Jan 27, 2016 No. 810

GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s

Australia’s No.1 Automotive Industry Journal 70,000 Readers Weekly

L U B R I C A N T S .

T E C H N O L O G Y.

P E O P L E .

fuchs.com.au

Glass’s - The Auto Specification and Residual Value Specialists

- SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com

Overtaking laneBig wave of new-model launches to keep market on record sales pace this year

By THE GOAUTO TEAM2015 was another bumper year for new-vehicle sales in Australia, with the overall market climbing 3.8 per cent over 2014 to 1,155,408 units – another high-water mark for the industry.

Top car company and industry executives are predicting a similar haul this year, with the market remaining strong and trends such as the shift towards SUVs and prestige brands continuing.

Unsurprisingly, the number of SUVs

launching in Australia this year is lengthy, while passenger car arrivals – mid-size and large cars in particular – are shrinking. It will be a quiet year, too, for light-commercial vehicles.

At the premium end of town there is a lot of movement, with some major new models landing this year, from Audi’s all-new A4 to the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and the Bentley Bentayga.

It is going to be an incredibly busy year packed with launches. Read on…

DRIVEN

FORD MUSTANG

KIA SPORTAGE

MERCEDES A-CLASS

Jan 27, 2016 Page 2

- SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com

GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s

The tide is turning.Join Australia’s fastest growing DMS | auto-it.com.au

SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com

PUBLISHER: John MellorEDITOR: Terry Martin MANAGING EDITOR: Tim NicholsonJOURNALISTS: Richard Berry, Daniel Gardner, Ron Hammerton, Byron Mathioudakis, Ian PorterPRODUCTION: Luc Britten, Haitham RazaguiEDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Tung NguyenProduced by GoAutoMedia: Ph: (03) 9598 6477 newsroom@goautomedia.net

GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s

2016 NEW MODELS

AT THE compact end of proceedings, 2016 gets off to a busy start with all of the confirmed new arrivals touching down in the first part of the year.

GM Holden’s baby Spark drops the Barina prefix when it launches in the first quarter, and according to the company’s executive director of sales, Peter Keley, the new city car “will be the best car in its segment, without a doubt”.

The new Spark forms part of Holden’s new-model onslaught that includes 24 new or heavily revised models arriving

in showrooms by 2020. GM’s latest global micro-car will

be sold in the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom with various monikers through Chevrolet, Opel and Vauxhall, but as GoAuto has exclusively revealed, the Australian-spec version has also undergone local engineering work to ensure it is better suited to our local conditions.

Mitsubishi’s smallest offering is expected at about the same time when the facelifted Mirage rolls out, while

Fiat’s contender in the light segment also touches down with a revised 500.

Kia enters Australia’s micro-car segment for the first time in quarter one with its Picanto hatch that has been on sale in global markets since 2012. An all-new version is likely to debut late this year or early 2017.

Chinese-owned British brand MG will re-enter the Australian market after a failed attempt under a previous distributor in about March with its MG3 hatch.

MICRO AND LIGHT CARS

Kia Picanto

SMALL CARS

WHAT’S COMING:Citroen DS3 Q4Fiat 500 Q1Holden Spark Q1Kia Picanto Feb/MarMG3 Feb/MarMitsubishi Mirage Q1

SMALL-CAR offerings also get off to a flying start with strong representation from the Korean brands throughout the year, starting with the facelifted Kia Cerato in the first quarter, the Hyundai Elantra in February and both the Ioniq hybrid and sporty Elantra SR at a point in quarter three.

Not to be outdone, the Japanese brands also put forward a number of new models in 2016, starting in March with Toyota’s next-generation Prius hybrid pioneer.

The all-new version again carries a

bold, futuristic design and is built using Toyota’s lightweight ‘New Generation Architecture’ that will eventually underpin more than half its models, as well as some Lexus models.

Continued next page

Ford Focus RS

Holden Spark

Jan 27, 2016 Page 3

- SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com

GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s

Continued from previous pageSubaru’s spicy WRX-based Levorg

wagon arrives mid-year to fill a gap in the car-maker’s line-up left by the now

defunct Liberty GT load-lugger, and is expected to be priced around the mid-$40,000 mark.

Honda’s 10th-generation Civic sedan is expected to give the company a boost after sales of the current model have dropped dramatically in recent years. For the first time in a number of generations, the Civic sedan and hatch will be built on the same platform and at the same Thai plant. The hatch is expected in 2017.

The third quarter will see the arrival of Suzuki’s reborn Baleno hatch that will sit above the popular Swift in its line-up.

Holden marks the arrival of its European-sourced all-new Astra hatch later in the year. The Australian-built Cruze continues, with a fresh Z-Series launching this month, but looks set to be

replaced by a fully imported redesigned model next year.

The Europeans complete the 2016 small-car introductions with a couple of hot-hatch offerings in the form of Peugeot’s 308 GTi in February and the manic Ford Focus RS in the middle of the year. Renault’s Megane should come along in the third quarter, although no mention is made of a Renault Sport RS replacement at this stage.

2016 NEW MODELS

SMALL CARS (CONT)

Toyota Prius

www.automotivepersonnel.com.au

Brooke Jones 0438 533 699

brooke@automotivepersonnel.com.au craig@automotivepersonnel.com.au

02 9331 3477Search Automotive Personnel & Follow us now on @AutoJobsAus

Craig Warren0417 248 884

General Manager

SENIOR MANAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

• Sydney• Presitge• Pre owned

Call Craig 0417 248 884

Group Parts Mgr

Call Craig 0417 248 884 Call Brooke 0438 533 699

Group CFO• Hunter / Central

Coast• Motor & property

portfolio• Privately Owned

• Sydney• Multi Franchise• Lifestyle Location

THE year is most sedentary at the mid-size and large end of the passenger car market with just a few new models expected at this stage, starting with Ford’s final Falcon and the swansong Sprint in quarter one.

While Ford is yet to release detailed information on the Sprint range, it will be attached to all XR performance variants, including XR6, XR6 Turbo

and the XR8. Skoda continues its push for a greater

slice of market share with its all-new third-generation Superb range in quarter one. The Superb shares much of its underpinnings with Volkswagen’s impressive new Passat and will be available in liftback and wagon guise.

Subaru will introduce an updated

Liberty and Outback pair in February, just a year after the new generation was launched, and MG will relaunch its MG6 mid-sizer – now distributed by the brand’s parent company SAIC Motor Corporation – in March. MG will introduce the facelifted version and it will likely be sourced from Thailand as opposed to China.

MID-SIZE AND LARGE CARS

WHAT’S COMING:Ford Falcon Sprint Q1MG6 MarSkoda Superb Q1Subaru Liberty/Outback Feb

WHAT’S COMING:Ford Focus RS Mid-yearHolden Astra Q4Holden Cruze Z-Series JanHonda Civic sedan Mid-yearHyundai Elantra FebHyundai Elantra SR Q3Hyundai Ioniq Q3Kia Cerato Q1Peugeot 308 GTi FebRenault Megane Q3Subaru Levorg Mid-yearSuzuki Baleno Q3Toyota Prius Mar

MG6 Skoda Superb

Jan 27, 2016 Page 4

- SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com

GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s

www.cartelux.com/automotive

2016 NEW MODELS

THE luxury car segment had another bumper year in 2015, especially among the ranks of more entry-level prestige sedans.

There will be more of the same in 2016, although the true high-end luxury sedan market will see little activity as key brands like Rolls-Royce, Maserati and Bentley prepare luxury SUVs.

Alfa Romeo will show a revised version of its Giulietta hatchback in the back half of the year, while the Giulia mid-size sedan is now not anticipated until next year.

Audi has lined up the all-new A4 for launch in February, with the Avant (wagon) version to follow in the second

quarter. The warmed-over S version should surface in about quarter three, while the Allroad quattro shown in Detroit this month will launch around the same time. The super-hot RS version is not expected until 2017 at the earliest.

Another key player in the luxury arena, BMW, will debut the 330e plug-in hybrid in May. The new 7 Series range, meanwhile, will be joined by the range-topping, V8-powered 750i in late March.

As usual, Mercedes-Benz has quite a number of new and refreshed models landing in 2016, with the facelifted A-Class hatch the first cab off the rank in January. An upgraded CLA range will debut soon after. The company’s biggest launch of 2016 will be the all-new E-Class, which is slated for the second half of the year, while the C-Class ranks will be bolstered by the arrival of the C450 AMG Sport late in 2016.

Infiniti’s glut of new and updated models continues unabated this year. The facelifted Q70 sedan is marked down for February, while a tweaked Q50 will arrive in the second half with the addition of a new V6 engine. The all-new Q30 compact hatch will lob in

the third quarter to do battle with the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series and the related A-Class, while the Q60 coupe shown in Detroit this month will land around the same time.

Jaguar has a busy time of it in 2015, launching a pair of updated luxury sedans along with its F-Pace SUV. A new XF large sedan will debut in February, while the big XJ limousine will score a mid-life update in March.

Finally, Volvo will offer up a facelift of its V40 hatch – most likely with additional powertrains – in the second half of the year. The Swedish brand will then introduce its all-new S90 large sedan – built on the same platform as its new XC90 SUV – towards the end of 2016.

PRESTIGE AND LUXURY CARS

WHAT’S COMING:Alfa Romeo Giulietta Q3Audi A4 Allroad Q3Audi A4 Avant Q2Audi A4 sedan FebAudi S4 sedan/Avant Q3BMW 330e MayBMW 750i MarInfiniti Q30 Q3Infiniti Q50 Q3/Q4Infiniti Q60 Coupe Q3Infiniti Q70 FebJaguar XF FebJaguar XJ MarMercedes A-Class JanMercedes C450 AMG Sport Q4Mercedes CLA Feb/MarMercedes E-Class Q3/Q4Volvo V40 Q3Volvo S90 Q4

Infiniti Q30

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Jan 27, 2016 Page 5

- SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com

GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s

THE NO1 CHOICE FOR CAREERSWith over 20 years industry experience Total Staff Solutions are the trusted names in automotive recruitment. Visit our website today to find out how we can help you find the perfect position.

1300 749 819 www.totalstaffsolutions.co

NATIONAL TRAINING MANAGER - VICVIC / Melbourne Based Automotive Finance CompanyGenerous Remuneration Package + Commission(This role would someone with a Finance & Insurance background or Automotive related).

Automotive Financial services company requires a National Training Manager. Must have some previous Automotive related exp. Some interstate travel involved.PRESTIGE USED CAR SALES MANAGERSydney / Newcastle | Luxury Brand | Salary OTE $130k - $150k

Luxury brand needs an experienced Prestige Used Car Manager with a strong stable track record within the industry.

CLICK NOW TO REGISTER

FOR MORETOP JOBS!

2016 NEW MODELS

AMID strengthening economic conditions in Australia, sportscar sales are back in vogue and it seems the world’s car-makers are responding to demand with new drop-top and sexy coupe offerings from a number of key players this year.

Fiat is wasting no time with new Competizione and Turismo versions of its tiny 500-based Abarth coupe among the first sporty offerings to arrive in the first quarter of 2016. The updated range will bring new power outputs across the board as well as a new entry-level offering. In the third quarter, the company will launch its intriguing Fiat 124 Spider, which shares a majority of its mechanicals with the new Mazda MX-5.

Porsche has a few dog-eared pages in its diary with the freshly turbocharged 911 Carrera turning up in January, its full-fat Turbo and Turbo S siblings joining it in quarter three, and the first four-cylinder versions of the Boxster and Cayman here in quarter two.

