fiesta ST tostart from just $25,990

By MIKE COSTELLOFORD’S forthcoming 134kW Fiesta ST hot hatch will kick off from a razor-sharp $25,990 plus on-road costs when it hits Australian showrooms in September.

But Ford’s Australian arm has no plans to sweeten the deal even further by throwing in some free track time, unlike its US counterpart. ST buyers in the States are offered a free two-day session at the ST Octane Academy in Utah.

The free course (not including travel expenses) includes track and autocross training in track-prepped Focus and Fiesta ST models, as well as some time behind the wheel of a race kart and a tour of rally driver Ken Block’s racing headquarters.

Ford’s Australian brand communication manager Neil McDonald told us the plan, while interesting, was a US initiative only.

One for the purists, the German-built three-door pocket rocket matches a turbocharged 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine producing 132kW of power at 5750rpm and 240Nm of torque between 1500 and 5000rpm exclusively to a six-speed manual gearbox.

VW’s Polo GTI, Skoda Fabia RS and the forthcoming Renault Sport Clio will be dual-clutch automatics only.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

By MIKE COSTELLOFORD Australia has released full pricing and specifications for its new-look, mid-life Fiesta upgrade one month out from local launch.

Along with the revised frontal styling, the MY14 upgrade adds Sync connectivity to all model grades, plus a pair of new petrol engines, including the lauded EcoBoost 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol which effectively replaces the discontinued 1.6 diesel option.

As expected, Ford has also dropped the old Fiesta nomenclature – base CL, mid-range LX and flagship Zetec – and will instead label the different variants Ambiente, Trend and Sport.

Also new to the range will be the German-made 132kW/240Nm (growing to 147kW and 290Nm with the overboost function engaged) three-door ST hot hatch.

Small price increases apply across the board, with the entry Ambiente hitting showrooms from $15,825 plus on-road costs (up $335), while both the Trend and Sport climb an almost negligible $35 to $17,825 and

$20,525 respectively. Both the Ambiente and Trend feature

a new-to-the-range 82kW/140Nm 1.5-litre engine that produces less power than the outgoing 88kW 1.6-litre petrol, but also cuts fuel economy from 6.1 litres per 100km to 5.8L/100km.

This engine is available as standard with a five-speed manual gearbox

(with a hill-holder to stop rollback), but a six-speed dual-clutch PowerShift automatic is a $2000 option.

The Sport, meantime, gets the 92kW/170Nm turbo triple that has won two consecutive

International Engine of the Year titles. Ford will offer a five-speed manual as standard, but will again offer the $2000 optional PowerShift.

Interestingly, Ford Australia’s other imminent application of the 1.0-litre engine, the EcoSport SUV, will be manual-only. This discrepancy may be because Ford sources Fiesta from Thailand and EcoSport from India.

FULL STORY: CLICK HEREMore Ford reports – page 25

PRICING:Ambiente 1.5 $15,825 Ambiente 1.5 (a) $17,825 Trend 1.5 $17,825 Trend 1.5 (a) $19,825 Sport 1.0 $20,525 Sport 1.0 (a) $22,525

Aug 7, 2013 Page 20

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GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s

District sales managerOh What an OppOrtunity!

australia’s nO. 1 car cOmpany

• A Sydney-based role, managing Dealerships based in rural NSW.• An exceptional opportunity to launch your career with Toyota.

Toyota, Australia’s leading car manufacturer, currently has an exciting opportunity in our Sydney office in the role of District Sales Manager. Working as a part of our Eastern Regional Office, Franchise Development and Regional Operations team, you will be able to use your superior negotiation skills, communication skills and analytical ability to achieve Toyota sales objectives; including targeted volume, market share, customer satisfaction, and dealership profitability.

Your keen eye for detail, dedication to continuous improvement, and “outside-of-the-box” thinking will be assets in supporting and adding value to the team and our dealer network.

To be successful in this role, you will:• Efficiently manage 12 Dealerships located in northern rural NSW.• Have the ability to travel extensively as part of your role.• Be able to demonstrate success in a similar role.• Utilise your exceptional interpersonal and communication skills.• Demonstrate outstanding time management abilities.• Have a passion for the automotive industry.

For more information on this position, please call Damian Morrison on (02) 9710 3447 or email your resumé to: damian.morrison@toyota.com.au

Rex swansong

RS40 marks final thrust for Subaru’s current WRX

By BARRY PARKIT HAS been a long two-year wait since it first arrived in concept form, but the hottest version yet of Subaru’s four-seat sports coupe is now officially just around the corner.

