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New car sales highest in 21 months
Latest statistics might show that used import vehicle sales in June were up 27 percent on the same month in 2009 but that’s probably more a reflection of how bad things were a year ago than an indication that the market is recovering.
Many dealers say the market
is flat and has been since towards the end of March.
That position reflected by a graph of used import sales which shows them cresting 8000 in March, slumping in April, recovering a little in May and levelling off in June.
Figures for June show 7402 used
import sales which was 27 percent above the 5406 for June 2009, but a far cry from 2006 when numbers were pushing towards 12,000.
Auckland dealer Rod Milner, a founding member of the IMVDA (now the IMVIA) and one of the highest profile used import retailers since the early years of
FieLdays and the associated advertising campaigns saw new car sales reach 5,876 units, the highest sales figure for almost two years. And with the focus on Fieldays, the new commercials market was also strong, with 23 per cent growth on May 2010.
“We had expected the improvements that we’ve seen in the early part of the year to be maintained, but the surge in sales in June has probably surprised most people,” said the Motor Trade Association’s Marketing and Communications General
Manager Ian Stronach.“In recent years June has
regularly provided good sales results, particularly in the commercial sector, and this year is no exception. Fieldays inevitably provides a boost for sales, more so nowadays, with many distributors starting their promotional programmes early, and extending coverage to a wide range of vehicles. While it has a farm orientation, the stimulus it provides obviously affects all sectors of the market.”
Likewise Perry Kerr, Chief
Executive Officer of the Motor Industry Association is encouraged by the numbers. “At the beginning of the year we were forecasting around 10% growth on 2009 numbers. So far this year we are 17.4 % ahead. We have now had six continuous months of growth in new car sales so we are hopeful that we have well and truly turned the corner on 2009”.
Toyota had a particularly good month, dominating the new car market with 23 per cent market share. Toyota General Manager of Sales and Operations Steve Prangnell
was pleased with the result.“We were up nearly 48 per cent
versus June last year, though a little bit of that is to do with seasonality of some of our fleet sales. We did 421 RAV4’s, of that about 270 were the beginning of the winter rental season, and we put 160 odd Prados in for the ski season as well.
“SUVs are up about 60 per cent for the whole segment this year, and there’s a lot of new product activity from other manufacturers. We’re seeing customers moving into SUV away from the large car, we’re selling a lot more into
The voice of the auto industry 8 July 2010
Quiet and patchy used car market
continued on page 16
Autofile is now published twice per month and sent COMPLIMENTARY to over 1400 auto industry and associated businesses throughout New Zealand
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The voice of the auto industry
continued on page 15
Falconturns 50 p.19
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Auckland 13 Jul - Tauranga 16 Jul - Napier 16 Jul- Wellington 15 Jul - Lyttelton 16 Jul
ISOLDE V4Sakaisenboku 2 Jul - Yokohama 3 Jul - Auckland 24 Jul
MAGIC WIND V23Sakaisenboku 15 Jul - Nagoya 16 Jul - Kawasaki 17 Jul -
Auckland 3 Aug - Tauranga 7 Aug - Napier 7 Aug- Wellington 5 Aug - Lyttelton 6 Aug
CARRERA V2Sakaisenboku 27 Jul - Nagoya 28 Jul - Yokohama 30 Jul -
Auckland 13 Aug - Tauranga 16 Aug - Napier 16 Aug- Wellington 15 Aug - Lyttelton 16 Aug
MADAME BUTTERFLY V2Sakaisenboku 29 Jul - Nagoya 30 Jul - Yokohama 31 Jul - Auckland 24 Aug
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ASIAN VENTURE V11Nagoya 29 Mar Yokohama 31 Mar
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TOKYO CAR V1Sakaisenboku 26 Apr Nagoya 27 Apr Yokohama 30 Apr
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www.autofile.co.nz | 3
Oh to be a bureaucrat
the commerce Commission was helpful enough last week to send out an email “reminding businesses of their obligation under the Fair Trading Act not to mislead consumers about the reasons for price increases.”
It goes on to explain that while businesses are not required by law to explain to customers the reasons for rising prices, if a customer asks, it is against the law to give a reason that is untrue or misleading.
With GST rising, this could create a situation where businesses blame GST for price rises, believes Commerce Commission Enforcement Manager Greg Allan.
“Even if a business does not explicitly state that they have put prices up because of the rise in GST, they must take care not to create the misleading impression that GST is the sole reason for the price increase if the increase is more than the extra GST,” he said.
Perhaps the Commerce Commission is worried that businesses will use subliminal cues to make customers believe that increased costs are due to Government taxes, rather than the real cause, for example, rising steel costs, or workers’ wages.
From a consumer perspective,
no one really wants to know the thousand little real costs that go into a loaf of bread, or a car. In the current environment, people accept that price rises are a fact of life.
All costs are rising, whether fuel, Government taxes, rates, or the ETS. With fuel prices up, and rising again in October, it’s likely that the costs of transportation will rise, and food prices amongst others will follow.
People accept this inflation; at the same time, the recession has sharpened people’s instincts for what is a fair price. In this economy, people will shop around, work out the best deal, and compare figures online. Then once they’ve found the lowest price they’ll try get a lawnmower thrown into the deal for free.
It’s a brave business owner who decides to increase prices on a whim and chalk them up as GST. But I doubt that any businesses would be scared of the Commerce Commission’s threat to investigate breaches of the Fair Trading Act. More likely, it is the prospect of having no customers that will be keeping prices low.
Stian Overdahl Editor
editor’s note
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Copyright: Published twice monthly by: 4Media, PO Box 6222, Dunedin 9059 All statements made, although based on information believed to be accurate and reliable, cannot be guaranteed, and no liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions. Reproduction of autofile in whole or part, without written permission, whether by xerography or any other means, is strictly forbidden. All rights reserved.
EditorStian Overdahl editor@autofile.co.nz 021 247 7782
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across the ditch dealers generally operate in an information void, and are aghast to learn we can get the owner of vehicle by querying the plate or VIN. But here in NZ, MVR information has always been available, and is a critical tool for the motor industry.
Later this year several changes come into effect that will affect the industry:
• Name and address information becomes restricted, with only those with “authorised access” able to obtain it
• Any vehicle owner may ‘opt out’ of having their name and address available- even to authorised parties
Thankfully the NZ motor industry has the likes of the IMVIA, MTA and MIA, who are proactive and forthright when it comes to representing the views and needs of the motor industry to the Government. We’d like to think we’ve done our bit too, lobbying strongly on behalf of our customers and presenting to the select committee on the changes to MVR information access.
As the main supplier of MVR information to the industry, we plan on being able to continue to supply this information, essential to running your businesses effectively.
the nZta have announced funding for New Zealand’s largest ever roading project, the $2 billion Waterview link.
The link is expected to reduce congestion, including for freight traffic passing through Auckland.
At its peak the project will create over 1,000 jobs in construction-related activities, says NZTA chief executive Geoff Dangerfield.
“This is an ideal time to tender as the current economic conditions enable us to get the best market prices. It confirms our commitment to deliver the project as quickly as possible and with the best value for money,” said Dangerfield.
The tender process is being conducted at the same time as the consent process, which could save up to a year on the construction timetable.
It is hoped that construction will start as early as October next year, with the project
finished by 2016. The 4.5 kilometre connection
will link the Southwestern motorway (SH20) with the Northwestern motorway (SH16). The connection will include 2.5 kilometres of tunnels, with three lanes travelling each way.
Work will also be done to improve the capacity of the Northwestern motorway between Westgate and St Lukes.
Ultimately the connection will complete the Western Ring Route, providing an alternative 48km connection between the Auckland Harbour Bridge and State Highway 1.
Completing the Western Ring Route is one of the Government’s seven Roads of National Significance Projects, which have been identified as being key road projects to support and enable economic growth for the country.
Road Transport Forum chief executive Ken Shirley said the
the VinZ AGM was held in Auckland on June 29th. Shareholder attendance was good, a reflection of the renewed interest in the company and its sound financial performance after the first year’s trading as an Investor owned entity, says General Manager Frank Willet.
Of note, Andre Blenkiron, a VINZ Director of six and a half years, retired by rotation and has been replaced by David Weir. Weir has an extensive background in the automotive and used vehicle import industry and is also currently on the IMVIA Executive.
Issues raised by shareholders mainly revolved around potential threats to the used
import industry (ESC, Emissions Rule, Chinese vehicles). VINZ management is well aware of these potential threats and will be working with the wider industry to mitigate the effects both on the industry and the company, says Willet.
VINZ holds Annual General Meeting
news
Road project to ease Auckland congestion
financial commitment to the road would be welcome news to trucking operators.
“It is a vital step in easing the
congestion that has increasingly plagued all Auckland road users and trucking operators for many years,” he said.
Frank Willett
MVR access information
www.autofile.co.nz | 5
aussie manuFacturer, Holden, is signalling renewed confidence by announcing that a second shift will resume at its Elizabeth, South Australia, factory in November.
Holden went to a single shift in April 2009 to protect jobs as the global recession bit and export demand for Holdens fell by around 50,000 vehicles.
In the single shift, employees alternated work, ranging from one week on-one week off, to one week off in 12.
Holden manufacturing chief, Martyn Cray, says the last 18 months were “very tough for our industry, but bringing back a second shift and returning employees to full-time work is an important step in rebuilding our manufacturing business.”
Holden is installing equipment
to start making the mid-sized Cruze at Elizabeth, along with the Series II VE Commodore.
Cray says good support from employees, the unions, suppliers
and the Federal and South Australian governments “allowed us to rebuild the business and be sustainable for the long term.”Holden anticipates hiring extra
workers “to support the second shift in the short term with the potential to increase employment further when demand significantly increases,” says Cray.
the GoVernment has established the GST Advisory Panel, to help businesses implement the new 15 per cent GST rate.
Independent of both the Government and Inland Revenue, the panel is made up of a mix of industry and tax and legal experts, and is designed to provide businesses with a forum to voice any concerns and provide feedback about the implementation of the GST rate increase.
The panel will report to the Government on any particular problems arising out of the change over, or any industry-specific concerns.
The panel will also provide regular comment on key issues affecting businesses, including:
Contracts that the span the GST
introduction date of 1 October. An important issue is the “time of supply” of goods and services as the time of supply will determine if the appropriate GST rate is 12.5% or 15%. This is particularly important when goods or services are supplied during a period that includes the GST rate change date. This for example includes insurance contracts where the invoice for the insurance is issued prior to the date of the GST change, but payments are made monthly over a twelve month period.
Similar issues in respect of both operating and financing leases that are entered into prior to the GST change date, but which continue after 1 October 2010, for example motor vehicle leases.
Submissions can be made at www.gstadvisory.govt.nz
Holden adding second shift at factory
GST forum for businesses
Trans Future 7 Voyage 38Osaka 5 July, Nagoya 6 July, Kawasaki 10 July,
Auckland 28 July, lyttelton 30 July, wellington 31 July, Nelson 1 Aug.
Trans Future 5 Voyage 42Osaka 17 July, Nagoya 20 July, Kawasaki 24 July,
Auckland 12 Aug, lyttelton 14 Aug, wellington 15 Aug, Nelson 16 Aug.
Trans Future 6 Voyage 39Osaka 2 Aug, Nagoya 3 Aug, Kawasaki 7 Aug,
Auckland 25 Aug, lyttelton 27 Aug, wellington 28 Aug, Nelson 29 Aug.
news
Last month we reported on the Isuzu Utes D-Max launch at the Fieldays. The article incorrectly listed the number of dealers as 8; Isuzu Utes have 22 dealers nationwide.
The Isuzu D-Max and Swazi brand partnership also featured in the article. D-Max and Swazi are brand partners and will continue to work together long-term.
correction
6 | www.autofile.co.nz
VehicLe runninG costs have increased, with the Emissions Trading Scheme and new ACC levy applying from July 1. And petrol prices will rise again on October 1, when 15 percent GST and a new petrol excise tax come into force.
The ETS on liquid fuels and electricity came into effect July 1, resulting in a increased tax on petrol and diesel.
AA’s Petrolwatch Spokesperson Mark Stockdale, says the increase was in line with their expectations.
“Petrol and diesel have both gone up three cents a litre, and this appears to be pretty consistent around the country.
This is what we had calculated, so the oil companies have only passed on what is expected.”
However Stockdale believes that the relatively small increase won’t have much affect on motorists. “The thing about the ETS is that it is a three cent increase, and that’s about the normal fluctuation we’re used to seeing on fuel prices from week to week. They might go up or they might go down. Our concern is that the three cent increase attributable to the ETS doesn’t send any kind
of meaningful price signal to motorists, because they’re used to variable prices.”
“What actually motivates motorists to reduce their consumption or to modify their driving behaviour is the net price of fuel. The net price of fuel is currently high enough, but you have to ask whether three cents on its own will make any difference. Our concern is that we have other tax increases coming later this year in October, we’ve got a GST rise and an excise increase on petrol, that’s going to add seven cents a litre on October 1, and those taxes will have more of an increase than the ETS will.”
Vehicle registration costs have also risen, with the ACC levy portion increased from July 1, a consequence of the costs ACC faces for claims on road accidents. The increases are most noticeable for motorbikes and diesel vehicles, with owners of petrol cars paying an extra $30 a year.
The ACC portion of registration for motorbikes of 601cc and over increased from $252 to $426. The increases came as a result of the high accident rate among motorcyclists, says
ACC. In 2008/09 ACC paid more than $62 million for motorcycle riders, but collected only $12.3 million in levies from them. Motorcycle riders are 16 times more likely to be involved in a road crash than any other road users and are far more likely to be seriously injured, says ACC.
The categories for mopeds and motorcycles was changed, by grouping mopeds and motorcycles together and introducing three sub-classes for 0-125 cc, 126-600 cc and 601+ cc cycles.
The Bikers Rights Organisation of New Zealand (BRONZ) recently held a rally on Queen’s Wharf in Auckland
to protest the move, and is planning further actions. Spokesperson Les Mason says that bikers are being unfairly targeted by the ACC levy. “If you fall off your horse, off a jet ski, or off a ladder, that’s just taken as ‘accidents happen’. Motorcyclists are the only group singled out for such specific attention.”
Mason doesn’t give much weight to ACC’s claim that motorcyclists have more accidents. “Lots of people indulge in activities that have
a potential for hurting them, rugby is an obvious example, and skiing is another one. Rugby players have a lot of accidents, but I don’t see a lot of attention given to levying them.”
ACC claims that in 60 per cent of accidents involving a motorcycle, the motorcyclist bore all or some of the fault. This draws Mason’s ire. “You have to determine what ‘at fault’ means. 60 per cent of accidents involving motorcyclists have some degree of fault by the motorcyclist, which means there may also be some fault by the other person involved. And ‘at fault’ has included things like not wearing a high-visibility jacket, because they say that a jacket had been worn then maybe the accident wouldn’t have happened. So ‘at fault’ is a very nebulous claim. But the whole point is that ACC is a no fault system, so why on a no-fault system are ACC basing their increases on claims of fault?”
Mason believes that the increased costs will factor into purchasing decisions.
“The keen enthusiast will live with it, but it will deter the ride-to-work motorcyclist, since often that is an economic decision, where the cost of a motorcycle is weighed against his car. Less motorcycles means more congestion on the roads, so a very socially irresponsible attitude by ACC we think.”
Diesel vehicles also saw significant increases, with ACC levies on trucks rising from $302 to $467. The larger increases on diesel vehicles is a reflection that they are more likely to be used for business purposes, and since petrol has an ACC levy paid at the pump, says ACC spokesperson Fiona Robinson.
ACC and Climate Change Minister Nick Smith has down-played the increased costs, saying the ETS on electricity and petrol would add about $3 per week for a family, and ACC $1.
ACC portion of Registration fee
Vehicle Type Old cOsT ($)New cOsT
As OF July 1sT ($)iNcReAse
Petrol car 168.46 198.46 18%
Petrol Vintage/veteran vehicles and tractors 58.97 69.46 18%
Petrol Moped 58.97 129.24 119%
Petrol motorcycles up to 600cc 252.69 327.7 30%
Petrol motorcycles 601cc and over 252.69 426.92 69%
Petrol goods service vehicles 168.46 238.15 41%
Non-petrol car 279.09 311.38 12%
Non-Petrol Vintage/veteran vehicles & tractors 97.68 108.98 12%
Non-Petrol Moped 97.68 163.12 67%
Non-Petrol motorcycles up to 600cc 392.09 361.58 -8%
Non-Petrol motorcycles 601cc and over 392.09 460.08 17%
Non-petrol goods service vehicles (trucks) 302.32 467.08 54%
Increased costs for motorists
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www.autofile.co.nz | 7
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ETS Proposal: SGG exemption for importing up to 110 cars
austraLian new-car dealers have had their best June ever, says the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI).
Dealers sold 108,722 passenger cars, SUVs and commercial vehicles in June, up 5.7 percent (5875 vehicles) on the same month in 2009.
The result eclipses the previous June monthly record, set in 2008, by 2181 to become the highest selling month in Australian automotive history.
FCAI boss, Andrew McKellar, says it is “a clear demonstration of renewed confidence in the marketplace. It’s encouraging to see that private buyers have returned to the market in greater numbers and have taken over the momentum previously attributed to business sales.”
Year-to-date, Aussie dealers have sold 531,168 new vehicles, a 16.7 percent increase over the first
six months of 2009.“Given the stronger than
expected state of the market over the past six months, the industry has upgraded its annual sales forecast to in excess of 980,000 units – up from our original forecast of 940,000 sales,” McKellar says.
“This is a positive yet cautious outlook for the second half of the year, as we assess the impact of factors on the market such as previous interest rate increases.”
SUVs have been the strongest performers during the first six months of 2010 with an increase of 30.8 percent, followed by passenger cars (up 15.8 percent), heavy commercials (up 8.8 percent) and light commercials (a 5.8 percent increase).
Toyotas sold best, taking 20.2 percent of the market, followed by Holden (12.9 percent) and Ford (9.3 percent).
Aussie car market hits new record
the ministry for the Environment is currently consulting with the industry on the synthetic gas component of the Emissions Trading Scheme.
The consultation period ends on July 23, and submissions on the proposed regulations can be made on their website www.climatechange.govt.nz
At issue are the Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC’s) found in vehicle air-conditioning units. While newer vehicles have less of the gas, for the purpose of the MfE’s draft proposal the average car is considered to have an amount of HFC equivalent to slightly less than a tonne of carbon.
The MfE has noted that in an average year, there are around 500 or 600 separate importers of vehicles. This number of importers would create onerous compliance
and bureaucratic costs for the Ministry, and to this end they are proposing an exemption up to an equivalent 100 tonnes of carbon, equivalent to approximately 110 cars imported per year.
The MfE believes that if exemption were set at 100 tonnes carbon (110 cars), this would mean that approximately 200 importers would come under the scheme, who are responsible for 85% of the cars brought into the country. Thus while the majority of vehicle importers would be exempted, the majority of vehicles imported would still fall under the ETS.
For any importer importing below the threshold, there would be no requirement to report on their activity. For those importing above the threshold, reporting and surrendering of carbon credits
would be mandatory. At the time of printing it
seemed that the MTA, MIA and IMVIA would make a joint submission on behalf of the motor industry.
The motor industry will be required to report its emissions by 1 January 2012 and will have a liability from 1 January 2013, when the SGG components of the ETS comes into effect.
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Volvo deal – doneIt’s been on-again, off-again, and this time it looks as if the Ford-Geely deal for the buy-out of Volvo is sign, sealed and delivered. Geely has bought the Swedish brand for $US1.8 billion ($NZ2.5b), China’s biggest overseas auto purchase. Ford will continue to supply powertrains, stamping and other parts to Volvo after the sale.
Chrysler reopens yardsChrysler Group, reversing an earlier stance, says it will offer to reinstate 50 closed US dealerships within the next few days. Letters of intent will be sent to 50 of the estimated 400 rejected dealerships that have applied to get their franchises back through arbitration, Chrysler says in a statement. They “are in locations that offer customer service bene� ts and will have limited adverse impact on the dealers within our current network,” says Chrysler. The National Automobile Dealers Association says “it is a move in the right direction”.
Toyota supplies MazdaMazda Motor Corp will introduce a midsize hybrid vehicle by 2013 based on core components supplied by Toyota Motor Corp, the Nikkei Business Daily reports. The two automakers reached an agreement under which Toyota will supply the Toyota Hybrid System II (THS II), currently used in the third-generation Prius. The deal will enable Mazda to tap the growing demand for hybrids sooner than otherwise possible. For Toyota, the arrangement will help lower related production costs through economies of scale.
Fiat wants moreFiat CEO Sergio Marchionne says the Italian automaker will increase its stake in Chrysler to 35% within two years. The � rst 5% increment could come as early as this year after Chrysler begins making engines for the Fiat 500 in Dundee, west of Monroe. The subsequent two purchases will depend on increasing Chrysler’s distribution outside the US and assembling a new fuel-ef� cient car in the US, he says.
Driver magazine soldFairfax Magazines has purchased Driver magazine and will merge it with New Zealand Autocar from the May issue. John Baker, of former Driver publisher Tangible Media, says: “The publishing landscape has changed and it became clear to us that the market in New Zealand was no longer able to support two magazines devoted to new cars.”
news
| www.auto� le.co.nz8
news
Lexus recall to affects 185 New Zealand ownersToyota have announced a worldwide recall that will affect 270,000 vehicles, including seven luxury Lexus models and the Toyota Crown.
Routine long-term reliability testing at the factory in Japan discovered a manufacturing flaw in some springs, which could cause abnormal engine noise or unstable idling, Lexus said.
The fault is not known to have caused any accidents.Debbie Pattullo, National Manager for Lexus New Zealand, says the
springs will be replaced over the next few months, purely to remove the possibility of future problems.
She said customers will be notified of the recall early next week, but can still use their cars as normal.
“While no problems have been reported, and the chances of an incident are remote, Lexus wants to replace the springs so it can be confident no future problems will occur.”
Toyota New Zealand sells five models of the Lexus vehicle being recalled.
Motorists rank efficiency, not environmentA survey of Australian motorists has found that the importance of fuel costs far outweigh environmental concerns.
The Colmar Brunton poll was designed to gauge buyers’ attitudes towards hybrid cars.
The survey, involving people planning on buying a new car in the next four years, asked them to choose between good fuel economy and an environmentally-friendly car. 81 per cent of respondents said that good fuel economy was important, while just 11 per cent nominated the environment, the remainder undecided.
However when asked whether they would consider buying a hybrid, just 19 per cent said no, while 43 per cent said yes and 38 per cent were undecided.
When asked if they would seriously consider buying a hybrid car if costs were similar to an ordinary petrol car, 47 per cent said yes, 37 per cent were undecided and 16 per cent would still not.
General Motors sales in China top the U.S.For the first time in its 102 year history GM has sold more vehicles in a single market outside of the US. GM sold 1.21 million vehicles in China in the six months ending June 30, against 1.08 million in the U.S.
The strength of China’s domestic market is proving a boon to carmakers worldwide. Government stimulus measures helped vehicle sales in China last year increase 46 per cent to 13.6 million. For the same year auto sales in the U.S. fell 21 per cent to 10.4 million, the lowest since 1982.
Black box for carsComputer chip maker Intel are developing a black box system for cars, which would record crash data including speed, breaking and steering, as well as video footage of inside and outside the vehicle.
In the event of a crash the data would help insurance companies determine liability, and police would be able to monitor dangerous driving.
Intel would also like to develop the technology to enable driver assist, including using cameras to recognise road signs, and other features such as scanning for potholes and alerting road authorities of road surface conditions.
www.autofile.co.nz | 9
renauLt makes hardly a blip on the New Zealand car sales radar, but the French giant produces some impressive performance hatchbacks and begins selling a funky droptop minicar, the Wind, in Europe this month.
Based on the Clio 2 RS chassis, the new 3830mm two-seater coupe-roadster fits between the Twingo and Clio in the Renault range.
It’s offered in two versions, both with five-speed manual gearboxes and front-wheel drive.
The TCe 100 has a turbocharged 1150cc engine developing 74kW and the 1.6 16V has a naturally-aspirated 98kW 1598cc four-cylinder.
Renault quotes 0-100km/h times of 10.5 and 9.2 seconds and top speeds of 190km/h and 201km/h for the two models.
Buyers can choose between two tyre/wheel packages, 195/45s on 16-inch wheels and 205/40s on 17-inchers.
The hardtop roof is lowered
electrically, pivoting at the rear and folding into the top of the boot without impinging on luggage space, which at 270 litres is ballpark with the Clio hatch’s.
Renault says the Wind is intended as an affordable coupe/roadster. It’s building it in right- and left-hand versions, though no word yet on whether we’ll see it here.
new ZeaLand gets its first look at Land Rover’s first-ever two-wheel drive model, the Evoque, late next year.
The Evoque, marketed in two- and four-wheel drive versions, joins the Range Rover line-up, and is the smallest, lightest and most fuel-efficient Range Rover ever. It’s
based on the LRX concept vehicle.Land Rover boss, Phil Popham, says
the compact SUV won’t skimp on luxury. “Customers can be confident it will be premium, luxurious and just as special as the other Range Rovers.”
He expects its styling, compact size, fuel
For the first time, Subaru’s Impreza WRX STi will be available with an automatic gearbox when the 2011 model goes on sale here in September.
The five-speed auto version joins the 221kW manual six-speed in the STI line-up which will also include a four-door sedan for the first time since the current model
was launched.Subaru NZ boss, Graeme
Woodlands, says the auto gearbox – which has a paddle-shift manual override – will widen the STi’s appeal, especially for drivers who use their cars in commuter traffic.
The 2011 STI gets stiffer wide-track suspension, new design alloy wheels and dramatic wide-body
Automatic joins STi range
Funky Renault two-seat droptop
Mini Range Rover revealed
new cars
styling. There’s no horsepower change but expect lower torque output on the auto model to reduce strain on the transmission
The less-powerful WRX picks up
the wide-body look for 2011 but is availed only as a six-speed manual.
Subaru NZ hasn’t announced full specs and prices for the new high-performance Imprezas.
economy and low emissions to appeal to “a new group of customers who may not have considered a Range Rover product before.”
Popham says the Evoque is “a true global car” that will be sold in more than 160 countries.
Land Rover will build the Evoque in its factory at Halewood, near Liverpool, creating 1000 new jobs.
It revealed the Evoque at a function in London last week celebrating the Range Rover brand’s 40th birthday. It launches the Evoque at the Paris motor show in September.
10 | www.autofile.co.nz
law . bd
law . Problem solver bd
Bruce Dell Law – “problem solver”
autofi le are delighted to have Bruce as part of the Autofi le team advising our readers on the lessons to be learned from past Motor Vehicle Disputes Tribunal casesIf you require legal advice give Bruce a call on 09 570 5036
Bruce Dell Law – “problem solver”Bruce Dell has been closely associated with the auto industry for 37 years, during this time he has handled many complex legal issues on behalf of dealers both in Auckland and Palmerston North
autofi le are delighted to have Bruce as part of the Autofi le team advising our readers on past Motor Vehicle Disputes Tribunal cases. If you require legal advice give Bruce a call on 09 570 5036
Navara engine failure a fault of poor servicingBackgroundOn 12th April 2006 the purchaser in the course of starting a business providing general rural services to NZ lifestyle block owners purchased a 2002 Nissan Navara 3.0 4WD diesel truck from the trader for $29,995. 38 months later the vehicle suffered a major engine failure.
The purchaser says that the trader, through its salesman, assured him the vehicle would be suitable for towing and would be reliable and sound. The purchaser says the trader also misled him first by failing to tell him when it knew he intended to use the vehicle for heavy towing that the vehicle should be serviced every 5,000 kilometres, and secondly, to replace the diesel injectors at 100,000 kms.
The trader denied that it misrepresented the vehicle to the purchaser, saying that the vehicle’s engine failed because it was not serviced frequently enough and because of poor combustion caused by the worn condition of the injectors.
The evidenceThe purchaser says he told the trader’s salesman that his primary criteria in selecting a vehicle was towing capability. He and the salesman took the vehicle for a test drive during which he says he stressed his plans for his new business and the need for the vehicle to be reliable and a good towing workhorse for some years. The salesman assured him that his requirements regarding engine reliability power and longevity would be met by the vehicle.
The purchaser says that neither the salesman nor the Service Manager drew his attention to the need to
change the engine oil and filter every 5,000kms or that he should have the injectors serviced at 100,000kms or that towing was classified in the service handbook as “severe driving conditions” necessitating oil change every 5,000kms.
The purchaser agreed to buy the vehicle for $29,995, acknowledging that he purchased the vehicle for business, and that the Consumer Guarantees Act would not apply. The vehicle had travelled 57,912kms at the date of sale.
The purchaser had the vehicle serviced once by the trader on 29th May 2006 when its odometer was 60,046kms, but had not had the vehicle serviced by a Nissan dealer since that date. The vehicle was serviced at 72,390kms (a 12,344km interval), at 96,800 (a 24,410km interval) and at 117,000km (a 20,200km interval).
The purchaser claims the vehicle performed well during the three years he used it during which he travelled approximately 66,000kms. A turbo hose blew out at approximately 70,000kms and the vehicle required a new clutch at 97,500kms.
On 27th July 2009 at 124,773kms the engine failed. The vehicle had travelled 66,861kms in the 38 months since it had been sold to the purchaser. The purchaser had the vehicle towed to the trader’s premises, who found there was no compression in # 4 cylinder. Upon removing the cylinder head on 3rd August 2009 it was found that # 4 piston was cracked and the bore was scoured.
Although the vehicle was out of manufacturer’s warranty (it expired on 29th December 2005 three years after sale) the purchaser requested
as a matter of goodwill that the trader or the company ‘E Ltd’ repair the engine at no cost to the purchaser. The trader referred the request to ‘E Ltd’ whose technical staff became involved in the matter. On the 24th August the purchaser met the trader’s management at which time the trader pointed out the service requirement in the handbook and told him the injectors should have been serviced or replaced at 100,000kms.
On 3rd September 2009 ‘E Ltd’ sent the trader and the purchaser a letter offering assistance of 50% of the costs of genuine replacement engine parts which it considered to be more than reasonable because as its letter states “it is apparent that neither a manufacturing nor assembly fault has contributed to the failure”.
The Tribunal’s decisionThe Tribunal did not consider that there was any misrepresentation in failing to draw the purchaser’s attention to the requirement to have the vehicle serviced every 5,000kms, since, firstly, the purchaser was buying the vehicle for use in supporting his tractor based agricultural contracting business and thus ought, as a matter of common sense, to have been aware of the need to regularly service a diesel vehicle and also of the need to read the service handbook and follow its service recommendations. And secondly, because the Tribunal considered that there was no reasonable expectation of disclosure which is the legal test as to when silence amounts to misleading conduct.
The Tribunal therefore
concluded that the trader’s conduct was not capable of being misleading and the purchaser’s claim was dismissed.
Bruce Dell’s CommentThe first case this week involved the sale of a Nissan Nivara and as to its suitability for the purpose of heavy tractor towing. Supposedly, there were assurances given that it would be suitable for towing and be reliable and sound. There were also arguments that the dealer should have advised concerning servicing the vehicle and replacing diesel injectors. The dealer denied any misrepresentation and suggested that the purchaser did not use the vehicle properly nor service it adequately.
The Tribunal considered whether the dealer’s conduct was misleading or deceptive and breached the provisions of the Fair Trading Act. If so, what would be the remedy. Pleasingly the Tribunal did not find the actions of the dealer misleading.
The weight of the evidence seems to have been based on expert evidence which went to the heart of how the vehicle was used and serviced.
Another case where dealers should take diary notes as to what happens with vehicles and the advice they give and the bases upon which they effect sales.
disputes
Why:The purchaser tried to claim that he was misled to the towing capabilities of his Nissan Navara after its engine failed after 38 months
Ruling:The tribunal ruled that because the Navara was for business use, the owner should have been more careful in consulting the service manual
Where: Motor Vehicle Disputes Tribunal, Rotorua.
www.autofile.co.nz | 11
disputes
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Trader blames faulty radiator on purchaser negligenceBackgroundOn 6th April 2010 the purchaser bought a 1991 Toyota Hilux Surf for $3,330 from the trader. The purchaser wished to reject the vehicle because its engine failed. The purchaser also says that the trader misrepresented the vehicle’s condition to him in its advertisement.
The trader argued that the vehicle was supplied to the purchaser by auction so the provisions of the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 do not apply. And that secondly, the purchaser was careless in failing to check to see there was water in the engine and in continuing to drive the vehicle without removing the radiator cap to satisfy himself there was water in the radiator.
The evidenceThe purchaser says that he read the trader’s online advertisement for the vehicle. What attracted his attention was the statement in the advertisement that the trader’s workshop had fitted a new head gasket, new head bolts, new crank and cam seal, new cam belt, new waterpump, new tensioner, new idler, new oil and filter, new coolant and had the radiator flushed and that the vehicle “goes very good”.
The vehicle was advertised for sale with a reserve of $3,350. The purchaser made a bid for the vehicle of $3,333, but the auction closed without the reserve having been met. After the auction closed the purchaser made a telephone call to the trader and orally offered to pay the sum of $3,333 for the vehicle which the trader agreed to accept. The purchaser told
the trader that he would be travelling from his home to pay for and collect the vehicle on Tuesday 6th April following the Easter holiday period.
The purchaser say he drove the vehicle without incident home in the later afternoon of 6th April. He says the vehicle’s gauges did not show the vehicle was overheating. On 7th April while driving the vehicle the purchaser and his sister in law heard a popping sound. The purchaser says that he stopped immediately and when he lifted the bonnet he found the cap from the radiator overflow tank had blown off. He says he topped the radiator overflow tank with water he had in the vehicle and continued for about another 2-3km before the vehicle slowed and stopped. On lifting the bonnet he found the engine was very hot but the radiator was not.
The trader refused to repair the vehicle or refund the purchaser his purchase price because he argued that the vehicle was supplied by auction, and said in addition that the purchaser was told before he took the vehicle away to check the water level, and that the purchaser should not have relied on simply sighting the level of water in the plastic radiator overflow tank but should have looked in to the header tank at the top of the radiator to ensure there was sufficient water in the vehicle.
The Tribunal’s DecisionThe Tribunal considered that the purchaser’s oral offer to the trader to buy the was made after the auction closed, and that hence the vehicle was not supplied by the trader “by auction” in spite of the
fact that the purchaser first learnt of the vehicle by reading the trader’s advertisement on an online action website.
Though the vehicle was a 19 year old Toyota Hilux which had travelled 284,806 kilometres the Tribunal had no hesitation in finding as a fact that a reasonable consumer purchasing a vehicle would still expect its engine to last for more than 500 kilometres and not fail within a day of supply.
The Tribunal also did not accept the trader’s opinion that the purchaser should have removed the radiator cap to check there was water in the radiator rather than simply look at the overflow tank to check that there was coolant in it.
The purchaser claims that the trader misrepresented the vehicle to him by describing it in the online advertisement with the words “has a good 2.4l turbo engine” and describing its performance as “goes really well” “it goes sweet”. The Tribunal did not consider that any of the three statements made by the trader amount to anything more than “puffery”, that is praise with exaggerated empty words such as is often associated with advertising. The purchaser’s claim of misrepresentation was therefore dismissed.
The purchaser’s rejection of the vehicle under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 was upheld, with the trader ordered to refund the purchaser with his full purchase price of $3,330.
Bruce Dell’s Comment The purchaser rejected the vehicle because the engine failed and
the vehicle was supposedly not of acceptable quality at time of sale, and that there were misrepresentations concerning the condition and the advertisement.
The trader argued that the vehicle was applied by auction and the provisions of the Consumers Guarantee Act did not apply and the purchaser was careless in failing to check the water in the engine and driving without a radiator cap.
The tribunal considered jurisdictional issues as to whether the vehicle was sold by auction (not whether the provisions of the CG Act applied) and then whether the vehicle was of substantial character as defined, and basically whether the vehicle could be rejected.
I felt surprisingly that the purchaser’s rejection of the vehicle was upheld and the dealer was required to refund the whole of the purchase price.
It would seem they held that there was not a sale by auction. I think the reason this case went against the trader was that the Tribunal felt that the vehicle had a failure of substantial character. However, they did not seem to find a misrepresentation but at the same time, ordered a refund of the purchase price, but did not grant a costs award.
Why:The engine overheated shortly after purchase.
Ruling:The Trader had to refund the purchase cost.
Where: Motor Vehicle Disputes Tribunal, Tauranga.
12 | www.autofile.co.nz
industry statistics
Around the countryCar sales - June 2010
New PlymouthNEW: 92 2009: 61 50.8%
UsEd: 117 2009: 105 11.4%
AucklandNEW: 2691 2009: 1952 37.9%
UsEd: 3560 2009: 2604 36.7%
HamiltonNEW: 332 2009: 272 22.1%
UsEd: 475 2009: 393 20.9%
WanganuiNEW: 30 2009: 53 43.4%
UsEd: 65 2009: 48 35.4%
WhangareiNEW: 68 2009: 87 21.8%
UsEd: 140 2009: 112 25.0%ThamesNEW: 54 2009: 31 74.2%UsEd: 45 2009: 30 50.0%
TaurangaNEW: 191 2009: 192 0.50%UsEd: 245 2009: 227 7.9%
RotoruaNEW: 64 2009: 37 73.0%UsEd: 91 2009: 50 82.0%
Palmerston NorthNEW: 156 2009: 179 12.8%
UsEd: 182 2009: 124 46.8%
DunedinNEW: 132 2009: 98 34.7%UsEd: 240 2009: 136 76.5%
InvercargillNEW: 83 2009: 60 38.3%UsEd: 74 2009: 65 13.8%
WellingtonNEW: 624 2009: 437 42.8%UsEd: 654 2009: 461 41.9%
OamaruNEW: 12 2009: 5 140.0%UsEd: 19 2009: 13 46.2%
GisborneNEW: 35 2009: 27 29.6%UsEd: 41 2009: 29 41.4%
MastertonNEW: 43 2009: 24 79.2%UsEd: 39 2009: 42 7.1%
TimaruNEW: 43 2009: 42 2.4%UsEd: 84 2009: 52 61.5%
NapierNEW: 132 2009: 91 45.1%UsEd: 152 2009: 100 52.0%
ChristchurchNEW: 887 2009: 558 59.0%UsEd: 961 2009: 692 38.9%
BlenheimNEW: 41 2009: 29 41.4%UsEd: 31 2009: 17 82.4%
NelsonNEW: 59 2009: 54 9.3%
UsEd: 148 2009: 81 82.7%
WestportNEW: 8 2009: 5 60.0%
UsEd: 9 2009: 6 50.0%
GreymouthNEW: 9 2009: 12 25.0%
UsEd: 30 2009: 19 57.9%
Total New Cars5786 2009: 4306 34.4%
Total Used Cars7402 2009: 5406 36.9%
12 | www.autofile.co.nz
isolde V2LoadinG Osaka 2 Jul, Nagoya 2 Jul, Yokohama 3 Jul
arriVinG Brisbane 22 Jul, Auckland 26 Jul, Wellington 28 Jul, Lyttelton 30 Jul
magic wind V23LoadinG Osaka 15 Jun, Nagoya 16 Jul, Yokohama 17 Jul
arriVinG Brisbane 29 Jul, Auckland 3 Aug, Wellington 5 Aug, Lyttelton 6 Aug
madame Butterfl y V2LoadinG Osaka 29 Jul, Nagoya 30 Jul, Yokohama 31 Jul
arriVinG Brisbane 20 Aug, Auckland 24 Aug, Wellington 26 Aug, Lyttelton 27 Aug
tBnLoadinG Osaka 15 Aug, Nagoya 16 Aug, Yokohama 17 Aug
arriVinG Brisbane 30 Aug, Auckland 4 Sept, Wellington 6 Sept, Lyttelton 7 Sept
isolde V3LoadinG Osaka 29 Aug, Nagoya 30 Aug, Yokohama 31 Aug
arriVinG Brisbane 19 Sept, Auckland 24 Sept, Wellington 26 Sept, Lyttelton 28 Sept
14 | www.autofile.co.nz
industry statistics
New Passenger Vehicle Sales by Model - Top 25 June 2010
MAKe MOdel JuN 2010 % diFF MAKe MOdel JuN 2009
Toyota RAV4 421 39.4 Toyota COROLLA 255
Toyota COROLLA 219 3.7 Suzuki SWIFT 211
Toyota PRADO 219 23.3 Holden COMMODORE 168
Suzuki SWIFT 212 24.1 Ford FALCON 161
Holden COMMODORE 211 38.9 Hyundai TUCSON 129
Ford FALCON 205 39.5 VW GOLF 124
Toyota HIGHLANDER 181 32.0 Toyota YARIS 123
Hyundai I30 161 26.7 Mazda MAZDA3 118
Holden CRUZE 160 28.8 Hyundai I30 114
Mazda MAZDA6 133 17.3 Toyota CAMRY 110
Mazda MAZDA3 131 17.6 Mazda MAZDA6 108
Subaru FORESTER 129 28.7 Mazda MAZDA2 92
Mitsubishi OUTLANDER 123 28.5 Ford MONDEO 88
Hyundai SANTA FE 116 25.0 Toyota RAV4 87
Ford MONDEO 112 31.3 Kia RIO 77
Hyundai GETZ 99 22.2 Toyota PRADO 77
Toyota YARIS 95 28.4 Hyundai SANTA FE 68
Ford FOCUS 88 25.0 Mitsubishi LANCER 66
Hyundai IX35 88 28.4 Nissan X-TRAIL 63
Holden CAPTIVA 87 31.0 Honda JAZZ 60
Subaru OUTBACK 87
Toyota CAMRY 86
VW GOLF 76
Ford FIESTA 71
Honda JAZZ 70
New Passenger Vehicle Sales by Make June 2010
MAKe JuN 2010 % diFF MAKe JuN 2009
TOYOTA 1337 41.6 TOYOTA 781
HYUNDAI 579 31.1 FORD 399
HOLDEN 542 26.9 HYUNDAI 396
FORD 537 38.7 MAZDA 329
MAZDA 383 14.9 SUZUKI 326
SUZUKI 374 23.5 HOLDEN 286
SUBARU 279 6.5 NISSAN 261
NISSAN 277 25.3 KIA 207
MITSUBISHI 223 9.4 VOLKSWAGEN 202
KIA 203 6.9 HONDA 189
HONDA 174 MITSUBISHI 181
VOLKSWAGEN 164 BMW 103
AUDI 132 SUBARU 102
BMW 127 AUDI 96
PEUGEOT 69 MERCEDES-BENZ 62
MERCEDES-BENZ 66 CADILLAC 51
LEXUS 33 PEUGEOT 46
DODGE 32 LEXUS 35
JEEP 32 FIAT 33
LAND ROVER 27 SKODA 27
MINI 27 CITROEN 22
SKODA 27 DAIHATSU 22
DAIHATSU 25 ALFA ROMEO 20
CITROEN 16 JEEP 20
VOLVO 15 VOLVO 20
JAGUAR 14 PORSCHE 16
SSANGYONG 13 MINI 15
PORSCHE 11 DODGE 12
ALFA ROMEO 10 LAND ROVER 10
FIAT 7 JAGUAR 9
GREAT WALL 7 RENAULT 7
CADILLAC 6 CHRYSLER 6
FACTORY BUILT 5 SSANGYONG 4
ASTON MARTIN 3 ASTON MARTIN 2
MASERATI 3 FACTORY BUILT 2
CHRYSLER 2 HUMMER 2
CHEVROLET 1 PROTON 2
FERRARI 1 SMART 2
GEELY 1 MASERATI 1
HUMMER 1
RENAULT 1
TOTAl 5786 TOTAl 4306
Phone: 0800 77 66 00 email: sales@auto-it.co.nz web: www.auto-it.co.nz
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3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
New Passenger Registrations2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Graph supplied by MTA
www.autofile.co.nz | 15
industry statistics
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New Commercial Vehicle Sales by Model - Top 15 June 2010
MAKe MOdel JuN 2010 % diFF MAKe MOdel JuN 2009
Toyota HILUX 539 14.1 Toyota HILUX 463
Ford RANGER 250 5.2 Ford RANGER 237
Toyota HIACE 195 19.5 Nissan NAVARA 157
Nissan NAVARA 184 18.0 Toyota HIACE 151
Holden COLORADO 175 32.6 Holden COLORADO 118
Mitsubishi TRITON 166 42.8 Mazda BT-50 95
Mazda BT-50 108 40.7 Ford TRANSIT 64
Nissan NAVARA 72 41.7 Hyundai H1 42
Ford TRANSIT 59 54.2 Mitsubishi Fuso CANTER 27
Toyota LANDCRUISER 37 32.4 Nissan URVAN 25
Mitsubishi L300 36 36.1 Volvo FM 23
Hyundai H1 28
Ford TRANSIT 25
Hino 300 25
Mitsubishi Fuso CANTER 23
New Commercial Vehicle Sales by Make June 2010
MAKe JuN 2010 % diFF MAKe JuN 2009
TOYOTA 771 17.6 TOYOTA 635
FORD 351 9.1 FORD 319
NISSAN DIESEL 270 29.3 NISSAN 191
MITSUBISHI FUSO 249 43.4 HOLDEN 141
HOLDEN 192 33.3 MITSUBISHI 128
MAZDA 132 17.4 MAZDA 109
HINO 46 8.7 HYUNDAI 42
ISUZU 46 28.3 ISUZU 33
HYUNDAI 29 10.3 MERCEDES-BENZ 26
MERCEDES-BENZ 20 -25.0 VOLVO 25
SUZUKI 20 -20.0 FIAT 24
SCANIA 15 -20.0 HINO 18
VOLKSWAGEN 12 MAN 17
FIAT 9 FACTORY BUILT 14
GREAT WALL 7 SCANIA 14
KIA 7 VOLKSWAGEN 13
IVECO 6 SUZUKI 11
MAN 6 KENWORTH 10
VOLVO 6 FREIGHTLINER 8
KENWORTH 4 IVECO 8
LAND ROVER 4 DESIGNLINE 6
MACK 4 KIA 6
DAF 3 STERLING 4
FREIGHTLINER 3 LAND ROVER 3
INTERNATIONAL 2 DAF 2
FACTORY BUILT 1 DAIHATSU 1
GMC 1 INTERNATIONAL 1
PEUGEOT 1 PEUGEOT 1
STERLING 1 PROTON 1
WESTERN STAR 1
TOTAl 2218 TOTAl 1812
user-chooser fleet type purchases. As soon as fuel prices start to move it has an even larger detrimental effect on the new car segment.”
“Another reason we had a good month was that we ran a very successful Fieldays promotion for May and June, ‘get tooled up’, where we had some added value with a King Tony Tool Box and a fridge that we gave away with our commercials, on the Hilux, Hiace and Landcruiser 70. When you combine those three we had our best commercial month since about June 2008 when the recession first started to bite.”
Alistair Hazeldine, Dealer Principal at Cockram Nissan in Christchurch, was similarly pleased with new car sales for June. “We enjoyed a very good month for new car sales, exceeding our new car sales target by 25 per cent. That’s quite a rare thing, and gave us not only the monthly target but also the quarterly target.
“Fieldays were a major part of that, but also some new product from Nissan, particularly the Navara 450 has been delivered and that’s been very good for us as well.”
Looking ahead, Hazeldine believes that sales will also pick up prior to
the rise in GST. “I think a rise in sales before GST comes in is definitely likely to occur. Firstly the public will see at as an opportunity to secure a used car at a slightly lower price, and also because of the fact that retailers and manufacturers alike will try to use the rise in GST as a selling pitch, ‘buy now before the price rise’. It will probably occur across a wide-range of retailed items, and cars will be no different.”
However Hazeldine believes that buyers are still being more cautious. “It is fair to say that buyers are quite canny, buyers are definitely doing a lot more research on the internet. They don’t necessarily buy over the internet, but they use it as a form of reference, so that they can compare your price, your specifications, with someone else’s. As such, people are often ready to buy when they come in, because they’ve done all their homework, they’ve more or less made their decision.”
While sales of new cars went well in June, used cars are a different story, says Hazeldine. “The new car activity has generated a lot of used car for us, so at a time where used car sales are slow, we’re overstocked - hardly unusual.”
continued from page 1
New car sales highest in 21 months
16 | www.autofile.co.nz
industry statistics
Used Passenger Vehicle Sales by Make June 2010
MAKe JuN 2010 % diFF MAKe JuN 2009
TOYOTA 1989 25.9 TOYOTA 1473
NISSAN 1087 19.9 NISSAN 871
MAZDA 952 29.9 HONDA 667
HONDA 903 30.1 MAZDA 631
SUBARU 687 34.6 SUBARU 449
MITSUBISHI 442 30.3 MITSUBISHI 308
BMW 295 47.8 SUZUKI 154
SUZUKI 197 22.8 VOLKSWAGEN 152
FORD 179 17.9 BMW 147
VOLKSWAGEN 166 27.1 FORD 121
AUDI 92 44.6 MERCEDES-BENZ 51
MERCEDES-BENZ 51 AUDI 44
HYUNDAI 48 PEUGEOT 43
CHEVROLET 44 HYUNDAI 33
PEUGEOT 35 VOLVO 30
CHRYSLER 32 CHEVROLET 26
VOLVO 27 JAGUAR 26
JAGUAR 20 CADILLAC 21
OPEL 17 ISUZU 20
ALFA ROMEO 14 CHRYSLER 19
MINI 12 DAIHATSU 15
ISUZU 11 OPEL 15
DAIHATSU 10 HOLDEN 11
JEEP 10 LAND ROVER 10
SAAB 10 SAAB 9
HOLDEN 9 ALFA ROMEO 8
RENAULT 9 LEXUS 6
LAND ROVER 6 RENAULT 6
LEXUS 5 DODGE 3
CADILLAC 4 FIAT 3
PROTON 4 MERCURY 3
CITROEN 3 MINI 3
DODGE 3 PORSCHE 3
SMART 3 BUICK 2
BUICK 2 CITROEN 2
FIAT 2 FERRARI 2
KIA 2 JEEP 2
MERCURY 2 KIA 2
MORRIS 2 PONTIAC 2
OLDSMOBILE 2 ROVER 2
PLYMOUTH 2 SMART 2
PONTIAC 2 ALVIS 1
AUBURN 1 ASTON MARTIN 1
FACTORY BUILT 1 DAEWOO 1
LAMBORGHINI 1 LINCOLN 1
LOTUS 1 LOTUS 1
MASERATI 1 MG 1
MG 1 MORRIS 1
PORSCHE 1 OLDSMOBILE 1
RANGE ROVER 1 WILLYS 1
ROVER 1
TVR 1
TOTAl 7402 TOTAl 5406
Used Passenger Vehicle Sales by Model June 2010
MAKe MOdelJuN
2010%
diFFMAKe MOdel
JuN 2009
Subaru LEGACY 428 41.6 Subaru LEGACY 250
Toyota COROLLA 351 36.5 Toyota COROLLA 223
Mazda ATENZA 252 11.5 Toyota VITZ 223
Toyota ESTIMA 243 20.2 Honda ODYSSEY 194
Toyota VITZ 238 26.5 Mazda DEMIO 175
Mazda DEMIO 217 29.5 Nissan PRIMERA 153
Nissan PRIMERA 208 32.7 Mazda ATENZA 140
Honda STREAM 201 32.8 Subaru IMPREZA 135
Subaru IMPREZA 167 21.6 Toyota ESTIMA 131
Honda ODYSSEY 166 29.5 Nissan MARCH 117
Honda ACCORD 165 31.5 Nissan BLUEBIRD 113
Honda CIVIC 153 28.8 Mitsubishi LANCER 109
Toyota ALTEZZA 132 19.7 Nissan WINGROAD 106
Mazda AXELA 130 25.4 Suzuki SWIFT 97
Mitsubishi LANCER 128 25.0 Toyota ALTEZZA 96
Nissan BLUEBIRD 124 23.4 Honda FIT 95
Suzuki SWIFT 121 22.3 Honda ACCORD 94
Toyota IST 100 7.0 Honda CIVIC 93
Mazda MPV 97 8.2 Toyota PLATZ 89
Nissan WINGROAD 97 19.6 Mazda AXELA 78
Nissan TIIDA 96 26.0 Toyota IST 71
Toyota ALLEX 86 23.3 Toyota FUNCARGO 66
Honda FIT 84 23.8 Honda STREAM 64
Mazda TRIBUTE 82 22.0 Mazda FAMILIA 64
Nissan SKYLINE 82 22.0 Mazda MPV 64
Mitsubishi COLT 79 20.3 Volkswagen GOLF 63
Toyota CALDINA 79 22.8 Toyota CALDINA 61
Toyota FUNCARGO 75 30.7 Toyota IPSUM 52
Toyota RAV4 75 33.3 Subaru FORESTER 50
Toyota PLATZ 74 33.8 Nissan SUNNY 49
Volkswagen GOLF 74 41.9 Mazda PREMACY 43
Used Commercial Vehicle Sales by Make June 2010
MAKe JuN 2010 MAKe JuN 2009
NISSAN 83 TOYOTA 474
TOYOTA 57 NISSAN 434
ISUZU 19 ISUZU 128
MAZDA 12 MAZDA 51
MITSUBISHI 9 MITSUBISHI 47
CHEVROLET 6 CHEVROLET 42
GMC 4 FORD 40
FORD 4 DODGE 23
HOLDEN 3 HINO 16
HINO 3 HOLDEN 10
RENAULT 2 VOLKSWAGEN 9
DAIHATSU 2 FACTORY BUILT 8
OSHKOSH 1 GMC 6
LAND ROVER 1 MERCEDES-BENZ 4
DENNIS 1 SCANIA 3
www.autofile.co.nz | 17
industry statistics
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Used Import Passenger Registrations2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Used Commercial Vehicle Sales by Make June 2010
MAKe MOdel JuN 2010 MAKe MOdel JuN 2009
Nissan VANETTE 37 Toyota HIACE 313
Nissan CARAVAN 34 Nissan CARAVAN 212
Toyota HIACE 31 Nissan VANETTE 136
Isuzu ELF 16 Isuzu ELF 89
Mazda BONGO 11 Nissan ATLAS 51
Toyota DYNA 9 Mazda BONGO 44
Nissan ATLAS 8 Toyota DYNA 32
Toyota LITEACE 4 Toyota REGIUS 28
Toyota REGIUS 4 Isuzu FORWARD 27
Toyota TOWNACE 4 Toyota TOYOACE 24
the trade, says he can sum up the state of the market in two words: “very slow.”
“For some reason it’s gone very very quiet at the moment. Whether it’s a pre-bubble-burst before GST rises, who knows.”
Milner says the quietness has been accentuated by the atrocious weather that has lashed New Zealand in recent weeks, but he views the dollar/Yen exchange rate as the
biggest problem facing the used import market. “It’s showing signs of wanting to go below 60” which would be disastrous.
“There’s no urgency in the market at the moment. People have time to drift and think. If you don’t do the deal on the day, the odds-on
chance is you won’t get it.“April and May have been a struggle and
we’re hoping that in July and August (buyers) will come out again. The weather is definitely one of the main factors.”
Chris Nichols who manages long-established family firm, Metro Auto Court, in Christchurch says he’s finding the market quiet too.
“It generally is once you get the first cold snap of winter, but the last couple of months have been quite quiet too. Volume is down and general inquiry is down quite a bit too.
“I don’t know whether people are waiting for something, but it can only get better that’s for sure.”
Nichols says that what sales are being made are “definitely price-driven, Vehicles you really want to sell you have to bring the price down to the point where it becomes attractive (to a buyer).
“It’s unfortunate because you can undersell cars that should be worth more, but that’s what happens. People are pressured for money so prices come down which makes it harder to replace stock and the public get the idea that things will get cheaper and cheaper which they can’t.”
Nichols says other dealers he’s been talking to also say the market is quiet.
“You hear of a few people who say it’s going in leaps and bounds but I don’t know. It definitely could be busier.”
John Lahman of Independent European in Hamilton believes the market is quite slow and fragile. However he notes that some buyers who have put of making a purchase for a while are starting to come out of the woodwork. Buyers are also more cautious. “There’s no urgency, people aren’t buying on the day. They’re taking their time and you’ve got to have the right product and the whole facilitating process dead right, because there’s no rush.”
“We’re finding that if we have presentation and every vehicle ready for sale, right down to a full tank of gas, just having everything dead right, helps too.”
Lahman feels that while there aren’t the sales of the boom years, the slightly slower pace suits him. “I feel reasonably buoyed up by this year. It could be five years but I don’t think it will ever boom again. I think it will just be a slow increase with lots of ‘w’s, meaning we’ll be at the bottom of some ‘w’s on the way through.
Dunedin dealer Lloyd Wilson (Lloyd Wilson Motors) acknowledged that the market is currently strange and is “up and down” but sounded a more optimistic note.
“It has its good days and bad days and is patchy, but we’re seeing a little bit more foot traffic through the yard and we’re pleasantly surprised at how the month has been going so far.
“We haven’t had a bad start, and we’re waiting for it to stop, but at this stage things could be worse. You just have to try to do the best you can with what you have.”
Wilson says most of the activity is in the $5000-$7000 range and the $10,000-$14,000. “That’s about where it’s at.”
continued from page 1
Quiet and patchy used car market
Graph supplied by MTA
18 | www.autofile.co.nz
industry statistics
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
New Motorcycles (>60cc, & <60cc)2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
New Bike Sales by Make June 2010
MAKe JuN 2010 MAKe JuN 2009
MOPED 73 SUZUKI 115
SUZUKI 66 MOPED 106
TRIUMPH 42 HARLEY DAVIDSON 57
YAMAHA 39 HONDA 48
HARLEY DAVIDSON 31 YAMAHA 48
HONDA 30 KAWASAKI 36
HYOSUNG 15 TRIUMPH 33
FACTORY BUILT 13 HYOSUNG 20
KEEWAY 10 KEEWAY 20
BMW 8 FACTORY BUILT 17
KAWASAKI 8 PIAGGIO 13
KYMCO 8 KTM 10
PIAGGIO 7 BMW 8
KTM 6 MOTORCYCLE 6
APRILIA 5 DUCATI 5
DAELIM 5 PGO 4
VESPA 4 VESPA 3
PGO 3 SYM 2
DUCATI 2 LIFAN 2
MOTORCYCLE 2 HUSABERG 2
ROYAL ENFIELD 2 DAELIM 2
SYM 2 PIONEER 2
SACHS 2 APRILIA 1
BENELLI 2 BUELL 1
HUSABERG 1 MOTO GUZZI 1
ITALJET 1 ZONGSHEN 1
MOTO GUZZI 1 PEUGEOT 1
MOTO MORINI 1 GILERA 1
LIFAN 1 CAGIVA 1
TOTAl 390 TOTAl 566
Used Bike Sales by Make June 2010
MAKe JuN 2010 MAKe JuN 2009
MOPED 94 HONDA 40
HONDA 46 YAMAHA 24
HARLEY DAVIDSON 31 SUZUKI 19
HONDA 31 HARLEY DAVIDSON 14
SUZUKI 21 TRIUMPH 10
YAMAHA 17 DUCATI 9
FACTORY BUILT 16 BMW 9
YAMAHA 13 KAWASAKI 6
SUZUKI 11 MOPED 5
TRIUMPH 8 APRILIA 4
DUCATI 7 VESPA 3
SYM 7 VICTORY 2
PIAGGIO 5 MOTO GUZZI 2
KEEWAY 5 LAVERDA 2
VESPA 4 KTM 2
HYOSUNG 3 BUELL 2
APRILIA 2 BSA 2
BMW 2 VINCENT 1
KAWASAKI 2 VILLIERS 1
KTM 2 ITALJET 1
LIFAN 2 HYOSUNG 1
APRILIA 2 GEELY 1
PGO 2 ENFIELD 1
MOTORCYCLE 2 CAGIVA 1
AMERICAN 1
BMW 1
CAGIVA 1
DUCATI 1
LAMBRETTA 1
LAVERDA 1
MOTO GUZZI 1
NORTON 1
SUZUKI 1
VICTORY 1
BSA 1
MOBYLETTE 1
JIALING 1
MOTORCYCLE 1
PUCH 1
TOTAl 350 TOTAl 162
Graph supplied by MTA
www.autofile.co.nz | 19
FiFty years – half a century – is a milestone in anyone’s language, and Ford’s making plenty of fuss about the Australian Falcon’s 50th birthday which fell on June 28.
Not that the current FG Falcon has much, other than its name, in common with the XK that started the ball rolling on June 28, 1960. There are similarities – inline six-cylinder motor, rear-wheel drive, space for five adults, the sort of things car company marketing staff call a model’s DNA.
But the two Falcons are chalk and cheese, as you’d expect after 50 years; the XK was unashamedly American, the FG has added European styling cues and on-road behaviour into its make-up.
The XK’s 2.4-litre overhead valve, single-barrel carburettor engine’s 67kW output is puny by today’s standards; peak torque was a useful 187Nm but pales against its descendant’s.
The XK had three-speed manual or two-speed automatic gearboxes; the FG has a standard six-speed auto.
Ford says the current Falcon is “significantly more fuel efficient despite a 50 percent increase in total vehicle mass” though the green lobby would find little comfort in the big Ford’s fuel consumption.
The XK looks unprepossessing from a 2010 perspective – plain looking, pretty basic – but its significance is that it was the starting point, the patriarch of an enduring family line.
Along the way the Falcon has survived fuel crises, occasional slip-ups when Ford designers seemingly got it wrong, paranoia that Ford was going to abandon the Aussie icon in favour of the front-wheel drive American Taurus, and the incessant bagging of the doomsayers who have been predicting the “dinosaur’s” death for 30 years.
But Ford Australia has never lost its faith in the rear-drive, full-sized sedan and wagon, even when the fuel shocks of the 1970s caused Holden to replace its US-style
Kingswood line with a smaller Opel-derived Commodore.
Between the XK and the FG there have been almost 3.5 million Falcons in more than 25 models.
They’ve become progressively more sophisticated and from the BA onwards, more European influenced. There have been highs and lows.
Among the highs the two-door coupe versions of the first generation car with their sharply-raked rear windscreen and immense boot deck.
The second generation began with the XY, another very American-looking car that picked up some Mustang styling cues (the Mustang was based on the US Falcon) and was to spawn the high-performance V8-powered GTs of which the summit was the GTHO with 5.7-litre motor and ferocious performance.
The GTHO starred in one of the greatest-ever road car photographs, taken during a Wheels magazine road test. The camera is focused on the speedometer which is registering 145mph.
Falcons got swoopier when the XA debuted, with lines influenced by big American Fords like the Torino. The styling became increasingly refined (some might say blander) by the time the XC arrived, and then went angular with the XD.
The final X model was the leaner-looking XF which was also probably the last of the snap-oversteering Falcons, with a chassis that could catch out the unwary with un-telegraphed rear wheel breakaway,
especially on wet roads.The car that followed should
have been a revolution but turned out, initially at least, to be a lemon. The EA had clean, elegant yet purposeful styling but was plagued by mechanical problems and poor build quality.
Australian taxi drivers – an important market for Ford – shunned the car because of its reliability woes and hung on to their XFs, prefiguring what happened with another perceived Falcon lemon, the AU.
Ford strove to get the Falcon right and the EB, though using a mildly reworked EA body, was a quantum leap. The facelifted EB II reintroduced a V8 to the Falcon and started the XR high-performance sub-model.
The E-Series evolved through the sublime EF, which handled nicely but was panned in Australia for being to prone to oversteer, to the EL the last of the line with chassis re-tuned to be less tail-happy.
The great Taurus scare broke out in 1996 when the Aussie motoring media decided collectively that the Yanks were going to foist the Taurus on to Australia, and the media paranoia increased when Ford launched the next generation Falcon, the AU, with oval styling that echoed the Taurus’s – one wag described it as a Taurus that someone had stepped on.
Buyers stayed away, especially in Australia (XR versions of the AU were big sellers here), and the car
was plagued by mechanical and electrical problems that seemed magnified by its odd styling.
But fundamentally the AU had the makings of a good car that were realised in the more conservative, more neatly styled BA which took the AU’s inherently good handling to a new pitch of accomplishment.
The BA also introduced the turbocharged six-cylinder motor which would become the heart of what is probably the best Falcon yet produced, the Typhoon F6 with more performance and nimbler handling than the V8-engined XR8.
Bodywork remained similar in the BL model which benefitted again from chassis fine-tuning before getting a major makeover for the current FG with redesigned sheetmetal and new rear doorway shape for easier access.
Which brings us to 2010 and a raft of 50th Anniversary six-cylinder Falcons in the XR high-performance and G6E luxury performance model lines with special badging, interiors, styling accents, exclusive-design wheels and colours and sound systems.
Ford started building the XR 50th Anniversary models in June and the G Series this month.
Will the Falcon rack up a century? Who knows? But right now the car that critics have labelled an anachronistic dinosaur whose death is imminent has never been more alive. At 50, the Ford Falcon is in its prime and better than ever.
Falcon – vigorous and healthy at 50
20 | www.autofile.co.nz
Paddon scores runaway Whangarei win
reiGninG new Zealand rally champion, Hayden Paddon, annihilated opposition that included two former world championship works team drivers to win last weekend’s Rally of Whangarei.
Neither his local rivals nor international drivers contesting the event, a round of the Asia-Pacific Championship, could match his pace and the 23-year-old from Geraldine in South Canterbury won both days.
Driving his Team Green Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9, he was on the pace from the get-go on Saturday; on his way to victory, Paddon won 13 of the rally’s 16 special stages and set five new stage records. He took the Asia-Pacific round victory and also won the NZ Rally Championship section.
But it had almost gone wrong
on the day’s opening special stage southwest of Whangarei. “We had a bit of a moment about halfway through and pretty much had all four wheels down a bank,” said Paddon
He recovered to end the day one minute 10 seconds ahead of Indian Gaurav Gill’s Team MRF Lancer Evo X.
Paddon said he had been keeping to the same pace all day. “It (sounds) a bit boring, but it’s been exciting in the car.”
Hamilton-based Emma Gilmour finished day one third in her ex-Cody Crocker Subaru Impreza WRX STi, ahead of former Mitsubishi and Hyundai factory driver Alister McRae in the Malaysian works Proton Super 2000.
In the second factory Proton, former works Subaru fastman,
Chris Atkinson, was hit by mechanical problems on both days and didn’t finish.
Paddon emphasised his class on day two, opening an unassailable margin of three minutes 55 seconds over second-placed Gilmour by the end of the day to take the overall rally win.
Australian Brendon Reeves (Impreza STi) finished third overall, 27.8 seconds behind Gilmour.
McRae was breathing down his neck, finishing 0.5 seconds behind.
NZ Rally Championship points leader Dean Sumner (Evo 9) was fifth, followed by fellow Kiwi Patrick Malley (Lancer), who is proving to be one of the finds of the NZ series.
Former NZ champion and Rally Whangarei winner Chris West had been running fifth overall until the event’s last stage where two
punctures sidelined his Evo 9.Paddon said the win was the
best of his three in the Whangarei event (he also won in 2007 and 2009). “This one we did on our own from stage one. On some stages today I’ve pushed harder than I ever have before, and it all felt really comfortable and easy.”
Gilmour said Paddon had been “a real class act. All that experience he’s gaining (in) the WRC really shows. My approach was not to worry too much about what he was doing, and to keep a clear focus on securing (a New Zealand rally) championship placing that would give us the best possible haul of points.”
She succeeded and goes to the penultimate round in Nelson next month only two points behind Sumner. Paddon is third though
motorsport
www.autofile.co.nz | 21
motorsport
McConville replaces Gaunt in CommodorePaddon scores runaway Whangarei win austraLian cameron McConville will replace Kiwi Daniel Gaunt in the Gulf Western Oils/Autopro Holden Commodore at this weekend’s V8 Supercar round at Townsville, North Queensland.
Twenty-year-old Lucas Dumbrell, who runs the Commodore team, says he’s replacing Gaunt with McConville because the Australian has much more Supercar experience.
His team is in its first season in the V8 Supercar main game, as is Gaunt whose impressive racing credentials were gained mainly in open-wheeler cars in New Zealand and the USA.
He won the 2003 Australian Drivers’ Championship in a Formula Holden and finished fifth in the 2009 Fujitsu V8 Supercar development series despite missing the final round.
“This year has been hectic, an incredible experience for me and
my young team,” says Dumbrell.“We’ve finished every race
which is pleasing, but I’m constantly learning what a race team needs – and that for us at this point in time is drivers with experience.
“I would like to thank Daniel for his efforts and we wish him all the best with his future endeavours.”
This season Gaunt has qualified and raced towards the back of the field in the two-year-old, ex-Garth Tander VE Commodore run by the Dumbrell team but in some races has worked his way into the top 20.
He’s a double NZ Grand Prix winner (2007 and 2009) in a Toyota Racing Series Tatuus-Celica, won the TRS twice and has also raced Porsche GT3s.
McConville (36) retired from fulltime V8 Supercar driving at the end of last year. He says he has no illusions about the difficulty of stepping back into a V8 Supercar this weekend. “(In) the short time
I’ve been out of V8 Supercars it has again risen to another level.”
He says he’ll decide whether to seek more V8 Supercar drives after he assesses his performance this weekend.
He has already signed to drive for the Toll Holden Racing Team in the endurance races, including Bathurst. Mark Noske and Nathan Pretty will drive the Lucas Dumbrell Racing Commodre in the enduros.
Daniel Gaunt with the NZ Grand Prix Trophy in 2009. Photo by Lance Hastie.
he won’t be doing any more rounds, concentrating instead on his Production Car World Championship campaign and his Pirelli Star Driver programme.
Asia-Pacific series leader, Katsu Taguchi had a miserable time, his Lancer X plagued by serious engine woes on day one – the team changed the cylinder head and turbo for day two – and came home sixth in the Asia-Pacific section, one place had of teammate Gill who was slowed on day two by problems that required a complete gearbox and diff change.
In the NZ championship section, the first two placings mirrored the Asia-Pacific result – Paddon from Gilmour – with Sumner coming home third ahead of Malley.
“After yesterday I didn’t think it would be possible for us to finish in the top 10,” Sumner said. “It’s good, we’ve managed to reel back in a bit of time today.”
He had finished heat one on Saturday sixth in the NZ series section after striking mechanical problems.
West and M alley had dead-heated for third on Saturday, ahead
of Glenn Inkster (Evo 9). On Sunday and Inkster was sidelined by broken steering.
Richard Mason (Impreza STi) took fifth on Sunday, bouncing back from a miserable Saturday which saw him finish an uncustomary ninth, and Kingsley Thompson (Evo 9) was sixth in the NZ section on Sunday.
As rain and gale force winds lashed Northland on Sunday afternoon, Paddon said he “backed off a notch to concentrate on getting to the end.
“To stand on the top of the
podium at the end with the New Zealand National Anthem in the background is a very special feeling and now the target is to carry this confidence and development into the WRC with the remaining Pirelli rounds. I’m also being realistic that it’s a completely different kettle of fish overseas but that’s now the target.”
His performance last weekend against strong local and international competition showed that he’s learning fast from his experience in the WRC, and he certainly looks on target to make an impact.
Emma Gilmour Dean Sumner
22 | www.autofile.co.nz
rod miLner believes that the industry has changed enormously since the deregulation. “In the old days you had to have a premises, enough money in the bank, and you had to get a licence, and go down to Wellington get the licence issued before a tribunal or a court.”
“With the new Motor Vehicle Dealers Act anyone could become a dealer. Before that we had to advertise our salesmen in the paper to make sure there was nothing objectionable about them or anything, but it’s total open slather now.
Any person can start dealing. You pay $583 to get a license,
looking back
and you can operate from your backyard.”
“I think what has changed the industry a lot is the internet. Now someone can operate out of their backyard, sell three or four cars, and make enough off of that to make a living for the month.
“I don’t think it’s good for the industry, I think it’s taken away the personal aspect. The industry has become very impersonal, and it’s totally price driven, rather than quality. It’s become ‘who’s got the cheapest price sells the car’.”
People’s focus has changed, says Milner. “Gone are the days where people are really worrying about quality as much, they’re chasing that price because there are so many other
constraints on their income. They say to themselves ‘well it’s Japanese, it’s reliable, it will go forever, as long as it lasts me two or three years and then I’ll change it again after that. So cars have become very much a commodity like a Bic pen. I call cars today Bic pens –use them and throw them away. That’s really what it’s about.”
“The status of a car has gone a lot. Whereas in the past there was a pecking order for the company car, and if you had the latest it really meant something. I think that’s gone, because cars are getting very much alike now. You might get a Mercedes or BMW or a Holden, but in the main companies have rationalised, and they’ve gone for bare basic cars. And a lot of companies now are
employing people and giving them a car allowance, so they’ll get something that will suit their allowance, and perhaps be able to make a bit out of the allowance as well.”
“Today there is more discretional spending. People want the latest TVs, the best washing machine and vacuum cleaners, so there’s more to spend on than motor cars. Motor cars today are replaced by need not by want. If the car has an accident or finally craps out, then they’ll replace it.”
“Often people will get to retirement age and buy a car, and they’ll say ‘this will see me out’, at 65, and odds are it will, if they buy a nice car that will last 20 years. We often get people saying it, and that’s a bit of a worry. Formerly we’d get them back every three years, since firstly the cars weren’t as reliable, but as well there wasn’t the depreciation factor that you have today.”
“Another major change is Sunday trading. 25 years ago you weren’t allowed to open after 1 o’clock on a Saturday, whereas today you can stay open Saturday, Sunday – all night if you want to. There are no rules and regulations, the only days you get off are the religious holidays, and that’s changing as well, it will come soon where you won’t even close for those.”
“I think the quality of life for the retailer in general, not just motor dealers but across the board has deteriorated. Good for the consumer, but for the people working in the industry it’s not much of a life.”
If you’d like to comment on a particular issue and its consequences for the industry, email us at editor@autofile.co.nz
Each month we’re taking a look at a past issue of Autofile, the story of the day, and the changes this has meant for the industry.
www.autofile.co.nz | 23
Robert Mellor, Fagan Motors Ltd, Masterton, is the winner of the Supreme Regional Apprentice Award. Award sponsor: Fuchs Oil.
Matt Coyle, Rutherford and Bond Toyota Kapiti, Paraparaumu, wins first equal Franchise Dealer Award for Horowhenua. Award sponsor: Motorweb.
Bill Hintz (r) of Hintz Motor Vehicle Traders Ltd, Masterton, (pictured with Gary McKelvie of Tom Lancaster Ltd, left) is the Wairarapa winner of the Used Dealer Award. Award sponsor: Oxford Finance.
Bruce Stewart, of Coventry Cars, Mt Cook, wins the Used Dealer Award for Wellington. Award sponsor: Protecta Insurance.
Hamish Jacob, of Capital City Motors, Te Aro, wins the Franchise Dealer
Award for Wellington. Award sponsor: Motorweb.
Kelly McKay and Ian McKay, HMC Kapiti Ltd, Paraparaumu - first equal
Franchise Dealer Award for Horowhenua. Award sponsor: Motorweb.
it’s Awards Night!on saturday 26 June, over 450 MTA Members and their partners attended the Oxford Finance 2010 Regional MTA Awards held at Te Papa, Wellington. The biannual event recognises outstanding MTA Members and celebrates their achievements in the motor industry from the Wellington region including the Horowhenua and Wairarapa
The judging panel were looking for MTA Members who demonstrated professionalism and commitment to the motor industry through ethical business and work practices, pride in business and appearance, innovation, dedication to customer service, employees and their local community, adherence to compliance, quality of staff, commitment to promoting the MTA brand and the use of the membership services and training
Around 30 awards were presented to MTA Members including nine supreme awards which were presented by special guest, V8 supercar driver, Greg Murphy.
Hawkes Bay covers band Sir Duke provided entertainment for evening.
autofi le is the voice of the auto industry. Sold on subscription to motor vehicle dealers, shipping companies,
customs agents, fi nance and insurance companies, and any supplier, association or government agency with an interest in the auto industry.
Editorial Profi le
Having served the industry for over 24 years, autofi le has a proud history as the voice of the auto industry; published weekly it highlights issues of concern to the motor industry as well as items of general interest relating to the new and used vehicle import trade. The publication aims to provide the information that automotive trade companies and related organizations want and need to know.
A major feature of autofi le is the analysis of sales statistics – of new vehicles, used imports, secondhand vehicles and motorcycles and trucks.
The magazine is required reading for anyone who needs to plan and operate in the motor trade.
Reader Profi leThe majority of autofi le readers are vehicle sales professionals. Whether it is a salesman, fi nance and insurance manager or the dealer principal, the reader wants to be kept informed about all aspects of the motor trade. The readership is not confi ned to those directly in the trade. Importers, fi nance companies and insurers, motor vehical associations and government departments also make up a signifi cant portion of the readership in that industry.
Advertisingautofi le and its supplements are read by the decision makers in the auto industry so is the perfect environment for you to get your message across to the people who really matter. It is a highly respected publication that carries real weight in the trade. The opportunity to backup advertising with editorial exists and this has proved to be a very successful way for advertisers to nail home their message.
Booking deadline: 12 noon Monday prior to issue date
Artwork deadline: 12 noon Tuesday prior to issue date
ContactBrian McCutcheon
p. 0508 288 863 m. 021455775 e. brian@autofi le.co.nz
the voice of the auto industry; published
used vehicle import trade. The publication
automotive trade companies and related
fi le is the analysis
www.autofi le.co.nz | 1
GST sting for dealersCAR DEALERS around the
country will be out of pocket if
the Government announces a GST
rise in next week’s Budget.
When Prime Minister John Key
released details of a tax package in
February, he announced that the
Government is considering a 2.5%
GST increase.
Having campaigned on a
platform which did not include
a GST increase, National copped
flack over the news. But the early
announcement means there will
be no surprise come May 20.
According to BNZ economist
Gary Steel, the GST increase will
come into effect from October
1, since the start of the next tax
year, April 1, lies in an election
year. Any sooner would not give
businesses sufficient time to
prepare for the change-over.
With input credits being paid
at the time a vehicle is delivered,
stock purchased at the current
rate, but sold after the rise, will
incur a larger than usual GST cost
for traders.
An overnight change will
result in a one-off loss for
dealers, based on the percentage
difference between the input and
output credit, a loss which will
either have to be absorbed, or
offset by raising prices.
A car purchased for $10,000
results in an input credit of $1111.
If that car was sold for $13,000 the
GST portion is $1444, leaving the
trader with $333 of GST to be paid.
A car purchased for $10,000
at the current GST rate but sold
after the rise to 15% for the same
amount, will contain GST of
$1696. This will leave the dealer
with a $585 GST bill.
By comparison, a car
purchased for $10,000 after the
rise will contain an input credit of
$1304, and when sold will leave a
GST bill of $385, a $42 difference,
CAR DEALERS are continuing to
experience steady growth, with
new car sales in April 30% above
April 2009 sales.
While April is traditionally a slow
month for new dealers, Perry Kerr,
of the Motor Industry Association,
believes that the normal
circumstances may not apply.
“Historically April is a slow
month because it follows the year
end,” says Kerr.
“In the past this was more
significant because businesses
received six months depreciation,
now you only get a month.
Businesses also traditionally
tended to use up money allotted
for vehicle purchases before the
year end.
“However I think that is not as
relevant, certainly over the last 12
to 18 months with the downturn
we’ve had, as companies have
taken out money they’ve set
aside for the purchase of cars
because of the crisis.”
While the Easter break and
school holidays still have an
impact, the number of sales
presents a signi� cant improvement
over last year. The year-to-date
comparison with 2009 shows that
new car sales are ahead by 2383
units, or 14%.
Kerr believes that there is
some demand from businesses
that extended leasing
agreements during the downturn.
“People that were on a three-
year cycle pushed them out,” he
says. “There’s going to be some
Subscribe to Autofi le now and pay only $150 plus GST for 12 months.
That’s 48 issues of auto industry news, statistics, exclusive feature articles and much, much more.
See inside back cover for further details
The voice of the auto industry
The voice of the auto industry
13 May 2010
Strong sales fi gures for Aprilcontinued on page 4
continued on page 7
Ford win nail-biting Rally NZ p22
AF_13May.indd 1
5/17/10 5:29:03 PM
www.autofi le.co.nz | 1
GST sting for dealers around the
country will be out of pocket if
the Government announces a GST
rise in next week’s Budget.
When Prime Minister John Key
released details of a tax package in
February, he announced that the
Government is considering a 2.5%
Having campaigned on a
platform which did not include
a GST increase, National copped
flack over the news. But the early
announcement means there will
be no surprise come May 20.
According to BNZ economist
Gary Steel, the GST increase will
come into effect from October
1, since the start of the next tax
year, April 1, lies in an election
year. Any sooner would not give
businesses sufficient time to
prepare for the change-over.
With input credits being paid
at the time a vehicle is delivered,
stock purchased at the current
rate, but sold after the rise, will
incur a larger than usual GST cost
for traders.
An overnight change will
result in a one-off loss for
dealers, based on the percentage
difference between the input and
output credit, a loss which will
either have to be absorbed, or
offset by raising prices.
A car purchased for $10,000
results in an input credit of $1111.
If that car was sold for $13,000 the
GST portion is $1444, leaving the
trader with $333 of GST to be paid.
A car purchased for $10,000
at the current GST rate but sold
after the rise to 15% for the same
amount, will contain GST of
$1696. This will leave the dealer
with a $585 GST bill.
By comparison, a car
purchased for $10,000 after the
rise will contain an input credit of
$1304, and when sold will leave a
GST bill of $385, a $42 difference,
CAR DEALERS are continuing to
experience steady growth, with
new car sales in April 30% above
April 2009 sales.
While April is traditionally a slow
month for new dealers, Perry Kerr,
of the Motor Industry Association,
believes that the normal
circumstances may not apply.
“Historically April is a slow
month because it follows the year
end,” says Kerr.
“In the past this was more
significant because businesses
received six months depreciation,
now you only get a month.
Businesses also traditionally
tended to use up money allotted
for vehicle purchases before the
year end.
“However I think that is not as
relevant, certainly over the last 12
to 18 months with the downturn
we’ve had, as companies have
taken out money they’ve set
aside for the purchase of cars
because of the crisis.”
While the Easter break and
school holidays still have an
impact, the number of sales
presents a signi� cant improvement
over last year. The year-to-date
comparison with 2009 shows that
new car sales are ahead by 2383
units, or 14%.
Kerr believes that there is
some demand from businesses
that extended leasing
agreements during the downturn.
“People that were on a three-
year cycle pushed them out,” he
says. “There’s going to be some
Subscribe to Autofi le now and pay only $150 plus GST for 12 months.
That’s 48 issues of auto industry news, statistics, exclusive feature articles and much, much more.
See inside back cover for further details
The voice of the auto industry
13 May 201013 May 2010
Strong sales fi gures for Aprilcontinued on page 4
continued on page 7
Ford win nail-biting Rally NZ p22
Emissions Trading Scheme to cripple Importersthe eMIssIons Trading Scheme (ETS) is due to come into law on July 1, and among its many targets for taxation will be the refrigerant gasses contained inside vehicle air-conditioning systems.
These gasses are construed by the ETS to be emitted at the time of importation, and therefore are considered to contribute to total global warming emissions.Industry leaders are calling the impost onerous, with their
anger directed not only against the impost, but also the manner in which it is collected. In 2011 reporting will be voluntary, the rationale being that businesses will have time to put reporting systems in place. Reporting will be mandatory in 2012, and in 2013 businesses will have to surrender carbon credits based on their previous year’s reporting.
One issue, as yet unresolved, will be the way in which gas
amounts will be calculated. A system may be set in place with a database of all vehicles, similar to that used for vehicle effi ciency ratings, or it may be calculated based on the vehicle’s age, with average values worked out for each year from manufacturing data. The three motor trade associations, the Motor Industry Association (MIA), the Imported Motor Vehicles Industry
Association (IMVIA), and the Motor Trade Association (MTA)
did not lobby against the impost at the time of submissions, since they were unaware of the implications of the fine print of the legislation. According to IMVIA chief executive David Vinsen, they first became aware of the
issue after being summoned to Wellington for a technical advisory group. “We didn’t see this coming. When the ETS was first promulgated, and going through the consultation phase,
DeALers WILL have to continue to wait for clarifi cation over the two new Acts regulating the sale of fi nancial and insurance products, the Financial Advisers Act and the Financial Services Providers (Registration and Dispute Resolutions) Act.
Passed in 2008, the Financial Adviser’s Act is designed to promote the sound and effi cient delivery of fi nancial advice, and to encourage public confi dence in the professionalism and integrity of fi nancial advisers.
The Financial Service Providers
Act will create an electronic register of Financial Service Providers, increasing the transparency of public information related to such advisers. Part of the registration process will require fi nancial providers to join a dispute resolution scheme.
The voice of the auto industry
20 May 201020 May 2010
Emissions Trading Scheme The voice of the auto industry The voice of the auto industry
Uncertainties Remain over New Finance Legislation
continued on page 4
GT2 RSMost powerful production Porsche ever
continued on page 4
p9
AF_20May.indd 1
5/19/10 7:57:25 AM
the motor trade.
20 | www.autofile.co.nz
www.autofile.co.nz | 21
MAKE Apr ‘10 YTD ‘10 MThlY % YTD % MAKE Apr ‘09 YTD ‘09
ISUZU 32 115 39.1 -45.2 ISUZU 23 210
MITSUBISHI 20 79 11.1 -21.0 MITSUBISHI 18 100
FORD 16 68 128.6 74.4 HINO13 88
MERCEDES-BENZ 15 48 275.0 -41.5 SCANIA 12 68
HINO 15 78 15.4 -11.4 FIAT10 40
NISSAN 6 28 0.0 -36.4 VOLVO 10 19
IVECO6 33 -25.0 26.9 IVECO
8 26
FIAT6 27 -40.0 -32.5 FORD
7 39
DAF6 14 100.0 40.0 FREIGHTLINER 7 46
VOLKSWAGEN 3 10100.0 KENWORTH 7 30
MAN3 8
NISSAN 6 44
KENWORTH 3 22WESTERN STAR 5 24
VOLVO 2 9MERCEDES-BENZ 4 82
STERLING 2 8DAF
3 10
SCANIA 2 21INTERNATIONAL 2 12
MACK 2 5MAN
2 7
FREIGHTLINER 2 10MACK
1 11
WESTERN STAR 1 7RENAULT 1 2
INTERNATIONAL 1 8STERLING 1 2
CHEVROLET 1 2VOLKSWAGEN
5
FACTORY BUILT2
KATO3
MAZDA1
FACTORY BUILT0
TADANO1
CHEVROLET2
GROVE2
TEREX1
ToTAl 144 603 2.9 -31.1 ToTAl 140 875
MAKEApr’10 ‘10 YTD MonThlY % YTD % MAKE
Apr‘09 ‘09 YTD
ISUZU17 26 -10.5 -71.1 ISUZU
19 90
MITSUBISHI6 8 +100 -11.1 MITSUBISHI
3 9
TOYOTA4 19 +33.3 +35.7 TOYOTA
3 14
NISSAN3 6 +50 -76 NISSAN
2 25
HINO3 4 +200 -69.2 DODGE
1 6
FACTORY BUILT3 3 +200 -25 FACTORY BUILT
1 4
FORD2 4 +200 +33.3 FIAT
1 2
MAZDA0 62 0 +6100 HINO
1 13
IVECO0 26 0 0 SCANIA
1 3
MERCEDES-BENZ 0 10 0 +900 FORD0 3
TEREX0 5 0 0 CHEVROLET
0 2
FREIGHTLINER0 5 0 0 GROVE
0 1
MAN0 2 0 0 MERCEDES-BENZ 0 1
CHEVROLET0 2 0 0 MACK
0 1
FIAT0 1 -100 -100 MAZDA
0 1
DODGE0 1 -100 -600 DAF
0 1
SPARTAN0 1
ToTAl38 184 18.75 +4.0
32 177
Used Truck Sales By Make
New Truck Sales By Make New Bike Sales By Make Used Bike Sales By Make
industry statistics
industry statistics
MAKE Apr ’10
YTD ’10
MThlY % MAKE Apr ‘09 YTD ‘09
MOPED 99 516 -29.8 SUZUKI 194 789
SUZUKI 91 538 -53.1 MOPED 141 745
HARLEY DAVIDSON 61 262 -6.2 HONDA 76 300
TRIUMPH 49 183 172.2 HARLEY DAVIDSON 65 319
YAMAHA 46 181 -17.9 YAMAHA 56 263
HONDA 46 275 -39.5 KAWASAKI 42 223
HYOSUNG 27 82 125.0 FACTORY BUILT 33 154
KAWASAKI 26 116 -38.1 PIAGGIO 21 98
FACTORY BUILT 18 98 -45.5 TRIUMPH 18 146
PIAGGIO 14 65 -33.3 KEEWAY 16 66
BMW 14 60 BMW 14 53
KYMCO 13 23 DUCATI 14 36
VMOTO 11 32 HYOSUNG 12 68
KEEWAY 11 52 MOTORCYCLE 12 47
MOTO GUZZI 9 11 KTM 8 48
KTM 8 45 SYM 7 49
APRILIA 6 28 VESPA 7 40
VESPA 4 29 APRILIA 5 20
SYM 4 22 PGO 4 23
MOTORCYCLE 4 27 BUELL 3 19
ROYAL ENFIELD 3 7 DAELIM 2 4
LIFAN 3 13 LIFAN 2 15
DUCATI 3 21 MOTO GUZZI 2 18
SACHS 2 2 VICTORY 2 5
MOTO MORINI 2 4 DAYTONA 1 1
DAELIM 2 10 FALCON 1 1
URAL 1 1 LVVTA 1 2
PGO 1 12 PEUGEOT 1 3
ITALJET 1 2 CMG 1
HUSABERG 1 2 GARELLI 1
BENELLI 1 8 GAS GAS 1
PEUGEOT 2 GILERA 3
PANTHER 1 HUSABERG 5
MV AGUSTA 1 HUSQVARNA 6
MINI 1 ITALJET 1
KINETIC 1 KINETIC 1
HUSQVARNA 3 MINI 1
GILERA 4 MOTO MORINI 3
BUELL 15 MV AGUSTA 6
MZ 1
PIONEER 1
ROYAL ENFIELD 5
SACHS 3
SILVER 1
ZONGSHEN 3
ToTAl 581 2755 -23.6 760 3598
MAKE Apr ’10
YTD ’10
MThlY % MAKE Apr ‘09
YTD ‘09
HONDA 30 141 -28.6 HONDA 42 187
HARLEY 26 155 23.8 YAMAHA 33 155
SUZUKI 21 78 16.7 HARLEY 21 137
BMW 14 55 180.0 DUCATI 20 79
YAMAHA 12 78 -63.6 SUZUKI 18 92
DUCATI 11 60 -45.0 KAWASAKI 13 50
TRIUMPH 6 46 -50.0 TRIUMPH 12 45
MOPED 6 33 -25.0 MOPED 8 26
KAWASAKI 4 34 -69.2 PANTHER 8
MOTORCYCLE 3 11 50.0 APRILIA 5 20
LVVTA 3 5 BMW 5 59
FACTORY 3 13 VESPA 4 22
VESPA 2 16 FACTORY 2 11
MOTO GUZZI 2 12 MOTORCYCLE 2 4
KYMCO 2 2 BOLWELL 1 2
APRILIA 2 19 BOMBARDIER 1 1
VICTORY 1 6 BROUGH 1 1
PIAGGIO 1 4 BSA 1 3
PGO 1 3 CAGIVA 1 4
NORTON 1 4 CUSTOMBUILT 1
MITSUBISHI 1 1 ENFIELD 1 2
LAMBRETTA 1 1 GILERA 1
KTM 1 8 LAVERDA 1 3
BUELL 1 9 MOTO GUZZI 1 9
BSA 1 1 NORTON 1 2
VELOCETTE 1 PIAGGIO 1 6
RUDGE 1 TITAN 1 1
ROYAL 3 VICTORY 1 4
RHINO 1 BUELL 10
MINI 1 VINCENT 4
MATCHLESS 1 KTM 4
MAGNI 2 INDIAN 4
LAVERDA 1 LAMBRETTA 3
LAMBRETTA 1 LVVTA 2
HYOSUNG 1 AMERICAN 2
BSA 60 HYOSUNG 1
BIMOTA 1 URAL 1
AJS 1
MAGNI 1
MV AGUSTA 1
MZ 1
SUNBEAM 1
VELOCETTE 1
ToTAl 156 869 -24.6 207 962
AF_13May.indd 20-21
5/17/10 5:31:00 PM
Contact
6 27
6 14 100.0 40.0 FREIGHTLINER 7 46
3 10100.0 KENWORTH 7 30
3 8NISSAN 6 44
3 22
5 24
2
4 82
3 10
2 12
2 7
1 11
1 2
1 2
5
3
0
1
2
2
1
140 875
Apr‘09 ‘09 YTD
19 90
3 9
3 14
2 25
1 6
1 4
1 2
1 13
1 3
0 3
0 2
0 1
0 1
0 1
0 1
0 1
0 1
32 177
industry statistics
Around the country
Used car sales - April 2010
Hamilton
4582009: 375
22.1%
Wanganui
562009: 42
33.3%
Nelson
922009: 80
15.0%
Westport
72009: 4
75.0%
Greymouth
162009: 19
15.8%
Masterton
672009: 29
131.0%
Whangarei
1172009: 100
17.0%
Wellington
6302009: 397
58.7%
Thames
362009: 28
28.6%
Blenheim
382009: 18
111.1%
Tauranga
2662009: 177
50.3%
Christchurch
8912009: 626
42.3%Timaru
702009: 32
118.8%
Rotorua
642009: 46
39.1%
Oamaru
152009: 12
25.0%Dunedin
2532009: 137
84.7%Invercargil
732009: 60
21.7%
Gisborne
282009: 40
30.0%
Napier
1862009: 96
93.8%
Palmerston North
2162009: 118
83.1%
Auckland
33382009: 2248
48.5%
New
Plymouth
1362009: 75
81.3%
Total
70532009: 4759
48.2%
12 | www.autofi le.co.nz
AF_20May.indd 12
5/19/10 7:57:39 AM
MAKE
ISUZU
MITSUBISHI
FORD
MERCEDES-BENZ
HINO
NISSAN
IVECO
New Truck Sales By Make
FIAT
DAF
VOLKSWAGEN
MAN
KENWORTH
VOLVO
industry statistics
Around the countryAround the country
Used car sales - April 2010Used car sales - April 2010
Nelson
922009:
15.0%
Westport
72009: 4
75.0%
Greymouth
162009: 19
15.8%
Plymouth
Total
70532009: 4759
48.2%
www.autofile.co.nz | 7
pent-up buying demand, because
if you have a traveller doing
100,000 or 120,000km, you can
defer replacing that vehicle for
only so long.
“And if you’ve pushed that
vehicle out to 140,000km you’re
going to need to replace it sooner
rather than later. And for those
that have a salary package or for
the managing directors, they’re
going to want to be seen to have
the new car; it gets back to the
status issue.”
Kerr is happy to see the market
coming out of last year’s low.
“Growth-wise we aren’t
predicting huge numbers,
probably only 10% on last year.
Certainly the 30% for April was
much higher than I anticipated.
Overall we’re still only at about
12%, so we’re not seeing any large
increases, but we’re seeing a slow
build-up in the market again.”
However as a consequence of
the slowdown, some dealers are
experiencing shortage of stock,
says Kerr.
“Stock levels of car companies
are at their lowest levels we’ve
seen in 30 years of monitoring.
Certainly the car companies here
have cut back on their stock,
and that I understand is causing
problems for some people who
want a particular vehicle in a
particular colour.
“If dealers are confident that
the market has got back to some
stability, we’ll see stock levels
picking up. Car companies have
been saying that this year will
be a slow climb out of the hole.
Certainly we think 2011 will be
better than 2010, because it’s
election year, you’ve got the
Rugby World Cup, and a lot of
other things happening that will
stimulate the market.”
The NZTA figures show that
the used vehicle market began
its recovery earlier than the new,
with sales beginning to grow
late last year. April registrations
of used imports were 48%
above 2009, and year-to-date
registrations are up 43% on 2009.
Kerr believes that the used car
numbers signal market stability.
“Looking at their numbers,
they’re doing relatively well.
Used cars are primarily private
purchases, so that gives the
indication that people are happy
about where things are heading
if they’re out buying a second-
hand car. It’s peoples’ perception,
rather than money in the back
pocket that leads to spending.”
However house prices and
house stability are an important
factor in influencing peoples’
purchasing decisions, says Kerr.
Housing prices remain flat, with
uncertainty about tax changes
which will we be announced in
next week’s budget.
“There are still a lot of
uncertainties in that area, and the
numbers show that the housing
market isn’t picking up to the
extent that the new car market has
in the last two months,” adds Kerr.
Overall, the signs indicate
that our economy is headed in
the right direction. Consumer
confidence remains strong, and
business confidence is at its
highest level in over 10 years.
Figures recently released by
Statistics New Zealand show
that unemployment dropped
in the March quarter from 7.1
to 6%, the first drop since the
December 2007 quarter. This is a
particularly strong result, as this
fall in unemployment occurred
across the period where seasonal
labour jobs and the Christmas
rush comes to an end.
With interest rates expected to
be raised in the next few months,
it looks as if the economy and car
sales will continue to strengthen.
See our stats pages for individual
sales figures. Autofile will provide
sector-specific coverage in the weeks
in which no new stats are released.
news
Strong sales figures for Aprilcontinued from page 1
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
New Passenger Registrations
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Used Import Passenger Registrations
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
New Motorcycles (>60cc, & <60cc)
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
AF_13May.indd 7
5/17/10 5:29:30 PM
www.autofile.co.nz | 21
KYMCO
VMOTO 11 32 HYOSUNG 12 68
KEEWAY 11 52 MOTORCYCLE 12 47
MOTO GUZZI 9 11 KTM 8 48
KTM 8 45 SYM 7 49
APRILIA 6 28 VESPA 7 40
VESPA 4 29 APRILIA 5 20
SYM 4 22 PGO 4 23
MOTORCYCLE 4 27 BUELL 3 19
ROYAL ENFIELD 3 7 DAELIM 2 4
LIFAN 3 13 LIFAN 2 15
DUCATI 3 21 MOTO GUZZI 2 18
SACHS 2 2 VICTORY 2 5
MOTO MORINI 2 4 DAYTONA 1 1
DAELIM 2 10 FALCON 1 1
URAL 1 1 LVVTA 1 2
PGO 1 12 PEUGEOT 1 3
ITALJET 1 2 CMG 1
HUSABERG 1 2 GARELLI 1
BENELLI 1 8 GAS GAS 1
PEUGEOT 2 GILERA 3
PANTHER 1 HUSABERG 5
MV AGUSTA 1 HUSQVARNA 6
MINI 1 ITALJET 1
KINETIC 1 KINETIC 1
HUSQVARNA 3 MINI 1
GILERA 4 MOTO MORINI 3
BUELL 15 MV AGUSTA 6
MZ 1
PIONEER 1
ROYAL ENFIELD 5
SACHS 3
SILVER 1
ZONGSHEN 3
ToTAl 581 2755 -23.6 760 3598
VESPA 2 16 FACTORY 2 11
MOTO GUZZI 2 12 MOTORCYCLE 2 4
KYMCO 2 2 BOLWELL 1 2
APRILIA 2 19 BOMBARDIER 1 1
VICTORY 1 6 BROUGH 1 1
PIAGGIO 1 4 BSA 1 3
PGO 1 3 CAGIVA 1 4
NORTON 1 4 CUSTOMBUILT 1
MITSUBISHI 1 1 ENFIELD 1 2
LAMBRETTA 1 1 GILERA 1
KTM 1 8 LAVERDA 1 3
BUELL 1 9 MOTO GUZZI 1 9
BSA 1 1 NORTON 1 2
VELOCETTE 1 PIAGGIO 1 6
RUDGE 1 TITAN 1 1
ROYAL 3 VICTORY 1 4
RHINO 1 BUELL 10
MINI 1 VINCENT 4
MATCHLESS 1 KTM 4
MAGNI 2 INDIAN 4
LAVERDA 1 LAMBRETTA 3
LAMBRETTA 1 LVVTA 2
HYOSUNG 1 AMERICAN 2
BSA 60 HYOSUNG 1
BIMOTA 1 URAL 1
AJS 1
MAGNI 1
MV AGUSTA 1
MZ 1
SUNBEAM 1
VELOCETTE 1
ToTAl 156 869 -24.6 207 962
www.autofi le.co.nz | 9
Super M3 – a 300km/h screamer
new cars
BMW Is pushing the M3 towards
the 320km/h club with an uprated
version designed to double as a
road or track car.
BMW quotes 0-100km/h in 4.4
seconds and a 304km/h top speed
for the M3 GTS whose highly-
adjustable chassis allows it to be
transformed from a useable road
car into a potent circuit racer.
Increased piston stroke lifts
the V8 motor’s displacement from
3999cc to 4361cc; power rises
to 336kW at 8300rpm, and peak
torque is 40Nm greater, at 440Nm.
The gearbox is a clutchless DSG
seven-speed.
A rigidly-bolted, height-
adjustable rear subframe which
allows the rear to be lowered by
12mm for track work. The front end
can be lowered 16mm, and damper
rates and front and rear camber are
adjustable.Brake disc size rises by 18mm
at the front (six-pot callipers) and
30mm at the rear (four-pot) and the
car runs on Y-spoke 19-inch matt
black M alloy wheels.
Downforce can be adjusted
using the rear wing – based on
BMW’s 320si World Touring Car
Championship racer’s – and the
front apron’s air defl ectors.
Lightweight componentry
shaves 70kg from the kerb weight
which is now 1530kg. The roof is
Carbon-Fibre Reinforced Plastic
and side and rear windows are
polycarbonate.
Deleting the rear seats and
reducing sound insulation saves
more weight, and the thin-walled
lightweight racing exhaust system
has titanium silencers.
Driver and passenger sit in race
car seats and are restrained by
six-point seatbelts. A rollbar behind
the B-pillars is standard, with a full
rollcage optional.
BMW starts building right-hand
drive versions in January 2011, and
the car will be available in only one
colour, orange.
eVen eXtreMe performance
is going green – well, greener,
anyway.Take Porsche’s newly-
announced 911 GT2 RS, for
example. The German sports
carmaker says that though it’s the
fastest and most powerful road-
going Porsche ever, with a 462kW
(620hp) motor and a 328km/h top
speed, the GT2 RS delivers fi ve
percent lower fuel consumption
and exhaust emissions than the
standard GT2.
Porsche says it can return fuel
economy of 11.9 litres/100km
(23.7 mpg) and CO2 emissions
of 284 grams/km, despite being
67kW more powerful. Not bad
fi gures for a vehicle with race car
performance.
Its twin turbo six-cylinder
boxer motor drives the rear wheels
through a six-speed manual
gearbox and delivers 0-100km/h
in 3.5 seconds, 0-200km/h in 9.8,
and 0-300km/h in 28.9. Porche has
increased the RS’s turbo boost to
1.6 bar from the standard GT2’s 1.4.
The RS uses lighter aluminium
transverse arms and diagonal struts
in the rear suspension, carbon
fi bre reinforced bonnet and rear
spoiler, polycarbonate rear and side
windows, lightweight engine cover,
lightweight door panels, lighter
single-mass fl ywheel, and a lighter
lithium-ion battery.
Ceramic brake discs are standard,
along with upratecd springs,
Porsche Adaptive Suspension
Management (PASM) and PSM
Porsche Stability Management. Its
325/30 ZR19 tyres were developed
specially for the GT2.
Wider light-alloy front
wheels are shrouded by fl ared
wheelarches, the front and rear
spoilers are carbon-fi nished
CFR as are the bucket seats and
lightweight interior door panels.
The basic interior colour is black,
with red alcantara centre sections
in the seats.Matt black carbon-fi bre-
reinforced (CFR) components are
used extensively in the bodywork
Porsche is building only 500
GT2s and a handful will come
here. No New Zealand price has
been announced but in Britain,
the GT2 will sell for the equivalent
of $332,800.
GT2 RS ups the performance ante
AF_20May.indd 9
5/19/10 7:57:34 AM
Autofile Voice ad_June10.indd 1 8/06/10 9:18 PM
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