British supercar marque McLaren will follow Fiat and Porsche’s early

start, introducing its most affordable model – the 570S coupe – in the first quarter. If you are after something from the other end of the McLaren spectrum, the manic 675LT Spider will come along in the third quarter.

Ford has already sold its entire 2016 allocation of its new right-hook factory Mustang, which officially launched last week. In February, Lexus introduces its new GS F sedan and Ferrari gets in its first launch of the year with the all-new 488 GTB.

The prancing horse brand has a steady flow of new arrivals for the year with the strictly limited-edition F12tdf here in March, followed a month later by the convertible Spider version of the 488, while a facelift is expected at some point in the year for its FF four-seater.

Ferrari’s main competitor, Lamborghini, is also looking to garner some attention with two new variants of its Huracan. Both the soft-top Spyder version of the LP610-4 and a new rear-drive LP580-2 will touch down during the second quarter of the year.

Towards the end of the first quarter Mercedes-Benz will lob its facelifted SL large drop-top GT, while the newly named SLC small sportscar is due in June. The year will be rounded out in the final quarter by the arrival of the ultra-luxury S65 AMG Cabriolet. Amid all this activity, the pretty C-Class coupe is also expected in March or April.

Arch-rival BMW will introduce the eagerly anticipated M2 coupe in April, while Audi will launch the Lamborghini Huracan-based R8 mid-engined supercar in the second quarter – the Ingolstadt marque’s sole sports offering for the year.

The busy second quarter continues for the segment with more British entrants in Rolls-Royce’s elegant Dawn drop-head and the new Mini convertible in April (with a JCW version likely to follow later in the year), while the delicious Aston Martin DB11 is also on its way.

Japanese brands round out the year of new high-performance choices with Nissan’s even more vicious GT-R super-coupe rolling-out in Q3, while Infiniti’s all-new Q60 coupe is due in the final quarter.

SPORTSCARS

WHAT’S COMING:Abarth range Q1Aston Martin DB11 TBDAudi R8 Q2BMW M2 AprFerrari 488 GTB FebFerrari 488 Spider AprFerrari F12tdf MarFiat 124 Spider Q3Ford Mustang JanInfiniti Q60 Q4Lambo Huracan LP580-2 Q2Lambo Huracan LP610-4 Spyder Q2Lexus GS F Feb

McLaren 570S Q1McLaren 675LT Spider Q3Mercedes C-Class Coupe Mar/AprMercedes-AMG S65 Cabrio Q4Mercedes SL Q1/Q2Mercedes SLC JunMini Convertible AprMini JCW Convertible Q4Nissan GT-R update Q3Porsche 911 Carrera turbo JanPorsche 911 Turbo/Turbo S Q3Porsche Boxster/Cayman Q2Rolls-Royce Dawn Q2

BMW M2Audi R8

Jan 27, 2016 Page 6

- SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com

GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s

JMC are growing. I n 2016 we will welcome our JMC Light Trucks (GVW 4.5-7.5T) into the Australian market.

T he JMC Vigus Dual Cab Ute is already available starting from $21,990 and the JMC Vigus Single Cab Ute arriving in 2016. We are currently looking for expressions of interest from experienced dealer operators & independent service operators to promote the JMC brand & create a phenomenal customer experience.

If you interested in a JMC franchise, please contact Douglas for a confidential discussion & more information at dealer@jmcmotor.com.au or on 0421 977 298.

FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITIES

2016 NEW MODELS

THE past few years has seen an influx of all-new small SUVs stealing sales from micro, light and small passenger cars, with big-name brands such as Mazda (with the new CX-3) and Honda (with HR-V) making an immediate impact on the market.

In 2016, the launch activity is not as furious, but there will be a few big-hitters to help keep the segment growing.

First up is probably the quirkiest arrival of 2016 – Citroen’s C4 Cactus – which lobs in March to add some French flair to the crossover segment. Citroen will offer the C4 Cactus in one specification level and two powertrains – a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol from $26,990 plus on-road costs and a 1.6-litre turbo-diesel from $29,990. It will come standard with the Airbump plastic protection panels on the four doors.

Following in quarter two is the turbocharged version of Suzuki’s

recently resurrected Vitara crossover, delivering 103kW/220Nm, and replacing the normally aspirated 1.6-litre RT-X all-wheel drive as the range flagship. The turbo will also be offered in two-wheel-drive guise

From January, all Vitaras will be offered with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard.

GoAuto understands that Suzuki’s reborn Ignis crossover will also lob in the final quarter, bringing the Japanese car-maker’s compact SUV count to four alongside S-Cross, Jimny and Vitara, although given the dimensions of the Ignis it is set to be the smallest crossover in its line-up.

Quarter four will also see the launch of VW’s long-awaited Tiguan replacement that was shown at last year’s Frankfurt motor show. The second-generation

version is larger than the outgoing model and will eventually be offered as a seven-seater, helping it appeal to a wider buyer group in Australia.

The Tiguan has a sharper design and more interior space than the outgoing model, due in part to a wheelbase that is 77mm longer. It will be available in two- and all-wheel drive, and while eight four-cylinder powertrains will be offered in Europe, Australia will get about half that number.

SMALL SUVS

WHAT’S COMING:Citroen C4 Cactus MarSuzuki Vitara turbo Q2Suzuki Ignis Q4Volkswagen Tiguan Q4

Citroen C4 Cactus Volkswagen Tiguan

Suzuki Ignis

Jan 27, 2016 Page 7

- SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com

GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s

DEALERSHIPS WANTEDSydney, Central Coast, Wollongong

Top Multiples PaidFull or Partial Buyout

If you wish to know more please contact Wayne Pearson for a confidential discussion:wayne@pearsonautoconsulting.com.au or 0417.226.934

PEARSON AUTOMOTIVECONSULTING

One of my family owned clients is looking to expand their operations.

2016 NEW MODELS

KIA is using its sponsorship of the Australian Open tennis championship this month to promote the arrival of its all-new Sportage, which brings a bold new face, improvements to cabin materials and comfort, and new safety gear to help it compete against segment big guns including Mazda’s CX-5 and the new Hyundai Tucson.

In February, Subaru will launch a

lightly facelifted version of its top-selling model, the Forester, while Volkswagen’s Passat Alltrack also arrives for those looking for a high-riding wagon rather than a straight-up SUV.

Chinese SUV specialist Haval continues its quest to crack the Australian market in the second quarter with the arrival of its mid-size H6 Coupe, powered by a 145kW/315Nm 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine. This model follows the H2 crossover and H8 and H9 large SUVs that went on sale late last year.

August marks the arrival of Chinese-owned British marque MG’s GS crossover to follow up the relaunch of the MG6 mid-sizer and the arrival of the MG3 city car. Given the GS is entering

a hot segment, it could prove to be one of the more successful offerings from a Chinese brand in Australia.

The facelifted version of Mitsubishi’s electrified Outlander PHEV lands mid-year, while Ford’s Kuga also picks up a facelift – as shown at last year’s Los Angeles motor show – in the fourth quarter.

MID-SIZE SUVS

WHAT’S COMING:Ford Kuga Q4Haval H6 Coupe Q2Kia Sportage JanMG GS AugMitsu Outlander PHEV Mid-yearSubaru Forester FebVolkswagen Passat Alltrack Feb

IT IS a quiet year for large SUV launches, but Jeep will mark 75 years since the brand’s inception with special 75th Anniversary editions of the rugged Wrangler and the Grand Cherokee – as well as the Patriot, Compass and Renegade – during the second quarter.

One of the biggest launches of the year will be Mazda’s new-generation CX-9 mid-year. It will be the first model in the company’s arsenal to use a turbocharged SkyActiv petrol engine, but sales could be hindered by the fact that it will not be

offered with a diesel engine option.The entire CX-9 range will be powered

by the new 186kW (169kW with 87 RON petrol) and 420Nm turbo-petrol engine, which is based on the naturally aspirated

2.5-litre four-cylinder units found under the bonnet of the CX-5 and Mazda6. It replaces the thirsty 204kW/367Nm 3.7-litre V6 that powers the existing model.

Continued next page

LARGE SUVS

Haval H6 Coupe

Mazda CX-9 Jeep Grand Cherokee 75th Ann

Jan 27, 2016 Page 8

- SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com

GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s

LEADERS IN PARTS AND SERVICE SELLING SYSTEMS

ONLINE CUSTOMERAUTHORISATION

JOB STATUS ALERTS

PHOTO & VIDEO CAPTURE

INSTANT PRICING

CUSTOMER MOBILE APP

DECLINED WORKFOLLOW-UP

INTEGRATED VIN-PRECISE MENUS

REAL-TIME REPORTING

INSPECTION BASED SELLING

TO GROW PARTS & LABOUR SALES

Ph: 1800 810 103

CLICK

FOR M

ORE IN

FO

2016 NEW MODELS

PREMIUM car sales have skyrocketed in the past few years and high-end car-makers are cashing in on the SUV boom just as much as mainstream brands.

This year will see the launch of the most luxurious SUV in the world, and an all-electric crossover as well as a number of high-performance high-riders.

Kicking the year off are variants of the BMW X1 and X4, while the manic 265kW/500Nm twin-turbo V6-powered Porsche Macan GTS and the R-Design variant of Volvo’s well-received XC90 also land in the first quarter. The plug-in hybrid version of the XC90 will follow in the third quarter.

A facelifted version of Mercedes’

GLA crossover lobs in February or March and, while they are not officially confirmed, the Benz SUV stable looks set to grow with the arrival of the GLC Coupe and GLC450 AMG Sport late in 2016.

Quarter three is busy with the plug-in hybrid version of Audi’s Q7 launching

around the same time as Volvo’s version. Infiniti’s all-important QX30 compact SUV is also on the calendar, along with Jaguar’s first SUV – the F-Pace. The big cat comes with high expectations given the success of the XE sedan on which it is based.

Continued next page

PRESTIGE AND LUXURY SUVS

Continued from previous pageWhile the new seven-seat CX-9 is

30mm shorter than the current model,

its wheelbase has been stretched by 55mm, ensuring more interior space.

A safety upgrade is anticipated for the trusty Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series wagon later in the year, most likely the same time as the pick-up version.

Holden’s Colorado 7 was recently spied by GoAuto undergoing testing in Victoria and looks set to introduce new advanced driver-assist technology to

the big seven-seater range.The Colorado 7 followed its pick-up

sibling to market in November 2012 and has had a number of tweaks since launch, but this will be the first major facelift for the model that counts the fresh Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, Toyota Fortuner, Ford’s locally developed Everest and the mechanically related Isuzu MU-X as its key rivals.

LARGE SUVS (CONT)

WHAT’S COMING:Holden Colorado 7 Q3/Q4Jeep Grand Cherokee 75th Ann Q2Jeep Wrangler 75th Ann Q2Mazda CX-9 Mid-yearToyota LandCruiser 70 Series Q3/Q4

Bentley Bentayga Tesla Model X

Jan 27, 2016 Page 9

- SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com

GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s

DEALER PRINCIPAL(MELBOURNE)

SALES CONSULTANTS (SyDNEy)

•Highlysuccessful,multinationalretailgroup•Melbourne-baseddealership•MusthaveGeneralManagerexperience

Areyoua‘Hi-Energy’leaderwithpreviousexperienceinaseniordealershipposition?Keytosuccessinthisrolewillbeyourabilitytoleadfromthefront,andthinkandactwithstrategicgoalsinmindtoincreasebusinessprofitability.

