Car Dealer Magazine: Issue 179

FOUNDER

James Baggott james@thebaize.com Twitter: @CarDealerEd

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

James Batchelor james.batchelor@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @JRRBatchelor

CHIEF SUB-EDITOR

John Bowman john@blackballmedia.co.uk

STAFF WRITER

Jack Williams jack.williams@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @JournoJack25

MULTIMEDIA MANAGER

Jon Reay jon@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @JonReay

HEAD OF DESIGN

Graeme Windell graeme@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @graemewindell

CONTRIBUTORS

Becca Chaplin, Jack Evans 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 michelle@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @cardealermich

WELCOME.

If you’re anything like me and you expected to ease into January with a bit of work to do here and there but nothing too taxing, then this month will have come as quite a shock.

I’m not presuming that you’re as lazy as me, but let’s face it, January is normally a quieter month if you’re on a forecourt or sitting typing words on a keyboard producing this magazine.

Well, January 2023 certainly isn’t one of those.

Even before the Christmas decorations were down and mince pies were on clearance in Sainsbury’s, we were reporting on the latest trials and tribulations of Cazoo. The January blues had started early for the most notorious used car dealer in recent years, with the news that the New York Stock Exchange had suspended trading in Cazoo warrants and begun delisting proceedings.

Just a couple of days later, accounts from Cinch Cars showed that the Rylan-fronted operation had lost an eye-watering £149m in the year ended April 3, 2022, while parent company Constellation Automotive Group waved goodbye to a cool £800,000 in the same period.

While I type this, the editorial team are covering even more bad news from Cazoo concerning further site closures and founder Alex Chesterman’s surprising switch in job roles. And in between the beginning and the middle of the month, there has been the small-fry news of Tesla slashing prices and harming used car values, Pendragon facing a £260m High Court battle, plus the government considering allowing new cars to have their first MOT test four years after being registered instead of three.

Oh, and not to mention Constellation (that name again) being forced to sell off Toyota and Lexus dealerships that subsidiary Marshall Motor Group had acquired, and our exclusive story (although rival magazines later poached it) that BMW will stop supplying cars to police forces following a series of fires in recent years.

As if all that wasn’t enough, things have been gathering speed with our exciting new conference. Car Dealer Live – The Future of the Car Dealer is coming to the British Motor Museum on March 9 and we’re busy organising a fantastic array of speakers for you. Tickets are already selling fast – again demonstrating that this January is proving to be far busier than anyone could ever have imagined.

Enjoy the magazine.

Even before the Christmas decorations were down and mince pies were on clearance in Sainsbury’s, we were reporting on the latest trials and tribulations of Cazoo.

JAMES BATCHELOR Associate editor

USED TESLA VALUES TANK

• Prices of Model 3, S and X cars are dropping significantly as used buyers shun EVs

• While new electric vehicle market holds steady, used customers are put off switching

• High cost of energy, charging worries and even insurance costs are deterring people

by James Baggott @CarDealerEd

Used Tesla values have begun to freefall with one of its models losing a FIFTH of its value in just 12 months. Values are in a tailspin as experts blame rising electric prices and swathes of new models arriving seriously damaging prices.

The Model 3 is the worst-performing electric car, according to industry used car pricing experts Cap HPI, losing some 23 per cent or £9,900 in the last year alone.

In a table of the worst-depreciating electric cars, Teslas take up three of the top five spots.

The Model S is the second worst performer, losing 22 per cent in the last year.

The Model X has lost 13.4 per cent in the last 12 months.

Cap HPI generated the values of a one-year-old car each month and shared the data with Car Dealer. The figures compare with an average drop over the last 12 months for a one-yearold used car with 10,000 miles of just 2.2 per cent. The fall in Tesla used prices accelerated in the latter months of 2022 and has continued into the new year. While electric cars in general have been badly hit in the used market, dropping significantly more than petrol and diesel vehicles, it’s Tesla owners who have been feeling the pain.

In the past three months alone, the Model 3 has dropped 15 per cent, while the Model S (8.9 per cent) and Model X (four per cent) have also seen values tumble during that period.

As of January 2023, the cumulative loss for the last 12 months means the Model S has lost £17,916, the Model X £12,829 and the Model 3 £9,900.

‘It has been well documented of late that new car sales of electric vehicles are going from strength to strength, but this is not replicated in the used car market,’ said Cap HPI EV valuations expert Chris Plumb.

‘Battery electric vehicles remained the most challenging area of the used car market throughout the last month of 2022, as values reduced for the fourth consecutive month.’

The Model Y – introduced in March 2022 – has fared better over the year with values currently up 11.2 per cent over the same 12-month period. However, it has also suffered in the last quarter, with those initial gains achieved earlier in the year that mostly came as a result of demand for it being a new model rapidly disappearing.

In the last three months, the Model Y has lost 14 per cent of its value.

Tom Barnard, editor of Electrifying.com, told Car Dealer there were a number of reasons for the dramatic price falls. He said: ‘We saw at the end of 2022 that the market for new Teslas was saturated, and the company had to heavily discount and pre-register to try to move stock. That will naturally push down the value of older examples.