Subaru Tecnica International, the performance tuning and racing arm of the Japanese car-maker, has posted a string of teaser images on its Japanese-language website of what looks like a production version of the BRZ sportscar wearing STi armour.

The images show a version of the BRZ featuring a blacked-out grille wearing an STi badge, and set inside a foglight-clad bumper painted in the traditional WR Blue. Another image shows a side profile of the front guard with the high-mounted gill also featuring an STi badge.

In between the images, the words “coming soon” flash up.

While the images reveal little about what the hardcore version of the BRZ will look like, speculation is rife.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Subaru teases hot STiversion of BRZ coupe

By MIKE COSTELLOTHE curtains are poised to close on the current-shape Subaru WRX, with a new generation due here by March 2014, but one final special edition will hit our shores before they do.

Announced last week and due in Subaru Australia showrooms by the end of August, the 195kW/343Nm WRX RS40 harks back to the car’s World Rally Championship glory days with its signature blue paint and gold-coloured 17-inch wheel combination.

The back-to-basics aesthetic is reminiscent of the car that has won six WRC titles, as well as 10 consecutive Australian Rally Championships. It’s now 20 years since the first WRX premiered in Japan.

Subaru says 300 examples will come here, all priced from $44,490 plus on-road costs. This makes the special

version $3500 more than the base Rex and $500 more than the WRX Premium.

The company claims all 300 come with more than $7000 worth of extras, including partial-suede Recaro seats, STI front and rear spoilers, a short-shifter, flexible ‘tower’ strut brace, special decals and numbered badges.

“This feature-packed special edition makes a direct visual link to the original World Rally Blue WRXs that did so much to grow Subaru’s performance credentials globally,” said Subaru Australia managing director Nick Senior.

“WR Blue remains a customer-favourite colour in the WRX palette, so it’s entirely fitting that this last-in-line special edition of the current car carries the famous blue and gold combination.”

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Aug 7, 2013 Page 21

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German marque turns togeneral public for TVC ascampaign targets quattro

Audi’s Aussie ad-venture

A4, A5 SPORT EDITIONSAUDI has spiced up its four-door A4 and three-door A5 range with a limited edition that adds up to $10,000 worth of extra gear for less than $5000 over the regular price.

Audi is restricting the Sport Edition to 250 A4 sedans and 150 A5 Coupe, Sportback and Convertible models, and has added cosmetic and mechanical extras in a bid to maintain interest against stiff competition from the top-selling Mercedes-Benz C-Class and newer BMW 3 Series.

Extras on the A4 sedan include larger 19-inch, five-spoke alloy wheels, premium metallic paint and Xenon headlights with LED tail-lights.

FULL STORY, PRICING: CLICK HERE

By MIKE COSTELLOAUDI will give the general public the chance to direct its next television commercial as part of an Australian-first brand advertising campaign.

Launched last week, the ‘Australia: Land of quattro’ campaign focuses on what Audi perceives as its advantage and unique selling point in the all-wheel-drive market.

Audi has offered quattro consistently on every model (bar the VW Polo-based A1 and its short-lived aluminium-bodied A2 predecessor) since the original Ur-Quattro Coupe turbo 4WD flagship hit the rally circuit in 1980.

The $3 million undertaking was filmed here in league with local agency Holler, but is a local spin on an international format already featured in several European countries.

The centrepiece of the campaign is a television commercial featuring a Q5 SUV – Audi’s top-selling model here – tackling a number of recognisable Australian settings. Audi has bought airtime on several top-rating programs during the ad’s six-week run.

However, in a bid to more actively

engage the public, Audi has made B-roll footage taken with both traditional and compact video cameras, and even a spare wheel-sized remote control miniature helicopter, available on a new microsite.

Users are encouraged to chop and change the raw footage and create an advertisement of their own, with the winning entry to be broadcast in prime time on September 29. According to Audi, the footage encompasses 1.2 billion possible combinations.

As well getting a credit on the screen advertisement, the winner will be flown to Austria for a crack at Audi’s ice-driving experience and will visit the company’s Ingostadt headquarters.

“This is an Australian campaign for the Australian lifestyle and demonstrates that quattro is synonymous with the land and the lifestyles Australians lead,” said Audi Australia general manager of marketing Kevin Goult.