ThisdealershipgrouphasasignificantpresencewithintheAustralianretailsectorandwillprovideenormousgrowthopportunitiesforfuturedevelopmentandreward.

•4+vacancies•Variouslocations•Newandusedcars

WearelookingforexperiencedSalesConsultantsforwell-knownandestablisheddealershipsacrossSydney’snorthernandwesternsuburbsaswellasinnercity.

Inreturn,youwillreceiveaveryattractivepackage(commissionandcar/carallowance),ongoingtraining,teamsupportandcareerprogression.

Contact Chris DeichT: 03 9864 6000

Contact Luisa GottschalkT: 02 9919 6940

Apply Now Apply Now

2016 NEW MODELS

2015 was a massive year for LCVs in Australia, particularly utilities, with all-new or heavily facelifted versions of the Ford Ranger, Mitsubishi Triton, Nissan Navara and the big one – Toyota’s top-selling HiLux – all lobbing before December.

This year things will be a bit quieter with no major ute launches on the horizon.

Renault has launched a 12-seat bus version of its Master commercial van this month and Iveco’s Daily van range gets a boost with the addition of a 4x4 version in February.

The Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series

safety upgrades also carry across to the pick-up version in the second half, while the yet-to-be-seen VW Amarok facelift is scheduled to land in the fourth quarter.

An updated Holden Colorado is also anticipated, following GoAuto’s exclusive sighting of development models in testing recently.

LIGHT COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

WHAT’S COMING:Holden Colorado Q3/Q4Iveco Daily 4x4 FebRenault Master Bus JanToyota LandCruiser 70 Series Q3/Q4Volkswagen Amarok Q4

Continued from previous pageAnother Jaguar Land Rover product, the

niche Range Rover Evoque Convertible, will likewise launch about the same time.

Bentley’s Bentayga hits showrooms

in the second half, led by the strictly limited First Edition, packing a 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged W12 engine and luxuries not seen in the SUV sector. Another ultra-exclusive new model –

Maserati’s long-anticipated Levante – is due to arrive late in the year, while Tesla’s highly anticipated all-electric Model X is also set down for launch in the final quarter.

WHAT’S COMING:Audi Q7 e-tron Q3Audi SQ5 Plus Q2Bentley Bentayga Q3BMW X1 sDrive/X4 xDrive35d JanBMW X5 eDrive MayInfiniti QX30 Q3Jaguar F-Pace Q3Maserati Levante Q4Mercedes GLA Feb/Mar

Mercedes GLC Coupe Q4Mercedes GLC450 AMG Sport Q4Porsche Macan GTS Q1Range Rover Evoque Convertible Q3Range Rover Sport HST JanRange Rover SV Autobiography MarTesla Model X Q4Volvo XC90 R-Design Q1Volvo XC90 T8 Q2/Q3

PRESTIGE AND LUXURY SUVS (CONT)

Holden Colorado Renault Master Bus

Porsche Macan GTS

Jan 27, 2016 Page 10

- SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com

GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s

MONTHLY REVENUE OF $10,000 ON REPAIR ORDERS

Dealers partnering with Code Red are averaging an incremental

from lapsed customer recovery alone.

Call us today to know what they invested to get this return on 1300 837 327. LEARN MORE

Korean brand aims for 10,000 annual sales of new Sportage SUV now available

Kia drawcard

By TIM NICHOLSONKIA’S all-new Sportage SUV has arrived in Australian showrooms, bringing improvements to interior space, quality, safety, ride and handling – all of which should combine to make it the brand’s most popular model.

The mid-size SUV overtook the Rio as the South Korean brand’s second-best-selling model last year with 7596 sales – its best-ever result – but it was not enough to beat the resurgent Cerato small car which recorded 10,157 sales.

Kia Motors Australia (KMAu) chief operating officer Damien Meredith said the fourth-generation Sportage could reach the sales highs of its increasingly popular stablemate.

“Equal best-seller with Cerato – in our sales plan we are looking for about 10,000 each for Cerato and Sportage,” he said.

When asked if the Sportage was good enough to find itself in the consideration set with the segment-leading Mazda CX-5, Mr Meredith was hopeful of a positive reception for the new model.

“I think the car is (good enough). We have just got to make sure that as an organisation and as a dealer network that we have got everything right. Customer satisfaction, customer care. We are pretty confident about the car.”

Pricing for the Sportage now kicks off from $28,990 plus on-road costs for the base two-wheel-drive Si, which is $3000 more than the previous starting price. However, that was for a manual version, whereas the new model is offered solely with a six-speed automatic transmission.

In the outgoing version an automatic gearbox added $2200 to the price, bringing it to $28,190, meaning the true difference in price is $800 for a model with more standard safety and comfort

gear than its predecessor. The lack of a manual gearbox means

the starting price is higher than the opening gambit of a number of its two-wheel-drive manual rivals, but for equivalent auto versions, the Sportage stacks up well.

It edges out the Mazda CX-5 Maxx ($29,190), Honda CR-V VTi ($29,790), Mitsubishi Outlander LS ($30,490) and Toyota RAV4 GX ($29,990), and matches the Ford Kuga Ambiente.

There are three specification levels on offer – the Si, SLi and top-spec Platinum – and three powertrains, depending on the variant.

Kia’s 114kW/192Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder MPI petrol engine is available in Si and SLi grades and drives the front wheels only. In SLi guise the price is $33,990.

A more potent 135kW/237Nm 2.4-litre four-cylinder GDI petrol engine powers one of the Platinum variants, which drives all four wheels and is priced from $43,490.

Continued next pageSLi

Platinum

Jan 27, 2016 Page 11

- SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com

GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s

There’s really no need to thank us. We increase leads by up to 30% for all our dealerships. But you’ll thank us later, when we turbocharge your sales by having someone greet your customers even while you sleep.

Your online showroom is just as vital as your physical one, and with DriveChat your customers will feel like they’ve experienced exceptional customer service and had their needs met when it best suits them.Get started today at drivechat.com.au

Imagine a showroom that's always open. Improve Customer Retention.

Increase sales. Reduce cost.

Your online 24/7 sales team.

Janis: Hello, how can I help you?

Message me for great customer service!

Powered by DriveChat

Kia drawcardContinued from previous page

A 2.0-litre ‘R’ turbo-diesel engine delivering 136kW/400Nm is available in all-wheel-drive only and is offered in Si ($33,990), SLi ($38,990) and range-topping Platinum ($45,990) trim.

Fuel economy has improved, dropping 0.5 litres to 7.9 litres per 100km on the combined cycle in the 2.0-litre petrol, while the diesel now sips 6.8L/100km compared with the previous model’s 7.2L/100km. The 2.4-litre petrol returns 8.5L/100km.

Mr Meredith said he expects sales to be split three ways between the three spec grades, with strong uptake of the Platinum early on, while petrol-powered models are likely to make up 70 per cent of overall volume.

Sourcing for the Sportage has shifted from Slovakia back to South Korea which is the reason the Australian-spec model is offered with the 2.0-litre MPI petrol engine rather than two newer GDI units.

All three engines are revised versions of existing units, with Kia stating that the diesel has been “significantly upgraded”, losing 5kg from the engine block but gaining a new oil filter module and an updated battery management system.

Kia says a lower inertia turbine wheel in the turbocharger and an electronically controlled wastegate actuator makes for more efficient turbocharging, while lower combustion temperatures compared with the outgoing model and other measures, such as a new diesel

particulate filter, have helped lower nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions.

The Korean car-maker says significant engineering work has also gone in to improving noise, vibration and harshness levels, with the company claiming it is “one of the most refined cars in its class”.

New bushings in the rear suspension, additional sound-absorbing materials in the wheelarches, a thicker front windscreen, better soundproofing for the doors and a new dual-lip seal for the panoramic sunroof play their part in keeping the Sportage cabin quiet.

Vibration has been reduced thanks to a stiffer body, larger and more absorbent transmission mounts, stiffer alloy wheels and an improved seat design.

Advanced high-strength steel – 51 per cent of the body compared with 18 per cent in the previous model – was used to make the structure of the SUV stronger, which has helped improve torsional rigidity by 39 per cent.

Advanced hot-stamp steel was used to reinforce the A-, B- and C-pillars, the roof, side sills and wheelarches.

The Sportage is offered with six airbags as standard and two Isofix child seat tethers, while pedestrian safety gets a lift courtesy of a larger impact

absorption area with more highly absorbent safety foam.

Active safety systems only offered on the top-spec Platinum include autonomous emergency braking, lane-departure warning, forward-collision warning, blind-spot detection, a lane-change assist warning, high-beam assist and the Smart Parking Assist (SPAS) self-parking system.

Other safety gear standard across the range includes a reversing camera, rear parking sensors (front sensors are offered on all but the Si), ABS, ESC, hill-start assist, dusk-sensing headlights and front foglights.

Kia is describing the new model as the “best-handling Sportage yet”, thanks largely to the work of Kia Motors Australia’s local ride and handling program led by technical consultant Graeme Gambold.

Up front the fully independent front suspension carries over but with a number of modifications including stiffer wheel bearings and bushings and revised bushing mount positions for “more direct handling and greater stability”.

FULL STORY: CLICK HEREDRIVE IMPRESSIONS: CLICK HERE

Kia targets 39,000 sales – next page

PRICING:Si 2.0-litre petrol (a) $28,990 Si 2.0-litre diesel (a) $33,990 SLi 2.0-litre petrol (a) $33,990 SLi 2.0-litre diesel (a) $38,990 Platinum 2.4-litre petrol (a) $43,490 Platinum 2.0-litre diesel (a) $45,990

Si

Jan 27, 2016 Page 12

- SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com

GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s

L U B R I C A N T S .

T E C H N O L O G Y.

P E O P L E .

f a c e b o o k . c o m / f u c h s l u b r i c a n t s a u s P h o n e 1 8 0 0 1 8 0 0 1 3 f u c h s . c o m . a u

GERMANTECHNOLOGYDeveloped for Australian conditions

L U B R I C A N T S .

T E C H N O L O G Y.

P E O P L E .fuchs.com.au

More sales growth thisyear with new models,better marketing: COO

Kia targets 39,000 sales

By TIM NICHOLSONKIA has announced a target of 39,000 units in Australia this year, a number it expects to achieve on the back of important new-model launches, consistent marketing and ongoing improvements to its customer and aftersales service.

The South Korean car-maker had a record year in 2015, shifting 33,736 units or 20.5 per cent more than it achieved in 2014, toppling its previous best sales result of 30,758 in 2012.

Kia Motors Australia (KMAu) chief operating officer Damien Meredith confirmed the new sales target at the 2016 Sportage launch last week and detailed the products that will help the company achieve its goals.

“This year we expect to do 39,000,” he said. “Now that is a lift of 15.6 per cent. Saying that in volume terms, the measure of lifting to 39,000 is less than the extra cars we sold in 2015 so we are relatively confident that the 15.6 per cent lift will be gained by new entries.

“Obviously Sportage, Picanto in a

few months’ time and then a pretty major uplift in regards to Cerato. From a product point of view there is a lot coming.”