‘Many of the older Model 3s will have been bought on leases and are now being returned after three years, with a large proportion being sold on the open market where they will find

James Attwood editor of Moveelectric.com

Tesla Model 3 -23%

Tesla Model S -22%

Audi e-Tron -15%

Jaguar I-Pace -14%

Tesla Model X -13%

Mercedes EQC -13%

Smart ForFour Electric -10%

Audi e-Tron Sportback -9%

BMW i3 -8%

Renault Zoe -8%

a natural price level rather than through the managed Tesla-owned channels.

‘The one big advantage Tesla still has is the Supercharger network, but the shine has been taken off by the opening-up of some charge points to all EVs last year, and recent negative publicity surrounding queues at peak times.

‘We also hear some private and business buyers are put off by Tesla’s high insurance rates, with groupings comparable to supercars.’

James Attwood, editor of Moveelectric.com, said the figures are understandably bad news for Tesla and come at a time when its stock price is plummeting too.

He told Car Dealer: ‘These figures underline the pace at which the electric car market is moving and the competition Tesla now faces within it. Having enjoyed an almost unrivalled status in the car market, rivals are now being launched weekly.’

He said he also believed electric cars buyers are ‘fickle’ and want the latest products – and with many Model 3 and Y models now on the roads this ‘brand allure has been inevitably dented’.

Derren Martin, director of valuations at Cap HPI, told Car Dealer that ‘consumer demand for used electric vehicles has dropped away’.

Martin said people are being put off by high charging costs and the fact they are more expensive to buy than equivalent petrol or diesel models.

‘Electric cars are often an aspirational purchase, and in a cost-of-living crisis people are not necessarily going out and buying them at the moment,’ he said.

‘They’re expensive vehicles and there’s more of them coming back into the market. So it’s kind of the wrong time with demand dropping away and supply increasing – that really only leads to one thing.’

PRICE CUTS ON

VALUES of used Teslas are likely to plummet even further because of the latest price cuts on new models, used car pricing experts have revealed.

Cap HPI reported that after just 16 days of 2023, the Tesla Model 3 had already dropped by six per cent (£2,200) in January, while the Model Y was down 5.5 per cent (£2,700).

The data is from Cap HPI’s Live product and is based on up-todate sold evidence in the trade market on one-year-old cars.

Cap HPI said it had fielded numerous inquiries about pricing data for Teslas since the cuts and said they will likely cause a ‘further impact’ on used values.

The firm’s director of valuations, Derren Martin, said: ’It is likely that the price drops will encourage buyers into a new Tesla, potentially making used ones less attractive at current prices, particularly as new car lead times for these two models are relatively short.

‘With the volumes currently being remarketed, there could well be a further impact on used values, which are already under considerable pressure, having moved down around 15 per cent over the final three months of 2022.’

CLICK ON THE GRAPHIC TO VIEW AN INTERACTIVE VERSION

THE BIGGEST LOSERS IN 2022

by James Batchelor @JRRBatchelor

Some of the largest carmakers in the UK market recorded significant losses in new car registrations last year.

While new brands Genesis, Cupra and Polestar triumphed with gains of 697, 90 and 79 per cent respectively, it wasn’t a rosy year for some.

Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show Seat posted the largest fall in new car registrations with a 48.67 per cent drop, while Jaguar Land Rover, Volvo and Mercedes-Benz all recorded hefty declines too.

The top 10 of the biggest losers is listed here.

Overall new car registrations fell to a 30-year low in 2022.

A total of 1.61m new cars were sold in 2022 – a two per cent fall on the year before and a 30 per cent drop on pre-Covid 2019.

INAUGURAL EVENT

Top dealers, Auto Trader and Google to give glimpse of future at Car Dealer Live conference

Leading car dealers, Auto Trader and Google will be among those giving their thoughts on what the future holds for car dealers at a special Car Dealer Live event. Cambria Automobiles boss Mark Lavery will be one of the headline guests at the first Car Dealer Live conference in March. He’ll be chatting on stage about the future for the company after taking it off the stock market and making it private. Google’s search experts will also be talking about future trends for used car buyers.

Headline partner Auto Trader plus sponsors Close Brothers Motor Finance and Cox Automotive will deliver exclusive White Papers, sharing their thoughts on future trends. Car dealers giving their opinion on the live stage will include Waylands Automotive CEO John O’Hanlon, Hendy Group CEO Paul Hendy and Snows Motor Group COO Neil McCue. Independent dealers will be represented by Carshop CEO Nigel Hurley, supercar dealer Premier GT’s boss David Trigg and Car Quay founder Jamie Caple with more names being added soon. Meanwhile, Jonathan Goodman, CEO of Polestar UK, and Guy Pigounakis, commercial director of MG Motor UK, will take part in a manufacturer session focusing on what they think car retailing will look like in the future.

Car Dealer Live – Future of the Car Dealer takes place on March 9 at the British Motor Museum at Gaydon. Tickets are available now, costing just £149, which will include a buffet lunch plus coffee and pastries on arrival.

Streaming tickets are also available that give access to the entire day’s sessions on video, which will be viewable again after the event, at £199.