FULL STORY: CLICK HEREAudi switches to eco A3 – page 24 A4 Sport

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Aug 7, 2013 Page 22

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Kia Cerato S sedanKia hasn’t quite hit the same heights in Australia as its Hyundai cousin, but the latest Cerato in base S sedan guise offers the right balance of value, space and functionality. Indeed, it’s enough to really make price-conscious small-car buyers take notice. While not quite the class leader, it has been cleverly designed to serve owners faithfully – especially those who might otherwise settle for a second-hand medium-sized alternative.

SUZUKI TEASES NEW SUVSUZUKI has issued a pair of teaser photos of the rugged iV-4 compact SUV concept it will premiere at September’s Frankfurt motor show.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

4 Series from $73K

BMW’s baseline 420d Coupe to kick off at $73,200By BARRY PARK

BMW’S first 3 Series coupe to wear the new 4 Series model designation will start from $73,200 when it arrives in Australia in mid-October.

The pricing for the entry-level 420d Coupe gives the two-door a $12,300 premium over the four-door – about the same as the premium built into the previous model.

However, 4 Series buyers jump behind the wheel of a car that is longer, wider and lower than the model it replaces – although the seat count remains at just four.

BMW says the 4 Series’ length has increased by 26mm to 4638mm over the model it replaces, width has increased by 43mm to 1825mm and height has decreased by 16mm to 1362mm.

It also differs from its four-door

sibling with flared rear wheelarches that form the widest point of the 4 Series.

Underneath, the chassis is now longer with 50mm added to the wheelbase. Track has also increased, adding 45mm at the front and 80mm down the rear.

The 4 Series will launch in Australia with a high level of kit. Standard equipment in the 420d includes leather-trimmed electric- adjust front sports seats (with memory), six-speaker audio with USB input, Bluetooth

phone connectivity, dual-zone climate control, front and rear parking sensors with a reversing camera, dusk-sensing bi-Xenon headlights, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, an automatically dimming rearview mirror and 18-inch alloy wheels.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

PRICING:420d (a) $73,200 428i (a) $86,500 435i (a) $108,500

NISSAN AD LABOUR PAINTHIRD time appears to be the charm for Nissan Australia, with a re-edit of its controversial new Pulsar SSS television commercial, which features a man racing to get his ‘pregnant’ partner to hospital, now on the air.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

ROAD RULES TO CHANGEAUSTRALIA’S roads watchdog wants your say on changes to road rules that will make it legal to use a smartphone in a car for navigation purposes.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

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Aug 7, 2013 Page 23

By TERRY MARTINOPEL was banking on the Australian public’s strong connection with the Astra small car and the brand’s German engineering heritage to help it establish a foothold in Australia and take the fight up to mainstream European brands such as Volkswagen.

But it clearly overestimated the extent to which its three core models – Astra, the Corsa light car and Insignia mid-sizer – would cut through to Australian car consumers and had no patience to stick around for more than 12 months to achieve its ambitious target of more than 15,000 sales within three years.

With the European market in dire straits, Australia was seen as a key market in which to keep the production lines rolling as General Motors worked on a turnaround strategy for its struggling Opel/Vauxhall subsidiary.

But for all the investment made in building the brand here – in dealerships, heavy advertising campaigns, and the promise of “volume-selling” new models such as the Mokka SUV to come – the monthly sales figures were so low as to be clearly unsustainable.

In total, Opel sales since its return here – from September last year to the end of July, figures for which were released this week – have amounted to 1641 units, or just under 150 a month.

As anticipated, most of these were

for Astra, which when sold here as a Holden racked up tens of thousands of sales over many years – including almost 35,000 in 2005 alone – although even then it was by no means a profitable model and disappeared before the decade was out.

This time around, Astra and the “huge residual awareness” Opel was banking on with the model has translated to just 1123 sales over the past 11 months, ranging from a low of 69 units in October last year to a peak of 156 four months later in February.

Last month, only 81 Astras left new-vehicle showrooms across Australia, while Volkswagen, which is dealing with its own problems in the wake of safety concerns over its vehicles, delivered 1225 examples of the Golf.

Any goodwill associated with the Corsa, meanwhile, which in years past was sold here as a Holden Barina, has not been sufficient to generate many sales in the marketplace, with only 192 new registrations of the light-sized hatch recorded over the past 11 months.