The sales increase will bring Kia’s overall market share from its 2015 high of 2.9 per cent to “just a bit over 3.5 per cent”, according to Mr Meredith, who has previously stated that the car-maker wanted to reach 50,000 annual sales and a 5.0 per cent market share in the

coming years.“We believe it will be another

growing, good, consistent year for Kia in Australia,” he said, adding that he did not expect Kia to crack the top 10 with 39,000 units.

“We finished 12th last year. We think we will be around about 11th or 12th again after 2016. We don’t really set ourselves the ultimate goal of top 10. We want to grow the brand, grow the

volume in a very set, orderly manner and we have started that journey. We intend to keep on going.

“If it happens, great. It’s not something that we consume ourselves with. What we consume ourselves with is growing the business in an orderly fashion.”

Last year Kia missed out on a top-10 placing by about 7000 units, with Mercedes-Benz securing 11th spot with 36,374 sales and Honda holding on to 10th with 40,100 units.

Mr Meredith said KMAu was pleased with its placing in the JD Power Customer Service Index (CSI) rankings in which it rose from ninth place in 2014 to fourth overall in 2015 to leapfrog Subaru and sister brand Hyundai, and added that the company would continue to focus on and strengthen aftersales service levels.

FULL STORY: CLICK HEREKia works on Cerato GT – next page

Damien Meredith

Sportage

Jan 27, 2016 Page 13

- SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com

GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s

manheim.com.au

RARE OPPORTUNITY. EXCLUSIVE LUXURY

& EXOTICS.PRESTIGE AUCTION THU 11 FEB 6:00PM AEDT

VIEW CATALOGUE

4 Gordon Luck Avenue ALTONA NORTH

Jonathan Ciantar M: 0400 717 712

Jesse Bond M: 0409 142 661

Viewing: from Mon 1st Feb and each business day from 8am-5pm until auction commences. Other times by appointment.

KMAu turns to Cerato forhot hatch after Pro_cee’dGT manual failed to ignite

By TIM NICHOLSONKIA Motors Australia (KMAu) is looking to fill the gap left by the discontinued Pro_cee’d GT hot hatch by introducing a spicy version of its Cerato hatch in the coming years.

The Korean car-maker took the Pro_cee’d GT off its roster last year after slow sales that were not helped by the unavailability of an automatic gearbox.

The likeable three-door was sourced from Slovakia along with the previous-generation Sportage SUV, however a switch in sourcing back to South Korea for the new Sportage launched in Australia last week meant the business case for the Pro_cee’d was no longer viable.

Speaking at the Sportage launch in Ballarat, Victoria, last week, KMAu chief operating officer Damien

Meredith said a warmed-up version of the Cerato is on the cards.

“In our medium-term plan what we want to do is have a GT Cerato,” he said. “It has been incredibly successful for Volkswagen and we would like to follow that same pattern of models. To us we are going to get more volume out of that.”

Mr Meredith acknowledged that the Pro_cee’d was a great car for the brand in Australia, and suggested a similar offering could help Kia appeal to those same buyers.

“Pro_cee’d is a fantastic car but we were handcuffed because it only came in manual. Eighty per cent of sportscars are autos. We need to get a GTI-type Cerato into the marketplace that will give us a bit of critical mass and we believe that will happen,” he said.

When asked if the sporty Cerato would be sourced from the same Korean factory as the regular variants,

Mr Meredith said that was likely, but added that it was not happening in the short term.

“That will be the plan for us to do something along those lines. That won’t happen tomorrow but it is in our plan to do that,” he said.

In Europe, Kia offers a GT version of its five-door Cee’d hatch that uses the same 150kW/265Nm turbocharged four-cylinder engine found in the three-door Pro_cee’d. The Cee’d is the mechanical twin of the Cerato.

The two-door Cerato Koup is still available in Australia in naturally aspirated Si guise from $24,190 or Turbo spec from $28,190 plus on-road costs.

A mid-life update for the Cerato is heading to Australia late in quarter one, bringing improvements to the cabin and new front-end styling that is in keeping with its larger Optima stablemate.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Kia works on Cerato GT

US-spec 2017 Kia Forte5 SX

Jan 27, 2016 Page 14

- SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com

GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s

All applications to be sent to Customer Service Manager, Louise Muszynski at Louise.Muszynski@carsguide.com.au. a detailed position description can be found at www.carsguide.com.au/careers#jobs

Key responsibilities:• Directing the Service Team and liasing with stakeholders

to ensure total customer satisfaction.

• Liaising with Product and Technology Teams to resolve website problems.

• Reviewing and updating operating procedures.

• Analysing metrics and communicating customer insights to the wider business.

• Providing feedback and coaching to direct reports.

• Recruiting and mentoring customer experience agents.

Experience and Qualifications:• 3 - 5 years experience within the Automotive Industry,

preferably managing a CS Team.

• Experience using Salesforce, Zendesk or similar CRM tool and Contact Centre Phone system. DMS experience highly regarded.

• Intermediate to advanced level Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Office.

• The ability to collate and synthesise data, monitor performance and highlight potential business risks.

• Tertiary qualifications in Business or a related discipline are desirable.

The roleCarsGuide.com.au is seeking a Customer Service Manager for a 12-month maternity leave contract. Based in Sydney, the successful candidate will be required to to lead the Service Team that supports internal and external customers by managing customer requests, onboarding and care. The role is full time with an immediate start. Contract end date: 28 Feb 2017.

(12 Month Maternity Leave Contract)

Customer Service Manager

$4.8m in federal grants tostimulate $15m-plus totalinvestment in parts sector

Boost for parts-makers

By NEIL DOWLINGTEN Australian automotive parts-makers have received $4.8 million in federal government grants to boost investment in the local manufacturing industry as Ford prepares to close its factories in October this year and Toyota and Holden follow suit in 2017.

Ranging from $101,691 to $1 million, the grants are from the third round of the federal government’s Automotive Diversification Program (ADP) that allows automotive manufacturing businesses to diversify into other industries before local car production ceases.

Four of the 10 successful applicants are from South Australia, and four are from Victoria – the two states hit hardest by the manufacturing exit of the

three car-makers. Robert Bosch and Maxiplas Injection

Moulding each received $1 million, bringing their total grants to $6.2 million and $2.5 million respectively.

Robert Bosch received the funds to develop and install a high-precision assembly line to produce diodes “for export, new customers and new applications”, while Maxiplas will commercialise a range of space-efficient stackable and foldable solutions for the transport logistics market.

ZF Lemforder was granted $603,500

for production of a side-tipping option for large transport machines in the mining, construction and agriculture industries, Harrop Casting Technologies (in a joint venture with Australloy) received $516,970 to establish a full production facility for copper heat-exchanger castings, and Luna Nameplate Industries received $441,122 for purchasing equipment to produce various new products for export to Asia, Europe and the United States.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Christopher Pyne (right) with Multislide Industries managing director Rod Rebbeck (left) and Liberal MP Matt Williams

Jan 27, 2016 Page 15

- SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com

GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s

Australia’s ONLY Multi-Dimensional F&I Menu

CALL 1300 807 177. For more info, visit www.fimenu.com.au

• Web-based 24/7 access• iPad compatible• Tracks all quotations• Add your company’s logo• Create your own option levels

• Calculates all commissions• Adapts to your needs• Links to Pentana Solutions (optional)• Add multiple Insurers and Financiers• Sell at delivery or Point of Sale

finance

Ford could bring boosted models in next Mustang wave as first batch launches

Mustang to expand

By DANIEL GARDNERFORD Mustang fans who missed out on one of the first batch of 4000 vehicles to hit Australian shores could have their patience rewarded with more variety in the pony car range when the second wave of cars arrives in 2017.

Exact numbers for Australian allocation and new line-up additions are yet to be announced for the next wave of Mustangs, but if the model mimics the evolution of its predecessors, the Blue Oval brand will progressively introduce more options and variants.

The first Mustang to be sold in factory right-hand drive was officially launched in Australia last week with all stock already spoken for.

However, Ford Australia communications and public affairs director Wes Sherwood told GoAuto that in addition to the unprecedented interest the Mustang had already attracted, a continuous refreshing of the model should prevent a drop-off in demand as typically experienced by new sportscars after the initial sales spike.

“We are just getting started with

Mustang but the good news is that it has gone beyond our expectation,” he said. “For us to be the number-three market is pleasantly unexpected and it gives us a lot more voice in everything coming forward.

“Mustang is predicated on keeping it fresh with new models so we are going to do what we can to take advantage of that. That’s what has really sustained Mustang all this time while competitors have come and gone; there has been something fresh every year – something new to keep people’s interest.”

Quite what the “new models” will look like is yet to be revealed but speaking to GoAuto at the local launch, the Mustang’s chief engineer

Carl Widman said he would return to Australia soon to better understand what customers want here.

“I’ll be back in another six months just to talk to customers,” he said. “I think we need to keep tabs on the market to see how it plays out.”

Mr Widman explained that one new variant to be offered Down Under will not be the manic Shelby GT350 due to significant manufacturing constraints of its flat-plane crank V8 engine and many unique parts that would be too costly to re-engineer for right-hand drive.

“We are still constrained on the flat-plane crank and we would still have to re-engineer everything to a certain extent. I don’t think there’s going to be a pull to do that in that series of the car,” he revealed.

But Mr Widman said an upgrade for the four-cylinder EcoBoost Mustang was a more likely candidate, which may take the form of a factory-tuned version using an engine similar to the 257kW unit that powers the forthcoming Focus RS or a tuning kit.

Continued next page

Jan 27, 2016 Page 16

- SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com

GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s

VOLKSWAGEN IS RECRUITINGWe are seeking to recruit a QUALIFIED SERVICE MANAGER ( European Training Preferable)

• A highly respected family dealership with over 30 years’ industry experience• Supportive and progressive management team• Professional working environment• State of the art facilities.

PLEASE EMAIL RESUMES TO SVASILIADIS@NMGCORPORATE.COM

WHATS ON OFFER:

NMGG202318_0116

Norris Motor GroupVolkswagen

Your Volkswagen Partner

Norris Motor Group Volkswagen304 Gympie Rd, Kedron (next to Kedron Bowl)

Ph: 07 3023 4900. Online: www.nmgvw.com.au

Continued from previous pageAccording to Mr Widman, the

Mustang team works closely with independent tuners such as Roush and the Speciality Equipment Market Association (SEMA) to develop upgrade kits that can be offered worldwide more cost effectively than factory-fitted equipment.

“We are always looking at it and trying to work out what makes sense,” he said. “The Roush team is very tied into what we do. I can help them design things and then they can bring it to market cheaper than I can.

“The ones we think we can offer globally are the ones I am interested in because since we have launched into all these markets we need to stay fresh in all these markets.”

If one were to be made available, an official Ford aftermarket power boost kit would likely reflect some of the modifications developed by expert tuning houses at the SEMA show and would be more affordable than the expensive Cosworth engineering required to manufacture the Focus RS-type cylinder head.

“At SEMA, what people were doing is getting a slightly bigger turbo, open air inlet, totally different charge cooler, a chip to go with it and a high-flow exhaust. They were advertising in the range of up to 350 (horsepower – 261kW at the wheels),” Mr Widman said.

“I think there is some traction that that

set of parts will come together because that’s another way to skin the cat and keep the same. From talking to the guys at SEMA, it makes engineering sense to me, because those parts probably cost the same as that Cosworth CNC machining.

“The reason the SEMA guys have a market is because it will sound so different. The systems they sell, they call ‘fart pants’. We wouldn’t sell it that way.”

