am - automotive management magazine november 2015 preview

AUTOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT

www.am-online.com November 2015 £8.00

M O T O R L I N E / P4 0

Glen Obee on managing his group’s rapid growth

Volkswagen Group has talked a lot about rebuilding trust with its customers, but what about addressing the worries of its franchised dealers:

“Should we commit to 2016 sales targets?”

“How do we create capacity for 1.2 million recall jobs?”“What will we earn from

the recall work?”“What’s the longer-term

impact on our businesses?”

E M I S S I O N S C H E AT I N G S C A N D A L / P 6

11 february 2016the international Convention Centre

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Digital awards

Best Use of Social Media

Best Use of Television and/or Video

Best Dealer Website

Best Manufacturer Digital Innovation

excellence in Business

Best Training and Development Programme

Best Retailer Environmental Initiative

Excellence in Customer Service

Excellence in Aftersales

Best Service Reception Team

Best Sales Team (New or Used Cars)

Manufacturer awards

Used Car of the Year

New Car of the Year

Franchise of the Year

retailer awards

Best Used Car Performance

Best Fleet Operation

Best Van Dealer

Most Improved Dealership

Best Dealership

Best Retail Group (up to & including 10 sites)

Best Retail Group (more than 10 sites)

Headline awards

Digital Initiative of the Year

Dealer Principal/General Manager of the Year

Manufacturer of the Year

Retailer of the Year

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52

Prof Jim SakerAs director of the Centre of

Automotive Manage-ment at Loughborough University’s Business School, Saker is a key figure behind the drive for management recognition and skills in the motor retail sector.

This month (p38), he says the emissions scandal may do Volkswagen more long-term damage than previous recalls by other brands.

Volkswagen has also broken its dealers’ trust

Jeremy BennettAssociate editor

Tim RoseManaging editor

Stephen BriersEditor-in-chief

weLCoMe

[email protected] am-online.com/ami/am-online.com/linkedinam-online.com @amchatter facebook.com/automotivemanagementUK

olkswagen Group’s chest-beating display of its newest cars on the eve of the Frankfurt Motor Show last month gave no indication of the turmoil that was about to envelop the company. Exactly a week later, headlines were screaming accusations of emissions deceit and rule-breaking, leading to

the rapid resignation of VW Group’s chief executive Martin Winterkorn and its admission that 11 million vehicles globally, from Audi, Seat, Skoda, Volkswagen and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, will be recalled to remove a ‘defeat device’ that cheats NOx emission tests.

For three weeks, consumers have had a daily diet of news exposing VW Group’s deception and its inability to act fast enough to reverse it. Considering the brand’s American operation knew its NOx emissions were under question by the US Environmental Protection Agency for months, it seems ludicrous there was no action plan for when it all became public.

A month later, the fact that UK franchisees know they are affected, but still don’t know how they will be supported seems even more ludicrous.

These are the ones who have invested millions of pounds into VW’s ‘blended retailing’ concept, Audi’s ‘terminal’ showroom style, and are still updating Skoda and Seat showrooms on the promise of rising sales volumes. These are the ones who are placating customers and who will be in the front line in the months ahead, rebuilding trust for the car brands. These are the ones who trusted that, as the ‘junior partner’ in the relationship, they would be looked after by manufacturer brands that, in the words of their leader, “couldn’t exist without our retailers”.

If there is a bright side, it could be a good time to bolt on an authorised repairer franchise for the VW Group brands. In the UK, there are 1.2 million vehicles to sort out in 2016 and, as we discover on page 6, the Audi and Volkswagen brands in particular are going to be very busy.

The whole scandal smacks of complacency, arrogance and chasing sales volume at any cost. Let’s hope lessons will be learned.

The editorial team

V

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o u R E x P E R T c o n T R i B u T o R S

Philip nothardHe is retail and consumer valuations

editor at CAP, which he joined in 2010 after two decades working in motor retail, culminating in running dealerships for european Motor Hold-ings, Lythgoe Motor Group and Arnold Clark. In this issue (p39), he explores why used car dealers are exploring alternatives to auctions for buying cars.

3

Your news

6 Volkswagen analysis Concerns about consumer

confidence and impact on sales have left some franchisees reluctant to commit to 2016 targets; plus we take a look at some past Volkswagen scandals.

11 News digest Dealers’ property requirements fall

24% in less than two years; Vertu posts record results; Stoneacre trials extended operating hours; Castrol’s new 90-second oil change.

Market intelligence

17 New carsThe plate-change pushes September to record high.

18 Retail registrations Despite topping the overall

registrations table, Ford’s year-on-

4 November 2015 am-online.com

year retail numbers actually fell 11.8% in September.

19 Dealer profitabilityFranchised dealers made an average loss of £16,000 in August, up from £15,000 in August 2014.

23 Used cars The average wholesale value of used

cars fell almost £200 in September as volumes returned to six figures after the August lull.

Insight

26 Adding theatre to the showroom

Virtual reality headsets, touchscreen car configurators and customer tracking by Wi-Fi – how the latest technology can give your customers a sense of occasion and monitor the return on your investment.

33 Prepare your business for the tech revolution

Dealers need to prepare their work-

In this issue November 2015

40

26

6

26THEATRE OF THE SHOWROOM GIVING CAR BUYERS A REASON TO VISIT

VOLKSWAGEN SCANDALDEALERS FEAR THE FALLOUT

FACE TO FACEMOTORLINE

shop and sales teams for the impact of the latest safety devices, connected cars and autonomous vehicles.

36 How car dealers can build a better website

Do your dealerships offer the digital experiences that will stop customers fleeing to rivals’ websites?

38 Jim Saker’s view from the business school

Can Volkswagen’s reputation come back from the dark side?

39 Market pressures are changing used car markets As margins become ever more of an issue, dealers are searching out alternatives for how they buy vehicles, writes CAP’s Philip Nothard.

40 Motorline’s disciplined approach to growth

Motorline Group has avoided chaos in the rapid acquisition of sites and staff with an internal team and a disciplined process, says chairman Glen Obee.

For the latest motor retail industry news, visit am-online.comSign up to get AM news daily by email: am-online.com/newsletter


Adroit Automotive .................................................62Alphera Financial Services ................................61Amari ..................................................................11, 26AMS Insurance Services ....................................62ASE .............................................................................19Auto Trader .............................................................50Automotive Compliance ......................................61Autotorq ...................................................................36Autoweb ...................................................................37Barber Wadlow ......................................................11BCA ............................................................................21Black Horse ......................................................18, 61Calltracks ................................................................50Cambria Automobiles .........................................53CAP ............................................................................56CarWow ...................................................................53Castrol .......................................................................13Caterham.................................................................14CitNow ...............................................................13, 56CJ Automotive .........................................................13Close Brothers Motor Finance .........................13Cooper Solutions ..................................................26FCA ......................................................................11, 62FLA .............................................................................17Frost & Sullivan .......................................................9GForces .............................................................27, 37Heritage Automotive ............................................11Hitachi Capital ........................................................62Hyundai .....................................................................13Inchcape ....................................................................13iVendi .........................................................................53Jellyfish ....................................................................50Kia ..............................................................................56Lifestyle Europe ....................................................14Manheim ...........................................................21, 37Mapfre Abraxas ....................................................62Mazda........................................................................26MotoNovo .................................................................61Motoring ...................................................................36Motorline Group ....................................................40Motors .......................................................................13NAMA........................................................................21NFDA ...................................................................17, 33Nissan ........................................................................11Node4........................................................................56Pendragon................................................................11Perrys .......................................................................49POD Point ................................................................34Rockar ......................................................................27Seat ............................................................................14SMMT .........................................................................17Stoneacre ................................................................14Tenthwave Digital .................................................55TMS Motor Group ..................................................13Tony Le Voi Vauxhall ............................................27Trend Tracker ........................................................33Trusted Dealers ....................................................34Vauxhall ....................................................................11VBRA .........................................................................34Vertu Motors ......................................................7, 13Volkswagen Group UK...........................................6VW Financial Services .........................................13

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49 AM Digital Dealer Conference report

The latest expert insights into how dealers can run better digital businesses.

59 AM Poll Dealers seem split on whether the

Consumer Rights Act will improve their complaints procedure.

61 Six top tips for F&I success

Finance and insurance products face more regulation and scrutiny, but there are still ways for dealers to boost profits.

Showroom

66 Mitsubishi L200Mitsubishi believes its faster, bigger, cleaner pick-up will outperform its predecessor in sales and its rivals in almost every area.

69 Honda Civic TourerJapanese manufacturer aims to underpin 2016 resurgence with C-segment Civic.

71 Mazda2Launched in March, the Mazda 2 is already Mazda’s biggest seller this year.

72 VW PoloThe Polo range brings some good news for Volkswagen this month, topping year-to-date retail registrations for the beleaguered brand.

Coming soon

74 In December’s issue – published November 27Face To Face with Vertu Motors chief executive Robert Forrester and commercial director David Crane; the latest consumer trends in sales and aftersales; Jardine Motors tells us why it excels in fleet; and the Audi A4 reviewed.

36 THE PERFECT WEBSITE DO YOU HAVE ALL THE PIECES IN PLACE?

66


Dealer property needs slow, but upgrades still a priorityDealers’ property requirements have fallen 24% since the start of 2014, but investment in upgrades remains high, a property company has said.

UK dealerships advertised 71 property requirements over the past year, down from a high of 94 in 2013/14, commercial property specialist Barber Wadlow reported in its annual ‘Vehicle Dealership Property Market Update 2015’.

Adam Wadlow, a director at Barber Wadlow, said: “This statistic does not, however, point towards a slowdown in demand for dealership accommodation. 2013/14 was an exceptionally busy year, when manu-facturers started to apply pressure on dealers to upgrade facilities following the financial crisis. Many of these requirements have not been satisfied yet.

“The current number of advertised requirements is a return to more normal levels and we are starting to see requirements being satisfied, which demonstrates confidence in the market given that a new development will generally cost between £4 million and £8m.”

Barber Wadlow said improved conditions in the commercial property market have seen a number of

major mixed-use development schemes come to fruition, after being shelved since 2008.

“This has provided a supply of dealership development sites, albeit not at a fast enough pace to satisfy impatient manufacturers. There still remains a particular dearth of sites in the South East, which accounted for 51% of all requirements in 2014/15 (40% in 2013/14).”

UK land values have increased, particularly in the South East as a result of competition from dealer groups, as well as higher value alternative uses, the report said.

Rental growth is also being recorded in certain locations outside of the South East.

“Notwithstanding this, we are seeing rental levels for sale and leaseback (‘S&LB’) transactions being set at ‘below market’ values,” Wadlow said. This does not, however, mean that rental values are falling. “It is a product of dealers employing ‘cost recovery’ strategies (ie capital receipt generated from S&LB only required to cover development cost, rather than turn a profit) and the very strong invest-ment market, which means that a rent can be set at below market levels.”

P e n D r A g o nTop AM100 dealer group Pendragon has been awarded the Investors in People standard for the 17th year.

A m A r iPreston-based supercar dealer Amari has used a new stock demonstration technology to sell a £100,000 BMW i8 to a customer 200 miles away. The GoInStore technology uses ‘smart glasses’ or a standard Android device to give buyers a first-person shopping experience via live video.

n i s s A nNissan is extending its You+Nissan customer service scheme with two initiatives to all its dealerships. Customers must now be offered a fixed price servicing plan, coupled with a price match guarantee, and all customers will also receive a free video health assessment of their vehicle whenever it is in for service.

C h A r l e s h u r s tCharles Hurst is to build a multi-million pound Jaguar Land Rover dealership in Belfast. It will be on the Boucher Road at the former headquarters of drinks company Diageo. The group, part of Lookers, has submitted a full planning application for a dealership and workshop at an existing site.

h e r i tA g e A u t o m o t i v eHeritage Automotive has installed Dealerweb’s Evo8 showroom management system in its six Volkswagen car dealerships and will add it to five sites (VW Commercial Vehicles, Audi and Peugeot) before the end of the year.

i n B r i e f

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NEWS DIGEST13 stoneacre trials extended hours

Stoneacre has trialled extended operating hours, with home-based sales people covering phone lines and live chat until 10pm.

vertu posts record results Vertu Motors has reported record half-year profits of £16.4 million before tax.

14

t h e n e W s Y o u C A n ’ t A f f o r D t o h A v e m i s s e D

P r o P e r t Y m A r k e t

g A P i n s u r A n C egAP insurance sales were flat in september after the financial Conduct Authority (fCA) introduced new rules requiring a four-day deferment period on the sale of the products, according to data from supplier AutoProtect.

The company based the findings on its own sales and on feedback from dealer partners across the UK.

While the overall market was flat, AutoProtect said some dealers still reported growth as they had implemented measures to tackle the new rules early.

However, a second company, Dealerweb, claimed dealers had recorded an 11% drop in GAP sales year-on-year. Dealerweb compared the volume of GAP sales achieved by the franchised dealer networks of 12 volume and prestige car manufacturers.

vA u x h A l ltim tozer, the chairman and managing director of vauxhall motors, quit the carmaker at the end of september, just one week after telling journalists at the frankfurt motor show about his high hopes for the brand’s future with its next-generation Astra.

Vauxhall said Tozer decided to leave the company and pursue his career outside of General Motors.

It announced rory harvey (pictured) as his successor. Harvey has wide experience within GM’s European operations, working in several areas of sales and aftersales.

Harvey was managing director of Chevrolet UK from 2006 to 2008, then moved to Vauxhall as aftersales director and then retail sales director.

In his most recent position, he was executive director sales, Opel Europe, based at the Opel headquarters in Rüsselsheim, Germany.

Since Harvey took the lead, Vauxhall has re-launched its scrappage allowance scheme with a £2,000 (including VAT) contribution for customers that trade-in their old car against certain new models in its range.

NEWS DIGEST t o r e A D A m ’ s D A i lY n e W s l e t t e r , v i s i t: a m - o n l i n e . c o m / n e w s l e t t e r

wP e o P l e n e W s

P A u l s t Y l e sAutomotive consulting and software business KCS has appointed Paul Styles as busi-ness development director. Styles was most recently the general manager of the Toyota and Lexus retailer systems division.

P e t e r W At t sPeter Watts has left Auto Trader and joined its rival automotive classifieds company Motors.co.uk as director of dealer insight. He was recently brand director for franchise and supermarkets at Auto Trader.

j o h n m c C o n n e l lInchcape group finance director John McConnell has announced he will step down next March after 16 years with the company.

i k e r l A z z A r iVolkswagen Financial Services has appointed Iker Lazzari to the newly created role of head

of sales and marketing to drive its market share in the corpo-rate and SME fleet market.

A D A m P A r r o t tCJ Automotive has moved to “sharpen up” its operations at its multi-franchise site at Llan-dudno Junction, with the appointment of Adam Parrott as operations director for the North Wales division.

m i k e m o n A g h A nCitNow has appointed accident repair industry veteran Mike Monaghan to its

management team as channel development manager.

D Av i D P u g hHyundai Motor UK has recruited former Saab and JLR executive David Pugh as its new

marketing director.

t m s m o t o r g r o u Ptms motor group managing director len hallows has appointed his four sons as direc-tors of the dealer group.

Ben, Dom, Tom and Oliver Hallows already held managerial positions in sales or aftersales at their respective dealerships. The four brothers all joined the family-run business when they left school at 16 and have worked their way up the ranks in various departments. After receiving management training, they now run the business with their father.

TMS Motor Group operates a large Volvo dealership in Coventry, a Kia dealership in Hinckley and a Volvo authorised repairer workshop and used car operation also in Hinckley.

C A s t r o lCastrol has developed a new product that it says will cut the time of an oil change to 90 seconds.

Castrol says the Nexcel unit, which contains new oil and filter, speeds up oil changes and creates less waste and mess.

A Castrol spokesman said: “The aim is to ensure that Nexcel costs the consumer no more than a standard oil change today.”

Engine designs must be adapted to use the system. Castrol expects manufacturers to launch compatible vehicles in the next five years.


C l o s e B r o t h e r s m o t o r f i n A n C eDealers need to prepare for an end to the “golden scenario” of strong manufacturer incentives as the current situation is not sustainable, warned Close Brothers motor finance chief executive james Broadhead.

“The pace of post-recession recovery has buoyed the UK market, as has a strong pound, but this golden scenario just isn’t going to be sustainable as manufacturers see new growth opportunities in overseas markets and boosted supply in the used car market drives down prices,” he said.

Broadhead said dealers should prepare for manufacturers to start scaling back incentives such as free insurance and bolt-on specifications. He advised dealers to start looking at alternatives for securing margins.

v e r t uvertu motors has reported record half-year profits of £16.4 million before tax.

The 28.1% increase in profit before tax came as the car dealer group also grew revenues by 14% to £1.236 billion in the six months to August 31.

Vertu said it expects its full-year performance to be ahead of expectations.

Chief executive robert forrester said: “The group has a strong balance sheet and net cash position, despite significant capital expenditure and acquisi-tion investment in the period.

“This, together with the operational management strength in the group, gives the board great confidence to keep growing the business, organically and through acquisitions.”

However, Forrester said Vertu’s private new vehicle sales in September were down 3.3% compared with September 2014, despite national SMMT data showing the market for its franchises holding flat. Despite the decline, the group achieved record new car profitability for the month, used

vehicle volumes grew 5.4% like-for-like and after-sales was solid, he said.

“I’m pleased with where we got to. Pre-registra-tion is a very important part of the market, the manufacturers see it as an important channel and we see it as an important channel, but clearly when that is in expansion there is no way we will be able to hit the SMMT growth rates because we’re meas-uring two completely different things.

“My view is that the world and the industry, be it manufacturers or retailers, would much benefit from private retail registrations as measured by the SMMT to reflect private retail registrations. But clearly it’s up to the SMMT to measure things in the way it wants to measure them. All we can do as an industry is point out it has implications.”

In the six months to August 31, Vertu’s new retail vehicle volumes were up 8.6% overall and 1.2% like-for-like, while fleet new car volumes were 3.6% up overall but 8.5% down like-for-like as the group reduced its low margin short-term rental sales.

Used retail vehicle sales rose 7.7% overall and 4.2% like-for-like.

market intelligence t h e n e w s i n d e p t h

18new cars

Despite topping the overall registrations table, Ford’s year-on-year retail numbers actually fell 11.8% in September.

19profitability

Franchised dealers made an average loss of £16,000 in august, up from £15,000 in august 2014.

sponsored by


23Used cars

the average wholesale value of used cars fell almost £200 in September as volumes rebounded.

plate-change pushes september to record highDemand for diesel remains strong despite the Volkswagen emissions scandal

r e g i s t r at i o n s b y m a r k e t s e g m e n t

U k n e w c a r r e g i s t r at i o n s

september’s new car registrations were an all-time high for the month, according to figures from the society of motor manufacturers and traders (smmt).

a total of 462,517 cars were registered, up 8.6% on the same month last year, making it the 43rd consecutive month of growth in the market. despite the Volkswagen group emis-sions scandal breaking mid-month, demand for diesel remained strong and all its brands except seat saw market share grow year-on-year.

the total number of cars registered in 2015 so far is 2,096,886 – 7.1% higher than at the same point last year.

it is the first time the two million mark has been passed in september since 2004.

gains were made across all market sectors – private up 3%, fleet up 15.2% and business up 10.6%.

in line with typical performance so far this year, registrations of diesel and petrol cars in

september grew 4.1% and 12.3% respectively, and alternatively fuelled vehicles (aFVs) recorded another strong month, with volumes up 21.7%. this puts total year-to-date growth at 3.1% for diesel, 9.5% for petrol and 48.7% for aFVs.

mike Hawes, Smmt chief executive, said, “september is traditionally one of the year’s biggest months for new car registrations, and last month set an autumn record.

“with plenty of attractive, affordable deals available on the new 65-plate, britain’s car buyers were busier than ever. the market reached pre-recession levels some time ago, and we anticipate some levelling off in the coming months.

“it is too early to draw conclusions, but customer demand for diesel remained strong, accounting for one in two cars registered.”

mike allen, at analyst Zeus capital, said: “we think the dealers have traded well against this backdrop, with the Vw scandal hitting the last

week of trade. but we would highlight the high level of fleet sales in the period, suggesting the rate of self-registrations is increasing.

“the strength of this september market will secure a good 2015 for most dealers, but we believe there are a number of factors which have the potential to create a greater level of uncertainty going into 2016.

“the Fca is paying closer attention to the sale of guaranteed asset protection by dealers, which is impacting sales volumes, the full impact of the Vw emissions issue is yet to be understood and levels of consumer demand are likely to begin to flatten out, all of which we believe has the potential to create uncertainty going into 2016.”

Sue robinson, director of national Franchised Dealers association (nFDa), said: “it is positive to see that the new car market has continued to remain strong during september and the successful plate change reflects growing economic confidence. in what is

the Finance & Leasing association shows point-of-sale consumer new car finance was up 8% by volume and 11% by value in august year-on-year.

the percentage of private new car sales financed by FLa members through dealerships in the 12 months to august reached 78.9%, up from 78.7% in the 12 months to July.

geraldine kilkelly, head of research and chief economist at the Fla, said: “both consumer new and used car finance markets reported relatively robust growth in august, ahead of the introduction of the new 65 registration plate in september. we expect this growth to continue in the final quarter of 2015.”

new cars bought on finance by consumers through dealerships august 2015 change on 3 months to change on 12 months to change on previous year aug 2015 previous year august 2015 previous yearValue of advances (£m) 738 +11% 3,298 +17% 15,227 +14%number of cars 47,271 +8% 202,241 +13% 943,175 +10%new cars bought on finance by businesses through dealerships number of cars 29,200 -16% 122,537 +1% 506,606 +10%

a U g U s t m o t o r F i n a n c e m a r k e t: n e w c a r s

business 89,802

business 91,080

500,0000 1,000,000 1,500,000 2,000,000 2,500,000

2015

2014

Source: FLA

private 979,594

private 956,537

Fleet 1,027,490

Fleet 910,579

F i n a n c e s tat s

market intelligence


as dealers head towards christmas, manufacturers have put together some strong offers to tempt customers into showrooms during the final three months of the year.

nissan has targeted campaigns on certain trims across its model range. a particular standout is on the micra, with a £149 deposit and £149 monthly payments. nissan injects just £442.91 into the deal.

the biggest financial push from nissan this quarter is to the navara pick-up, with a £4,000 discount offered to customers that take the vehicle on a hire purchase deal. this will be to clear stock ahead of the new model arriving next year.

in terms of manufacturer contri-butions, they don’t get much bigger than what Jaguar is putting behind its XJ 3.0-litre V6 diesel in Luxury trim. customers that go for an XJ in the next three months will get a £12,250 contribution on the pcp deal. again, this is likely to clear stock in preparation for the 2015 facelifted model. there’s also a sizeable contribution on the XF r-sport too this quarter at £3,335. AM double-checked the amounts

and Jaguar responded: “we are very generous at JLr.”

Model Finance Deposit Term Monthly Final APR Offer type payment payment endsNissan Leaf Acenta PCP £2,289.04 37 £229 £9,856.96 0% 31/12/2015Micra Visia Limited Edition PCP £149 37 £149 £3,309.80 7.90% 31/12/2015Note 1.2 n-tec PCP £3,356,94 37 £159 £5,285 5.99% 31/12/2015Pulsar DIG-T 115 Visia PCP £4,314 25 £159 £7,665 0% 31/12/2015Juke DIG-T 115 Acenta PCP £3,201 25 £199 £7,652.68 0% 31/12/2015Qashqai DIG-T 115 n-tec+ PCP £5,608 37 £219 £10,697.50 6.99% 31/12/2015X-Trail 1.6 DIG-T n-tec PCP £6,319.30 37 £249 £12,974 6.99% 31/12/2015e-NV200 Combi Acenta fi ve-seat HP £4,795 48 £329 N/A 0% 31/12/2015NV200 1.5dCi 90hp Acenta HP £6,664 48 £229 N/A 0% 31/12/2015Navara Tekna NissanConenct Premium HP £12,991 48 £279 N/A 5% 31/12/2015370Z Coupe Nismo PCP £11,068.51 37 £370 £15,832.7 4.90% 31/12/2015Land Rover Discovery Sport HSE 180 (7 Seat) Auto 16MY PCP £10,560 37 £399 £19,518 6.90% 31/12/2015Evoque 2.0 TD4 HSE Dynamic 5dr Auto 16MY PCP £9,760 37 £399 £22,224 6.90% 31/12/2015Discovery 3.0 SDV6 HSE 5dr Auto 16MY PCP £18,380 37 £399 £25,729 7.90% 31/12/2015Range Rover Sport 3.0 SDV6 HSE 5dr Auto 16MY PCP £15,640 37 £599 £33,019 6.90% 31/12/2015Range Rover 3.0 TDV6 Vogue SE 4dr Auto 16MY PCP £18,530 37 £899 £41,941 6.90% 31/12/2015Vauxhall Viva SE 1.0i 75PS PCH £1,380 36 months £115 N/A N/A 15/12/2015Adam GLAM 1.2i 70PS PCP £1,699 36 months £165 £4,475 2.9% 15/12/2015Corsa 1.2 3dr Limited Edition PCP £1,899 36 months £189 £5,175 4.1% 15/12/2015Astra SRi 1.0T 105PS Turbo S/S ecoFLEX PCH £1,883 36 months £269 N/A N/A 15/12/2015GTC SRi 1.4i Turbo 120PS Start/Stop PCP £2,999 36 months £289 £5,975 2.9% 15/12/2015Zafi ra Tourer SRi 1.4i 140PS Turbo Conditional Sale £3,899 60 months £289 N/A 0.0% 15/12/2015Insignia Energy 1.8i 140PS Conditional Sale £0 60 months £269 N/A 0.0% 15/12/2015Cascada SE 1.4i 140PS Turbo Conditional Sale £5,699 60 months £269 N/A 0.0% 15/12/2015Mokka Exclusiv 1.6i 115PS Start/Stop FWD PCP £3,799 36 months £199 £6,075 2.9% 15/12/2015Antara Exclusiv 2.2 CDTI (163PS) Start Stop Conditional Sale £2,799 60 months 279 N/A 0.0% 15/12/2015Jaguar F-Pace 2.0d R-Sport AWD Manual PCP N/A 37 £459 £6,990 5.9% 31/12/2015XE Saloon 2.0d (163) Prestige 4dr Man PCP £1,760 37 £329 £5,999 5.9% 31/12/2015XF Saloon 2.0d (163) Prestige 4dr Man PCP £700 37 £369 £5,999 5.9% 31/12/2015XF Saloon 2.0d (163) Prestige 4dr Auto PCP £870 37 £389 £5,999 5.9% 31/12/2015XJ Saloon 3.0d V6 Luxury 4dr Auto 16MY PCP £11,130 37 £599 £9,999 5.9% 31/12/2015F-Type 3.0 Convertible RWD Man PCP N/A 37 £599 £12,990 5.9% 31/12/2015F-Type 3.0 Convertible RWD Man HP £4,729 37 £788 £28,373 5.9% 31/12/2015F-Type 3.0 Coupe RWD Man PCP £3,354 37 £559 £10,990 5.9% 31/12/2015F-Type 3.0 Coupe RWD Man HP £4,272 37 £712 £25,630 5.9% 31/12/2015

top finance offers for retail buyersFin a nce oFFer s For a searchable list of manufacturers’ finance offers, go to www.am-online.com/offers

U k n e w c a r r e g i s t r at i o n s

“The full impact of the VW emissions issue is yet to be understood”mike allen, Zeus capital

typically considered a high-volume month for

registrations, it brings great news that this month is the best-performing month since september 2004.

“the fleet market remains strong, with a 15.2% increase as business confidence grows, and in turn encourages businesses to invest in new vehicles.

“the nFda is hopeful that the growth and stability of the market shown by the latest plate change will continue.”

richard Jones, managing director

of finance provider Black Horse, said: “the usual new plate surge in september was to be expected, but despite being the highest on record we should still guard against complacency and so it’s pleasing to see the ongoing success story of the Uk automotive industry.

“manufacturer support remains strong, while low interest rates and strong use of pcps continue to drive new car sales.

“despite the potential of an interest rate rise, we expect this growth to continue, albeit at a more modest rate for the rest of 2015.”

t h e r e ta i L m a r k e t

september’s new car market champions were Ford, Vauxhall, Volkswagen, bmw, and nissan.

but despite Ford’s glory, a look at the breakdown shows it failed to keep ahead of Vauxhall in the retail market.

Ford’s 55,083 registrations total was 1.40% up on september 2014. but in retail, its 26,304 units was actually a 11.8% decline, due to a large drop in demand for Fiesta and ka, which is running out ahead of a replacement in 2016.

Vauxhall’s 43,848 registrations total was up 6.5% overall, but in the retail market it managed 27,249 units, a 7.3% rise. Leading its charge were the corsa, up

38.2%, meriva, up 37.6%, and mokka, up 18.3%.

Volkswagen’s 39,263 units marked a 3.7% rise. but in retail it rose only 1%, with 11,745 regis-trations. its tiguan was in demand, as was polo and scirocco, although retail registra-tions of golf declined.

bmw’s 29,713 units was 19.4% up overall. in retail, it grew 2.5% to 13,025 units. most growth was from its 2 series models and X3 sUV.

a total of 28,473 registrations was a 26.3% increase for nissan. in the retail market, its 16,793 total was a 21.6% jump year-on-year, with growth coming from pulsar, Qashqai, X-trail and Juke.


10-year market trends available: www.am-online.com/amin e w c a r r e g i s t r at i o n s

r i s e r s & f a l l e r sMitsubishi regained its third place in the top 10 risers with 62.2%, or 6,938, more registrations year-on-year, with significant growth in outlander PHeV and asX sales. table leader Jeep’s 196% growth has seen it add slightly fewer registra-tions, 5,576, but Mini, in 10th place, beats both with 10,598 more regis-trations this year. there is a new entrant in the 10 biggest fallers – seat. its 40,520 registrations by the end of september are 4.9% or 2,091 units lower than at the same point in 2014. However, it has just launched its revised ibiza, and auto trader shows dealers still have stocks of the pre-facelift model to clear.

BRAND YTD (%)1 Jeep 196.062 SsangYong 120.663 Mitsubishi 62.164 Smart 58.445 Abarth 57.786 Infiniti 50.767 Porsche 47.458 Lotus 46.119 MG 33.7510 Mini 28.97

BRAND YTD (%)10 Fiat -3.569 Seat -4.918 Suzuki -8.677 Bentley -11.476 Alfa Romeo -12.105 Chrysler -91.874 Chevrolet -99.673 Mia -100.002 Perodua -100.001 Proton -100.00

September Year-to-dateMarque 2015 % market 2014 % market % 2015 % market 2014 % market % share share change share share change