Just 13 were sold in July, three more than its worst month last December but below its paltry average of just 17 units a month since the brand’s relaunch. Corsa’s best month came in its opening stanza last September, when a mere 30 cars were registered.

Sales of VW’s Polo were down more than 40 per cent last month, but the 334-unit result was still 25 times greater than Opel managed with Corsa.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Astra loyalty and Germanengineering not enough inAustralia as Opel pulls pin

Buyers steer clear of OpelOpel’s Australian comeback

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Aug 7, 2013 Page 24

By MIKE COSTELLOAUDI Australia has changed tack on its hybrid vehicle plans, with the company confirming it no longer intends to sell an electrified version of the A6 sedan here.

Instead, the company’s first hybrid vehicle in Australia will be the more advanced A3 e-tron plug-in hybrid which, unlike the conventional petrol-electric A6, can be charged from an external source such as a wall socket.

However, while the A6 petrol-electric model had been expected to arrive in Australia this year, the A3 PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) will not arrive in local showrooms until 2015, effectively pushing out the debut of Audi’s first Australian hybrid by around two years.

Audi Australia managing director Andrew Doyle told GoAuto last week that a prospective move into the

electrified market was “more a decision of having the right product at the right time” for the company.

“We’re still in the process of really making sure we have the right product that will be ready for the market, but also making sure the market is ready for it as well,” he said.

The company earlier this year backed away from plans to offer the larger A8 hybrid from 2013, which uses the same drivetrain as the A6 version.

It is understood both were taken off the table largely because fuel consumption

was not markedly better than that of the existing turbo-diesel offerings, thereby limiting market appeal.

The petrol-electric sedan has a system output of 188kW and 480Nm, 3km of zero-emissions range and fuel consumption of 6.2 litres per 100km (142 grams of CO2 per kilometre). By comparison, the flagship bi-turbo V6 diesel offering is substantially more powerful, faster and only uses 0.2L/100km more fuel.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

First hybrid car for Audi in Australia to be plug-in A3 e-tron rather than A6

Audi switches to eco A3

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It’s time to get what you pay for

By BARRY PARKHONDA has cut prices across its longest-serving petrol-electric hybrid models, knocking $2000 off its Civic Hybrid and a more generous $3000 off the Insight.

The price cut includes a significant equipment upgrade for the petrol-electric Civic, including satellite navigation with live traffic updates, a DVD player, reversing camera, keyless entry/start and lights for the vanity mirrors.

It also gets a cosmetic update, with daytime running lights added to the front.

The Civic Hybrid’s price drops by $2000 to start from a Toyota Prius-matching $33,990 before on-road costs, although as Honda points out, this is

with flat paint rather than the optional metallic skin.

The Insight just drops in price with no extra equipment thrown in. It now starts from $26,990 for the VTi, or $30,490 for the more upmarket VTi-L version that adds sat-nav, a reversing camera and slightly larger 16-inch alloy wheels among other features.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

More showroom spark for Honda hybrids with price cuts and extra equipment

Civic Hybrid

A3 e-tron

GoAuto Personnel

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Aug 7, 2013 Page 25

FORD AUSTRALIA NAMES NEW HEAD OF MARKETING, SALES AND SERVICEBy TERRY MARTIN

FORD Australia has announced the appointment of its fourth sales and marketing chief in the past five years, with head of Canada sales Graeme Whickman set to relocate to Australia as Brad Brownell repatriates to the United States.

Mr Brownell has served as vice-president of marketing, sales and service since late 2011, having replaced Beth Donovan, a fellow American who likewise returned to Ford’s head office in Dearborn, Michigan, to take up another role.

Ms Donovan joined Ford Australia in September 2008 amid a string of senior management departures, replacing Mark Winslow who had been promoted to the Asia-Pacific and Africa (APA) regional office.

Mr Whickman officially starts in the

role on September 1, while Mr Brownell will take up the position of general manager for Ford’s ‘east market’ region.

Currently vice-president of sales at Ford Motor Company Canada, Mr

Whickman has held a variety of senior positions for the Blue Oval brand over more than 15 years, including executive director of marketing for the APA regional office, and marketing chief and dealer operations manager for Ford in New Zealand.

He also spent around four years with Ford in the UK, undertaking roles such as CRM manager and rental account manager.