For now, the Australian range extends to six variants with a choice of four Fastback coupes and two convertibles, powered by either the four-cylinder EcoBoost engine or GT V8. Convertible Mustangs will be available only as an automatic, while auto coupes are an option over the standard six-speed manual.

The second pony wave will cost more than the initial run, with the most affordable manual EcoBoost Coupe kicking off from $45,990 plus on-road costs, representing a $1000 increase, while optioning the six-speed SelecShift automatic transmission adds $2500 to the price.

For the cash, you get Ford’s 2.3-litre turbocharged EcoBoost engine driving the rear wheels with 233kW and 423Nm, and returning a combined average fuel consumption of 8.5 litres per 100km or 9.3L/100km when paired with an automatic transmission in the

coupe (or 9.4L/100km in the soft top). CO2 emissions output ranges

from 196 grams per kilometre on the EcoBoost manual coupe to 218g/km for the auto convertible, with the auto coupe splitting them at 214g/km.

While Ford is predicting the EcoBoost to steadily gain traction, it is the GT that has proved the runaway success with a vast majority of early adopters going for the V8-powered car, lured by its 306kW/530Nm 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V8.

Fuel consumption and emissions increase to a hefty 13.1L/100km and 305g/km respectively for the V8 manual coupe, with the automatic version slightly better at 12.6L/100km (and 293g/km). The GT convertible comes in at 12.7L/100km and 296g/km.

Ford is keeping official acceleration benchmark figures under its hat for now.

The pony car rides on a double-ball-joint MacPherson strut suspension with hollow anti-roll bar at the front end, while the back end is looked after by a multi-link arrangement with independent coil springs – a critical step forward for the whole Mustang range.

FULL STORY: CLICK HEREDRIVE IMPRESSIONS: CLICK HERE

The ‘sensible’ Mustang – next page

PRICING:EcoBoost Fastback $45,990 EcoBoost Fastback (a) $48,490 EcoBoost Convertible (a) $54,990 GT Fastback $57,490 GT Fastback (a) $59,990 GT Convertible (a) $66,490

Mustang to expand

Jan 27, 2016 Page 17

- SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com

GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s

BUSINESS MANAGERTHOMAS BROS has been selling and servicing new and used vehicles in Wagga Wagga for more than 70 years. With 8 franchises, including Toyota, Mitsubishi and Renault, Thomas Bros are a leading and well-respected multi-franchise dealership for passenger and commercial vehicles in this major NSW regional town.

Due to our continued growth we are currently seeking to appoint a Finance Specialist that will, after a suitable qualifying period of performance, take control of the Finance Department (4 Business Managers), and the important role of Group Business Manager.Prior experience as a Group Business Manager is preferable but not essential, as you may be a well performing Business Manager wanting to step up and further your career in a very successful multi-franchise, high-volume dealership.To be considered for this role you must be Fully Accredited and have the desire to grow the business. You will receive full support from senior management and directors to make this happen. Toyota Financial Services experience will be highly regarded.

This is a great opportunity to step into an integral role with a dealership that has an excellent reputation, an excellent product, and cares for its staff. Working hours are a more relaxed five and a half day week.A remuneration package based on a generous retainer plus incentives, car, phone and superannuation will be on offer to the right candidate. A Top performing Group Business Manager can expect to earn well over $200,000 per annum when achieving the departmental KPI’s.For further information please contact Daniel Martelozzo, Dealer Principal on 02 6926 0501 or 0437 206 397 or by email to: danielm@thomasbros.com.au

www.thomasbros.com.au

OPENING OF NEW TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SITE OFFERS RARE CAREER OPPORTUNITY AS GROUP BUSINESS MANAGER

THOMAS BROS GROUP

Aussie regulations forceFord to remove line-lockfeature from new model

The ‘sensible’ Mustang

By DANIEL GARDNERFORD’S freshly launched Mustang GT will not be given the track-focused line-lock function that allows for the perfect burnout when sold in Australia, but the company says the feature could be reinstated by automotive electronics specialists.

A popular feature on drag racing cars, the line-lock is a system that allows the application of front brakes independently of the driven rear wheels, allowing a controlled wheel spin prior to a run, but the federal department of infrastructure and regional development has deemed such systems illegal in road cars.

However, speaking at the local launch of the new Mustang last week, Ford Mustang project chief engineer Carl Widman told GoAuto that the system depended on software alone, and could potentially be reactivated by companies with specialised equipment.

“It’s in software, we just turn it off,” he said. “I’m sure there are really smart people out there who will figure it out if there is a market just like anything else.”

Mr Widman said he had communicated directly with the local

authorities regarding the feature but explained that it had been hard to justify a system that was effectively designed to perform an illegal act if used on public roads.

“It’s regulation. Australia and New Zealand have the hooligan law and to sell it here, it could not have that feature,” he said.

“I empathise with the regulation having talked to them directly, but it is a feature that is intended to do smoky burnouts, so it’s hard to explain that feature if they read our literature on it or watch the video on it that we created as a press release.”

Mr Widman said that compared with infinitely more complex engine remapping processes that are also available by independent companies in the US, turning on the line-lock would be a relatively simple operation.

“You go online in the US and you can buy calibrations for the 2.3 (Mustang

EcoBoost) that will over-boost it, you can buy calibrations for the 5.0-litre. Those are full engine software but this is a case of someone with simple software,” he said.

The line-lock feature is part of the Track Apps options menu which also offers a Launch Control function for maximum acceleration from a standing start. The Launch feature is unaffected by Australian Design Rules (ADRs).

While the Mustang has arrived in Australia and other right-hand-drive markets largely unchanged, a number of tweaks have been made to conform to ADRs.

The slender and more elegant US-spec door mirrors have been fattened up for a larger field of view and are now electric to allow them to fold out of harm’s way when the vehicle is locked.

FULL STORY: CLICK HEREFord’s social media focus – next page

Mustang Track Apps system

Jan 27, 2016 Page 18

- SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com

GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s

manheim.com.au

PASSENGER & COMMERCIAL

FIND OUT FIRST

CLICK HERE

Get a head start on the best stock. Register to receive Auction Update emails from Manheim.

Each week, we send an email featuring the great range of vehicles up for auction including easy access to the catalogue and auction schedules.

Mustang shows how newmedia can boost Ford asmanufacturing exit looms

By DANIEL GARDNERFORD says its customers are responding to its expanding social media campaign to reposition itself as the ‘One Ford’ global brand in Australia as it transitions from manufacturer to full-line importer.

While most of the Australian car-maker’s audience has traditionally connected through websites and call-centre services, an increased use of social media platforms is said to be shifting customer behaviour.

Speaking at the local launch of the runaway-success Mustang sportscar last week, Ford Australia communications manager Jasmine Mobarek told GoAuto that the eagerly awaited and iconic model had made social media history, highlighting the importance of the various platforms.

“Mustang is the most liked car on

Facebook and 50 per cent of those likes come from outside of the US,” she said. “The channels and the doors it opens up for us to interact with our fans means there is huge potential there and it’s only going to make us better.”

In October, Ford will become the first of the three current local car-makers to close its manufacturing facilities, but since the announcement, the Blue Oval has been carefully considering how its brand will resonate with existing and potential new customers.

Ms Mobarek said that embracing social media channels was an important part of realigning the perception of Ford in Australia, and a method of communication that everyone could easily access.

“I think it’s a big part of our transformation plans so what we are helping people to understand is that Ford does have a future beyond October and that we are going to be the largest OEM employer in Australia in 2017,”

she said. “People are starting to see that.“We have a team that manages our

social media all day and we respond to everything that we can. It’s quick and its responsive, people can do it from their mobile phones.”

Despite social media being a relatively new method of communication, Ms Mobarek said the audience was diverse with both new and old Ford fans choosing to stay in touch with a variety of options.

“We have a really wide demographic. People make the assumption that it’s all young people on Facebook, but we have a definite skew from those carryover fans. Instagram is a younger demographic but Facebook is more evenly spread.

“Instagram is a relatively new platform for us and we are seeing that grow steadily and Facebook is growing at a reasonably good rate.”

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Ford Mustang Facebook page

Ford’s social media focus

FORD TO CLOSE OPERATIONS IN JAPAN,INDONESIA THIS YEAR: CLICK HERE

Jan 27, 2016 Page 19

- SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com

GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s

GM LEASING are experts in supplying and managing fully-maintained operating leases, with an emphasis on providing exceptional customer service. Owned and operated by an experienced and successful Dealer Group, we know the business of vehicle finance.We are currently seeking an experienced Business Development Consultant specialising in the Not for Profit and Small Government sector to manage a number of our existing clients and grow our leasing portfolio. The preferred candidate will have a track record of success in portfolio management in this industry and demonstrate a desire to advance their career as a leasing professional.

The remuneration package offered will reflect your ability to achieve and exceed targets and include salary, superannuation, a fully-maintained vehicle and generous commissions.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT

If you believe it is time for a change, please contact Joe Brancaleone (Operations Manager) on 0438 145 793.

No A160 price leader for now as Mercedes launches upgraded small-car series

A-Class overhaul

A45 AMG

By BYRON MATHIOUDAKISMERCEDES-BENZ Australia/Pacific is resisting the temptation to import a lower-powered version of its just-released A-Class Series II to help offset a range-wide price and specification increase that has pushed up the price of the base A180 by $1300 to $37,200 plus on-road costs.

Speaking to GoAuto at the launch of the company’s smallest model near Melbourne last week, Mercedes-Benz Aust/Pac senior manager of public relations, product and corporate communications, David McCarthy, said that while introducing the A160 was not entirely off the agenda it was unlikely to happen any time soon.

“It’s always something that we’d consider, but we’re not actively considering it at the moment,” he said. “We’re happy with the volume we’re doing, and there’s always a risk of cannibalisation (stealing sales from the volume-selling A180).

“Each car we bring has to have a sustainable business case. I think you could quite easily (do one) for an A160, but not right now.

“We’ve looked in the past, but because it would basically be a detuned version of the A180, there would not be a lot of saving there, and we’d actually have to take some content out, and that’s not something we do lightly.

“We might actually end up with a car potentially with a lower margin than you need to run your business.”

Mr McCarthy also scotched suggestions of a manual gearbox option, as released along with the rest of the Series II facelift last year in some European markets, revealing

that it was also investigated before the current (W176) A-Class was launched in Australia in 2013 to achieve a lower price point.

The fact that consumers in the premium small-car category overwhelmingly prefer an automatic transmission ultimately ended that proposition.

“There’s not that many manual buyers (in this segment),” he said. “We’ve done some market research as well, asking that if instead of it being, say, $37,000 it would be $35,000 would they buy one, and they said, ‘Oh no, we wouldn’t buy one, we’d want the automatic’.”

As revealed late last year, the A-Class Series II’s price increases (ranging from $1000 to $2300 depending on the variant) bring tangible improvements as compensation, including adjustable dampers that seek to silence criticism that the previous standard suspension set-up was too hard.

Continued next pageA250 Sport 4Matic

Jan 27, 2016 Page 20

- SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com

GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s

AUSTRALIA’S NO. 1 CAR COMPANY

OH WHAT AN OPPORTUNITY!

AUSTRALIA’S NO. 1 CAR COMPANY

OH WHAT AN OPPORTUNITY!

ACCESSORY PLANNING SPECIALISTToyota, Australia’s leading automotive company, has an exciting opportunity for a suitably qualified and experienced person to join our Product Planning Division in the position of Accessory Planning Specialist. The Accessory Planning team is responsible for establishing TMCA’s accessory line-up for Toyota and Lexus models and ensure TMCA and customer needs and expectations are met.

What will you do?• Establishing TMCA’s accessory line-up by ensuring business cases for accessory line-up are both robust and

profitable for Toyota and Lexus.• Ensure product requirements are adequately communicated to key stakeholders in the lead up to development.• Drive planning communication with TMC to ensure accessory line-ups are delivered to schedule and plan.• Identify new opportunities within the market and work towards achieving incremental growth for TMCA.• Manage regular product information exchange with other Toyota Development Bases and overseas affiliates.• Facilitate communication briefings to internal departments and stakeholders at all levels of management.

 What we are looking for:• Engineering, Marketing or Business related degree is essential.• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build long-lasting relationships with internal and external stakeholders.• Experience in market review and research with an understanding of Marketing basics.• Knowledge of the automotive market, segments and trends including the sales and marketing processes, with

aptitude for accurately reviewing and assessing technical information.

You will be rewarded with the opportunity to participate in our Employee Subsidised Vehicle Lease Scheme, a generous Superannuation contribution (14%), free onsite parking and subsidised cafeteria. Toyota encourages all staff to become part of a culture focussed on teamwork, personal development and continuous improvement.

For more information on this opportunity, please call Meagan Sinclair on (03) 9647 4313 or email your resumé with a covering letter to: meagan.sinclair@toyota.com.au

A-Class overhaulContinued from previous page

Dynamic Select is part of a system that allows the driver to collectively or individually adjust engine and transmission responses, suspension firmness, steering weight and air-conditioning strength via four modes – Comfort, Sport, Eco and Individual.

In the case of the flagship AMG A45 4Matic all-wheel-drive model, which gains more power and torque (up 15kW and 25Nm respectively), a track-orientated Race Mode is also available, introducing a locking front differential for improved high-performance cornering traction. Here, Mercedes-Benz charges $2100 more than before, taking the price to $77,900.

In between are the mid-range A200 (from $42,800) and A200d diesel (from $43,300) which rise $1000 apiece, while the popular A250 Sport 4Matic’s $53,500 reflects the largest leap ($2300) over its predecessor.

Sporting what Mercedes calls a “diamond-cut” grille, reshaped bumpers, LED headlights on 4Matic

models, fresh tail-light lenses with optional LED inserts, and a different rear diffuser with integrated exhaust outlets, the latest A-Class’ visual changes are relatively minor.

A fixed 8.0-inch screen – an inch bigger than before – introduces Apple CarPlay to Australian-bound Mercedes vehicles, while a concerted effort has been made to improve the quality of materials and trim.

Altered instrumentation markings, galvanised switchgear, and an adjustable 60mm increase in front seat cushion depth round out the changes inside.

As before, all engines employ four cylinders, a turbocharger and idle-stop tech, with the carryover 1.6-litre direct-injection twin-cam unit producing 90kW and 200Nm in the A180 – returning 5.8L/100km economy and 135g/km in CO2 emissions – or 115kW/250Nm for

6.1L/100km and 141g/km in the A200.The A200d features a 100kW/300Nm

2143cc turbo-diesel offering 4.2L/100km and 111g/km.

All the lower-end W176s are front-wheel drive, employing a revised version of the brand’s 7G-DCT dual-clutch transmission promising faster, smoother and more intuitive ratio changes.

The A250 Sport leverages a 1991cc petrol engine developing 160kW (up 5kW) and 350Nm, and returning 6.7L/100km and 156g/km, while the AMG A45 version of this powerplant boosts that to 280kW/475Nm. Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions for the latter come in at 7.3L/100km and 171g/km respectively.

FULL STORY: CLICK HEREDRIVE IMPRESSIONS: CLICK HERE

More reports – next page

PRICING:A180 (a) $37,200 A200 (a) $42,800 A200d (a) $43,300 A250 Sport 4Matic (a) $53,500 A45 AMG (a) $77,900

A250 Sport 4Matic

Jan 27, 2016 Page 21

- SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com

GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s

BUSINESS FOR SALE

EUROPCAR - CAR & VAN HIRETOOWOOMBA, DARLING DOWNS, MARANOA AND CENTRAL HIGHLANDS, QLD

Distinctively different – it’s how we see you

An exciting opportunity to acquire this established and well recognised car rental business. Further opportunities exist to grow this business which currently operates a fleet of approximately 130 vehicles. Will consider sale of each location in isolation.

Confidentiality Agreement would need to be executed prior to being provided with an Information Memorandum.

Expressions of Interest will close at 5pm on Friday 19 February 2016. Interested parties should email Darren Crothers on darren.crothers@bdo.com.au.

1300 138 991

BMW Australia rules outMini Clubman All4By RON HAMMERTON

MINI will debut the latest version of its grippy all-wheel-drive system on the new Clubman All4 at the New York motor show in March, endowing the Brit brand’s biggest model with a drivetrain that can switch automatically between all-wheel traction when needed and two-wheel-drive efficiency at other times.

However, the all-paw Clubman is not on the agenda for Australia where BMW Group Australia says it is capping the ever-expanding Mini range to manageable levels.

Corporate communications manager Lenore Fletcher told GoAuto that the company was satisfied it already had the model selection to satisfy Australian customers.

Here, the previous-generation Mini Countryman All4 will remain the only variant to offer AWD grip, albeit in an earlier and less versatile form, at least until a new Countryman comes around.

The new-generation Clubman wagon range – launched in Australia late last year – will remain at two versions, the standard Clubman Cooper at $34,900 (plus on-road costs) and hotter Clubman Cooper S at $42,900.

The revised All4 system reportedly employs a multi-plate clutch to decouple the front axle from the rear in the interests of fuel savings in a so-called Green mode that comes with the optional Mini driving modes system.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Smart faith

Door remains open for Daimler city cars in AustraliaBy BYRON MATHIOUDAKIS

MERCEDES-BENZ is keen to resurrect the Smart brand in Australia, but only if the ex-factory price is considerably less than before and there is scope for profit in the business case.

While no discussions are currently underway, GoAuto has learnt that the door is open for models such as the latest-generation ForFour to eventually find their way to Australia.

Speaking to GoAuto at the launch of the facelifted A-Class hatch last week, Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific senior manager of public relations, product and corporate communications, David McCarthy, admitted there was a strong desire in some quarters of the upper-management team to see both the latest ForTwo (two-seater) and ForFour (four-seater) in Australia.

However, prices must start well under the $18,000 and $20,000 mark for each

respectively in order for them to have any chance of being competitive – an unlikely scenario right now with the weak Australian currency.

“If we can bring it in at a price that we can sell, and still be able to make a profit – albeit a small one – we would consider it,” Mr McCarthy said. “Those circumstances currently do not exist, but who knows what Smart might produce in two or three years’ time.”

Mercedes-Benz Aust/Pac even considered paring the profit back to almost nothing in order to keep the brand alive in this country, but gave up when it became clear that its price objective could not be met with the latest-generation models.

When the last ForTwo was discontinued in December 2014, it retailed for $17,710 before on-road costs for the A451 Coupe and $19,690 for the C451 Cabriolet.

“I think the ForFour would have done really well, but we couldn’t have landed it here for under $20,000,” Mr McCarthy said. “And the problem with the ForTwo is that you can buy a new car in Australia from $3000 a seat, while we were trying to sell something that cost $9000 a seat. We couldn’t make the business case work properly.”

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

THE MOTOR CAR TURNS 130 THIS WEEK,THANKS TO CARL BENZ: CLICK HERE

Jan 27, 2016 Page 22

- SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com

GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s

➤ STOCK AVAILABLE NOW FOR ALL COMMON DUAL AND EXTRA CABS

➤ EASY TO INSTALL IN PREDELIVERY, FULL TRAINING PROVIDED

➤ VERSATILE, LOCKABLE AND WEATHERPROOF STORAGE

➤ OPTIONAL SPORTS BAR AND CARGO CARRIERS TO ALLOW FITTING OF BIKE CARRIERS AND ACCESSORIES

➤ DEALER AFTERSALES PACKAGES AVAILABLE

Phone 03 9794 7033info@mountaintopau.com.au • www.mountaintopau.com.au

Mountain Top Roll for TOYOTA HILUX

CHINA WILL EXPORT CT6GENERAL Motors will start exporting its all-new flagship Cadillac CT6 PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) from China to North America late this year in a move that could prove to be a watershed in international car manufacturing.

Although the numbers will be small – an estimated 1000 vehicles a year or just five per cent of CT6 sales in the US – the significance of such a quintessential American brand sourcing its most sophisticated product from its joint-venture plant in Shanghai will not be lost on anyone in the car industry.

The full-sized but lightweight limo was designed by a team led by former Holden designer Andrew Smith and sits on a revolutionary new mixed-material platform, called Omega, engineered by a team led by Australian Trevor Hester.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

GM-MAVEN SHARE RIDEGENERAL Motors has jumped into the car-sharing business in a major way, announcing a new global service called Maven.

The service leverages GM’s recent $500 million ($A685m) investment in ride-sharing company Lyft and other operators, bringing them all under one shiny new brand umbrella.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Cruze mode

Z-Series is back, but time running out for local CruzeBy TERRY MARTIN

IN ONE of its final Australian-built small-car salvos, Holden has brought back the Z-Series moniker for its Cruze sedan and hatch in an effort to bolster the range before a major realignment later this year.

The company is still to divulge full details of its future small-car strategy but is preparing to introduce the European-sourced Astra hatchback in the second half of this year and recently committed to bringing the next-generation Cruze sedan here, which will be a fully imported model.

The current Adelaide-built Cruze is a casualty of Holden’s decision to close its Australian manufacturing operations toward the end of next year, however the local small-car range could reach the end of the line earlier than that.

On sale from last Friday, the 2016 Cruze Z-Series – using an unchanged 104kW/175Nm 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine – sits above the entry-level Equipe and effectively replaces the CDX with a sports-themed package which adds unique two-tone 17-inch alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, Z-Series badging, sill plates and Z-Series front floor mats.

Pricing starts from $22,640 plus on-road costs for the Z-Series manual sedan or hatch – the same mark as the previous CDX – while the Equipe sedan and hatch maintain their sub-$20K starting point at $19,890 plus on-roads.

A Cruze SRi-Z with the familiar 132kW/230Nm 1.6-litre turbo-petrol has also slotted into the range, replacing the SRi-V and offering unique 18-inch alloys in a “satin medium android” finish, rear spoiler for the hatch, alloy pedal covers, sill plates and Z-Series floor mats and exterior badge.

Pricing starts from $27,140 – the same as the previous SRi-V – and carryover features include a bodykit and sports suspension.

Automatic transmission adds $2200 across the range.

FULL STORY, PRICING: CLICK HERE

OPEL OFFERS FRESH GLIMPSE OF GTBOUND FOR GENEVA: CLICK HERE

Jan 27, 2016 Page 23

- SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com

GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s

GoAutoNews Premium: Coming Soon. Brought to you by

Auto sector loses valuableretail asset with Penfold’ssale to supermarket chain

Holden site goes to Aldi

By JOHN MELLOR

PremiumGoAutoNews

A FORMER top-performing Holden dealership in the affluent eastern suburbs of Melbourne has been lost to the retail car industry with its sale to the German supermarket giant Aldi.

The sale follows the closure of Penfold Holden last year after the Johnstone family and Holden were not able to agree on the most appropriate premises to continue representing the Holden brand in Burwood.