By attending, either in person or digitally, you’ll be helping automotive industry charity Ben too, as 10 per cent of all ticket sales will be donated by Car Dealer Magazine.

Car Dealer editor-in-chief James Baggott, who is hosting alongside associate editor James Batchelor, said: ‘We’ll be interviewing some incredible guests and revealing some exclusive research which will be sure to inspire our attendees. It’s going to be a great day.’

OVERVIEW

11 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND THE CAR DEALER LIVE CONFERENCE

Buying a ticket means you’ll be helping Ben

And there’s more to come… We’re still adding to the Car Dealer Live line-up. In the run-up to the event on March 9, 2023, we’ll be announcing more guests and more details of the sessions that you can enjoy. Stay tuned to find out more.

Headline partner

HEADLINE INTERVIEW

What does the future hold for Cambria Automobiles away from the stock market?

Boss Mark Lavery on why he decided to end group’s listed status and take it private. What’s next for Cambria Automobiles and what he thinks the industry holds for car dealers in an age of agency sales.

FRANCHISED DEALER PANEL

WHITE PAPER SESSIONS AGENDA IN FULL

How EVs will disrupt the status quo

Auto Trader will be exclusively revealing findings of its extensive consumer study into how the growth in electric vehicles is set to dramatically disrupt the status quo, with the surge of new entrants in the market threatening decades of brand loyalty.

Behaviour trends of today’s used car buyer

What does an agency sales future look like for franchised car dealers? Will online sales ever take over from physical showrooms? Our franchised dealer panel will chat to the Car Dealer team about what they think is in store for the industry.

INDEPENDENT DEALER PANEL

Google industry manager Gavin Taylor will offer knowledge on how today’s used car buyers use the internet’s biggest search engine, and how it can help you.

Are car dealers really set up for an omnichannel future?

9.30

Arrivals – coffee and welcome pastries

10.15

Welcome in auditorium from Car Dealer editor-in-chief James Baggott 10.20

Keynote interview – Mark Lavery, CEO, Cambria Automobiles 10.50

Franchised dealer panel – sponsored by Close Brothers Motor Finance 11.15

Coffee break and networking 11.45

White Paper session with headline partner Auto Trader 12.15

From car supermarkets to supercars, what’s next for the used car market? After years of buoyant used car prices and booming demand, how will a recession and changing consumer demands affect the market? Our experts will give their views

MANUFACTURER PANEL

Cox Automotive will be sharing the findings of its conversations with car dealers about the depth and success of their digital retail activities. Plus it’ll be discussing the expectations of today’s car buyers, highlighting what creates a successful buyer journey, and exploring some of the ways car dealers are connecting the digital and physical worlds.

Session to be announced

Close Brothers Motor Finance will be talking through the results of its exclusive White Paper, details of which are to be announced closer to the date of the conference.

Independent car dealer panel –sponsored by Auto Trader 12.45 Buffet lunch 1.30 White Paper session with Close Brothers Motor Finance 2.00

Car manufacturer panel – sponsored by Cox Automotive 2.30

White Paper session with Cox Automotive 3.00

Google keynote interview 3.30

Event finishes

With agency sales incoming, car manufacturers are seemingly taking different approaches to car sales in the future. From new-on-the-scene manufacturers to old hands, manufacturer representatives will be interviewed by the Car Dealer team on what they think the future holds for car dealers.

Mark Lavery

CEO, Cambria Automobiles

John O’Hanlon

CEO, Waylands Automotive

Nigel Hurley CEO, Carshop

Paul Hendy CEO, Hendy Group

David Trigg CEO, Premier GT

Jonathan Goodman CEO, Polestar UK

Neil McCue COO, Snows Motor Group

Jamie Caple Founder, Car Quay

Guy Pigounakis Commercial director, MG

on the future of independent car dealers in this panel session.

Don’t just take our word for it.

“As a dealership we've worked with Warranty First from the very beginning and have recommended them to 3 other dealers who have also teamed up and couldn't be happier.

You won't get a better cover level from anyone else and so far none of my customers have had a complaint. Our Account Manager is second to none and has always gone out of his way to support us as we grow.

Couldn't ask for any more from them, we can't recommend them highly enough.”

Midland Motorhouse

on diversity

The Diversity and Inclusion category was a new addition to the Car Dealer Used Car Awards last year, and it proved to be hugely popular with dealers and businesses all keen to highlight the work that they’re doing in this vital area.

Taking one of the highly commended places was Mazda Motors UK, which was the only carmaker to appear on the shortlist.

Earlier in 2022, Car Dealer sat down with Laura Brailey, head of retail operations at Mazda Motors UK, who’s spearheading the carmaker’s Gender Balance Initiative, to discover more about the challenges facing the motor trade when it comes to recruitment, gender balance and greater inclusivity.

‘When I started on this journey 18 months or so ago, it became clear to me this isn’t just personal to Mazda but to the industry,’ she said. ‘More than that, it’s how different we are as an industry about this – some dealer MDs I talk to get it straight away.

‘The biggest issue right now – and this is true of many other sectors – is attracting good, talented people, whether they are male or female, black or white. I genuinely believe if we do not tackle the female element as a starting point, we are already halving the talent pool.’