Ford 55,083 11.91 54,322 12.76 1.40 268,328 12.80 262,754 13.42 2.12Vauxhall 43,848 9.48 41,175 9.67 6.49 212,100 10.11 210,357 10.74 0.83Volkswagen 39,263 8.49 37,852 8.89 3.73 182,441 8.70 168,662 8.61 8.17BMW 29,713 6.42 24,891 5.84 19.37 124,309 5.93 113,520 5.80 9.50Nissan 28,473 6.16 22,550 5.30 26.27 124,967 5.96 106,890 5.46 16.91Audi 28,437 6.15 25,535 6.00 11.36 133,300 6.36 126,487 6.46 5.39Mercedes-Benz 27,610 5.97 23,382 5.49 18.08 116,509 5.56 99,096 5.06 17.57Toyota 19,095 4.13 17,232 4.05 10.81 81,604 3.89 76,055 3.88 7.30Peugeot 16,875 3.65 17,865 4.20 -5.54 84,593 4.03 85,418 4.36 -0.97Hyundai 15,504 3.35 14,865 3.49 4.30 70,623 3.37 65,564 3.35 7.72Renault 15,148 3.28 12,993 3.05 16.59 59,221 2.82 50,732 2.59 16.73Kia 13,980 3.02 13,292 3.12 5.18 64,208 3.06 62,538 3.19 2.67Citroën 12,496 2.70 14,270 3.35 -12.43 66,338 3.16 66,542 3.40 -0.31Fiat 12,467 2.70 12,147 2.85 2.63 51,867 2.47 53,781 2.75 -3.56Škoda 11,384 2.46 10,991 2.58 3.58 60,144 2.87 60,386 3.08 -0.40Mini 11,095 2.40 9,996 2.35 10.99 47,182 2.25 36,584 1.87 28.97Honda 10,734 2.32 9,642 2.26 11.33 43,563 2.08 44,102 2.25 -1.22Mazda 9,917 2.14 8,066 1.89 22.95 37,923 1.81 31,373 1.60 20.88Land Rover 9,809 2.12 10,915 2.56 -10.13 49,881 2.38 45,483 2.32 9.67Seat 8,655 1.87 9,594 2.25 -9.79 40,520 1.93 42,611 2.18 -4.91Suzuki 7,701 1.67 8,070 1.89 -4.57 28,706 1.37 31,431 1.61 -8.67Volvo 7,388 1.60 7,230 1.70 2.19 32,391 1.54 30,784 1.57 5.22Jaguar 4,860 1.05 3,173 0.75 53.17 17,966 0.86 14,627 0.75 22.83Dacia 4,455 0.96 3,523 0.83 26.45 20,386 0.97 18,583 0.95 9.70Mitsubishi 2,686 0.58 3,527 0.83 -23.84 18,100 0.86 11,162 0.57 62.16DS 2,584 0.56 0 0.00 0.00 4,549 0.22 0 0.00 0.00Lexus 2,578 0.56 2,131 0.50 20.98 10,618 0.51 8,629 0.44 23.05Jeep 2,097 0.45 762 0.18 175.20 8,420 0.40 2,844 0.15 196.06Porsche 1,910 0.41 1,022 0.24 86.89 9,559 0.46 6,483 0.33 47.45Smart 1,838 0.40 802 0.19 129.18 6,363 0.30 4,016 0.21 58.44Alfa Romeo 878 0.19 1,014 0.24 -13.41 3,924 0.19 4,464 0.23 -12.10Subaru 821 0.18 617 0.14 33.06 2,734 0.13 2,140 0.11 27.76SsangYong 806 0.17 363 0.09 122.04 2,681 0.13 1,215 0.06 120.66Abarth 706 0.15 331 0.08 113.29 2,029 0.10 1,286 0.07 57.78MG 511 0.11 357 0.08 43.14 2,461 0.12 1,840 0.09 33.75Maserati 232 0.05 158 0.04 46.84 1,161 0.06 921 0.05 26.06Bentley 152 0.03 206 0.05 -26.21 1,027 0.05 1,160 0.06 -11.47Aston Martin 148 0.03 144 0.03 2.78 727 0.03 695 0.04 4.60Infiniti 106 0.02 214 0.05 -50.47 891 0.04 591 0.03 50.76Lotus 22 0.00 27 0.01 -18.52 263 0.01 180 0.01 46.11Chrysler 2 0.00 390 0.09 -99.49 136 0.01 1,673 0.09 -91.87Chevrolet 1 0.00 3 0.00 -66.67 9 0.00 2,764 0.14 -99.67Mia 0 0.00 0 0.00 0.00 0 0.00 5 0.00 -100.00Perodua 0 0.00 2 0.00 -100.00 0 0.00 27 0.00 -100.00Proton 0 0.00 0 0.00 0.00 0 0.00 1 0.00 -100Saab 0 0.00 0 0.00 0.00 0 0.00 1 0.00 -100.00Other British 98 0.02 63 0.01 55.56 567 0.03 624 0.03 -9.13Other imports 351 0.08 157 0.04 123.57 1,597 0.08 1,115 0.06 43.23Total 462,517 425,861 8.61 2,096,886 1,958,196 7.08

9

3

MARkeT INTeLLIGeNCe sponsored by

3,162

4,059

9,445 9,533 9,633

9,1269,478

9,673 9,670 9,700 9,719 9,727 9,662 9,648 9,700

7,135 7,045 6,9486,693

7,358 7,319 7,3187,518

7,1587,461

7,2047,363 7,522

4,136 4,188 4,113 4,075 4,0414,184

4,348 4,397 4,278 4,268 4,243 4,334

3,390 3,395 3,383 3,2683,536 3,438 3,367 3,308 3,396 3,411 3,469

3,634


Used cars bought on finance by consumers through dealerships Aug 15 Change on 3 months to Change on 12 months to Change on previous year Aug 2015 previous year Aug 2015 previous yearValue of advances (£m) 954 +12% 3,078 +13% 11,556 +14%Number of cars 90,909 +7% 290,847 +8% 1,104,265 +8% Used cars bought on finance by businesses through dealerships Number of cars 1,900 -37% 7,628 -26% 37,790 -16%

E C O N O M I C I N D I C AT O R S

97.95%

97.46%

Sep 2014Sep 2015

£9,700

£9,445

Fleet/leasing

47,26345,146

40.2740.15

98.85%

96.09%

£4,334£4,059

70,965

69,536

88.6989.87

Part-exchangeSep 2014

Sep 2015

Nearly new

September 2015

101.54%£20,525

7,810

7.82

Average age (months)Average mileageAverage valueSales vs CAP

September surge in volumes knocks 3.5% off average values

YEAR-ON-YEAR

Pay

Inflation

Unemployment

Mortgages

Credit card borrowing

House prices

+3.0%

-0.1ppts

-0.6ppts

+1.9%

+4%

+4.2%

The average weekly wage, including bonuses, between June and August, was £494, up 3% over the same period a year earlier. Without bonuses, wages were up by 2.8%, to £463.

The CPI annual inflation rate fell to -0.1% in September, down from 0% in August. The Office for National Statistics said a smaller than usual rise in clothing prices and falling motor fuel prices were the main causes.

The unemployment rate for the three months ending in August was 5.4%, down 0.1ppt from the prior three months, and from 6.0% a year earlier, according to the Office for National Statistics.

The number of loans to first-time buyers in August was down 10.4% on July, at 27,500, but up 1.9% year-on-year, said the Council of Mortgage Lenders.

There were 218m credit card purchases in August, down from July’s 224m, with a value of £12.1 billion, an £800m drop since July. Aggregate value was 4% ahead of July 2014, said the British Banking Association.

House prices in August rose 0.5% since July, according to data from the Land Registry. The year-on-year increase was 4.2%, which takes the average value of houses in England and Wales to £184,682.