The family told GoAutoNews Premium at the time that it had “reluctantly” handed back the franchise to GM because it was unable to reach agreement on a plan to downsize the Holden dealership to meet current sales expectations.

While the parties ended their almost 30-year association on good terms, the move has resulted in the sale of the land and Holden and the industry have lost a valuable automotive retail asset.

The sale will be settled within weeks.Aldi has confirmed the purchase and

said the new store location in Burwood would complement existing sites at Box

Hill South and Burwood One Shopping Centre.

The company said the Burwood site was made possible by the Victorian government’s 2013 planning reforms.

The planning application will be lodged with the local council next month. Once approved, construction is expected to take approximately nine months.

The move highlights long-standing warnings from industry analysts that car companies are at risk of losing representation if their brands are underperforming and dealers are not able to make a business case for keeping open large facilities that are no longer in line with current sales level that do not justify the investment.

Many dealers with multiple franchises in their portfolio are reviewing the under-performing brands and questioning the wisdom of keeping such businesses running when the remaining brands are driving profitability.

The fear is that unless franchises pay more attention to the profitability of their dealers there will be a steady erosion of auto retail sites which are traditionally hard to replace once the land has been converted to other forms of retailing or offices.

Recently the McCarroll’s Automotive Group handed back its Hyundai franchise in Sydney because the overheads from the rented premises were unsustainable against current returns.

The closure and sale of the Penfold

Holden dealership followed discussions with GM about the future of the site which was geared for 20 per cent market share rather than the nine per cent mark that Holden now hovers around today.

In addition, the demographics of the market area were rapidly moving more upmarket and away from Holden’s traditional buyers.

Holden share at Penfold had dropped to the point where the brand was only sixth in the retailer’s sales stakes in Victoria while sales in the other franchises were climbing.

Greg Johnstone told GoAutoNews Premium that continuing to run the Holden franchise in the current premises was “really not sustainable – we could not make it work”.

Penfold Motors retains Mazda, Audi and Volkswagen franchises. The company handed back the Mitsubishi franchise in 2012 and operates a fast-stock-turn used-car operation from that site.

GM Holden director of communications Sean Poppitt told GoAuto last year that there was hope that Penfolds and Holden could work together again in the future.

“We fully hope that in the future Penfolds will be able to find another site and we will welcome them back into the Holden network,” he said.

Mr Poppitt said that dealers were continuing to invest significantly in the Holden brand, highlighted by a multi-million-dollar new Holden dealership, Alto Holden, in Sydney’s Chatswood.

Jan 27, 2016 Page 24

- SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com

GoAuto NewsJohn Mellor’s

GoAutoNews Premium: Coming Soon. Brought to you by

Latest D&B data showscompanies are settlingaccounts in record time

Bills paid faster

By NEIL DOWLING

PremiumGoAutoNews

DEALERS chasing outstanding trade invoices will be pleased to know that Australian companies are settling their accounts in record time.

According to credit information company Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) invoices are being paid quicker than ever as Australian businesses record exceptionally healthy cash flows on the back of sustainable low interest rates.

Quarterly Trade Payments Analysis survey data stated that it took an average of 45.1 days for Australian businesses to pay an invoice in the last quarter of 2015, down from 49.2 days in the previous quarter and 51.7 days in the same period last year.

D&B said the result indicated the Australian economy is in “sound shape” and believes there is no need for further interest rate reductions from the Reserve Bank.

The analysis, which covers all business sectors and sizes, also shows where bills are paid fastest – and slowest. If you run a business in Tasmania and the Northern Territory, you have the fastest invoice payments in the nation, averaging 41.3 and 41.6 days respectively.

D&B says this is mainly because these businesses tended to be smaller than those in the larger cities. The businesses were also likely to be family-run.

“Smaller and family-run businesses tend to not have the financial clout to demand longer trading terms,” said D&B spokesman James Malkin. “In Sydney or Melbourne, for example, trade times can be longer because of the style of large businesses.”

Mr Malkin said it was also possible smaller communities had a shorter payment time because they put creditors and debtors in regular contact, although

this was not recorded.Queensland came a close third at 42.7

days while New South Wales businesses averaged 46.5 days, in Victoria it was 45.8 days, in Western Australia it was 43.3 days and in South Australia it takes an average of 44.2 days to receive payment.

But if you do business in the Australian Capital Territory, your payment is held up the longest at 49.4 days.

Mr Malkin said Canberra’s business was heavily influenced by government that was perceived as being a more trustworthy payer, so payment times could be extended.

D&B economics adviser Stephen Koukoulas said the decline in invoice payment times since 2014 was “spectacular”.

“A combination of savings from record low interest rates, reasonable income growth and ongoing economic expansion mean that firms are well placed to pay their bills more quickly than at any time in many years,” he said.

“The invoice payment times are often viewed as a measure of financial stress for the business sector.

“When firms are slow to pay their bills, they are generally experiencing financial pressures and when payment times fall – as is the case in the past year – they are clearly cashed up.”

Invoice payment times for the third quarter of 2015 showed 66 per cent were paid “promptly” (less than 30 days) and 26 per cent were paid in the period of 31 days to 60 days after the invoice was received.

But though speed was noted by the majority of businesses, there were some laggards.

D&B said five per cent of invoices were not paid until 61 to 90 days after receipt, two per cent were stalled and finally paid in the period 91-120 days and one per cent were paid after 121 days or not at all.

The slowest-paying industry sector was utilities, with an average of 53.7 days – 1.7 days slower than the previous quarter and equal to the same period in 2014.

But if you were involved in the fishing industry, you would have received payment quicker than other industries. It posted the fastest average payment time for the fourth consecutive quarter and is the only one to break into the 30s with an average payment time of 37.2 days.

Mr Malkin said there was no specific data relating directly to the automotive industry, with its data grouped with retail and manufacturing.

Historically, average income payments times for Australian businesses as recorded by Dun & Bradstreet have been around 54 days.

Peaks included the first quarter of 2009 when on the back of poor business and consumer sentiment eroded by the global financial crisis, the payment times averaged close to 58 days – the highest since the start of data collection in late 2006.

It dropped to 52 days in the last quarter of 2009, partially on the protection of bank-secured funds assured by the (then) federal Labor government’s Financial Claims Scheme.

The average peaked to 56 days in early 2011 and again in the first quarter of 2014 but, since then, has taken only a year to slide in its biggest retraction since 2006.

- SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com

GoAuto InBrief

John Mellor’s

Jan 27, 2016 Page 25

www.GoAuto.com.au

Jaguar XE SThe mid-size XE sedan is expected to significantly lift Jaguar’s sales around the world. Expectations for the new model are high, particularly for the flagship of the range, the supercharged XE S. Can Jaguar deliver on its lofty ambitions to compete with the segment-dominating Mercedes-Benz C-Class, BMW 3 Series and the Audi A4, or does it buckle under the weight of expectation?

GoAuto’s latest car review

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

5-star rating for Mercedes GLC, Jaguar XE, Lexus RXBy STUART MARTIN

THE Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has awarded five-star safety ratings to the Mercedes-Benz GLC, Lexus RX and the Jaguar XE.

ANCAP chief executive James Goodwin said the latest results reflected a new era of vehicle safety as the inclusion of standard safety systems such as autonomous emergency braking (AEB) helped eliminate or reduce the severity of a crash.

“With a concerning 7.9 per cent increase in pedestrian fatalities across Australia in 2015 there needs to be a strong focus on vehicle technology to help contribute to reducing this figure,” he said.

The Mercedes GLC mid-size SUV was launched in Australia late last year and tested by Euro NCAP in left-hand-drive form.

It achieved 95 per cent for its adult occupant protection, including full marks for side impact tests, with a driver’s knee airbag added to the front, side and curtain airbag list, while child occupant protection ranked at 89 per cent and pedestrian protection scored 82 per cent.

The Mercedes scored 71 per cent for safety assist, a result that reflects the absence of any standard lane keeping or

departure warning systems.“The GLC is a new model to the

growing SUV market and buyers in this category now have another choice of vehicle offering excellent safety features including AEB, but we would have hoped that lane keeping assistance would be standard,” Mr Goodwin said.

The Jaguar XE mid-size sedan was launched in August last year and, as reported by GoAuto, won the Euro NCAP ‘Best in Class’ award for its segment.

The smallest Jaguar model was tested by Euro NCAP in 2.0 diesel Prestige right-hand-drive form and received full marks for side impact protection and the presence of stability control, seatbelt reminders and lane departure warning.

Its overall adult occupant protection (which includes front, side and curtain airbags) was rated at 92 per cent, with child occupant protection and safety assistance systems both at 82 per cent and pedestrian protection at 81 per cent.

“The Jaguar scored well in physical testing and offers a suite of advanced safety features you would expect in a luxury vehicle including AEB as standard,” Mr Goodwin said.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

‘SAFEST CARS’ IN 2015THE European New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) has released its list of the safest vehicles tested in 2015, with European and Japanese car-makers dominating the annual best-in-class list.

Euro NCAP defines the best in class by calculating the weighted sum of the scores in the categories of adult occupant, child occupant and pedestrian safety, as well as safety assist, which is then used as the basis for vehicle comparison.

In the large off-road category, Volvo’s new-generation XC90 took top honours, scoring 97 per cent for adult occupancy, 87 per cent for child occupant, 72 per cent for pedestrian and 100 per cent for safety assist – thanks to its long list of active safety features.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

RHD RAM CRASH TESTAMERICAN Special Vehicles (ASV) engineers will slam a converted right-hand-drive Ram pick-up into a crash-test wall this month after a postponement to tweak the safety performance of the locally modified truck.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

EURO CAPTUR RECALLRENAULT has recalled about 15,000 Captur compact SUVs in Europe to fix emissions filtering systems of dCi110 diesel engines to improve emissions performance at certain temperatures.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Premium stars

XE

XC90

- SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com

GoAuto Market Insight

John Mellor’s

GoAuto Market Insight – brought to you by Dealer Solutions

DealerSolutions

Means Performance.

Jan 27, 2016 Page 26

By TIM NICHOLSONTHE continued rise in popularity of premium brands Down Under has seen German-built cars come close to overtaking Australian-built vehicles in terms of new-vehicle sales, despite the fact that the country of origin of premium cars is increasingly from outside their home market.

With Volkswagen’s strong sales growth and upper-echelon premium marques – Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, for example – entering more affordable segments such as small crossovers and small passenger cars, buyers are beginning to turn away from Australian or Asian-built cars in favour of higher-end brands.

VFACTS figures show that 97,443 Australian-built cars were sold in 2015, representing a decline of 3.0 per cent over 2014, compared with 87,894 German-built vehicles – a figure that marked a 4.9 per cent rise over the previous year.

This difference between the two countries narrows the gap to a strikingly close 9549 vehicles. In 2014, the difference was 16,657 sales, a year earlier it was 42,627, while in 2012 the gap was 53,965. Track a little further back, to 2009, and the distance between the two countries of origin was a cavernous 86,876 units.

We should note that there are non-

German brands including Ford and Holden which source vehicles from Germany, such as the Opel-built Insignia sedan and ST versions of the Ford Fiesta and Focus (with the forthcoming Focus RS joining them this year).

However, the volumes here are relatively small and Germany’s rise as a country of origin is largely the result of Audi, BMW and Mercedes increasing in popularity.