One area Brailey has been working on is ‘gender decoding’ and analysing the language used in job adverts. She discovered that many adverts for dealership roles use language that

‘I’ve spoken to dealers, and the ones who run their adverts through decoding tools and then change the language and even the job titles are amazed at the increase in women Brailey is also working on getting dealers to change salary structures, making them more

‘In July 2022, we did some research about people and the three areas that dealers think are most critical or most challenging at the moment,’ said Brailey. ‘The three areas were development and training, recruitment, and remuneration. But if we focus more on

Mazda UK also carried out consumer research and discovered that customers

Brailey and Mazda have moved fast on the initiative. The goal is to have 30 per cent representation of diverse women in key leadership roles by 2030 across the

The carmaker is working closely with the Automotive 30% Club, and already 40 per cent of Mazda’s dealer network are signed up to the

Brailey is determined to continue addressing the balance and to make the motor trade a more inclusive, welcoming and happier environment to work in.

I genuinely believe if we do not tackle the female element as a starting

‘Focusing

will surely help other critical areas as well’

Top Mazda Motors UK exec Laura Brailey tells James Batchelor

Laura Brailey Head of retail operations at Mazda Motors UK

USED CAR BUBBLE

Over the past three years, the used car market has boomed. Prices have risen across the spectrum as supplies of new models have been held up by the coronavirus crisis and global supply issues with semiconductors.

But with experts predicting new car sales will rise by more than 20 per cent in 2023, even against a challenging economic backdrop, the market for used models could well be about to do a hard reset – and not before time for stockstarved used car retailers or the general car-buying public, who have been paying substantially more for older models in the past two years than they have in recent memory. It’s not something that will happen quickly, though.

Used car sales platform Auto Trader is predicting a 22 per cent rise in new car sales in the coming 12-month period. Brand director Marc Palmer said: ‘With so many different variables at play, predicting the direction of the market is never an easy task, and not one we take lightly. But as ever, we are led by the data.

‘As we have found this year, the market performance has been dictated by supply, not demand. We have consistently seen on our marketplace, where there is stock there is strong demand, whether that be for new or used cars – a trend we fully anticipate continuing into 2023. And while the year ahead will be a demanding one, based on what we’re tracking across the market, we believe it is in a far stronger position than previous periods of economic turbulence.’

This, in part, is thanks to pent-up demand in the marketplace. Mike Hawes, chief executive of the SMMT believes that even in tough economic circumstances, demand for new cars remains. He said: ‘The automotive market remains adrift of its pre-pandemic performance but could well buck wider economic trends by delivering significant growth in 2023.’

This will have a knock-on effect on used car values. But any softening in prices isn’t likely to be immediate. The upsurge in new car supply, which is predicted but not yet in the pipeline as semiconductor production remains in high demand, will eventually lead to a tailing-off in used prices, though.

Indeed, in some areas of the market it already has. According to online sales platform Autorola, diesel prices fell in Q4 of 2022 by 5.8 per cent, which it put down to used stock simply being older than it used to be, as fleets are forced to extend renewal times because of the compromised supply situation with new cars.

More pertinently perhaps, used EV values fell by 8.3 per cent, which Autorola attributed to customers being concerned about overstretching themselves to cover the generally greater purchase costs against a challenging economic backdrop.

Autorola’s UK group sales director, Jon Mitchell, said: ‘We are witnessing a shift in the type of stock we are selling, with diesels proving less popular and petrols and hybrids increasing in popularity. Used EV demand and prices meanwhile are falling during the current cost-ofliving crisis, which is helping boost both petrol and hybrid sales.’

Used car prices fell for the first time in over two years in November 2022, albeit by just 2.7 per cent after a 19 per cent year-on-year increase, but they were still up year on year.

According to ALA Insurance, which offers gap policies, the highest ‘reverse depreciation’ (ie, increase) in 2022 went to Mazda, with used values of its models increasing by 20.1 per cent during the year, followed by Skoda at 13.9 per cent. The average cost of a used car in the UK at the end of 2022 was £18,066. But if the UK economy follows that of the USA, prices could be about to tumble. Following 12 months of record inflation, used car prices in the North American market fell by 14.9 per cent in 2022 as a lack of consumer confidence saw sales drastically wind back. The flip side of this, of course, is that a collapse in used car values will contribute to a drop in inflation as a whole.

Mazda had the highest ‘reverse depreciation’ for used cars in 2022

November’s dip in used car prices could be a sign of bigger things to come – but not immediately.

Predicting the direction of the market is never an easy task, and not one we take lightly.

We are witnessing a shift in the type of stock we are selling...Used EV demand and prices are falling.

Marc Palmer Auto Trader’s brand director

Jon Mitchell Autorola’s UK group sales director

WILL THE

FINALLY BURST IN 2023?

Pandemic showed us who our industry friends are –and those to avoid in future

Back when the world locked down at the start of the pandemic, I’m sure many people like me had their heads in their hands and were wondering just how business would continue.

Here we were with a printed magazine, ready to be sent out across the country to car dealerships that would have no one in them.