In Australia, Mr Whickman will

play a leading role in the company’s move from a vehicle manufacturer to a full-line importer over the next three years.

Among those reporting to him

will be recently appointed general sales manager Neale Hill, who was previously managing director of Ford New Zealand.

In a statement, Ford Australia president and CEO Bob Graziano said Mr Whickman will lead all areas of the company’s marketing, sales and service operations, including “responsibility for revitalising the Ford brand and customer experience”.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Graeme Whickman

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STRONG US SALES, GLOBAL GROWTH BEHIND FORD RECRUITMENT DRIVEBy TERRY MARTIN

FORD’S resurgence in the United States has prompted the car giant to announce its largest salaried hiring initiative in 13 years, with 3000 white-collar employees to be added to the payroll by the end of this year.

This is 36 per cent more than previously announced as the Blue Oval “continues its product momentum and growth”, with the vast majority – 85 to 90 per cent – based in its home state of Michigan, and the rest to be spread across other facilities in the US.

While about 1200 factory workers in Australia will be cut in 2016 as Ford closes down its manufacturing operations here, the company is ramping up its American production

lines, with 12,000 hourly jobs to be created by 2015.

Around 3000 of these new factory workers will be hired over the next 18 months to meet a surge in demand of key models such as the F-Series pick-up truck and Escape (Kuga) compact SUV.

In the first half of this year, Ford sales in the US were up 13 per cent to more than 1.25 million, with more than 367,000 of these for the F-Series (up 22 per cent) and 156,000 for Escape (up 23 per cent).

Among the professional staff vacancies, 80 per cent will be

technical positions “to meet demand for new skills”. Business areas being targeted are product development, manufacturing, quality, purchasing and information technology.

The company also says that with only a 2.7 per cent attrition rate, the majority of these jobs are new.

“Our salaried hires are matching the growth we have seen on the hourly side,” said Ford’s group vice-president for human resources, Felicia Fields. “Ford is very much in a job creation mode right now.

“Engineers and technical professionals are in as much demand as our cars, trucks and SUVs.”

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Felicia Fields

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Aug 7, 2013 Page 26

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Peugeot looks to have returned to the sort of form that made its hot hatches of the past so alluring. The spunky new 147kW 208 GTI, primed for launch this week, melds punchy performance with a chic design and sub-$30K pricing.

Ford Fiesta ST

Holden Trax

Hyundai i30 SR

Kia Cerato hatch

Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG

Mercedes E-Class Coupe, Cabrio

Peugeot 208 GTI ►

Volvo V40 Cross Country

Jaguar Australia has low sales expectations for new XF Sportbrake due 2014By BYRON MATHIOUDAKIS

JAGUAR is already casting doubts over the showroom viability of its XF wagon, despite the car being slated for an Australian launch mid-way through next year.

Jaguar Australia managing director David Blackhall said last week that the British luxury brand would struggle to make the XF Sportbrake’s projected sales numbers add up due to the market’s indifference towards luxury wagons.

Mr Blackhall said that while Jaguar had not yet abandoned plans to bring the Sportbrake to Australia, the company would find it challenging to lure customers away from their preferred soft-roaders and crossovers.

According to one insider, Jaguar would have to sell at least 200 wagons annually to justify the expense in bringing the Sportbrake to market.

However, a 20 per cent surge in XF sedan volume this year on the back of the newly released turbocharged four-cylinder models might be the reprieve the wagon requires.

To the end of July, Jaguar has sold 507 XFs, compared with 409 in the first

seven months of last year.Earlier this year, Mr Blackhall said

the delay in releasing the British-built competitor to BMW’s 5 Series wagon was down to Jaguar having to re-engineer aspects of the car to meet stringent Australian Design Rules, with child-seat anchor points one of the biggest challenges.

“We were asked to take it and we are going to take it,” Mr Blackhall said.

“But the challenge is to find the volume. We look at BMW and Mercedes-Benz’s (limited wagon sales) and that’s with their years of experience (selling luxury wagons) … and we don’t have the volume they do.

So how many wagons could we sell? “One of the problems is that buyers

don’t even look at them. They prefer to buy SUVs rather than wagons.”

However, Jaguar is committed to reaching into new territories worldwide to increase its sales.

“We are looking hard at segments we are not participating in,” Mr Blackhall said.

Announced in March 2012, the XF Sportbrake is expected to remain a niche product in Australia, largely because it will be special-order and feature only a diesel engine.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE