AUSTRALIA’S NO.1 AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY JOURNAL EDITION 964 – MAR 13, 2019

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Stephen Lester with the Micra and Kicks that are under consideration for the Australian market

Imagine thisKia reveals striking new concept in Geneva that pointsto future EV styling – and perhaps an electric flagship

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By RON HAMMERTON

KIA has melded a number of vehicle styles – SUV, luxury sedan, coupe, hatchback and muscle car – into one package in its Geneva motor show concept dubbed ‘Imagine by Kia’.

The stunning all-electric four-door, four-seat family luxury car concept aims to inject some excitement into the electric car market that, for the most part to date, is stylishly sedate.

Although the car is technically a concept and would need significant modifications to make it into production, Kia is not ruling this out.

It is possible that it could become the third EV in the Kia range, following on from the e-Niro SUV and Soul EV – both of which are slated for launch in Australia at the Kia Australian Open tennis tournament in early 2020.

Asked about the possibility of the Imagine making it into the local Kia portfolio,

Kia Motors Australia general manager of media and corporate communications Kevin Hepworth said: “The e-Niro and the electric Soul are both cars we are seriously considering for early entrants into the KMAu electric garage. If the Imagine concept continues through to production then it would also be on the wish list.”

Kia has said it plans to roll out about four full EVs by 2025 as part of its widespread electrification of its range over more than 40 vehicles.

One of those vehicles was said to be a large SUV, which might fit the Imagine description.

The first Kia EV to be built on a dedicated electric platform, the Imagine concept is said to be propelled by a low-mounted, induction-charged battery pack that powers a compact drivetrain.

No power, range or performance figures were offered, with most of the focus on the design that points to future Kia EVs.

Continued next page

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Continued from previous page

Unveiling the Imagine in Geneva last week, Kia Motors Europe design vice-president Gregory Guillaume said Kia believed there was no reason why it should step away from attractive automotive design just because a car was electric.

“That’s why our all-electric concept is designed to not only get your pulse racing, but to also signpost our holistic and emotional approach to electrification,” he said.

“Today’s drivers understandably have many questions about electric cars. They’re concerned about range, the recharging network and whether electric cars will still be dynamic and engaging to drive.

“So, when we first started thinking about this concept and imagining what its role would be, we knew that the best way to answer those questions and address those concerns was by approaching electrification purely from an emotional point of view.”

Mr Guillaume said Kia had intentionally designed Imagine

to not sit within the industry’s predefined vehicle categories.

“It’s a large C-segment car – the vehicle size that’s incredibly popular in Europe – but the only things it holds on to are Kia’s brand values,” he said. “It hints at something familiar, but is something entirely new. I think of it as a category-buster, and a disrupter – it’s familiar and understood but at the same time progressive and new.”

The designers have come up with an all-electric LED version of Kia’s familiar ‘tiger nose’ grille treatment, this time described as a tiger mask.

“The inspiration for the tiger mask was to create the look and feel of the headlamps being suspended within a transparent block of glass,” Mr Guillaume said. “This identifiable lighting signature could potentially be deployed as a unifying design element across Kia’s future electric vehicle range.”

Rear-mounted ‘suicide doors’ provide access to the two back seats, while the front doors open conventionally. A pillarless design

provides wide access to the cabin when both side doors are open.

The vehicle is cloaked in six coats of chrome-like paint with a bronze tint that is supposed to add depth.

The windscreen continues over the roof as a single sheet of glass – a delightful design but hardly a practical solution for a production vehicle.

Aerodynamics play a big part in the design, with a double-skinned bonnet channelling air through the nose and over the front screen and roof. Similarly, double-skinned C-pillars act as spoilers.

Like some other advanced EVs entering the market, the LED badges and signature lights

illuminate progressively as the driver approaches the car as a form of welcome.

The 22-inch wheels have glass inserts to refract light like diamonds because ... they can.

FULL STORY: CLICK HEREPrice promise – next page

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By RON HAMMERTON

KIA Motors Australia (KMAu) is planning “exceptionally well-priced” electric vehicles for the Australian market when its first two all-electric models – the e-Niro and Soul EV – make their local debut with a splash at the Kia-sponsored Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne next January.

KMAu chief operating officer Damien Meredith told Australian motoring journalists last week that, like the current Kia range, the new EVs would be offered at a competitive price.

“We have some things that haven’t been announced yet that I think will send a shudder through the school of EVs,” he said. “I think some of our EVs will be exceptionally well priced.”

The e-Niro SUV and Soul EV small crossover wagon have both been confirmed for Australia where they are set to land in showrooms in the first half of 2020 – supply willing.

Another EV concept car, dubbed Imagine by Kia, was unveiled at the annual Geneva motor show last week, while a fourth vehicle – possibly a larger SUV – is in the development pipeline.

Mr Meredith said his company wants to make a major statement about its EV future at the Australian Open by employing a 100 per cent electric fleet of vehicles to shuttle players, officials and other VIPs between airports, hotels, the Melbourne Tennis Centre and other engagements.

He said the fleet would be made up of e-Niro and Soul EV cars, both

of which are on the launch agenda for Australia.

Mr Meredith said the company had started negotiations with the Melbourne City Council, Victorian government and Tennis Australia about support to establish car charging facilities for the Australian Open fleet at next year’s event.

He said the talks had begun about three weeks ago and were ongoing.

“We need points to charge 100 cars overnight so they are ready to

go the next day,” he said.Mr Meredith confirmed that the

event would double as the Australian launch for the Kia EV range, but he stopped short of saying the e-Niro and Soul EV would be available in showrooms for test drive at that time.

He said the American and European markets were getting priority for EV exports which were restricted because of global demand and a lack of battery production.

“We would like to go all-electric at the 2020 Australian Open,” he said. “I think that would be an amazing way to launch our EV range.

“But supply is a real issue for us, with all EVs. If we can get the cars, that is what you are going to see at that time.”

Prospective buyers will at least be able to put their hand up for one of the VIP fleet cars that will be sold after providing transport for the likes of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Serena Williams.

The e-Niro was due to be launched in the last quarter of this year, but the supply issues pushed the event back to the first quarter of 2020, fortuitously into January when the Australian Open is held annually.

Mr Meredith said that apart from the e-Niro and Soul EV, two more unnamed Kia EV models were on the Kia development roster, but he was not sure of the launch dates.

FULL STORY: CLICK HEREOptima out – next page

Price promise

Kia’s first electric cars – e-Niro and Soul EV – set to debut at 2020 Australian Open tennis tournament

Soul EV

e-Niro

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By RON HAMMERTON

KIA Motors Australia (KMAu) has confirmed that it plans to kill off the slow-selling Optima mid-size sedan by the end of this year in an apparent cull of underperforming models and variants as it clears the deck for its new breed of vehicles.

The company also has no plans to continue with petrol-engine variants of the Soul small crossover wagon beyond this year, instead moving forward with only the full-electric version in the new-generation Soul as part of its battery-powered vehicle push from January 2020.

Product planners are also looking at the viability of four-cylinder variants of the rear-wheel-drive Stinger large sedan, with Australian customers overwhelmingly choosing the V6 GT version.

A new small SUV to compete

in the hot-selling compact SUV segment and two electric vehicles are among the fresh faces set to replace the duds in the range within the next 12 months.

With only 54 sales in the first two months of this year, Optima volume is down 42.6 per cent on the same period of 2018, continuing a downward spiral that has been going on for several years.

KMAu chief operating officer Damien Meredith last week confirmed to Australian motoring journalists that the Optima was on death row, saying it would “very probably be gone by the end of this year”.

He said the medium car segment had shrunk over time as customers shifted to SUVs, adding: “The segment has disappeared.”

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Optima out

Kia Motors Australia confirms plan to discontinueOptima mid-size sedan range by end of this year

By TUNG NGUYEN

HYUNDAI Motor Company Australia (HMCA) has committed to the stagnating mid-size sedan segment as the South Korean manufacturer readies a new-generation Sonata due to hit local showrooms in the second half of this year with a sharper design and increased in-cabin technologies.

Despite sales of sub-$30,000 mid-size passenger cars falling 30 per cent last year, and uncertainty around its rivals as Kia pulls its Optima and Subaru remains non-committal to its new Liberty, Hyundai’s Sonata was the only nameplate to grow its market

share in 2018.Sales hit 1024 for the Hyundai

mid-sizer last year, a modest 5.8 per cent bump over 2017 but still well off the pace of the dominant Toyota Camry (15,269) and Mazda6 (3328).

The eighth generation of Sonata to come from Hyundai, but only the sixth iteration of mid-size sedan to wear the nameplate in Australia, as the original was not released locally and the sixth

iteration was badged the i45, the latest version draws aesthetic inspiration from the Le Fil Rouge concept that debuted at last year’s Geneva motor show.

Stretching its length by 45mm, as well as extending width and wheelbase by 25mm and 35mm respectively, the new Sonata measures 4900mm long, 1890mm wide and has 2840mm of space between the axles.

However, height is down 30mm to 1445mm, giving the new Sonata a sportier stance and increased road presence.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

HYUNDAI TO STICK WITH SONATA IN AUSTRALIA AS NEW GENERATION EMERGES

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By JUSTIN HILLIARD

NISSAN has confirmed pricing for its eagerly anticipated second-generation Leaf, with the electric vehicle to start from $49,990 plus on-road costs when it enters all 89 of the Japanese brand’s Australian dealerships in August.

Comparatively, the first-generation model launched in June 2012 with a $51,500 (plus on-roads) starting price, before falling to $46,990 six months later and $39,990 in May 2013, both of which were driveaway prices for private buyers.

When it arrives, the Leaf will only have one direct rival, the $48,990 Hyundai Ioniq Electric Premium small hatch, although Kia’s Soul EV will enter the fray early next year.

Renault’s light hatchback Zoe is

also available locally, priced from $51,990 driveway, while Hyundai will also bring its Kona Electric small SUV to market later this month for a yet-to-be-disclosed amount.

The Leaf features a 110kW/320Nm electric motor and a 40kWh battery pack that provides 270km of driving range on the WLTP combined-cycle test, which makes it perfect for city-based Australians who, on average, travel 38km a day, according to the company.

As such, the Leaf betters the Ioniq Electric that has an 88kW/295Nm electric motor, a 28kWh battery pack and a 280km driving range using the now-defunct NEDC standard.

FULL STORY: CLICK HEREGhosn out on bail – page 20

Leaf in at $50K

Nissan’s new-generation electric car to start from$49,990 plus on-roads as August launch looms

By TUNG NGUYEN

NISSAN ripped the covers off its IMQ concept at the Geneva motor show last week, signalling its intention to bring e-Power hybrid powertrains to global markets outside Japan including, one day, Australia.

Underpinned by a next-generation hybrid e-Power powertrain that combines a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine with an electric motor, the IMQ concept develops 250kW of power and 700Nm of torque, which is channelled to the road via a newly developed multi-mode all-wheel-drive system.

Nissan is yet to disclose performance figures such as the 0-100km/h sprint time, nor has the Japanese brand revealed fuel economy or emissions figures.

The company’s current generation of e-Power vehicles includes the Note and Serena, of which more than 70

and 50 per cent of sales, respectively, are with the electrified powertrain.

Both of these models use a 1.2-litre petrol engine to charge an electric motor that drives the wheels, but unlike the similar range-extender set-up found in the BMW i3, the Nissan models have no plug-in option.

Speaking at the Geneva motor show, Nissan corporate vice-president Roel de Vries stopped short of confirming which e-Power model will make its way to Europe, but confirmed it will arrive before 2022.

“With e-Power arriving on European roads within the next two years, we will bring the benefits of

Nissan Intelligent Mobility to more customers and keep moving people to a better world.”

Nissan Australia has made it clear that e-Power vehicles will eventually make their way Down Under, but whether that coincides with the powertrain’s European debut is still unclear.

Measuring 4558mm long, 1940mm wide and 1560mm tall, the IMQ concept slots in between the Qashqai small crossover and X-Trail mid-size SUV in length, but the show car is both wider and lower than its stablemates.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

AUSTRALIA WAITS FOR E-POWER GREEN LIGHT AS IMQ CONCEPT BREAKS COVER

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By TUNG NGUYEN

MAZDA used the Geneva motor show last week to unveil its box-fresh CX-30, a small-cum-mid-size SUV that will slot in between the CX-3 and CX-5 when it lands in Australian showrooms next year.

Measuring 4395mm long, 1795mm wide, 1540mm tall and with a 2655mm wheelbase, the CX-30 will take on other larger small crossovers such as the Nissan Qashqai and Skoda Karoq, and raises Mazda Australia’s SUV stable to five models.

An evolution of the Japanese brand’s Kodo design language, the CX-30 is unmistakeably Mazda thanks to smooth surfaces and subtle styling lines.

The front fascia is dominated by a large front grille and slender LED

headlights, while prominent black plastic underbody cladding gives away the CX-30’s small-to-medium SUV body style.

The CX-30 also features a roof-mounted rear spoiler and slim tail-lights that flank a large 1020mm-wide rear opening, which also has a low 731mm lip for easier loading of cargo.

European-spec versions boast a power-operated tailgate and 430 litres of boot capacity that sits right between the CX-3’s 264L and CX-5’s 442L.

Up front, the CX-30 mirrors the new-generation Mazda3 with soft-touch, upmarket surfaces and a large 8.8-inch central infotainment display.

While interior dimensions have yet to be revealed, Mazda says “there is plenty of legroom for rear-seat passengers and a low floor and high ceiling make the rear

seats comfortable even for taller passengers”.

Nine exterior colours will be available on the CX-30, including Mazda’s signature Soul Red Crystal Metallic, Machine Grey Metallic and Polymetal Grey Metallic.

Underpinning the new CX-30 is Mazda’s latest batch of SkyActiv powertrains, including a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, 1.8-litre turbo-diesel and new SkyActiv-X compression-ignition petrol engine.

While full engine specifications are yet to be revealed, the SkyActiv-G 2.0-litre engine under the bonnet of the new-generation Mazda3 develops 114kW/200Nm, while the SkyActiv-D 1.8-litre diesel produces 85kW/270Nm in the CX-3.

Drive is sent to all four-wheels via Mazda’s i-Activ all-wheel-drive system and either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission.

Built on Mazda’s new SkyActiv-Vehicle Architecture, the CX-

30 also features the brand’s G-Vectoring Control Plus system as well as improvements to noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels when compared with older-generation vehicles.

Safety systems include a Driver Monitoring system that can detect fatigue and attention levels, front cross-traffic alert and an adaptive cruise control technology dubbed Cruising and Traffic Support.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

CX-30 on its way

Mazda unveils all-new SUV that slots in betweenCX-3 and CX-5 and is due on sale here next year

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By JUSTIN HILLIARD

BUGATTI Automobiles claims it has set the world record for the most expensive new vehicle sold yet, with one well-heeled buyer purchasing the bespoke La Voiture Noire hypercar for €16.7 million ($A26.65 million).

Revealed at the Geneva motor show last week, the La Voiture Noire pays homage to the 1936 Type 57 SC Atlantic owned by Jean Bugatti, the son of Bugatti Automobiles found Ettore Bugatti.

La Voiture Noire translates to ‘the black car’ – the term used to reference Mr Bugatti’s Type 57 SC Atlantic that was eventually lost in February 1941 after changing hands several times.

Described by the French marque

as “a coupe with the comfort of a luxury limousine and the power of a hyper sportscar”, the new La Voiture Noire shares its underpinnings with the Chiron but has a unique exterior design. The interior is yet to be detailed.

Notably, the suitably black La Voiture Noire features a windshield, A-pillars and side windows that neatly integrate into one seamless panel, and a ‘dorsal seam’ that bisects the bonnet, roof and engine cover.

The body – including the massive rear diffuser – is made out of lightweight carbon-fibre with a gloss-black finish, while the wheels’ five-spoke design extends onto the tyres’ sidewall with silver paint.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Black belter

One-off Bugatti La Voiture Noire hypercar billedas most expensive new car ever sold at $A26.65m

PATTERSON CHENEY is known for its success, outstanding customer service, and being a great place to work. With over 700 employees and 100 with more than 10 year’s service, we are a strong team. We are currently offering two brand new senior opportunities at a busy Toyota dealership located in Melbourne’s East.

Patterson Cheney is known for its success, outstanding customer service,and being a great place to work. With over 100 years’ experience and 700+employees across 11 sites, we are looking forward to a strong 2019

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Dealer Principal (Equity)

We are seeking an experienced ‘hands-on’ DP to lead the team at ChadstoneToyota.• Entrepreneurial flair and be able to execute a successful business strategy.• Strong business acumen including the ability to interpret and influence financial

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If you are driven, ambitious and decisive with a keen appreciation of what it takesto drive and motivate a team of managers, then consider this rare opportunity.Join the Executive team to Patterson Cheney Cars & Trucks

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• Support a culture that encourages and promotes excellence, strong salesperformance, professionalism, team work and accountability.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with the industry, the community andcustomers and TMCA

• Drive high performance with a focus on quality and transparency.• Develop and implement process and practices that maximise profitability and

exceed customer expectations• Manage and maintain the profitable and efficient operation through P&L and

KPI’s

Excellent remuneration packages and a range of employee benefits are on offer to the right candidateApplications will be provided the highest confidentialityIf you believe you have the drive to lead this dynamic dealership, please send your detailed resume and cover letter outlining why you are the right fit to Daniel Waixel HR Manager, daniel.waixel@pattersoncheney.om.au Applications close DATE

Patterson Cheney is known for its success, outstanding customer service,and being a great place to work. With over 100 years’ experience and 700+employees across 11 sites, we are looking forward to a strong 2019

Patterson Cheney has recently purchased Chadstone Toyota (Toyota Logo)

Dealer Principal (Equity)

We are seeking an experienced ‘hands-on’ DP to lead the team at ChadstoneToyota.• Entrepreneurial flair and be able to execute a successful business strategy.• Strong business acumen including the ability to interpret and influence financial

results.• Strong interpersonal relations that span across management, employees,

customers and TMCA.

If you are driven, ambitious and decisive with a keen appreciation of what it takesto drive and motivate a team of managers, then consider this rare opportunity.Join the Executive team to Patterson Cheney Cars & Trucks

General Sales Manager

• Support a culture that encourages and promotes excellence, strong salesperformance, professionalism, team work and accountability.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with the industry, the community andcustomers and TMCA

• Drive high performance with a focus on quality and transparency.• Develop and implement process and practices that maximise profitability and

exceed customer expectations• Manage and maintain the profitable and efficient operation through P&L and

KPI’s

Excellent remuneration packages and a range of employee benefits are on offer to the right candidateApplications will be provided the highest confidentialityIf you believe you have the drive to lead this dynamic dealership, please send your detailed resume and cover letter outlining why you are the right fit to Daniel Waixel HR Manager, daniel.waixel@pattersoncheney.om.au Applications close DATE

DEALER PRINCIPAL – EquityWe are seeking a ‘hands-on’ Dealer Principal to lead the team.• Entrepreneurial flair with an ability to develop

and execute a successful business strategy.• Strong business acumen including the ability

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If you are driven, ambitious and decisive, with a keen appreciation of what it takes to drive and motivate a team of managers, then we invite you to consider this rare opportunity.Join the Executive Team at Patterson Cheney Cars & Trucks.

GENERAL SALES MANAGERWe are seeking a motivated General Manager to head up and mentor a successful sales team.• Support a culture that encourages and

promotes excellence, strong sales performance, professionalism, team work and accountability.

• Build strong relationships with the industry, the community, Guests and TMCA.

• Manage and maintain the profitable and efficient operation through P&L and KPI’s.

• Drive high performance outcomes with a focus on quality and transparency.

• Develop and implement process and practices that maximise profitability and exceed Guest expectations.

Excellent remuneration packages and a range of employee benefits are on offer to the right candidates. Patterson Cheney Cars & Trucks offers employees ongoing career development opportunities.If you believe you have the drive to succeed as part of this dynamic dealership team, please send your detailed resume and covering letter outlining why you are the right fit for the role to Human Resources at hr@pattersoncheney.com.auApplications will be treated in strictest confidence.

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By TUNG NGUYEN

SWEDISH hypercar manufacturer Koenigsegg used last week’s Geneva motor show to uncover its first mega-model to be officially sold in Australia – the multimillion-dollar twin-turbocharged V8-powered Jesko which is due to arrive in the coming years.

Speaking to GoAuto, Koenigsegg Automotive communications and PR manager Steven Wade confirmed a well-heeled Australian buyer was the one of the first customers in the world to commit to the Jesko, before any details had been locked in, and that the order books are filling fast.

“There is at least one and possibly more of the Jesko model coming to Australia,” he said. “An Australian customer was, in fact, one of the first to place an order anywhere in the world.

“We had sold around 90 of the 125 we’re going to build prior to Geneva. With the car now available to see in full scale, we did a lot of business yesterday so it’s fair to say that the remainder will not last long.”

Meanwhile, head of Koenigsegg’s Australian distributor Prodigy Automotive Nicholas Batzialas confirmed that “we have two additional commitments from Australia customers” and that the first local order was locked in on November 17 last year.

Though pricing for the Jesko has yet to be released, early indicators point to a circa-$5 million driveaway pricetag, making Koenigsegg’s new model one of the most expensive production hypercars available in Australia.

For the money, buyers will receive one of the quickest-accelerating and

fastest cars in the world, powered by a force-fed V8 lifted from its Agera RS predecessor, but upgraded with 180-degree flat-plane crankshaft, revised intake and bigger turbos.

The result is 954kW of power on standard fuel and a ballistic 1193kW when run on E85 biofuel.

Torque, meanwhile, peaks at a phenomenal 1500Nm at 5100rpm, with two-thirds of the figure on tap from as low as 2700rpm.

Although acceleration times are yet to be revealed, expect to see the Jesko

outperform the 1000kW/1370Nm Agera RS, which could hit 100km/h from standstill in a Ferrari 812 Superfast-beating 2.8 seconds.

Early reports also indicate Koenigsegg is aiming for a 300mph (483km/h) top speed, which would take the mantle of world’s fastest production car from the Agera RS that had a terminal velocity of 447km/h.

Feeding power to the road is an in-house-developed nine-speed multi-clutch automatic transmission, which is able to switch between

any gear instead of just the adjacent ratio, and is up to 50kg lighter than a traditional dual-clutch unit.

Drivers are also able to manually select gears via the steering-wheel-mounted paddle-shifters or via the central shifter, the latter with a double-notch feature wherein the first level selects up or down and the second notch shifts the Jesko into the optimal gear – dubbed ‘Ultimate Power on Demand’.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Jesko nod

Aussie customer among first in line for ballisticnew multimillion-dollar Koenigsegg hypercar

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By TERRY MARTIN

ASTON Martin has resurrected the Vanquish nameplate for its first-ever mid-engined series-production supercar, heralding the forthcoming coupe with a stunning near-final concept unveiled at the Geneva motor show last week.

Its emergence confirms long-running speculation that the British sports-luxury marque would extend its burgeoning mid-engined family from the hypersphere – in Valkyrie and the just-announced sub-Valkyrie coupe dubbed AM-RB 003 – to a more affordable and accessible model that becomes a permanent

member of the stable and competes with the likes of Ferrari’s new F8 Tributo and the McLaren 720S.

By its own admission, Aston had left the door open for such an impressive revival, slotting in the DBS Superleggera as a successor to the previous (front-engined V12) Vanquish as it began development – several years ago – of an all-new flagship series-production supercar that, when it emerges in 2022 from the Gaydon factory in Warwickshire, will become the fourth member of its mid-engined series after Valkyrie, Valkyrie AMR Pro and AM-RB 003.

Codenamed AM9, the new Vanquish will draw heavily from these hypercars in design and engineering, where careful packaging, weight reduction and aerodynamic efficiency are paramount, but will be built on a

newly developed bonded aluminium architecture.

The Valkyrie and AM-RB 003 are based on all-carbon-fibre structure and bodywork.

Aston’s new twin-turbocharged V6 engine will be employed in the Vanquish, as also announced for the AM-RB 003 but suitably modified for this application.

The 003 hypercar will use electrification to push its power output up to around 800kW. It remains to be seen whether a hybrid set-up is employed in Vanquish, which will need to pack a good 530kW-plus wallop to be competitive against its key rivals.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERELagonda lives on – next page

Vanquish reborn

Flagship nameplate to return as Aston Martin’s first mid-engined series-production supercar

By TERRY MARTIN

ASTON Martin has announced its intention to build an all-new hypercar, codenamed AM-RB 003, which will slot in between the torch-bearing Valkyrie and the forthcoming new-generation Vanquish in its burgeoning mid-engined supermodel family.

Debuting at the Geneva motor show last week and slated for production in late 2021, the AM-RB 003 is, as the name suggests, the third model Aston Martin will produce in collaboration with Red Bull Advanced Technologies after the Valkyrie and Valkyrie AMR Pro.

Previously known in-house as Project 003 and set to rival the likes of the McLaren P1, LaFerrari and Porsche 918 Spyder, the AM-RB 003 was presented in Geneva as a near-final design concept and is

already well into development, with Red Bull tasked with optimising the chassis and aerodynamics.

Production will be limited to 500 coupes worldwide with pricing at around £1 million ($A1.86m).

Specifications are still to be divulged but the 003 will be built around a carbon-fibre structure and with carbon-fibre bodywork, and Aston has confirmed it will be the first model to use its new in-house-designed hybrid powertrain combining electrification with a twin-turbocharged V6 petrol engine.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

ASTON TO BUILD SUB-VALKYRIE HYPERCAR

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By TERRY MARTIN

ASTON Martin plans to shake up the top end of the motor industry with its reborn Lagonda luxury marque, vowing to “rewrite a rulebook that has been allowed to stagnate for too long” with hi-tech all-electric, autonomous and super-sophisticated models starting with an SUV now confirmed for production in 2022.

Previewed at the Geneva motor show last week as the production-oriented Lagonda All-Terrain Concept, the SUV will be built at a new facility in St Athan, Wales, and appeal to the same rich clientele – aka ultra-high net worth individuals – drawn to similarly

opulent and practical wagons such as the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and Bentley Bentayga.

While Rolls-Royce, for example, remains committed to V12 combustion engine power (albeit as it works on an all-electric powertrain option) and has no intention of taking a leadership position in other areas of emerging technology such as high-level autonomy, Aston Martin is positioning Lagonda’s new-age models, led by the SUV, as “bold and forward-thinking, bristling with creativity and innovation from the way they are designed to the engineering they contain”.

The company sees these

automotive technologies as providing “a unique opportunity for a new brand bearing one of the greatest names in motoring” and Aston Martin Lagonda president and group chief executive Andy Palmer declared in Geneva last week: “We see no limits for Lagonda.

“It will be a brand for the restless, for those who are anything but happy with the status quo. It will produce cars that exploit technology, without being obsessed with it for its own sake,” he said.

“And it will enable Lagonda to

redefine the concept of luxury within the automotive and other spheres.”

The Lagonda All-Terrain Concept builds on the ‘Vision Concept’ presented at the Geneva show a year ago and is described as a “near future study” that continues the evolution of the design language that will be seen on the production vehicle and other new model lines also in the works.

Conceived as an all-electric vehicle from the outset sees the batteries placed underneath the floor and maximum space liberated in the

cabin, with Aston’s designers and engineers able to take full advantage of the fact that the SUV would never carry a traditional internal combustion engine and drivetrain.

Specifications and technical details remain under wraps, but the Lagonda SUV will share structural elements and componentry with Aston Martin’s forthcoming DBX SUV, which will roll down the same production line in southern Wales.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Lagonda lives on

Aston Martin’s reborn all-electric luxury marqueto open with first SUV that hits the road in 2022

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EDITION 964 - MAR 13, 2019GoAutoNews

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By SPENCER LEECH

AUTOMOBILI Pininfarina has made big claims with its all-electric Battista, boasting that the low-slung hypercar revealed at the Geneva motor show last week is the most powerful Italian-built road-legal vehicle of all time.

The numbers seem to stack up, too, as it produces a wild 1416kW and 2300Nm from its four electric motors powering one wheel apiece.

A 120kWh battery pack sourced from Rimac Automobili allows for 450km of driving range, and an astonishing 0-100km/h sprint time

of less than 2.0 seconds.It takes just 12.0 seconds to run

from 0-300km/h, for a top speed of more than 350km/h.

Strictly 150 Battistas will be handmade in Italy, with units allocated for North America, Europe and Middle East/Asia.

A maximum of 50 cars will be allocated for each of these three regions.

The pure-electric hypercar takes on a full carbon-fibre monocoque chassis with carbon-fibre body panels with aluminium reinforcements.

Bespoke 21-inch wheels are shod in Pirelli P Zero tyres, showcasing carbon-ceramic brakes with six-piston callipers and 390mm rotors, front and rear.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Wild one

Pininfarina’s electric Battista hypercar produces1416kW and can reach 100km/h in less than 2.0s

PRODUCT MANAGER – COMMERCIAL VEHICLESVolkswagen New Zealand

Volkswagen New Zealand are seeking a Product Manager to join our successful Commercial Vehicles Team. Volkswagen has been in New Zealand for over 60 years, and we’re very proud of our global and local heritage. From the Beetle, through the Kombi to the iconic Golf, of which over 30 million have now been produced, few car manufacturers have produced as many legendary cars.

This role would suit an experienced Product Manager who has the passion and commitment to take ownership of their portfolio and drive value to key stakeholders. The position involves the effective planning, introduction and lifecycle management of the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles range in order to ensure that these products are competitive, continually evolving and profitable.

Volkswagen New Zealand is part of the Giltrap Group, a New Zealand family-owned business which is the factory representative for six leading European brands.

Responsibilities

• Product Planning – including model and accessory planning, sales programme and forecasting.

• Dealer Network Support – including product advice, training and sales tools.

• Conversion management – engage with customers, suppliers and the factory in order to facilitate bespoke solutions based on VW Commercial platforms.

Skills & Experience

• A customer-focused attitude with demonstrated willingness to ‘go the extra mile’.

• Automotive knowledge with a particular interest in Commercial Vehicles.

• Strong technical knowledge and engineering competence.• Exceptional presentation skills.• Confident working under pressure to meet multiple deadlines.• Ability to work across levels and cultures in order to influence

positive outcomes.• High levels of accuracy and attention to detail.• Advanced Excel, Word and PowerPoint capabilities.

Other Information

• The candidate must be currently eligible to work and live in New Zealand.

• The candidate must have a valid Full Driver’s License.• Direct enquiries only – no agencies please.

Applicants are requested to apply with a cover letter and resume to Mr Kevin Richards, Head of Commercial Vehicles, at krichards@volkswagen.co.nz. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

EDITION 964 - MAR 13, 2019GoAutoNews

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By JUSTIN HILLIARD

NINE months after it announced plans to add a critical small SUV to its model line-up, Alfa Romeo has revealed the incoming Tonale in electrified concept form at the Geneva motor show.

Expected to share its underpinnings with the Jeep Renegade and not the Giorgio platform-sharing mid-size Giulia passenger car and Stelvio SUV, the Tonale concept represents several firsts for the Italian brand.

Notably, it uses a plug-in hybrid

powertrain that combines an internal combustion engine up front with an electric motor at the rear.

This means that the Tonale concept’s DNA driving modes are different to those in the Giulia and Stelvio, with Dynamic becoming Dual Power (full combined performance) and Advance Efficiency evolving into Advance E (electric-only performance), while Natural (balanced combined performance) retains its name.

While Alfa Romeo has not yet provided full details, the plug-in hybrid set-up is expected to be similar to that just shown in the Renegade and its Compass sibling (see page 22).

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Top form

Sleek plug-in hybrid Tonale concept previews all-important first small SUV for Alfa Romeo

By TUNG NGUYEN

AUDI will launch another all-electric SUV with the introduction of the Q4 e-tron, revealed in concept form at the Geneva motor show last week and earmarked to hit global markets by the end of next year.

The Q4 e-tron will expand the German prestige brand’s electric vehicle portfolio to five, which also includes the recently released e-tron SUV, 2020 e-tron GT previewed at last year’s Los Angeles motor show, upcoming Chinese-market Q2L e-tron and soon-to-be-revealed e-tron Sportback.

Measuring 4590mm long, 1900mm wide, 1610mm tall and

with a 2770mm wheelbase, the Q4 e-tron – like its name implies – slots in between the Q3 small SUV and Q5 mid-size crossover, and is powered by two electric motors delivering a combined 225kW of power.

Sending drive to all four wheels with a rear-axle bias, the Q4 e-tron can accelerate from standstill to 100km/h in just 6.3 seconds while on its way to a 180km/h top speed.

Fitted with an 82kWh battery housed in the underbody between the axles, Audi’s latest all-electric model boasts a 450km driving range, as tested under the stringent new WLTP regime.

Built on Volkswagen Group’s MEB EV platform – which also underpins the Skoda Vision iV and Volkswagen ID Buggy also revealed at the Geneva show (see page 17) – the Q4 e-tron retains the familiar high-riding boxy SUV shape, but with subtle cues to its emissions-free drivetrain.

FULL STORY: CLICK HEREAudi service plans – page 20

AUDI’S ALL-NEW FULL-ELECTRIC Q4 E-TRON SET TO REACH PRODUCTION IN 2020

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By ROBBIE WALLIS

LAMBORGHINI’S new Huracan Evo coupe has arrived in Australian showrooms ahead of first deliveries set to commence around July/August, priced from $459,000 plus on-road costs.

Replacing the all-wheel-drive Huracan LP610-4 in Lamborghini’s line-up as part of a mid-life update, the Evo represents a $21,000 price rise over its predecessor, however the increase comes with upgrades in performance and equipment.