I couldn’t honestly insist that our advertisers honoured their agreements with us when I couldn’t, hand on heart, say that the magazines we were due to be sending out would ever be seen. So I didn’t. We eventually cancelled printing the magazine completely and threw everything into building an online publication.

I’ll always remember the conversations I had at the time with suppliers, clients and advertisers. The overwhelming feeling that we were all in this together and that we would try, where we could, to help each other out was profound.

Those were dark days, locked inside, but the help and support from across the industry, the camaraderie and the laughs certainly helped get me through it.

As a small business owner, those were difficult times, but I firmly believed that making the right choices then, doing the right thing by our customers and our readers, would one day pay off.

And pay off it certainly has. We’ve enjoyed huge growth on our website ever since we swapped to pure digital publishing. Some 6.5m people read our website last year, and in the past three years more than 19m people have read our content. We’ve also forged amazing relationships with the people who promote their businesses with us. We support them and they support us – just how the automotive industry should behave.

But it wasn’t all rosy. There were some companies that acted in self-interest in those troubled days, that made short-sighted decisions and failed to help others out.

Sadly, we encountered that with Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre. It was due to hold our CDX conference in the year of the pandemic, which obviously couldn’t go ahead due to restrictions.

Most businesses during that time helped others out by moving dates, working out ways to make changes that were beneficial to both parties – but not Farnborough. No, this business instead decided to keep the £25,000 deposit we had paid and claimed force majeure – a get-out clause that the cancellation was not its fault.

Obviously we knew that was the case, but rather than work with us to move the event and deposit to another day, Farnborough kept the money and wanted to charge us again.

We argued that wasn’t fair. Yes, technically their stance was right, but morally it would have been better to move it. But despite our pleading, emails to its shareholders and even our local MP getting involved, Farnborough wouldn’t budge. It banked our money and refused to help.

You might have thought that after that experience I’d be steering clear of live events, but no – we’re back and, unsurprisingly, have chosen a new venue for our Car Dealer Live conference. Inspired by the people we’ve been talking to over the past few years in our online video series, we’ve decided to bring that all together in one place at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon.

If you remember CDX, Car Dealer Live is the best bit of that – the live stage – where we interview experts and dealers about their thoughts. Dubbed ‘the future of the car dealer’, our forthcoming event on March 9 is sponsored by Auto Trader, which will be delivering exclusive research into buyer trends. I’ll be talking to some of the biggest names in automotive retail, including our headline interviewee Mark Lavery, CEO of Cambria. He’ll be telling us why he took the business private and his hopes for the future.

Tickets are available now at CarDealerLive.co.uk – I hope to see as many of our industry friends there as possible.

out

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.

Twice stolen... Attraction of Passat was eventually clear

As I’m sure you’re all aware, one of the few perks of working in the used car trade is that if ever you need a particular type of vehicle for a particular type of job, you can usually pluck something from stock to tick whatever box needs ticking. And when ‘borrowing’ a 2008 VW Passat estate from my lot the other week to do a tip run, I remembered with a wry smile the last time I’d borrowed a Passat estate almost 30 years ago. At the time, I had two young children and we’d booked one of those ready-to-go camping holidays in the south of France. I’d recently left the main dealership world behind and had set up a used forecourt with a business partner on the western outskirts of Birmingham, and a couple of weeks before we set off, the perfect car came in from the auction: a tidy, high-mileage maroon Passat wagon with a frugal turbodiesel under the bonnet. Just the ticket for a 1,600-mile round trip to the French Riviera. We’d enjoyed eight out of 10 nights away in the sunshine, only to be met with apparent disaster the day before we were due to drive home. I unzipped the tent in the morning, went out to have a cigar – and discovered a big gap outside the tent where I’d parked the car the evening before.

Having your car stolen while on holiday is somewhat suboptimal, especially when all your passports and travel documents are in the glovebox (the first and only time I’ve ever made that mistake). so imagine my relief when the car was discovered abandoned in the nearest village, the only damage being to the steering lock and ignition barrel, which could easily be sorted once I got back home.

I walked into the village, retrieved the Passat and drove it home, hotwiring the ignition every time I needed to start it. The rest of the journey passed without event.

Once back at base, I ordered a used ignition lock from my local friendly VW breaker, tidied it all up and put the car on the forecourt at £2,495, assuming that’d be the last time it went missing.

But I was wrong. Two days later, I came into work to find the Passat had disappeared off the lot, and this time I didn’t expect it to turn up in the local village, partly because Birmingham had a different class of car thief to rural France, and partly because I lived in a sprawling metropolis where the nearest village was in a different county.

Imagine my surprise then when the car was found just a few miles down the road, again undamaged and with hardly any mileage accrued by whoever had helped themselves to it. I recovered it, ordered another set of locks and reduced the price so that I could sell it before the rule of threes dictated that it’d get stolen again.

Sadly, I’d still not heard the end of it. The new owner decided to go on holiday to France himself but only got as far as Dover before it attracted the attention of a sniffer dog and he was ushered into a special booth, where his car and clothing were stripped. He was, of course, innocent and sent on his way, but Customs and Excise did find several traces of Class A substances inside the panels of the rear load bay and under the back seat.

I later discovered that there was a drug-smuggling gang operating out of Birmingham at the time, with a supply line of the finest African marching powder finding its way to the UK via Gibraltar. The smugglers were driving it through Europe into France, whereupon they’d find a British family on holiday, steal their car and fill all of its inner body panels with cocaine, sometimes with a street value of almost a million quid. Once the car was back in the UK, they’d nick it again and retrieve their contraband.

Unbeknownst to me and my brood, we’d driven all the way from Cap d’Agde to Bromsgrove with thousands and thousands of pounds worth of drugs on board, the smugglers clever enough to realise that the people least likely to be stopped and interrogated at Dover being young families driving back from holiday with a boot full of beach balls and cheap red wine.

As for the Passat, I actually bought it back as the buyer was – understandably –somewhat put off owning it. But rather than even attempt to sell it again, we used it as our family car for the next seven years and put another 100k on the clock, even daring to take it on a couple more French trips. We named it Charlie.

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.

OUR MAN ON THE INSIDE SHARES HIS THOUGHTS ON THE CAR BUSINESS

Who is Big Mike?

We’d enjoyed eight out of 10 nights away in the sunshine, only to be met with apparent disaster the day before we were due to drive home.

January will be the acid test when it comes to ‘normal’ used car sales

It is New Year’s Eve as I sit and write this. The children have been palmed off to grandparents to attempt building impossibly detailed Airfix kits and Lego Technic machines. The rain is teeming down, and as my wife and I try not to eat yet more Cadbury Heroes, there is a sense of normality that we haven’t seen since before the pandemic.

I’m not sure how to describe the used car market for the last quarter of 2022. ‘Normal’ but not ‘new normal’. ‘Old normal’?

Many dealers reported stronger-than-expected used car sales in November, which in ‘old normal’ times used to be a real slog. But the early part of December really felt like how it was in 2018; the market slowed drastically. No surprise, I suppose, given that every year the festive ‘season’ gets extended by desperate retailers who seem to replace Easter eggs with advent calendars.

Used car buying seasonality was affected in the past couple of years by lockdowns, partial lockdowns, limits on numbers of people mixing within households; trading felt reasonably consistent within periods that would have traditionally felt quieter. It also seemed used cars benefited from a rampant desire to spend money typically reserved for holidays, weddings or other Covid-affected items that flattened demand curves.

The true test of this return to ‘old normal’ will be what happens in January. In pre-pandemic times, the sluggish November and December markets were vanquished by buoyant consumer appetite in January. It’s too early to know if that’ll happen in 2023 but it’s highly likely.

The one thing that is certain about 2023 is that supply levels will certainly not return to ‘old normal’. Older used cars, especially lowermileage cars and those with high specification, continue to maintain eyewatering residual values and that can only continue for the time being.

There is one exception worth noting, though. We have seen many small used car price bubbles over the past couple of years, fed particularly by the actions of the online car buying services. Running used cars through WeBuyAnyCar is as effective a used car market health check as there is and the speed at which prices change is very enlightening.

The segment that has seen the complete destruction of a very large price bubble is the used EV market. Prices and demand for EVs increased dramatically following the Russian invasion of Ukraine; concerns over availability and prices of fossil fuels meant many buyers moved from combustion engines to EVs, and given the lack of new car supply, the limited used car market was on fire.

What we saw during the second half of 2022 was a settling of fuel prices, the focus by manufacturers on the supply of EVs and the cost of electricity rising to such an extent that it can be as pricey to charge a large-capacity battery on an EV as it is to fill the fuel tank of a large combustion engine car. This means many dealers have caught or will be catching the most terrifying colds on used EVs. I know of one dealer group that stands to lose £60k on just six Teslas that had only been in stock for three months. There is little evidence there’ll be a return to heady values on used EVs as this is the only market that will benefit from more supply.

So, what awaits us in 2023? A Heroes tub of just Dairy Milk or mostly Chocolate Eclairs?

Trader Tales

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.

One dealer group stands to lose £60k on just six Teslas that had only been in stock for three months.

CAR NEWS ROUND-UP

DACIA Inception concept car said to give range of 497 miles

Seven-seat Jogger is UK electrified first

DACIA is introducing its first electrified model in the UK with a hybrid version of its seven-seat Jogger MPV.

Priced from £22,595, the Jogger Hybrid combines a naturally aspirated 1.6-litre petrol engine with two electric motors and a compact 1.2kWh battery.

Driven via an automatic gearbox, it delivers 138bhp and a 0-60mph time of 10.1 seconds, while CO2 emissions stand at 112g/km. Dacia claims up to 56.5mpg combined, too.

Dacia says that thanks to regenerative braking and high levels of energy recovery, the Jogger Hybrid can spend up to 80 per cent of drive time on urban roads in electric-only mode, saving 40 per cent on fuel versus the standard model. The battery is also covered by an eight-year or 100,000-mile warranty.

Plug-in hybrid MX-30 has rotary engine to add distance

MAZDA has revealed a plug-in hybrid version of its electric MX30 crossover, powered in part by a new rotary petrol engine.

The MX-30 R-EV takes elements of Mazda’s existing batterypowered electric car and adds a petrol motor, extending the possible driving distance between visits to a charge point. The newly developed 74bhp rotary engine has been slotted under the bonnet alongside a 164bhp electric motor.

Unlike most petrol/electric plug-in hybrids, the MX-30’s petrol engine never directly powers the wheels. Instead, it helps top up a 17.8kWh battery for a smooth performance, says Mazda.

SUZUKI has revealed its eVX concept car that is expected to go on sale during 2025.

It uses a 60kWh battery said to be capable of delivering up to 342 miles of electric range. The chunky proportions tie in with Suzuki’s ‘strong 4×4 DNA’, and although initial details are scarce, the car’s high ride height and chunky bumpers suggest that it could be a more off-road-focused model than other EVs that are on sale today. It was unveiled at Auto Expo 2023 in Delhi.

eVX concept set to go on sale in 2025

SUZUKI

PEUGEOT has unveiled the Inception concept car as a hint at the innovations to come from the French firm. Based on Stellantis’s new STLA Large platform, which will be used on future production cars, the Inception uses a 100kWh battery – twice the size of most current Peugeot EVs – which is said to give a range of 497 miles.

It packs two powerful electric motors, producing 671bhp and allowing for a claimed 0-60mph time of under three seconds. The concept will also use 800V battery tech for super quick-charging speeds – Peugeot claims 93 miles of range can be added in five minutes. It is also said to be capable of wireless inductive charging.

PEUGEOT

Manufacturers have been refining their models and producing new ones. We look at some of the results...

MAZDA

Avenger named as top European car

HONDA

Jazz gains more power with updates

HENNESSEY

Track-focused Venom F5 brings about a Revolution

HYPERCAR firm Hennessey has revealed its new track-focused Venom F5 Revolution.

JEEP’S first electric car – the Avenger – has been crowned the 2023 European Car of the Year.

Announced at the Brussels Motor Show, it’s the first time a Jeep has even been a finalist in the awards, which are voted for by 57 motoring journalists from 22 European countries.

Designed, engineered and manufactured in Europe, it shares an electric powertrain with other Stellantis products but has a more rugged focus than products from siblings DS, Peugeot and Vauxhall.

HONDA has announced a series of updates for its Jazz supermini, with the model gaining a new Advance Style trim level plus an upgraded hybrid system.

The fourth-generation Jazz was introduced in 2020 and sold purely as a hybrid. Its 1.5-litre petrol-electric setup has now been updated, with the electric motor, generator motor and engine all producing more power, giving a total output of 120bhp –14bhp more than before. The gearbox has also been revised.

Based on its regular Venom V5, Hennessey says the model has been ‘comprehensively re-engineered’ to make it more suitable for track work, although the model will be sold as a road-going car.

The firm has reduced the weight, with motorsport-inspired influences made to the aerodynamics, suspension and engine cooling, while digital telemetry has also been added.

I-Pace updated with new trims and UK-only 400 Sport variant

JAGUAR has given its electric I-Pace SUV a light refresh while introducing new specifications.

As well as new trim levels, all new I-Pace models have gained an updated grille finished in Atlas Grey. The front bumper and lower door finishers have been painted the same colour as the body, too, rather than gloss black as before.

Available in the UK only, the I-Pace 400 Sport now sits at the top of the range of trim levels and brings a number of sportier additions, such as a tailgate spoiler plus 22-inch gloss black alloy wheels. Prices for the 400 Sport start from £79,995.

BERTONE

BERTONE has a new limitededition hypercar capable of reaching up to 236mph.

Called the GB110, it’s been created by the famous Italian coachbuilder to celebrate its 110th anniversary while ‘opening a new chapter in the Bertone history’.

Limited to 33 units, it’s been designed with ‘state-of-the-art’ technology while also paying tribute to Bertone’s designs of the ’60s and ’70s.

It’s believed to be the first hypercar that will be supplied with fuel from plastic waste.

Special SL Roadster marks F1 season end

MERCEDES is marking the end of the 2022 Formula 1 season in style with a limited-run version of its new SL Roadster – the Motorsport Collectors’ Edition.

Although Mercedes came third in the 2022 season’s constructor standings, behind Red Bull Racing and Ferrari, the firm is celebrating nonetheless.

Based on its SL63 4 Matic+ model, the vehicle gains a number of touches reflecting the look of the 2022 Mercedes Formula 1 car.

MERCEDES

GB110 hypercar fuel to come from plastic

JAGUAR

Group ‘forced’ to sell 19 sites

NEWS DIGEST

CLICK ON THE PICTURES FOR THE FULL STORY

CONSTELLATION

Automotive

Group is believed to be selling a swathe of Marshall’s Toyota and Lexus dealerships.

The deal could see it shift 13 Toyota showrooms and six Lexus and isn’t thought to be the choice of Constellation. Marshall Motor Group is currently the second biggest partner for the Japanese brands, behind Steven Eagell.

Sources told Car Dealer the deal was being ‘forced’ by the manufacturer. Toyota GB told Car Dealer it will have an ‘ongoing relationship’ with Constellation.