➡

➡

➡

➡

➡➡

market iNtelligeNce Sponsored by

Source: FLA

The average wholesale value of used cars fell almost £200 in September as volumes returned to six figures after the August lull, according to the National Association of Motor Auctions (NAMA).

The average value of all cars was £5,391, a drop of £197, or 3.5%, compared with August’s average. However, the result was down 0.1%, or £4, on September 2014.

September’s volume of used cars through auctions rose rapidly, by 12,608 units, or 12.6%, to 112,288 units, a 13.2% increase year-on-year. The first-time conversion rate improved to 85.4%, from 84.1% a year previously.

NAMA said the volume of ‘late and low’ vehicles was up 7% month-on-month and 11.7% year-on-year, while ex-fleet stock volumes since August were up 11.4% and franchised dealer part-exchange volumes rose by 15.2%.

Trade-in disposalBCA said values for dealer part-exchanges climbed £91, or 2.1%, to £4,334 in September, halting three months of decline. The rise left the month ahead year-on-year by £275, or 6.7%. Average mileage of part-exchanges was slightly lower year-on-year, but average age was a month older.

At Manheim’s auction rooms, the

average part-exchange value for September was up £165, or 4.8%, month-on-month, to £3,634. Year-on-year, the average value was up 15%, or £472. Used MPVs and 4x4s gained most in value.

Daren Wiseman, valuation services manager at manheim, said: “September saw the highest average selling price for part-exchange stock for at least 12 months. We may, however see this growth in values slow as volumes increase in the coming weeks.”

Retail stock acquisitionBCA’s average ex-fleet car value rose £52, or 0.5%, in September to £9,700 – the same level as March. The total was up 2.7%, or £255, year-on-year, with average age static and mileage slightly lower.

Bca’s Uk operations director Simon Henstock said: “September was a strong month at BCA, with independent buyers particularly active and bidding strongly. We are seeing a good balance between supply and demand in the wholesale markets.”

Manheim’s Market Analysis for September showed the average selling price of ex-fleet vehicles rose £159, or 2.2%, since August to £7,522, £387 or 5.4% ahead year-on-year.

Bca Fleet £ Bca Part ex £

manheim Fleet £ manheim Part ex £

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

Dec 14 Apr 15Sep 14 Sep 15Jan 15 May 15Oct 14 Feb 15 Jun 15Nov 14 Mar 15 Jul 15 Aug 15

U S E D C A R VA L U E T R E N D S

Visit www.amfandicompliance.co.uk or contact Emma-Louise Kinnaird o

Who should attend A must for senior directors,compliance managers, salesand business managers, andanyone who is responsible forensuring their businessadheres to FCA regulations.Aimed at automotive retailprofessionals who want toimprove their understandingof F&I compliance and areinterested in hearingregulation interpretations fromindustry specialists.

Following the success of last year’s conference and to meet the dealer appetite for as much information andclarity on F&I under the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), this year’s event will focus on lessons learned sofar and how you can build solid foundations to create a sustainable and profitable F&I business which istransparent and trusted by the consumer.

We want to encourage lively debate and a genuinely interactive atmosphere where different opinions,questions and shared experiences are welcome.

BOOK NOW TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EARLY BIRD RATES

Why should you attend? Ten hard-hitting questions which between them our expert speakers will cover as well as many more.

1. What are the best ways to‘treat customers fairly’?

2. How do you create aculture which fits the FCA’s objectives?

3. How are other dealers and suppliers meeting the challenge?

4. Does the traditional salesmodel need to evolve toimprove compliance?

5. Have the FCA regulationsresulted in a more openand transparent way toconduct business?

6. What has been theresponse to the new GAP rules?

7. What are the bestpractices currently inoperation at dealerships?

8. How are dealerscombining complianceand profitability?

9. What does the futurepotentially hold?

10. How do I motivate staff inthe new regulatoryenvironment?

10 November 2015National Motorcycle MuseumSolihull, West Midlands B92 0EJ

Future-proofingyour F&Ibusiness

Headline sponsors:

��

�� Chairman’s introduction

�� Understanding�and�implementingthe�new�FCA�rules�for�GAP

Nick Franklin, head of partnership &distribution of headline sponsorMAPFRE ABRAXAS, providesexamples of best practice followingthe new GAP regulations whichcame into force on September 1.Understanding the key issues andhow dealer colleagues have changedtheir procedures in order to comply willprovide a benchmark for delegates whilst insights willhighlight areas for consideration.

�� The�retail�perspective

Jerry Page, finance & insurancedirector at Mercedes-Benz UKRetail Ltd, will share his views oninterpreting the FCA regulations andwill talk about the challenges dealersface understanding the differentapproaches to compliance adoptedby finance companies.

�� Q&A

�� Refreshments & networking

�� Challenges�of�working�under�the�FCAregulations�–�a�legal�perspective

Russell Kelsall, a partner in theglobal law firm Squire PattonBoggs (UK) LLP, specialises inautomotive and, in particular, theFCA, offers a legal perspective. Hewill highlight potential developmentsarising from the regulations includingchanging relationships between dealersand lenders and he will tackle the issue ofcommission disclosure.

�� The�motor�finance�landscape�in�a�world�ofincreasing�competition�and�regulation

Spencer Halil, director of headlinesponsor ALPHERA FinancialServices, shares his views on themotor finance landscape in a worldof increasing competition andregulation and will discuss howpresenting a joined-up, transparentand flexible approach to finance candeliver benefits for everyone involved.

�� Q&A

�� Lunch & networking

�� A�dealer�group’s�journey�into�the�FCA�era

Emily Leigh-Dugmore, compliancemanager, Citygate Automotive,provides a window into one dealergroup’s journey following the arrivalof the FCA. Leigh-Dugmore deliversa candid viewpoint of the evolvingrole of the compliance manager andsome of the processes the groupaddressed to ensure compliance.

�� Exploring�key�regulatory�themes�

Adrian Dally, head of motor finance,The Finance and LeasingAssociation (FLA), will explore theFCA supervisory focus for thecoming year which includes thematicreviews of staff remuneration andincentives, arrears and forbearance,and affordability and creditworthiness.

�� Q&A

�� Refreshments & networking

�� What�constitutes�treating�customers�fairly?

Andrew Smith, managing director,Consumer Credit AdvisoryServices, explores in greater detailwhat ‘treating customers fairly’ – orTCF – actually means in practicewhilst incorporating the six TCFoutcomes and how they relate inparticular to three of the 11 FCAprinciples demanded by the regulator andhighlights a number of areas where TCF could wellcome under scrutiny.

�� How�to�motivate�staff�in�a�regulated�landscape�

John Sylvester, executive director,P&MM Motivation, asks how cansales executives balance deliveringvolume and profit whilst remainingcompliant? Meanwhile, the incentivesand commission from F&I productswill come under scrutiny from theFCA, so is it time to change theincentive structure itself so it is more fittingfor a regulatory landscape?

�� Q&A

�� Closing comments

��

Co-sponsors: Associate sponsors:

The organisers reserve the right to change the speakers and/or timings

AMF&I15_DPS_FPAD 16/10/2015 15:09 Page 2


Picking up the pace

“Dealers reacted really

well when they were given the L200’s

specifications and saw the aesthetics”Lance Bradley,

Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi believes its faster, bigger, cleaner pick-up will beat its predecessor in sales and its rivals in almost every area

The fourth series L200 sold almost 6,500 units last year and the target for its replacement is pitched around the same level at about 6,000 in its first 12 months.

“That’s the plan,” said Bradley. “However, having seen people’s reactions to the model, we do expect more than that. The figure could be anything around 9,000.”

The manufacturer has made the deliberate decision to have some of the Series 4 models available to purchase cheaply.

Bradley said: “There are always some customers that like the predecessor better, so we wanted to keep Series 4 for those customers.”

The Series 4 will be available alongside the Series 5 for 12 months, or until all 2,000 produced have sold. The Series 4 Challenger will be priced from £16,499.

The new model is available in four specifications; 4-Life which is available from £19,749; Titan from £20,749, Warrior from £23,049; and the Barbarian from £23,799. The Barbarian model is also available as an automatic, with paddle shifters – the only pick-up on the market to feature them – this comes with a premium of £1,400 and starts from £25,199.

Mitsubishi expects to sell between 6,000 and 9,000 L200s in the next 12 months

By Danielle Bagnallhe Mitsubishi L200 has existed in one form or another since 1978, with a new version of the pick-up emerging every nine or 10 years, so the fifth generation has arrived right on schedule.

At the launch of the new model, Mitsubishi’s managing director Lance Bradley claimed it beats competitors for fuel economy, emissions, manoeuvrability, carrying capacity, four-wheel-drive ability, safety, specification, driving efficiencies, and weight. He said it is also cheaper than the competition.

T

SHoWrooM t h e c a r s d r i v i n g y o u r B u s i n e s s

69 71 72honda

civic tourerThe Swindon-built Civic underpins Honda’s fortunes in the UK.

Mazda2Mazda pulled out all the stops to promote the 2, and it seems to be paying off.

vW PoloThe Polo’s brand-topping retail registrations offer beleaguered Volkswagen some good news.

F i r s t d r i v e : M i t s u B i s h i L 2 0 0


sPeciFicationPrice From £19,749Engine 2.5-litre diesel 178bhpPerformance 0-62mph 10.4 seconds Transmission 6-sp manual; 6-sp automaticEfficiency 42.8mpg, 169g/kmRV 3yr/30k 35%Rivals Isuzu D-Max, Toyota Hilux, Volkswagen Amarok

auto eXPressthe Mitsubishi L200 in its fifth generation adds car-like sophistication, driving dynamics and low running costs. We always knew it would take something special to win this class, but even we were surprised at how impressive the new L200 is.

honest Johnit adds a much needed dose of modernisation. this means the latest L200 retains its versa-tile load capacity, while offering lower running costs and significant improvements in refinement and safety.

daiLy Postout on the road, you immediately notice how much more composed the new L200 is, and how little body roll it has compared to the outgoing model. the steering is meaty, precise, and quick enough to rule out wild flailing at every sharp turn.

The fifth-generation L200 gets a new MIVEC diesel engine and is two seconds quicker than the outgoing model.

The Euro 6-compliant engine also has the “lowest Co2 of any pick up on the market” at 169g/km, which “safeguards pick-up drivers against changes to the emissions-based tax regime” – the closest competitor is the Isuzu D-Max at 192g/km.

The fifth-generation L200 also claims to deliver better fuel efficiency than its competitors, at 42.8mpg on the combined cycle. The next nearest, the Isuzu D-Max, does 38.7mpg followed by the Toyota Hilux on 36.7mpg.

It also includes a five-year, 62,500-mile warranty, with 12 years’ anti-perforation guarantee.

The new model can switch between two- and four-wheel driving modes at speeds of up to 62mph.

Having really put the model through its paces on a wet course at MIrA and a specially designed off-road course, the stability and off-road capability are real bonuses. The model features a new shorter shift, which is a more car-like way of driving than its predecessor, resulting in a more

Mitsubishi claims the L200 has the lowest co2 of any pick up on the market

Mitsubishi said dealers reacted well to the new

vehicle’s aesthetics

What your custoMers WiLL read aBout the MitsuBishi

L200

comfortable and less ‘work’ feeling vehicle. Bradley said dealers “reacted really well when they were

given the specifications and saw the aesthetics”.He believes Mitsubishi is a strong force in the pick-up

market. So much so, in fact, that he said there would be no real need to market the L200. There will be no TV adver-tising and its ‘showing the world how it’s done’ launch advertising campaign involved heavy use of social media.

The Mitsubishi L200 Series 5 was also recently named Auto Express Pick-Up of the Year before it had even gone on sale in the UK.

Bradley said Mitsubishi has had more and more big groups applying to be a part of its dealer network.

“We haven’t had this much interest for a long time, prob-ably going on five years, so it’s great to see the brand growing.

“We are recruiting dealers all the time. We currently have 125 dealers working with us in our network, but we aim to grow this.

“our dealer network is spread and separated into terri-tories, we are looking at where we are missing dealers and where we require representation, but we do plan on getting on board an average of at least one dealer per month, for the foreseeable future.”

The customer demographic for the Mitsubishi L200 is exclusively male and between the ages of 30 and 40. Bradley said it is predominantly a business tool, bought by businesses that require a pick-up, such as building trades, farmers or vets.

Unfortunately for Mitsubishi, these are the same customers that the new Nissan Navara will target when it arrives in January.

F o r M o r e r e v i e W s v i s i t: w w w . a m - o n l i n e . c o m / r o a d t e s t s

169g/kmthe co2 emission rate for the L200, which Mitsubishi says ‘is the lowest of any pick-up on the market’


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Autoclenz .............................................58 / 65

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Call It Automotive.......................................48

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Really Good Domains ................................21

Smart Insurance Services ......................57

Steele-Dixon & Associates ....................73

Tracker Network Systems .....................30

Trader Publishing .....................................68

Trusted Dealers ..........................................59

Vantage ..........................................................37

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