Issue 151 | October 2020 | CarDealerMag.co.uk | £6
FERRARI ROMA
ADVICE
FIRST DRIVE
EMPLOYEES’ HOLIDAYS AND COVID-19
HAS FERRARI FINALLY CRACKED THE GT FORMULA?
NEWS • PLUG-IN PUG 3008 • NEW ROLLS-ROYCE • REPAIR CHAIN’S COLLAPSE • POST-BREXIT TRADE DEAL WITH JAPAN WELCOMED • IMPERIAL CARS JOBS AXED AS IT STOPS SALES
We chat to...
Tom Hartley BEHIND THE SCENES AT HIS 40-ACRE ESTATE
Chris Wiseman WESSEX GARAGES’ MD ON COVID CHALLENGES
INVESTIGATION: WHEN WILL PRICES AT AUCTION BEGIN TO STABILISE?
The UK’s Best Used Car Warranty
02 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
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THE BOSS FOUNDER James Baggott
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EDITORIAL CHIEF SUB-EDITOR John Bowman
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HEAD OF CONTENT Jack Evans
jack@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @jackrober
MULTIMEDIA MANAGER Jon Reay jon@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @JonReay
HEAD OF DESIGN Graeme Windell
graeme@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @graemewindell
CONTRIBUTORS James Batchelor, Darren Cassey, Rebecca Chaplin, Nigel Swan, Ted Welford
FINANCE
FINANCE MANAGER Kate Gordon
kate@blackballmedia.co.uk
ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Kevin Day
kev@blackballmedia.co.uk
ACCOUNT MANAGER Michelle Searle
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WELCOME. I
t’s a case of pinch yourself in case you’re dreaming, because things in the car industry are actually looking, whisper it, quite good. Used car sales are booming and new car sales are recovering. Couple that with costs slashed in many businesses, furlough, loans from the government plus business rates relief and firms are managing to weather the storm. In fact, some dealers I’ve spoken to have already recovered the losses made during lockdown and, in some cases, are ahead of their budget. Who would have thought that when Boris blockaded people in their homes and shut down the economy in March? Not me, that’s for sure. Forget the reported drop in new car sales in August, as it was compared to a month last year forced by registrations to beat incoming emissions regulations on September 1. This meant that actually the underlying picture was a pretty decent performance for a month before a major plate change. Talk to people outside of the car industry and they find it hard to believe that new cars are being bought against a backdrop of countless job losses and an economy in recession. But there are many who have never been better off. Those who have remained in full-time employment during lockdown have had their outgoings cut and are struggling to spend what they do have in their accounts. Let’s face it, going out for a meal isn’t much fun, days out are few and far between, and popping out to do a bit of pass-the-time shopping is about as pleasant as root canal surgery. I had to go to a shopping centre the other day to get my phone looked at and couldn’t get out of the place quick enough. In the past, I may have browsed round the shops, bought another pair of not-needed trainers and had some over-priced lunch. This time, I couldn’t wait to get back to the car to take my mask off and go home. That discretionary spending isn’t happening any more – no one goes out to browse and spend money they never planned to. We all know how easy it is to buy something you never intended to when you visit the supermarket just because it’s on the end of an aisle. That’s uncommon online as customers search for specifics. When was the last time you went on Amazon and bought something other than the thing you went on there to find in the first place? Add in the fact people have had expensive overseas holidays cancelled and the enjoyment sucked out of most things they’d usually spend cash on and there are many out there deciding that to cheer themselves up they’ll buy a new car instead. While the end of furlough may cause some issues, I can’t see it impacting the market too much. Those on furlough probably weren’t planning on buying a new car anyway, and may need something as they lose a company car or get a job somewhere else. That’ll drive the used market and keep the wheels turning. When there are few things to spend our cash on to cheer us up, that new car feeling is proving the one thing many consumers are willing to shell out on to put a smile on their faces. Let’s hope that continues.
A bit of pass-the-time shopping is about as pleasant as root canal surgery.
JAMES BAGGOTT Founder, Car Dealer CarDealerMag.co.uk | 03
Reach people where they are already shopping for vehicles. “
Marketplace has allowed our dealers to benefit from a huge number of vehicle impressions via Facebook every month. The ease of listing their stock and the lead volumes they receive from shoppers, makes Marketplace a key marketing channel for any dealer.
�
- Paul Hilton, Sales Director,
>11M Total vehicle listing views on Marketplace to date
100 Average vehicle enquiries per day
Gforces
To get g started, visit fb.me/listvehicles fb.me/list-vehicles 04 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
>350 Retailers / franchises on Marketplace
Stats, data and metrics client's own
IGNITION. ISSUE 151 | OCTOBER 2020
52 CONTENTS
22 27 6
63
34 FORECOURT
‘If style and practicality are key to your sports car purchase you will not be left disappointed.’ 22
INVESTIGATION
‘Demand is so strong across the board as people look to add a second car for commuting.’ 34
FEATURE
‘I miss the pride in seeing my ad each week and the inevitable typos from phoning in the details.’ 46
Interview: Chris Wiseman Car News Round-Up Investigation Feedback Dealer News Supplier News Business News Car Dealer Live Finance
6 8 34 36 38 42 44 48 50
FORECOURT Ferrari Roma Porsche 911 Targa Skoda Octavia Audi e-tron Sportsback
20 22 25 27
FEATURES In-Car Technologies Auto Trader in Print Interview: Tom Hartley
40 46 52
COMMENT James Baggott Big Mike James Litton
13 14 17
ADVICE Quarantine Issues Covid-19 Guidance
55 56
DATA FILE The Statistics Suppliers Guide Long-Termers
58 61 63
DATA FILE
‘As the nation takes steps to return to normality, protecting consumer confidence will be critical.’ 58 CarDealerMag.co.uk | 05
INTERVIEW
‘It’s been a challenge, no question about it’ Wessex Garages MD Chris Wiseman is an optimist – despite having to contend with Brexit uncertainty and then the pandemic since taking over the post less than a year ago, as James Batchelor found out.
The Gloucester showroom
Mazda dealership in Bristol 06 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
W
The Kia dealership in Bristol
hat a great year to take over as managing director!’ jokes Chris Wiseman, boss of dealer group Wessex Garages. In a year that would test the strongest of leaders, Wiseman’s dry sense of humour is not all that surprising when you discover he’s an idealist. ‘I am an optimist when it comes to my job – you have to be whenever you’re in a position of leading a business,’ he tells Car Dealer in an exclusive interview, available on our website. ‘It’s been a challenging year – there’s no doubt about that. First there were discussions around Brexit and everyone was trying to second-guess that, and then Covid hit. If nothing else, that put me on a level playing field with a lot of other experienced managing directors because no one has been through this. ‘Every day is a school day when you get something like this. It’s about learning as much as you can about the situation and about your customers and adapting your business – this has been crucial to us.’ Crucial and also rather successful. Despite coronavirus striking at the worst time and having a ‘crippling’ impact, Wiseman has steered the business to a position that would please the most negative of pessimists. Sales are strong, profitability is up and, as we speak on a hot afternoon in September, Wessex Garages has been enjoying four consecutive months of growth. ‘The bounce back was exceptionally good for us,’ he says. ‘Trading in June, July and August was ahead of last year and especially ahead of where we budgeted when we were in Covid. At the moment, it would appear we are sitting above our prior year performance. ‘I am quite pleased with that bearing in mind the losses we took during the months we were shut. That’s through the support of the government, in part, with the furlough scheme – which was phenomenal – and the business rates. This has been a godsend to us.’ So far, September is looking to be an outstandingly buoyant month for the group, with strong performances in new and used cars plus servicing. And while there are concerns around new car supply and quarter four performance, Wiseman’s optimism shines through again. ‘September, generally, has been exceptionally good so far,’ he says. ‘We are just starting to see the undertone of stock shortages in certain areas and with certain products, but we carried a lot of stock moving into this, which I was glad of for once. ‘In terms of volume and profitability we will have a better September again – the fourth consecutive month, which is great. The key is to make September as good as you can make it because we don’t know what’s going to happen in October and November. ‘I think we will get a bit of carry-over into October, but then I think we will really start to see some of the stock issues hitting.’ Four consecutive months of growth is remarkable for any large dealer group, but especially for one that has had to endure even tougher times because of the geographical topography of its network. Wessex Garages has seven sites and holds franchises for Mazda, Kia, Nissan and Renault among others, but they’re split between Wales and the south-west
Wessex Hyundai in Cardiff
The Cardiff showroom
Every day is a school day when you get something like this. of England. This make-up has naturally led to a few frustrations during lockdown, with different government regulations and guidance causing headaches. ‘It’s been a challenge, no question about it, but we have been and we are prepared,’ Wiseman says honestly. ‘The regulations are confusing for retailers in any industry, and for customers it’s completely disjointed – and that’s before you get into where you can and can’t travel. Our goal from the outset was always to make the businesses look as professional and as safe as we possibly could. The businesses are probably over the top in safety compared with virtually every other retail environment that I’ve been in, though, but feedback has been very, very good.’ Speaking from one of the group’s showrooms just 10 miles from Caerphilly, which at the time of publication was in lockdown, Wiseman is aware that the geographical split will continue to cause challenges. ‘Who’s to know if the Caephilly lockdown won’t spread to Newport where we have four franchises and an accounts department? The danger is something happening in the last week of September, like the last week of March, and that would be a disaster.’ Wessex’s impressive dedication to using the latest technology to improve the sales process for customers and staff has long been a hallmark of the business, not just recently during tough trading times. It was one of the earliest businesses to recognise the benefits of video technology and, more recently, having online tools to better qualify customers and to build trust. ‘Videos are a significant investment,’ says Wiseman. ‘We have turntables set up in all of our businesses and we have digital sales executives whose jobs are to take photos and videos of all our cars. It’s become a smooth operation now and once you get into it it becomes the backbone of the sales process. The more information you can give to a customer in a professional manner, the easier it is for them to put their trust in you.’ Wiseman is a realist when it comes to online sales, believing that the days of end-to-end car sales are in their infancy and for the time being online tools should be used to help customers and qualify them for sales executives. His team have brought the response time to any online lead down to less than three minutes – in most cases, less than a minute. It also has ‘online navigators’ who work between 8am and 9pm offering a concierge-style service to discuss with the customer how they would like to make a purchase. ‘It means when the customer comes into the showroom and sits down, the sales executive is better briefed. Because it’s an appointment, there’s a commitment from both parties and the propensity to buy is much higher.’ With so many challenges under his belt so far in the past 10 months, how does Wiseman see the rest of the year panning out? ‘I think there will need to be some kind of government support to ease the pain as we go into the fourth quarter, the restrictive measures in terms of face masks and social distancing are probably going to be here until at least the end of the year, and there’s a chance of a second spike of the virus, which would be horrific for us and every industry. If we can stick to a common-sense approach, the government does its bit and we make customers confident to come out and buy, we have half a chance of finishing the year off reasonably.’
LOOKING AHEAD
Hoping for gradual values adjustment CHRIS Wiseman was ‘dreading’ seeing used values plummet during lockdown, but he’s been relieved at the market’s strong resilience. ‘If people needed to get cash back into businesses I was worried they’d start dumping used cars on to the market and there’d be a downturn in values. ‘Fortunately, everyone held their nerve and Cap did the right thing and held values. The industry worked well in coming together and that has helped where we are at the moment. ‘Used cars will benefit from a lack of new car supply, without a doubt. How long this will last I don’t know because we all thought values would have dropped by now. I’m hoping there will be a gradual adjustment not a cliff edge, and it’s also about having the right stock profile. ‘We are seeing demand across the board, particularly with late low-mileage ex-demonstrators.’ He sees it holding through September and October, but after then is anyone’s guess.
Click here to see the video of the Chris Wiseman interview CarDealerMag.co.uk | 07
DASHBOARD
CAR NEWS ROUND-UP Manufacturers have been busy refining existing models and producing new ones. We look at 10 of the results...
PEUGEOT
New plug-in 3008 unveiled PEUGEOT’S 3008 SUV has been given a bold makeover with a more striking front end and a plug-in hybrid powertrain. A frameless grille has been incorporated into the front of the car, giving it a unique appearance that sees the checkered grille design fade out beneath the more aggressively styled LED headlights. Pricing is yet to be confirmed, but expect the new equipment to mean a small jump over the existing model, which starts at £26,905.
CYAN RACING
LAND ROVER
Team reimagines classic Volvo P1800
Plug-in hybrid now in Defender line-up
CYAN Racing has built a modern interpretation of the classic Volvo P1800, with a lightweight carbon-fibre body and no modern driver aids. The Swedish race team, which was founded in 1996 to race Volvos, has built the car to imagine what it might have done with it in the 1960s. The P1800 Cyan features heavily modified bodywork, but to keep the spirit of the classic driving experience, it has no stability control, ABS or brake booster. It has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo engine.
THE Land Rover Defender’s engine range has been beefed up with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. Badged P400e, the new model is the most powerful and fuel-efficient Defender. Thanks to 398bhp, it will go from 0-60mph in just 5.4 seconds, yet is capable of returning up to 85.3mpg with CO2 emissions of only 74g/km. It has a 2.0-litre fourcylinder petrol turbo engine plus 105kW electric motor, and can also travel up to 27 miles solely on electric power.
08 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
ROLLS-ROYCE
Updated Ghost makes an appearance ROLLS-ROYCE has revealed its latest Ghost, ushering in a new generation of the most successful model in the brand’s history. It has a 6.75-litre V12 petrol engine, making 563bhp and 850Nm of torque, plus a redesigned air intake system to reduce sound inside. The ‘Magic Carpet Ride’ system has been updated too, with planar suspension system software scanning the road ahead for imperfections to prepare the suspension for a smoother ride.
VOLKSWAGEN
More space in the latest Golf estate
DUE to go on sale in the UK early next year, the estate and rugged Alltrack variants arrive to broaden the Golf’s appeal. The standard five-door hatch was released earlier in the year, quickly joined by GTI, GTD and GTE performance models. Thanks to a longer wheelbase, the new Golf estate has more space than the car it replaces. Those in the back will enjoy an extra 38mm legroom, while the boot has more capacity – up to 611 litres with the seats in place and 1,642 folded down.
AUDI
HONDA
Q2 gets sharper styling and improved equipment THE Audi Q2 has been given a makeover with styling tweaks and improved equipment and will be available in October from around £23,500. Audi says the exterior is inspired by polygons, evident at the back with the redesigned diffuser having five-sided polygons in it. Up front, Quattroinspired slits have been added under the bonnet. The 1.5-litre petrol engine will make 148bhp and 250Nm of torque. Six-speed manual transmission is standard and a seven-speed auto is optional.
MASERATI
MC20 supercar can make 60 in 2.7 seconds MASERATI has pulled the covers off the MC20 – its much-anticipated supercar. Planned to rival the likes of Ferrari and McLaren in the low-volume but lucrative supercar market, the Italian firm has revealed its sleek styling and impressive performance figures. Powered by a 3.0-litre, twin-turbo V6 engine that was designed in-house, the MC20 makes 621bhp and 730Nm of torque, with 0-60mph coming up in about 2.7 seconds. The top speed is in excess of 200mph.
NISSAN
Revamped Civic Type R on its way
THE newly updated Honda Civic Type R will be priced from £32,820 when it arrives over the next few weeks. The hot hatch gains a new intake system, better cooling and two-piece floating disc brakes for better performance. The car’s suspension geometry has been revised, with upgraded bushings giving an improved ride. All models benefit from a new alcantara-wrapped steering wheel, newly weighted gear knob and physical controls for the infotainment system.
MERCEDES-BENZ
Hear the sound of forthcoming Z car
New S-Class boasts luxury and top tech
NISSAN is continuing to build anticipation ahead of the reveal of its new Z sports car with a video that demonstrates its engine sound. The short video gives little away but it does confirm that the replacement for the 370Z will have a manual transmission. Those with a keen ear will also recognise that the engine note appears to confirm a V6 unit, with rumours suggesting it will be a twin-turbo with about 400bhp. Click here to hear the car
MERCEDES-BENZ has revealed the new S-Class – its flagship luxury saloon that boasts some of the most advanced technology from the firm. The model has a reputation for debuting tech that will become more common in years to come. For example, later in the development cycle it will offer level three autonomous driving, letting the driver take their hands off the wheel for extended periods. In the UK, we’ll get the S350d and S400d diesels plus S500 mild-hybrid petrol. CarDealerMag.co.uk | 09
Matching quality dealers with quality leads
search 10 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
ADVERTISING FEATURE
Drivers ready to make the switch to electric vehicles With the government set to ban sales of petrol and diesel engine vehicles by 2035, research by heycar shows that motorists are keen to make the move to EVs even sooner.
M
ore than eight out of 10 drivers are considering buying an electric or hybrid car, according to new research commissioned by heycar. We looked into the habits of 4,130 drivers and asked them what car they were considering for their next vehicle. A total of 3,427 (83 per cent) said they’d consider either a full electric, plug-in hybrid electric or hybrid vehicle next. ‘This is the clearest indication yet that consumers are ready to make the switch to an electric vehicle,’ said Karen Hilton, chief commercial officer at heycar. ‘Dealers need to be ready to talk to customers about EVs, including having them charged up and ready for test drives, and offering information about grants and benefits. This is a golden opportunity for dealers to be the “hub” of the local EV community.’ Our study showed that the majority of drivers (52.1 per cent) clock up fewer than 20 miles a day. And 29.9 per cent covered between 21 and 40 miles a day. Yet, almost half (45.7 per cent) of respondents said concerns over range was one of the main things stopping them buying an EV. That means 82 per cent of drivers could easily cover their journeys in something like a Nissan Leaf. The Leaf, which is the UK’s best-selling EV, has an official range of 168 miles and can comfortably cover 120 miles a day. Drivers were most likely to choose an EV because of the savings they provide on running costs. Not only are electric cars cheaper to run than petrol or diesel, there are also savings to be made on vehicle tax, free congestion charge, access to low-emissions zones, and government grants to purchase an EV and install a home charger. But the survey also showed that the majority of people were put off by the high cost of EVs, as well as concerns over range and the current charging infrastructure.
State of the electric nation
Almost all respondents highlighted the need for better education around electric vehicles. In total, 77 per cent wanted better information when it came to charging points, while 41 per cent thought the environmental message could be better. To address this issue, at heycar we are putting together an EV knowledge hub. It will include sections looking at different charging connectors, the available infrastructure, battery range, and servicing. There will also be detailed information on the financial benefits – from government grants to free vehicle tax. A 2018 study by Deloitte estimated that the market will reach a tipping point in 2022 – when the cost of ownership of a battery-electric vehicle is on a par with petrol and diesel, making an EV a realistic alternative for new car buyers. But that could come sooner if the government introduces a ‘scrappage’ scheme for hybrids and EVs as part of a raft of economic stimulus packages post-pandemic. Currently, sales of battery-only electric vehicles only account for 6.4 per cent of all new cars registered. But this figure has almost doubled from a market share of 3.4 per cent in 2019, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Meanwhile, sales of plug-in hybrid vehicles have increased by 221.1 per cent from 910 in August 2019 to 2,922 in August 2020. Taken together, the current market share of battery EV, plug-in hybrids, and hybrids stands at 16.1 per cent – up from 8.7 per cent in the same period last year. It’s an upward trend that will only accelerate. But as our research indicates, the government may not have to wait until 2035 for drivers to make the switch to EVs. CarDealerMag.co.uk | 11
The warranty experts
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Covid-19 has speeded up car sales revolution amid all the havoc
T
With money sloshing around again in the industry, more businesses will be investing in their online processes.
he used car market has been a source of amazement for many watching the industry. At the start of lockdown there were concerns that the thousands of cars on dealer forecourts and customers’ drives would plummet in value. With no buyers able to visit dealers and stock only sold online, some feared the cars would sink in value, wiping millions of pounds from dealers’ balance sheets. But the reality was very different. The used car valuation firms held firm on their prices – Cap HPI refused to adjust values as the market was effectively on lockdown, just like the rest of the country. This worked in everyone’s favour. Stock wasn’t sitting there losing money and the cars owned by consumers weren’t losing value either. It was a shrewd move and meant that when the market did slowly start to reopen – first with online sales, then click-and-collect – before a full reopening beginning on June 1, used cars hadn’t actually fallen in price. It soon became clear quite the opposite was happening. Used car prices were rising and rising fast. All the barometers Car Dealer uses to measure the market were reporting prices edging upwards – in some cases by as much as 25 per cent at the lower end of the market. This played into the hands of the canny dealers. Those with stock managed to facilitate sales at healthy margins and the part-exchanges they took in were either used as stock for their forecourts or sold on via auction at prices they could never have hoped for at the start of lockdown. At the same time, a seismic shift in the way cars are sold was accelerated at a pace no one could have ever forecast either. Customers were increasingly turning to full end-to-end purchases on websites, and the rush to make this an option for dealers began. This played into the hands of online used car dealer start-up Cazoo, which at launch suggested the physical dealer experience was a dying model and customers would only want to buy online in the future. While the lockdown may have given Cazoo’s model a boost, it also supercharged rivals to step up their online sales game. Traditional dealers saw online car sales as a way to keep the wheels turning during the dark months and since have used it as a way to cut staff and other costs as well as serve customers in a different way. They’ve now adopted online channels in a way they never have before – and it’s working. The enforced changes of lockdown may have been painful, but the rapid switch to new business models could never have happened quite as quickly had Covid-19 not disrupted the market like it did. Now everyone is piling in. Pendragon announced to the stock market last month that it would be killing off the Car Store name – a title boss Bill Berman detests – and relaunching as an online platform with customer delivery centres. Sound familiar? It’s exactly the switch Cazoo is making after the purchase of Imperial Car Supermarkets. It’s been busy shutting down sites and laying off staff of the business it bought, transferring stock to its website and changing the locations to Cazoo handover centres. Waiting in the used car wings is car supermarket success story Big Motoring World and its Carzam online offering, with big hitters Peter Waddell and John Bailey behind it. Although we haven’t seen what they’ve got to offer just yet, if anyone can make it work it’s these two. With the pressure on new car supply throttling already successful new car sales, the profits generated on used car forecourts will continue to be a vital driver of the market in the months to come. Sometimes it takes a catastrophic event to give change a nitrous shot in the arm and the car retail world has been given just that. With money sloshing around again in the industry and already making up for the losses clocked up during lockdown, more businesses will be investing in their online car sales processes. This year will go down as one to remember for many things, but in the car industry it could well be marked as the one when the digital car sales revolution really began in earnest.
Speaking out
COMMENT
JAMES BAGGOTT
AGAINST OUR BETTER JUDGMENT, WE LET THE CEO HAVE HIS SAY EACH MONTH James Baggott founded Car Dealer Magazine and is the 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. CarDealerMag.co.uk | 13
Big Mike OUR MAN ON THE INSIDE SHARES HIS THOUGHTS ON THE CAR BUSINESS
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. 14 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
COMMENT
I’m having an ‘L’ of a time with trim levels and colours these days
A
ctive, Excite, Pop, Design, Visia, Signature, Momentum. No, I’m not talking in riddles, nor am I babbling nonsensically (which some will say makes a pleasant change). What I’m doing is flicking through the back pages of a car magazine and trying to memorise the trim levels and what they mean. You see, back in the day it was easy. You bought a basic Ford and you got something so miserable it didn’t even get a letter, such as a Popular, or – if you were feeling generous enough to invest in more than one sun visor and a reversing lamp – a Popular Plus. If you wanted a car that didn’t make you feel like a failure as soon as you got behind the wheel then you climbed aboard an ‘L’, or if you could run to a pair of leccy windows you could wear your ‘LX’ badge with pride. The GLX meanwhile was a bit flash, and if you could run to a Ghia then you were clearly winning at life. With a Vauxhall it was a case of L, LX, CD and CDX (the entry-level cars didn’t even get a name) while if you sipped from the Austin Rover cup, then it was the City that returned you small orders, the City X that was a glass less than half full, and the optimistic trim levels also began at L, then HL and HLS. Or if you still lived in the 1930s, you could have a Vanden Plas, which got you leather trim and some floozie wired into the dashboard to tell you verbally when your oil pressure was a bit low. The rule was generally the more letters, the more luxurious the car they were attached to. And while some manufacturers handed them out like bags of Werther’s Original (you could get a Peugeot that was an SR DT LXi, for example), other manufacturers didn’t let them run quite so freely. If you ordered a new BMW, for example, you had to really crack open the bank safe to run to the ‘SE’ Special Equipment package. And most buyers did, because the Germans had a very clever habit of making their base trim levels as miserable as the outcome of a Bertolt Brecht drama. The SE, meanwhile, had the lot – power windows and mirrors, air con, central locking, leather, an ‘econometer’ and one of those red, yellow, green service countdown lights that were the absolute nuts back in the days before you could choose your interior heating settings the night before via an app. Oh, how I miss those days. In fairness, it’s only in the past few years that I’ve totally lost my way with trim levels. In the mid-2000s, I still knew where I was. I knew that an Astra Exclusiv was anywhere but (it was so miserly they’d not even run to a final ‘e’ on the badge) and that a Mondeo Edge was about as desirable as a night out with Bono, and let’s just say I’m not a U2 fan… In the meantime, they made it easier for traders to know what we were doing when making split-second auction decisions. There’s a reason why Ford used to glue a Ghia badge on to the front wing as well as the boot lid, and it had everything to do with the fact that those of us seated in the stalls at the auction house could very easily spot the top-shelf material as the cars were driven in. Vauxhall’s equivalent was to fit the Elite versions of its cars with chrome door handles so that as they entered the ring that glint of shine would attract us all like magpies. Unless it was a Signum. Nobody wanted a Signum, even if it did have aeroplane-style ‘overhead lockers’, designed in such an unusual shape that they could only really be used for storing leeks, large cigars or sex aids. Which, if nothing else, are the basics for an entertaining evening. But I digress. These days, I haven’t a scooby what on earth I’m buying if a customer rocks up to chop in a Tekna, a Flair, a Design or a Match. Meanwhile, the once-hallowed SE seems to have taken up the mantle of being the base model, although the electric windows and air conditioning seem to have remained – perhaps as an apology to the hapless car dealer that buys it in thinking it’s posher than it is so that he has a hope in hell of selling it. If nothing else, at least having a more interesting name than ‘L’ means I can fill my advertisements with verbose waffle, often lifted from the marketing claptrap you read on
If you could run to a pair of leccy windows you could wear your ‘LX’ badge with pride.
car manufacturers’ websites about active lifestyles and go-getters who want to stand out from the crowd (tip: if you want to do this, don’t buy a Vauxhall Mokka or a Ford EcoSport. You won’t). See also Fiat 500, because although it’s quite cool – indeed, they’re a guilty pleasure of mine, not least because of the eye-candy they attract to my forecourt – it’s not unusual. Cue bad Tom Jones joke. As if the trim levels aren’t confusing enough, there’s also the equipment itself. I can’t navigate my way between one blooming touchscreen or another, which makes it very difficult for me to tell if a car has a good one or not. It’s a far cry from the simple echelons of radio, radio-cassette and CD player, the last one of which really was a status symbol in the days of BMWs with light-up service indicators. These days, I honestly can’t tell you if a car has blue teeth, can play podcasts or provide you with a mirror to look at your smartphone in, which are some of the inquiries I’ve had to waffle my way around lately. I’ve always had the gift of the gab, but it’s getting harder to talk your way around stuff like this when the customer knows more about what they’re buying than you do, whereas in the past I could spout all sorts of guff about fuel economy, top speeds and a little bit of Vorsprung durch Technik. And if trim levels aren’t enough, there are colours, too. The tradition of giving them daft names started in the Sixties, I think, and led to a few classics – British Leyland’s Hairy Lime being one of them. But at least you knew what colour it was. I had to pick up a rattle can for a fellow trader when I was down the paint shop the other week and the colour was known as ‘Spartacus’. I’ve no idea to this day what colour ‘Spartacus’ was, but given that the chap himself was a mere gladiator, I’m assuming it was some form of Caucasian fleshy hue. Actually, Caucasian Flesh has a ring to it. It’ll be coming soon to a manufacturer’s colour chart I expect, and you heard it here first. There are some who still make it simple, though. My favourite colour chart of the moment – but only because I can play Mornington Crescent with it – belongs to MG, which has elected not to use the often obscure Chinese names given to its charts and has replaced them with names of London districts. Then there’s Fiat with its Groove Metal, Tech House and Electroclash Greys, which sound to me like a night at the Hacienda circa 1994. Not my scene, but my son would have loved it, not least because I remember many a weekend where he came home dressed in roughly the same manner as the aforementioned Spartacus and talking about as much sense. Still, at least you know they’re grey and not some silly name that means nothing. Call me an old fart by all means, but you knew where you were with a Rosso Red Ford Sierra GLX, both as a buyer and a seller. And I’m not sure that today’s car market is a better place. Not when words like ‘Excite’ refer to a trim level about as exciting as that night out with Bono, but without The Edge.
Call me an old fart by all means, but you knew where you were with a Rosso Red Ford Sierra GLX.
CarDealerMag.co.uk | 15
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Did you dismiss Cazoo? You’d better start giving it close attention now
T
It appears consumers are embracing (please kill me now for the use of this phrase) ‘new normals’ in every walk of life.
here is a segment on a popular sporting podcast I listen to called ‘Flip Reverse It’ where the panel talk about what would have happened at pinnacle moments in football had the result been different – for example, if Gazza had scored when he slid in at Euro 96. This article doesn’t lament about what if, but instead speculates as to what could be… I wrote about Cazoo a few months ago. My piece was (certainly with hindsight, but for those who know me not surprising) a bit condescending. To summarise, it said that ‘disruptors’ had been and gone in the used car retail market – most notably Branson with Virgin, and Tesco – so why were Cazoo and Alex Chesterman any different? I did leave one caveat though: that Alex Chesterman had started LoveFilm and Zoopla, therefore if anyone could disrupt this market then Chesterman had the vision and capital to do so. Fast-forward to the past few weeks when Car Dealer broke the story that Cazoo had acquired Imperial Car Supermarkets. Another story followed that claimed Cazoo was on the hunt for a number of additional retail spaces. If, like me, industry higher-ups were initially a bit dismissive of this start-up, they will hopefully be like me now and starting to take serious notice of this company. I don’t know Chesterman but I’ve seen this move before from a tech entrepreneur. The decision by Amazon and Jeff Bezos to acquire Whole Foods, giving them a bricks element to their clicks business, is exactly what Cazoo has emulated with this move. Cazoo isn’t the first exponent of omni-channel digital integration in the motor industry. Former BCA owner Clayton, Dubilier and Rice successfully acquired webuyanycar to supply its auction sites in addition to acquiring vehicle preparation companies such as Ambrosetti to support sale activities. So why should motor industry retail leaders be worried? The lightning pace at which Cazoo went from selling its first car to operating a number of large retail facilities is – in modern terms at least – unprecedented. This is a wellfunded company and, as I speculated in my original article, probably not the folly of a bored car enthusiast. Alex Chesterman sees a business ripe for change. With this in mind, let me throw out a few wild hypotheses that are nothing more than pure speculation on my part but could lead to serious disruption in the car retail space: • A merger or acquisition of Carwow. There is some shared executive DNA between both companies and what better way for Carwow to grow than offering direct new supply through Cazoo retail spaces? • Investment in or acquisition of an established bricks-and-mortar franchised retail group. Strategic partner moves aren’t unusual in our industry but this is more typical in the manufacturing sector, not retail. For example, when Geely surprisingly acquired 10 per cent of Daimler, this wasn’t only a relatively new entrant making a statement, it was also a move to share research and development costs and platform-share on future cars. • A tie-up with an established grocery retailer or, perhaps more worryingly for car makers, Amazon. Amazon has made no secret of its intent to move into motor retail but has yet to do so successfully. Cazoo could, with any or a combination of the above strategies, threaten the new car distribution model as we know it. The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated trends in many commercial sectors and it appears consumers are embracing (please kill me now for the use of this phrase) ‘new normals’ in every walk of life. We have seen much speculation about the move to handling fees for new car franchised dealers, but this requires manufacturers to hold the stock centrally and many don’t have the strength of balance sheet. This could mean a cut in production or supply as a more pull-led supply scenario is created. Time will tell, of course. It always does.
Trader Tales
COMMENT
JAMES LITTON
CASTING AN EXPERIENCED EYE ON THE WIDE AND CHALLENGING WORLD OF MOTOR SALES
James Litton is an automotive retail consultant who always has something to say about the industry he loves. CarDealerMag.co.uk | 17
ADVERTISING FEATURE
OPPORTUNITY
Isuzu has got openings for dealers to pick up profit With a new D-Max on the way, now’s the time to sign up to brand.
I
suzu has big plans for the future and there’s an opportunity for dealers in a dozen towns and cities to take advantage of this niche market with its award-winning D-Max pick-up. The Japanese pick-up professional has got slots in Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Canterbury, Doncaster, Forfar, Newcastle, Portsmouth, Romford, Southampton, Swindon, Weymouth waiting to make money for dealers. Its D-Max line-up comprises the Utility, Eiger, Yukon, Utah, Blade, XTR, Arctic Trucks AT35, plus the special editions Workman+, GO2 – with a new D-Max on its way in early 2021, and Isuzu is confident it’ll be a game-changer that will dramatically increase sales to get it on track for its 2025 target of 10,000 sales. Part of the IM Group since 1987, Isuzu UK has been increasing its market share to the point now where it’s become a major player in the pick-up market, outselling many bigger brands. UK managing director William Brown told Car Dealer how the pick-up sector was in a real sweet spot, with Isuzu perfectly positioned to take full advantage of it, and with the right dealers on board, the targets it has set are definitely within reach. He said of the new D-Max: ‘We are so excited to receive this new model. It is a big step forward for Isuzu and will be the most advanced pick-up on sale in the UK, setting new standards in the sector.’ Brown pointed out that Isuzu had been a success for a wide range of dealers. ‘We’ve got a varied mix in our network, from traditional car dealers to agricultural dealers and LCV dealers.’ He added: ‘Because it is a simple franchise to operate, it is very easy to integrate into a successful existing operation, whether it be cars, 4x4s or LCVs.’ You don’t have to be an expert, either. ‘What we’re looking for in a new dealer is someone who is dedicated to our brand within their existing business,’ he said. ‘We can do all of the training. Most of the time, a pick-up is being bought to be used as a pick-up and that’s why it’s an easy product to sell. That’s where we win.’ He added: ‘The other unique opportunity with Isuzu is that it’s not just about chassis profit; a key advantage we have is our accessories. ‘All of our vehicles have a large range of accessories that customers will purchase at the point of sale. We have the largest accessory range of any pick-up manufacturer in the UK.’ Brown pointed out there was good money to be made with the D-Max because it was a niche sector. ‘As a distributor, our focus is on sustainable growth so we never get pressured to do things for the sake of market share. We don’t do activities to promote pre-registration, and we make sure that wherever possible our sales go through our dealers. We don’t deal with brokers either. ‘Because we’re a privately owned family business, we’re very approachable. We’re not just interested in our dealers’ performance; the relationship between our partners and Isuzu is just as important to us. For us, everything we do for our dealers has to be simple, fun and profitable. It’s all about making business as simple as possible, whether it be trading terms, campaigns or communications.’ 18 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
The 12 towns and cities ripe for an Isuzu dealer Birmingham Brighton Bristol Canterbury Doncaster Forfar Newcastle Portsmouth Romford Southampton Swindon Weymouth
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FORECOURT
FERRARI ROMA Ferrari is pitching the Roma as a proper all-out GT car, but has it succeeded? Jack Evans finds out.
Power plant The 3.9 litre twin-turbocharged V8 produces 612bhp
THE KNOWLEDGE Ferrari Roma
Price (as tested): £170,984 Engine: 3.9-litre V8 Power: 612bhp Torque: 760Nm Max speed: 199mph O-60mph: 3.1 seconds MPG (combined): 25.2 Emissions: 255g/km CO2
WHAT IS IT? This is the car that Ferrari hopes will garner the interest of a whole new clientele – those looking for a comfortable yet involving cross-country GT car. And as a grand tourer, the Roma comes with a whole new range of requirements over and above Ferrari’s existing range of supercars. WHAT’S NEW? While the Roma shares many components with the Portofino convertible, this is far more than just the drop-top with a fixed roof. Ferrari has worked extensively to ensure that the Roma is just as good in the bends as it is ploughing along highways. The inside has been fitted with the latest equipment the firm has to offer, so while the exterior is very much a nod to Ferrari cars of old, the cabin is as cutting edge as they come. WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET? You’ll find the same 3.9-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine under the bonnet of the Roma as you would on the Portofino but extensive measures have allowed it to produce 20bhp more than the drop-top model, now making 612bhp. The Roma also benefits from a new eightspeed dual-clutch automatic that’s been refined and made smaller. WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE? How do you want a grand tourer to drive? You want it to be comfortable and refined, for sure, as well as fast in an understated way. And while the Roma achieves all of these traits, it’s the way this car handles when the roads get twisty that really impresses. The steering is classically Ferrari-quick off-centre. Oh, and then there’s the performance... The V8 gives the Roma a brawny, muscular kind of approach to acceleration, with a great deal of push available throughout the mid-range, although exploring the upper echelons of the rev counter is just as rewarding as riding the wave of torque available lower down. HOW DOES IT LOOK? Ferrari has gone through its back catalogue of greats for the Roma’s design inspiration. In our eyes, it is like nothing else that the firm offers today, with a classically designed front grille making a real impression. The sharp front end and razor-cut headlights give the car a real look of purpose, while the long bonnet section offers a classic look that has been used
20 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
Inside The Roma has a 2+2 layout but the rear seats are only really suitable for children.
Design Ferrari took inspiration for the design of the Roma from its back catalogue of greats.
TARGET BUYERS:
Those who want a GT car that will delight in the corners just as much as on the straights.
THE RIVALS:
Bentley Continental GT, Aston Martin DB11 AMR, Audi RS7 Sportback.
KEY SELLING POINTS:
This is a car which serves to show just what Ferrari can do when it is on tip-top form.
1. Classically good look. 2. Effortless performance. 3. Involving steering.
DEAL CLINCHER:
The Ferrari Roma is arguably one of the most accomplished GT cars to date – and it’s one that should be firmly on every GT buyer’s list.
on GT cars time and time again. It might not be as flamboyant as some of Ferrari’s other supercars, but it’s not meant to be – this is a car that has been designed to be whisked across countries in a discreet fashion. WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE? The Roma has been designed around a 2+2 layout. And while there are rear seats, they’re really only for children – something Ferrari now openly admits. However, they can be folded down to increase the space you’ll find in the boot. Up front, you’re seated low and ‘in’ the car, with a steering wheel that offers plenty of adjustment. The wing mirrors are adjusted via a new touchscreen panel at the side of the wheel. WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE? Its traditional analogue rev counter has been ditched in favour of a widescreen display, while the central heating and ventilation controls (among others) are accessed via a tabletstyle screen in the middle of the cabin. The wheel itself has also been redesigned and now incorporates haptic-feedback controllers for the driver display as well as for the audio controls, indicators, windscreen wipers and cruise control. The new infotainment setup is one of the best we’ve seen from Ferrari. It’s easy to use and responsive, while the new driver’s display allows you to keep your eyes on the road. Our only bone of contention is the touch-sensitive engine starter button at the bottom of the steering wheel. While its operation is easy enough, it’s lost some of the sense of occasion you used to have with the big red starter buttons of old. WHAT DO THE PRESS THINK? Car said: ‘The Roma’s the Ferrari we didn’t know we wanted but, now that it’s here, want it we most certainly do.’ WHAT DO WE THINK? Although the Roma is at the entry point of the Ferrari range, this is anything but an entrylevel car. It drives with such verve and precision that it outclasses rivals left, right and centre, while its refinement and comfort allow it to appeal to those who want a Ferrari they can use day in day out. Combined with head-turning looks, this is a car which serves to show just what Ferrari can do when it is on tip-top form. CarDealerMag.co.uk | 21
FORECOURT
PORSCHE 911 TARGA 4S
The looks The Targa’s retro styling makes it arguably the prettiest of all the 911s.
Porsche’s ’60s-inspired convertible is back. Darren Cassey finds out if there’s substance behind the style.
THE KNOWLEDGE Porsche 911 Targa 4S
Price (as tested): £109,725 Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo boxer Power: 444bhp Torque: 530Nm Max speed: 189mph O-60mph: 3.6 seconds MPG (combined): 28.5 Emissions: 227g/km CO2
WHAT IS IT? Born in the ’60s because America was considering banning convertibles for being too dangerous and named after Porsche’s victories in the iconic Targa Florio races, the 911 Targa was an instant hit. In 2014, the styling inspiration returned to those original models, and the result was one of the best-looking sports cars out there. Now there’s a new one... WHAT’S NEW? Key changes relate to the engine, which is more powerful, while a new manual transmission means those looking for a more physical connection with the driving experience are well catered for. The all-wheel-drive system has also been optimised for more traction. WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET? It’s an undoubtedly fantastic engine that loves to be revved out, and as is always the case with Porsche sixes, it sings high in the rev range. However, there’s no denying that in this application it feels particularly lacking in emotion. WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE? The Targa is immediately comfortable whether cruising around in traffic, opening up on the motorway or pressing on down a back road. Being slightly heavier than the coupe does lead to a subtle numbing of the 911’s abilities, feeling a little less nimble on its feet than regular models. However, it’s so subtle that very few will notice the difference or have any reason to be disappointed. Hit your favourite country roads and it’s a blast, with the way the all-wheel-drive system grips up and shoots you out of a corner being the highlight. HOW DOES IT LOOK? The 911’s classic shape never goes out of fashion, and with the retro Targa styling it’s arguably at its prettiest. It’s like buying a retro model but with the bonus of all the modern technology and reliability you could ask for. If you want to go fully retro, there’s a Heritage Design Edition limited to just 992 examples. It gets styling features inspired by classic models, including gold logos and circular number blocks on the outside, plus corduroy upholstery inside.
22 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
The cabin The interior is ergonomically brilliant and the infotainment system is one of the best in the business.
Engine The 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged six-cylinder boxer engine in the 4S pumps out 444bhp.
TARGET BUYERS:
Sports car enthusiasts looking for style above all else.
THE RIVALS:
Aston Martin DB11 Volante, Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster, Audi R8 Spyder.
KEY SELLING POINTS:
If style and practicality are key to your sports car purchase you will not be left disappointed.
1. Cool folding hard top. 2. Fantastic interior. 3. Great performance.
DEAL CLINCHER:
Everything you love about the Porsche 911 with added style.
WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE? Drop into the cabin and it’s clear that Porsche has spent a lot of time making it ergonomically brilliant. The driving position is easy to get right, and most buttons are within easy reach, while the infotainment system is one of the best in the business – its menu design looks smart and is intuitive to navigate. It’s also surprisingly spacious for a sports car, so long as you’re sitting in the front. Rear passengers of even average height will be hoping the journey is short. That’s about the only criticism you can level at it, though, with the practical layout complemented by brilliant materials throughout. WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE? Standard equipment on the Targa 4S is extensive. In addition to the active suspension system and torque vectoring tech, it comes with 20-inch alloy wheels at the front and 21 at the rear, leather upholstery, four-way electric sports seats and the fantastic widescreen infotainment system. There are various optional extras that can really up the price, too. There are three more alloy wheel designs that are the same size as the standard ones but range from £809 to £1,679, adaptive ‘sports seats plus’ for £2,315, Exclusive Manufaktur leather interior for £7,899 and a huge variety of exterior upgrades. WHAT DO THE PRESS THINK? What Car? called it ‘searingly quick and sharp to drive’ while Top Gear Magazine said it was ‘as much a design object as it is a pure sports car’. WHAT DO WE THINK? There’s no denying that, as usual, Porsche has absolutely nailed the brief with the 911 Targa. Sure, it lacks some of the emotional driving flair of rivals, but that’s often been the case with this iconic sports car – the fact it’s so good to drive so much of the time has won it plaudits for decades. Those seeking a true performance car might want to look elsewhere in the 911 range, but if style and practicality are key to your sports car purchase you will not be left disappointed. CarDealerMag.co.uk | 23
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FORECOURT
SKODA OCTAVIA THE KNOWLEDGE Skoda has launched its fourth-generation Octavia with a vast swathe of new features. But is it any good? Jack Evans finds out. WHAT IS IT? The Octavia has come to represent excellent value for money, brilliant practicality and genuine solidity. In short, it’s a pretty crucial car for the Czech manufacturer. This is the latest Octavia and Skoda says it’s better than ever. WHAT’S NEW? Not only is it sharper to look at, it’s longer, wider and taller than the car it replaces. It also has cleaner engines, more interior technology and some clever voice-activated systems. WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET? Our test car came with a 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine and seven-speed DSG gearbox. A cheaper petrol option is available, but we’re sure that given its low running costs this diesel choice will be a key consideration in the Octavia’s list of powertrains. WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE? If you’re looking for outright comfort then boy, is this the car for you. The Octavia feels as though it has been designed with the UK’s roads in mind, given its exceptional ability to steam out the creases in the road ahead and leave you riding a comfortable and soft wave of forward motion. For motorway slogs, the Octavia really is a great travelling companion. HOW DOES IT LOOK? It doesn’t seem quite as svelte as the car it succeeds. It’s not a bad-looking car, but it just doesn’t look quite as ‘tight’ as the older Octavia in terms of design. WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE? The latest Octavia’s interior is a far more screen-heavy affair than the previous model’s. As a result, the cabin feels cleaner, sharper and less button-cluttered. The front area of the cabin is wide and open, while there’s plenty of space for those sitting in the back, too.
Skoda Octavia SE L First Edition
Price (as tested): £32,120 Engine: 2.0-litre diesel Power: 148bhp Torque: 340Nm Max speed: 137mph 0-60mph: 8.5 seconds MPG: 52.3-60.1 Emissions: 123-141g/km CO2
TARGET BUYERS:
Those who want a practical, comfortable and easy-to-drive estate.
THE RIVALS:
Volkswagen Golf, Mazda6 Tourer, Audi A4 Avant.
KEY SELLING POINTS:
1. Well-judged suspension. 2. Excellent levels of standard equipment. 3. Spacious and practical interior.
DEAL CLINCHER:
The Octavia really is all the car you could ever need, with space and comfort aplenty.
WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE? Our car came in First Edition specification, which meant it was practically weighed down with equipment. Features included 17-inch alloy wheels, adaptive cruise control, chrome roof rails and front heated seats. The new infotainment screen, which controls crucial aspects of the car, operates well and is easy to navigate through. WHAT DO THE PRESS THINK? Carwow said: ‘Skoda often swoops in and obliterates its Volkswagen Group stablemates on space and practicality, and the Skoda Octavia is one of the best examples of that.’ WHAT DO WE THINK? It’s fearlessly well suited to the rigours of the everyday, thanks to great practicality levels and a ride which turns even the lumpiest of roads into far more comfortable surfaces. It also looks good and feels good inside.
Inside
The cabin has a cleaner and sharper feel, with a main screen giving access to many of the car’s functions. CarDealerMag.co.uk | 25
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FORECOURT
AUDI E-TRON SPORTBACK
Audi has given its e-tron a dynamic makeover in the form of the e-tron Sportback. But is it any good? Jack Evans finds out. WHAT IS IT? Audi has a bit of a knack for filling a niche – and to ensure that remains the case with the e-tron, it has introduced this: the e-tron Sportback. WHAT’S NEW? The greatest change here is the styling, which brings a more raked roofline to the still-quitesleek-looking e-tron. But of course, there’s also a hugely impressive electric powertrain pushing the whole affair onwards, as well as a host of technological innovations. WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET? The launch-spec e-tron models come in 55 quattro flavour – essentially the most powerful version. There’s an even more focused ‘S’ version arriving later, but this is definitely seen as a separate entity. For now, this 55 model uses a twin-motor setup – one on each axle.
THE KNOWLEDGE
Audi e-tron Sportback 55 Quattro Vorsprung Price (as tested): £89,470 Engine: Dual electric motor Power: 402bhp Torque: 664Nm Max speed: 124mph 0-60mph: 6.3 seconds Range: 241 miles Emissions: 0g/km CO2
TARGET BUYERS:
Those who want a sleeker, more elegant take on the e-tron.
THE RIVALS:
Tesla Model X, Mercedes EQC, Polestar 2.
WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE? The performance, as we’ve come to expect from EVs, is immediate and sharp, with full bursts of acceleration delivering genuinely impressive pace for such a large car. The steering lacks any real feel but it’s solid and well weighted, while the ride isn’t too bad either, although it does get a touch unsettled by larger bumps.
KEY SELLING POINTS:
HOW DOES IT LOOK? Sleek, dynamic and imposing, the e-tron Sportback is a car that likes to make an entrance. Even our test car, in a relatively subdued shade of silver, turned heads wherever it went.
The elegant, sweeping looks of the Sportback are likely to tempt those who yearn for a more imposing EV than the standard e-tron.
WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE? It’s bristling with features, while a variety of screens help make the cabin feel particularly space-age. However, Audi hasn’t forgotten the basics, with a good degree of room in the front and back. There are plenty of storage areas, too.
1. Decent range. 2. Great build quality. 3. Spacious interior.
DEAL CLINCHER:
WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE? Our test car came in Vorsprung specification – the top trim level for the e-tron Sportback. The two-screen setup for the infotainment system is intuitive and responsive while being well positioned for use on the move. The Digital Cockpit – a regular feature in Audi models – remains clear and a great alternative to traditional dials. WHAT DO THE PRESS THINK? Driving Electric said: ‘It’s a stylish, beautifully built and capable family car, with a decent range and the ability to charge faster than any of its main rivals.’ WHAT DO WE THINK? For those who look at the standard e-tron and wish it had a little more drama, then the Sportback will likely be a hit. For everyone else, there’s a good chance the standard e-tron will more than fit the bill.
Looks
Sleek, dynamic and imposing, the e-tron Sportback is a car that likes to make an entrance. CarDealerMag.co.uk | 27
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CarDealerMag.co.uk | 29
IMAGINE REMOVING BIRD D E P O S I T E TC H I N G W I T H BY APPOINTMENT TO HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN SUPPLIER OF CAR CARE PRODUCTS AUTOGLYM, LETCHWORTH, ENGLAND
BY APPOINTMENT TO H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES SUPPLIER OF CAR CARE PRODUCTS AUTOGLYM, LETCHWORTH, ENGLAND
NO WET SANDING NO BUFFING MACHINE N O H O LO G R A M S
REFLOW
NO SWIRL MARKS N O P I G TA I L S NO RISK
Reflow is a breakthrough treatment that permanently removes etching marks and dull spots, caused by bird deposits, from car paintwork*. Developed by Autoglym, Reflow is an innovative solution to one of the most common problems in car care – paintwork damage caused by bird deposits. Reflow is safe, easy to use and requires no specialist tools and takes just 30 minutes to effectively heal vehicle paintwork, leaving a perfect finish once again.
W AT E R A C T I VAT I O N
THERMAL TRANSFER
PA I N T H E A L I N G
Cold water is added to pack to activate, pack is placed on affected area and left for 30 minutes.
Pack heats surface to optimum temperature allowing paintwork to reflow and fill imperfections.
As pack cools, paintwork sets effectively healing affected area, pack is removed − etching disappears.
*Important note: Reflow works best on new or nearly new vehicles, with clear coat, that are up to three years old. If paintwork is aged, Reflow will significantly improve the appearance of the etching but might not remove it completely.
autoglym reflow 30 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
FOCUS ON Autoglym
autoglymprofessional.com
Clean up in more ways than one with Reflow
B
ird poo. It’s one of the things that car dealers, valeters and owners fear most. If left on car bodywork it can cause all sorts of harm, including etching marks, lacquer damage and faded spots. But now, Royal Warranted car-care expert Autoglym has launched a brand-new, innovative product that will repair bird lime deposits quickly, harmlessly and with minimal hands-on use. Autoglym Reflow is a water-activated heat treatment that you simply apply and leave while it works its magic on dull and etched lacquer surfaces. You just activate it with water and apply the Reflow pack to the damaged area. It carefully heats up the lacquer surface and allows it to ‘self-heal’ as the damaged lacquer – which can become distorted or misshapen around festering bird lime – flows into itself to seal the damaged area. Reflow takes just 30 minutes to work and offers repairers huge labour-saving opportunities. You simply activate it and leave it, meaning a smart repair operator can get on with other tasks. Traditionally, wet sanding and abrasive polishing damaged lacquer to effect a repair could take a couple of hours to achieve the same result. While it won’t necessarily work on old or badly tarnished paint finishes, most minor imperfections on modern paint finishes will be instantly and permanently repaired with minimal user intervention, making it ideal for smart repair operators as well as dealers who are returning to work following lockdown, where deposits left on stock vehicles may have caused damage due to a lack of cleaning during the enforced shutdown of car dealerships. Paul Caller, CEO of Autoglym, said: ‘Reflow is a truly innovative product as it allows a very simple, effort-free means of permanently repairing minor paint imperfections, potentially saving a considerable amount of money that would otherwise be spent on respraying or relacquering an entire body panel. We believe this is the most innovative product the automotive refinishing industry has seen in years and offers a great profit opportunity to those offering smart repairs and localised bodywork refurbishment. It’s entirely paint-free and effortless to apply.’ In order to test Reflow to the max, Autoglym even developed its own synthetic ‘bird poo’ in various formulations, causing damage to body panels and using Reflow to effect a repair, all at its UK laboratories. Reflow is part of Autoglym’s range of products specifically designed for automotive industry professionals and is simple to use, as well as inexpensive. It has been designed and developed wholly at the company’s UK headquarters in Letchworth, Herts, and is made there as well – a true British innovation.
Reflow is a truly innovative product as it allows a very simple, effort-free means of permanently repairing minor paint imperfections. Paul Caller
To find out more or to place an order, go to autoglymprofessional.com CarDealerMag.co.uk | 31
FOCUS ON Car Benefit Solutions
Carbenefitsolutions.co.uk
Make material business savings from your demo fleet
N
o sector has escaped the effects of Covid-19, including the UK automotive industry. However, there are ways in which dealers can make immediate and material financial savings by operating their employee cars and demonstrators in new ways.
Reduce Demonstrator Costs
Write-downs represent a huge cost for dealers, and new rules around sanitisation and social distancing have made using company cars as demonstrators (or vice versa) impractical for a number of reasons. This leaves dealers needing an alternative to demonstrators for their company car drivingemployees that doesn’t result in additional costs and, ideally, generates financial savings.
How can bottom-line savings be achieved using an Employee Car Ownership Scheme? 1. Eliminate employee car and demonstrator write-down costs
As an ECOS removes the company car tax liability for the employee, these savings can be utilised by the dealer to eliminate or materially reduce write-down costs on their demonstrator and employee fleet.
2. Remove Class 1A National Insurance Contributions
Company car tax has risen again during lockdown, increasing both employee taxation and employer’s Class 1A NIC liability by 10-20 per cent since April 6. Under an ECOS, Class 1A NIC costs are not payable.
3. Demonstrate commitment to consumer safety
With employees in an alternative arrangement, requirements for valeting and sanitisation of demonstrators are reduced, along with the associated business costs. Consumers can be reassured that the dealer has implemented Covid-19 safety measures.
Generate Used Car Stock and Registrations
Consumer demand is high but many of the channels that traditionally generate used car stock have been impacted. There is a need to create an efficient pipeline of used car stock for this currently lucrative sector. Every employee placed into a CBS scheme vehicle provides an incremental registration. Crucially, at the end of the contract term, this vehicle returns to the dealer as part of a guaranteed used car pipeline, forming a quality consumer offering.
The CBS Optimiser; Savings Made Simple
We Consult. We Analyse. You Save. CBS provides a full service solution, which includes implementation, training and, most importantly, longterm management of the scheme using CBS’s tailormade digital platform and bespoke systems. Contact CBS today for your consultation or email optimiser@ carbenefitsolutions.co.uk
The new CBS Optimiser is a tool designed to identify the ways in which dealers can make timely and critical savings for their business, without disruption to business operations or employee benefits. On average, dealer groups could save £130,000 per site by switching to a CBS scheme* CBS makes the process simple and easy. After a short consultation with CBS’s team of experts, CBS will analyse dealers’ existing demonstrator and employee fleet using the CBS Optimiser. A report detailing the best solution to maximise savings based on each dealer’s unique fleet will be provided. There is no cost for this consultative service.
32 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
*Approximation based upon illustrative dealer structures across 18 manufacturer brands. Savings calculated using data from CAP and HMRC company car tax BiK rates as of July 2020.
INTRODUCING THE
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Power your sales team Portfolio 3Sixty uses the Black Horse data you already have to bring customers back to buy their next used car.
Learn more at blackhorse.co.uk/P360 Tailored for customers By building greater insight you can offer bespoke upgrades at the optimum time in the customer’s finance deal.
Get ahead of the competition Start using this automated tool to help you retain more customers. CarDealerMag.co.uk | 33
INVESTIGATION
Auction fever continues as used car stock is snapped up by trade and consumer buyers across the UK by James Baggott @CarDealerEd
S
upply of used cars is still way behind demand as auction houses across the country struggle with increased activity on used car dealer forecourts. Car Dealer Magazine has spoken to some of the biggest auction houses in the country, and while some admit that things are starting to get better from the lows of lockdown, they’re still not perfect. Auction houses – mostly conducting their sales online still – are seeing huge numbers of buyers registering for sales and prices continuing to rise. While most buyers are traditional car dealers scrabbling for stock, a number of consumers are battling dealers at auctions too, pushing up prices from trade sale prices to nearer consumer sale money. Cox Automotive, which runs Manheim Auctions, has reported used car prices increasing by a whopping 15.6 per cent year on year and in August were up one per cent on July. ‘Supply remains behind demand, specifically on the prime retail-ready stock,’ said Philip Nothard of Cox Automotive. He said supply was slow to start as Covid-19 restrictions began to ease and, while things improved a little in July, the continuing demand for used cars in August had continued to sap supply. Nothard added: ‘Supply isn’t currently showing any immediate signs of flooding the market due to challenges facing supply in the new car market as productivity remains low for several brands, and fleet and rental operators continue to hold back compared to usual.’
1,500 online bidders
BCA has seen an incredible number of buyers at its online auctions, with one sale attracting a record 1,500 bidders – far in excess of what would be seen in a typical auction hall. The trend for online auctions looks to set to continue too as auction houses have realised they can sell just as much stock without the set-ups required for sales all over the country. While none are suggesting they’ll be scaling back their physical auctions any time soon, quietly we would expect that most are at least thinking about it. ‘We have had up to 1,500 buyers logging in for some individual sales, underlining the appetite the market has for the stock on offer at BCA,’ said Stuart Pearson, BCA chief operating officer. BCA was seeing improved levels of supply, though, which was being ‘well matched’ by the demand from buyers, he added. City Auction Group is predicting an upturn in used car stock as the 70-plate partexchanges wash through the system followed by increased activity from fleet and lease companies. ‘Currently, supply is temporarily lower due to the 70-plate change period, which in reality is completely normal for this period for a two-three-week timeframe prior to the next expected surge of vehicles from mid-September,’ said chief executive Michael Tomalin. ‘The major contract hire companies, finance houses and franchised dealer groups have discussed in recent weeks a predicted upturn in vehicle returns.’ City Auction Group has seen a 149 per cent increase in trading at its Rockingham site and 43 per cent revenue growth at its Belfast auction in the past three months. 34 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
The major contract hire companies, finance houses and franchised dealer groups have discussed in recent weeks a predicted upturn in vehicle returns. Michael Tomalin
Shoreham Vehicle Auctions is operating with social distancing in place
City Auction Group’s Rockingham site
Click here to see what is happening to used car prices at auction
Bumper September sales
With car dealers predicted to have a bumper month of sales this September – and some even saying it could be the biggest plate change month ever – the volumes of used cars in the system are set to increase steadily. While most franchised dealers will use this as an opportunity to stock their used car forecourts themselves, the auction houses are bracing themselves for a rush. Aston Barclay has already seen the arrival of some 70-plate part-exchanges and MD Martin Potter said the firm expected to see this rise gradually into October. ‘Covid-19-enforced lease contract extensions reach the used market then, which suggests prices may well calm down a little,’ he said. Manheim’s Nothard said: ‘All things remaining equal, any significant increase in quality retail stock from Motability, PCP and contract renewals will be soaked up by the increased focus on used car profitability and large operators recently entering the sector.’ He is, of course, referring to the likes of Cazoo, which is desperately looking to snap up used car stock – so much so that it is believed to have bought Imperial Car Supermarkets to get access to its inventory as much as anything else.
No price crash
A crash in used car prices following the 70-plate part-exchanges arrival in the market is very unlikely, believes Motorway director James Bush. ‘We don’t expect this,’ he said. ‘Demand is so strong across the board as people look to add a second car for commuting post-lockdown that a crash seems unlikely.’ Bush said that when the 70-plate arrived, it was ‘like a cork had popped’ as the number of sellers shifted up a gear. He added that the increased supply might affect prestige models the most, flatlining the price rises at worst, and the sub-£6k stock will be unaffected. Autorola said it was waiting to see how economic conditions affected prices in the autumn, but it experienced record months in July and August with used car demand exceeding supply. ‘There are signs that supply is starting to increase,’ said director Jon Mitchell. Meanwhile, the van market is flying, with Shoreham Vehicles Auctions boss Alex Wright predicting the record prices achieved so far in 2020 will continue well into next year. ‘The current economic uncertainty means many SMEs are avoiding taking out a long-term finance deal on a £25,000 new van and are looking to used vans instead to support their current business workload and expansion,’ he said. While this September may see an increase in used cars beginning to wash through the system, it appears these are more than likely only going to serve to meet current demand. With that in mind, huge price drops, or talk of an end-of-furlough-scheme used car price crash, seem very unlikely. BCA’s Pearson added: ‘The marketplace is operating very efficiently and this is good for all professional operators in the used vehicle sector. ‘Anecdotally, many dealers are telling us that their stock churn has improved significantly, with many holding lower volumes of used cars but still selling as many vehicles as they might have expected pre-Covid-19.’ And that, for many dealers, is better than they could have ever hoped for at the start of lockdown.
Stuart Pearson
We have had up to 1,500 buyers logging in for some individual sales, underlining the appetite the market has for the stock on offer at BCA. Stuart Pearson
CarDealerMag.co.uk | 35
FEEDBACK
Your comments via email to editorial@blackballmedia.co.uk
TOP TWEETS
We featured some top memories from selling via Auto Trader’s print edition. Here’s what Twitter had to say...
@JA_Autos
Pictures taken Monday, cleaning Tuesday & Wednesday, paper out on Thursday. Then wait for the phone to ring. No instant sales in those days.
What are your biggest trade plate problems? So my trade plates finally arrived. I sent the application on June 3 so included June in the payment... I sent them a postal order for £105 which should have covered me for seven months’ trade plate licence as stated on the application. I have now received a letter from them stating that I have been charged £90.75 and that my plates expire on 31/12/20, with no refund of the difference in what I sent. But more to the point, I didn’t actually receive my trade plates until August 29! Do they seriously think I’m paying for the three months it took them to process my application? I tried calling the number on the letter but it says that the line is closed due to Covid-19 (what’s the point of it even being on the letter?). So I have now sent them an email asking them to charge me only for the four months that I will actually have the plates and not from when I sent the application. If the application is anything to go by, they will get back to me some point in the new year... Is this standard for the DVLA and should I get used to it? Please say no! JobDone Without meaning to sound sarcastic, yes they most probably do I’m afraid! Very much a ‘computer says no’ scenario with DVLA! This month’s shout-out goes to Koshka – the CRW cat who owns our multimedia manager Jon Is everyone just putting them in the front and back windows? Reay. She livened up a recent Zoom meeting The rule on not covering the number plate doesn’t make it easy by presenting her upright tail to the camera, to position! causing much hilarity such was its position I purchased a trade plate mounting kit off eBay but relative to Jon’s lap. This was the most wondered if there’s a better way. What holders do you use? family-friendly picture we could publish... JobDone Should be outside the car and vertical as possible. I always used them inside the windows but last year got pulled over and ticketed. The copper really made a meal out of it. Halfpenny My daughter got pulled over last week for no insurance with the plates in the window and plates on MID. Stupid copper said plates only cover tax. ‘No they don’t, yes they do’ argument took place for 20 minutes before my daughter called the police from the copper’s car. ‘Can you tell this guy he doesn’t know his job?’ she said! David Horgan I got pulled over last week for the tank to be dipped for red diesel checks. Then had to spend 15 minutes explaining why I was on trade plates, where I was going, both the plates and the car was on MID. I was using our original set of plates ,which are actually the original metal ones that DVLA used to supply donkey’s years ago. The police officer actually checked to see if they were real as he had never seen any like this before. Ratt101
PICTURE OF THE MONTH @lessismoremike
Nothing better. Ad in the local free papers/regional freebies were awesome. Now you’re just fighting the algos and the unresponsive dealers, both big chain and local. (Yeah I know there are some really good exceptions, both big and small dealers.)
@PistonBroker
I used to buy Auto Trader when I was in middle school. That’s proper day-dreaming! Ah, the days of buying cars using bargain pages. Remember turning up in Acocks Green to look at a 205 XS. Saw it as we approached, didn’t bother stopping! Turn to page 46 to read our Auto Trader feature
More and more of our readers are joining the debate – and it couldn’t be 36 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
Our website at CarDealerMag.co.uk
On Twitter: Follow @CarDealerMag
Forum: CarDealerMagazine.co.uk/forum
FESTIVE FEELINGS
What does the combination of Covid and Christmas herald for traders? I know it’s still a few months away, but I’m sure some of us must have thought about it. Combining two factors of Covid-19 and Christmas, what are your thoughts? Will you be taking the month off and absorbing the expenses that you would have incurred, or is it full steam ahead and sales as normal? Christmas time is generally slower for us, so adding Covid-19 into the mix, I can only anticipate an even slower month. XRD It will be slow. Just plodding along as normal, so see how it goes and play it by ear. Casper Anyone with a viable business before is viable now. People will need and want cars. Rory RSC Absolutely. Customer buying profiles will likely change, but as you say, the positive is people’s need to buy cars is something which will never change, except maybe to some extent the regularity of replacement/s. Oldmarcus Think we’ve lost enough time this year already. If I have the stock then I will be there. The good thing about appointments-only though is there is flexibility. Have a word with the wife I think it will all depend on where you are in the country, what stock mix you’ve got and how quickly you can react to the ever-changing sales environment. I’d just take the opportunities that come along and there’s no point trying to force the market in December anyway, as trying to replace the stock will only cost you more in January. We’ll be open right the way through. Historically, we’ve always made a profit for the month. BMX Bandits
We’ve teamed up with Car Sales Memes to bring you a few of their funniest captions and slogans each month. Enjoy!
What’s so wrong with a Golf GTD? When I bought this Golf GTD (2015, 66k, nice car) into stock, I thought it would be a fairly straightforward sale. I deal in a fair few MX5s and Renaulsports, which are known to attract morons, and never have a lot of trouble. This GTD though is just something else. I’ve had the tyre kickers, test pilots, finance rejects, stupid offers, wildly overvalued part-exes, part-ex for mer taxis not registered in current owner’s name, sensible people that just disappear into thin air, and more... I didn’t think these GTDs were known for messers, am I wrong? The upside is it’s generating plenty of interest, so one of these will eventually convert into a sale, but it’s hard going. JDM1983 Has the cam belt been changed and when was it last serviced? Sorry, it had to be said! Never known more for messers. A genuine buyer will come along when you least expect it. Casper Oh yeah, I forgot, I had a cam-belt man. Offered to get it done and never heard from him again! As you say, it will sell, I just can’t believe the amount of messers on this one car. JDM1983 We had a 2015 DSG GTD and it took a while, but the right buyer comes eventually. Best of luck! XDR
easier to get involved! Sign up to our forum at CarDealerMagazine.co.uk/forum
Search for Car Sales Memes on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and give them a follow! Car Dealer reserves the right to edit comments CarDealerMag.co.uk | 37
DASHBOARD GREATER MANCHESTER
DEALER NEWS A ROUND-UP OF STORIES FROM THE UK AND ABROAD
Lookers reopens fire-hit Renault site LOOKERS has reopened its Renault site in Stockport a year after a fire destroyed it and following a £3m rebuild. The blaze broke out in the servicing and parts area last September and the building in St Marys Way was subsequently condemned by insurers, with the Renault and Dacia businesses transferred to an ex-Mercedes site while the work was carried out. Among the improvements are a new service reception area as well as a Renault customisation zone.
UK
JS Holmes celebrates double anniversary
NISSAN dealership JS Holmes is celebrating a landmark year and looking confidently to the future. The Wisbech St Mary business, which was established in 1955, notched up its 45th anniversary with the manufacturer this year, and sales director Alex Holmes, pictured, said: ‘After our closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, we are now back up and running. We have a long and proud history and are looking to the future with confidence.’
540
The number of jobs lost at Nationwide Accident Repair Services after the garage chain went into administration. Read all about it and many more business stories in our news round-up p44
LOS ANGELES
Pendragon looks to sell JLR interest IMAGE: GOOGLE STREET VIEW
WISBECH ST MARY
PENDRAGON is looking to sell its Los Angeles-based Jaguar Land Rover dealership to Triunity Automotive Group for some £15.8m. In an announcement on September 7, Pendragon said an agreement with the privately owned dealership was reached the previous Friday to offload the trade and assets of the Hornburg showroom in West Hollywood. The figure is subject to adjustments and JLR must approve the sale too.
Carzam creates hundreds of jobs ONLINE car dealer Carzam has created hundreds of new jobs. In posts on social media as the used car dealer gears up for launch in the ‘next few weeks’, boss Peter Waddell, left, says he and Carzam business partner John Bailey, right, are searching for staff across the business. Waddell told us: ‘We will be a true online retailer selling used cars. We are ramping up the business to get ready for the launch and now our transporters are rolling around the country with stock ready for the launch.’ 38 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
UK
Imperial Cars staff axed after Cazoo acquisition IMPERIAL Cars has made hundreds of employees redundant in a wide range of customer-facing roles, after announcing that it will ‘no longer be selling cars’. It said in July that there would be consultations with staff, and employees of Imperial Cars reported on social media on September 10 that hundreds of them had been told their jobs had been axed. The used car supermarket group was bought by Cazoo two weeks before the redundancy consultations were announced earlier in July, and Imperial Cars subsequently announced on its Facebook page that it had stopped selling cars since the acquisition by Cazoo. Imperial operated across 18 sites in the UK, and the roles made redundant included sales managers, sales controllers, business managers and sales advisers.
A trip down memory lane. Auto Trader in print: p46
‘The only reason someone wouldn’t buy a car from us when they get here is that they didn’t like the colour. We chat to supercar dealer Tom Hartley: p52
BRADFORD
Vertu splashes £2.4m on dealership revamp
VERTU Motors has splashed £2.4m on renovating its Farnell Land Rover Bradford dealership. The new-look showroom now boasts a dedicated handover area and enough space for 50 approved used cars. New head of business John Steele, pictured, said: ‘This was a significant investment for the group and has demonstrated confidence in Bradford and its economy.’
BITE-SIZE
Giving to good causes, a Covid scare – and more CAMBRIDGESHIRE: SW Car Supermarket Group has launched a campaign to give £500 to a good cause every three months. Its ‘Share With’ initiative will support groups in Peterborough, where it has two used car showrooms.
GLASGOW: Tesla is looking to open a showroom where Pendragon had a Car Store. It has put in an application for a 5,200 sq m dealership plus a separate plan for a totem post and wayfinding signs at the Kennedy Street site.
PERTH: Pentland Land Rover closed for a day after three workers tested positive for Covid. The John Clark Motor Group site in Dunkeld Road was deep-cleaned and reopened the next day. Close contacts self-isolated for 14 days.
UK: Cambria Automobiles says trading in June and July was stronger than expected, but in the same latest update it also said that ‘significant’ job cuts were on the way. It currently employs some 1,200 staff.
Race to Donington Park for vans at winning prices
Don’t miss our new LCV auctions www.astonbarclay.net
CarDealerMag.co.uk | 39
6 FEATURE
IN-CAR TECHNOLOGIES THAT CHANGED THE GAME
Some systems that we take for granted today were revolutionary when introduced. Darren Cassey looks at how the stuff of sci-fi has become the norm.
T
he advancement of technology in the car industry has been incredible. Not long ago, cars were predominantly made up of the cabin, wheels, and mechanical parts needed to make them run. Nowadays, though, drivers have access to a wide variety of systems that make driving safer, easier and more enjoyable than ever before. Here, we take a look at some of the most important advancements in in-car technology to date.
Satellite navigation
In-car entertainment Providing entertainment while driving has always been a key selling point. In the 1950s, Chrysler even offered a record player that fitted under the dashboard! Radios were joined by tape decks and CD players, then along came smartphone connectivity. Most modern cars now have Bluetooth so drivers can play music and podcasts through their car speakers by hitting play on their phones. The latest is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which provide a simplified version of each operating system in the car. 40 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
Knowing where you’re going takes a lot of stress out of driving. In the past, you’d have to look at a map and figure out a route, then use that map on your journey to try to find your way. However, the advent of in-car satellite navigation systems in the 1990s changed that for good. Still considered something of a luxury – with many cars only including it as an optional extra unless you’re buying a more expensive model – it’s an option most people tick. The peace of mind it provides is usually worth the extra cost, though.
Airbags
Advanced cruise control Cruise control – which sees the car maintain a set speed – is controversial. Those against it believe it means the driver concentrates less, while others say it frees brain space to concentrate more on surroundings. Either way, cruise control systems have advanced to the point where modern cars are almost considered autonomous. These systems combine various different technologies, such as radar-assisted cruise control and lane-keep assist, to maintain a vehicle’s place in traffic without any input from the driver. For those doing long motorway journeys, it can really help with fatigue.
There was a time when it was simply accepted that you were taking a massive risk every time you travelled by car. Fortunately, that attitude changed pretty quickly, as manufacturers came up with new ways to protect occupants in the event of a crash. Airbags made a huge difference, protecting occupants from serious injuries. Although developed in the 1950s, they didn’t come to Europe until 1980, when the Mercedes S-Class offered them as an option, and it wasn’t until the late ’90s before airbags were offered as an option at the very least on most cars.
Automatic air conditioning Ever driven in the height of summer or suffered from a steamed-up windscreen in a car that doesn’t have air conditioning? Neither is particularly fun, with the latter restricting the driver’s view and the former making things so uncomfortable it can be distracting. That’s why air con is one of the biggest innovations in motoring, making driving comfortable for millions of people. If you have automatic air con, you can set the temperature to how you want it in the cabin and it’ll remain constant, which is a luxury many take for granted in 2020.
Car-to-smartphone connectivity We’ve already mentioned how modern infotainment systems integrate seamlessly with smartphones for entertainment purposes, but a more recent innovation has seen manufacturers creating apps that let owners control aspects of their car from their phone. These are particularly popular in electric vehicles, as you can check charging or prime the battery to a good operating temperature before setting off. But other features – such as checking if the car is locked, setting a cabin temperature remotely, or checking the car’s location – work for all vehicle types. CarDealerMag.co.uk | 41
Who’s been saying what to us? Car Dealer Live: p48
DASHBOARD
SUPPLIER NEWS
A ROUND-UP OF WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING ACROSS THE COUNTRY G3 REMARKETING
Five-year deal signed with AvailableCar
G3 VEHICLE Auctions has signed a deal that will see it remarket up to 50,000 vehicles for AvailableCar over five years. The car supermarket is the first headline vendor for G3’s new £12m 14-acre auction centre, which is set to open in West Yorkshire, just off junction 32 of the M62, in January 2021. G3 joint managing director Matt Dale said: ‘This is a significant agreement for our business.’
BCA
Used values top £8,000 for third month in row AVERAGE used car values at BCA in August were more than £8,000 – the third month in a row they’ve exceeded the figure for the auctioneer. It also said that it sold a record number of vehicles online last month, with daily entries averaging more than 6,000 units and August 19 enjoying a record number of 7,400 vehicles in the sales programme – the highest number of vehicles BCA has ever offered in online sales in one day. Conversion rates also stayed high in August, typically exceeding 85 per cent.
HEYCAR
Partnership with Regit will increase exposure
ONLINE new and used car marketplace heycar has joined forces with ‘digital garage’ Regit to expand its reach and visibility of dealers’ stock even further. The agreement will see heycar exclusively provide cars on Regit. It follows recent similar partnerships with What Car? and Motorway. Users of Regit will be able to search for their next car via heycar’s inventory of 150,000 vehicles. 42 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
EPYX
Your website is your shop window, so it should be in brand, up to date, and make your business look professional and trustworthy. Ben Garside p51
WHAT CAR?
Sales volumes top pre-pandemic level
Money-back pledge is made over lockdowns
SALES volumes via epyx’s fleet remarketing platform 1link Disposal Network are now higher than before lockdown, says the automotive e-commerce company. Debbie Fox, pictured, who is the commercial director at epyx, said: ‘Most dealers have had a very buoyant immediate post-lockdown period and now need to replenish their stock levels, so we are starting to see that feeding through into increased demand.’
WHAT CAR? is to refund all fees to dealers and OEMs using its New Car Buying online sales platform for any time their area is in lockdown from October onwards. The move is part of the lead generation service’s back-tobusiness pledge, which it launched when the national lockdown was announced in March. New Car Buying, which was made free, will be chargeable again otherwise from the end of September.
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DASHBOARD
BUSINESS NEWS
A ROUND-UP OF WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING AROUND THE WORLD
BITE-SIZE
Economy boost, local lockdown help – and more ONS: The UK economy grew by 6.6 per cent in July, latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show. However, GDP was still 11.7 per cent below previrus levels, despite lockdown restrictions easing further.
Treasury: Businesses forced to shut because of local coronavirus lockdowns will be able to claim up to £1,500 per property every three weeks. The largest businesses will receive £1,500, while smaller firms will get £1,000.
HMRC: A suspected furlough fraud worth more than £70,000 has led to two people being arrested. HMRC said officers went to homes in Romford and Walthamstow where a 43-yearold accountant and a 51-year-old company director were arrested.
Ford: Ford of Britain boss Andy Barratt has called for the government, energy providers and vehicle manufacturers to come together with a unified electric vehicle goal – saying this could include the creation of a Minister for Electrification.
DEAL
SMMT welcomes trade agreement with Japan THE Society of Motor Manufacturers has welcomed a post-Brexit trade deal signed with Japan that is estimated will boost trade by £15bn. It’s the first major post-Brexit agreement secured by the UK, with international trade secretary Liz Truss agreeing it in principle with Japan’s foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi in a video call. SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: ‘This agreement should help foster a mutually beneficial automotive trade and investment relationship between the two countries.’
ADMINISTRATION
SHORE THING
RULING
Hundreds of jobs lost as McLaren might sell garage chain collapses and lease back its HQ
Ex-VW boss Winterkorn to go on trial for fraud
THE UK-wide garage chain Nationwide Accident Repair Services has gone into administration after trading was badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Some of Nationwide’s subsidiaries have also been placed in administration. The move saved 2,350 posts across 80 sites including repair garages, but 540 jobs have been lost and 30 sites closed.
FORMER Volkswagen chief executive Martin Winterkorn must stand trial on fraud charges relating to the firm’s emissions scandal, a German court has ruled. Buyers of models with the illegal emissions-cheating software were out of pocket, it said. He and four others will face trial on charges of fraud in connection with aggravated tax evasion and illegal advertising.
SPORTS car and Formula One firm McLaren is reported to be looking to sell and lease back its famous HQ in an effort to shore up its business as it deals with the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. It has been at the Norman Fosterdesigned site in Woking since 2003. The sale of the building could raise more than £200m, according to the Guardian.
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WARNING
Toyota GB appoints new president and MD
Scammers pretending to be taxman after cash
TOYOTA GB has announced a new president and managing director – Agustín Martín. He will take over on October 1, replacing Paul Van der Burgh who is retiring. Martín is currently chief executive of Londonbased Toyota Connected Europe (TCEU) and vice-president of the connected technologies division at Toyota Motor Europe. He began his Toyota career in 1995.
CAR dealerships, garages and members of the public are being warned that scammers are pretending to be the taxman and demanding cash on the phone. Conmen are making it look like they’re calling from an official government number – 020 7210 3000 and 020 7210 8500 – when they’re not by changing their caller ID details to give a different number.
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‘Extend furlough’ appeal is renewed RISHI Sunak is facing fresh calls on all sides to bring in a targeted extension to the furlough scheme to avoid massive job losses. A report by the cross-party Treasury Select Committee warns of a ‘cliff edge’ looming with the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme set to end on October 31, with the risk of mass long-term unemployment and hard-hit viable firms put out of business if furlough is ended abruptly.
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REMEMBERING AUTO TRADER IN PRINT
‘IN MANY WAYS SELLING IN THE CLASSIFIEDS WAS AN ART’ Hunting for a used car wasn’t always as easy as it is now. James Baggott looks back at the age of the page...
T
here was a time – believe it or not – before the internet when the hunt for a used car was a labour-intensive research job carried out on paper. While it might feel like a different generation now, not so long ago the art of selling a used car wasn’t anything to do with how flash your website was or how many pictures you took – in fact, it was little more than crafting just 30 words. On the frontline of car sales was one publication – Auto Trader – and while its paperbased version may now be consigned to recycling bins, the fond memories of the classified used car sales magazine lives on. ‘In many ways selling in the classifieds was an art,’ said Car Dealer columnist Big Mike. ‘You paid per word, so we invented a kind of motor trade patois, with abbreviations that are still used today. ‘You don’t need to put e/w for electric windows or c/l for central locking any more, but many of us still do. ‘Old habits die hard. ‘My favourite abbreviation was “bidet”, which meant rear wash/wipe.’ Big Mike – who has been running a used car dealership for years and has written more than 100 columns for Car Dealer – said the publication of Auto Trader and other similar magazines on a Thursday would define his week. ‘I used to put one car – usually a landmark or a heap of crap with a telephone MOT – in a special box as “Car of the Week” and it always sold the day after publication, like it was some form of trophy for whoever bought it,’ he said. ‘I miss the pride in seeing my ad each week and the inevitable typos from phoning in the details. ‘It also made it easier to see what other traders had up for sale. ‘If they had something really unsaleable, I used to put on a pretend voice, phone them up and pretend to be interested in the Hyundai Stellar or whatever cack it was.’ Independent dealer Umesh Samani, owner of Specialist Cars in Stoke, might not have been as cruel – but he has fond memories of the printed Auto Trader magazines too. ‘There was something special about getting the magazine and flicking through pages and pages of cars, circling the interesting ones,’ said Samani. ‘With a magazine, there was no search facility, so customers had to call the dealer to see if the car was still available.’ Samani still believes in offline marketing and advertises in his local paper and free local magazines. ‘It might seem bizarre in this digital world, but I buy and sell cars from these publications as it seems people still like to flick through the pages,’ he added. Others posted on Car Dealer’s LinkedIn page that they loved spending time circling the cars of their dreams – even if they were never going to buy them. Car fan Chris Barker said: ‘Essentially, it was why God created Thursdays and 46 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
I miss the pride in seeing my ads and the inevitable typos from phoning in the details. Big Mike
newsagents. Circling hugely inappropriate sports cars and brazenly attempting to sell the proposition to your parents was a rite of petrolhead passage.’ However, for dealers, inputting all the details for the adverts was a painful memory. John Marshall, operations director for SW Car Supermarkets, said: ‘I don’t miss the manual labour of inputting cars as a salesman and then picking the bones out of the narrative in the adverts. ‘But I do miss having a giggle when we made up colours like Firestorm Red or Milano White to make dog-knob red or base white sound more attractive. ‘I also remember battling with the rep for the best-facing pages.’ The paper-based Auto Trader gave canny dealers a chance to snap up some bargains as well. Former car dealer and now Automotive Compliance director Paul Guy said: ‘I used to wait outside the newsagents for it to open in order get the paper Auto Trader hot off the press. ‘I’d circle the good ones and rush around leaving deposits on a Thursday to buy good stock from private sellers. ‘I’d often grab a bargain when their phones were ringing with other potential buyers… Good times.’ Other dealers at the time even had their newsagents in on their hunt for stock. ‘I had our newsagent on the payroll,’ said Jon Davies, sales director of Focus Motor Group from 1990 to 2002. ‘I got my copy very, very early and bought one or two by lunchtime.’ Nathan Coe, chief executive of Auto Trader, is well aware the business he now runs is very different to the paper-based magazine model the firm was built on. ‘Everyone at Auto Trader is incredibly proud of our rich heritage and just how far we’ve evolved since Sir John Madejski launched Thames Valley Trader in 1977,’ Coe told Car Dealer. Over four decades, the company launched a series of regional magazines and specialist titles, but in 1996 was first out of the blocks to start its digital transformation. ‘In 2013, we stopped the presses completely and went 100 per cent digital,’ said Coe. ‘Today, with a current average of 2.2m cross-platform visits every day, we are by some distance the UK’s largest digital marketplace for new and used cars.’ While the future may be firmly rooted in online, the joy of flicking through pages of classified car adverts, or the art of writing them, will not be forgotten by the motor trade any time soon. ‘It was a real skill,’ added Big Mike. ‘The thing I miss most is going for a “long sit down” and turning to the Bargains Under £1,000 page to decide what to buy for myself, not for my stock. ‘The amount of old Jags and V8 Rovers I picked up back then, I tell you, if I’d kept them all I’d be a millionaire by now.’
I’d often grab a bargain when their phones were ringing with other potential buyers... Good times! Paul Guy CarDealerMag.co.uk | 47
DASHBOARD
INDUSTRY VIEWS
NEWS AND THOUGHTS FROM SOME OF OUR CAR DEALER LIVE GUESTS TWYFORD MOORS CLASSIC CARS
Most classic owners want modern upgrades
HARRY Rochez spoke about how many classic car owners still wanted modern upgrades – be that a fivespeed gearbox or hidden radio. The assistant manager at Twyford Moors Classic Cars said: ‘Upgrades and modernisation are a significant part of what we do. We will restore a car to order for a customer to whatever spec they want, from concours to heavily upgraded. We find that 80 per cent of customers want to have these upgrades.’
HEYCAR
AUTO EXPRESS
Dealers still have a lot to learn about buyers
AUTO Express editor-in-chief Steve Fowler admitted that dealers still have work to do when it comes to informing and educating the buying public. ‘I would phrase it is there’s a great opportunity for dealers. It’s not a great experience. Auto Express publisher Dennis also owns online used car retailer Buyacar, and Fowler added that it was doing ‘phenomenally well’, which he suspects is because other retailers don’t understand the online space. ‘One of the biggest problems in the industry – and I talk about dealerships and OEMs – is that people within this industry do not go and buy cars,’ he said.
ASTON BARCLAY
LSH AUTO UK
SMMT
Quality leads are more Physical auctions could Car buyers still want important than volume be back for some stock to have a destination
More brands will need to form alliances
DURING this busy time for used car dealers, quality leads are more important than volume leads, explained Heycar chief commercial officer Karen Hilton. ‘What dealers need is high-quality leads that convert quickly. As a business, we’re ruthlessly focused on that,’ she said, adding that the more details it could give a sales executive about a customer’s intent and timeline, for example, the easier it made it for the customer to buy.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes predicted more car manufacturers would need to form alliances to avoid further departures from the industry as seen with Mitsubishi – just weeks before Honda and General Motors announced their cost-saving partnership in America. ‘It was really disappointing to see Mitsubishi’s announcement. In Europe, it’s an incredibly competitive market. The regulatory framework is getting ever tougher,’ he said.
48 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
ASTON Barclay is considering returning to physical auction sales – but only for some types of stock. Martin Potter, MD for its customer division, told us that some dealers and buyers had asked it to return to pre-coronavirus physical sales. But he said that Aston Barclay was hesitant about reopening its auction halls for fear of creating unnecessary ‘social gatherings’ and risking driving up the R coronavirus infection rate.
PHYSICAL retail is alive and well at LSH Auto’s 10-acre Stockport site, says managing director of the firm’s UK business Martyn Webb. ‘This environment attracts lots of inquiries and people want to come here,’ he commented. ‘People still want a destination. What we have to recognise is they need to have fewer destination dealerships. Having one big destination then supporting businesses who can offer click-andcollect works.’
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IMI
Online sales in USA are driven by media hype
Government not done enough for industry
CLIFF Banks voiced his scepticism over the number of cars being bought online. The Detroit-based motoring journalist, who has his finger on the pulse of the US new and used car market, said that the trend for online car sales was very much driven by media hype. However, in his Car Dealer Live interview, he was clear that online was helping customers interact with dealers more easily.
IMI chief executive Steve Nash was forthright in his view that not enough had been done by the government to support the industry during Covid. ‘They’ve done almost nothing really specifically to help the car industry. When you look at other countries around Europe and around the world, considerably more has been done. Given how important the car industry is, I think we could expect at least to see some help with VAT, or whatever it may be.’
JIM REID VEHICLE SALES
It’s been an incredible rollercoaster ride but we’re just at the peak of it. July has been the best month in 23 years of trading for me. Umesh Samani Specialist Cars of Stoke
Local lockdown had knock-on effect for us
JIM Reid Vehicle Sales was caught in a perfect storm with local lockdowns in August, despite a series of bumper months for car sales. ‘August was a bit unusual because we had a local lockdown in Aberdeen’, explained boss Jim Reid. ‘Aberdeen was locked down for a three-week period and the knock-on effect was less people on the go.’ Staggering the schools reopening over a two-week period affected the dealership as well.
SPECIALIST CARS OF STOKE
I think we’re all riding the crest of it right now
CAR QUAY
Soaring demand keeps delivery drivers busy CAR Quay’s delivery drivers have been kept extra busy in recent months as demand soars, with a quarter of cars leaving the showroom to be delivered to customers’ doors. Owner Jamie Caple said: ‘Lots and lots of customers are getting deliveries. I joke about Cazoo but we did a lot of deliveries before.’ He added: ‘I think in 500 deliveries over the last few years we’ve had two come back because they probably had unreasonable expectations. ‘We’re probably delivering more now. Probably 20 per cent to a quarter of what we’re selling is being sent out on a truck or plate driver and away they go.’
OWNER of Specialist Cars of Stoke Umesh Samani said we were now at the peak of the used car boom. ‘It’s been an incredible rollercoaster ride but we’re just at the peak of it. July has been the best month in 23 years of trading for me. ‘I think we’re all riding the crest of it at the moment, and long may it continue, but I think the reality is when it comes to stock this is probably the lowest number of cars I’ve ever had as well.’ CarDealerMag.co.uk | 49
DASHBOARD
FINANCE NEWS CORONAVIRUS
Two-speed used cars market is set to stay for rest of 2020 by John Bowman john@blackballmedia.co.uk
A
two-speed used car market is likely to persist for at least the remainder of 2020 as the economic effects of the coronavirus crisis continue to take effect. That’s the prediction by Startline Motor Finance, which says that when it comes to buying a used car, consumers can currently be roughly split into the ‘like to spends’ and ‘have to spends’ and that both groups will need different approaches in coming months. Chief executive Paul Burgess said: ‘To some extent, the “like to spends” have been powering the relatively buoyant market that we have seen since showrooms reopened. They are financially secure, are buying higher-value vehicles, and are happy to take out new finance agreements, probably with larger deposits over shorter terms. ‘These are people who expect to fairly easily weather any coming economic storm and, to a greater extent, we expect them to stay in the market in large numbers for the foreseeable future, if not quite at the same level as recent weeks.’ Meanwhile, it’s the ‘have to spends’ who will probably need more careful thought if dealers and motor finance companies are going to meet their requirements, he said. ‘We are likely to see a lot of economic bad news in the coming months, especially around unemployment, and the confidence of this group of people will be affected, perhaps substantially. They will only be buying a car because they really need one. ‘Also, there are additional factors that are likely to affect them, not least the current high prices being seen for used cars and the desire of increased numbers of commuters to move into private vehicles from public transport while the risk of infection remains. ‘Really, this is where the industry has work to do and where we are working closely with retailers. We need to build propositions that meet the needs of these particular buyers. ‘Pricing is inevitably going to be central, especially the monthly repayment, because of the financial pressures at play. ‘There will certainly be points in the market where buyers feel more comfortable and these need to be identified.’
FLA
Value and volume grow but doubt is cast over recovery NEW and used car finance grew in both value and volume in July, latest figures from the Finance and Leasing Association (FLA) reveal. New business volumes returned to normal levels, but the FLA has cast doubt on a sustained recovery. Data shows business in the consumer car finance market grew 19 per cent by value and nine per cent by volume in July 2020 compared with the same month in 2019. Meanwhile, for used cars, new business grew by 18 per cent in value and nine per cent in volume. In the first seven months of 2020, new business volumes in this market fell by 26 per cent compared with the same period in 2019. Geraldine Kilkelly, head of research and chief economist at the FLA, said: ‘The pick-up in the economy since June has been encouraging, but the sustainability of the recovery remains in doubt. ‘Our latest research suggests that new business in the consumer car finance market is likely to fall by 20 per cent in 2020 as a whole.’
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IN ASSOCIATION WITH
TIME IS MONEY BEN GARSIDE
A MONTHLY LOOK AT THE WORLD OF AUTOMOTIVE FINANCE AND MARKETING
Make sure your online shop window does the business
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Ben Garside is marketing manager for First Response. Call him on 07817 518739 or email ben.garside@frfl.co.uk
ue to the nature of my role, our sales team ask me lots of questions on behalf of dealers. Last week, for instance, I was asked if I knew of any car dealer website providers. As it was over a Teams chat, I quickly fired back: Car Dealer 5, Click Dealer, Starkwood Media and Auto Trader. Obviously, these are just the ones off the top of my head, as the communication needed a quick response. However, these were all providers that dealers have recommended or said they have used in the past – but there are many more out there. Having reflected on it, this was not the best thing for the dealer and I have since gone back and told them not to rush in. When looking at website providers, there are numerous areas to consider and you shouldn’t just be going off recommendations, reviews, etc. The website and provider need to fit your specific needs. For instance, if you’re a small dealership and none of you are technically savvy, you may need a full service agency to do everything, whereas if you are a bit of a wiz online or have a team focused on online lead generation, you may want the functionality at your fingertips. Either way, the past few months have taught us we need speed of change to be at the forefront of any new website or relationships, so make sure you get a good service-level agreement in place if you do go down the full service route. So, what should you be looking for? Well, ‘user experience’ is a must. Your website shouldn’t just be easy on the eye, it should be easy on the mind. Make sure there are no obstacles in the way of your key objectives: getting in contact, applying for finance, finding your location, etc. Your website also needs to be designed in a way that Google favours, and there are some key factors here: Mobile-friendly – This is usually advertised as mobile-first or responsive design, and with most people browsing on their mobiles this is a key algorithm factor. Search engine optimised – We’ve all heard/read or been sold this at some point. The basics are that they have designed the website in a way that Google and other search engines like, and this helps your rankings and helps you appear in more search results. Speed and compatibility – Your website needs to load fast and be compatible with all desktop, laptop and mobile devices. Your website is your shop window, so it should be in brand, up to date, and make your business look professional and trustworthy. Finally, before signing off or signing up to any contract, your website needs to meet the needs of you and your team. Write down everything it needs to do and you want it to do, and make sure it does them!
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Your website shouldn’t just be easy on the eye, it should be easy on the mind.
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FEATURE
‘I’ll probably die in this chair doing a deal.’ Tom Hartley is one of the motor trade’s unique characters. James Baggott was given a personally conducted tour of the tycoon’s dealership estate.
Tom Hartley welcomes James Baggott to his showrooms
52 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
D
irect, focused and to the point, 58-year-old car dealer Tom Hartley has been in the trade since he was a boy. He started out buying and selling cars at the age of 12 and has developed and expanded his business empire to a multi-million-pound set-up that now shifts supercars to the rich and famous. Currently in stock are million-pound motors including a Porsche 918 Spider, Bugatti Veyron and Ferrari F50 – and he’s taken the time to show Car Dealer around. His dealership really is rather unique. Built on a 40-acre estate in Swadlincote, it looks pretty unassuming from the roadside. But behind the electric gates is a treasure trove of supercars spread between two showrooms – the latest just built at a cost of £10m. The new showroom is split over three floors. There’s a lift that takes cars up and down, a car turntable on the basement floor and a classic car section on the top, where a white Wolf of Wall Street special Lamborghini Countach takes centre stage. Next to the showrooms is Tom’s house, rebuilt from the ground up eight years ago – ‘each brick was handmade and cost £1 each’ – and across the immaculately manicured lawns is his son and business partner Carl’s home. Elsewhere on the estate his other children have homes too. ‘I built this,’ he tells Car Dealer during our visit. ‘I have never borrowed a penny in my life. I have never had a mortgage or a loan – what you see here has been bought and paid for with my own money.’ And that includes the stock. Business partner and son Carl tells us there’s often more than £30m-worth of metal on the estate, paid for with cash. ‘My dad taught me that we make an offer and stick to it – and pay up,’ said Carl. ‘We’re buying and selling cars all the time. ‘We sold six on Saturday – business has never been better.’ The Hartleys give us a guided tour of their latest showroom – pointing out the glass floors so you can see the cars from below. Carl’s office is in the centre of the showroom, behind domed glass, where he sits at a huge desk with smart new leather chairs for clients. Next to the office is a bar with wine chilling on the counter and optics of Grey Goose vodka on the wall. ‘We don’t sell cars here really,’ explains Tom. ‘The only reason someone wouldn’t buy a car from us when they get here is that they didn’t like the colour. ‘I’d say we convert at least 90 per cent of the people who drive through those gates. We know who they are and what they want before they get here.’ And Hartley says this continued throughout the lockdown – while the coronavirus shut dealerships across the country, the family firm carried on unaffected. ‘We were the only dealership in the country legally allowed to open during lockdown as this is my home and business. I live here, I work here.
PICTURES: NIGEL SWAN
Multi-million-pound motors at the Swadlincote dealership ‘Carl and I have our board meetings around the breakfast table over a boiled egg.’ The Hartleys even took advantage of the lockdown. While supercar prices have dropped 15 per cent since the pandemic, says Carl, that’s opened up opportunities. ‘People are selling and we’re buying at the right price,’ he said. ‘And we’ve been very busy. The rich aren’t really affected by a recession, it just presents more opportunities.’ Tom walks me round the estate, starting in his office – a polar opposite to the modern interior of his son’s. ‘See my computer?’ he says, pointing to a pen and a telephone on the rolltop leather desk. ‘I don’t need a computer. That’s how I make my deals – with a pen and phone.’ Covering the walls are countless press cuttings of the Hartleys in the limelight. From the days he set the price of the Jaguar XJ220 at half what Jaguar wanted to sell it at, to pieces about his sons following in their father’s footsteps. It feels like a gentlemen’s club, with red leather chairs and deep carpet. Hartley’s tour also takes in his famous lake – in the back garden of his house is the car photograph stage like no other. At a cost of £250,000, he built a platform just under the waterline so his multi-million-pound stock could be photographed in reflective glory. It’s a marketing masterpiece that has brought him worldwide attention. ‘I spotted photographers when they came to the estate would wet the tarmac in front of the cars with a hose to light up the cars better when they took the pictures of them,’ he said. ‘At 3am one morning I got the idea for the lake and called my son. He thought I was mad. It’s now become the most famous car stage in the world.’ This year he published his autobiography ‘The Dealmaker’ – a term he says he has trademarked and has to send out countless legal letters every week to defend. His book has sold 12,000 copies since release in the UK and the same amount in the States where it is ‘going mad’. Car Dealer was sent a review copy and we have to say it’s well worth a read. It’s clear to see why Tom has been such a success. His attention to detail is impeccable and hospitality second to none. He’s attentive, interesting and great company. It’s clear he loves the motor trade too – and is doing what he can to help others. ‘I am happy to help others out and inspire the next generation of dealers,’ he said. ‘I hope the book does that. I like to inspire the next generation. My children were educated at this desk from the age of 11 onwards.’ And his passion for his estate stretches to life after it too, admitting to Car Dealer that he’ll be buried in a tomb on the site. ‘I’ll reveal now I have made plans to be buried on this site in a tomb – I’ll probably die in this chair doing a deal,’ he said. Hartley is cagey about revealing how much the family firm makes, but says the company accounts don’t reveal the full picture. However, with a chequebook able to purchase multimillion-pound cars at the drop of a hat and a dealership built with no expense spared, few would argue that Hartley has the collateral to back up his claims. ‘There are other car dealers, and then there’s Tom Hartley,’ he said. ‘I’ve had offers to take the brand and license it and it has value. We could have taken investment and gone bigger but we don’t need to. I like to be in control. I don’t want to answer to 12 people round a boardroom table. I make the calls with Carl. It works.’ After nearly 50 years in the motor trade, where does Tom go from here? ‘It’s all about the next deal. Deals drive me. It’s not about the money, it’s not about the cars, it’s about the deals,’ he said. So why not sell executive saloons at a car supermarket, where he could get the thrill of the deal countless times a day? ‘That’s not me – I like quality, I like supercars and the prestige that comes with them. I’ll stick with the Ferraris.’
See anything you fancy?
At 3am one morning I got the idea for the lake and called my son. He thought I was mad.
Carl and Tom Hartley
Click here to see the video of our interview with Tom Hartley CarDealerMag.co.uk | 53
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COVID-19
Employers within rights to warn staff holidaying in quarantined areas of disciplinary action
E
mployers are well within their rights to threaten staff with disciplinary action if they decide to go on holiday to a country knowing they’ll have to self-isolate on their return. As of August 20, if people are coming back from Croatia, Austria, and Trinidad & Tobago, they must self-isolate for 14 days, while the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Jamaica were added to the list a week later. Complicating things is that individual nations of the UK are now bringing in different rules for different overseas places – especially the Greek islands – at different times and it seems to be changing every few days, often at a moment’s notice. Car Dealer has been made aware of some firms telling staff that if they go ahead with a holiday to a country on the quarantine list they face disciplinary action when they return. Employment expert Kiril Moskovchuk, from motor trade legal specialists Lawgistics, said he thinks dealerships are within their rights to warn staff they face serious conversations when they return if they haven’t cleared it beforehand. ‘I would say if the employee knowingly goes to a place subject to quarantine requirements and makes no efforts to resolve this issue with the employer beforehand, it will probably lay grounds for a warning.’ Colleague and solicitor Nona Bowkis said there could be rare instances where it may be appropriate if the employee was abusing the system. However, if the quarantine was announced after they’d left the UK, there was little that people could do. She said bosses and employees should work together in these cases to find a solution, such as home-working. ‘Employees could take extra annual leave, unpaid leave or, potentially, the employer could pay SSP,’ she added. ‘There is no one-size-fits-all employers should take Car dealer new strip ad approach, Revised and 4/4/18 12:01 Page 1 advice.’
Kiril Moskovchuk The quarantine rules here are correct at the time the page was produced but may change. For the latest UK updates, visit here for England, here for Wales, here for Scotland, and here for Northern Ireland.
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If the employee makes no efforts to resolve this issue beforehand, it will probably lay grounds for a warning.
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Call 01530 833535 or go online for account application CarDealerMag.co.uk | 55
ADVICE
COVID-19
What should you do if someone at your business tests positive for coronavirus? Rebecca Chaplin examines the rules and guidance governing the responsibility of employers and employees.
D
ealerships went to great lengths to prepare for reopening after the lockdown and to prevent the spread of coronavirus – but are they fully aware of what steps they’ll need to take should an employee have symptoms or even test positive? Car Dealer reported that Pentland Land Rover Perth had to close because three workers tested positive for the virus, despite significant efforts to prevent the spread. If someone at your car dealership is showing symptoms, knowing what to do next can be confusing. You need to be familiar with what steps are your responsibility and what role the government will play. Understanding these rules and guidance will also help you understand how to prevent losing all of your workforce for potentially 14 days. The best way to avoid this is still to follow the social distancing guidelines, maintain good hygiene and ensure close contact is limited between employees – but what should you do if someone tests positive who has visited or works in your dealership?
What should I do if an employee starts to develop Covid-19 symptoms?
If an employee develops symptoms, they should order a test as soon as possible. This can either be delivered to their house or they can book a drive-through appointment. As soon as they’ve ordered the test, they’ll be asked to tell NHS Test and Trace about anyone they’ve been in close contact with.
Who will have to self-isolate apart from that employee?
Close contact doesn’t necessarily mean the entire dealership. If you’ve been able to practise social distancing and keep workers apart as much as possible, they won’t be classed as ‘close contact’. It only means if they’ve had face-to-face contact within one metre – including being coughed on, had skin-to-skin physical contact or contact within one metre for one minute – or have been within two metres for 15 minutes of someone who has tested positive, or 56 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
Employers should help their staff self-isolate if they show symptoms Information here is correct at the time of publication but in the current climate may change at any time. For the latest updates, visit our website at cardealermagazine.co.uk and gov.uk/coronavirus
If a confirmed Covid-19 case has been in the dealership, how do I clean it?
have travelled in the same vehicle. If perspex screens or similar have been used, it’s not considered sufficient contact. Apart from this, only full medical-grade PPE is considered sufficient and general PPE, such as face masks, still risks transmission.
Do my employees have to tell me whom they’ve come into close contact with?
It’s recommended that if an employee has symptoms or tests positive, they inform their employer of whom they came into close contact with in the workplace and they must then tell those people. The employer should keep this anonymous. When someone first shows symptoms and orders a test, they will be encouraged to contact anyone they’ve come into close contact with in the 48 hours before these symptoms began. These people do not need to isolate unless advised by Test and Trace or a health professional, according to government advice. If the test comes back positive, Test and Trace will get in touch with these close contacts and inform them to self-isolate for 14 days.
Is it my responsibility to make sure they self-isolate?
If someone has tested positive for coronavirus and they’ve been working in the dealership, you must first ensure you are wearing at least the minimum level of PPE to clean it: a face mask, plastic apron and gloves. Areas that the person has spent minimal time in can be cleaned as normal. However, all surfaces they have come into contact with should be cleaned and disinfected. This should include potentially contaminated areas such as door handles. You should ensure there are disposable cloths, paper rolls and disposable mop heads to clean all hard surfaces, floors, chairs, door handles and sanitary fittings. The advice says ‘think one site, one wipe, in one direction’.
You should help your employees to self-isolate if they have symptoms, have tested positive, live in the same household as someone in those categories, or have come into close contact with someone who has tested positive and they’ve been advised by NHS Test and Trace.
What about uniforms or waste they might have left on site?
The government advice for cleaning laundry is that they can be washed as normal. When it comes to waste, the advice is to put this in a bin bag then another bin bag and store it somewhere safe until the test results are known. If they test positive, it should be stored for at least 72 hours before being disposed of. If you need to dispose of it sooner, it should be kept separate from other waste and collected by a specialist contractor or hazardous waste firm.
If an employee develops symptoms they should get tested as soon as possible CarDealerMag.co.uk | 57
DATA FILE
STATISTICS
THE LATEST REGISTRATION FIGURES AUGUST 2020
New car registrations fall in traditionally quietest month
SMMT
SALES DATA
AUGUST/YEAR TO DATE
TOP
THE CARS SOLD IN AUGUST 2020
by James Baggott james@blackballmedia.co.uk
N
ew car registration figures for August were down 5.8 per cent, says the SMMT – as predicted by Car Dealer. Sales, which rebounded in July when they went up by 11.3 per cent, dropped the following month to 87,000 units. Private car demand was down 1.7 per cent in August, with fleet down 5.5 per cent. In August 2019, 92,573 new cars were registered. However, insiders say the underlying picture is one of growth as last year a large number of cars were registered because of emissions rules. EU legislation meant a number of cars had to be registered before August 31, 2019, and this inflated the month to an unusual level. August is also traditionally the quietest for new car registrations as customers hold out for the new registration plate on September 1. The fact this August’s drop is only marginal and comes off the back of a pandemic and amid a tough economic climate will be seen as a win for the motor trade. Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: ‘The decline is disappointing, following some brief optimism in July. ‘However, given August is typically one of the new car market’s quietest months, it’s important not to draw too many conclusions from these figures alone. ‘With the all-important plate change month just around the corner, September is likely to provide a better barometer. As the nation takes steps to return to normality, protecting consumer confidence will be critical to driving a recovery.’ New car registrations were down 97.3 per cent in April, 89 per cent in May and 34.9 per cent in June. All eyes now turn to September, which many in the motor trade are predicting could be the biggest month for registrations ever.
Model
Regs
Ford Fiesta
3,372
Volkswagen Golf
2,570
Ford Focus
2,391
Ford Puma
2,128
Vauxhall Corsa
2,081
Mercedes-Benz A-Class
1,722
Volkswagen Tiguan
1,645
Volkswagen Polo
1,466
Ford Kuga
1,434
Kia Niro
1,417
CROWN REGAINED
Ford’s Fiesta is tops as Kia Niro grabs chart glory
Number one again – the Ford Fiesta 58 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
BRITAIN’S favourite supermini the Ford Fiesta resumed its place at the top of the sales charts in August. Ford notched up 3,372 registrations of its perennial supermini, pushing July’s best-seller, the Vauxhall Corsa, down to fifth. August’s top 10 list also saw two new entries, with the Ford Puma slotting in fourth and the Kia Niro grabbing tenth place – the first time the South Korean car has had a chart entry. The full top 10 is given above. The Fiesta also continues leading the year-to-date chart with just under 30,000 registrations so far in 2020. The rest of the top 10 year-to-date chart is made up of the Focus, Corsa, Golf, A-Class, Qashqai, Mini, Polo, Tiguan and Yaris.
Van registrations LCV news: p60
-63%
+29%
ALFA ROMEO
SKODA
Figures supplied by SMMT
August 2020 Marque
Abarth Alfa Romeo Alpine Audi Bentley BMW Chevrolet
2020
% market share
August 2019 2019
Year-to-date
% market share
% change
2020
% market share
2019
% market share
% change
-42.81
146
0.17
118
0.13
23.73
1,273
0.14
2,226
0.15
77
0.09
208
0.22
-62.98
1,202
0.13
2,305
0.15
-47.85
6
0.01
12
0.01
-50.00
73
0.01
126
0.01
-42.06
6,120
7.02
9,062
9.79
-32.47
58,542
6.39
100,513
6.62
-41.76
58
0.07
96
0.10
-39.58
747
0.08
1,062
0.07
-29.66
5,360
6.14
4,853
5.24
10.45
63,386
6.92
104,072
6.85
-39.09
0
0.00
32
0.03
0.00
0
0.00
55
0.00
0.00
Citroen
1,689
1.94
1,798
1.94
-6.06
16,636
1.82
35,655
2.35
-53.34
Dacia
1,180
1.35
1,031
1.11
14.45
11,171
1.22
21,044
1.39
-46.92
DS
148
0.17
187
0.20
-20.86
1,294
0.14
2,286
0.15
-43.39
Fiat
1,077
1.23
881
0.95
22.25
11,354
1.24
20,105
1.32
-43.53
Ford
10,843
12.43
10,764
11.63
0.73
89,531
9.78
155,602
10.24
-42.46
Honda
1,744
2.00
2,592
2.80
-32.72
16,505
1.80
30,641
2.02
-46.13
Hyundai
3,076
3.53
2,686
2.90
14.52
26,202
2.86
54,251
3.57
-51.70
Infiniti
0
0.00
34
0.04
0.00
0
0.00
275
0.02
0.00
Jaguar
1,059
1.21
1,049
1.13
0.95
14,356
1.57
23,312
1.53
-38.42
418
0.48
411
0.44
1.70
2,505
0.27
4,099
0.27
-38.89
4,179
4.79
3,452
3.73
21.06
42,259
4.62
63,799
4.20
-33.76
2,042
2.34
1,677
1.81
21.77
33,396
3.65
47,922
3.15
-30.31
368
0.42
424
0.46
-13.21
7,648
0.84
8,974
0.59
-14.78
56
0.06
54
0.06
3.70
359
0.04
665
0.04
-46.02
1,128
1.29
1,509
1.63
-25.25
12,679
1.38
25,724
1.69
-50.71
Mercedes-Benz
5,234
6.00
5,040
5.44
3.85
61,171
6.68
110,086
7.25
-44.43
MG
1,010
1.16
663
0.72
52.34
10,568
1.15
7,989
0.53
32.28
Mini
2,013
2.31
1,819
1.96
10.67
24,731
2.70
38,052
2.51
-35.01
Jeep Kia Land Rover Lexus Maserati Mazda
Mitsubishi
578
0.66
715
0.77
-19.16
6,215
0.68
11,504
0.76
-45.98
Nissan
2,621
3.00
2,328
2.51
12.59
39,305
4.29
61,262
4.03
-35.84
Peugeot
3,520
4.04
3,608
3.90
-2.44
31,362
3.43
53,618
3.53
-41.51
Polestar
26
0.03
0
0.00
0.00
34
0.00
0
0.00
0.00
Porsche
709
0.81
646
0.70
9.75
7,077
0.77
8,208
0.54
-13.78
Renault
2,805
3.22
1,872
2.02
49.84
24,672
2.69
36,172
2.38
-31.79
Seat
2,236
2.56
3,610
3.90
-38.06
27,860
3.04
46,779
3.08
-40.44
Skoda
3,603
4.13
2,802
3.03
28.59
32,836
3.59
49,368
3.25
-33.49
Smart
116
0.13
212
0.23
-45.28
710
0.08
3,742
0.25
-81.03
SsangYong
56
0.06
80
0.09
-30.00
897
0.10
1,251
0.08
-28.30
Subaru
34
0.04
52
0.06
-34.62
400
0.04
1,518
0.10
-73.65
Suzuki
1,395
1.60
2,092
2.26
-33.32
11,085
1.21
25,919
1.71
-57.23 -22.64
Toyota
4,137
4.74
4,205
4.54
-1.62
53,396
5.83
69,023
4.54
Vauxhall
5,075
5.82
4,864
5.25
4.34
52,422
5.73
109,826
7.23
-52.27
Volkswagen
8,790
10.08
11,334
12.24
-22.45
83,340
9.10
137,408
9.05
-39.35
Volvo
1,381
1.58
1,268
1.37
8.91
23,037
2.52
35,545
2.34
-35.19
88
0.10
140
0.15
-37.14
1,135
0.12
1,936
0.13
-41.37
1,025
1.18
2,293
2.48
-55.30
12,244
1.34
5,097
0.34
140.22
87,226
100
92,573
100
-5.78
915,615
100
1,519,016
100
-39.72
Other British Other imports Total
CarDealerMag.co.uk | 59
DATA FILE
AUGUST 2020
LCV NEWS
Van market falls after the first increase of 2020 by John Bowman john@blackballmedia.co.uk THE LCV market suffered a 16.1 per cent drop in demand in August – reversing the growth enjoyed in July. Figures released on September 4 by the SMMT show that 19,407 vans and pick-ups were registered, quashing the optimistic signs of July, which saw the first growth since January with a rise of more than seven per cent. By way of contrast, August 2019 saw LCV sales soar by 41 per cent, which was the strongest growth since April 2013. Chief executive Mike Hawes said: ‘With this sector particularly sensitive to the economic outlook, which remains uncertain, we urgently need measures to restore operator confidence to invest and renew their fleets.’
REGISTRATIONS OF NEW COMMERCIAL VEHICLES LESS THAN 3.5 TONNES Marque
Ford Mercedes Volkswagen Peugeot Citroen Vauxhall Renault Fiat Toyota MAN Nissan Mitsubishi LDV Iveco Renault Trucks Isuzu Isuzu Trucks Land Rover SsangYong Fuso Hyundai Total light CV
Figures supplied by SMMT
August 2020
2020
% market share
August 2019
2019
% market share
% change
2020
Year-to-date
% market share
2019
Mercedes Fiat Peugeot Ford Volkswagen Iveco MAN Citroen Vauxhall Renault Other imports Isuzu Trucks Nissan Renault Trucks Total heavy CV
% change
5,384 4,100 2,530 1,874
27.74 21.13 13.04 9.66
7,259 4,751 2,966 1,206
31.40 20.55 12.83 5.22
-25.83 -13.70 -14.70 55.39
49,377 18,558 16,290 14,284
31.66 11.90 10.44 9.16
82,084 26,166 28,283 21,365
33.45 10.66 11.53 8.71
-39.85 -29.08 -42.40 -33.14
1,087 1,077 732 576 483 350 343 259 153 144 116 101 43 25 19 11 0 19,407
5.60 5.55 3.77 2.97 2.49 1.80 1.77 1.33 0.79 0.74 0.60 0.52 0.22 0.13 0.10 0.06 0.00 100.00
1,413 1,211 1,776 603 274 96 378 295 74 173 92 436 52 32 18 12 3 23,120
6.11 5.24 7.68 2.61 1.19 0.42 1.63 1.28 0.32 0.75 0.40 1.89 0.22 0.14 0.08 0.05 0.01 100.00
-23.07 -11.07 -58.78 -4.48 76.28 264.58 -9.26 -12.20 106.76 -16.76 26.09 -76.83 -17.31 -21.88 5.56 -8.33 0.00 -16.06
12,134 14,911 5,721 4,177 4,675 1,231 5,567 2,476 658 1,447 751 2,088 559 762 205 113 0 155,984
7.78 9.56 3.67 2.68 3.00 0.79 3.57 1.59 0.42 0.93 0.48 1.34 0.36 0.49 0.13 0.07 0.00 100.00
18,397 19,173 14,185 6,448 4,977 974 7,862 7,309 397 1,811 913 2,981 536 914 433 128 64 245,400
7.50 7.81 5.78 2.63 2.03 0.40 3.20 2.98 0.16 0.74 0.37 1.21 0.22 0.37 0.18 0.05 0.03 100.00
-34.04 -22.23 -59.67 -35.22 -6.07 26.39 -29.19 -66.12 65.74 -20.10 -17.74 -29.96 4.29 -16.63 -52.66 -11.72 0.00 -36.44
REGISTRATIONS OF NEW COMMERCIAL VEHICLES 3.5 TONNES TO 6.0 TONNES Marque
% market share
August 2020
2020
107 99 67 62 25 24 5 4 2 1 0 0 0 0 396
60 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
% market share
27.02 25.00 16.92 15.66 6.31 6.06 1.26 1.01 0.51 0.25 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 100.00
August 2019
2019
113 110 144 37 5 22 2 12 1 1 0 1 1 0 449
% market share
% change
25.17 24.50 32.07 8.24 1.11 4.90 0.45 2.67 0.22 0.22 0.00 0.22 0.22 0.00 100.00
-5.31 -10.00 -53.47 67.57 400.00 9.09 150.00 -66.67 100.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -11.80
2020
904 814 691 647 103 152 33 91 7 7 134 3 0 0 3,586
Figures supplied by SMMT
Year-to-date
% market share
25.21 22.70 19.27 18.04 2.87 4.24 0.92 2.54 0.20 0.20 3.74 0.08 0.00 0.00 100.00
2019
1,066 1,311 1,532 149 56 338 61 129 122 49 0 13 2 5 4,833
% market share
% change
22.06 27.13 31.70 3.08 1.16 6.99 1.26 2.67 2.52 1.01 0.00 0.27 0.04 0.10 100.00
-15.20 -37.91 -54.90 334.23 83.93 -55.03 -45.90 -29.46 -94.26 -85.71 0.00 -76.92 0.00 0.00 -25.80
Figures supplied by SMMT
DATA FILE
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W: mobil.co.uk T: 0800 0857 420 Info: Whether using Mobil 1™ or Mobil Super™, Mobil™ engine oils meet or exceed the latest standards of the oil industry and vehicle manufacturers.
W: werecruitauto.co.uk T: 01603 550041 Info: Permanent recruitment – here to assist businesses within the automotive sector find the best fit for their company in terms of skillset, experience and culture.
W: ben.org.uk T: 0808 131 1333 Info: Ben is a not-for-profit organisation that partners with the automotive industry to provide support for life to its people and their families.
W: carcareplan.com T: 0344 573 8000 Info: Car Care Plan is a leading provider of motor protection products, trusted around the world to deliver quality protection with integrity and a customer-oriented outlook.
W: Your website address T: 020 8125 3880 (that’s us!) E: sales@blackballmedia.co.uk Info: The Suppliers Guide lets dealers find the companies they need to help them with their business. Make sure you’re here. Contact us via the above number or email address.
W: momentumwarranties.co.uk T: 0330 445 0059 E: support@momentumwarranties.co.uk Info: How long does your warranty company make you wait? We pay claims into your bank within 45 minutes. The most advanced warranty programme in the UK.
W: wmsgroup.co.uk T: 01844 293810 E: sales@wmsgroup.co.uk Info: Open 24/7, we offer award-winning warranty products for FCA- and non-FCA-registered dealerships.
W: blueskyinteractive.co.uk T: 01926 651000 Info: Bluesky Interactive drive dealer websites and digital marketing forward thanks to game-changing innovation, the latest technology and our exceptional relationships with our clients.
W: haswent.com T: 020 3920 6164 E: hello@haswent.com Info: Composer is a next-gen automotive platform. You have extensive stock management options, and you’ll gain a brilliantly responsive new website.
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LONG-TERMERS
THE KNOWLEDGE Volvo V60
VOLVO V60 Brits love an estate car and they don’t come much better than the Volvo V60. James Baggott has been impressing passers-by in his load lugger.
T
hey say beauty is in the eye of the beholder but for the Volvo V60 that’s simply not true – everyone loves the look of this classy estate. Britain’s love affair with the estate car is long and well documented. We simply adore a load lugger, thanks to their propensity to swallow pretty much anything you throw at them. Dogs? No problem. Blow-up paddle board and a barbecue? Down in one. A ridiculous amount of Ikea boxes that only a lunatic would buy without a van? The Volvo’s your man/ car. That might sound like it’s coming from someone with experience of them all, and you’d be right. Whatever I’ve thrown at, or in, the Volvo V60 it’s swallowed up with room to spare. During the past few months it’s helped with an office move, a post-lockdown gardencentre raid and countless trips to the beach. I’ve been testing this Volvo out for what’s approaching 10 months, and in that time I’ve come to realise that you simply don’t need anything other than an estate car. Don’t get me wrong, some SUVs float my boat – but they’ll never look as handsome as a tourer. More than once I’ve been stopped at fuel pumps or in car parks and told I own a ‘great-looking car’. I lent the Volvo to a colleague the other week and they too were stopped by a couple desperate to know the colour. (It’s Maple Brown if you’re wondering.) I think it helps that the V60 has the blond leather interior that not only makes it look like a cup of well-stirred coffee but also has an air of country estate about it. The 20-inch, 10-spoke alloys fill the arches perfectly and the Thor-hammer headlights, smart body kit and lowered sport chassis (£400 option) make this – and I know I’m biased, but I’ll say it anyway – the best-looking estate car on the road. Recently, though, there have been a few irritations. The Apple CarPlay isn’t reliable and sometimes needs a full reset for it to work again. I’ve tried changing the cable the phone’s connected to and it’s not my handset, as others have experienced issues too. The doors can be frustrating as well. They’re supposed to open when you place your hand around the handle and it senses the key, but one in five times it won’t and you have to try it several times before it opens. And it seems to be happening far more frequently than before. I’ve mentioned it in previous reports, but the built-in sat nav might as well not be there. It’s not great, and when the CarPlay is working, Google Maps beats it hands down every time. But all of these are small chinks in the Volvo’s otherwise Viking-strong armoury. I love the 360-degree parking camera, which makes getting into even the tightest spots a breeze, and for £700 it’s worth choosing. I can’t recommend the Bower and Wilkins premium sound upgrade (£2,500) highly enough either. My time with the V60 is nearing its end, though. I was supposed to have it for 8,000 miles, which normally takes six months or so to clock up, but thanks to lockdown it’s remained with me for what will be nearly a year by the time it goes back. For my last few weeks, I’m going to ponder the question: is there anything I’d change on the specification should I order again? I will feed back what I think in my end-of-term report. Until then, I’ll be continuing to be at the forefront of the campaign for Make Brown Cars Again...
Price (as tested): £50,295 Engine: D4 Diesel Power: 190bhp Torque: 400Nm 0-60mph: 7.6 seconds Max speed: 137mph Emissions: 117g/km CO2 MPG (combined): 64 Mileage: 7,515
This month’s highlight: Making sure people realise brown is a great car colour.
OTHER CARS WE’RE DRIVING
SsangYong Korando Mileage: 2,855 The compact crossover SUV has some really clever but also rather bizarre features.
Audi A1 Sportback Mileage: 1,620
We’re starting to get very attached to the A1 and will enjoy using it as much as possible. CarDealerMag.co.uk | 63
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