Key among the changes is the inclusion of the uprated 5.2-litre normally aspirated V10 engine from the Huracan Performante, which now pumps out 470kW of power at 8000rpm and 600Nm of torque at 6500rpm – an increase of 21kW/40Nm.

All that power helps the Huracan Evo blast from 0-100km/h in 2.9 seconds, a reduction of 0.3s compared to the original Huracan, and on to a top speed of 325km/h.

Braking is just as prodigious, with the 1422kg Huracan Evo able to pull up from 100km/h to standstill in 31.9 metres.

Power is channelled to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Another new feature on the Huracan Evo is rear-wheel steering, which is said to enable greater agility at lower speeds and more stability at high velocity.

Trainspotters will notice the Huracan Evo also bears a slightly reworked exterior design that improves downforce and aerodynamic efficiency, with a refreshed front

bumper, updated side intakes, new 20-inch wheel designs shod in Pirelli P Zero rubber, body-coloured rear diffuser, bumper-integrated twin exhausts and a new four-layer orange paint colour called Arancio Xanto.

Inside, the biggest change is a new 8.4-inch HMI touchscreen infotainment system mounted between the dashboard and transmission tunnel, featuring multi-finger gesture control, Apple Carplay, smartphone integration and satellite navigation.

A new interior trim also features, made from a mix of Alcantara and orange-dyed leather known inside the brand as Arancio Dryope.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERELambo on high – page 21

Huracan Evo in

Lamborghini’s awesome new all-paw Huracan Evo coupe arrives in Australia, from $459,000

By SPENCER LEECH

LAMBORGHINI has cut the top off its Aventador SVJ, sharing the same specs as its coupe sibling at the expense of an additional 50kg in total kerb weight.

Presented at the Geneva motor show last week, the Roadster tips the scales at 1575kg, and will sprint from 0-100km/h in 2.9 seconds – just 0.1 seconds slower than the tin-top Aventador SVJ.

Sharing the coupe’s mechanical and aerodynamic package, the Roadster uses removable carbon-fibre panels that can be stored in the boot to achieve the open-top motoring effect.

Meanwhile, an electrically operated rear window acts as a wind deflector when closed, and can be opened to amplify exhaust tone into the cabin.

Power is drawn from the familiar

6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12 delivering 556kW of power at 8500rpm and 720Nm of torque at 6750rpm.

Top speed is pegged at over 350km/h, and braking is equally as impressive with the SVJ capable of coming to a halt from 100km/h in just 31 metres.

Carbon-ceramic brakes are used to achieve this figure, with the discs measuring 400mm (front) and 380mm (rear) with six- and four-piston grabbers respectively.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

LAMBO SHOWS OFF AVENTADOR SVJ ROADSTER

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EDITION 964 - MAR 13, 2019GoAutoNews

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By SPENCER LEECH

MERCEDES-AMG revealed its GT R Roadster at the Geneva motor show last week, bringing drop-top thrills to its high-performance sportscar range-topper.

Currently, the GT R Coupe is on sale in Australia from $348,711 plus on-road costs, however Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific media relations and product communications manager Ryan Lewis said that the company is unlikely to import the convertible body style.

“At this stage there are no plans to bring the GT R Roadster,” he said. “We are focused on GT R Coupe and will continue to offer the GT and GT

C Roadster variants in Australia.”The roadster is almost identical

to the coupe, except for the folding fabric roof made from lightweight materials including magnesium, steel and aluminium.

To compensate for the loss of roof rigidity, Mercedes engineers have employed an array of underbody stiffening, adding 80kg to the total weight compared to the coupe.

Fourteen exterior finishes will be available in European markets, including a matte-grey scheme that is exclusive to GT R variants.

Just 750 units will be produced, carrying over the coupe’s mechanical components including the 430kW/700Nm 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8.

FULL STORY: CLICK HEREElectric V-Class – next page

GT R Roadster

Mercedes-AMG lets GT R Roadster off leash atGeneva show but ‘no plans’ for Aussie launch

By ROBBIE WALLIS

FOLLOWING the reveal of the new-generation CLA sedan in January, Mercedes-Benz ripped the covers off the Shooting Brake wagon version at the Geneva motor show last week.

However, the model is unlikely to come to Australia despite the previous-generation version being sold here.

Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific media relations and product communications manager Ryan Lewis told GoAuto that sales of the first-generation CLA Shooting Brake – released locally in mid-2015 – could not justify bringing

it back, and instead only the sedan will be offered Down Under.

The new Shooting Brake brings the same design, technology and powertrain updates as the CLA, including the MBUX infotainment system and ‘Energizing Coach’ feature, which can recommend one of the brand’s Energizing packages if the owner is wearing a Benz vivoactive smartwatch or

compatible Garmin device.Controlling the various comfort

systems in the vehicle, the Energizing feature can set a range of moods in the car to suit the driver, while the MBUX system will be optionally available with augmented reality on its head-up display and navigation.

At 4688mm long, 1830mm wide and 1442mm tall with a 2729mm wheelbase, the new Shooting Brake measures 48mm longer and 53mm wider with a 30mm-longer wheelbase than its predecessor, but sits 2mm lower to the ground.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

NEW MERCEDES-BENZ CLA SHOOTING BRAKE EMERGES, BUT NOT COMING HERE

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By JUSTIN HILLIARD

MERCEDES-BENZ has taken to the Geneva motor show to reveal the Concept EQV, which is claimed to be the first battery-electric people-mover in the premium segment.

With the production version’s debut already confirmed for the Frankfurt motor show in September, the Concept EQV serves up a taster of a zero-emissions V-Class.

As such, the Concept EQV is heavily based on the facelifted

V-Class shown last month and due in the third quarter, although it naturally differs in powertrain.

The Concept EQV features a 150kW electric motor on its front axle and a 100kWh lithium-ion battery pack underneath its floor, with the German prestige car-maker claiming that this combination provides a “realistic” driving range of 400km and a top speed of 160km/h.

Charging can be performed using either a domestic power outlet or a Mercedes-Benz-supplied wallbox, while quick-charge functionality allows the Concept EQV to add about 100km of driving range in just 15 minutes.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Electric V-Class

Mercedes EQV concept in Geneva paves way forEV MPV coming to Frankfurt show in September

By ROBBIE WALLIS

BMW has revealed the latest member of its plug-in hybrid portfolio, the X3 xDrive30e mid-size SUV, which has been shown at the Geneva motor show ahead of global production commencing in December.

According to BMW Australia product communications manager Adam Davis, the company’s local arm is keen to get its hands on the X3 PHEV, however there is no timeline yet for its arrival.

Regardless, 2019 will be a big year for BMW PHEVs in Australia, with the arrival of the new 330e, 745e and X5 xDrive45e, the latter two now featuring six-cylinder petrol engines instead of four-pot engines in previous-generation guise.

The X3 xDrive30e combines a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine with

an electric motor and lithium-ion battery pack for a combined output of 185kW, which can be temporarily increased by 30kW via an overboost function.

Torque has not been disclosed, but the X3’s power figure matches that of the 530e that also produces 420Nm.

Power is sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission, while the X3 is capable of a pure-electric driving range of up to 50km.

Tested using the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP), fuel consumption is down to 2.4 litres

per 100km, while combined CO2 emissions are pegged at 56 grams per kilometre.

Reaching 100km/h from standstill takes 6.5 seconds – 0.2s slower than the 185kW/350Nm petrol-powered X3 xDrive30i.

The battery packs are positioned underneath the rear seats, which means luggage volume is reduced by 100 litres, to 450L.

BMW previewed a full-electric version of the X3 at the Beijing motor show last April in the form of the Concept iX3, which is likely to be revealed in production guise later this year.

Set to take on the likes of the Mercedes-Benz EQC, Jaguar I-Pace and Audi e-tron, the iX3 features a driving range of more than 400km from a 70kWh battery pack.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

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By JUSTIN HILLIARD

VOLKSWAGEN has added a 1960s-style dune buggy to its ID family of electric vehicles in its latest attempt to reference the automotive past while moving into the zero-emissions future.

Dubbed ID Buggy, the minimalist concept was revealed at the Geneva motor show last week with a striking exterior paintwork combination of lime green, black and grey, punctuated by four distinct red tow hooks.

By reinterpreting the iconic vehicle type, the ID Buggy’s

aluminium, steel and plastic body goes without a fixed roof and doors, while its waterproof cabin’s two-seat layout can be converted into a four-seater.

The exterior has prominent circular headlights and tail-lights that are in keeping with the ID Buggy name, while the lime-green-accented five-spoke wheels are wrapped in chunky BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A tyres.

Pitched by the German brand as a “vehicle for summer, on the beach or in the city”, the ID Buggy is based on Volkswagen Group’s modular electric drive matrix (MEB) platform that underpins the four other ID models that preceded it.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Bug eyes

Volkswagen expands electric vehicle family with retro dune-blasting ID Buggy concept in Geneva

By TUNG NGUYEN

SKODA has previewed its all-electric future with the emissions-free Vision iV concept unveiled at last week’s Geneva motor show.

Underpinned by Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform and two motors producing 225kW, the Vision iV measures 4665mm long, 1926mm wide, 1613mm tall and rests on a 2765mm wheelbase – dimensions that position it as larger than a Mazda CX-5 in every dimension bar height.

It also pushes Skoda’s design language into coupe-crossover territory.

The front end is characterised by a horizontal lighting strip under the sleek, high-set Matrix LED headlights for an aggressive stance, while the chiselled lower front bumper also adds to the Vision iV’s presence.

Given its show-car status, the Vision iV concept forgoes doorhandles for touch-operated ingress, while side-view mirrors are also replaced by cameras that can provide a 180-degree field of view.

A steeply raked roofline, 22-inch wheels, prominent ‘tornado line’, LED tail-lights, rear diffuser and eye-catching Ultra Yellow paintwork also add to the Skoda’s aesthetic character.

Despite the coupe-like styling, Skoda says the Vision iV will still be able to swallow 550 litres in the rear.

Inside, the Vision iV mirrors the Vision E concept from 2017 with a pared-back design featuring

soft-touch surfaces, Ultrasuede and woodgrain materials, an all-digital instrumentation display and panoramic glass roof.

A free-standing central infotainment screen is arguably the highlight of the cabin, which can be operated via voice or gesture commands and features 5G connected services such as Infotainment Online for real-time traffic information and Care Connect for remote vehicle diagnosis.

Furthermore, the Vision iV can also connect to smartphones for added functionality such as door locking and unlocking.

According to the Czech brand, “the exquisite, soft-foam surface with its specific texture resembles crystalline structures and will be used in all Skoda cars in future”.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

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By ROBBIE WALLIS

SSANGYONG presented its new-generation Korando medium SUV at the Geneva motor show last week, detailing the petrol- and diesel-powered range that will touch down in Australia in the third quarter.

The all-new Korando will join the existing SsangYong line-up consisting of the Tivoli and Tivoli XLV small SUVs, the Rexton large SUV and Musso pick-up.

Measuring 4450mm long, 1870mm wide, 1620mm high and with a 2675mm wheelbase, the Korando is longer, wider and lower than its predecessor, and offers 551 litres of luggage space with all seats in place, or up to 1248L with the rear pews folded.

Two powertrains will be available on the new series, including a 1.5-litre

turbo-petrol four-cylinder unit set to be offered on Tivoli from mid-year as part of a significant update.