Mercedes was again knocking on the door of the top-10 best-sellers in 2015 with 36,374 units (+14 per cent), BMW reached a best-ever 25,022 units (+10.1 per cent) and Audi also hit a record high of 23,088 sales (+20.1 per cent).

While these three brands trade on their German build quality and design, a number of their best-selling models are not built in their home country.

Mercedes’ top-selling C-Class, for example, is built in South Africa and made a major impact on the Australian market last year with 9373 sales – enough to give it a dominant 36.1

per cent share of the mid-size (over $60,000) segment and to place second in the entire medium-car market behind the Australian-built Camry.

Its key rival, the BMW 3 Series, is also built in South Africa, although as with Mercedes’ popular AMG stable, BMW’s high-performance M models are built in Germany.

Unsurprisingly, sales of South African-built cars grew by 50 per cent last year, up from 13,588 in 2014 to 20,401.

Among the variety of countries that build cars for Mercedes, BMW and/or Audi are Slovakia, Belgium, Hungary, Spain, the United States and Mexico.

The slide in sales of Australian-built cars has been well documented and the closure of the manufacturing operations of Ford in October this year, and GM Holden and Toyota a year later, all but guarantees the downward trend will continue.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

German-built cars on riseJapan still the top sourceof new-vehicle sales herebut the market is shifting

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

400,000

450,000

Australia Japan South Korea Thailand South Africa

2015

20132014

20122011

Country of origin sales in Australia 2011-2015

Germany

HELPING DEALERS SINCE 1992DIGITAL STRATEGY

WEBSITESINVENTORY MANAGEMENT

LEAD MANAGEMENTPHOTOGRAPHY

DEALERSHIP SOFTWARE

FIND OUT MORE1300 66 11 33 dealersolutions.com.au

Green issues in the auto worldGoAuto Green

John Mellor’s

- SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com

GoAuto Green – brought to you by Titan DMS

Jan 27, 2016 Page 27

By RON HAMMERTONAUDI is preparing to shuffle production locations for several of its European-built models to accommodate its first all-electric vehicle, a large SUV called the E-tron Quattro in its concept form, at its Belgium plant in 2018.

The German company will also make electric vehicle batteries for the entire Volkswagen Group at the Brussels plant, which currently builds the baby of the Audi range, the A1.

In a game of automotive dominoes, A1 production will be shifted to Audi’s Martorell plant in Spain, while Q3 SUV production will be transferred from Spain to Hungary’s Gyor factory.

German automotive unions are not thrilled about Ingolstadt’s decision to build the EV outside of its home country, but Audi AG chairman Rupert Stadler said the model redistribution would protect jobs, enhance production efficiency and strengthen all of the sites involved.

“It will allow us to utilise further synergies within the Volkswagen Group

and to bundle key competencies,” he said.

The name of the final production version has not yet been confirmed, with Audi only referring to it as an electric-driven SUV that will sit between Q5 and Q7. The Q6 moniker has been bandied around by some journalists.

Revealed in concept form at the 2015 Frankfurt motor show in September, the production version of E-tron Quattro will be powered by three electric motors packing up to 370kW of power that can propel it from standstill to 100km/h in 4.6 seconds.

Power will be drawn from a 95kWh lithium-ion battery packed flat in the floor, giving it a theoretical single-charge range of up to 500km.

Audi also promises quick battery charging in the production version, but there was no mention of the wireless induction charging featured in the concept.

Audi Australia has already expressed interest in the production version of E-tron Quattro for this market, although the vehicle is more than two years away

from showroom introduction.Senior product communications

executive Shaun Cleary said the success of the plug-in A3 Sportback E-tron that was launched in Australia last August had whet the company’s appetite for more alternative-energy vehicles.

He said about 60 of the petrol-electric hybrid hatchbacks had been sold in Australia since launch – a rate that Audi regarded as a great success.

The E-tron Quattro is likely to be Audi Australia’s second electrified vehicle to market, as the upcoming R8 E-tron is likely to be made only in left-hand drive and in limited numbers.

Further down the track, Audi is exploring hydrogen fuel cell power. This month at the Detroit motor show, it unveiled the H-tron Quattro with such a powertrain capable of 100kW of power.

Based on the E-tron Quattro, the H-tron is said to have a range of 600km from 6kg of hydrogen held at extreme pressure in three composite tanks.

Unlike the E-tron Quattro, no production plans have been announced.

Belgian production forAudi’s first all-electricvehicle to start in 2018

Green light for Audi EV

www.titandms.com.auBRISBANE : +61 07 3166 9907 - PERTH : +61 08 6467 7714 - SYDNEY : +61 02 9016 4139

Call us today

Move your DMS to the cloud,and start enjoying the silver lining

E-tron Quattro concept

GoAuto Personnel

John Mellor’s

- SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com

GoAuto Personnel – brought to you by Motor Staff

Jan 27, 2016 Page 28

STEPHANE LAMARI JOINS FCA AUSTRALIA AS AFTERSALES DIRECTORBy STUART MARTIN

FIAT Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) Australia has appointed a new aftersales director as part of its increasing focus on improving its aftersales and customer service.

Stephane Lamari, 41, has more than 16 years’ experience in the industry and is described by the car-maker as an “experienced parts, service and customer care executive”.

He officially takes up the new position on February 1, reporting directly to FCA Australia president and CEO Pat Dougherty.

Mr Lamari started with FCA in France in 2010 as parts and service marketing director for the Fiat brand after nine years at Renault – including stints in Poland and South Africa –

and two years at automotive glass supplier AGC.

In 2013 he took up the role of Europe commercial director at FCA’s European headquarters in Turin, Italy, and subsequently moved to Montreal, where for the past 14 months he has been leading the service and parts organisations at FCA Canada.

At FCA Australia, Mr Lamari replaces Tim Stuckey who left the company late last year after starting under former president and CEO Veronica Johns in mid-2013.

“Stephane has the right mix of experience and credentials to help lead both our aftersales team and organisation alike,” Mr Dougherty said.

Late last year the company began to implement changes partly brought about by the Australian Competition

and Consumer Commission’s investigation into its treatment of customer complaints under its previous management, covering a two-year period between the start of 2013 and the end of 2014.

Among the changes made to the company’s processes and staffing was to increase parts

storage and improve supply, double the number of district parts managers and service managers, expand the dealer assistance centre and create a dedicated “resolutions team” for resolving complex customer issues.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

Stephane Lamari

Australia’s

RecruiterNo.1

AutomotiveSam Barbagallo

sam@motorsta�.com.au1300 666 562 www.motorsta�.com.au

Southern Region Recruitment Consultant

MAZDA NAMES 2015 MASTER DEALER EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERSBy TERRY MARTIN

MAZDA Australia has announced its Master Dealer Excellence Award winners for 2015, revealing the names of 17 top-performing retailers last week ahead of a ceremony in Sydney early in March.

The Master Dealer scheme is divided into groups based on sales volume and business targets – in this case, Metro 1, 2, 3 and Provincial and Rural – across the national network.

As was the case last year, Victorian dealers led the field, with six winners of the coveted award, while Queensland was close behind on five, New South Wales next with four and South Australia with two.

Dealers from Western Australia, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory did

not feature in the 2015 awards. The standout performers in Metro 1

were, in alphabetical order, Essendon Mazda (Vic), Grand Prix Mazda (Qld), John Newell Mazda (NSW), Max Kirwan Mazda (Vic), Ringwood Mazda (Vic) and West End Mazda (NSW), while Metro 2 winners were City Mazda (SA), Graeme Powell Mazda (Vic), Paradise Motors Mazda (SA) and Sutherland Mazda (NSW).

There were two Master Dealers for 2015 in Metro 3 – Queensland’s Key Motors (Townsville) and Wippells

Autos (Toowoomba) – while provincial winners were Ballarat City Mazda (Vic), Bendigo Mazda (Vic) and Nowra Mazda (NSW).

The two rural award winners were both in Queensland: Mareeba Mazda and Southern Downs Mazda.

For Grand Prix and Wippells, these two top-performing dealerships have now achieved ‘Master Dealer’ status for the 22nd consecutive year in the program that has been running since 1994.

The award is based on key performance index (KPI) data across all aspects of the business – including customer satisfaction, business performance, facilities and “compliance with Mazda Australia business standards” – with assessment conducted both on-site at the dealership and at Mazda Australia headquarters.

Grand Prix Mazda

- SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com

GoAuto New Car Diary

John Mellor’s

Jan 27, 2016 Page 29

GoAuto New Car Diary – brought to you by CarsGuide

JANLAUNCH

FULL NEW CAR DIARY: CLICK HERE

BMW X1 sDrive

BMW X4 xDrive35d

Ford Mustang

Kia Sportage

Mercedes-Benz A-Class

The all-paw versions of the latest BMW X1 crossover arrived in October and now a pair of front-wheel-drive variants – the sDrive18d and sDrive20i – have landed as the range openers.

CarsGuide lets everyone see your name and location in a listing, without them having to call or fill in a form. This is good for consumers, and even better for you, as research shows that 48% of consumers will travel 10km or less to a dealership* when purchasing a car.

Call our Dealer Customer Service team on 1300 662 133 to find out more.

100% of our users see your name and location up front.

EVERYONE'S HAPPY!

*Source: CarsGuide Pay Per View Research, hubinsights April 2015*Source: CarsGuide Pay Per View Research, hubinsights April 2015

Subaru shows off new Levorg sports wagon at Tour Down Under in South AustraliaBy TIM ROBSON

SUBARU Australia has prised a single example of its forthcoming Levorg wagon from Japan to complement its large-scale sponsorship of the Tour Down Under cycling event in Adelaide.

The ivory white automatic wagon – on display in central Adelaide last weekend – is being used as an evaluation vehicle for local consumption, and has been equipped with a selection of parts from the company’s STI catalogue.

No firm details on Australian specification or prices were forthcoming, but at least one Levorg was sold via deposit last Thursday, despite the customer not knowing the final pricing.

If the retail pricing of the WRX is any indication, the base Levorg could retail somewhere between $45,000 and $47,000, which means an upmarket version could crest $50,000 before on-road costs when it arrives in showrooms in mid-2016.

Aftermarket dampers, springs and a front strut tower brace are complemented by 18-inch Enkei lightweight alloys, while new front and rear under-spoilers and side skirts are joined by a larger exhaust and drilled brake rotors.

Inside, Alcantara-like material covers the small-diameter steering wheel and

has also been used for seat inserts and the gearshift surround. The rear hatch space is generous, with a low loading lip, wide sills and additional storage under the boot floor, although this may make way for a full-size spare tyre in the Australian-spec car.

The rear seats can also be lowered by small switches in the load space.

Subaru Australia has offered similarly equipped cars in the past, including the Liberty by STI in the mid-2000s, with mechanical and chassis upgrades that do not amount to a full STI update.

The single Aussie example of the Levorg is based roughly on the Japanese GT version, and is equipped with a 2.0-litre turbocharged boxer four and a continuously variable transmission.

Subaru Australia has indicated that the local version will come in two states of engine tune: one with a 2.0-litre and the second possibly with a 2.2-litre version of the same engine.

At 201kW, the Aussie-spec Levorg – essentially a WRX from the B-pillar forward – is 20kW shy of the Japanese-spec car, an anomaly blamed on fuel octane rating differences between the two countries.

Subaru Australia suggests that the Levorg – visually similar in the load space to the company’s Outback but with a slightly narrower aperture – fills the space in the range left by the Liberty GT wagon.

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE