Car Dealer Magazine: Issue 129

ON TEST: DOES FIAT’S FUNKY NEW CROSSOVER DELIVER THE 500X FACTOR?

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Issue 129 | December 2018 | CarDealerMag.co.uk | £5

R E P SU IVED 8 SERIES V E R E H T Y H W : DRIVEN L FOR BMW A E D IG B A H C U COUPE IS S

AFTERSALES EXCELLENCE

GRAB A GONG AN D SOME GREAT PUBLICITY WITH NEW AWARDS

R DEALERS? A C R O F S W E N R GOOD OR BAD E IV L E D R O L L E C ID THE CHAN BUDGET 2018: D

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Editorial HEAD OF EDITORIAL Rebecca Chaplin

rebecca@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @believebecca

HEAD OF DESIGN Graeme Windell

graeme@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @graemewindell

PRODUCTION EDITOR Dave Brown

dave@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @CarDealerDave

FEATURES EDITOR Jack Evans

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STAFF WRITER Ryan Hirons

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STAFF WRITER Tom Wiltshire

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Welcome.

IT’S deadline day, which means that, as usual, I’m throwing the last collections of words at Dave – including this intro to the magazine and an extension to my column, which is always too short (and rarely makes sense until Messrs Brown or Bowman work their magic on it).

Today, there’s the added stress of the fast-approaching Used Car Awards too.

On November 26, we’ll be making our way to The Brewery in London for the ceremony – arguably the best night in the Car Dealer calendar and my favourite by far.

The people sat around me in the office are the ones behind the event – with some great support from our supplier partners – so from now until then they’ll be making trophies, designing table plans plus creating all of the presentations and I’ll be writing the scripts.

That’s why on the night, when it’s all over in a flash and we can finally relax, it’s always such a relief ! (Touch wood it doesn’t become a catastrophe in 2018…)

We never like to rest on our laurels though, so in February we’ll be holding our first Aftermarket Excellence Awards to honour the people in your service departments and workshops who do an incredible job every day.

You can find out more on page 12, and if you decide to enter, think about us over Christmas and into the new year as we get to grips with organising another big ‘do’.

Don’t feel too sorry for us though – the early part of the Car Dealer calendar has long been missing a big party night and it might just keep me going until CDX in June…

These are all great reasons to be excited as we approach the festive season – there’s also the Car Dealer Go-Karting Challenge in association with Close Brothers Motor Finance, which we’re bringing you the first report of on pages 16-17. Our next set of racers will be heading to

Eastleigh very soon to put their skills to the test. However, as seems to be a theme for 2018, the government likes to throw a fly in the ointment for the automotive industry.

Towards the close of October, it was the early ending of the hybrid vehicle grant that shot dealers in the foot.

Those in power temporarily stimulated the new car market by saying on October 11 that the grant would end on November 9 or earlier if sales were ‘higher than expected’ – and on average, 900 grants were issued each day rather than the 140 a day in the first six months of the year.

The DfT subsequently axed the grant on October 21 and the month saw another decline in the new car market.

The Budget, announced in late October, wasn’t more doom and gloom for businesses, thankfully. You can find out exactly what it will mean for you on pages 6-7.

A lot of you won’t understand why this is a reason to feel gloomy, but around 90 people who were on the tenth anniversary Bangers4Ben tour might find themselves suffering from a second bout of ‘Bangers Blues’.

I always hope my writing is vaguely amusing and a bit witty, but I had to fight back the cackles in the office as I tried to write this – and it was nothing to do with what I was actually putting on paper, just the strange in-jokes from along the way.

There’s always far more to be said than we can actually publish, so I’m sorry if you didn’t make it into the final 3,000 words. Hopefully the fact that some of your photos showing you in skin-tight suits haven’t appeared in the magazine has saved a few blushes though!

Enjoy the issue!

Rebecca Chaplin Head of Editorial CarDealerMag.co.uk | 03

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Fiat 500X Funky Italian crossover is updated for 2018 – Rebecca Chaplin delivers her verdict

Was the Budget good or bad news for you?

ISSUE 129 I DECEMBER 2018

Dashboard.

Feature.

The Big Story

Bangers4Ben

6 Changes at the top at VW and Ford 8 Around the UK 10 Aftermarket Excellence Awards 12 Around the World 24 Rebecca Chaplin 27 Big Mike 29 Feedback 30 Finance 32

Data File.

The Statistics Fully Loaded On Test: Vauxhall Combo Aftermarket Car Dealer Club Auctions Taking Stock

Forecourt.

BMW 8 Series Volvo S60 Ford Mustang Bullitt

36 40 42

Real Deals Market Insight Suppliers Guide James Baggott

46 66 68 72 74 76 78 79 80 81 84 90

Full coverage of the first round of our go-kart challenge

Andy Goss: Bricks must work together with clicks

Our events...

As voted for by dealers, Car Dealer Power is unique. Details of our 2018 winners are online at bit.ly/CDP-18. Watch this space for news of the 2019 event !

The Car Dealer Used Car Awards, sponsored by Black Horse, celebrate the used car industry.

We’ll see you at The Brewery on Monday, November 26!

The UK’s biggest automotive trade expo features the Live Stage, breakout sessions, workshops and much more.

Save the date: June 12, 2019 at Farnborough International.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 05

Dashboard.

THE BIG STORY

What the Budget means for car dealers Mike Jones, the chairman of profitability specialists ASE and a regular contributor to Car Dealer Magazine, discusses the measures announced by Philip Hammond in October.

C

onsumers could be more willing to businesses will be delighted to reduce their change their cars thanks to the income annual taxable trading profits. This only applies tax breaks delivered in the chancellor’s to contracts entered into after October 29 – a real Budget last month. shame for retailers who have already embarked That’s the conclusion of Mike Jones, chairman on some massive building projects.’ of profitability specialists ASE, which analysed Turning to the growing popularity of electric the details of Philip Hammond’s speech. and hybrid vehicles, Jones noted: ‘The chancellor Jones said the Budget ‘had the feel of also extended the 100 per cent capital allowance a pre-election giveaway’. And he added: available on installing electric charge points ‘The underlying messages about increased until 2023, but it is disappointing that he didn’t employment levels and the income tax introduce more far-reaching measures breaks provided to basic- and higherto stimulate the sales of hybrid and rate taxpayers should be good news electric vehicles and the charging for the UK automotive sector. network required to support them.

‘The chancellor’s big business ‘Whilst changes to the way tax giveaways will benefit the digital transactions are taxed automotive sector, given the appear to be targeted at the tech considerable capital investment giants, there is a potential note of required in relation to motor caution for the future automotive dealerships. In addition, aside from landscape. As we see a steady the negative salary impact of the increase in direct manufacturer Mike Jones increases to the minimum wage, online car sales, it will be interesting there were no immediately noticeable to see if the scope of this legislation is eventually tax potholes which the chancellor has opened widened to capture these sales as well. up for the industry.

‘Many automotive business owners will ‘The increase in the annual investment be breathing a sigh of relief at the fact that allowance to £1,000,000 will mean that as much Entrepreneurs’ Relief was retained. as £190,000 can be saved in terms of corporation ‘Finally, as we have seen in the USA, increasing tax payments when the business incurs the take-home pay of individuals can have a real qualifying capital expenditure. positive impact on their willingness to purchase, ‘As manufacturers continue to roll out which can only be good news for car retailers.’ corporate identity upgrade programmes, this is a Market Insight, p81 welcome windfall for dealers. Timing is crucial, however, as the new limit only takes effect from January 2019 and is in force for two years. Dealers should therefore delay incurring capital costs until the new year wherever possible.’

Jones observed: ‘A further measure introduces additional tax relief for the actual cost of the building, allowing a write-off of expenditure against trading profits over a period of 50 years.

‘Whilst this writing-off will reduce the tax Mike Jones of ASE base cost of the property upon disposal in future,

Chancellor Philip Hammond on his way to the Commons to deliver his Budget speech

‘The chancellor’s big business tax giveaways will benefit the automotive sector, given the considerable capital investment required in relation to motor dealerships.’

06 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

What were the best-selling new cars in October?

Monthly SMMT figures, p10

Vehicle tax proceeds ring-fenced in £30bn road funding boost for England CHANCELLOR Philip Hammond announced a £30 billion investment package for England’s roads in his Budget – to be paid for by the vehicle tax.

It will include an immediate £420 million of funding for repairing potholes and damaged local roads as well as bridge maintenance – on top of £300 million already available – while £28.8 billion will be earmarked for motorways and major trunk roads.

A further £150 million is to be made available to tackle local congestion hotspots.

It marks the first time that vehicle excise duty (VED) will be ring-fenced for use exclusively on roads. Former Tory chancellor George Osborne made the pledge in 2015.

Hammond has vowed that all VED paid from 2020 to 2025 will go to Highways England, the governmentowned company responsible for the country’s motorways and major trunk roads.

However, motoring organisations have criticised the funding, suggesting it’s a drop in the ocean compared with the amount of money actually needed to repair our damaged and broken-up roads.

Edmund King, president of motoring organisation and breakdown recovery provider the AA, said in a reference to the timing of the Budget, delivered in the Commons shortly before Halloween: ‘The new £420 million for potholes is an immediate ‘‘treat’’, which has to be spent by the end of April.

However, the ‘‘trick’’ is the pothole backlog of £9 billion.

Therefore, the treat is a drop in the ocean.

‘The race is on to get working on working on UK roads before

The money allocated for road repairs has been described as a ‘drop in the ocean’ winter sets in. We hope councils will be able to treat roads before they get dangerously tricky.’

Alex Buttle, of car-buying comparison website Motorway.co.uk, agreed, saying: ‘It sounds like a big number, but a recent report suggested councils already have a shortfall of £556 million just to fix the issue in 2017/18, so this won’t even cover this year’s deficit.’

Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald disagreed with the funding altogether, calling major spending on motorways ‘unsustainable’.

He said: ‘With car dependency rising, public transport in decline and local roads in a state of disrepair, ramping up spending on major roads is the wrong decision.’

The chancellor also announced that fuel duty would be frozen – the ninth consecutive year that it has stayed the same – as would the insurance premium tax.

RAC head of external affairs Pete Williams said: ‘The government made a commitment three years ago to ring-fence all the money collected from vehicle tax from 2020/21 to maintain and improve our most important roads. It is good to see the chancellor delivering on this promise.’

He added: ‘We welcome the decision not to increase the insurance premium tax. After three rises in the last three years, motorists can breathe a sigh of relief that they will not face a further tax hike on their car insurance costs.’

‘Motorists can breathe a sigh of relief that they will not face a further tax hike on their car insurance costs.’

Pete Williams of the RAC CarDealerMag.co.uk | 07

Dashboard.

DEPARTURE

BUSINESS DEAL

MD set to leave Volkswagen thanks to ‘unbelievable offer’

Stoneacre buys Mill Garages

V

olkswagen Group UK MD Paul Willis has confirmed he will be leaving the company at the end of the year – after receiving an ‘unbelievable offer’ from another firm.

‘It’s true, I am leaving, but I am still in the position now and will likely be until the end of the year,’ Willis exclusively told Car Dealer Magazine.

The 59-year-old explained that he had been made a staggering offer to join the board of a multi-national conglomerate that does not have any business interests in the UK. Speaking when the news broke at the beginning of November, he said: ‘I resigned last week after 18 glorious years with VW and am very sad indeed. Of my 35-year career in the motor industry, half of that has been with VW and I never thought I would leave.’ Willis, pictured, said he couldn’t reveal the name of the company that he was joining but added that it may eventually enter the UK market. He will stay with VW to help ‘on-board’ his successor but was

by JAMES BAGGOTT @CarDealerEd

aiming to leave by the end of the year.

‘My new role gives me a chance to be very entrepreneurial and working abroad will be interesting,’ he said.

Willis thanked the VW Group network of dealers for their support, saying the success of the group had been a ‘team effort’.

He added: ‘And I can’t leave just yet – I’m still waiting for my own personal Golf GTI which has been held up by WLTP!’ Willis hit the headlines when he led the VW Group response to the dieselgate scandal and made well-publicised representations to the government over the issue.

He took over as the managing director of Volkswagen Group UK in February 2014, having joined VW to head up

the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand between February 2000 and 2008, followed by working as the MD for Volkswagen Group Ireland.

Before joining Volkswagen, Willis worked for BMW, Mazda, Toyota and Ford. He replaced Paul Willcox at VW, who held the position between September and December 2013.

‘It’s true, I am leaving, but I am still in the position now and will likely be until the end of the year.’

Paul Willis

New sales director named as Ford’s Kevin Griffin retires LISA BRANKIN will become Ford of Britain sales director on January 1, 2019.

In her new role, Brankin will be responsible for all of Ford’s sales distribution channels in the UK, including the Ford dealer network and online sales. Currently director of marketing at Ford of Britain, a position she has held since August 2015, she will continue to report to Andy Barratt, chairman and managing director of Ford of Britain. Brankin replaces Kevin Griffin, who is retiring from Ford after more than 40 years of service.

08 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

‘Lisa has shown great leadership as our marketing lead in the UK over the past three years, and I know she is the right person to take on the challenges and opportunities on the sales front in what is Ford’s largest market in Europe,’ said Barratt.

Before becoming marketing director, Brankin was director of dealer operations, where she was responsible for all sales support and dealer representation activities in the UK, including the implementation of Transit specialist dealer centres and rolling out the FordStore

initiative – a network of upgraded, new-look dealerships where customers can experience the full range of Ford vehicles and services.

Brankin joined Ford as a graduate trainee and has held various roles within the company’s sales and marketing departments in Britain, Europe and on a global level.

Her replacement as marketing lead at Ford of Britain will be announced later. Before his appointment as Ford of Britain’s director of sales in 2015, Griffin was director of commercial vehicles for Ford of Europe. He also held a number of other leadership roles with the firm.

STONEACRE Motor Group has added to its portfolio and extended its reach across the north-east of England after buying out Mill Garages.

As well as the Sunderland branch, the car dealership group has also taken over Mill Garages’ three sites in Harrogate, Newcastle and Stockton, adding to the brand’s existing Volvo representation in Chesterfield, Grimsby, Lincoln and Sheffield to bring Stoneacre’s Volvo sites nationwide to eight.

Alan Rennison-Rae, general manager at Mill Garages Sunderland, said: ‘Everyone at Mill Garages is delighted to have joined forces with the fantastic Stoneacre brand.’

Customers can expect to see the same personnel in the newly acquired Stoneacre branches, with all members of staff – including Mill Garages founder Bill Ward and operations director Jeff Tabb – remaining in the existing sites.

MARKETING

Modix partners with Google MODIX – part of Cox Automotive – is partnering with Google as it looks to make it easier for dealers to advertise direct to consumers online.

The partnership will see the two companies offer a dynamic approach to dealer marketing, offering an innovative and powerful search marketing package.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 09

Dashboard.

News from around the UK

What’s been hitting the headlines on the home front? Here’s a round-up of stories NOTTINGHAM

BMW Group and BCA combine at launch sale

BCA OPENED expanded remarketing facilities at its Nottingham centre with the highly successful launch of a new BMW Group sales programme.

The launch sale featured a superb selection of 499 vehicles offered through the new back-to-back auction lanes at BCA Nottingham.

Stuart Pearson, chief operating officer of BCA’s UK remarketing operation, said: ‘BMW Group provided a superb selection of stock and our buyers turned out in large numbers to bid strongly.’

From the left are Paul Connaughton, James Connaughton and Martin Boagey, general manager at Vertu Honda Stockton

NORTH YORKSHIRE

Dealership’s support for disabled young adults A HONDA dealership in County Durham has teamed up with other businesses in the Teesside and North Yorkshire area to support the building of a residential centre for disabled young adults.

Work is starting at the site near Stokesley, North Yorkshire, to provide a supported living environment for those with additional needs.

BURY

STIRLING

Cartime’s £1.2m deal for used 4x4 centre

Escaped cow causes £1,500 of damage

CARTIME – one of the north-west of England’s fastest-growing independent used car dealerships – is expanding its Bury operations.

The company has signed a £1.2m deal to create a specialist used 4×4 centre opposite its existing showroom in the town’s Bell Lane.

News of the expansion comes just weeks after Cartime announced it was opening a second used car sales operation in Rochdale. This will take its entire business to three sites – two in Bury and one in Rochdale.

AN escaped cow’s 20-second rampage in a car showroom caused damage worth £1,500. The animal had managed to flee from a cattle market about a mile away from Arnold Clark Stirling Mazda.

After arriving on the forecourt and lurking for a while, the cow then managed to find its way into the showroom, crashing into a window and damaging a £23,000 Mazda MX-5. A police spokeswoman told The Scotsman: ‘The cow was injured.

However, no-one else was harmed.’

10 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

The plans mark the latest stage of the JPC Community Farm project, which was established by Paul and Julie Connaughton with their son James in mind. Vertu Honda Stockton has supported the project for more than 15 years, providing cars at various events the charity has organised, including a recent ‘Supercar Saturday’ in Stockton High Street.

The top-selling cars of October October 2018

Source: SMMT

Ford Fiesta Volkswagen Golf Mercedes-Benz A-Class Volkswagen Tiguan Ford Focus Mini Ford Kuga Nissan Qashqai BMW 3 Series Volkswagen Polo The statistics, p66

5,564 3,765 3,339 3,297 3,283 3,208 2,847 2,799 2,773 2,753

NORTH LONDON

New Skoda showroom is officially opened

ALAN DAY Volkswagen has expanded with the official opening of a new Skoda showroom.

The showroom, which adjoins the group’s existing VW facility in Pinkham Way, New Southgate, takes the group’s representation to four franchised outlets, adding to its VW operations at Hampstead and London City.

Alan Day MD Paul Tanner said: ‘I’m delighted to be associated with such a strong and iconic brand as Skoda.’

I’m going it alone – what stock turn can I expect?

Feedback, p30

LONDON

CAMBRIDGE

Special DBS is a tribute Boardroom table is the to 1959 Le Mans victory perfect finishing touch

AN ASTON Martin dealership has revealed a limited-edition DBS that pays homage to the iconic vehicle’s legendary 1959 Le Mans triumph.

The DBS 59 was commissioned

by Aston Martin Cambridge and built by the manufacturer’s special ‘Q’ division to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the occasion next year. The 24 Superleggeras feature many interior and exterior design cues from the DBR1, which unexpectedly came 1st and 2nd at Le Mans in 1959.

JACK Barclay Bentley has opened the latest chapter in its 91-year history with a bespoke, hand-crafted boardroom table.

The original table, used by Jack Barclay himself and a number of the Bentley Boys, went missing some years ago. The Mayfair showroom – the world’s oldest Bentley dealership – underwent a multi-million-pound renovation earlier this year, and the new table, made from stained oak and designed by St James Interiors, is seen as the perfect finishing touch.

LEEDS

‘Every time I changed lanes, the steering wheel would vibrate like that of a Morris Marina with a buggered wheel bearing.’

Big Mike, p29

Car advertised for sale – with added clamp!

A CAR dealer in Leeds attempted to sell a Mercedes CLK 230 Kompressor with a very unusual optional extra. The seller had listed the 2002 convertible saloon on Auto Trader for £700 but with an added £360 release fee as it was clamped!

The description listed a wealth of options, with cosmetic upgrades including metallic black paint, leather seats and AMG alloy wheels.

The seller declined to give Car Dealer a comment and Auto Trader has since removed the advert.

MIDDLESBROUGH

Loyal Bryan notches up 25 years’ service

A MEMBER of staff at Jennings Ford Transit Centre has been rewarded for achieving 25 years’ loyalty.

Bryan White, 61, right, works as a sales controller/compliance manager at the group’s Ford Transit Centre in Middlesbrough.

To mark the milestone, Alan Bailes, general commercial manager at the dealership, presented him with high street vouchers and a certificate. He said: ‘I would like to congratulate Bryan. He is a dedicated member of staff and an asset to the sales team.’

Paul Brayley, left, shakes hands on the agreement with Khalid Al Rostamani, vice-chairman of AW Rostamani

ST ALBANS

Brayleys eyes long-term growth with UAE investor SOUTH of England dealer group Brayleys has set its sights on achieving future growth following investment from a Dubai-based conglomerate.

AW Rostamani has acquired a majority stake in Brayleys for an undisclosed sum and will lend its expertise and vision to chart future expansion for the company. Paul Brayley, the founder and

managing director of Brayleys, will continue to run the business in his current role alongside his existing management team, supported by two senior executives of AW Rostamani, who have joined the board. As part of the sale, Brayley retains a shareholding in the company he established in 2003 in St Albans, where it is now headquartered.

First drive BMW 8 Series An iconic name has returned from the grave Page 36 CarDealerMag.co.uk | 11

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T

ime is running out if you want to get involved in the inaugural Car Dealer Magazine Aftermarket Excellence Awards!

Aimed squarely at the workshop arena, the awards, sponsored by the RAC, will recognise the best and brightest businesses and individuals in a truly tough industry.

They will honour service and repair professionals and business owners alike, giving them the chance to demonstrate why they are the best.

There are 16 nomination categories, and it could be YOU picking up a gong at our glittering ceremony at the Spinnaker Tower in

Portsmouth on February 28, 2019.

But don’t delay! The deadline for entries and nominations is Friday, December 28.

Are you the Workshop Manager of the Year? Do you run a business that could be our Specialist Garage of the Year?

Check out these and all the other categories online by heading to the web address given at the bottom of this page. Winning an award will mean your business gets some great publicity – and we’ll be on hand to help you make the most of the opportunities.

We’re proud the RAC is headline sponsor, and the organisation is thrilled to be involved.

Award categories • Manufacturer Warranty Scheme of the Year • Apprentice of the Year • Technician of the Year • Aftersales Team of the Year • Workshop Manager of the Year • Workshop Website of the Year • MOT Centre of the Year • Aftersales Director of the Year • Franchised Workshop of the Year • Independent Workshop of the Year • Specialist Garage of the Year • Aftersales Customer Care Award • Equipment Supplier of the Year • Product Innovation of the Year • Outstanding Achievement of the Year • Lifetime Achievement Award • Most Reliable Manufacturer* • Most Reliable European Car* • Most Reliable Non-European Car* • Most Reliable Car Overall* *No voting is allowed for these categories

To nominate or enter, go online to bit.ly/AEA2019 12 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

"The Competition To Hire The Best Will Increase In The Years Ahead" - Bill Gates

We Give You The Edge Over YOUR Competition We've Been Beating Ours For A While 201 8

2017

2016

2 0 15

2 0 14

WINNER WINNER WINNER WINNER WINNER CarDealerMag.co.uk | 13

Dashboard.

Understanding the X appeal of customer interaction.

Ben Garside, p33

NETWORK ROLE

Nissan makes key new appointment NISSAN Motor GB has announced the appointment of Spencer Clayton-Jones as network development and customer quality director.

Clayton-Jones started his automotive career at Nissan and returned 10 months ago as network strategy manager.

He said: ‘Nissan has established and maintains leadership in the critical and fast-growing crossover and EV market sectors.

‘However, that success has to be matched by a high-quality customer experience if it is to deliver sustainable results.

‘It’s vital to ensure the Nissan dealer network continues to match the standards of service that today’s car buyers expect and demand, and I’m delighted to be part of the brand at this exciting time.’

Clayton-Jones’ appointment follows 15 years at Volkswagen Group UK. Alex Smith, managing director of Nissan Motor GB, said: ‘Spencer’s strong customer quality and dealer-focused background is a perfect fit as we continue to strengthen our business in the UK.’

SCHAEFFLER

Brexit a factor as sites set to close SCHAEFFLER is to close two sites in the UK, with uncertainty surrounding Brexit given as a factor behind the decision.

The automotive and industrial supplier said the sites in Llanelli and Plymouth will close within two years. It is understood that up to 500 jobs could be affected.

The German-owned company, which employs just over 1,000 workers in the UK, said production will be relocated to the US, China, South Korea and Germany.

14 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

The opening of Cambria’s Tunbridge Wells dealership was a memorable occasion

CAMBRIA AND LAMBORGHINI

‘We’re grasping opportunities afforded to us’ C ambria Automobiles opened its second Lamborghini dealership to a bustling crowd of prospective and existing supercar buyers in Kent.

The new location in Tunbridge Wells consists of a 300 square metre showroom, furnished with the latest Lamborghini branding and corporate identity.

Chief executive of Cambria Mark Lavery welcomed Lamborghini chairman and CEO Stefano Domenicali to the dealership, where they unveiled the new Aventador SVJ in front of the audience.

Earlier this year, the dealer group opened its first location with the Italian supercar brand in Chelmsford, and it said it was excited about the growth of this already fruitful relationship.

Lavery explained: ‘It wasn’t a difficult decision to bring a dealership to Royal Tunbridge Wells, in the garden of England.

‘It’s demographically perfect with a fantastic location and we’ve had good experience with the brand over in Essex. I think the potential with the brand is what we make it.

And Chelmsford – there had never been a Lamborghini dealership in

by REBECCA CHAPLIN @believebecca

Essex. We’ve been very excited with the order banks in both businesses!’

He added: ‘I think we’re at a unique time now with Lamborghini, with the arrival of Urus. You couldn’t have a facility like this without Urus. Urus’s target is to double Lamborghini’s sales globally from 3,000 to a minimum of 6,000.’

Domenicali said: ‘The UK is a significant and growing market for Lamborghini. The investment made by our partners in new dealerships, both here and around the world, reflects our brand’s growing appeal, particularly among a broader audience attracted by the new Lamborghini Urus.

‘This new UK facility perfectly represents the marque, not only in terms of our corporate identity but most importantly as

an environment to present our expanding model line-up to a diverse and growing client base.’

Lavery explained to Car Dealer that this opportunity left him feeling ‘positive’ despite current problems for the car market in the UK. ‘We’re in it for the long term,’ he said. ‘WLTP has caused some concerns, as has Brexit, and I think when the market softens you see different retailers acting in different ways. Our stance is that when the market softens we should be quite aggressive and make the most of opportunities. When the opportunity came up, it didn’t take a lot of thinking about.

‘We’ve got to grasp the opportunities afforded to us. During the last financial year, Jeep and Alfa Romeo left us in Chelmsford and were replaced with Lamborghini and Bentley. Honda and Mazda were here, and we replaced them with Lamborghini and Bentley.’

‘The investment made by our partners in new dealerships, both here and around the world, reflects our brand’s growing appeal.’

Stefano Domenicali

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 15

Dashboard.

ROUND 1 – NORTH

Blackshaws and Codeweavers celebrate victory on race track Adam Weller describes the scene as 12 teams pit themselves against each other for go-kart glory

T

he combined forces of Blackshaws and Codeweavers took victory in the northern qualifier of the Car Dealer Go-Karting Challenge in association with Close Brothers Motor Finance.

The winning team comprised Will Blackshaw and Sam Harrison of Blackshaws alongside David Stevenson and Adam Canay of Codeweavers. The four drivers completed 95 laps of the TeamSport Leeds circuit over the course of the 90-minute race – the first of four qualifiers before the grand final in March. Two laps further back, Andrew and Ian Billau, Ian Kitching and Craig Parker of Billau Motorcycles finished second for the other guaranteed spot in March’s grand final.

The Leeds circuit, a 580m layout, featured a number of hairpins, as well as a high-speed leftright flick under a bridge.

In addition, the pit lane was on its own distinct platform, directly above the starting grid.

The race was punctuated by black flag warnings

and stop-go penalties directed at several teams, with the dealers battling hard for track position on the tight, challenging layout typical of a TeamSport facility.

As the race began, it was – rather aptly – the #1 kart leading the way. The team, including Vicky Hope from Close Brothers, Jake and Craig Cosgrove from M65 Vans, and Paul Shallcross from Shallcross Vehicle Solutions, would not remain in that position for long, however, with some fast starters making quick work of the field in the opening stanza of the race.

By the 15-minute mark, the race had settled into a groove, and it was #20 – another combined entry – that would find itself out front. The team, composed of Alex and Will Johnson from Mountsett Ltd, Paul Standley from Owlet Cars and Stuart Holloway of Close Brothers, seemed confident on the pit wall.

And for much of the race, it looked as though they had good reason to. While they would

sometimes find themselves out of the lead after a pitstop, they were almost always in a position that would have ultimately granted them victory.

However, in the final half-hour, the black flag waved in their direction for an accumulation of on-track transgressions, and their lead – which was at almost two laps before the visit to the pits – became third place. This would be the outfit’s ultimate finishing position.

While frustration was evident in the Mountsett/Owlet camp, the drama had created an interesting battle for the lead, with #19 (the Blackshaws/Codeweavers entry) just four seconds clear of the #3 Billau entry.

However, the gap would extend over the course of the final 15 minutes, with #19 finishing up two laps clear of the field.

After receiving the winners’ trophy, Blackshaw said: ‘Obviously, it’s great to catch up with your friends in the industry.

‘A big thank you to Close Brothers Motor

Feel the need for speed? Then sign up for a chance to be part of this great 16 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

PHOTOGRAPHY: JON REAY

A Peugeot 3008 joins the Car Dealer fleet.

Long-termers, p87-89

See more go-karting pictures at bit.ly/leedskart

Looking ahead to Eastleigh ON NOVEMBER 21, the second qualifier will take place at TeamSport Southampton, which is actually in nearby Eastleigh.

This will be one of the fastest races of the Car Dealer Karting Challenge in association with Close Brothers Motor Finance, with a 375m circuit and a relatively open layout that features fewer tight corners than the average TeamSport circuit.

This layout will certainly reward the drivers who find a happy middle ground between driving smooth and sliding.

As with all the qualifiers, it’ll be run over 90 minutes, with the top two finishers guaranteed a place in the grand final in Reading on March 28, 2019. If you set the fastest lap or finish third you’ll also be in with a chance of reaching the final, but you’ll have to wait until all the qualifiers are complete to know whether you’ve made the cut.

Podium pride for the top three teams

Dates and tracks TeamSport karting venues and dates:

Full results: Round 1 – North

1. Blackshaws/Codeweavers

95 laps

2. Billau Motorcycles

93 laps

3. Owlet Cars/Mountsett

93 laps

4. MW Derbyshire/Martin Lee

91 laps

5. RS Car Sales

91 laps

6. Pennine/Martin Lee

90 laps

Closing the gap on the track

7. M65 Vans/Shallcross

89 laps

Finance, as it wouldn’t be possible to do this without them.’

Canay added: ‘Sam and Will were certainly the two quickest drivers – we contributed in our own little way!

‘We really enjoyed it. We really appreciate them inviting us along. We consider them really good business partners and friends, and it’s been a pleasure.’

8. Car Quay

89 laps

9. JEM Speed Shop/William Coates

87 laps

10. Elite Cars/Lancashire Centre

84 laps

11. DG Dale/Copmanthorpe

82 laps

12. Shallcross/Rydal

79 laps

Figures on the right indicate the number of laps completed in the 90 minutes of the race

event at karting@cardealermagazine.co.uk

Round 1 – North

Leeds, October 24

Round 2 – South

Eastleigh, November 21

Round 3 – East

Basildon, January 23, 2019

Round 4 – West

Bristol, February 20

Final

Reading, March 28

Coming to a track near you IF YOU’RE not a south-based dealer, Eastleigh will obviously be a significant trip for you and your team, but fear not – there will be east and west qualifiers in 2019.

On January 23, Car Dealer and Close Brothers will visit TeamSport Basildon for the east qualifier.

The final qualifier, covering the west, will take place in Bristol on February 20.

If you want to sign up for any of the upcoming events, which are free to enter, get in touch at karting@cardealermagazine.co.uk by the end of the preceding month. The 12 teams for each race will then be drawn from a hat.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 17

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18 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

more than 25 tracks NATIONWIDE

Dashboard.

LANDMARK

Over 300 dealers on board as IMDA reaches first anniversary

T

he Independent Motor director at Cox Automotive.

Dealers’ Association is Speaking with Car Dealer celebrating its first Magazine, Bilsborough, who is anniversary. Officially launched the vice-chairman and treasurer, in November 2017, having been explained that the association had formed by the founding members evolved in response to feedback in August last year, the from its members. association (IMDA) now ‘We’ve got two things – has a strong membership there’s the forum, which of 300 dealers. It is is open to anyone, but also supported by 60 we’ve also got the Hub, supplier members. and the Hub is where The IMDA was initially the members get the founded by Jim Reid of David Bilsborough most benefit from the Jim Reid Vehicles, Umesh association. That’s where Samani of Specialist Cars Stoke, the bloggers are – we have a lot of Stuart Saunders of Urban Car bloggers from all over the world.

Company, Chris Roach of Chequers, ‘We’re bringing in things that David Bilsborough of Cheshire members didn’t think were possible Cars and finally Philip Nothard, and making them possible.’ consumer insight and strategy Already, the IMDA has delivered

masterclasses in Birmingham, Watford and Perth, with a fourth to be delivered in Northern Ireland, with Ali May-Khalil of Sentience International.

In response to requests from members, future sessions will look at social media, and will be delivered by Neil Weightman of Digital Media Solutions.

Bilsborough said: ‘That’s really what the membership wanted. They wanted a concerted effort, designed for independents, not just the industry generally. We’re tailored to the independent sector with things that are viable and can be achieved.’ He added: ‘We’re giving people value for money. It’s a free membership and we don’t see that changing any time soon.’

DACIA

New online buying service launched DACIA has launched its Dacia Buy Online website, giving anyone with access to the internet the power to buy a car from the brand.

Dacia Buy Online enables customers to buy a new Dacia in four easy steps based on model, budget and payment choice.

The platform allows customers to buy a car from the range anywhere, at any time, from any connected device, covering the full customer journey.

They can choose payment options both cash and finance with full online acceptance, select a customer deposit contribution and set a monthly budget.

They can even part-exchange their existing car, which will be collected as part of the new vehicle handover.

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CarDealerMag.co.uk | 19

Dashboard.

IN CONVERSATION

WE’RE SUPPORTING DEALERS

‘Clicks need to be developed alongside bricks’

E

x-sales director for Jaguar Land Rover Andy Goss stepped down earlier in the year in what appears to be a particularly turbulent time for the brand. With almost four decades of experience in the motor industry – having held senior positions at Nissan Europe, Toyota and Porsche in the UK and JLR globally – Goss has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the new and used car markets.

His latest role sees him joining the board of Vertu Motors as an independent non-executive director and member of the audit, nominations and remuneration committees. Rebecca Chaplin spoke with him to get his views on the state of the industry.

Q&A with Andy Goss...

Q

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A better way of doing business 20 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

What do you think is the biggest challenge for the industry at the moment?

I’ve worked in this business for the thick end of 40 years and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a time where there have been so many changes touching down at one moment. Electrification is clearly a huge issue for manufacturers and retailers, but it’s an unknown for a lot of people and of course it’s an expensive proposition as well to actually develop electric cars.

You’re effectively putting a £2,000 combustion engine to one side and replacing it with £8,000-worth of batteries and the customer wants to pay the same price.

But at the same time, there are other developments of the connected car, which will be ongoing for everybody, and digitalisation, and in particular the online aspect of retailing.

Those three things together will mean all this change, which is all positive for the consumer, will probably lead to a level of consolidation starting with the manufacturers and seeping through to the rest of the industry.

Q

What’s your view on the retail sector in 2018?

I think retail is relentless, quite frankly, and these guys have to be on top of it every minute of the day and they are – that’s why the management information is so

important. I think there’s a need for a good strong partnership between the manufacturers and retailers as we go through the next few years, because the pressures on both sides are immense and they need to keep an open dialogue and be absolutely critically aware of the need to support profitability for both partners. If they don’t do that, the manufacturers will be at risk of some disruptors coming in.

Q

Are you excited about the potential at the dealer group?

Vertu are currently the sixth largest retail group and they’ve come from nowhere to that position in 10 years. The management team there have done a phenomenal job really getting up to the best part of 125 franchise points in such a short period of time. I’ve always been highly impressed by the management team there and everything I’ve seen so far has reinforced that, frankly. The level of management information they’ve got and the level of detail that they’ve got and the open-minded way that they are facing challenges head-on at the moment is laudable.

They’re very, very positive people.

Q

Do you think we still need a physical dealership?

There may be a need for fewer of them as time goes on because you have to make the destination centres really exciting for

FOR WHATEVER IS AROUND THE NEXT CORNER.

customers, of that there’s no doubt, but bricks and clicks together are critical. The guys who’ve started with clicks in other industries have developed their own businesses so they’ve got their own premises as well now. And in the car industry, you probably need to go the other way: the clicks need to be developed alongside the bricks.

There’s definitely the need for the customers to touch and feel.

Q

Does the government understand clean diesel now?

I think there is a better understanding, but I’d say the damage is already done.

The consumer is increasingly understanding that there are other issues as well. You’ve got a whole plethora of different powertrains, and depending on a customer’s individual needs, they can be satisfied in various ways.

Electrification is not a silver bullet by any stretch of the imagination.

Q

Has the industry got better at communicating powertrains to customers?

The industry has tried very hard to communicate that to customers.

However, the initial comments in political circles or the lack of consistency in those comments

did no good. And it will take some time for people to really understand that they have options.

Q

Will we get a good deal for Brexit?

I think at the end of the day an agreement will be made, because when you’ve got 750,000 German cars being exported to the UK and there are only 35,000 cars from the UK being exported to Germany, you can bet your life that eventually the industry in Germany will make it quite clear that they don’t want tariffs.

Q

Is consumer confidence coming back?

With this uncertainty, there’s a bit of a vacuum. People had a strategy before Brexit and people still have a strategy. The best organisations will be making sure they can continue looking after consumers as well as they can, having a good product offering and the right people in place. The fact some consumers are pausing is a fact of life, but it won’t be like that for ever.

As industry regulation and customer trends continue to change, we’re here to help.

Discover more at: blackhorse.co.uk/abetterway

Q

What should dealers be investing in?

Developing an online strategy parallel to the bricks and mortar strategy is essential for the future.

‘Electrification is not a silver bullet by any stretch of the imagination.’

A better way of doing business CarDealerMag.co.uk | 21

Dashboard.

FIREGATE

47,000 more Zafiras recalled after criminal probe launched

V

auxhall is recalling 47,000 more Zafiras because of a fire hazard following similar action over almost 235,000 cars.

In December 2015, the British manufacturer – now owned by Groupe PSA – launched a recall for 234,948 Zafira B models to fix air conditioning-related issues that could see the MPV catching fire.

Now more examples of the car have been included in the alert – specifically those with electronic climate control, which had previously been deemed safe.

A Vauxhall statement said: ‘Vauxhall Motors considers the safety of its customers very seriously. Through continual testing, we are launching a recall of some Vauxhall Zafira models to replace the heater blower motor and regulator. These are the secondgeneration models – Zafira B – built

between 2005 and 2014 that were fitted with electronic climate control. There are 47,000 such cars in the UK. In agreement with the DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency), we will write to owners using the keeper address data from the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) advising them to contact a Vauxhall retailer to arrange to have the work carried out free of charge.’

Earlier this year, the DVSA confirmed it had launched a criminal investigation into Zafira fires in conjunction with trading standards officers at Luton Borough Council.

Andy Rice, DVSA head of counterfraud and investigations, said DVSA’s priority was to

protect people from unsafe drivers and vehicles. The agency has a code of practice outlining how vehicle manufacturers must deal with potential safety defects in their products, and Rice said: ‘We have made it clear to manufacturers that to protect consumers they should swiftly rectify problems and meet their obligations under the code of practice. DVSA will take the necessary action against any manufacturers who fail to comply with their obligations.’

CLICK DEALER

Company enters main dealer arena CLICK Dealer has launched its first main dealer website with Stephen James Group.

This will be the first time the Car Dealer Power Award winner has worked outside of the independent dealer sector in its 19-year history. Click Dealer is already a market leader in used vehicle retailing services and is now focused on targeting more franchised dealership customers.

Stephen James Group has four BMW and three Mini authorised centres serving Woolwich, Bromley, Enfield and Sidcup, as well as a BMW Urban Store in Bluewater Shopping Centre. Click Dealer MD Gerry Moxham said: ‘We’d been looking for the right opportunity to enter the main dealer arena and the Stephen James Group have proved to be an ideal fit. They’re an incredibly forwardthinking dealership.’

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Around the world Dealer news from somewhere other than here

SWEDEN

POLESTAR has inaugurated its new global headquarters in Gothenburg. Strategically located on the Volvo Car Group campus, the new building and working environment supports cross-functional collaboration throughout Polestar and further strengthens co-operation between the Polestar brand and its parent company. The new HQ, which is dominated by the ‘Polestar Cube’, was designed by Swedish architecture firm Bornstein Lyckefors, in co-operation with the Polestar brand team.

IRELAND

SUZUKI has welcomed P.G. Duffy & Sons in Newbridge, County Kildare, to its dealer network.

The appointment of the latest franchise brings the total number of showrooms representing the brand in the country to 23. The modern 100 square metre dealership is operated by a family-owned business that has more than 60 years’ experience in the motor trade.

SOUTH AFRICA

FRANCHISED car dealers are protesting about the possible impact of a new voluntary code for the industry, claiming it would hit their sector but benefit independents. Mark Dommisse, chairman of the National Automobile Dealers’ Association, said his organisation would challenge the introduction of the ‘unworkable’ code in court if necessary.

CHINA

TESLA has secured land in Shanghai for its first factory outside the USA, pushing ahead despite mounting US-Chinese trade tensions. The electric car maker said it had signed a ‘land transfer agreement’ on a 210-acre site. It announced the plan for a Chinese factory after the Beijing government said it would end restrictions on full foreign ownership of EV manufacturers.

Robin Ren, Tesla’s vice-president of worldwide sales, called the move ‘an important milestone for what will be our next advanced, sustainably developed manufacturing site’.

AUSTRALIA

A SYDNEY car dealer has been fined $25,000 (£13,500) for buying and selling vehicles without a licence. Mark Wayne Williams, whose company was called Car 1 Vehicle Wholesale, was found to have breached Australia’s Motor Vehicle Dealers Act. He used the licence details of legitimate dealers when buying cars before selling them to benefit his own business.

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A better way of doing business

SUPPORTING DEALERS, WHATEVER IS AROUND THE CORNER.

At Black Horse we have a range of tools to help you understand and meet the latest FCA requirements. Putting the customer first is at the heart of our business. With dedicated account managers we can help you create a transparent experience and deliver great customer outcomes.

So, whatever changes are waiting around the corner, we’re ready to help you.

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26 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Behind the scenes REBECCA CHAPLIN

Blackball Media’s head of editorial is never afraid to tell it like it is

Give more options to your buyers and the chances are you’ll make more sales

W

e’re constantly being faced with the question, ‘Do people want a physical product any more?’

Of course, when it comes to cars, there’s little you can do to get rid of that big lump of metal on your driveway.

However, the way we use them is becoming more digitised. Overthe-air updates, all the information we need stored in our phones, sat nav and other clever readers that all enable the car to see for you are probably the closest we’re going to get to an online product.

Hopefully you’re reading this on real, printed paper, but it does trouble me sometimes that we’re pushing a rather outdated product.

Not in terms of the content, but how it’s actually delivered.

We had the iPad edition that you all loved. We moved these all on to Issuu and people keep coming back. Then, of course, we have the website, which is getting more visits every week.

But what do people actually want?

Without sounding too wishy-washy, it’s become pretty clear to us that different people want different things and they want it to be as easy as possible. We’ve known for a long time that having our magazine arrive at your dealership every month for you to flick through when it’s convenient has worked pretty well over the years.

However, our latest online edition has been a bit of a hit, with readers loving the fact that it’s delivered straight to their phone or tablet, with a nifty alert to say it’s there.

Other readers prefer the accessibility of a completely online experience, mainly finding our stories via social media and our website.

If you know our business well, you’ll know we do more than just Car Dealer (although it’s by far the best thing we do, in my honest opinion).

This month we ventured out and created our first digital-only publication, and I personally had mixed views on whether people would actually buy it.

You’ll see more about it elsewhere in the magazine, so I won’t go on too much, but we created the How To Be A Car Dealer online-only magazine that can be bought on Issuu or on Amazon for your Kindle.

To my surprise, there was a flurry of orders as people, particularly from our Car Dealer Forum, jumped to buy it. It makes sense, though, that these people who are already inclined to go online for advice would be more than happy to buy and download a digital

product, too. Fast-forward to today and we’re at the Classic Car Show in Birmingham. You might have heard of a bloke called Mike Brewer and a magazine we helped him make.

This was another first for us: the first magazine from Blackball Media that you could buy on the shelves of WHSmith or certain Tesco superstores in certain parts of the country as long as you were there between 2pm and 5pm and stood on one leg.

It did well – proof in my mind that people still want to pick up a physical product on a whim. They’ve arrived at Knutsford Services, bought a pasty and decided to wander around the travel version of Smith’s for a panda-shaped pillow, wetsuit or compilation CD of Tom Jones’s greatest hits. There they see Mike Brewer’s face in cartoon form and can’t resist picking it up.

Today our CEO James – a person who is generally too important to be working in retail for the first time since 1998, when he was peddling deli meats in Asda – is selling said magazines to passersby at the NEC (and you can jump forward to his column on p90 to read it from his perspective).

That makes it sound like he’s not supposed to be, but he is on an actual stand and this is very much an approved set-up. Don’t start imagining him walking up and down the streets of Birmingham shouting ‘Get your Brewer, get your Mike Brewer here. Just £5 an issue.’

Having said that, his sales technique of harassing passers-by until they surrender their money isn’t dissimilar – and it seems to be working. His buyers are, quite clearly, ready to spend. Cash in hand, they want to swap their real paper money for a real paper magazine.

But again, these guys have turned up at an event to peruse static cars and autojumbles with money burning a hole in their pocket. It’s clear to see, too, that there’s a place for physical and digital payments and you can’t fight it. You have to be prepared for both in a seamless way. The more options you can give a buyer, the more opportunities you have to make a sale. The problem comes when there are obstacles in this process. James is still trying to persuade people that his decision to invest in a contactless chip and PIN machine was a good one, while other people who are trying to sell with him are not convinced.

However, I can see that every time someone has no cash and pays with their card rather than walking away, the smile on his face gets a little more smug. The small card fee to him is no loss if he knows that person is definitely leaving with a magazine in their hand – rather than walking off to find a cashpoint and potentially spending their money somewhere else.

‘Our latest online edition has been a bit of a hit, with readers loving that it’s delivered straight to their phone or tablet.’

Rebecca Chaplin is head of editorial at Blackball Media and the editor of Car Dealer Magazine.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 27

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Big Mike Our man on the inside shares his thoughts on the car business

A hire car in the Highlands – and lots of tech I could have done without

I

was reading an article in the paper the other day about whether or not cars – or certainly cars as we know them – have a future. The news story surmised that with the increase of autonomous technology, we soon wouldn’t need to drive anywhere, as transport pods would be doing it for us.

What’s more, the piece suggested that we wouldn’t even own our own pods, but would simply summon one to collect us and take us wherever we needed to go.

In a world that’s increasingly keen to be green, autonomous electric transport sounds like the ideal solution, but only if you’re the type of person that deliberately wears jeans that finish above your socks, dines on quinoa and lettuce leaves and rides a wobbly bicycle. If, like me, you like big old luxury cars with V-shaped engines, then such faddish transport has absolutely zero appeal.

The car I choose to drive is an extension of myself: large, fat, lazy and drinks too much (and they say it’s dogs that are like their owners).

Plus, it’s an extension of my life. It contains my sunglasses, spare change, my big coat and my little coat, an emergency tie, some welly boots and a set of jump leads, not to mention the fact that the boot is largely an extension of my garden shed, full of all sorts of tools and things I might need as I go about my daily business, and a packet of cigars that I don’t wish to declare to the wife.

If I carted all this stuff around in a man bag, not only would I look like a roly-poly hipster, but I’d probably keel over from trying to carry it all, whereas my slightly dog-eared Jaguar XJ6 wafts the lot of it around with grace, space and pace.

Driving such a car is also a sensory experience. Yes, it has its flaws – it clonks when you put it into reverse, there’s a really annoying whistle from the aged door seals and the passenger-side electric window jumps off its runners, but you drive the car rather than the other way round. Plus, it doesn’t feel the need to intervene every five minutes.

And that, to me, is the problem with new cars – as I found out the other week. I flew up to Inverness for a few days’ driving around the Highlands with she who must be worshipped every now and then, and on our arrival at the airport, we were given the keys to a new German executive saloon.

I won’t name it as that’s not fair, but it kind of rhymes with a German discount supermarket.

From the minute I got behind the wheel I was lost. First of all, the key wasn’t actually a key but merely a ‘thing’ that you needed to have on your person to access and start the car.

There’s no mechanical connection there, and for an old duffer like me that’s extremely disappointing. Plus, I’ve nowhere to put the key… My old Jag has a really handy thing called an ignition barrel, which keeps the key in place for your entire journey without it sliding around in a cup holder.

With the German car I had to press a button to start things up, at which point the dashboard lit up like an ailing 1993 Alfa Romeo, and the car began to play a welcome tune akin to those affirmation songs that employees of American corporations sing to each other at the start of their working day.

Then there was all the binging and bonging. Bong! You need to press the brake to start the engine. Bing! Your electric handbrake needs to be released. Beep! You’ve put it into drive. Bip-bip-bipbip-bip… you’re a bit close to something in front of you, and peeppeep-peep you’re also a bit too close to something behind you.

Meanwhile, both door mirrors were flashing and buzzing at me to warn me there were things in my blind spot, which in this case were perfectly harmless parked cars.

Down the road a bit, things got worse. Every time I changed lanes, the steering wheel would vibrate like that of a Morris Marina with a buggered wheel bearing to warn me that I may have veered over the white line by accident, and when the weather turned a bit Scottish, the windscreen wipers started to play a guessing game of when to smear road dirt across the screen, as it wasn’t quite wet enough to do a full sweep.

I don’t need this intervention in my life, and when we set off from our hotel the following morning, I found out the hard way.

After singing its own version of Morning Has Broken at me, the car commenced all its bing-a-bonga-beep-beep with flashing techno mirrors – and I drove it straight out of the parking space and smacked a bollard.

My £500 insurance excess went with a similarly loud bang, yet I dare say that if I hadn’t been blinded by technology, I’d have edged out of the space with my usual car-lot precision and returned the hire car unscathed.

Well, that’s my excuse, anyway. And I’m sticking to it.

‘On arrival at the airport, we were given the keys to a new German executive saloon.

I won’t name it as that’s not fair.’

Who is Big Mike? Well, that would be telling. What we can say is he’s had more than 40 years in the car trade so has probably forgotten more about it than we’re likely to know.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 29

Feedback.

Your comments via email to dave@blackballmedia.co.uk

Our website at CarDealerMag.co.uk

I’m going alone. What stock turn can I expect?

MY plans are progressing. Tolerance levels for the dealer I am working for are wearing thin so I am getting ready to jump. My wife wants me to come up with a business plan as it will be our money being invested and her possibly subsidising us in the short term. I have mapped out as much as I can, although there will be a lot of variables.

I have had a quick look through past posts but obviously times change! I would be grateful for a feel out there for average stock turnover figures.

I understand this will vary from business to business and also depend on the area of the country, but I would be grateful for some ideas so I can include some figures in the plan. Thanks.

DCS01 A mate of mine has 12 on sale at all times and regularly does 20+ per month – he’s really flying and no-one can quite figure it out. He’s definitely one in the race to the bottom as he’s always the cheapest on AT. Another friend has 10-12 on sale, he’s on AT and does between 10-16 per month. I tend

to have 18-25 on sale, not on AT, and do 14-20 a month. What are you planning on selling?

PS: An in-depth business plan is a waste of your time. After a month, it’ll be out the window.

Mojo121 Thank you for the response. That is really helpful.

I am currently selling anything in a price range of between £1,500 and £4,000. We are in the sticks a little so we have had a bit of luck with estates but mostly first-time cars and little Jazzes etc.

I am slightly tied at the second as working fulltime so I’m having to bid on cars that I can collect near me or at weekends.

I do understand that the business plan will be out the window – however, my wife is in business planning and improvement and to be fair to her, it’s her money too.

DSC01 A business plan is almost like sticking your finger in the air looking for the wind direction. There are so many unknowns that a business can be turned

upside down in a flick of an eyelid. You might buy a lemon, buy an extra good one, have a customer from heaven or a customer from hell. It’s a good rule to go through overheads and costs to see where savings can be made. Other than that, trying to foresee where you will make and lose money is about as reliable as buying a lottery ticket. I would struggle to predict my next 12 months and I have been around since I was selling cement to repair Fred Flintstone’s car. justina3 The Mrs probably has concerns about you giving up the ‘day job’? met 100 per cent, but I truly think I can make it work.

I have been a used car controller for the last year and a half. Selling cars for 20. My customer service skills are good. I just feel I am working my arse off for someone else when I could at least see if it will work on my own.

DSC01

More and more of our readers are joining the debate – and it couldn’t be

One car Two audiences Get your cars seen in two markets at once with a single advert

* Unique motors users per month. Gumtree internal data warehouse, three-month average, August 2017–October 2017 ** Unique motors users per month. eBay internal data warehouse, three-month average, August 2017–October 2017

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12/10/2018 17:0

02

On Twitter: Follow @CarDealerMag Picture of the month

Forum: CarDealerMagazine.co.uk/forum

How was October for us?

OCTOBER is proving to be our best ever month with three today and pushing 15 cars sold with stock of only 12. Starting to get into a groove now with some nice car buying at the auctions sticking to higher grade stuff and taking less risks. Putting some cash away for possibly the quiet winter months now to get me through as it’s my first ever winter and I don’t know what to expect. How’s everyone else done?

Grantlfc81

AS you may have noticed by now, it’s the annual Bangers4Ben issue of Car Dealer and you can read all about this year’s antics from pages 46-53. The contingent from the mag included editor Rebecca Chaplin, above right, and events manager Amanda Philp, left. A good time was had by all and a huge amount of money was raised for Ben!

Absolutely terrible, just made enough to keep the lights on and on top of that had an accident in the recovery truck. I ran into the back of an older chap who pulled out on me and then slammed the brakes on for no reason whatsoever. His excuse was ‘I’m not familiar with autos, I pressed the wrong pedal.’

AutoJacob I had a very shaky start with just one in the first 10 days but it has come back and averaged a deal a day recently. There is always business getting done, just got to keep at it. stockedup!

Top tweets Our site redevelopment is making good progress and our workshop and showroom extension is starting to take shape. We’re still open for business!

Porsche Newcastle @Porschenewcastl At Swansway #Chester #Peugeot we offer #free tyre checks, carried out by our Peugeot-trained technicians.

Peugeot Chester @swanswaychester Our Newcastle Ford branch has donated £500 to the West End Women and Girls Centre, which helps victims of domestic abuse by offering a safe and supportive environment to build confidence and learn life skills.

Arnold Clark @ArnoldClark Fantastic first sale at Donington Park for @vwfs_fleet! 100s of cars went through the hall this morning!

Aston Barclay @AstonAuctions

easier to get involved! Sign up to our forum at CarDealerMagazine.co.uk/forum

The publisher reserves the right to edit submissions.

Two of the UK’s largest motor marketplaces have joined forces to create one powerful sales platform.

One listing on eBay Motors Pro now connects you with 6m* customers on Gumtree and 3.7m** on eBay. That means more eyes on your cars – and more opportunities to sell.

To reach a bigger audience Call 020 3002 5721 Visit gumtreeforbusiness.co.uk/motors

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 31 Gumtree - Car Dealer - 200x138-AW - DPS.indd 2

12/10/2018 17:02

Finance.

CELEBRATION

Bank marks £2m lending milestone in classic style C ambridge & Counties Bank marked the first £2 million of its approved finance for classic cars by attending the 20th-anniversary Goodwood Revival with an invited gathering of its first clients.

Since launching Classic Car Finance in April, it has financed the purchases of a range of highly prized, historic vehicles, ranging from 1920s Bentleys to a unique 1980s Aston Martin.

Neil Fender, head of Classic Car Finance at the bank, said: ‘When rare or significant cars come up for sale, you must act quickly to realise the ambition of owning them, because once sold, it can be years before they come on the market again – if ever.

‘We are here to help ensure clients are able to make the most of that golden opportunity to own the car of their dreams.’

Goodwood Revival is enjoyed by tens of thousands of historic vehicle aficionados every year, and combines vintage and classic motorsport with superstar drivers, vintage fashion and classic car displays.

Fender added: ‘Goodwood Revival

was the perfect place for us to mark this significant milestone. Not only were we surrounded by so many of the cars we love but it was also a chance to share with our clients the passion we all have for historic vehicles and the culture that surrounds them.’

The Leicester-based bank can lend from £63,000 up to £1.5 million and will consider equity release on a range of historic vehicles as well.

Tom Senior, director of Classic Car Finance, said: ‘Our unique structure gives us the ability to offer a very personal service, and the desire to build lasting relationships is at the heart of everything we do.

‘That approach, combined with the genuine passion we have for classic cars, sets us apart. We are very proud to be just as excited about the cars our clients want to buy as they are.’

FORECAST

2019 ‘is likely to see a further emphasis on used cars’ INCREASED economic uncertainty is likely to mean that dealers shift their emphasis even further towards used cars next year than during 2018.

That’s according to Startline Motor Finance, which said that feedback it was receiving from its customer base showed that they didn’t expect a substantial recovery in the new car sector and were backing used sales.

Chief executive Paul Burgess said: ‘We are entering a phase where there is no hiding from the C

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economic headwinds that will slow the economy. If people are tired of hearing about Brexit at the moment, then they should perhaps consider locking themselves in a dark room for the next few months. It will be economically omnipresent.

‘Obviously, some of the forecasts and predictions being made are quite extreme, but even at the lower end of its impact, Brexit is likely to lead to contraction in the economy, wage stagnation and possibly increased

unemployment. All of these will have an impact on a new car market that is unlikely to quickly bounce back from the effects of WLTP that have impacted on its performance in recent months.

‘Instead, we’re expecting larger numbers of buyers to move into the used car sector, especially at the newer end of the market, with one- to three-year-old vehicles serving as value-for-money, lower-risk alternatives to a new car.’

OPPORTUNITY

Used car dealers ‘can tap into £58bn market’

CHANGING appetites towards risk in unsecured lending look set to continue, opening up opportunities for used car dealers to tap into a £58bn market opportunity, driving sales and increasing the value of used car finance.

That’s according to financial services business MotoNovo Finance, which said Bank of England evidence showed that unsecured personal loans providers had significantly tightened their underwriting. MotoNovo is leading a drive to help dealers maximise this opportunity.

According to the Finance and Leasing Authority, secured finance to acquire vehicles totalled £44bn in the UK last year, while unsecured lending reached £300bn, of which auto finance accounted for £58bn, reported auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Mark Standish, pictured, chief executive of MotoNovo Finance, said: ‘There is a clear opportunity for dealers to gain a greater share of the used car finance market where unsecured loans have historically led the way, and we are on a mission to help more dealers bridge that gap.’

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Time is money BEN GARSIDE

A monthly look at the world of automotive finance and marketing

Understanding the X appeal of interacting with the customer

H

ow do your customers find your finance and carbuying journeys these days? You’ll all know that a customer’s experience is a crucial part of making your business successful, and you may have noticed that a lot of emphasis from website marketing companies has been placed on selling you CX, UX & customer journeys.

What do they mean by CX? Well, CX is customer experience, and is any interaction that you and the customer have over the duration of your relationship – for example, your advert, your website, a phone call, a communication (text, email and post), etc.

And what do they mean by UX? Well, there is more than just UX, there’s also UXD, UED or XD, but they all relate to user experience or user experience design, and this is looking at the customer’s experience on your website and web pages.

Then there is customer journey. This can be in both of the above experiences, so it can be confusing.

Some people talk about the customer journey being a full 360 process – from the first interaction to the web journey, the face-to-face contact, then your aftersales, and then finally when your client renews.

In some literature, however, the customer journey is just on-site, so it discusses what the customer clicks and what pages the visitor reads through to conversion.

At First Response Finance, we’ve tried to make our customer experience as nice and as simple as possible by investing in our systems to make them suit your needs. We’ve added a department that specialises in instant approvals to speed up your applicant’s

process and we’ve added a dealer portal that gives you live updates wherever you are.

In the dealer portal, we have added instant decisions and credit limits, which in the non-prime finance market is an unusual experience. We sourced feedback from our dealers on what they wanted and implemented an add and edit vehicle function.

This now means if the customer changes their mind, you can update and value the new vehicle in seconds.

We’ve all had a customer who’s left a crucial part of their documentation or a proof at home and then we’ve had to hold a deal up by a day or two, meaning all three parties have a bad experience.

So, we added an online proofs uploader, which means that now our customers can take a picture of their proofs on their phone, log in to our customer portal and upload the picture directly to us, sometimes saving days on the journey!

More recently, we added a customer e-sign facility to the customer portal. The customer can then e-sign 24/7, 365 days of the year!

Finance used to be long-winded and an inconvenience for you, the customer and the finance company.

Nowadays, through CX and UX developments, the process of finance is much improved and usually takes as long as the customer needs and wants it to take.

So back to the original question… How do your customers find your finance and car-buying journeys these days? I’m sure it’s much better than it was five years ago!

‘The process of finance is much improved and usually takes as long as the customer needs and wants it to take.’

Ben Garside is marketing manager for First Response. Call him on 07817 518739 or email ben.garside@frfl.co.uk

Turn over the page for more finance stories

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 33

Dealfinder.

Finance.

YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO CITY CARS

Kia Picanto

Skoda Citigo CHOOSING between a Seat Mii, Skoda Citigo and Volkswagen Up! is tough as they’re all essentially the same car underneath. The Citigo manages to pip the others when it comes to price, though, and thanks to a 2017 facelift it’s our pick of the bunch.

We’ve chosen a Citigo in high-spec SE L trim, with standard equipment including 15-inch alloy wheels, heated front seats and rear parking sensors. Skoda is currently offering a hefty £1,500 deposit contribution, to which the customer adds £1,568.20. Over a three-year deal, they will make 35 monthly payments of £153.07.

At the end of the contract, they’ll have paid £6,925.65. A final payment of £4,235.40, alongside a £10 option-to-purchase fee, can be made if they choose to own their Citigo.

This brings the total to £11,171.05, which, because of Skoda’s deposit contribution, makes it cheaper than the £11,425 cash price.

THE Kia Picanto is one of the best-selling city cars around, which is unsurprising when you consider that it comes with the South Korean manufacturer’s class-leading seven-year warranty, sharp styling and excellent standard equipment levels.

Kia has just added its tried and tested 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol to the Picanto line-up. We’ve picked this engine which is only available with top-spec trims including a seven-inch touchscreen, cruise control and reversing camera.

Alongside a customer deposit of £1,765, Kia is offering £1,000 towards the Picanto. This is followed by 36 monthly payments of £191.32, bringing the total at the end of the three years to £8,652.52. A final payment of £5,062.50 can be made if the customer wishes to buy the car, which takes the total to £13,715.02 – nearly £400 more than the £13,320 cash price.

APPOINTMENTS

Ciara and Estelle are welcomed to team in new senior posts S

ecure Trust Bank has strengthened its motor finance team with two senior sales appointments to support continued growth in the sector.

Estelle McConnell, on the right in our picture, has been appointed to the newly created role of head of sales for broker, online and key accounts.

She has worked in motor finance for many years, most recently heading up a regional sales team at Close Brothers Motor Finance managing dealer and broker relationships.

She was also business development manager – motor for HBOS for more than five years.

Ciara Raison, on the left, has joined in the new role of head of dealer sales, where she will be responsible for increasing market share in the C

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by TED WELFORD @TedWelford franchised and independent dealer sector. She was previously head of sales for Close Brothers Motor Finance and has also worked for the Royal Bank of Scotland, NatWest and Aviva.

The appointments coincide with a growth in motor finance balances reported by the bank in the first half of 2018 to £272 million, compared with £258.4 million in the first half of 2017.

David Mercer, managing director of Secure Trust Bank Motor Finance, said: ‘I would like to welcome Estelle and Ciara to the motor finance team.

‘They both have a wealth of experience, which

will be invaluable as we focus our efforts on expanding our motor finance offering.’

Secure Trust Bank has its roots in the West Midlands and today operates from a number of locations in the UK such as Solihull, Cardiff, Manchester and Leeds.

The company has more than 800 staff, and in October 2016 successfully listed on the main market of the London Stock Exchange.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Toyota Aygo THE Toyota Aygo is the freshest car on sale out of the three here, after receiving a comprehensive facelift earlier in the year.

The latest update gave it bolder styling as well as improved infotainment via a standard-fit seven-inch touchscreen.

Its sole engine – a 1.0-litre petrol unit – was also tweaked for efficiency and now returns up to a claimed 68.8mpg on the combined cycle. We’ve gone with mid-spec X-Plore trim, which comes with kit such as climate control, a reversing camera and satellite navigation.

Toyota doesn’t offer a deposit contribution but has got a zero per cent finance deal on it. A customer deposit of £1,599 is followed by the first monthly payment of £174.24 then 34 instalments of £174.39. Over the three-year period the customer will have paid £7,702.50. They can then make an optional final payment of £4,927.50 to buy the car. This brings the total to £12,630 – the same as the cash price.

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ASSESSMENT

Bank of England reports sharp fall in household borrowing for car finance

Dealers ‘missing out on opportunities in the SME sector’

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CONSUMER credit growth weakened in September amid a sharp fall in new borrowing for car finance, according to the Bank of England.

Its Money and Credit report, published at the end of October, said the net amount of new consumer borrowing, excluding mortgages, was £785 million in September, down from £1.2 billion in August.

Explaining factors behind the slowdown, the UK’s central bank said: ‘New borrowing for car finance fell sharply, consistent with very weak car registration numbers in September.’ In contrast, other borrowing, such as that using personal loans and overdrafts, was robust, it said.

PROVIDING finance for SME businesses is an under-recognised opportunity for cars and LCVs. That’s according to Mann Island Finance boss John Hughes after assessing the increasing significance of the sector.

‘While there is plenty of dialogue in our industry about developing mobility solutions and the changing way people buy/use vehicles, I’m mindful that there has been a significant change in the business market that we are almost certainly under-serving and that change is happening right now,’ he said.

He said dealers were missing out on opportunities for new and used vehicles, with the growth in LCV sales being just one example of the potential for dealers, and success would be about using finance more proactively and making greater use of the broader finance product portfolio.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 35

Forecourt.

FIRST DRIVE

BMW 8 Series BMW has brought an iconic name back from the grave with its new 8 Series and Tom Wiltshire went to Portugal to test it.

THE KNOWLEDGE Model as tested: BMW 8 Series M850i Price: £99,525 Engine: 4.4-litre

twin-turbocharged V8 Power (bhp): 523 Torque (Nm): 750 Max speed (mph): 155 0-60mph: 3.5 seconds MPG: 29 Emissions (g/km): 224 TARGET BUYERS: Those seeking a middle ground between a soft coupe and a full-on sports car.

THE RIVALS: Bentley Continental GT, Porsche 911, Mercedes S-Class Coupe.

KEY SELLING POINTS: 1. Great to drive.

2. Eye-catching.

3. Performance.

Doors

Convertible and four-door Gran Coupe bodystyles are on the way.

DEAL CLINCHER: Cheaper than its main rivals – by a fair amount.

What is it?

What’s under the bonnet?

The contemporary 8 Series isn’t quite as instantly iconic or quirky as the original but it’s an important step for BMW – a car that can challenge ultra-luxury offerings such as the Mercedes S-Class Coupe but in true BMW fashion, by placing driving dynamics and passenger enjoyment rather than comfort at the top of the list of priorities.

Although there will be a 40d diesel model available, we drove the M850i – a step down from a full-fat M car but still packing a 4.4-litre V8 with 523bhp. It’s paired with an eight-speed torque converter automatic gearbox, and the combination is simply brilliant.

What’s new?

The 8 Series is an all-new car. Initially, it’s exclusively available as a two-door coupe, but BMW will also introduce convertible and fourdoor Gran Coupe variants. All will share the same trio of engines, too. It occupies a new market sector for BMW as well, sitting between truly focused sports cars such as the Porsche 911 and genuine luxury models such as the S-Class Coupe.

Forthcoming four-door models will also rival the Porsche Panamera.

36 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

What’s it like to drive?

BMW’s sporting heritage is clear to note as soon as you begin to press on.

The 8 Series isn’t a darty, quick sports car like a Porsche 911, but the fluidity of its handling, the ease with which it grips in fast corners and the way it simply gobbles up a twisting road mean it’s incredibly satisfying to drive.

Two aspects help it in the corners – four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering. The former is BMW’s well-known xDrive system, which in the 8 Series is rear-biased for greater poise but can push all the power to the front wheels if necessary.

Lights

New laser headlights are the thinnest fitted to a BMW.

The latter works as most systems do, turning the rear wheels in the opposite direction for faster and tighter cornering at slow speeds, or in the same direction for greater motorway stability.

How does it look?

The 8 Series has seriously elegant proportions – a long bonnet and rear deck, flowing lines and a compact passenger cabin.

A few styling details don’t sit too happily on this frame, though – the traditional ‘kidney’ grilles look a little too stylised and don’t play totally naturally with the super-slim LED headlights, while the rear’s complex interplay of surfacing, shutlines and aerodynamic controls is a little messy from some angles.

Yet the overall shape and a few features such as the double-bubble roof are just wonderful. It’s worth mentioning the car is extremely specdependent, too. The vehicles we drove were all covered in black detailing on the window line

Gears

A solid glass gear selector is a tasty option.

‘The driver-focused cabin is simplicity itself to use.’

Engine

The twinturbocharged V8 engine produces 523bhp in this form.

and front grille as well as having black alloys.

Models that feature chrome detailing look totally different – less sporting and a little classier.

never been the most spacious of things – but we’d have liked a little more legroom in the rear.

What’s it like inside?

As expected for a car costing well over £70,000 (almost £100,000 in 850i form) there’s a good level of spec. Climate control, cruise control, electric seats, adaptive LED headlights, a whole suite of safety aids and a wireless charging pad all come as standard, but the options list has a few things to offer. We’re big fans of the M-striped seatbelts, front seat ventilation and soft-close doors.

Inside, it’s classic BMW – which is a good and a bad thing. The driver-focused cabin is simplicity itself to use – all the controls are well situated and the iDrive infotainment system is one of the best in the business.

There are some intricate touches just for the 8 Series as well, such as a crystal gear knob and infotainment selector. The driving position is also perfect, and infinitely adjustable.

If we’re being critical, though, there’s little of the ‘wow’ factor that you get with some rivals.

This cabin would be equally at home in a 5 or even 3 Series, and we’d quite like a little more than just a shiny gear selector to mark it out as the brand’s flagship.

In practicality terms, a big coupe has

What’s the spec like?

What do the press think?

Auto Express said the 8 Series ‘manages to occupy a previously unfilled niche between being a GT and a sports coupe’. Top Gear said: ‘It’s very competent across the board, but not greatly different from the rest of the BMW range.’

What do we think?

The 8 Series is a seriously impressive coupe and shows that BMW’s ability to blend the luxurious with the sporting is still alive and well.

It doesn’t feel quite as special as some rivals, however – a Porsche 911 is still far better to drive, while a Mercedes S-Class Coupe trumps it on luxury. So the appeal of the 8 Series will depend on whether you see it combining the best of both worlds or occupying an uncomfortable middle ground. We’re leaning towards the former.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 37

Forecourt.

Technology

The 500X now gets a range of driver assistance technologies.

Specification

Cross-specification cars get chunky front bumpers.

What is it?

The 500X was a bit of a revolution for Fiat when it was first launched, as the manufacturer took a car famous for being small and made it big. It was a winning formula that already worked for Mini, and second time around, Fiat is hoping customers will love the new and improved version just as much. This crossover has enough space for a young family, with five seats and a 350-litre capacity boot, which can be increased by flattening the rear seats. Boasting a range of tech on board, this is a practical and versatile car that also wins in the style stakes.

What’s new?

You’d be forgiven for struggling to spot the differences between the old and new 500X – the changes are very subtle, but Fiat reassures us they make a world of difference.

The exterior design has been given 38 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

a refreshed look, building on what was most popular from the previous generation. One of the most noticeable new features is the LED headlights, which drastically improve visibility.

New and more efficient turbocharged petrol engines have also been added to the range, and an improved HD touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come as standard.

What’s under the bonnet?

There are two styles of 500X, which are available with three engine choices combined. The entrylevel Urban Look gets one 1.6-litre petrol engine, with 108bhp, while the Cross Look is available with Fiat’s latest turbocharged petrol engines – a one-litre with 118bhp or a 1.3-litre (148bhp).

Both offer a great combination of performance and economy, as the smaller engine is capable of 0-60mph in just under 11 seconds and will achieve between 35mpg around town and 55mpg on rural roads. However, the 1.3 can hit 60mph in nine seconds, has a top speed of 124mph, and has better urban economy at 38mpg but slightly lower rural economy at 47.9mpg. Both are in the same car tax band too, currently costing £205 in the first year and £140 from then on.

What’s it like to drive?

Although there are plenty of positives on the economy side, the driving dynamics won’t set

FIRST DRIVE

Screen

Forward visibility is great thanks to a wide windscreen.

Fiat 500X This fun and funky crossover has been updated for 2018.

Rebecca Chaplin finds out what difference the changes have made.

THE KNOWLEDGE Lights

New LED headlights are a key update on the 2018 model.

Engine

Three engine choices are available with the 500X.

Model as tested: Fiat 500X Cross Plus FireFly Turbo 1.3 Price (as tested): £22,100 Engine: 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol Power (bhp): 118 Torque (Nm): 190 Max speed (mph): 117 0-60mph: 10.7 seconds MPG (combined): 48.7 Emissions (g/km): 133 TARGET BUYERS: Young families with children looking to move up from a city car to something bigger.

THE RIVALS: Peugeot 2008, Renault Captur, Nissan Juke.

KEY SELLING POINTS: 1. Funky looks.

2. Easy to use.

3. Comfortable ride.

DEAL CLINCHER: Quirky looks mean this car will stand out on the road.

your world on fire. It’s quick to respond, though, and handles corners well. The six-speed manual in our test car still felt a little toy-like thanks to that spherical, plastic gear knob but it was pretty smooth to use. The high ride height gives you a great command of the road, and although it’s much wider than the standard 500, it still feels compact and manageable from inside.

How does it look?

The changes to the exterior design might not be obviously apparent to the untrained eye but those careful updates have, Fiat says, made a world of difference – particularly the LED headlights, which really make the 500X stand out on the road. Importantly, it’s kept those key style cues from the original 500 that car buyers just love.

Overall, it looks more modern and those subtle tweaks, particularly around the bumper, have given it a much more imposing look for 2018. The Cross Look – expected to be the more popular

choice – adds rugged black bumpers, while the Urban Look has a sleeker overall appearance.

What’s it like inside?

The interior has also been subtly updated. The most important update is the infotainment screen with the latest Fiat Uconnect system, also available with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integrated. The overall look of the interior hasn’t changed dramatically but the stylish Italian design and original Fiat 500 influences continue inside. Fun and funky are the watchwords.

technology have been improved too, and the 500X is now available with traffic sign recognition, intelligent speed assist, lane assist, blind spot alert and city brake control.

What do the press think?

Auto Express said: ‘No amount of new features can change the fact that the 500X remains a car you buy with your heart rather than your head.’

Automotive Blog said: ‘The updated Fiat 500X is a distinctive, well-equipped choice in the incredibly competitive compact crossover sector.’

What’s the spec like?

What do we think?

Fiat has reinvented its line-up of specifications for the new 500X. As previously mentioned, there are now two body styles, Urban Look and Cross Look, but there are also three trim levels: Urban, City Cross and Cross Plus. Prices start at £16,995 for the Urban, £18,995 for the City Cross and £20,995 for the Cross Plus. Safety and driver assistance

Fiat hasn’t forgotten any of the key factors that first made the 500X great when freshening it for this latest model. It’s got great style, standout looks and now a range of economic engines that’ll keep drivers happy. While it faces tough competition, its price point and iconic name will help it stand out to buyers.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 39

Forecourt.

FIRST DRIVE

Volvo S60

THE KNOWLEDGE

Jack Evans checks out Swedish manufacturer’s latest entry into the varied small saloon segment – the first to be built at Volvo’s new plant in Charleston, USA. What is it?

This compact four-door is designed to take on the likes of the Mercedes C-Class and upcoming and all-new BMW 3 Series. It’s based on Volvo’s Scalable Platform, and therefore shares its underpinnings with the XC90 and V90, to name just two.

What’s new?

The standout feature of this latest Volvo is the lack of any diesel option, leaving just petrol and plugin hybrid offerings. It reflects Volvo’s push towards electrification – but to clarify, that doesn’t means petrol and hybrid powertrains are about to be discontinued. The interior has been treated to plenty of plush materials typical of Volvo.

What’s under the bonnet?

This top-of-the-range T8 Polestar Engineered S60 uses an in-line fourcylinder petrol engine that’s both supercharged and turbocharged.

Together, this is linked to a rear electric motor that drives – unsurprisingly – the rear wheels.

This Polestar Engineered T8 benefits from a series of high-performance parts, too.

Look closely and you’ll see sixpiston Brembo brakes peering out from behind 20-inch forged wheels, while Ohlins adjustable dampers have been fitted too. There’s also a 40 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

bump in power over the regular T8 – around 15bhp more, in fact.

What’s it like to drive?

The T8’s engine response is linear and predictable, with the combination of combustion and electric unit blending seamlessly to provide effortless forward progress.

It’s punchy, too, particularly from a dead start where the electric motor and its instantaneous torque makes itself known.

The ride is a little firm, in all honesty. We’d argue towards a smaller wheel size than the 20-inchers to help remedy this.

How does it look?

The looks aren’t groundbreaking but that’s simply because they play so close to the other cars in the range.

It is, again, a minimalistic and thoroughly Scandinavian design and looks particularly good in the flesh.

It’s an agile, taut look – and alludes to a far sportier ethos than that of Volvos of old.

Would we like it to be a little more exciting? Perhaps. But in this segment, playing it safe isn’t a bad thing, especially when you consider the understated designs that have been coming from German rivals.

What’s it like inside?

It’s business as usual in the cabin of

the S60, but this is something we’re quite happy about.

It’s a beautiful blend of highquality materials and well-executed tech, and everything feels built to last. The large central touchscreen dominates the interior, and this is complemented by the central screen between the dials in front of the driver. There’s plenty of headspace for those sat up front, while those in the back do equally well. The boot is decent too, offering 442 litres of space with the rear seats in place.

What’s the spec like?

Full specifications have yet to be confirmed but ours came with a host of equipment, including a full sat nav system, Bowers and Wilkins stereo and nappa leather upholstery.

What do the press think?

Autocar said: ‘The T8 Polestar Engineered sits comfortably among the ranks of its German peers and deserves to be regarded as more than a curio.’ Car said: ‘The T8 Polestar Engineered brings something new and a little different to the fast car party, and we admire it for that.’

What do we think?

The S60, even in standard form, is an excellent alternative to current and forthcoming German rivals. It’s

Model: S60 T8 Polestar Engineered Price (as tested): £55,000 (est) Engine: 2.0-litre supercharged and turbocharged four-cylinder Power (bhp): 415 Torque (Nm): 430 Max speed (mph): 155 0-60mph: 4.5 seconds MPG: 134 Emissions (g/km): 48 TARGET BUYERS: Those who want performance and low running costs too.

THE RIVALS: BMW 330e, Mercedes C350e, Volkswagen Passat GTE. KEY SELLING POINTS: 1. Strong performance.

2. Low running costs.

3. High mechanical specification.

DEAL CLINCHER: The S60 is an excellent addition to the Volvo range, and provides a key competitor to German rivals. well built, beautifully finished and looks good out on the road – even if its design plays things rather safe.

This T8 Polestar Engineered model makes a particularly strong case for itself, thanks to its combination of robust performance and good economy figures.

We’ll have to wait and see what Volvo expects customers to pay for this model – although we’d hazard a guess at the £55,000 mark – to see if it’s value for money. However, offthe-bat impressions are good – and rivals best be worried.

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CarDealerMag.co.uk | 41

Forecourt.

FIRST DRIVE

Ford Mustang Bullitt Ryan Hirons gets in touch with his inner Steve McQueen as another icon of the silver screen is celebrated.

THE KNOWLEDGE Model as tested: Ford

Mustang Bullitt Price (as tested): £47,545 Engine: 5.0-litre V8 Power (bhp): 454 Torque (Nm): 529 Max speed (mph): 163 0-60mph: 4.4 seconds MPG: 22.8 Emissions (g/km): 277

Engine

Power is up by 10bhp over the standard Mustang GT.

TARGET BUYERS: The everyday Steve McQueen.

THE RIVALS: Chevrolet Camaro, BMW 440i, Jaguar F-Type four-cylinder.

KEY SELLING POINTS: 1. More than just a visual package.

2. Arguably the best spec.

3. Rev-matching technology.

DEAL CLINCHER: Brings more to the table than just special-edition badging.

What is it?

Roll back the years to 1968 and the action-thriller film Bullitt was released, featuring arguably the greatest car chase scene in cinema history as Steve McQueen, playing police lieutenant Frank Bullitt, pursues a pair of hitmen.

Behind the wheel of his Highland Green Ford Mustang GT, Bullitt (who completed the stunt scene himself) skilfully dispatches the bad guys after a thrilling chase through San Francisco — thus creating an icon of the silver screen.

The film is now celebrating its 50th anniversary and to commemorate the occasion, Ford has come up with the Mustang Bullitt.

What’s new?

Film tie-in cars tend to involve little more than some well-marketed stickering but that’s far from the case here.

Power from the 5.0-litre has seen a little boost, just to give a little in reserve 42 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Performance

Rev-matching technology makes its Mustang debut here.

should a Dodge appear in your rear-view, while the car signals the debut of rev matching on the Mustang. Oh, and of course, there’s the Highland Green paint job to match.

manual. The powerplant remains largely the same as before – feeling a little lazy in its delivery but also offering a wide powerband and ease of acceleration.

What’s under the bonnet?

What’s it like to drive?

Powering the Ford Mustang Bullitt is the 5.0-litre V8 brute that can be found in the regular GT. However, it does get a little bit of a bump in power – now developing 454bhp, a 10bhp increase over the standard machine.

Power is sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed

Steve McQueen’s driving might have had you believe the Mustang is the most nimble machine around, but that’s not quite the case here.

The Mustang Bullitt feels brutish, although it remains composed and manageable. Just don’t expect hot hatch-like precision.

What it lacks in back-road finesse it more than makes up for on long stretches of motorway, though. Refinement is good, and that wide band of power makes high-gear overtaking a breeze — but be prepared to make plenty of fuel stops.

The (optional) addition of MagneRide dampers is one we’d

Design

This special edition celebrates 50 years since the release of actionthriller film Bullitt.

Badge

For the uneducated, Bullitt badging appears at the rear of the car to indicate the model.

Paint

Highland Green paint is exclusive to the car, mimicking Frank Bullitt’s ’Stang.

‘This is more than just a Mustang with some tribute bits.’ recommend, as the system allows the ’Stang to be both a comfortable long-distance machine and even more composed when things get twisty.

How does it look?

While this may be more than just a regular filmrelated special edition, Ford has still done the usual thing of putting as many references into the design as possible — and quite effectively, too.

Black 19-inch alloy wheels house red Brembo brake callipers, adding aggression to an already mean look. We’re big fans of the overall design, although the tacky badging does detract slightly from the otherwise cool appearance.

What’s it like inside?

The tweaks to signal this as a special edition continue inside the car, with a white cue ball shifter providing a nod to the original car, while a ‘Bullitt’ plaque can be found on the passenger’s side in place of the normal Mustang one.

Usual complaints about the muscle car apply here, with a rather cheap-feeling interior present — although the car’s price-to-performance ratio can let this be forgiven. The Mustang Bullitt also gets Recaro seats as standard with green contrast stitching, which offer good support but create something of a cramped driving position.

What’s the spec like?

Being a special edition, the Mustang Bullitt benefits from a generous helping of additional equipment. Headlining alongside all the Bullitt bits is the introduction of rev-matching technology — which is set to be introduced across the rest of the Mustang range.

For no extra cost, safety tech includes lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control and pre-collision warning, while luxury additions come in the form of Ford’s Sync3 system display on a 12-inch LCD screen, automatic LED headlights and an active exhaust system. It does command a notable

price over the regular Mustang GT, though — coming in at £47,545. With the base car available from £42,145, that’s a fair amount to pay for filmrelated additions and a small power increase.

What do the press think?

Auto Express described the Bullitt treatment as ‘more than just a pretty face’, while Autocar said: ‘When you consider the performance and chassis tweaks, plus the extra kit offered, the price jump to the Bullitt seems pretty reasonable.’

What do we think?

If you want to feel like Steve McQueen on a daily basis, then Ford’s Mustang Bullitt is the car for you. This is more than just a Mustang with some tribute bits, and offers a genuinely compelling choice for fans of Bullitt and regular punters.

If you’re happy to do without all of the film bits and minor power bump, though, opting for the regular Mustang GT will offer better value.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 43

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Feature.

Breakdowns, bangers and lots of bonkers fundraisers... it can only be the 10th anniversary of our famous charity rally!

Rebecca Chaplin reports.

B

angers4Ben began a whole decade ago when Car Dealer decided to take four cars from Land’s End to John O’Groats.

Incredibly, no-one thought of stopping us after that, and 10 years later our group of carmad members of the motor trade is still causing havoc across the continent – all in aid of the automotive charity Ben. This year, we took 45 vehicles on the trip, and I say vehicles because somehow three vans, a microcar, a stretch limo and a three-wheeler managed to get in. I did tell you they were mad…

I, however, seemed to have fallen on hard times. Rather than travelling in style in a Mitsubishi Batmobile or Mazda resembling a rusty fire engine (cars in which I’d travelled in previous years), I found myself in a new Honda CR-V support car (and I wasn’t wearing a costume, as we were actually supposed to help people).

I’d also been ditched by my floppy-haired companion of past trips, Jon Reay, because it seemed he had something better to do, but fortunately I was able to jump in with sausage enthusiast and general potty mouth Amanda Philp (I’ll explain more later).

With this being a very special anniversary trip, the powers-that-be (also known as Andy Entwistle, managing director of Blackball Media, and Kelly Neal, head of events at Ben) had planned something special at each location, but, again, more of that to come…

We’d also extended the whole trip by a day or so to allow enough time for a big celebration on the final night. However, that also meant more time to get into trouble, break down, or get lost…

O

Day 1 – Brooklands to Reims

ur first location for Bangers4Ben 2018 would be the iconic and historic race track Brooklands. There’s always a bit of a painful mixture of really early starts paired with long drives and late nights.

Not to get my violin out too early, but I’d actually returned home to the south coast from the Paris 46 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

‘What’s the wurst that can happen?’ asked the team from auction company Aston Barclay

TrustFord’s Thomas Hornsby and Emma Megaw as Dick Dastardly and Penelope Pitstop

Motor Show the day before and had decided it would be a good idea to drive up to Brooklands bright and early on day one of the rally, but with hindsight it probably wasn’t the best plan.

Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Amanda was already on site and looking for a sausage sandwich when I arrived, and I got my first glimpse of our pimped-out mum-mobile.

There had definitely been no sign-off from our head of design with this one.

However, at least everyone would know who we were as we drove up behind them with our names emblazed on the windscreen.

It would definitely be fair to say that the Bangers teams had put in a huge amount of effort this year. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a year quite like it. The cars rolled into the Brooklands Museum car park one by one, and by about 8.30am we were causing complete havoc.

I’m not exaggerating, either. Those who work at Brooklands had put in a complaint.

Andy was poised to photograph the cars as they drove on site – dressed in some ’70s garb he had pulled from the back of his wardrobe – and every car seemed to impress more than the last.

One of the first on the scene was the General

Three Reliant Robin – a brave move with so much ground to cover – but it was the Virgo III Microcar that was pure insanity.

I’m still unsure what the chequerboard paint, vicar and fighter pilot all meant, but I’m certain it all came about because of some questionable decisions made at the pub before the trip.

Then a cow arrived in the car park, and at this point it seems that things couldn’t get much stranger. However, at 9am we got word of the first breakdown. At the gates to Brooklands, the Nag’s Head Pub had come to a grinding halt, and I don’t think it gets much weirder than that.

It was time for a quick briefing, as this year we’d only be finding out the route for the day ahead each morning, and then a shot of all the vehicles together – except the Nag’s Head – before any more could get left behind…

Our destination for the night would be the home of another historic race circuit – Reims.

We set off at a very sensible and safe speed, as advised by Kelly, and had plenty of time to get to Dover for our scheduled ferry crossing.

Some decided this was an ideal location for a flash mob in their fancy dress – (un)fortunately someone filmed the questionable results, so if

NOW IT’S

BANGERS FOR TEN !

(YEARS)

Rockfield Media in their Toyota Corolla: Daniel Wadsworth, Jamie Smith and Ross Blevins you want to see the footage, do email using my details at the front of the magazine.

For us it was a pretty simple drive and – by Bangers4Ben standards – pretty uneventful too, but the Your Best Car BMW Batmobile, manned

by Andrew Woolger and Neil Willson, was in trouble. It limped on to the ferry before breaking down on the other side of the Channel.

Fortunately, the AA was close at hand, so we did the honourable thing and left them behind. The 67 Degrees Nag’s Head – driven by Uncle Albert (Susie Ancell) and Del Boy (Stuart ‘Tom’ Harvey) – was back on the road with a replacement part too; it just couldn’t turn off with the turn of a key any more and had to be stalled.

Incredibly, they both made it to the hotel just after us (Amanda was driving) and overnight the AA was on the case replacing the alternator.

Day two – Reims to Stuttgart

W

hile some of us (me) took the opportunity to get a reasonable night’s sleep to catch the sunrise, others were feeling braver about getting straight into the Bangers4Ben spirit. The

Rhino Events sent a couple of beekeepers – Lee Higgins and Simon Prendergast

Ollie Moxham and Joe Podmore from Click Dealer showed off their military bearing

Our bangers waiting to board the ferry at Dover. Mainland Europe was about to be invaded! plan, as we’d been told over dinner the night before, was to start at the Reims Circuit – or at least what Reim-ains of it.

Those of us with clear heads turned up early, caught the stunning views and also found time to do a bit of definitely-risk-assessed exploring the stands. Those who had gone to bed later gradually arrived, and the look on Will Blackshaw and Shaun Harris’s faces as they rolled in blearyeyed in a Mini with Mr Bean on the roof is one I won’t forget in a very long time.

Day two’s drive would require a co-driver capable of giving good directions and a driver alert enough to listen to them, as we’d be going paper-based with our instructions rather than following sat navs.

Unfortunately, we put our trust in the convoy leaders, who had assured us that they were better at directions than we were. Amanda and I should have realised when we lost half of the pack that the Wayne’s World BMW piloted by Your Best Car didn’t CarDealerMag.co.uk | 47

Feature.

Chris Penny and Marc Thornborough from Auto Trader ready for some track action

What a dynamic duo! James Lowe and Dawn Giles from TrustFord as a pair of superheroes

Craig Cheetham and wife Tamsyn from PR and video specialists OnCue Communications

know what they were doing. The low level of commitment to the theme was the first sign they weren’t to be trusted – and as we arrived in Baden-Baden they missed the diversion signs and we found ourselves heading in circles around a closed tunnel we were supposed to drive through.

We weren’t the only ones getting lost, though.

Location-sharing services are great – it means I can still see where Joel Combes from Lawgistics is, as he’s forgotten

to turn his off since the event last month – but when you’re trying to track two people at different points on the route it can cause some confusion. We found this when sharing our location with the Car Quay Ltd team in their ‘1000bhp’ Fast and the Spurious Toyota Celica and Lawgistics in their Volkswagen Golf at

the same time around twisty mountain roads.

We stopped for lunch to regroup, only to find that Car Quay’s Jamie Caple and Craig Vladimirovs were now ahead of us in Freudenstadt, which wasn’t actually on the route, while Lawgistics’ Joel and Ian Gardner were still lost miles behind. Our group had pulled over to complain at our navigator Garrett Green (and steal some more sweets from his teammate Josh Brown) but I was able to use my superior skills to get us back on track, or at least complain that we should just hurry up so we’d have time to visit the museum in Stuttgart.

After a little help from Waze, he managed to get us on to today’s driving road through the Black Forest – or the Gateaux as it has affectionately become known by our team.

Disappointingly, there was no actual cake.

While we seemed to be far behind everyone else, the Aston Barclay team went above and beyond to support their fellow teams too by serving roadside hot dogs from their Bratwurst4Ben van! It was another first for the

John O’Sullivan, left, and Paul Thomas from Promotive in their Noddy car 48 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Gabriele Severini and Thomas McLennan from the NFDA/RMI looked a bit spaced out! rally as the team of two vans, dressed in chefs’ outfits, produced barbecues from the back of their vehicles and began cooking by the roadside.

We were only a couple of hours from Stuttgart now (and closer to the glass of wine I was desperate for) and were soon at the incredible Motor World Museum. I insisted on exercising my supreme navigating skills on the short stint between here and the hotel – and managed to send us the wrong way into the hotel much to Mr Green’s delight. I can’t promise there wasn’t some strong language and rude gestures exchanged.

Those brave souls from Barley Green Garage had left after everyone else in the Microcar because they had to administer some repairs, but still arrived at the hotel as we were checking in – despite its sub-50mph speed. Incredibly, Mr Bean had to stay at around 60mph because of the weight, but when we rolled into the car park his head was already looking out over a bush.

From then it was the tense wait to see who would make it and who wouldn’t. We thought we were going to lose Zuto’s Mini because of a

James O’Neill, left, and Richard Garbutt from Robins & Day as Dr Evil and Austin Powers driveshaft failure and were worried that the car would be heading home. Fortunately, the team managed to source a new one and was able to convince some German mechanics to fix it fast!

Motor Check’s VW and Rhino Events’ Jaguar also needed attention from the AA overnight but they were soon back in action.

Day three – Stuttgart to Bruges

D

ay three took our teams away from Stuttgart and north to Bruges in Belgium. I won’t lie to you – after a couple of long days of driving, I was very excited about the prospect of beer when we arrived. We tried our best to stay in a

convoy today and spent so long in the Stuttgart Airport hotel car park that Jamie and Craig began cleaning windscreens to raise some extra cash for Ben. It gave us a good opportunity to watch a lot of the other cars leaving. The General Three was on the road bright and early, just leaving the hotel as we were finishing breakfast.

Alistair Jeff and Drew Tyrrell in their cleverly themed Subaru Outback for Outback Tours were dressed in very fetching kangaroo costumes, while the unmissable Andy Entwistle and Piers Montague left with their loudspeaker on full blast once again in their Starsky and Hutch car.

Although we’d been expecting a slightly shorter route, it would be a seven-hour haul back to the coast and CarDealerMag.co.uk | 49

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Feature.

there was plenty to do on the way. Our first stop would be at the Nürburgring – for anyone feeling brave enough to take their £750 cars on track – and then up to Spa via some truly beautiful roads in the mountainous Eifel region of Germany.

We were, once again, towards the back of the group. Those feeling brave headed over to the Nürburgring early, but thick fog meant the circuit was closed for most of the day. The teams from Auto Trader – Marc Thornborough and Chris Penny in their MG – and Codeweavers – David Stevenson and Adam Canay in the Days of Thunder Saab – were determined to stay until the circuit reopened. However, as the fog wouldn’t clear, and despite the disappointed look on David’s face that he couldn’t take his race car on the circuit, many moved on. Our spirits were lifted slightly as we spotted Guy Martin walking across the car park, filming for his latest TV show.

Just beyond the Nürburgring the dense fog lifted, the sunshine came out and we reprogrammed our sat navs for the SpaFrancorchamps circuit in Belgium. Within about 10 minutes of following the others AND Google Maps, we still managed to miss a turning and get lost. I can confirm that after our rigorous testing, a Honda CR-V is not as fast as a BMW 3 Series.

Amanda was on the radio trying to see if we were near anyone else, but they were long gone and we were somehow back on the motorway.

Our route did take us on a route to Spa circuit though, and we arrived just in time to watch the final lap of a Citroen C2 24-hour race.

Well worth it.

If you read last year’s Bangers4Ben story, this won’t sound unfamiliar, but we ended up getting split up and another sat nav challenge ensued. We were trapped in really bad traffic on the approach to Bruges though, so our chances weren’t high and we played I-Spy instead. After what felt like forever in traffic, we finally made it to our hotel and, within minutes, the bar.

It was as we were heading out for a few non-alcoholic beverages in town at 11pm that Rockfield Media’s Daniel, Jamie and Ross arrived in the hotel reception. They had stayed until the bitter end, waiting for the ’ring to reopen – and went around in their Toyota Corolla.

T

Day four – Bruges to Rockingham

here were a lot of tired faces in Bruges the following morning. Fortunately, it was only a short stint to Calais where we’d be getting back on a ferry and could have a mid-morning nap. It was enough to make us forget that once we were back in Blighty there would be another three-hour drive to Rockingham.

There were still some cars left behind,

Winners

Each year, Car Dealer awards three prizes for the best car, best costumes and best tweet from the four-day trip. Every year, the teams get more competitive, and this time round certainly wasn’t a disappointment...

Best Car Promotive We had the best turnout ever for dressed-up cars, but it was the Promotive Noddy Ford Ka that really blew the judges away. It was a simple concept that really worked – especially with the drivers John O’Sullivan and Paul Thomas staying in character for the entire trip!

Best Fancy Dress GardX Team GardX are well known for their costumes on Bangers4Ben and this year was no different! To match with the theme of their BTCC-inspired car, the trio dressed as racing drivers on day one, then grid girls, track marshals and finally a racing flag and lights.

Best Tweet Lawgistics This year the prize wasn’t just for the best tweet but a whole array of tweets. Joel Combes from Lawgistics had spent much of the event with an iPad held out of the roof of their convertible VW Golf filming other teams.

Every day he produced a run-down of the day’s events, too!

Extra Mile Award Samson Motors Another tough category – but we had to acknowledge some of the fantastic efforts made by our teams. The winners were Paul Roff and Nigel Samson of Samson Motors for the General Three Reliant Robin, which (perhaps unexpectedly) completed the whole trip.

Rockingham - Highest Score Car Quay Ltd Über-competitive to the end, it was Jamie Caple and Craig Vladimirovs with their Fast and the Spurious Toyota Celica that almost lived up to its 1000bhp claims by doing the best in our Rockingham challenges. Well done, guys, and congratulations!

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 51

Feature.

Blackshaws’ and Codeweavers’ Mr Bean car

Marc Thornborough and Chris Penny from Auto Trader met Guy Martin at the Nürburgring

Codeweavers’ Days of Thunder Saab

though. It seemed the fix on the Zuto Mini wasn’t quite enough, and the Barley Green Microcar also had to be abandoned in France.

Two teams kindly picked up Team Barley Green – InAutomotive’s incredible Ghostbusters limo and the 67 Degrees van.

Rockingham wasn’t just an end location – here we would put our bangers to the test in a series of on-track challenges. I know, who signed this idea off? First up would be 0-60mph tests on the startfinish curve. Watching a three-wheeler, Mr Bean and Noddy car do this was a real treat.

Then our teams would move on to the inner field, where they were supposed to drive round

would be announced at our evening event at the glittering and glamorous Hampton by Hilton in Northampton. Before we knew it, the driving was over, but we still found good use for the Nag’s Head van as our personal car park bar after the evening bash.

It was as we were concluding our evening at the pub that the Zuto Mini made it to the car park of our hotel. The perfect end to this 10th anniversary rally.

52 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

the circuit carefully while their co-driver held a bowl of water. This didn’t last very long though, and soon became ‘How fast can you drive around the circuit?’ and eventually turned into ‘How many times can you drive around the circuit without being told off?’.

Finally, our drivers would make their way to the other side of the track to attempt a handbrake turn. The Car Dealer Magazine and Ben teams would be judging and timing these tests, and the best overall scores would win. Unfortunately for the GardX team, with professional racing driver Sam Tordoff and The Stig on board, we’d be starting them from minus 50 points. The winner

See more Bangers4Ben pictures at bit.ly/bangers18

Auction

T

he auction always marks the very end of Bangers4Ben and this year was no exception. Most of the cars that had journeyed across Europe a few weeks earlier as part of our 10th-anniversary fundraising rally went under the hammer at BCA Blackbushe on October 26.

The 27 vehicles that went through the auction raised a total of £12,709.

The shining star of the sale was the Vauxhall Vivaro converted by 67 Degrees into the Nag’s Head pub from the famous TV sitcom Only Fools and Horses.

It sold for an impressive £1,825.

A few of the cars will be sold privately, after which the buyers’ fees (kindly donated

by BCA) and entry fees will be added to give the final fundraising total. Keep your eyes on the Car Dealer Magazine website and we’ll be revealing the final figure as soon as we can!

Samson Motors’ General Three Reliant Robin, above, sold for £800 while Promotive’s Noddy car went for £700

Team name

Make of car

67 Degrees

Vauxhall

Bought for

Sold for

Profit

£0.00

£1,825.00

£1,825.00

Automotive Compliance

Volvo

£300.00

£625.00

£325.00

Zuto

Mini

£500.00

£800.00

£300.00

Promotive

Ford

£415.00

£700.00

£285.00

Your Best Car

BMW

£200.00

£475.00

£275.00

Click Dealer

BMW

£0.00

£200.00

£200.00

Samson Motors

Reliant

£600.00

£800.00

£200.00

iVendi

Skoda

£450.00

£425.00

-£25.00

On Cue

Rover

£200.00

£149.00

-£51.00

MHG

BMW

£750.00

£675.00

-£75.00

Blackshaws

Mini

£800.00

£575.00

-£225.00

Motorcheck

VW

£450.00

£200.00

-£250.00

In Automotive

Vauxhall

£750.00

£500.00

-£250.00

Kent Motor Group

VW

£600.00

£325.00

-£275.00

IGA

Mercedes

£750.00

£450.00

-£300.00

Car Dealer

Hyundai

£525.00

£225.00

-£300.00

Feasa

Subaru

£600.00

£300.00

-£300.00

TrustFord

Ford

£685.00

£350.00

-£335.00

NFDA

Vauxhall

£750.00

£350.00

-£400.00

Rockfield Media

Toyota

£750.00

£300.00

-£450.00

Manheim

Saab

£750.00

£275.00

-£475.00

TrustFord

Ford

£685.00

£200.00

-£485.00

Lawgistics

VW

£700.00

£200.00

-£500.00

Arthur J Gallagher

Hyundai

£700.00

£160.00

-£540.00

Robins & Day

Peugeot

Unknown

£800.00

Aston Lark

Mercedes

£125.00

£150.00

Aston Barclay

Ford

Unknown

£675.00

iVendi

Audi

£600.00

£250.00*

Your Best Car

BMW

£750.00

£750.00*

£0.00

GardX

Ford

£550.00

£750.00*

£200.00

Auto Trader

MG

£750.00

£250.00*

-£500.00

Codeweavers

Saab

£750.00

£1,390.00*

£650.00

Car Quay Ltd

Toyota

£350.00

£2,050.00*

£1,700.00

AA

Volvo

£300.00

Click Dealer

Mazda

£700.00

Barley Green Garage

Micro Car

Unknown

Car scrapped

Rutland Partners

Ford

Unknown

Yet to be sold

Rhino Events

Jaguar

Unknown

Yet to be sold

Wylam Garage

Saab

Unknown

Yet to be sold

* Sold privately

Big thank-yous

£25.00

-£350.00

Yet to be sold £900.00*

Total

£19,049.00

Total fundraising to date (inc £3,800 fees)

£41,553.20

Grand total raised

£60,602.20

£200.00

To the AA for its reassuring presence and assistance throughout the rally.

To BCA for hosting the post-rally auction, helping to ensure that we reached a record sum again.

To our friends at Ben for their support during the organisation of the whole madcap event! [CD] CarDealerMag.co.uk | 53

54 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Focus on.

Aftersales opportunities

Why AutoPoint lockers could be the key to even greater success EDYNAMIX

A

W: edynamix.com T: 0845 413 0000

nyone who has taken a flight recently will be aware that human interaction is kept to a minimum these days.

You can book your ticket online, store it in an Apple wallet or use an airline app and – unless you need to talk to someone at the airport’s bagdrop facility – walk on to the plane and take your seat without speaking to a single person.

It’s quick, efficient and shows how technology has made a huge difference to our lives. And it’s the sort of process your customers – especially younger ones – increasingly expect.

What if similar principles could be applied to the servicing and repair of cars?

A customer could arrive at a garage, access a secure locker using a QR code or similar on their phone and leave their keys inside.

Then their vehicle could be serviced or repaired with a second ‘key swap’ repeated at the end of the day. It might sound a bit too futuristic to be possible but the team at eDynamix are certain it can work – and their exciting new AutoPoint lockers prove it’s a winner!

Car Dealer recently caught up with company director Iain Nickalls who explained: ‘It’s an idea we have had for a few years. The airport model is the definition of self-service and the automotive industry is lagging behind somewhat – there’s still a lot of human interaction that doesn’t need to be there for certain customers.

‘Using our system, a customer would book online, get a QR code downloaded on to their phone, turn up at the dealership and use the code to pop open a secure locker. Inside that, courtesy car keys and documentation would have been left, the customer would take the keys, drop off their own keys and shut the locker.

‘The dealership is then aware that the customer has arrived and that their car is there.

‘The customer can simply walk away knowing that their car will be serviced, pay for everything online once they get the videos and the VHC report, come back, scan the QR code again, pick up their keys from the locker and drive away.’

Sounds seamless, doesn’t it? Nickalls is confident the system can help garages and workshops in a big way, as well as improve the overall customer experience.

It’s rapidly moving to pilot stage, with Nickalls saying: ‘It will be quarter one next year when they are ready for general release.

‘The overall aim of the AutoPoint lockers is to drag the automotive industry into the 21st century and beyond and allow complete customer self-service.

‘We’re not just thinking dealerships either; we think that the lockers could be available in other places too – for example, airports. If a dealership were to subscribe to a locker bank and a sponsored one was placed in an airport, the customer could drop off their keys and have their car attended to while they were away.

‘The customer wouldn’t even have to pay for airport parking!’

Another aspect of the system would be the installation of an embedded iPad, carrying information tailored to each customer.

‘We’ll know if a customer has a service plan, for example,’ explained Nickalls. ‘If they don’t, we can show them the latest offers from a particular dealership. There is a lot we can build in because we are in total control of the interface, which can be completely branded to the dealer or OEM.’ How did the idea for the AutoPoint lockers come about? ‘It was one Saturday,’ said Nickalls.

‘One of my co-directors was at a shopping centre

picking up a parcel from an Amazon locker. Previous to that, I’d mentioned that for me, the next stage was allowing the customer to drop off the keys. My thought was to have an envelope with their details on, which could then be put into a secure box of some kind. But seeing the Amazon lockers was a lightbulb moment – and we’re hugely excited about our new product.’

Rapid expansion in the UK and overseas EDYNAMIX are experts in technologically advanced car dealership systems and processes – and could really help your business run more smoothly. They supply a wide range of core systems that dealerships use within the aftersales arena, covering areas such as service plans, online booking, vehicle health checks, courtesy car allocation and customer surveys.

‘We’ve got all the core systems that a dealer would use day in, day out,’ said company director Iain Nickalls. ‘I saw an article the other day that said a service adviser can have up to 11 systems open on their computer desktop at any one time. We aim to reduce that to two – the DMS (we’re never going to replace the DMS) and eDynamix. We’ve got installations in over 2,000 outlets now – both franchised and independent – across the UK. We’ve got a presence in a number of European countries, the US and Australia. It’s growing rapidly.’

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 55

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56 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Built-in Speakers & Microphone

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More brand coverage than ever before! sales-uk@autologic.com 01865 870 060

Focus on.

Aftersales opportunities

The latest innovation in vehicle diagnostics drives into the UK AUTOLOGIC

D

T: 01865 870 060 W: autologic.com

rivePRO is the latest innovation designed to enhance vehicle diagnostics and enable complex repairs for the independent workshop.

Developed by Autologic Diagnostics, DrivePRO provides customers with a multi-function diagnostics platform that combines Autologic’s diagnostic software with expert technical support from their vehicle manufacturer-trained master

technicians. Andrew Betteley, Autologic’s chief technology officer, said: ‘DrivePRO delivers everything a technician needs within one device.’

Andrew is excited to be releasing a solution which brings together valuable functionality for the technician.

He said: ‘Building on Autologic’s experience of integrating vehicle diagnostics with live master technician and software support, we now bring a much broader range of manufacturer diagnostics together with Remote Assist Programming, enabling our technicians to remotely program new ECUs with the manufacturers’ own software – all on the same device.’

Autologic customers can expect to experience expert guidance and symptom-driven advice all from the simple push of a button.

The intuitive DrivePRO platform allows AutologicLive master technicians to support customers in real time, as well as enabling direct communications with software

engineers capable of providing customers with real-time software updates.

DrivePRO also boasts flash programming and coding functionality, which allows users to code and program new parts directly via the onboard Autologic diagnostic software or Remote Flash Programming services via RAP. Other unique features include: Windows10 platform with dual-core Intel processor; integrated SAE J2534 built with CarDAQ technology; intuitive touchscreen controls; built-in wi-fi and Bluetooth; ruggedised ergonomic hand grips; impact bumpers; built-in stylus; and kickstand for ease of use.

As a bonus, a subscription to Diagnostic Network will be provided to all DrivePRO customers, a worldwide technical community for likeminded technicians to discuss and engage on a multitude of diagnostic and vehicle repair topics. Product demonstrations are available on request.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 57

Focus on.

Upselling opportunities

Manage quality control efficiently OEC

W: oeconnection.com

E: darren.pettitt@oeconnection.com

I

t’s a difficult position that many workshops have no doubt found themselves in over the years. A customer’s repair or MOT is carried out, they come to collect their car – but they’re not happy because one of your mechanics has made a silly mistake.

The problem may not necessarily have to do with the work that has been carried out – but perhaps the vehicle has been left with a cosmetic imperfection, such as a greasy footprint on one of the mats inside.

Worse still, maybe the brake light mechanism hasn’t been reconnected properly and your customer has been stopped a few hundred yards down the road by an eagle-eyed police officer.

Well, what if there was a way to prevent that happening – an easy-to-use quality control system that kept standards high, saved your dealership money and even identified training needs?

The good news is – there is! It’s called QCheck and it’s supplied to the automotive industry by OEC, a company with a global footprint and a sizeable operation here in the UK. OEC was established to provide high-quality technical solutions to car makers and their franchised dealers, and since acquiring Clifford Thames last year, it has been going from strength to strength.

QCheck reduces comebacks and vastly improves levels of customer satisfaction by managing quality control efficiently and effectively. Applied each day to a small percentage of cars that go through any given workshop, it delivers full control over the quality of workmanship within the establishment.

Quick and simple to use, it allows workshop staff to enter data to support quality and improvement across the whole business.

QCheck can track the performance of your workshop staff, identify and rectify issues that crop up repeatedly, promote best practice, and track and improve throughput.

It can also do wonders for a workshop’s reputation by helping you manage and improve your customers’ experiences and expectations, and increase customer retention.

In short, it can keep customers happy and

58 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

coming back for more! In the event that an unfortunate error does creep through and you have an unwelcome visit from local agencies, the fact that your dealership or workshop has a robust and thorough quality-checking system in place can help reassure them that you’re doing your utmost to keep standards high.

Car Dealer recently caught up with Darren Pettitt, Product Manager, Service at OEC, who emphasised QCheck’s money-saving credentials, too.

‘Time is money in the running of any workshop,’ he told us. ‘Imagine for a moment a customer returns to your premises because he or she is unhappy for some reason. Maybe there’s a blemish on the paintwork or the car hasn’t been washed and valeted as promised.

‘Dealing with that issue is going to take a lot

of time, and will involve the mechanic, who has to resolve the issue, the service adviser, who has to talk to and placate the customer, and the workshop manager, who needs to get involved as well. We have figures that show that a typical workshop could save around £30,000 annually by employing QCheck – and that’s the equivalent of somebody’s salary.’

Darren emphasised that QCheck can eliminate all the aforementioned problems, and he was keen to emphasise that it’s a completely scalable system.

‘It can operate across a single workshop, a dealer group with workshops in various locations or across a whole multi-market manufacturer network,’ he told us.

QCheck is not really about reprimanding staff or punishing them for the occasional human

and effectively with QCheck T: 01245 236530

Testimonials ‘Recently we had our first incident in over 10 years with trading standards. As part of their investigation, they asked if we had a quality control process in place. I showed them how we had been using QCheck since 2006 to check jobs daily and they were most impressed to see how we report our technicians’ results honestly, showing all faults found and actions taken. As a result of this, they agreed the incident was highly unusual and didn’t issue a fine because QCheck successfully demonstrated how robust our quality control process is.’

‘QCheck is so easy to use, it’s simple to drill down through the data and I can easily identify which technicians require help or training. Our CSI has improved significantly as a result because errors are rectified before they become problems. QCheck was originally paid for by our OEM, but we now pay for it ourselves. Keeping it was never in doubt, especially as being able to access the data saved us a hefty fine!’

Online booking

error, more encouraging them to engage in an ongoing programme of self-improvement.

Employees are helped to understand how their attention to detail is crucial to the success of the company they are working for and how their use of the platform can help them develop their careers.

It can be used in a variety of formats – it works as an online app on a mobile device, desktop computers are fine too, and if good old-fashioned pen and paper is your thing, well, why not?

It only takes 10 minutes to QCheck a vehicle and the data then becomes the building blocks of efficient quality control.

No extra software is needed because QCheck is entirely web-based.

Reports are delivered in real time so fresh

OEC offers so many useful products and services to OEMs, dealerships and workshops that we could almost fill a whole edition of Car Dealer with them!

Another such offering is an online booking functionality that enhances and streamlines your working methods and processes, again leading to efficiency savings and happy customers. If you work for a Seat or Skoda dealership, for example, you may well be using the system without even realising it, as OEC works with those manufacturers and many other OEMs here in the UK and information is available to analyse as and when you need it.

Still unsure about whether QCheck could prove useful at your dealership or workshop?

The statistics demonstrate that QCheck really works. Nearly 4,000 dealers across dozens of worldwide markets rely on it to help them achieve the high level of workshop quality that retains and builds business.

Nearly two million vehicles have so far been

overseas. In the bad old days, an online booking would be a request for a call back followed by a member of staff looking up price and parts availability, seeing how long it would take to fit, locating the instructions for doing so and working out the labour charge.

A very laborious process.

That can all be done far more efficiently with OEC’s system, where all the information is available in one location.

The company has truly revolutionised online booking and, as we say, you could well be benefiting from its expertise!

QChecked in more than 30 countries. More than half a million repeat repairs have been avoided and 96 per cent of users experience a 30 per cent improvement in their workshop’s performance in the first year.

Here in the UK, it is used in more than 800 establishments – figures that speak for themselves – and numbers that really should persuade you to get involved!

by Dave Brown (@CarDealerDave) CarDealerMag.co.uk | 59

Maximise your dealerships potential by joining the UK’s leading used car scheme Join the many dealers that are benefiting from being a Safe & Sound approved dealer. Becoming a Safe & Sound approved dealer not only provides your customers with the most comprehensive protection on the market today, but also provides you with access to a number of other benefits, including tailored demand generation campaigns, via both Carsnip and Facebook.

“

Safe and Sound have implemented a number of new tailored Facebook advertising campaigns with all seven of our dealerships. In just a couple of weeks, these campaigns have achieved a 20% uplift in enquiries and increased our used vehicle sales as a direct result.

“

Liz Purcell, F&I Manager of CSM Motor Group As recommended by former Stig, Ben Collins

Safe and Sound includes: Six month Ultimate or Five Star warranty Six month 24hr full UK breakdown cover 60 point vehicle safety inspection Provenance and mileage verifications Our exclusive dealer buy-back promise And much, much more...

For the Ultimate used car scheme, there can only be one choice.

Visit www.SafeandSound.co.uk or call 01844 293810 to find out more.

Request your free, no-obligation dealer pack today Warranty at www.WMSGroupUK.com Provider or call 01844 293 817.Year 2018 of the The warranty experts 60 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

From the WMS Group

*You will receive your jacket after your first five x 6 month warranty and recovery packages have been issued with no further obligation.

Focus on.

Upselling opportunities

Upselling longer term warranties is a win-win scenario for a dealer!

WMS GROUP

W: wmsgroup.co.uk T: 0113 276 3343

Eye-catching point-of-sale material will help you make the most of your relationship with the WMS Group

D

ealers’ profit margins in used car sales are reducing all the time because trade prices are nearly at the level of retail money and preparation costs are always increasing.

It’s no wonder, then, that dealers are looking for help to boost their margins from additional profit sources.

The WMS Group has seen significant results in dealers actively upselling customers into longer-term warranties and utilising WMS Group’s Payment Assist programme whereby the customer spreads the cost of the extended warranty over 10 instalments interest-free.

There is no customer deposit, no debit back to the dealer, just a realistic profit margin for the dealer from this upselling activity.

Registering extended warranty policies via WMS Group’s Showroom system could not be simpler. It takes just over a minute for the

customer to complete the financial transaction and set up their 10 interest-free monthly payments – what could be simpler?

The WMS Group agrees a profit margin for the dealer for upselling to 12, 18, 24 and 36-month policies, plus the dealer saves on the three or six-month giveaway cost. All in all, it’s a win-win scenario for the dealer.

In most cases, the WMS Group can demonstrate that upselling their customers to a longer-term warranty has reduced a dealer’s monthly warranty cost by up to 70 per cent and in some cases more.

In-house training for the dealer is provided free of charge and point-of-sale material for the showroom and a dealer’s website all promote the option for the customer to extend their cover.

These days, most customers are buying a used car on finance for durations spanning either two, three, four or even five years. Therefore, it is most important that the customer is offered the choice to extend their warranty to cover the repair costs, should something go wrong after the dealer’s giveaway three or six-month warranty.

If you think about how much we pay a month

for our mobile phones (maybe £40 per month for a device which has a value of £500), £39.90 a month over 10 instalments interest-free would cover a customer’s vehicle for a minimum of two years. Whichever way you look at it, you would have to say that this is great value for money!

With various cover levels available, The WMS Group can deliver a bespoke programme to significantly reduce a dealer’s warranty costs and in many cases, turn in a profit.

The WMS Group consistently works with dealers to provide solutions that increase their profit margins from additional products.

For further information and to act, call today and one of our dedicated account managers will demonstrate the opportunities available and provide comprehensive upselling sales projections.

Working with the warranty experts, we at the WMS Group believe that with our product range and solutions, we do make a serious impact in increasing a dealer’s overall profitability. l Call our dealer support line – 0113 276 3343 – to request a visit from a member of our dedicated team.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 61

62 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Focus on.

Click Dealer

Why lead management should be dealers’ number one priority CLICK DEALER

E: cardealermag@clickdealer.co.uk T: 01782 454 354

G

enerating leads can be an expensive business. What’s worse is that not managing them effectively could prove critical to the overall performance of a dealership.

To truly maximise lead generation, dealerships need full visibility of all enquiry methods. Not only does it give power to dealers to understand which advertising is the most cost-effective but full visibility provides the best opportunity to action enquiries quickly and effectively.

With Brexit now looming large on the horizon and pencilled in for March 29, 2019 without any extension period for further negotiation currently agreed, it’s time dealerships started preparing themselves for the climate of post-Brexit Britain.

Nobody really knows what’s going to happen.

Many have made predictions but it’s a far from exact science and the future is filled with way too many unknowns for anybody to accurately hazard a guess at the likely outcomes for the automotive industry.

Focus on what you can affect Uncertainty doesn’t mean that dealerships should be unprepared though. Quite the opposite in fact. Dealers should work to define a foolproof lead management strategy to capitalise on all sales opportunities and plug their leaky leads buckets up completely. After all, the best way to safeguard a business during a period of unpredictability is to be shrewd and make the most of all enquiries received.

Ensuring that an effective CRM system is in place is a fantastic way of making sure that all leads are accounted for, logged and followed up in the correct manner. Dealers shouldn’t underestimate the power of aggregating prospect and lead data into one central location for easy management, and the difference it can make to maintaining a steady flow of sales.

Without an effective strategy for generating, managing and converting leads, dealerships could be missing out on a lot of business and in what could be a challenging year for the industry, it’s essential that dealers don’t leave any cash on the table.

Define your processes A dealership’s lead management process should be comprehensive, incorporating stages prompting the relevant staff members to act, from first contact to the point of sale, or the point at which the lead is conclusively not worth pursuing any longer.

Communication is key within the lead process, both from a dealership’s point of view and the customer’s. Systems should alert staff to activity going on in the dealership and also keep the customer informed. Timely actions and responses are vital to maintaining a successful sales process.

This in turn will increase dealer’s performance with regards to stock turn, product sales and customer satisfaction.

To this end, Click Dealer believes that software can be pro-active when it comes to lead management rather than just reactive.

Tracking Is everything Tracking can provide invaluable business insights.

As soon as an enquiry is made, it should be logged in a CRM system, spreadsheet or database dedicated to lead tracking, along with the date of arrival and the lead source.

With the technical advancements that we have at our fingertips today, there is no reason why this process can’t be automated, saving dealers time and missed opportunities.

This doesn’t just help dealers see where leads are coming from, but also how valuable each

source is, how many leads have converted into sales, how much customers have spent and gives added visibility on all-important sales margins.

Efficiency can separate dealers from their competition One major issue that dealers face is that more and more enquiries are now coming through after hours. While some customers will understand that dealerships cannot be on hand to answer calls and emails 24/7, others will not be as patient.

To combat this, setting up an automatic message which informs enquirers that they’ll be contacted as soon as the dealership re-opens for business is a great idea. Dealers can then make responding to the previous night’s queries a priority for the day ahead.

With potentially challenging times to come, it’s more important now than ever before that your technology partners can support the overall management of performance, from staff KPIs to overall business efficiency. Task management and understanding the bigger picture of overall dealership performance are essential for those who want to thrive in 2019 and beyond.

•For more information on Click Dealer’s lead management capabilities and to find out if we can be a performance partner for your dealership, get in touch today via 01782 454 354 or email cardealermag@clickdealer.co.uk.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 63

Focus on.

Dragon2000

Embrace mobile technology to increase your revenue DRAGON2000

E: sales@dragon2000.co.uk T: 01327 222333

I

n an increasingly mobile-focused world, communicating through this medium has never been so important for car dealers and garages to build relationships with their customers.

Dragon2000’s mobile app, APPraise, is helping hundreds of dealers increase trust and engagement with their sales prospects and service customers, using a suite of must-have tools that include sales presentation video creation, digital part-exchange appraisals and vehicle health checks – all fully integrated with our multi-award-winning dealer management software DragonDMS. Getting customers on to the forecourt in 2018 can be a challenge when the majority of carbuying research takes place online. Customers are search-savvy and will use a variety of methods and criteria to discover their ideal next car.

Your prospective customers will have likely seen photos on your website or other advertising sites, along with a description of the car they are interested in, prompting their initial inquiry. However, following that up with a unique experience by recording and sending a personalised video of the vehicle directly to their phone can make all the difference.

Sales presentation videos allow every angle of the car to be seen by your prospective customer from any location without having to visit the dealership, with the added bonus being that videos provide a greater sense of perspective than a photo could manage.

Coupled with a running commentary by you as you record the video, highlighting the vehicle’s selling points, your customer will gain confidence in the condition of the car and the information given, which will help to accelerate the sales process. Having seen the vehicle in this format, customers are much more likely to visit for a test drive or agree to purchase.

A recent development within APPraise has enabled customers to produce a tailored finance quote and submit their application once they have viewed the sales presentation video, making

64 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

this a smooth and easy process to help increase finance penetration.

The APPraise app also gives dealers the ability to record detailed digital appraisals for a variety of uses – vehicles you are buying for stock, partexchanges, service vehicles or courtesy cars – with multiple photos and descriptions, and has an optional valuation integration feature so that you can get an instant value for the vehicle.

The benefits include more accurate valuation appraisals and condition reports, coupled with appraisals being stored in the DragonDMS for future reference.

Service departments and workshops also benefit greatly from using the Vehicle Health Check tool within the APPraise app. Technicians can accurately record the condition of a vehicle using photos with descriptions for each item, and can also record a video to demonstrate issues and safety items to the customer. Being able to refer back to a report within the DragonDMS with stored images and video footage is essential should there be any future query on the vehicle.

You can email the VHC report and video link directly to your customer, highlighting issues with

their vehicle to help them decide whether to have the work carried out or not. Customers seeing the actual technician who has been working on their car and getting first-hand information demonstrates transparency, which helps to create trust and increase repeat business.

The VHC works on a traffic light system of red, amber and green, and you can create your own checklist templates so that you can have different types of VHCs, tailored as required.

Should the customer decide not to go ahead with certain VHC items during this process, they can be marked as Advisories within the DragonDMS and a follow-up date can be set, which generates CRM reminders. This streamlines the whole communication process between the technician, customer and workshop adviser, and undoubtedly helps to capture the additional work in the future.

With no set-up costs and no pre-loaded hardware to buy, the APPraise app can be downloaded on to your own Apple or Android devices and fully integrates with the DragonDMS. l Call us on 01327 222333 or email sales@dragon2000.co.uk for more information.

Choosing a used car can be a headache for many customers.

As an RAC Approved Dealer you’ll receive exclusive benefits to support the growth of your business and drive customer confidence.

USE OF OUR TRUSTED BRAND* / OUR 82 POINT PREPARATION STANDARD / ADDITIONAL RAC PRODUCT REVENUE STREAMS INCLUDING RAC WARRANTY / FREE POS MATERIALS / 12 MONTHS’ FREE RAC BREAKDOWN COVER FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS

Call us today and benefit from RAC Approved status: Call: 0330 100 3807 Email: dealernetwork@rac.co.uk Visit: rac.co.uk/getapproved *76% of used car buyers surveyed who purchased a car from the RAC Approved Dealer Network said that the dealer’s affiliation to the RAC impacted their decision to buy a car from them. (Source: RAC Reviews)

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 65

Data file.

Thestatistics

| SMMT SALES DATA | TAKING STOCK | CONTINUING UNCERTAINTY

Market falls again amid appeal for policies that ‘encourage not confuse’

T

he UK new car market declined again in October, with 153,599 vehicles registered, according to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

Deliveries fell by 2.9 per cent in the month, as model changes and backlogs at test houses conducting tough new WLTP emissions certification continued to cause shortages across some brands.

Declines were seen in both private and fleet sectors, with registrations down one per cent and 5.2 per cent respectively. Meanwhile, continuing uncertainty around diesel saw demand for these new, low-emission vehicles fall by a further 21.3 per cent.

Registrations of petrol cars rose 7.1 per cent, while the market for alternativelyfuelled vehicles (AFVs) once again showed strong growth, up 30 per cent, supported by new models.

Zero-emission battery electric vehicles saw particularly impressive growth, up 86.9 per cent, as 584 more people drove one home than in the same month last year. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles, which make up the majority of AFV sales due to their greater flexibility, also enjoyed strong uplifts, growing 31 per

cent and 19.1 per cent respectively.

However, this is not surprising given the announcement that the plug-in car grant was to be cut for pure electric cars and withdrawn completely for plug-in hybrids – although, due to lead times, the full impact may not be seen for several months.

The figures come as the SMMT published new industry forecasts for AFV demand, with registrations expected to grow 82.5 per cent from 2017 levels by 2020.

Similar growth (88.3 per cent) is projected for plug-in electric cars, with 92,620 new plug-in hybrid and battery electric cars expected to be sold in the same year – taking market share to around four per cent. This is at the lower end of the government’s stated ambition, with cuts to the grant further undermining the industry’s ability to deliver this ambition.

In the year to date, the overall new car sector remains down 7.2 per cent on the same period last year, albeit with more than two million new cars registered in the first 10 months of 2018. Pending no

further market disruption, some pullback is hoped for during the remainder of the year as current supply issues ease, enabling manufacturers to cater for pentup demand on certain models.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: ‘VED upheaval, regulatory changes and confusion over diesel have all made their mark on the market this year so it’s good to see plug-in registrations buck the trend.

‘Demand is still far from the levels needed to offset losses elsewhere, however, and makes the government’s decision to remove purchase incentives even more baffling.

‘We’ve always said that worldclass ambitions require world-class incentives and, even before the cuts to the grant, those ambitions were challenging. We need policies that encourage rather than confuse.

‘The government’s forthcoming review of WLTP’s impact on taxation must ensure that buyers of the latest, cleanest cars are not unfairly penalised else we will see older, more polluting cars remain on the road for longer.’

SMMT sales data Oct/year to date

5

Top

Most-improved manufacturers in October

MG +303% Mitsubishi +100% Jaguar +81% Mini +62% Mazda +42%

5

Bottom

Worst-performing manufacturers in October

Infiniti -86% Porsche -64% DS -61% Chevrolet -60% Bentley -58%

‘Industry in a perpetual battle to pick itself up off the floor’ OCTOBER’S figures triggered alarm among commentators. Alex Buttle, director of car-buying comparison website Motorway.co.uk, said: ‘These latest figures suggest new car sales are entrenched at a sub-par level for the long term. The industry is gearing up for a cold, hard winter that could stretch long into 2019 and beyond.

‘A fatal combination of interest rate fears, Brexit concerns and confusion over fuel types sees 66 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

the industry locked in the deep freeze and in a perpetual battle to pick itself up off the floor.

‘Again, diesel sales are a heavy burden on overall numbers, with October seeing new registrations fall for the 19th consecutive month.

Unfortunately, petrol just cannot pick up the slack at the heart of the industry any more.’

Seán Kemple, director of sales at Close Brothers Motor Finance, said: ‘A lack of stock, confusion

around WLTP and economic uncertainty around Brexit continue to keep dealers awake at night. We are seeing a number of manufacturers reducing their targets for the end of the year, recognising the challenges in selling cars at the moment.’

Andrew Hooks, chief operating officer of Carwow, said: ‘Brexit is paralysing the motoring industry. There cannot be a proper recovery until we know what the country’s future looks like.’

Land Rover

Audi

+31%

October 2018 Marque

2018

-52%

October 2017

% market share

2017

Year-to-date (YTD)

% market share

% change

2018

% market share

2017

% market share

% change

Abarth

324

0.21

303

0.19

6.93

4,842

0.23

3,803

0.17

27.32

Alfa Romeo

227

0.15

293

0.19

-22.53

3,654

0.18

4,302

0.19

-15.06 0.00

Alpine Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW

3

0.00

0

0.00

0.00

128

0.01

0

0.00

124

0.08

87

0.05

42.53

1,292

0.06

1,318

0.06

-1.97

6,487

4.22

13,699

8.66

-52.65

130,588

6.33

152,234

6.84

-14.22

55

0.04

132

0.08

-58.33

1,346

0.07

1,495

0.07

-9.97

11,315

7.37

11,056

6.99

2.34

147,627

7.15

148,849

6.69

-0.82

2

0.00

5

0.00

-60.00

32

0.00

64

0.00

-50.00

Citroen

3,281

2.14

3,016

1.91

8.79

44,736

2.17

46,426

2.09

-3.64

Dacia

1,778

1.16

1,625

1.03

9.42

20,042

0.97

22,700

1.02

-11.71

173

0.11

444

0.28

-61.04

4,789

0.23

8,275

0.37

-42.13

Fiat

1,963

1.28

2,463

1.56

-20.30

31,145

1.51

40,916

1.84

-23.88

Ford

-12.15

Chevrolet

DS

16,820

10.95

19,580

12.38

-14.10

222,923

10.80

253,760

11.41

Honda

2,771

1.80

2,962

1.87

-6.45

46,947

2.27

47,746

2.15

-1.67

Hyundai

5,297

3.45

6,553

4.14

-19.17

81,095

3.93

81,868

3.68

-0.94

Infiniti

22

0.01

157

0.10

-85.99

687

0.03

3,252

0.15

-78.87

Jaguar

3,324

2.16

1,827

1.15

81.94

31,999

1.55

30,881

1.39

3.62 -8.61

376

0.24

280

0.18

34.29

5,275

0.26

5,772

0.26

Kia

6,312

4.11

6,900

4.36

-8.52

85,038

4.12

83,471

3.75

1.88

Land Rover

6,942

4.52

5,270

3.33

31.73

67,246

3.26

72,226

3.25

-6.90

Lexus

674

0.44

725

0.46

-7.03

11,322

0.55

11,123

0.50

1.79

Lotus

26

0.02

26

0.02

0.00

226

0.01

254

0.01

-11.02

Jeep

Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz

99

0.06

146

0.09

-32.19

1,125

0.05

1,452

0.07

-22.52

2,366

1.54

1,655

1.05

42.96

35,062

1.70

35,432

1.59

-1.04

32

0.02

45

0.03

-28.89

577

0.03

492

0.02

17.28

11,716

7.63

12,136

7.67

-3.46

149,482

7.24

158,478

7.12

-5.68 112.75

MG

783

0.51

194

0.12

303.61

7,478

0.36

3,515

0.16

Mini

5,116

3.33

3,144

1.99

62.72

54,541

2.64

54,945

2.47

-0.74

Mitsubishi

1,933

1.26

968

0.61

99.69

17,591

0.85

13,742

0.62

28.01

Nissan

6,433

4.19

8,183

5.17

-21.39

91,633

4.44

135,574

6.09

-32.41

Peugeot

5,424

3.53

5,201

3.29

4.29

71,010

3.44

73,019

3.28

-2.75

Porsche

329

0.21

931

0.59

-64.66

10,962

0.53

11,864

0.53

-7.60

Renault

4,072

2.65

3,204

2.03

27.09

53,849

2.61

61,850

2.78

-12.94

Seat

4,216

2.74

4,098

2.59

2.88

54,706

2.65

48,335

2.17

13.18

Skoda

5,094

3.32

4,941

3.12

3.10

63,199

3.06

68,208

3.07

-7.34

Smart

533

0.35

580

0.37

-8.10

6,759

0.33

9,340

0.42

-27.63

SsangYong

166

0.11

210

0.13

-20.95

2,446

0.12

3,215

0.14

-23.92

Subaru

135

0.09

99

0.06

36.36

2,803

0.14

2,217

0.10

26.43

Suzuki

1,896

1.23

1,803

1.14

5.16

34,246

1.66

35,488

1.60

-3.50

Toyota

7,088

4.61

6,042

3.82

17.31

92,830

4.50

90,844

4.08

2.19

Vauxhall

9,437

6.14

9,740

6.16

-3.11

153,093

7.42

171,491

7.71

-10.73

13,666

8.90

13,756

8.70

-0.65

171,351

8.30

179,132

8.05

-4.34

4,538

2.95

3,302

2.09

37.43

42,044

2.04

39,876

1.79

5.44

Other British

54

0.04

48

0.03

12.50

631

0.03

602

0.03

4.82

Other imports

177

0.12

363

0.23

-51.24

4,022

0.19

4,757

0.21

-15.45

-2.90

2,064,419

Volkswagen Volvo

Total

153,599

158,192

2,224,603

-7.20 Figures supplied by SMMT

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 67

LCV news.

Fullyloaded

| LIGHT COMMERCIAL VEHICLES | FLEET | REVIEWS |

MANUFACTURING

SUCCESS

Production expands at alliance plants in France

Talent development scheme wins award T

RENAULT-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance chairman and chief executive Carlos Ghosn has announced new van production for its plants in Maubeuge and Sandouville in France.

Maubeuge serves as Renault’s small van centre of excellence and Sandouville is the production centre for the Trafic.

By the end of the strategic plan Alliance 2022, the alliance aims to double annual synergies to €10 billion (circa £8.7bn). To help achieve this, Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi will accelerate collaboration on common platforms and common production facilities.

French president Emmanuel Macron was at Maubeuge as Ghosn made the announcement.

They toured the plant, met employees and visited the plant’s advanced training centre.

‘Groupe Renault’s global van expertise is driving synergies across the alliance to benefit all our customers,’ said Ghosn.

Maubeuge will be the manufacturing hub for the nextgeneration Renault Kangoo. The Nissan NV250 will be produced at Maubeuge from mid-2019.

Mitsubishi Motors will also benefit from Renault’s van expertise, as it will source a vehicle on the same platform as the Trafic, built at Sandouville, for markets in Australia and New Zealand.

68 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

he innovative Mercedes-Benz Van Talent Development Programme has triumphed at the Institute of Sales Management Besma Awards, winning Sales Development Programme of the Year at a glittering ceremony in London.

The British Excellence in Sales Management Awards identify and celebrate the outstanding expertise, talent and achievements by organisations, individuals and teams in driving company performance, as well as recognising the key role of sales in creating a thriving UK economy.

The Sales Development Programme of the Year recognises an organisation or partnership programme that has been implemented in an organisation’s processes to make a real difference to develop the sales environment.

An industry first, the Van Talent Development Programme was developed in-house over two years at Mercedes-Benz Vans UK and results in an Institute of Sales & Marketing Management (ISMM) Level 3 Diploma in Sales and Marketing.

The two-year programme sees a regular intake of around 25 highcalibre delegates every six months.

It focuses on sales and aftersales skills in the van sector across a mix of formal training, feedback and coaching and on-the-job experience, with all delegates benefiting from both a business and a field mentor to support them through the course.

Simon Neill, sales director at Mercedes-Benz Vans, said: ‘We are truly honoured to be recognised for our Van Talent Development Programme. It has benefited so many delegates throughout the last four years, resulting in increased knowledge and sales, bringing a

serious new breed of talent to the van industry.’

He added: ‘Winning a Besma Award really does cement what has been a tremendous success for Mercedes-Benz Vans UK, especially as the programme has flourished from a simple idea into an award-winning course to aspire to.

‘I am exceptionally proud of the team involved and each of the delegates that are either in, or have completed, their Van Talent Development training.’

Top-selling LCVs in October Ford Transit Custom 3,927 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2,840 Ford Transit 2,494 Vauxhall Vivaro 2,312 Volkswagen Transporter 1,713

Source: SMMT

Ford Transit Connect Ford Ranger Peugeot Boxer Citroen Berlingo Renault Trafic

1,245 1,194 965 908 822

LCV registrations, p70

‘Class-leading load space, clever flexibility options... one of the best small vans on the market.’

Craig Cheetham tests the new Vauxhall Combo 1.6 Turbo Diesel 100PS p72

Sliding doors WITH CRAIG CHEETHAM

A look at the world of buying and selling vans and pick-ups

White Van Men are safe drivers – the statistics speak for themselves!

C

hristmas is approaching, and with it comes an influx of vans on to our roads, thanks in no small part to our dedication to online shopping.

The retail revolution may have had a detrimental impact on the high street, but there are other areas of business that it has helped massively, notably van sales and the success of delivery companies. Until a few years ago, the likes of Hermes, DPD and Yodel were relatively small outfits, whereas today they’re giants that bring things conveniently to your door in cardboard boxes (another industry that has seen a huge boom).

There are more vans on the road than ever before, too. In the UK, that figure is almost four million – or to put it into some context, there’s one van to every seven cars.

They cover more than twice the average mileage of cars, too, at 25,000 per year, so with some rough mathematics that means there are 100,000,000,000 (that’s one hundred billion) van miles covered across the UK every year. That’s an awful lot of diesel, an awful lot of deliveries and an awful lot of time on the road.

With that, and the old ‘White Van Man’ reputation, you’d expect there to be a huge number of accidents involving vans, but that’s not the case at all.

Indeed, a recent survey carried out by the insurance comparison website GoCompare showed that, pro rata, van drivers were involved in far fewer accidents than any other road users, and almost four times fewer serious accidents than cars.

Not only that, but van drivers tend to fly in the face of all sorts of insurance statistics. For starters, the majority of van drivers (around 85 per cent) are male, and of those, a good number are young men below the age of 30, who have seen the appeal of regular work that involves not just driving the van but also the physical demands of loading and unloading it. A big, strong, young man is not the

stereotype of a good driver – it’s all too easy imagine the same type of individual in a souped-up hot hatch driving too quickly, with thumping music and screeching tyres. That, though, is an even broader stereotype and one that these professional drivers don’t deserve. After all, the statistics speak for themselves.

Plus, many vans these days are equipped with telematics systems, which record live data via vehicle movements and dashcams, meaning there’s no way a driver can hide from accountability if they drive in a dangerous manner or at excessive speeds.

A van driver’s livelihood depends on his or her driving record, after all, as nobody will want to employ a driver who has a reputation for bending their vehicles.

Part of the credit for the reduction in van accidents, though, must also go to the vans themselves. The roadholding of most modern vans is as good as that of a large car.

Add in safety kit such as VW’s standard autonomous emergency braking, or PSA’s clever overloading indicator, plus comfort features such as advanced infotainment, sat nav and air conditioning, and vans are safer than ever before, all of which makes life as a van driver much more pleasurable than it was of old.

Of course, while many professional drivers are just that, not all van drivers are brilliant, and at this time of year, it pays to be wary, with many delivery companies and major online retailers employing agency drivers and temporary staff.

It’s good news for van sales, as the rental fleets tend to ramp up their numbers pre-Christmas to cover the increased demand, but it’s not good news for the unfair reputation of White Van Man, as many people who don’t drive vans regularly take to the road in them.

Do remember that when you’re on the receiving end of an eyerolling White Van Man moment, as it’s the minority that affect the reputation of the majority. Statistically, it’s the 60-year-old lady in the Vauxhall Corsa behind you who’s more likely to have an accident…

‘Part of the credit for the reduction in van accidents must go to the vans themselves.’

Craig Cheetham is an experienced automotive journalist with specialist knowledge of the LCV sector.

Turn over the page for more LCV stories CarDealerMag.co.uk | 69

LCV news.

LATEST STATISTICS

Growth in October as fluctuations continue during a turbulent year DEMAND for new LCVs increased in October, according to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

More than 28,000 vans and pick-ups joined British roads in the month, representing a 14.1 per cent increase in registrations, as demand continued to fluctuate throughout 2018.

Growth was driven by a rise in demand for the popular 2.5-3.5t van – up 27.6 per cent to take a 70.1 per cent share of the market, while demand for pick-ups increased by 3.2 per cent.

In contrast, small and medium-sized vehicles both experienced declines – down 24.9 per cent and 14.8 per cent respectively.

The rise follows months of fluctuating registrations caused by variations in fleet buying cycles and business confidence. Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: ‘While it is positive to see a boost for new vans in October, the growth comes on the back of a turbulent 10 months, with ongoing fluctuations in demand.’

Registrations of new commercial vehicles less than 3.5 t October 2018 Marque

2018

Figures supplied by SMMT

October 2017

% market share

2017

Year-to-date (YTD)

% market share

% change

2018

% market share

2017

% market share

% change 7.90

Ford

9,241

32.43

7,853

31.45

17.67

107,660

35.56

99,777

32.43

Volkswagen

3,321

11.66

3,256

13.04

2.00

35,832

11.84

34,915

11.35

2.63

Peugeot

2,325

8.16

2,747

11.00

-15.36

29,451

9.73

31,595

10.27

-6.79

Mercedes

3,842

13.48

2,405

9.63

59.75

24,159

7.98

26,886

8.74

-10.14

Vauxhall

3,009

10.56

1,830

7.33

64.43

23,755

7.85

24,201

7.87

-1.84

Citroen

1,633

5.73

1,936

7.75

-15.65

22,174

7.32

23,450

7.62

-5.44

Renault

1,394

4.89

1,173

4.70

18.84

12,707

4.20

16,634

5.41

-23.61

Nissan

968

3.40

762

3.05

27.03

11,493

3.80

13,762

4.47

-16.49

Mitsubishi

590

2.07

943

3.78

-37.43

8,768

2.90

9,096

2.96

-3.61

613

2.15

514

2.06

19.26

8,498

2.81

8,281

2.69

2.62

Toyota Fiat

575

2.02

721

2.89

-20.25

7,330

2.42

9,529

3.10

-23.08

Isuzu

282

0.99

308

1.23

-8.44

4,079

1.35

4,676

1.52

-12.77

Iveco

176

0.62

254

1.02

-30.71

2,408

0.80

2,497

0.81

-3.56

Renault Trucks

112

0.39

134

0.54

-16.42

1,210

0.40

1,075

0.35

12.56

Land Rover

129

0.45

0

0.00

0.00

1,144

0.38

20

0.01

5620.00

Isuzu Trucks

50

0.18

36

0.14

38.89

535

0.18

317

0.10

68.77

MAN

85

0.30

0

0.00

0.00

528

0.17

0

0.00

0.00

LDV

61

0.21

58

0.23

5.17

410

0.14

307

0.10

33.55

SsangYong

74

0.26

19

0.08

289.47

351

0.12

379

0.12

-7.39

Mitsubishi Fuso

13

0.05

13

0.05

0.00

131

0.04

131

0.04

0.00

Dacia

0

0.00

6

0.02

0.00

79

0.03

57

0.02

38.60

Hyundai

1

0.00

0

0.00

0.00

35

0.01

33

0.01

6.06

Great Wall

0

0.00

0

0.00

0.00

4

0.00

29

0.01

-86.21

28,494

100.00

24,968

100.00

14.12

302,741

100.00

307,647

100.00

-1.59

Total light CV

Registrations of new commercial vehicles 3.5 t to 6.0 t October 2018 Marque

2018

Figures supplied by SMMT

October 2017

% market share

2017

Year-to-date (YTD)

% market share

% change

2018

% market share

2017

% market share

% change

Peugeot

176

24.04

72

16.00

144.44

2,363

30.34

560

9.46

321.96

Ford

313

42.76

61

13.56

413.11

1,937

24.87

1,850

31.24

4.70

Fiat

88

12.02

127

28.22

-30.71

1,491

19.14

1,347

22.75

10.69

Mercedes

87

11.89

131

29.11

-33.59

1,382

17.75

1,375

23.22

0.51

Iveco

35

4.78

28

6.22

25.00

294

3.78

355

5.99

-17.18

Citroen

16

2.19

17

3.78

-5.88

104

1.34

74

1.25

40.54

Renault

5

0.68

3

0.67

66.67

64

0.82

57

0.96

12.28

Vauxhall

0

0.00

8

1.78

0.00

62

0.80

131

2.21

-52.67

Volkswagen

4

0.55

2

0.44

100.00

55

0.71

119

2.01

-53.78

MAN

4

0.55

0

0.00

0.00

21

0.27

0

0.00

0.00

Isuzu Trucks

3

0.41

0

0.00

0.00

12

0.15

19

0.32

-36.84

Renault Trucks

0

0.00

0

0.00

0.00

2

0.03

2

0.03

0.00

Nissan Total heavy CV

70 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

1

0.14

1

0.22

0.00

1

0.01

33

0.56

-96.97

732

100.00

450

100.00

62.67

7,788

100.00

5,922

100.00

31.51

CV Spotlight.

...in association with Cap HPI

Can we really make a major switch in the next 11 years?

Steve Botfield takes a look at what the future holds for the LCV world.

F

irstly, a short history lesson. The diesel engine was invented in the 1890s and introduced into commercial vehicles in the 1920s. In the subsequent years, it hasn’t really changed to any major degree.

However, the diesel engine was preceded by the first electric vehicle in the 1820s, so why has it taken until the turn of the current century for electrical vehicles to make their mark?

Quite simply, the technical know-how wasn’t around, let alone the money to invest in infrastructure and manufacturing processes when there was an abundance of ‘black gold’.

The traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) hasn’t changed that much – so if it’s not broken, why fix it?

The answer lies in the environment. Climate change and worsening pollution levels mean diesel and petrol vehicles are well and truly in the spotlight and by 2040 will be phased out.

April 2019 sees the UK’s first ultra low emission zone (ULEZ) in central London, with other cities in the UK following suit. Any vehicle not achieving certain Euro emission standards will have to pay an additional £12.50 (24/7) to enter the current congestion zone area.

The current standards are that diesel Euro 6 (a requirement from 2016) or petrol Euro 4 (a requirement from 2006) vehicles will be exempt from paying this additional charge.

A key question is should the phasing out of ICEs be brought forward and what impact will this have on the LCV sector? In short, this would relate to almost three replacement cycles and would change the face of the UK LCV vehicle

parc substantially. The LCV parc at the end of 2017 for licensed vehicles stood at just over four million vehicles, according to government statistics, of which 96.4 per cent were diesel, 3.2 per cent petrol, 0.2 per cent gas and 0.2 per cent electric, with petrol vehicles registered prior to 2006 representing 87.6 per cent of the petrol LCV parc and diesel vehicles registered prior to 2016 representing 81.6 per cent of the diesel LCV parc.

Based on these figures, which do not take into account 2018 registrations, almost 70 per cent of the LCV vehicle parc will be affected by the ULEZ charge being introduced in London in less than six months. It is anticipated that the demand in the used vehicle market for vehicles that are exempt from the ULEZ premium will increase if access to the zone is a requirement to do business and in turn will put some pressure on the values on non-Euro 6 diesel and non-Euro 4 petrol LCVs. One of the hot topics high on the transport news agenda is the push for EVs, but the dynamics for the LCV world are completely different to that of passenger cars. Fundamentally though, the main challenges presented by EVs – range, performance, choice, cost and

infrastructure – remain the same across all sectors. Many manufacturers are now investing in adding a broader range of fuel types to their offering, with EVs high on their priority list.

Until recently, these vehicles only sat in the small van sector, but larger vehicles have started to emerge on the new vehicle market. All of these vehicles carry a high purchase price when compared to diesel and petrol vehicles, and even with the current government grant of 20 per cent off the list price to a maximum of £8,000, the initial purchase of an EV is still a premium over that of its fossil fuel-powered relative. Even with reduced servicing and fuel costs, the asset will need to be sweated a lot longer in comparison to get a reasonable return on investment.

As yet, the used vehicle market for LCVs hasn’t welcomed EVs with open arms due to the nature of the first-generation technology from some manufacturers and a general reluctance to move away from the current choices in the market.

Alternatively, the availability of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in 2019 from a number of manufacturers in the medium van sector provides the best of both worlds, with full electric propulsion for shorter distances and a petrol engine to recharge the batteries for longer trips.

Looking even further into the future, will EVs and PHEVs be the answer or will alternatives such as hydrogen fuel cells or LNG/CNG become the fuel of choice? The year 2030 is not that far away, and it remains to be seen if the industry has the means to move away from engines developed over 120 years ago to alternative propulsion types in the next 11 years.

Who is Steve Botfield? Steve is a specialist in the commercial vehicle world, with more than 44 years’ experience of the 190mmx60mm.pdf 1 03/10/2018 16:29:07 motor industry, covering all aspects of it. He joined Cap HPI in April 2016, where he is commercial vehicles editor.

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lcv chooser Enables accurate specification to match to user requirements

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Improves customer service by ensuring vehicles are fit for user purpose

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Increases efficiency and reduces operating costs

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LCV news.

FIRST DRIVE

Vauxhall Combo Craig Cheetham drives the first all-new Vauxhall developed completely with PSA – most definitely a strategically important vehicle for the brand.

THE KNOWLEDGE Vauxhall Combo 1.6 Turbo Diesel 100PS Price (as tested): £18,594 Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel Power (bhp): 99 Torque (Nm): 230 Max speed (mph): 105 0-60mph: 10.6 seconds MPG: 65.8 Emissions (g/km): 111 Model:

What is it?

This is the long-awaited replacement for the previous Combo, which was based on the Fiat Doblo. It’s the first all-new Vauxhall developed completely with PSA so is a strategically important vehicle. It’s also Vauxhall’s new entry into the highly competitive small-to-medium market, where the outgoing Combo has struggled to match the success of its predecessor.

What’s new?

In a word – everything. The new Combo was developed from the ground up alongside the new Peugeot Partner and Citroen Berlingo. It’s bigger, has a squarer, more usable load bay, lots of flexible cargo options and a completely new chassis. The only carry-over at launch is the 1.6-litre diesel engine, although a new 1.5-litre unit is imminent, along with a turbo petrol and, later, an electric drivetrain.

What’s under the bonnet?

The only engine available to drive at the launch was the 1.6-litre 99bhp diesel, which is the entry-level powerplant and will probably be the volume unit among fleet customers.

The unit is punchy enough when unladen, but with a 400kg load on board it needs to be worked hard, with quite a bit of noise as a result.

At cruising speeds it’s refined, and 65.8mpg isn’t to be sniffed at.

72 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

What’s it like to drive?

It’s by far one of the most carlike and comfortable vans on the market. Visibility is good – although the front doors have a styling sweep that tends to block visibility on tight junctions. Overall, though, the Combo is an excellent van to drive and really quite enjoyable.

How does it look?

The Combo is a modern-looking van, differentiated from its Peugeot and Citroen siblings by its Insigniainspired headlights and radiator grille. The look is harmonious and gives it a curvier appearance to its sister vans, which will appeal to customers who value style. But it retains a businesslike rear end, which is designed to do a job – and one that the Combo does very well.

What’s it like inside?

The interior is where the Combo really comes into its own. While the pod-mounted infotainment controls look a little incongruous, the cabin is otherwise well laid-out, with plenty of extra storage areas. Specify the Flex Cargo option and you also get a middle seat that folds down to become a work surface, plus a left-hand seat that can be folded upwards and completely out of the way to accommodate long loads.

The load area is brilliant – flat, low and square, with plenty of room between the narrow wheel arch

housings to manoeuvre a Euro pallet with a fork-lift truck. There are two side-loading doors for easy load access, along with a choice between twin rear doors or a tailgate.

What’s the spec like?

There are three core trim levels – Edition, Sportive and LE Nav. The Edition features a fixed steel bulkhead, a nearside sliding door, overhead storage, a five-inch infotainment screen with Bluetooth and Dab, one-touch windows plus electric and heated exterior mirrors, along with steel wheels.

It’s the most basic but will prove a functional choice for large fleets.

The Sportive is a better option, with more storage, 16-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning and body-coloured bumpers, plus cruise control and rear parking sensors.

The LE Nav adds an eight-inch touchscreen with sat nav and smartphone mirroring, which is offered as an option on other trim levels. A Crew Van is also available, with three seats in the back.

There are several options, including the Flex Cargo set-up, reversing camera and the brilliant overload indicator, which gives an audible alarm when the van is approaching its maximum legal payload.

What do the press think?

Business Van said: ‘The new Vauxhall Combo is a revelation in so many

TARGET BUYERS: Large and small fleets, owner drivers, small businesses.

THE RIVALS: Volkswagen Caddy, Fiat Doblo, Ford Transit Connect.

KEY SELLING POINTS: 1. Flexible load bay and cabin features.

2. Well appointed.

3. Car-like ride.

DEAL CLINCHER: Overload indicator is a fantastic safety feature.

ways.’ Auto Express said: ‘The cab is a comfortable place and there’s a raft of great safety kit available.’

What do we think?

The new Combo is a huge step forward for Vauxhall, with classleading load space, clever flexibility options and a safety innovation in the form of its overload indicator that set new benchmarks for the car-derived van market. It’s one of the best small vans on the market, both functionally and dynamically.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 73

Workshop.

Aftermarket

SERVICING & REPAIRS | PRODUCT NEWS | PEOPLE & PLACES

NGK

Mower will become a speed machine!

IGNITION specialist NGK and an iconic British drag racing champion have teamed up to launch a project to transform a standard rideon lawn mower into a speed machine capable of reaching speeds of more than 70mph!

Seven-times British Pro Mod drag racing champion and race car builder Andy Robinson has been given the task of turning the humble Honda machine into a fire-breathing monster.

He will be spending the next few months working on the mower to enable it to at least exceed the road speed limit at the Santa Pod Raceway drag racing circuit in Northamptonshire next year.

NGK announced the MO70 project at the Saltex horticultural show at Birmingham’s NEC and plans to show the souped-up mower next year in its full racing livery.

Mark Hallam, NGK Spark Plugs (UK) Ltd marketing manager, said: ‘As part of our MO70 project, Andy will be working through the winter months to turn it into a speed machine. We bought the standard Honda mower off eBay for just a few hundred pounds and have given Andy the task of making it reach 70mph – but knowing him, it could well achieve 100mph!

‘We will be reporting on Andy’s progress over the coming months as he prepares the MO70 to make its track debut next year.’

74 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

INFORMED THINKING

Third industry briefing inspires IAAF members

by JOHN BOWMAN john@blackballmedia.co.uk

T

he Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF) recently held its third Industry Briefing Session at the ECCO Safety Group (ESG) in Leeds.

Members were welcomed by Marium Ali, the group’s director of marketing and product management for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Head of membership development Mike Smallbone brought delegates up-to-date with a review of the IAAF’s recent lobbying activity including Type Approval and the long-awaited Third EU Mobility package, plus the latest developments on autonomous vehicles and the ‘Your Car Your Choice’ campaign.

Main guest speaker Julian Lloyd from industry training providers ProVQ then kick-started the main part of the day’s itinerary, demonstrating the power of its latest Virtual Classroom technology with a live ‘augmented reality’ training session that linked up to the company’s Shrewsbury HQ. The cutting-edge training technology, developed by ProVQ, enables live course integration, bringing trainers into trainees’ homes or places of work via computer or tablet.

ECCO Safety Group was the venue for the well-attended session Joel Combes of Lawgistics then shared with attendees the new IAAF membership benefit HR Manager Lite, a free service available to members, designed to assist employers with legal matters relating to employment law, HR, health & safety and data protection.

Smallbone then wrapped up the morning’s proceedings with an overview of aftermarket threats, opportunities and what the future holds for the industry.

There was the opportunity for members to network over lunch, before embarking on a tour of ESG’s facilities. Here, they were given insight into its products which are manufactured and tested to meet the ‘The ECCO Standard’, as

well as its safety solutions for the aftermarket, including a range of products under the Code 3 brand for Emergency systems.

Smallbone said: ‘We’d like to thank ESG for hosting our latest industry briefing session; it was great to see such a high number of our members attend.

‘These sessions are proving to be an invaluable source of exclusive news and technical information.

‘They are clearly inspiring our members with some informed thinking, which is aimed at challenging perceptions and equipping them with the right know-how to successfully tackle the issues faced by the aftermarket.

‘It really is great stuff.’

Ratner signed up to be keynote speaker THE IAAF has signed up notorious businessman Gerald Ratner as the keynote speaker at its annual conference. The 69-year-old, left, was head of jewellery company Ratners Group, which was one of the most successful of its type, until his monumental fall from

grace following his description of one of his group’s products as ‘total crap’.

The aftermarket marketplace in 2019 and beyond will be the underlying theme of the agenda at the conference, which is being held on December 6 at DoubleTree by Hilton, Milton Keynes.

RESEARCH

£846 for a blown headlight bulb!

A BLOWN headlight bulb can cost up to £846 to replace on some of Britain’s best-selling small cars, new research reveals.

A study into 13 popular models on sale today by What Car? found headlight repair bills vary by several hundred pounds depending on whether the models have halogen or HID or LED bulbs. Of the vehicles examined, four came with High Intensity Discharge (HID) bulbs on some or all trim levels and three had LED bulbs.

HID and LED bulbs are far brighter than halogen lights and can last up to 10 times as long, but replacements can cost close to £1,000.

The complexity of HID and LED bulbs is partly to blame for the higher costs but in many instances manufacturers have also switched to sealed headlight designs, which cannot be opened up like a normal unit to allow for bulb replacement.

As a result, customers have to buy a complete headlight unit to fix a blown bulb.

The cost of replacing a traditional halogen bulb on a Volkswagen Polo costs owners just £18. However, buyers who choose the high-spec GTI model face a £846 repair bill for the car’s LED sealed headlight unit.

Similarly, Suzuki Swift owners with SZ3 or SZT trim levels only have to pay £4 to replace a blown bulb, while those with a high-spec Swift SZ5 will have to pay a hefty £684 for a replacement HID unit.

There are a number of simple steps garages can take to overcome skills shortages, says agency

STAFFING

Garage recruitment woes ‘can be avoided’ C

oncerns garage owners have when hiring new employees are well-founded but can be overcome, according to Norwich-based specialist Progress Recruitment Solutions.

Managing director Laura Rycroft said: ‘It’s not something they do often, so it’s outside their comfort zone. This can make for hesitancy when there’s a need for clarity.’

Many garages realise the old stereotype of an employer holding all the cards no longer rings true.

Skills shortages in the automotive aftermarket are becoming acute, so Progress suggests garages begin by changing their mind-set from ‘buyers’ of staff to ‘sellers’ trying to convince good

by DAVE BROWN @CarDealerDave

prospects to join. ‘It helps you really understand what you can offer,’ said Rycroft. ‘Then create a clear job role and be as transparent as possible to attract suitable people.’

Competitive pay and job location will always be important but don’t assume you simply have to pay more. ‘Consider whether you can bring someone in with lower skills or less experience and develop them, so they can learn habits that fit your business,’ she said.

Progress also suggests looking at other flexible elements that can add high perceived value but

at little cost to the business. ‘Staff training, job support or mentoring and opportunities for career development are all really key motivators for candidates.

‘Can you support candidates with young families? If there’s scope to allow them to shuffle work and home commitments occasionally make sure they know this, as a little flexibility here creates a lot of goodwill.’

Once you’ve identified someone suitable, Progress urges garages to act fast. Let candidates know they’re a good fit and get in quickly with an offer, because while you’re ploughing on through scheduled interviews, they might find something else.

Servicesure garage network signs its 500th member THE Servicesure garage network has hit its second major milestone in a matter of weeks with Manor Motor Company becoming the 500th member. The announcement comes after Daniels Vehicle Services became the 100th garage to join this year in September.

The Parts Alliance’s industry-leading garage programme aims to offer everything modern independent garages need to thrive.

Birmingham-based Manor Motor Company was

established in 2013, and has shown willingness to embrace new technologies. The business offers MOT, servicing, diagnostics, repairs and a wide range of specialist services for all makes and models.

Matthew Lawrence, director of Manor Motor Company, said: ‘We were introduced to Servicesure by Bromsgrove Motor Factors. The more we heard, the more we liked but the Servicesure national warranty was the biggest selling point for us.’

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 75

Data File.

Ask Lawgistics .com

Car Dealer Club lawyers at Lawgistics answer dealers’ legal questions. Join for £49.99 a year to get advice like this when you need it

Do we have to reimburse for this work?

Q

We are increasingly receiving requests from customers for reimbursement for work they have had carried out to their car since purchase.

They invariably claim the car had a fault at the point of purchase for which we are liable. At no point did they inform us of any problem or ask us to carry out a repair. They will often argue, after the event, that the distance was too great, that they couldn’t get hold of us or they wanted to use a preferred garage. How do we address these requests? Are we liable to reimburse?

Car dealers are familiar with the fact that a customer has the right to a repair to their vehicle should it be found to have a fault present at the point of purchase which renders it of unsatisfactory quality or unfit for purpose. Part 23 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies where the consumer has the right to repair or replacement and states that if the consumer requires the trader to repair or replace the goods, the trader must :

• do so within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience to the consumer, and • bear any necessary costs incurred in doing so (including in particular the cost of any labour, materials or postage).

It goes on to state that the consumer cannot require the trader to repair or replace the goods if that remedy (the repair or the replacement) • is impossible, or • is disproportionate compared to the other of those remedies.

It is our position, therefore, that the trader has the right to carry out the repair and is not liable for third-party repairs. Unfortunately, though, it is not that straightforward, and the Consumer Rights Act is not exhaustive. A consumer can claim damages for breach of contract. The purpose of an award of damages for breach of contract is to compensate the innocent party for the loss they have incurred because of the breach.

ADVICE

A

In the event a consumer alleges you were in breach of contract for supplying a faulty vehicle and they have incurred loss because they have had it repaired, you will need to consider the evidence provided to consider your potential liability and whether the cost of the repair was reasonable.

It is a general principle in contract law that parties do business in a cost-effective manner.

If a consumer chooses not to return to the trader, it can be argued that the full extent of the resulting costs cannot be reclaimed from the trader after the event, as those costs are unmitigated, due to the failure to return to the trader. Equally, if a ‘repair’ was carried out for the mere betterment of the car, the costs would be down to the consumer. No breach of contract would have occurred, unless, of course, the car was represented as having a feature at the point of sale which it turned out not to have and the consumer sought to rectify, in which case the consumer would allege the car was misrepresented at the point of sale.

JOIN CAR DEALER CLUB AND GET ALL THESE BENEFITS WORTH £1,000s FOR Fifty per cent off standard set-up for website sign-up with free-of-charge SEO upgrade – exclusive to Car Dealer Club members

Free DMS when you sign up to our awardwinning, industry-first online retailing product ClickEngage – exclusive to Car Dealer Club members Offers will be running until the end of the year

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A free telephone consultation and other great benefits, too n A free telephone consultation worth £100. n Lawgistics’ Basic package worth £95. n Twenty-five per cent off the ‘pay-on-use’ legal helpline and casework service. n Up to 25 per cent off any stationery or warranty products. n Upgrade the Basic package and receive £100 off the Small Business package or £250 off the Professional package.

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Exclusive 10 per cent discount on your tailormade trade insurance At Unicom, we’ve been safeguarding our clients with the best protection policies for more than 20 years – so, no matter what role your business plays in the motor trade, we can have you covered for every possible risk. From road risks to legal cover, your motor trade insurance can be tailored to suit your individual needs. It’s our job to make sure that you get the best price for the cover that you want.

Taking sides

Q A

Are trading standards ever ‘on the side’ of the secondhand car dealer?

Much will depend on which local authority your business falls under the jurisdiction of.

Individual officers are like secondhand cars. Some are good, others are complete lemons!

This writer’s own belief is that when car dealers go to trading standards directly for business advice, they are more likely to get a reasonable response than not.

We tend to think that where trading standards officers are notified of repeat ‘complaints’ against car dealers, they often lose objectivity and wrongly conclude that there must be inappropriate business practices occurring – rather than engage in meaningful communication with car dealers from the outset.

There are rogue consumers too and some simply expect far too much from a vehicle they have paid next to nothing for.

If you find yourself on the receiving end of officious trading standards behaviour, Lawgistics has two ex-trading standards officers on the team who can robustly stand up to them when necessary.

WANT TO UPGRADE?

WHY I LOVE LAWGISTICS

Help and advice is invaluable – and not just when it comes to customer-related issues MOTONET is a family-run dealership in Coventry and has roughly 100 cars on its forecourt at any one time. It deals with cars from all manufacturers, ranging from £2,000 runabouts to prestige motors costing £20,000.

The business has been in operation for six years, and for five of those has been signed up to legal consultancy Lawgistics.

Abigail Hay, company director, said: ‘We were recommended to get involved with Lawgistics from the start and have always been very happy with how it operates.

‘It offers a very responsive service, with quick replies and lots of flexibility as well.’

Similar to other dealers who use Lawgistics, Motonet prefers to deal with minor issues itself, but Abigail said it’s excellent to be able to turn to the company when required.

She explained: ‘We didn’t sign up thinking we were going to refer every matter with a customer, but sometimes you have issues that you just can’t resolve yourself, and need a service like Lawgistics. It’s very good to be able to turn to the team

when cases get more complicated and difficult. You can always rely on them, and they act as a big help along the way. The service is invaluable in making sure you get issues resolved quickly.’

Abigail also said that it’s not just customer-related issues that she speaks to Lawgistics about.

‘Lawgistics is also very useful when dealing with some suppliers and other garages that we’ve had issues with. We don’t just use Lawgistics with customers, but for other businesses that we engage with as well, if we encounter problems along the way.’

Finally, Abigail added: ‘I would definitely recommend Lawgistics, just for the fact it avoids you going down a road with a complaint that you might not get anywhere with. It’s great to have another perspective on an issue, and Lawgistics always does the best job it possibly can do.’

Motonet is in the running for two accolades at the Car Dealer Magazine Used Car Awards this year. Find out if they triumphed in next month’s edition!

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LAWGISTICS’ Basic membership – which you receive as a member of Car Dealer Club – is a cracking deal, but what if you need something that has extra clout? Larger dealer groups or a dealer embroiled in a big legal battle may require some more firepower, and the good news is that club members get discounts on Lawgistics’ other packages. You’ll receive a £100 discount off the Small Business package (normally £795) – perfect for sole traders, a partnership or a small dealer group – and £250 off the Professional package (normally £1,595). This is ideal for franchises, a dealer group or a car supermarket and covers all relevant legal areas and documentation.

There really is a package for everyone with Lawgistics.

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Auctions.

We turned our Remainer colleague into a Brexiteer!

Confessions, p85

MORE OPPORTUNITIES

BCA plans expansion of its Scottish business

B

CA has announced ambitious plans to expand its Scottish operations as business grows north of the border. Enhanced sales programmes have been introduced in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Livingstone and Kinross to manage additional volume and BCA has confirmed that plans are in hand for the construction of an additional remarketing facility in Glasgow next year.

Phase one of the programme has seen the current Glasgow Remarketing Centre become a specialist commercial vehicle centre. It now stages auctions for both light and heavy commercial vehicles with sales taking place every Tuesday and Friday.

Record levels of activity were reported during September.

Stuart Pearson, chief operating officer of BCA’s UK remarketing operation, explained: ‘BCA Glasgow has been operating at near-capacity as BCA continues to win additional car and commercial vehicle business in Scotland.

‘The establishment of a dedicated commercial vehicle centre allows us to optimise the sales programme and provide our commercial vehicle customers with more opportunity to buy or sell stock.’

Pearson added: ‘The changes in Glasgow allow us to enhance our programme of car sales in Edinburgh, Livingstone and

Kinross offering a wide selection of dealer, fleet, finance and lease stock every day. It’s now easier for our customers to locate the stock they want, with more choice available whether bidding online or in-lane.’

He continued: ‘Another significant enhancement to our Scottish sales programme was achieved with the signing of an exclusive remarketing partnership with Taggarts, part of the Lookers Group.

‘BCA now offers over 500 premium highquality cars direct from Taggarts in the new Wednesday mega-sale at BCA Livingstone.’

Pearson added: ‘BCA is investing to ensure that we offer the best facilities to support the significant growth opportunity that exists in the Scottish market.

‘The new centre in Glasgow forms only part of our plans and we expect to further expand our estate to ensure that BCA is there to support our customers every step of the way.’

for purchasing and disposing of around 60,000 used cars annually.

Deller will be working across all parts of the Aston Barclay group to provide support and advice to internal colleagues to maximise the performance of vendor 4/4/18 Page 1 remarketing12:01 programmes.

s we approach the end of 2018, dealers will look to build stock levels in readiness for the typically busy first quarter. Putting the work in during November and December will help ensure a positive first quarter and a great selection of used stock to tempt retail customers.

The next two months offer a great purchasing opportunity as businesses chase year-end targets and look to clear the decks in preparation for the new year.

BCA is anticipating healthy volumes from leasing and contract hire, major dealer groups and webuyanycar.com during this period.

BCA’s physical auction programme runs up to the close of business on Christmas Eve and opens again on Monday December 31. Over the Christmas period, buyers will also be able to bid and buy from the vehicles that will be available through our Bid Now Buy Now digital platform.

At this busy time, BCA Partner Finance can help and is supporting its dealers by extending the availability of funding to help them build inventory levels for the busy new year period. Funding is available for the whole auction purchase, including fees such as transport and delivery costs and VAT where applicable.

Interest is charged at a competitive flat rate – equivalent on average to around £2 a day – with both cars and LCVs funded using the scheme. As well as all stock bought at BCA auctions, Partner Finance customers can secure funding for all their part-exchange cars.

BCA Partner Finance allows dealers to trade more flexibly and take advantage of opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach. We are seeing our customers use the service to free up funds, which enables them to grow and invest in their business how they see fit.

So not only does BCA offer the best choice of stock, we help all dealers compete on a level playing field when it comes to acquiring attractive stock for the forecourt.

Stuart Pearson is BCA UK’s chief operating officer for remarketing. Visit bca.co.uk or call 0345 600 6644.

Fixed cost buyers premium User friendly website & stock locator. On-line bidding

Professional Vehicle Auctions for Professional Vendors & Buyers

78 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Buy now and look forward to a profitable new year

Excellent variety of weekly stock from premium sources

The Fleet Auction Group

www.fleetauctiongroup.com

AUCTION STATIONS

A

New group remarketing director named ASTON Barclay has announced the appointment of former Inchcape UK used car director, Cliff Deller, to the position of group remarketing director.

He joins Aston Barclay after 32 years working for Inchcape Retail and Inchcape Car Solutions dealer where new strip ad Revised Fleet he was responsible

Pearson

Fleet Car Sales every Tuesday at 1pm & Thursday at 10am Van sales every Wednesday at 10:30am Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles fortnightly, Wednesdays at 10am Truck, Trailer & Plant fortnightly, Wednesdays at 12noon Collection of vehicles 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Purpose built 15 acre auction complex Enclosed and heated auction halls and viewing area Vehicle refurbishment facility The UK’s finest auction restaurant Central UK location (Leicestershire) NAMA Vehicle Grading

Call 01530 833535 or go online for account application

Taking Stock.

Remarketing specialist BCA analyses its latest Pulse report to give its thoughts on matters that dealers need to consider in the months ahead

Another strong trading month with demand driving values up Dealer part-exchange and fleet & lease values continued to rise during October, reports Stuart Pearson, chief operating officer for BCA’s UK remarketing operation.

O

ctober was another strong trading month at BCA as average values for fleet & lease and dealer part-exchange cars reached record levels with demand continuing to drive up values.

BCA has seen values rise steadily during 2018, with professional buyers competing strongly for stock both in-lane and via BCA Live Online.

Fleet & lease values have reached record levels six times this year, while record values for dealer part-exchange cars have been set for nine months in a row.

With the overall model mix shifting from September, the average month-on-month value for all used cars at BCA slipped by just £98 (one per cent) during October 2018, driven mainly by a higher percentage of dealer part-exchange cars sold during the month.

October’s value of £9,783 was the third highest point recorded since Pulse began publishing and year-on-year values were ahead by £419, a 4.4 per cent rise over the 12-month period.

The used car sector remains a highly competitive environment with professional buyers bidding strongly across the range of stock on offer at BCA. Even with the usual seasonal distraction of the half-term holidays towards the end of the month, values remained on a high with the best retailquality cars typically outperforming guide expectations by a significant amount.

As we approach the end of 2018, many dealers are starting to focus on building stock levels in readiness for the typically busy first quarter of the new year.

Due to BCA’s diverse customer base, we are anticipating a healthy supply of product through to the year end and have a busy programme of sales planned to support our customers.

Average fleet & lease values continued to rise in October, improving by £31 compared to the previous month to reach £11,902 – the sixth time

Average value of used car in fleet & lease sector :

£11,902

a new monthly record value has been achieved in 2018. The retained value against original MRP (Manufacturer’s Retail Price) was steady at 45.32 per cent. Year-on-year values improved by a substantial £1,046 or 9.6 per cent over the year, with age rising and mileage falling.

Average dealer part-exchange values improved sharply at BCA in October, rising by £204 (four per cent) to £5,335, the ninth consecutive month of record average values in this sector at BCA. Year-on-year values were ahead by £595 representing a substantial 12.5 per cent increase over the 12-month period with age and mileage decreasing.

Values for nearly-new vehicles fell back for the first time since March, but the figure of £23,688 was still the fourth highest this year and a substantial £5,835 (32.6 per cent) ahead of the same month last year. As always, the effect of model mix and availability is significant in this very low-volume sector.

Average dealer part-exchange values:

£5,335

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 79

Real Deals.

Unusually, a modern classic that’s still affordable!

Ted Welford looks at the first-generation Audi TT, and explains why now is the perfect time to buy one.

M

odern classic is a term that’s flung around these days in connection with cars of all kinds of backgrounds.

Truth be told, every car will be a classic in the future. But some are far more worthy of the ‘modern classic’ label than others, and the firstgeneration Audi TT is definitely one of them.

The TT didn’t get off to a great start in 1998. The first problem was that it had the same platform as the Mark IV Volkswagen Golf – frequently described as the worst version of the hatchback’s seven generations – while there were safety concerns in its early days.

Numerous owners reported stability issues at high speeds. A voluntary recall was issued in 2000 to add a rear air spoiler, among other tweaks, and, unsurprisingly, most owners got their cars stabilised. All future models came with these fixes as standard, although ironically, the few cars that avoided this recall are now worth more money.

But anyway, enough of the teething problems that affected an otherwise fantastic car. The styling, for one, has aged exceptionally well – largely due to the fact that the modern TT remains close to the design of this original.

Apart from the collector special Quattro Sport limited edition, the 222bhp 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol engine (known as the 225) fitted to the car you see here is arguably the most desirable, and it also came as standard with Quattro all-wheel-

drive – an optional extra on the 148bhp and 178bhp variations of this engine. A range-topping 3.2-litre V6 unit was also offered.

While the TT built up an unfortunate image as a car for the fake tan-laden beautician, it was regarded as a fantastic car to drive once the aforementioned stability issues were settled.

The interior was also up to usual Audi quality, with excellent materials used throughout.

Practicality wasn’t very impressive, but the same could be said for any sports coupe.

While most buyers have become wise to what will be the next true modern classics, the Audi TT has largely escaped this inflation and remains an affordable way into sports car ownership.

That said, the first-generation TT is frequently included in lists predicting which cars are set to rise in value, and while you can never place 100 per cent accuracy in these forecasts, it should prove a solid investment.

The 2002 example you see here is a rare oneowner-from-new car, with a price that sits at the lower end of the price range at £3,195. You can find others for under £1,000 but they’ll either be for spares or repair, or have well in excess of 100,000 miles on the clock.

This car’s 88,000 mileage isn’t as low as some might hope for, but the car comes with a full service history.

It’s for sale with Bradford-based Rasp Cars.

Owner Ras Ali said that early TTs were the cars he grew up with, and that he likes to deal with models from that era.

Ali said: ‘I am a motoring fan myself and grew up with the cars of the ‘90s and 2000s, so tend to trade in vehicles of that era as in my opinion they are better than a lot of models from the modern era. The way the market is at the minute, I find cars of this type are increasing in value.’

Values of TTs are only heading one way, and while there was no shortage of TTs when new, good examples are becoming increasingly tricky to find. The TT is never going to rise in the same way that, say, fast Fords have, but as well as being a solid weekend car, it should also prove a rather wise investment.

The TT is a rare instance of a car that you can buy with your heart, as well as your head. And for that reason alone, it’s a real deal.

The car is painted ‘Brilliant Black’ and has 18-inch alloy wheels

80 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Market Insight.

...in association with ASE-global.com

Things will improve for the listed motor retailers once we see some Brexit clarity, says Mike Jones

Motor retail stocks trailing after a rocky ride through October Registrations have been affected by WLTP as well as a wider malaise in the market, says Mike Jones.

O

nce the market got to grips with the effect of WLTP on registrations, we were always going to be in for a rocky ride.

This, when supplemented by a wider market malaise, certainly proved the case, with motor retail stocks losing on average 10.2 per cent in the month.

As a result, on average, motor retail stocks now stand down over 26 per cent during 2018 despite a market which, aside from WLTP, has been performing in line with expectations for new vehicles and strongly for used and aftersales.

Share price performance After a quiet September, we saw the level of announcements pick up during October.

Teleios continued to build its stake in Pendragon to 16.09 per cent. Following the trading update, a Swedish investment firm, Anders Hedin, announced that it now held just over four per cent of the shares.

In addition, Pendragon said that its finance director, Tim Holden, would be standing down in March 2019.

Marshall also announced the appointment of its new finance director, Richard Blumberger.

Meanwhile, Motorpoint said that Immersion Capital had increased its holding of the business to more than 13 per cent.

Share price movement over the past month

Share price movement since the start of 2018

Pendragon

-3.1%

-5.6%

Vertu

-15.4%

-27.5%

Lookers

-9.7%

-7.3%

Inchcape

-18.8%

-30.3%

Cambria

-4.7%

-16.4%

Caffyns

-2.4%

0.0%

Marshall

-17.1%

-26.3%

Motorpoint

2.3%

2.3%

BCA

-1.7%

-1.9%

Auto Trader

-8.5%

16%

Financial performance There was a raft of trading updates released during October, with a split within the listed car retailers over the impact of WLTP on current trading. Some businesses were quick to say that they remained on track, with others downgrading profit expectations.

During October we had both a trading update and an interim management statement from Pendragon. The business has been significantly

hit by WLTP and downgraded its full-year profit before tax expectations to £50 million.

Vertu announced its half-year results, with profits slightly down on the same period of the prior year as a result of falls in new fleet and Motability, with positive gains in used cars and aftersales. As a result of its forecasts, with a significant impact from WLTP, there was a broker downgrade in the expected results for the year.

On the back of Vertu’s announcement, the September registration statistics and the resulting discussion, Marshall released a trading update detailing that the board’s outlook for the full year remained unchanged.

We also saw a half-year announcement from Motorpoint, with revenue growth of nine per cent and consistent operating margin year-on-year.

Trading outlook I expect further trading updates and results announcements during November. It looks likely that we will continue to see a variance in the reported effect of WLTP on the current year results. However, despite this, it looks like it could continue to be a rocky road for the listed motor retail stocks until we see some clarity on the Brexit arrangements and the extent to which this will impact on both price and supply.

Mike Jones is chairman of dealer profitability specialist ASE plc. You can read his column here every month.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 81

Writing a job winning CV for the automotive industry When applying for a new job, the first thing the employer will see is your CV. So it’s essential that your CV is tailored to the automotive industry.

Here are some tips to make your automotive CV stand out from the crowd: Keep your professional summary specific Your summary statement should include specific accomplishments in past positions, automotive industry awards or recognitions, major skills sets specific to the industry, and personality traits and soft skills that are valuable to your job and the role you’re applying for.

Draw on your skillset If you are searching for an automotive job in a role where you have no previous experience, it might be better to format your CV in terms of the specific skills you have that would be relevant to that area you want to work in e.g. if you are applying for a role as a Parts Manager, excellent communication skills and task management are perfect skills to mention. Always give examples that support each skill, even better if you can make them relevant to the job you’re going for.

Looking for your next job?

Visit InAutomotive today for the latest dealership roles www.inautomotive.com/dealership 82 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Pursue the position Any relevant experience on your CV should specifically target the motor trade job you’re applying for. Including roles that won’t complement the job you’re applying for is a waste of space, and the recruiter’s time.

List career achievements Specific career achievements are a must for your CV. Give the employer a full picture of how you can make a difference in this automotive role.

For example, if you trained a team of Technicians and in return were promoted to a managerial role, this is an excellent achievement to include. Any awards etc should also be included.

LOOKING TO FILL AN AUTOMOTIVE VACANCY? Give us a call on 01772 639615

Sean Speaks.

...in association with Close Brothers Motor Finance

Stay ahead and increase your income with right stock profile Close Brothers Motor Finance supports dealers with stocking to help boost profits, says Sean Kemple.

A

s we approach the festive season, we reflect on 2018 and what has been a challenging year for the automotive industry. There was the ‘Beast from the East’ which affected retail sales across the UK in March, two regulatory changes with GDPR and WLTP topping and tailing the summer, and of course the underlying and ongoing impact of Brexit on consumer confidence.

Whilst the full impact of some of these big industry-wide changes may not yet have been felt by all dealers, the day-to-day challenges of sourcing good-quality stock and improving profit per unit are being affected as a result.

Demand for stock increases Sourcing stock for the forecourt has always been cited as a key issue dealers face. There’s competition in the auction houses, an increase in online auctions – and then there’s the fact that more businesses are looking to buy vehicles, thus reducing the number in the part-ex pot. It all adds up to a challenge for dealers.

However, we know from speaking to lots of dealers that they prefer this side of the business to the retailing. How many dealership owners now not only manage their businesses but also source the stock, leaving the job of selling to the people in the showroom?

Over recent months, we have seen an increase in wholesale values, with several records broken and auction houses reporting high levels of attendance both physically and online.

This demand will, of course, have an impact on wholesale prices.

I anticipate this is set to continue as we see more new cars affected by WLTP, which may

TOP TIPS FOR SUCCESS • Utilise additional sourcing tools – don’t rely solely on auctions. Private ads, trade-to-trade classified sites and part-exes are all fantastic sources of stock for your forecourt.

• Have a clear pricing policy from day one.

Profit: Maximise potential profit for the first 20 days – typically 103 per cent of retail price.

Turn: Price competitively to retail the vehicle as quickly as possible.

result in an increase in used transactions.

In addition, we will see the large groups shift a certain amount of focus to the used market as new car retail adjusts to the challenges in the marketplace. These factors can only mean a continuation of the demand we are seeing but also a possible increase.

Sourcing stock ‘outside the box’ To stay ahead and remain competitive in this environment, I would urge dealers to focus on ensuring they have the right stock profile for their forecourt. Understanding retail pricing and consumer demand is key.

If you can buy the right stock at the right price and market it effectively, it’s a winning formula. This may mean sourcing stock outside of the traditional arenas and looking to trade-totrade sites or private sellers on the many classified sites.

These are both great

Release: If capital is tied up in a vehicle that could be used on a more appropriate vehicle, retail out or trade out of it.

• Market the vehicle effectively. If you have a niche, sell the niche, tell the story of the vehicle.

• Ensure your digital forecourt is as effective as your physical forecourt. There are more eyeballs on your dealership online than footfall on your physical forecourt!

sources of stock if you know what you are looking for and the price you are prepared to pay.

Taking yourself away from the competition may give you the cutting edge!

Having a clear stocking policy will help improve profit per unit (PPU). Those dealers doing this best set parameters around profit, turn and release. Of course, marketing the vehicle effectively, understanding consumer demand and looking to additional products, such as finance and warranty, all help to supplement the PPU too.

But above all, buy it right! It all starts with the purchase, ensuring you are aware of the stock relevant for your forecourt and the potential retail price, not the aspirational retail price.

Helping dealers sell more cars, to more customers, more profitably At Close Brothers Motor Finance, we are here to help guide dealers through the big industry-wide changes, such as GDPR and WLTP, as well as supporting you with business-level challenges, like sourcing stock and maximising profit per unit. Our account managers support dealer partners with four key areas: Funding – Helping you fund your forecourt and meet your business objectives.

Finance – We will help you to position pointof-sale finance with your customers and assist the training of you and your teams.

Compliance – Support you with regulatory changes and what they mean for you and your customers.

Insight – Providing you with key information around your dealership, customer profiles, stock profiles and industry insight.

Through the above, we support our dealers in their objectives.

Sean Kemple is director of sales at Close Brothers Motor Finance, one of the UK’s leading providers of motor finance. The company works with over 8,000 dealers and provides finance for new and used cars, LCVs and motorcycles, caravans and motorhomes. Go to closemotorfinance.co.uk to find out more.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 83

Data file.

James Litton

TRADER TALES

What fate awaits us if we leave the EU with no deal?

W

hen it comes to Brexit, I am a Remainer. In my humble opinion, anyone who works in the motor industry should be a Remainer given the importance of European trade to our business (think turkeys voting for Christmas), but as time has gone along, I have reluctantly accepted that our fate lies outside the EU. At the time of writing, it seems likely we will end up with a ‘no-deal’ scenario. Whilst the most apocalyptically minded Remainer envisages us living in hedges while enjoying boiled squirrels for lunch, one negative knock-on effect could be the price of car leases.

We have been living in halcyon times for the past few years when it comes to car payments. The aggressive nature of German brands, particularly in the PCP/PCH market, coupled with a population more comfortable with tariff payment methods has – at least until WLTP issues – resulted in a relatively strong new car market.

There are some factors, however, which might see the monthly premiums of most cars rise significantly in a ‘nodeal’ Brexit world. Whilst import tariffs are not necessarily expected or desired for the EU or UK in a post-Brexit world, an acrimonious split could result in a tit-for-tat trade war.

The most prestigious and expensive of all EU imports would be cars. Even manufacturers from outside the EU may be affected if their plants are in the EU. Then there is the question of currency.

Not necessarily an issue if you buy a car made in Swindon or Sunderland, but even the raw materials of car production are affected severely by a weakened pound. Clearly this issue is exacerbated if the car is made in the EU. The pound has fallen by 10 per cent against the euro since 2015.

Finally, there is the cost of borrowing. The 10-year cycle of quantitative easing has put pressure on bond yields and led to unsustainably low interest rate levels. These must rise, especially for a country needing to balance the books after a seismic shift in the economic landscape.

And that is just the factors outside of the industry.

Many car manufacturers are having to invest billions in new technology to keep pace with climate accords, changing consumer sentiment and disruptor entrants to the market.

Even if the cost of battery-powered vehicles reduces as a result of better scale and technology, the fundamental minerals they require (cobalt and lithium) are in short supply and mainly in hostile locations.

Please note, this is an observation of what might happen to a very specific element of our industry in a ‘no-deal’ Brexit world, not a political commentary that I wish to debate.

I simply do not have the time, what with all the stockpiling of powdered milk and shotgun cartridges…

‘Anyone working in the motor industry should be a Remainer.’

James Litton is general manager – director of Volvo Cars Poole. He always has something to say about the industry he loves.

84 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

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Brexit meant banter when a birthday came round . . .

W

e have a chap at our dealership who is quite political – he sits firmly on the left and lets everybody know about it! He’s always banging on about what an idiot Donald Trump is, he hates Brexit with a passion and reads The Guardian from cover to cover each day. (He’s also a massive Doctor Who fan but that’s beside the point.)

I don’t particularly share many of his views but it’s a free country. The only thing I do object to (as do a few of my colleagues) is the fact that he’s so ‘in your face’ about everything – only desisting when talking to customers, thank goodness.

(He sensibly realises that talking politics to the punters might not go down too well.)

Anyway, some colleagues and I were chatting about him during a fag break at the dealership recently, and as his birthday was approaching, we hatched a little plan to move him a little further to the right of the political spectrum, shall we say.

Normally, we mark birthdays with a couple of pints in the pub and maybe a whip-round to buy some cakes or a bottle of plonk, but this time we went online and ordered a few little treats. Treats such as a ‘Make America Great Again’ baseball cap, a couple of ‘Brexit means Brexit’ stickers and even a random mug with a slogan about the Daily Mail on it.

Anyway, his birthday came around (it’s May 26, the same as Jeremy Corbyn!) and we handed over his gifts.

He took our japes pretty well I suppose, chuckling to himself about what we’d ordered for him. And about five minutes later he put the whole lot on eBay and we headed off to the pub.

Our friend (I’ll call him Karl but that’s not his real name) wasn’t drinking as he had to drive home. We spent a happy hour or two winding him up about his political views, praising Margaret Thatcher to the skies, slagging off Tony Blair – and we even had a little dig at him about his Doctor Who obsession.

For his part, he was keen to point out we had wasted our money on all the stuff we’d bought him – and that he’d be getting the proceeds from the resale of it all.

That led him to believe that he’d had the last laugh – which would have been true had we not put one of the Brexit stickers on the rear bumper of his Vauxhall Astra, which he failed to notice before driving home!

‘Five minutes later, he’d put the whole lot on eBay and we headed off to the pub.’

Tell us your story

Have you something to confess? Email our head of editorial (you can find her details on page three) or post it on our forum – cardealermagazine.co.uk/forum CarDealerMag.co.uk | 85

Key Notes.

...in association with Traka

What exactly is driving global AV revolution?

Paul Smith looks at the AI advances and tech collaborations that are leading us to an autonomous future.

H

ardly a month goes by without a car manufacturer laying out its technology and product development plans for Level 3 and Level 4 autonomous vehicles (AVs).

To clarify, Level 3 AVs will be able to handle situations that call for an immediate response, including emergency braking. However, the driver must still be prepared to intervene quickly when called upon by the vehicle to do so.

Level 4 (‘mind-off’) AVs go a step further to enable full self-driven cars where the human driver does not need to pay attention for safety so he or she may safely go to sleep or leave the driver’s seat.

What does that distinction mean for the consumer in the next 10 years or so?

The big potential promise for people is: either your car can drive itself for a large part of your motorway-based commute (Level 3), or it drives itself almost entirely, provided you live in a specific geo-fenced urban area (Level 4).

The initial promise seems to be more focused on ride-hailing/robo-taxi services that are being piloted in cities across America and China over the next couple of years.

So this month, I thought I’d go a little behind the ‘Autonomous Vehicles are Coming’ rhetoric to explore the specific technologies and tech collaborations which will, if successful, enable Level 3 and 4 AVs to be deployed in numbers on UK roads from 2025 onwards.

Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and an important subset of AI – deep learning – combined with sensor fusion technologies are at the heart of it all. Sensor fusion platforms take data from multiple sensors and actuators in new

AVs and use it to reliably build up a real-time 3D map of what is visible around the car as it moves along. Data that is coming in from LiDAR devices, cameras, GPS devices, accelerometers, as well as from existing mapping software can help build up a highly accurate picture of a car’s surroundings and potential hazards.

However, it is increasingly sophisticated deeplearning technology, which effectively interprets those data inputs and uses them to formulate and order required tasks into manageable chunks, which seems like the really exciting stuff. Effectively, deep-learning algorithms mimic activities in the neuron layers of our brain. This is hard-core AI stuff.

The theory is that with deep learning, an AV can build up thousands/millions of hours of ‘on the road’ driving experience-based data from different roads and road conditions.

And like an experienced human driver, this means AVs will get faster and more accurate at spotting changes in road conditions, evaluating anomalies and threats, and then taking timely and safe action to avoid accidents.

What’s interesting is that not all manufacturers are rushing headlong to be the first to have a commercially available Level 4 or, indeed, fully autonomous Level 5 car.

Different corporate philosophies and strategies reveal themselves here.

For example, Toyota is determined to keep human agency in driving for as long as possible and is instead devoting the bulk of its AV budget to making its cars the safest on the road.

Toyota is also thinking about the developed world’s demographic timebomb that is

pushing up the percentage of elderly people in populations (most notably in Japan of course).

The growing masses of the elderly want to remain independently mobile as long as possible.

So, utilising elements of Level 3 autonomy combined with increased assisted driving systems looks like a good way to go.

Others such as Google and Tesla seem more focused on winning the fully autonomous vehicle race through a combination of AI, big data crunching and deep learning.

What’s really interesting about the new technology going into the first generation of Level 3 and 4 AVs is that the best tech collaborators seem to offer the most promise because the tech challenge is so multi-layered and complex.

That’s why I read with great interest about the new Android-style operating system for the autonomous driving industry, as The Apollo Program is described by its architects – the Chinese equivalent of Google, called Baidu.

Baidu has built a powerful ecosystem of 50 tech-led partners.

These partners include household names from both the West and the East. So, Volvo, Bosch, Nvidia, Microsoft Cloud, TomTom and Continental combine with Chinese auto companies Chery, Changan and Great Wall Motors to provide developers with tools including historical road trial data, APIs, open source code and reference hardware to help them bring autonomous driving products to market faster.

By the end of 2020, Baidu hopes to offer a platform for building self-driving cars for use on motorways and on congested roads in built-up urban areas.

Paul Smith heads Traka Automotive, part of the ASSA Abloy Group brand Traka. ASSA Abloy bought the electronic key management software provider eTag Solutions, which was founded by him. Traka is a leader in intelligent access control, key management control solutions and keyless electronic lockers.

Keys can make you money…

Find out how at www.traka-automotive.com The only viable key management solution for automotive Email automotive@traka.com or call 0845 225 2910 86 | CarDealerMag.co.uk traka-auto 1-6pg.indd 1

15/12/2016 09:56

Long-termers.

LATEST FROM THE FLEET...

Mazda6 Tourer Sport New addition to our long-term fleet is a striking car that gets an enthusiastic initial thumbs-up.

by RYAN HIRONS @RyHirons

I

f we were to head back in time by 20 years, and if I told you that estate cars would one day become a niche market — you’d likely be flabbergasted.

That’s partially because at the time, I was two years old and not really capable of forming such opinions, but also because the popularity of estate cars was at an all-time high and you could hardly leave the house without coming across the practical machines.

Once renowned for offering practicality in an often-stylish package, the estate car was the go-to for families who’d outgrown a traditional saloon or hatchback. Now though, the SUV and crossover craze that the new car market has been experiencing for the best part of the last decade has relegated the humble ‘wagon’ to the left-field.

Fortunately, though, manufacturers haven’t given up entirely on the estate car, and that brings us to this — our new long-term Mazda6 Tourer.

The Japanese firm has just recently given the third generation of its flagship machine a second refresh, with the goal of keeping the widelyheralded car at the forefront of its class.

While it may be easy to spend our time with the car comparing it with its rivals, we’re looking to take a broader perspective — and seeing if the estate as a whole can still compete with the crossover.

Oh, and while we’re looking to buck trends here, we’ve opted to see how the anti-diesel agenda the UK is currently going through may affect cars like this. Rather than opt for the triedand-tested 2.2-litre diesel, VA18 CRZ boasts a different beast under its bonnet — a turbocharged, four-cylinder, 2.5-litre petrol engine.

It’s a debut for the engine on our shores, and Mazda has avoided the temptation to introduce a plug-in alternative so far – it remains adamant that pure petrol power not only still has a place on today’s car market but has the potential to be developed even further.

While it may sound like quite a fruity unit, the numbers – at least on paper – could be thought of as being a little underwhelming. 191bhp and 258Nm of torque may not sound like much considering the car’s size and the large-capacity engine, but initial impressions show plenty of

SUVs and crossovers may have grown in popularity but Mazda is still flying the flag for estates!

THE KNOWLEDGE Model: Mazda6 Tourer Sport Price (as tested): £32,695 Engine: 2.5-litre turbocharged petrol Power: 191bhp Torque: 258Nm Max speed: 139mph 0-60mph: 7.9 seconds Fuel economy (combined): 42.2 Emissions (CO2): 153g/km Mileage: 2,316 THIS MONTH’S HIGHLIGHT: Welcoming VA18 CRZ to the fleet. punch and promise. That said, it does feel let down by a sluggish six-speed automatic gearbox — but not so much as to spoil the package.

On the downside, it’s also proving to be far from the most efficient engine around. Mazda claims 42.2mpg on the combined cycle, but our 6 is reading around 30mpg so far. Hopefully that will leap up with some long-distance driving.

Enough about what’s underneath the car. though – let’s get to the spec. It’s here in GT Sport Nav+ form — the new range-topping option in

the 6 range. Highlights on the equipment list include radar-guided cruise control, ventilated seats, electric sunroof along with an eight-inch infotainment display linked to an 11-speaker Bose audio system. Our car has also been fitted with support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Most eye catching about VA18 CRZ isn’t its equipment, or even its new Soul Red Crystal Metallic colour – but rather the interior.

Upholstered in Light Stone Nappa leather, and accented by Japanese Sen wood trim, it’s certainly a striking thing, and one that works well with Mazda’s ‘Kodo’ design ethos. It looks good when it’s fresh from the showroom, but we’ll see how it stands up to the test of time.

That brings us to the price – a not-to-bedismissed £32,695. It seems like a lot on the face of things, especially for a car without a ‘premium’ badge, but the list of added extras is enough to consider it reasonable. Still, during our time with the car we’ll find out how much of this kit we can – or can’t – live without.

Initial impressions? Thirsty, as mentioned, but the Mazda 6Tourer is a pretty delightful thing to both drive and look at.

Long may it continue.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 87

Long-termers.

LATEST FROM THE FLEET...

Peugeot 3008 Comfortable, safe and stable, it’s a car that’s really impressed Tom in its first few days on the fleet.

by TOM WILTSHIRE @mctreckmeister

C

ompact crossovers can be dreadfully boring things, can’t they? Accomplished and practical, sure. Some are even good to drive, and plenty are very efficient.

However, unless you start paying big bucks for premium products, your crossover is likely to be seriously yawnsworthy.

But French brand Peugeot’s on a bit of a roll with its range, taking a fairly ordinary recipe and giving it that extra layer of gloss and glitz that makes it feel just a little bit special.

It’s best summed up in the new 508, but for six months, we’ll be living with the crossover alternative – the 3008.

We’ve got the keys to a rather handsome 3008 in GT-Line trim – an eye-catching package that in our case pairs ‘Ultimate Red’ paintwork with plenty of chrome trim and glamorous 18-inch alloy wheels. It’s fitted with Peugeot’s 1.5-litre BlueHDi diesel engine and a six-speed manual gearbox, driving the front wheels only. After all, nobody really buys these cars to go off road – so why pay the fuel economy and cost penalty?

The end result is a genuinely good-looking crossover. I’d love to say it stands out from the crowd, but I live a stone’s throw from a Peugeot dealer and see two identical cars every morning.

Regardless, the brand’s upright ‘family face’, the blacked-out ‘floating’ roof and chunky proportions give it decent road presence, while distinctive light signatures front and rear mean it’s recognisable day or night.

The looks are just one thing that Peugeot’s doing very well; the interior’s another. I’ve recently stepped out of a Vauxhall Grandland X – a car that’s virtually identical to the 3008 under the skin. But the two interiors couldn’t be further apart. Where the Vauxhall is staid, straight-edged and sensible, the Peugeot is swooping and stylish.

GT-Line brings a decent level of kit, but there are a few notable omissions that I’m missing from my Grandland X. As the weather gets colder, the lack of heated front seats is disappointing (call me a wimp), and the lack of keyless start feels a little antiquated.

I can certainly live without an electric tailgate though, and the basic low-quality reversing camera more than suits my needs. A 360-degree 88 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Our new long-termer looks as good on the inside as it does externally – and it has plenty of kit

THE KNOWLEDGE Model: Peugeot 3008 GT-Line 1.5 BlueHDi 130 Price (as tested): £30,454 Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel Power: 128bhp Torque: 300Nm Max speed: 119mph 0-60mph: 10.6 seconds Fuel economy (combined): 67.4 Emissions (CO2): 109g/km Mileage: 2,108 THIS MONTH’S HIGHLIGHT Taking delivery of a car from one of my favourite brands. system is optional but I wouldn’t bother, as the 3008 only really lacks visibility out of the rear. I’m also delighted to find full-LED headlights and Android Auto connectivity so I don’t need to rely on the built-in sat nav.

Less essential? Well, the cabin fragrance system seems a bit much…

GT-Line trim also brings with it the latest digital version of Peugeot’s i-Cockpit. This is the latest evolution of Peugeot’s high-dial, smallwheel driving environment, and I must say I’m a fan. The graphics are great, the system’s responsive and I find it all very easy to use.

As for driving? Well, I mentioned that I’ve just experienced the mechanically identical Grandland X, but that was a 1.2-litre petrol model.

My 3008 is a diesel, and it’s a far better-suited powertrain. It’s punchy and economical, and exactly what the car needs.

It also feels better resolved, with a more natural clutch and gearbox action. Ride and handling?

They’re nothing to write home about, but the 3008 is comfortable, safe and stable. And really, what more could you ask for from a family bus?

OTHER CARS WE’RE DRIVING

Seat Arona XCellence Lux Mileage: 10,065 Trips from the South Coast to Gloucestershire and Hull were dispatched with ease this month as KM67 XUU approached the end of its time with us. We’ll be sorry to see the car go, that’s for sure.

Vauxhall Grandland Introducing Peugeot DNA to a Vauxhall has added a few foibles – but sadly, not much design flair.

by JON REAY @JonReay

W

hen is a Vauxhall not a Vauxhall?

When it’s our long-term Grandland X, evidently. As you’ll no doubt have read somewhere or other, Vauxhall (and sister European brand Opel) was bought last year by none other than the PSA Group – parent company of Peugeot and Citroen.

Fast forward to 2018, and the result is Vauxhalls with some rather strong Peugeot DNA – our Grandland being one of the first.

This should be great news: shared technology and engineering means cheaper development costs and, in theory, better value for money. But introducing Peugeot DNA to a Vauxhall does bring a few foibles with it, too.

Our car gets an of-the-moment teeny tiny turbocharged petrol engine – not the 1.0-litre you’ll find in an Astra, but a 1.2 borrowed from Peugeot. It’s quiet enough and sips fuel relatively efficiently, but doesn’t have the same smooth, linear power delivery as Vauxhall’s usual engines.

Combine that with an overly high biting point from the clutch – another French trait – and it becomes a challenge to drive the Grandland in stop-start traffic without feeling like a learner.

I’m not a fan of the gearbox either: it’s unpleasant to use in a way that an Astra or Insignia gearbox isn’t. There’s a similar problem before you’ve even set off – grab the door pull as

You can’t fault the level of kit Vauxhall has put into this car – but Jon’s not a fan of its gearbox

you get in and you’re treated to the sound and feel of creaking, hollow plastic. Even Peugeot have eradicated that kind of thing these days.

Finally on my annoyance list – and this is a proper first-world problem – the lack of cupholders.

Hop in the Grandland with your gigantic Christmas-themed latte and you’ll find… one, tiny, two-inch deep space in which to balance it.

To add insult to injury, it’s not even circular: apparently Vauxhall is betting on the future

development of square beverages. In a car aimed firmly at families, that seems like a bit of an own goal. Beyond that though, there are still things to like about the Grandad – or so I’ve dubbed our car, thanks to its Werther’s Original paint job.

On our car’s (relatively) small 18-inch wheels it floats along very comfortably, with even chunky speed bumps unable to disturb the ride too ferociously. The seats aren’t bad either, and the high driving position suits me and my ridiculously long legs very well.

You can’t fault the level of kit Vauxhall has bundled in either: Sport Nav trim, as on our car, brings the obligatory touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a powered tailgate, parking sensors all round and a few other things.

Vauxhall has also ticked the buttons for heated everything – front seats, rear seats, steering wheel and windscreen – which are really coming into their own at this time of year.

It’s a shame, though, that Vauxhall couldn’t borrow some of Peugeot’s design flair along with its engineering. Parked up next to our long-term 3008 at Car Dealer Towers, it’s not the Plain Jane Grandland that attracts wandering glances…

THE KNOWLEDGE

Kia Stonic

VW Transporter Kombi

Mileage: 10,543

Mileage: 12,010

Ted Welford has once again been the custodian of LF18 NKM, with more trips up north to see family.

He’s becoming rather attached to the car, as is his grandad, as you may have read last month!

Our Transporter has been in its comfort zone this month, being used as a removal truck (by head of video Nigel) to shift some furniture. Getting this large dresser inside the vehicle was a doddle.

Model: Vauxhall Grandland X 1.2 Turbo

S/S Sport Nav Price (as tested): £28,175 Engine: 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol Power: 128bhp Torque: 230Nm Max speed: 117mph 0-60mph: 10.9 seconds MPG (combined): 55.4 Emissions (CO2): 117g/km Mileage: 11,343 THIS MONTH’S HIGHLIGHT: Making full use of the toasty heated seats.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 89

The last word JA M E S B AG G OT T

Against our better judgment, we give our CEO the final say each month

A new way of thinking about business – and back to a bit of quick-fire selling

W

hen you run a business, it’s often easy to get but getting into the mix, whatever size your business is, can teach distracted. As things grow, your time gets diluted you important lessons. Or, better still, refresh old skills. across all areas of your company, often being Recently, I’ve been doing exactly that. As you probably know, we distracted by things that seem important at the work very closely with TV’s Mike Brewer. In a few days’ time, we’ll time but really aren’t. be celebrating the very best in the used car business with him at What colour do you want the carpet in the new meeting room?

The Brewery in London for our Used Car Awards. But this year, How many water bottles do we need this quarter? Is Sharon from we’ve also collaborated on our first consumer magazine. Called accounts allowed to take a half day because her mother’s aunty is Mike Brewer’s Ultimate Guide to Used Cars, the bookazine hit the having a cat? You get my point. All this fog can cloud your day-to-day newsstands in August and promptly sold out. working life and lead to you taking your eye off the ball.

Now, I won’t bore you with the inefficiencies of the retail I’ve certainly seen it in my business as we’ve grown from a newsstand magazine model – suffice to say it’s pretty poor – but company that just produced Car Dealer to one that now arranges it does mean selling mags direct to the consumer via our website, events for ourselves and others, produces thousands of words a week eBay or even face-to-face gives us a far better return than what we of editorial for global websites, newspapers and dealers, does PR get from newsagents. work with car manufacturers, engages in video production and With that in mind, we’ve tried to sell as many as we can even makes TV programmes. online – eBay proving to be the best way to get printed My time is now pulled from pillar to post every material into the hands of the consumer. In fact, day, making decisions I often really shouldn’t be with Mike’s worldwide fan base, we’ve sold involved in, or sticking my nose into things I copies all over the world. But with stock of really should know better to avoid. around 1,000 left clogging up my office, But as an owner-operator, someone who the opportunity of Mike appearing at the started this business 10 years ago with Classic Car Show in Birmingham for three a personal loan, I can’t help myself from days was too good an opportunity to miss sometimes getting involved in the nitty-gritty. to sell the last of them.

It’s in my blood and it’s because I care. The So, with that in mind, I packed the boot danger is you can fill your time with the small of my long-term Volvo up with them and things and forget about the bigger picture – and headed north, spending three days flogging that’s when the wheels can really fall off. the magazines Apprentice-style to anyone FUTURE In the summer, I took a moment to sit back and everyone on the show floor. Most people in CLASSICS ULTIMATE GUIDE TO USED CARS and reset. I reorganised my priorities and the office laughed – they couldn’t believe that Mike Brewer on... concentrated on the things that could really I’d be bothered to give up my weekend to sell make a difference to my business. That was quite magazines for a fiver a time. But I did. simple really: bringing in more money.

I was reminded that most people’s default STATUS D ACHIEVE ULTIMATE CLASSIC MEET THE CARS I THINK SHOUL This mantra even flowed down to my answer when you try to sell them something is day-to-day to-do list. I now draw a line down the ‘no’, but what they really mean is ‘tell me more’. middle of the pages of my notebook. On the left I remembered that you need to explain are the things I need to do today that have the to them how good the deal is, remind them potential to make the company money; on the they can’t get it anywhere else, create demand, right is everything else. I concentrate on the lefturgency, and then close.

MY FAVOURITE E hand list and if I knock one off the right, then it’s I lost count of the number of times I sold to TIM ALL OF CARS TIPS ON...

MY TOP a bonus. It’s little things like this that can shuffle someone who started the conversation with HOW TO SELL HOW TO CLEAN HOW TO GET YOUR CAR LIKE YOUR CAR LIKE A THE BEST DEAL your brain into a new way of thinking. ‘no’. Some people said no three times, after each ON A USED CAR AN EXPERT PROFESSIONAL It’s very easy to forget the importance of part of my pitch, but still bought by the end. It good old-fashioned sales when you’re leading a was quick-fire selling, market trader style, with a company, especially as you become so far removed from the art.

10-second elevator sales pitch. But it worked – I sold 857 copies, In car sales, I can imagine it’s always at the forefront of your mind the team here saw I’ll do anything to make this business a success, – but as the boss of your dealership, how often do you actually go and I got a reminder of the raw, gritty side of sales. If you haven’t back to the floor? I suppose it all depends how big your dealership is, done that for a while, why don’t you dive back in and give it a go?

‘The bookazine hit the newsstands in August and promptly sold out.’

Mike Brewer’s In association with

THE CARS I PREDICT WILL RISE IN VALUE

Coming to America, Wheeler Dealers, Edd’s departure & new mate Ant Anstead

MY USED CAR HEROES

PRINTED IN THE UK

PLUS: MIKE’S IN-DEPTH GUIDES TO FERRARI, PORSCHE, BENTLEY & ASTON MARTIN

£6.99

James Baggott is the founder of Car Dealer Magazine and chief executive officer of parent company @BaizeGroup, an automotive services provider. He now spends most of his time on Twitter @CarDealerEd and annoying the rest of us.

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