Paired to either a six-speed manual or six-speed Aisin-sourced automatic transmission, the turbo-petrol engine produces 120kW of power at 5500rpm and 280Nm of torque from 1500-4000rpm, driving either the front or all four wheels.

The other option is a 1.6-litre turbo-diesel engine producing 100kW at 4000rpm and 324Nm at 1500rpm, mated only to an Aisin six-speed auto and driving the front wheels.

A braked towing capacity of 2000kg is available for the oil-burner, down to 1500kg for the petrol variant.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Korando detail

Specification details emerge for SsangYong’svital new medium SUV due in third quarter

By SPENCER LEECH

MITSUBISHI’S latest SUV concept, dubbed the Engelberg Tourer, emerged at the Geneva motor show last week with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, bold styling and off-road-ready equipment.

The seven-seat SUV sits high with large stylistic wheels and an exaggerated version of the Japanese brand’s Dynamic Shield design language.

It was teased ahead of the show with the tagline “more EV” and its unveiling sees power come from twin electric motors borrowed from the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, which are paired with an unspecified 2.4-litre petrol engine.

This allows for 700km of total driving range, or 70km in electric-only mode, according to the car-maker.

As a concept, its efficiency figures are unclear, but Mitsubishi has employed a number of low-

consumption technologies, including radiator grille shutters, to reduce drag.

A full-time four-wheel-drive system is bolstered by technology developed in the Lancer Evolution sportscar series, including Active Yaw Control and Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) for improved handling dynamics.

Using the onboard satellite navigation system, the Engelberg Tourer monitors weather, topography, traffic and surface condition data to select the optimum drive mode and tailors torque distribution between the electric motor and petrol engine.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

MITSUBISHI SHOWS OFF NEW PHEV SUV CONCEPT

By SPENCER LEECH

SUBARU has revealed its latest Viziv-branded concept, the Adrenaline, which appears to be a radicalised version of the popular XV small SUV, as seen by its rugged body lines, flush panels and an off-road-ready stance.

The Japanese brand says the new-look crossover expresses its new “bolder” design language, with its unique chrome-painted roof, matte-black body protectors and white-accented off-road wheels.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

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EDITION 964 - MAR 13, 2019GoAutoNews

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By JUSTIN HILLIARD

NEW Zealand’s new-vehicle market began to steady in February after a slow January, with the second month of the year’s 11,699 sales representing a 1.5 per cent increase over the corresponding month in 2018.

With January’s volume (13,938 units) down 6.0 per cent, the decline in year-to-date sales (25,637) has now slowed to 3.7 per cent on the back of the second-strongest February result on record, behind 2017 (11,785).

“The outturn for February 2019 was pleasing,” said NZ Motor Industry Association (MIA) chief executive David Crawford. “It indicates the market, while not growing, is steady as she goes.”

Sales of passenger cars and SUVs

were up 2.2 per cent, to 7580 units combined, while light-commercial vehicles flatlined, with volume up just 0.1 per cent, to 4119 units.

In a sign of the times, mid-size SUVs were again the most popular type of new vehicle, with a 16.8 per cent market share, followed by pick-up/cab-chassis 4x4s (15.8%) and small SUVs (15.2%).

Despite its volume declining last month by an uncharacteristic 17.5 per cent, Toyota led all other brands from the front with its 1617 sales and 13.8 per cent market share.

The Japanese marque’s HiLux ute (686 units, -2.4%) had to settle for second position, though, just behind its key rival, Ford’s Ranger (699, -4.9%), in the list of best-selling models.

The only other model in the top

10 from brand T was Corolla, which came in at ninth with 235 sales (-8.9%), of which 39 were sold to rental companies in a slow month for the rent-a-car sector.

Largely thanks to its ute’s success, the Blue Oval was the second most popular brand, with its 1234 sales up 4.2 per cent.

An improved Mitsubishi (1053 units, +22.9%) leapt into third position on the back of the third-placed Triton ute (505, +37.2%), which surged after its facelifted model went on sale, along with the 10th-placed Outlander mid-size SUV (229) and 12th-placed ASX small SUV (188).

Mazda’s consistency (954 units, +1.3%) held it in fourth position,

with the sixth-placed CX-5 mid-size SUV (292, +5.8%) doing most of the heavy lifting, while the BT-50 ute (196) missed out on the top 10 by just 33 sales.

Holden (848 units, -12.4%) continued to struggle, slipping from third position to fifth, although the fifth-placed Colorado ute (299, -17.4%) did prove popular, even if its volume did shrink considerably.

Like Mitsubishi, Nissan (690 units, +5.7%) climbed up the charts, claiming sixth position, with the fourth-placed Navara ute (335, -12.8%) slowing but still influential.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Calmer waters

‘Steady as she goes’ for New Zealand’s new-carmarket as sales climb 1.5 per cent in February

Source: NZ MIA

NZ Top 10 Brands in Feb

NZ SALES WRAP

Pos Brand Sales % Share

1 Toyota 1617 13.8

2 Ford 1234 10.5

3 Mitsubishi 1053 9.0

4 Mazda 954 8.2

5 Holden 848 7.2

6 Nissan 690 5.9

7 Hyundai 604 5.2

8 Suzuki 587 5.0

9 Kia 580 5.0

10 Honda 512 4.4

Ford Ranger

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PAGE 20

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By TUNG NGUYEN

THE Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC) has called on the federal government to commit to a number of policy reforms to strengthen the local automotive industry that is on the cusp of huge change.

Key recommendations include a map of Australia’s automotive future, the elimination of luxury car tax (LCT), access to service and repair information for independent repairers, a mandated code of conduct for insurance and repair, addressing the automotive skills shortages and implementing an end-of-life vehicle program.

With electric and autonomous vehicles increasing in popularity, the VACC believes the federal government needs to lay out a plan to tackle changes to infrastructure, skills requirements and revenue streams

that will come with new technologies.According to the VACC, “the

blueprint will allow automotive business owners to develop, plan and invest with confidence” and “will help the industry thrive as it transitions into a new technological landscape”.

As for LCT, the VACC is recommending the government abolish the tariff, or raise the minimum threshold to $125,000 – up from the current $66,331 or $75,526 for fuel-efficient vehicles.

The VACC says: “The luxury car tax was introduced in 2000 to encourage buyers to purchase locally manufactured vehicles instead of imported prestige vehicles.

“The end of passenger vehicle manufacturing in Australian now makes this tax redundant.”

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

VACC releases federal election manifesto, urgingnext government to create auto sector blueprint

Far and away Holden’s best-selling model in Australia, the Colorado ute managed to hold on to fourth place in the segment sales charts in 2018 despite a substantial 15.6 per cent dip compared with the previous year. A slump like this will no doubt lead to some belt-tightening at Holden, but the good news for fellow belt-tighteners is that the most affordable way into a brand-new Colorado dual-cab – the base LS trim tested here – is unlikely to leave you feeling short-changed.

Holden Colorado LS Dual-Cab Pick-Up

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

GOAUTO.COM.AUGOAUTO’S LATEST CAR REVIEW

Forward thinking

FORMER Nissan Motor Company chairman and representative director Carlos Ghosn was last week released from a Japanese jail after posting ¥1 billion ($A13m) bail.

Having been held in the Tokyo Detention House for 108 days, Mr Ghosn, 65, left the facility in a Suzuki while bizarrely disguised as a construction worker, in an attempt to avoid the media scrum awaiting him outside.

Mr Ghosn’s bail is subject to strict conditions.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

AUDI Australia has announced new three-year/45,000km and five-year/75,000km service plans that, for a one-off fee, will cover scheduled aftersales care on any of the German prestige brand’s product line-up, barring the R8 supercar.

Available to purchase at the point of sale or any time before the first 12-month/15,000km service, the upfront aftersales fee represents “significant cost savings” compared with paying service-to-service, according to Audi.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

CHINESE Automotive giant SAIC Motor has posted a 2018 net profit of $US5.3 billion ($A7.53b), which has played a part in its decision to expand into further global markets including New Zealand.

The company – which owns brands MG and Roewe – recorded a 4.6 per cent increase in profit, which it has attributed to the development of overseas businesses and the increase in popularity of its alternative powertrain offerings.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

GHOSN OUT ON BAIL AUDI SERVICE PLANS SAIC PROFIT RESULT

Leaf

MG3 (left) and ZS

EDITION 964 - MAR 13, 2019

PAGE 21

GoAutoNewsMarket Insight

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By ROBBIE WALLIS

LAMBORGHINI is targeting record sales in Australia this year, despite a slowing market and uncertain economic conditions that play a huge part in the fortunes of high-end supercar marques.

The Italian super-sportscar manufacturer recorded 134 sales here last year – a new high-water mark for the brand – which marked a 9.8 per cent increase (or 12 extra units) over 2017.

A major factor behind the increase was the introduction of the Urus large SUV, the first high-riding wagon for the House of the Raging Bull that has helped broaden Lamborghini’s appeal and customer base.

Having gone on sale in Australia in March 2018, the Urus accounted for 22 of the brand’s 134 sales, a number that is expected to rise significantly this year.

Lamborghini Australia anticipates the Urus will make up 50 per cent of its volume going forward, so it expects to move approximately 70 units this year to help achieve a record sales year.

The SUV also represents a significant portion of global production for the company, with half of the 7500 vehicles being built this year to be dedicated to the Urus.

Through the first two months of 2019, Lamborghini has sold 21 vehicles – two fewer than at the same time last year but comprising 13 examples of the Urus and the remaining eight made of its Huracan and Aventador supercars combined.

The latter are down 15 units so far this year, pointing to the role Urus is now playing in making up any shortfalls.

The Urus has helped find new customers for the brand, with both family buyers as well as an older demographic being introduced, according to Lamborghini Asia-Pacific chief executive Matteo Ortenzi.

“Seventy per cent of customers approaching Lamborghini for the Urus are coming from different brands,” he said.

“We are really enlarging our customer base and it is really for

two reasons – we already had a bunch of guys in love with the brand who couldn’t buy a sportscar for several reasons – maybe they need to use their car daily, they want to use the Lamborghini with

family or friends, and driving a two-seat sportscar is not possible.

“And also we are attracting people that before weren’t thinking about Lamborghini, because (Urus) is a very flexible car.

“(With) sportscars, the customer base of Lamborghini is younger than other competitor brands in the sportscar (market).”

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Urus SUV to spur sales record for Lamborghini inAustralia this year, despite market downturn

Lambo on high

GoAuto Market Insight brought to you by Op2ma

Lamborghini vs Ferrari sales 2008-2018

20080

50

100

150

200

250

300

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Ferrari Lamborghini Source: VFACTS

TM

EDITION 964 - MAR 13, 2019

PAGE 22

GoAutoNewsGreen

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By SPENCER LEECH

FIAT Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) says its Concept Centoventi electric vehicle presented at the Geneva motor show last week previews a new model of affordable electric mobility from the Italian marque.

The concept car takes on a modular form – a “blank canvas” in Fiat-speak – with future customers able to personalise the look with four roof, bumper, wheel cover and colour scheme options installed at the dealership.

Buyers of the production vehicle will also be able to option interior configurations, roof design, infotainment systems and battery

range, and more than 114 Mopar accessories will be available from launch.

According to FCA, the modular platform allows for the car to be updated as new technology comes in, prolonging the model’s lifecycle.

“This is one of the concept car’s strongpoints: owners no longer have to wait for new special editions or facelifts, as they can change their cars any day they like,” the company said.

“It is made even more revolutionary by the presence, at the launch, of 120 additional accessories that will generate a genuinely new business model, as

well as a community of Fiat Concept Centoventi fans.”

Inside the four-seat light car, the customisation options continue, with small holes that can allow for additional components to be plugged in with the brand’s patented interlocking mounting system.

As standard, a smartphone can be used as the primary instrument display for functions like sat-nav, music and messaging, while a digital 20-inch Lingotto cluster can be optioned.

The door panels are also customisable, and can be fitted with storage pockets, bottle holders and speakers.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Modularity the key to Fiat’s new Centoventi EVconcept, pointing to affordable green mobility

‘Blank canvas’By SPENCER LEECH

FIAT Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has revealed new Jeep Renegade and Compass SUVs with plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) technology combined with a new 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine.

Both vehicles deliver a driving range of 50km and a top speed of 130km/h with the electric motors alone, and combined CO2 emissions are rated at lower than 50g/km.

Battery specifications have yet to be revealed, however the PHEVs can be charged using the combustion engine, or via a plug-in charging cable.

FCA says the Renegade delivers between 141kW and 180kW of power for a 0-100km/h sprint time of 7.0 seconds, while the Compass is confirmed to produce 180kW.

In keeping with Jeep’s tradition, the SUV models promise greater off-road

capability with the electric motor providing extra torque at low speeds.

The electric all-wheel-drive technology (eAWD) negates the need for a propshaft, allowing for torque to be independently distributed between the front and rear axles.

Driving and battery data is displayed on a dedicated instrument cluster and infotainment screen.

FCA has not revealed timing, pricing or availability for any market, though initial deliveries are expected to start in 2020.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

PLUG-IN VERSIONS OF JEEP COMPASS, RENEGADE

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EDITION 964 - MAR 13, 2019

PAGE 23

GoAutoNewsPersonnel

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By TERRY MARTIN

MAZDA, Kia and Ferrari are among the motor vehicle brands to announce major category winners in their respective 2018 retail incentive programs, saluting their top-performing dealerships and the essential role they play in key areas such as sales performance and customer service.

The nation’s number-two brand, Mazda, again highlighted 14 dealers on an equal basis that excelled in its 25th annual Master Dealer Excellence Awards program, with Wippells Autos from Toowoomba in Queensland still standing tall as the only Mazda dealership to have reached this level every year since the scheme was initiated in 1994.

Paradise Motors in Adelaide made it 23 out of 25, while Ringwood Mazda (21) and Werribee Mazda (20) in Melbourne are the only other dealers to have achieved the coveted ‘Master Dealer’ status more than 20 times.

Two first-time winners were welcomed into the fold: South

Morang Mazda, a new dealership also in Melbourne, and Wide Bay Mazda, which operates at Hervey Bay and Maryborough in Queensland.

The other standout Mazda dealers in 2018 were Hornsby Mazda (NSW), Mareeba Mazda (Qld), Port Lincoln Mazda (HV Motors, SA), Mawson Lakes Mazda (SA), Graeme Powell Mazda (Vic), Mount Gravatt Motors/South City Mazda (Qld), Penrith Mazda Centre (NSW) and Ballarat Mazda (Vic).

Mazda’s program is divided into groups based on sales volume and business targets across its national network, with the award based on key performance index (KPI) data across various aspects including facilities, business processes, people development, sales results, financial management and customer satisfaction.

Announcing the winners at a presentation ceremony in Adelaide, Mazda Australia sales director Jarrod Gieschen said: “A highly motivated and passionate group of dealers is

absolutely integral to the success of Mazda Australia, and the Mazda Master Dealer program gives us an opportunity to celebrate their efforts.

“The program helps to advance the benchmark for service each year, encouraging evolution and improvement on best practice, honouring Mazda’s customer-centric focus at every touchpoint.”

Queensland was also in the spotlight at Kia Motors Australia’s 2018 Dealer of the Year awards, with Motorama Kia (Moorooka) in Brisbane taking out the South Korean brand’s National DOTY title and Northern Regional DOTY award.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

GoAuto Personnel brought to you by Motor Staff

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By TERRY MARTIN

ISUZU Ute Australia (IUA) has announced the appointment of Hiroyasu Sato as its managing director, replacing Hironobu Kuramoto who will return to Tokyo to take up a new position with IUA parent company Mitsubishi Corporation.

Effective April 1, the appointment coincides with a broader management restructure at the Brisbane-based IUA, which sees the board of directors increase from three to four members with Takuji Ozawa to lead the finance, IT, HR and admin areas of the business.

As well as Mr Sato as the incoming chairman, the board includes Koichiro Yoshida, who will continue to be responsible for sales, marketing and product planning, and Takeshi Yasui, who is

in charge of parts and accessories. Mr Sato has extensive

international automotive industry experience with the Japanese auto-maker. His most recent overseas posting was in Bangkok, Thailand, where he served as vice-president of Tri Petch Isuzu Sales Co Ltd,

the sales arm of the world’s largest Isuzu distributor.

Mr Kuramoto leaves Australia after almost two years at the helm of the fast-growing ute and SUV brand. He joined in June 2017, replacing Yasu Takeuchi

who returned to Japan after almost six years in the top job at IUA.

Mr Sato is charged with continuing Isuzu Ute’s strong performance in marketplace amid softening conditions.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

SATO TAKES THE REINS AT ISUZU UTE AUSTRALIA

MAZDA, KIA, FERRARI NAME TOP DEALERS FOR 2018

Hiroyasu Sato

2018 Mazda Master Dealers

Kia awards presentation

Ferrari presentation

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1300 666 562careers@motorstaff.com.au

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above 60%

Corrections in

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mean penetrations need to be

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EDITION 964 - MAR 13, 2019

PAGE 24

GoAutoNewsDiary

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Infiniti overhaul

GoAuto New Car Diary brought to you by Autotrader

By TUNG NGUYEN

RENAULT has divulged powertrain details for its fifth-generation Clio light hatchback launching in Australia early next year, but the French brand’s local arm will pass on the petrol-electric hybrid option.

Speaking to GoAuto, Renault Australia special projects and corporate communications manager Elena Woods said “it is still too early to confirm final

engines for the Clio V in Australia”, but “at the moment, hybrid is not in the proposed line-up”.

Headlining overseas versions for now will be a new E-Tech hybrid powertrain which pairs a 1.6-litre petrol engine with an electric motor and 1.2kWh battery, and features regenerative braking and a new multi-mode gearbox.

Details such as power output and fuel economy are yet to be revealed, however Renault says the system will “make it possible to drive up to 80 per cent of the time in all-electric mode in the city, for a gain of up to 40 per cent in fuel consumption when compared with a conventional internal combustion

petrol engine in an urban cycle”.Spearheaded by Renault

engineers, the new hybrid powertrain also draws in components – such as the 1.6-litre engine – from other Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance partners, although specifics are still to be provided.

Opening the new Clio range will be a pair of 1.0-litre naturally

aspirated three-cylinder engines producing either 48kW or 56kW of power and 95Nm of torque, paired to a five-speed manual gearbox.

Australian versions are expected to forgo these engines, however, and could open with a turbocharged 1.0-litre TCe 100 three-pot that produces 75kW/160Nm and would better keep pace with the fifth-generation Clio’s light hatchback

competitors.A revision of the existing

engine that opens the current Clio range, performance is up from 66kW/135Nm thanks to an electronically controlled recirculating valve, twin variable valve timing for the intake and bore spray coating.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Petrol-only local powertrain line-up expected fornew Renault light car, with hybrid off agenda

Clio powerMARLAUNCH

FULL NEW CAR DIARY: CLICK HERE

Alfa’s high-performance Q-branded SUV enters showrooms this month, priced from $149,900 plus-on roads and featuring a Ferrari-built 375kW 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6.

Electric cars are really starting to ramp up in Australia and Hyundai is first to market with a full-electric small SUV – a key point of difference in the booming segment.

Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio

BMW 3 Series

Chevrolet Camaro MY19

Honda Civic

Hyundai i30 Fastback N

Hyundai Kona Electric

Lamborghini Huracan Evo

McLaren 720S Spider

Porsche 911

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THE BUSINESS PAGES OF GOAUTONEWS

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By ROHAN MEYER

DEALERSHIPS will still exist in 2025.

They will still sell vehicles; with delivery, finance and service still at the dealership. However, many interactions will not be onsite or during the current ‘normal operating hours’.

Sales facilities will likely not need to be as big since some of the transactions will be at the customer’s premises and not the dealership.

There are many changes coming which will impact the retail motor industry. The dealerships that start planning for the future now with the flexibility to adapt to the changes as they arrive will survive and thrive.

They will make some mistakes along the way, but if they are proactive in adapting to the future those mistakes should pale against their success.

We have outlined in this article many of the conditions that will affect the motor industry.

Whilst there may be general directions, the ultimate solutions taken by each dealership group to prepare for the changes will vary based on circumstances, geography and brand. But the key is to be proactive about preparing for these changes and not reactive after the event.

Motor Industry Services (MIS) has been carefully watching the shifts in the automotive industry and has been assisting dealerships to understand and navigate the dramatically changing automotive environment.

Dealer groups are looking at and placing themselves to thrive in a new automotive environment and, when you look forward for the next six years, there are many factors that will affect how a dealership operates.

From the recurring themes of these discussions with dealers we have prepared a checklist (see next page).

Continued next page

Indonesia to send cars here?Free-trade agreement raises notions of Indonesia’s car-makers selling SUVs in Australia

Moves atIDOM/DVGCOO leaves Japanese retail giant IDOM and DVG amid operational changes

Preparing dealerships for 2025, now

KPMG’s Motor Industry Services team is working with dealers on their mid-to-long-term strategies

The business pages of GoAutoNews

PAGE 26EDITION 964 - MAR 13, 2019

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Continued from previous page

At KPMG MIS we see the key issues that need to be considered are: finance and insurance; the adoption of electric vehicles; the internet of things; autonomous vehicles, mobility and increased delivery volumes; changing vehicle ownership and purchase considerations; and the role of the consumer.

Finance and Insurance (ASIC, APRA, and the Hayne Royal Commission)

Automotive dealers have already seen an effect from changes introduced previously – such as the virtual elimination of GAP insurance, limiting of insurance commissions and the removal of flex in finance.

Reviewing how the dealer body has responded to this provides great insight as to how we may react to the other changes mentioned in the checklist.

While it has only been a few months, many dealers have seen their finance business reduce post the November 2018 changes.

However, there are a number of dealers who have maintained or increased their finance department’s performance. What is the key learning from this? The dealers who prepared carefully, thoughtfully and strategically for the changes have generally come through it quite well.

The dealerships who waited to see

what happened, and then possibly react, have seen their finance business drop.

There is one certainty in the future for finance and insurance; there will be more changes in the wake of the royal commission.

Particularly when you consider one of the recommendations leads to dealers coming under the NCCP which will add costs and complexity to F&I.

What does the future of F&I look like in your business? What are the alternative operating models?

Will the business manager role be required or can it be merged with the salesperson or manager?

Can they do the transaction as an interface with the financier who holds the credit licence (ACL)?

Should your dealership get an ACL and become the financier?

It is best to prepare for those changes and start planning now!

Electric Vehicles A lot has been said about electric

vehicles – but let’s remember in Australia they accounted for less than one per cent of vehicles sold last year – and represent even less in a carparc that has an average age of more than 10 years.

Regardless of the seemingly ‘slow’ start – EVs are on their way.

More models are being offered and are in the pipeline; overseas governments are providing incentives to increase sales, which

will increase economies of scale for manufacturers.

In parts of the world, non-electric vehicles are being banned from roads on certain days due to smog, increasing the purchase of EVs and hybrids.

Regardless of consumer preferences, EV sales will rise – we are an import-only market, countries where vehicles are manufactured are implementing policies and incentives to increase sales of EVs, and a number of OEMs have already indicated when they will introduce their last vehicles with combustion engines.

So, they are coming; and this will have an effect on servicing requirements and capacity, longer periods between servicing (and potential contact points with customers); less parts sales per vehicle due to less moving parts; potential separation in the sales process of vehicles and batteries, and how the vehicles will be sold.

Petrol is essential to vehicles with combustion engines, but electricity is critical for EVs. Will electricity companies get involved in the sale process, like telecommunication companies did with mobile phones?

Will you buy the cars in one transaction and have a subscription/lease for batteries? Consider the impact that EVs will have on your staffing requirements, service capacities, the sale process and your customer contact and retention.

Continued next page

FIND OUT IF YOU ARE READY FOR THE FUTUREConsider whether any of the following possibilities either are now or will in the future impact the operation of your business.

Review these points and tick the ones you believe will affect your dealership by 2025:

� Recent changes to finance and insurance in the automotive space

� Impact of the Hayne royal commission on consumer access to loans

� Impact of future government legislation and regulations from recommendations from the royal commission

� Growth of electric vehicles in the marketplace

� Impact of the internet and connectivity

� Advent of autonomous vehicles (and semi-autonomous vehicles)

� Increase in delivery requirements from ever-increasing e-commerce (eg, Amazon, Uber Eats, etc)

� Link between autonomous vehicles and delivery of internet (e-commerce) purchases – what will the delivery vehicles/robots look like?

� Mobility and ride-sharing companies

� Consumer requirements, including how they wish to interact with your dealership / group

� Vehicle ownership versus financing versus subscriptions

How many did you tick? We suspect you ticked them all.

The business pages of GoAutoNews

PAGE 27EDITION 964 - MAR 13, 2019

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Continued from previous page

The internet of things

This is only just getting started. We have dealer management systems that now reside in the cloud rather than on an internal server; apps for valuing and test drives; better CRM capabilities (if we use them), and more to come.

And that is just in our business – the internet is affecting the consumer as well.

Now, more than 90 per cent of used vehicle leads come from the internet. People do their initial search for a new vehicle over the

internet – we all know someone who negotiated their deal via text.

Things are changing, and we need to sell to the consumer why they want to interact with us, when they want to interact. How many enquiries come in after work hours and when do we respond?

And when they make an enquiry online, response speed is of the essence. A recent global KPMG survey showed that only 76 per cent of people wanted to physically go to a dealership to buy a vehicle.

Good news – that’s still a majority. But how do you connect with the 24 per cent of people who don’t?

And as the global retail sector has already shown us, this number will only grow. If our dealerships don’t find a way to connect with ‘the 24 per cent’, someone else will.

The internet also affects dealership services, such as online service booking – having an effective online booking service can reduce the amount of phone calls into a dealership at busy times, with obvious flow-on effects in the service department.

Finally, the internet and upcoming 5G networks are essential to the oncoming storm of autonomous vehicles.

The flow of data and information to and from vehicles will be immense. Where can the dealership be positioned in the different data flows? And how can they be monetised, if at all, for the benefit of the dealership? What will be the dealership’s role in this area?

Autonomous vehicles, mobility and increased delivery volumes

While three separate factors, there are strong enough links between them to discuss them together.

However, let’s consider this; according to information analysed

by Get Data Sheet by Fortune, cars spend 93 per cent of their time standing idle. This information on its own shows the opportunity to release hidden value in car ownership and usage.

Furthermore, research globally by KPMG suggests that due to mobility services, cost per mile of travel could reduce by up to 40 per cent!

Fully autonomous vehicles are still quite some distance into the future; if only because of regulatory issues and considerations such as who is responsible in an accident; the owner or the manufacturer, for example.

Continued next page

“Regardless of the seemingly ‘slow’ start – EVs are on their way. More

models are being offered and are in the pipeline; overseas governments

are providing incentives to increase sales, which will increase economies

of scale for manufacturers.”– KPMG Motor Industry Services

senior manager Rohan Meyer

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Continued from previous page But could autonomous vehicles/

pods/robots that don’t carry humans be on the market by 2025?

Many firms, car companies and technology start-ups alike are testing these at the moment.

Studies in the US have shown an increasing share of total miles driven in the US each year by delivery services, with an associated decline in share of total miles by people visiting shopping malls.

Whilst this data is not readily available for Australia, we will be no different. In my household this week, there were three deliveries to our door. What will happen when my kids are old enough to order on my credit card?

We can therefore expect unmanned delivery vehicles to ‘hit the market first’. These will likely be fleet vehicles, likely to be electric, and could also have an impact on our service departments such as when they should be serviced. • What would be the repurchase

point for these units compared to current delivery vans?

• Will they be doing more miles and be on the road for a greater number of hours each day?

There are also suggestions from time to time that delivery trucks could be limited in inner-city areas, with a swing therefore towards vans as well as the unmanned ‘vehicle drones’.

Mobility services will also

affect the industry – sooner than autonomous vehicles. In fact, the first generation of mobility services are already here. The rise of Uber and other services will have a number of effects. Uber effectively puts more “taxis on the road”, and is doing one of two things: • Putting more cars on the road –

as people buy a new car to use for their Uber business, and/or

• Changing over cars faster as mileage increases.

These can have an impact on sales volumes, finance, insurance and aftersales areas of the dealership.

Additionally, when not being used for passenger taxi services, these vehicles can be used for deliveries –

blending the two concepts together in the one vehicle.

Vehicle ownership and purchase consideration

Currently in our industry most private sales are financed, but dealerships finance less than 40 per cent – compared to over 80 per cent in the US and UK.

This was expected to increase post November 2018, but what will occur next depends on any new legislation arising as a result of the Hayne royal commission.

Combine this with the fact that many experts believe that up to 50 per cent of people will not want to own a car by 2025. Therefore, as an

industry, we can probably expect ‘fleet’ sales to rise with the increasing scale of new industries such as the ride-sharing and delivery industries.

Does your dealership/brand have good connections with these businesses? It’s not just the sales, but the servicing. And be wary of the introduction of specialist fleet servicing companies that may compete with dealerships; this is already happening in the US.

Let’s also not forget about the subscription industry. It is in its infancy around the world and in Australia – going through teething issues as companies test the concept – but at its heart the concept has legs.

Continued next page

“Each customer, whether an individual, family, government or business, has their own unique requirements and expectations. And if we don’t meet them, another dealership or business will.”– KPMG Motor Industry Services senior manager Rohan Meyer

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Continued from previous page

Rather than just a lease, who wouldn’t want to pay a monthly subscription that: • May have no fixed term

(depending on the company) • Includes insurance, registration

and servicing• Allows you to change cars to suit,

such as SUV to ute to sportscar• Gives you more flexibility in

ownership and choice.

The consumer

Of all the issues that can affect our dealerships in 2025, without doubt the overriding factor is the CUSTOMER.

If we do not give them what they want, we will not receive their business.

Each customer, whether an individual, family, government or business, has their own unique requirements and expectations. And if we don’t meet them, another dealership or business will.

Understanding our customers and interacting with them HOW they want to be interacted with is critical.

We spend time with lots of dealers in this country, and whilst most are trying to accommodate the customer, at times we still hear the old line of the “customer will do what we tell them”. Well, they won’t – and if we don’t interact with our customers the way they want, they will exercise their right to go somewhere else.

Having the right customer culture, a good customer database and data-mining, regular contact schedule, ease of the customer dealing with you digitally – these are all key ingredients to running a successful dealership in 2025.

Ask yourself this – does your dealership, or group, really understand your customers, and do you treat them all like a member of the family (not an estranged family), and provide them excellent service that includes the “excitement factor” of going above and beyond?

READ STORY ONLINE: CLICK HERE

Rohan Meyer is a senior manager at KPMG Motor Industry Services.

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Free-trade agreement raises notions of Indonesia’s car-makers selling SUVs in Australia

By JOHN MELLOR

AS CHINESE and Indian car-makers struggle to get accepted into the Australian car market with any semblance of scale, Indonesia may be set to be another Asian country with its eye on exporting vehicles Down Under.

Notions of the potential for Indonesia’s car-makers to export vehicles across the Timor Sea have been raised in the wake of the just-signed free-trade agreement between Indonesia and Australia.

Indonesia’s car-makers are mostly assemblers of Japanese and South Korean vehicles, although Japanese brands account for 90 per cent of sales.

Commenting on the FTA, the chairman of the Indonesian Automotive Manufacturers Association, Johannes Nangoi, told The Australian newspaper there was a potential windfall for Indonesian car-makers to export SUVs to Australia duty-free.

Mr Nangoi, who is president of Isuzu Astra Motors Indonesia, said that, with Australia no longer making cars, there could be a big market for Indonesian producers.

“We hope to start exporting to Australia after the agreement is signed,” he told The Australian.

Mr Nangoi said that Indonesia was “geographically closer” to Australia than Thailand (which exports

300,000 vehicles to Australia) and hoped that the FTA would lead to Australian investment in Indonesia’s car industry so the two countries “could work together to produce cars to be exported to a third country”.

The Indonesian vehicle market is the largest in South-East Asia with sales of more than 1.15 million units a year. The Indonesian motor industry exports 300,000 units – more cars than it imports.

Sales last year rose by seven per cent, to 1.15 million. A quarter of those sales are commercial vehicles.

The market is dominated by Toyota, with 350,000 units sold in 2018, and Daihatsu doing about 200,000 units. Honda achieved more than 160,000

sales last year and Mitsubishi Motors sold 140,000 units.

Investment in the industry is also growing. Toyota is spending $1.9 billion on increasing its Indonesian production capacity, mainly for export, and Mitsubishi also announced increased production capacity plans last year.

The strength of the Indonesian automotive industry has also encouraged new players to enter the market.

Chinese car-maker Wuling has spent $700 million on a plant in West Java with a capacity of 120,000 units a year. Wuling last year achieved 1.4 per cent of the market – ahead of Nissan.

DFSK Motors, another Chinese car-maker, has also invested $150 million on a new car plant.

Last year, 10,500 vehicles from China were sold in Australia and 4458 from India. VFACTS sales data showed just a single vehicle from Indonesia was sold in 2018, although 270 now-discontinued Suzuki APV vans were registered in 2017.

Suzuki manufactured its APV small van in Indonesia for markets including Australia. The popular van was sold from 2005 until 2017, ending its sales here because it could not meet new Australian emissions standards.

READ STORY ONLINE: CLICK HERE

Indonesia to send

cars here?

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By NEIL DOWLING

JAPANESE vehicle retailer IDOM has restructured its Australian corporate operations under its DVG Automotive Group subsidiary, with its chief operating officer Tony Salerno and finance manager Tony De Lucia no longer on the payroll.

Mr Salerno, formerly Automotive Holdings Group Ltd’s chief operating officer and executive general manager of its easyauto123 used-car network across Australia and New Zealand, officially resigned last week.

Industry sources said Mr Salerno’s departure came as IDOM is changing its large corporate new-car operation model in Australia.

At the same time, Mr De Lucia – also previously with AHG as its finance manager – also resigned, according to a DVG spokesperson.

The move was made for

“personal reasons”.He would not be drawn on why

IDOM and DVG have reduced corporate staff but indicated they would not be replaced.

Under the IDOM ownership, DVG has 24 dealers in WA and in October last year bought the Andrews & Wallis Motor Group.

IDOM paid about $70 million for Andrews & Wallis, based at Essendon Fields in Melbourne’s north, which has seven franchises – Honda, Mazda, Toyota, Jeep and Chrysler, Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Isuzu Ute.

The franchises are on four sites in Wirraway Road, Essendon Fields: Essendon Honda, Essendon Mazda, Airport Toyota, and Essendon Jeep and Chrysler, and Essendon Isuzu Ute, on the same site.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

IDOM moves

Chief operating officer leaves Japanese retail giant IDOM and DVG amid operational changes

Tony Salerno

Be future readyKPMG Motor Industry ServicesBy drawing on years of experience across the motor industry, our team of industry specialists can provide the tools and insights necessary to help drive success in your business.

To gain insight, be future ready and find your opportunities, contact:

KPMG Motor Industry Services Team at mis@kpmg.com.au

kpmg.com/au/enterprise

© 2019 KPMG, an Australian partnership. All rights reserved. N16561ENT

Steven Bragg National LeadMotor Industry Services 0437 445 200 sbragg1@kpmg.com.au

Rohan Meyer Senior Manager Consulting & Dealer Groups 0433 977 641 rmeyer1@kpmg.com.au

Gary Ormond Senior Manager Automotive Intelligence Portal+61 2 8841 2170 gormond@kpmg.com.au

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By NEIL DOWLING

RETIRED former president and chief operating officer of three North American Daimler Trucks dealer groups, Dan Stevens, has been hired to coach and consult Australian Daimler dealers.

The appointment, triggered by Daimler Truck and Bus Aust/Pac president and CEO Daniel Whitehead, aims to strengthen the local dealer network through running coaching sessions, operating continuous improvement plans, offering consulting services and reporting back to Daimler senior management.

Mr Stevens recently retired as a Daimler Trucks dealer principal with more than 40 years of experience, including 14 years as president, equity partner and chief operating officer of three major Daimler Trucks North America dealership groups.

The last group had 25 Freightliner dealerships employing 1100 people and selling about 7000 new and used vehicles a year.

Mr Stevens will travel to Australia regularly to visit and work with individual dealerships.

Daimler Truck and Bus Aust/Pac network development director Greg Lovrich said Mr Stevens had already visited Australia to meet dealers at a sales conference.

He said dealer feedback showed Mr Stevens’ presentation was “extremely valuable”, which led to the opportunity of bringing him to Australia as an adviser and mentor.

Australian Daimler Truck and Bus comprises the brands Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner, Fuso and Alliance Truck Parts.

READ STORY ONLINE: CLICK HERE

US truck exec to help dealers

Daimler to fly in key dealer principal to coach Australian truck dealers

Dan Stevens (left) with Daimler Truck and Bus Aust/Pac president and CEO Daniel Whitehead

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By ROBBIE WALLIS

LAMBORGHINI has expanded its Australian network of showrooms to five with the opening of Lamborghini Adelaide last week, joining locations in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.

Located south-east of the city centre at 269-275 Glen Osmond Rd, Frewville, the new Lamborghini dealership encompasses sales, service and spare parts (3S), and also serves as a dealership for fellow performance luxury marques McLaren and Bentley.

Measuring 343 square metres, the dealership is a partnership between Lamborghini and Zagame Automotive Group, and allows South Australian Lamborghini customers a local point of reference for servicing their vehicles and purchasing new ones.

While Adelaide-based Lamborghini customers have previously had access to vehicles through Zagame’s Melbourne dealership, it is the first time they will have a dedicated service and parts operation.

The dealership also features a client lounge that includes a car configurator. There is also an area for the company’s Ad Personam customisation program that lets customers touch and experiment with different colour and material combinations, given the high level of personalisation seen on Australian Lamborghini vehicles.

There is additionally an area dedicated to displaying aftersales enhancements as well as a range of Lamborghini-branded clothes and accessories.

Continued next page

Lamborghini opens new Adelaide dealership

New showroom and service centre in Adelaide brings Lamborghini’s national tally to five

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way of selling finance

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PART ONE

CLICK HERE

Be alert but not alarmed: Part One

KPMG identifies the key issues to watch for as global change fires up ‘perfect storm’

PART TWO

CLICK HERE

Be alert but not alarmed: Part TwoAustralian automotive impacts:

How KPMG sees the motor industry’s prospects for 2019

PART THREE

CLICK HERE

Be alert but not alarmed: Part ThreeWhat can Australian dealers do to

prepare for headwinds and develop strategies for change?

Continued from previous page

Speaking to GoAutoNews Premium, Lamborghini Asia-Pacific CEO Matteo Ortenzi said that the new dealership could potentially add 15 to 20 sales for the brand, after achieving a sales record in 2018 of 134 units.

“Adelaide’s market was already partially covered by Melbourne so they were already working in this area,” he said.

“Now with the proper location, with this very beautiful showroom, we were able to grow a little bit in terms of the market potential itself, and I think this is a showroom that can easily target 15-20 cars per year.”

Lamborghini Oceania area manager Andrea Ruggiero added that the brand expects the new showroom to make up about 10 per cent of overall volume for the brand locally.

“It is representing 10 per cent of

the overall volume in Australia, and definitely everything must be based on the potential of the market here in South Australia,” he said.

“Adelaide is not a city that is comparable to Melbourne or Sydney so you will never see the numbers you can do in Sydney.”

He added that the time was right to open a dealership in Adelaide now that the Urus large SUV is on sale, the added volume of which justifies a dedicated showroom for the brand.

The Urus is expected to make up around 50 per cent of overall Lamborghini volume in Australia, and the brand tipped that, without it, the Adelaide dealership would only achieve around seven to nine sales a year – not enough for its own showroom.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

From left: Matteo Ortenzi, Bobby Zagame, Scott Carse and Andrea Ruggiero

CFO Forums May 2019Registrations now open

Join us at the KPMG Motor Industry Services 2019 CFO Forums, designed specifically for CFO’s, Group Financial Controllers and Finance Executives of Australian and New Zealand dealer groups.

We will equip you to meet the issues and challenges faced by dealership groups today. In the two day forum, our industry specialists share insights and workshop best practice solutions to the industry’s regulatory, financial, tax and operational hot topics.

Stephen May Partner0416 036 253 smay@kpmg.com.au

Steven Bragg Director 0437 445 200 sbragg1@kpmg.com.au

© 2019 KPMG, an Australian partnership. All rights reserved. 318295355ENT.

Sydney:

7th & 8th MayMelbourne:

14th & 15th May

For more information please contact KPMG Motor Industry Services Team at mis@kpmg.com.au

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By NEIL DOWLING

JAGUAR put itself among the sequins at the recent Sydney Mardi Gras, wearing a “Fit for a Queen” campaign that promotes individuality.

The brand is chasing a larger audience and positioning itself as a brand to be put back on prestige buyers’ shopping list.

Its celebration of the Mardi Gras in Sydney is complemented by its partnership with the Queer Screen film festival.

Jaguar Australia’s creative agency Spark44 produced a TVC featuring drag queen Rhumah Hazzet in a sequined gown leaving a Jaguar car.

It included the story of Alfie Arcuri, winner of The Voice 2016, who tells of how he came out as a singer and a member of the LGBTQI community.

To further involve the brand with

the community, Jaguar held a “Jag Queen Service Centre” at Sydney’s Taylor Square that offered services such as make-up touch-ups through to full “drag formations” on the parade day.

Jaguar Australia managing director Mark Cameron said in a statement that the brand was “celebrating the creativity, equality and diversity with the incredible line-up of LGBTQI talent and films in this year’s festival, and of course, to have some fun at our Jaguar Service Centre”.

Spark44 managing director Jasmin Bedir told Mumbrella: “We love the fact that we were able to work with and support a group of people who are the ultimate expression of creative storytelling – our ‘Jag Queens’.”

READ STORY ONLINE: CLICK HERE

Jag queens a hit at Mardi Gras

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Peugeot launches first-ever ad campaign

Individuality at the core of Peugeot’s big new push by Inchcape to sell more cars

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Rolls-Royce moves to Brisbane

LMM Holdings takes over Rolls-Royce franchise in Queensland from Peter Warren Automotive

By NEIL DOWLING

AN AUSTRALIAN company funded in part by the Queensland government is now trialling the production of renewable diesel fuel for use in heavy machinery, trucks and marine engines.

It is hoped that the trials, to last up to 18 months, will lead to the construction of a fuel refinery within five years.

Southern Oil received a grant from the Queensland government that also enticed the company to shift its $25 million pilot plant and facilities to Gladstone from Wagga Wagga in New South Wales.

The plant is Australia’s first commercial-scale advanced biofuels production facility.

It is planned to produce one million litres of renewable diesel within the

next three years and be a supplier to the US Navy’s Great Green Fleet initiative and the Australian Navy and be part of Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia investigations into options for locally produced aviation biofuel.

Southern Oil uses waste plastic, old vehicle tyres, agriculture and forestry waste, and biosolids to make the diesel. This is in contrast with the world’s biggest renewable diesel producer, Finnish company Neste, that makes its diesel fuel from waste animal fat and vegetable oils.

Manufacturers of renewable fuel state that the carbon emissions from the use of renewable diesel amount to zero because the amount of carbon dioxide released on combustion is equal to the amount that renewable raw materials had absorbed earlier.

Continued next page

Diesel refinery planned for Queensland

Aussie company works to turn plastics, old tyres and waste into diesel fuel for trucks 100 good reasons to join VACC

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Carsales partners with fuel retailer

Member benefits extend to fuel vouchers as Carsales links with

Shell retailer Viva

Continued from previous page

Southern Oil’s trial, supported by the Queensland government’s Advance Queensland Industry Attraction Fund, involves manufacturing diesel from waste sources and then fuelling a Scania V8 test engine from a truck.

The test engine is now being used to assess exhaust emissions, performance and response, fuel efficiency, cost and engine lifetime. All will lead to Scania giving the fuel final approval for warranty coverage.

Before the warranty is secured, an estimated one million litres of the renewable diesel will be trialled at Southern Oil’s laboratory, claimed to be the leading facility of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

Member for Gladstone Glenn Butcher said renewable diesel could eventually be used to power heavy transport, marine and

industrial applications.“The Scania test engine is similar

to diesel engines currently used in various transport modes, from fire trucks to superyachts, prime movers to cane trains,” he said.

“It’s this diversity of use that will result in the creation of new biorefineries to produce renewable diesel – bringing high-value jobs to our regions and creating new markets for our agricultural sector.

“There’s also a need for diesel generators in Queensland – especially during natural disasters – and generators using engines like this could produce enough electricity to run about 50 domestic houses, using renewable diesel.”

Southern Oil Refinery and SynBio managing director Tim Rose said Queensland is leading the country in biofutures and renewable fuels.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

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