APPOINTMENTS

Major shake-up at Harwoods

Up to 15 of Cazoo’s customer handover centres – opened with a fanfare over the past few years across the UK – are scheduled to close if the proposals go ahead. The number of Cazoo preparation centres could also be reduced to three. Staff in Cazoo’s technology team and head office are under the threat of redundancy as well following the announcement on January 18.

Bentley clocks up record global sales

Ben launches text support service

FORMER Volvo Cars UK managing director Jon Wakefield has been appointed CEO of Harwoods Group.

Car Dealer exclusively revealed rumours that Archie Harwood, the group’s current CEO, was stepping down.

Staff told Car Dealer they’d been briefed about the changes at the top. In a statement issued later to Car Dealer, those moves have now been confirmed.

Two non-executive directors – William Fall and Mark Squires –have also joined the board.

BENTLEY has sold more than 15,000 cars for the first time.

The Crewe-based manufacturer saw global sales rise by four per cent to 15,174 cars in 2022 versus the previous year.

Adrian Hallmark, chairman and CEO of Bentley Motors, said: ‘In what was another year of unpredictability, the business overcame significant headwinds and demonstrated great resilience to deliver the third consecutive record sales year.’

INDUSTRY charity Ben has launched a new service to help those who are struggling with their mental health.

It said it regularly saw a rise in demand for support during winter, and the forced positivity that a new year brings can feel like extra pressure to many. People needing support outside of Ben’s helpline hours of 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday can text the word BEN to 85258 to be connected to a trained professional who will give support.

CAZOO is consulting staff on the closure of a large number of its premises across the country in a move affecting hundreds of employees.

James Baggott p17

Luxury showroom to be replaced

BYD appoints first UK franchise partners

ACQUISITION

HPL Motors is bought for

A HIGH-END dealership is to tear down its showroom to make way for a ‘landmark’ replacement.

SuperVettura – the official UK dealer for Koenigsegg – will demolish its Sunningdale building during the first quarter, with the new one opening in 2024. It’ll be business as usual while work takes place though, thanks to a smaller ‘boutique’ showroom nearby.

Founder Christian von Koenigsegg said the new dealership would be ‘a landmark showroom’.

CHINESE EV manufacturer BYD has appointed its first UK franchise dealer partners ahead of cars going on sale in the coming months.

The firm – whose initials stand for ‘Build Your Dreams’ – says it aims to start UK sales in the first quarter of this year, after success in several other European countries and global sales of 1.8m in 2022.

Among the dealer groups to sign up to represent BYD in the UK are Pendragon, Arnold Clark, Lookers and LSH Auto.

RRG owner Marubeni Auto Investments has snapped up used car supermarket group HPL Motors.

The deal sees HPL Motors, which is based in the north-west of England, join the group for an undisclosed sum. HPL was the 41st most profitable in the UK in the Car Dealer Top 100. It generated EBITDA profits of £11.1m in 2021.

HPL runs sites in Preston, Oldham and Atherton. Founder Jonathan Herman retains a minorityb shareholding and stays as its MD.

PROPOSALS

MOT delay plan

GOVERNMENT plans to let owners of new cars, motorbikes and vans delay their vehicle’s first MOT by a year have been met with an angry backlash by the industry.

The Department for Transport has launched a consultation on the future of MOT tests, but Edmund King, president of the AA, said the proposals went against public opinion. He also highlighted the effect that such measures could have on road safety.

APPLICATION

Lookers looks to replace showrooms

LOOKERS has submitted plans to demolish two of its showrooms in Brighton to make way for a state-ofthe-art dealership.

The firm wants to knock down its existing Smart and MercedesBenz showrooms, which are on the same site, and put up a two-storey showroom in their place. It said the new dealership would have space for 12 vehicles inside, seven of which would be dedicated to MercedesBenz vehicles.

is met with horror

EXPANSION

LOOKERS and Waylands

Automotive will open new Polestar Spaces this year, as the electric Swedish performance brand looks to considerably.

Polestar told Car Dealer in 2022 it was looking to double its UK representation from three to six sites in 12 months

Now, Lookers and Waylands Automotive are the first dealer groups to be revealed in the plans. It operates an agency model in the UK, with the transaction handled by the manufacturer.

GIGAFACTORY

HERE ARE TASTERS OF STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

NEWS DIGEST

CLICK ON THE PICTURES FOR THE FULL STORY

A COUPLE are to marry after a surprise proposal during a vehicle handover at Bristol Street Motors York Renault Dacia.

The location may not sound like the most romantic, but it was exactly what Zoey Mclaughlin, 40, wanted from boyfriend James Landragin, 39. She had previously told her partner of four years that were he ever to propose, she wanted it to be when she least expected it. James roped in staff to help and they arranged for the vehicle to be covered in a sheet, and caught the moment on video when he got down on one knee.

Hackers target Arnold Clark

ELECTRIC car battery company

Britishvolt has entered administration and made most of the 300 jobs redundant with immediate effect.

It comes after months of problems as the firm struggled to raise enough money to stay afloat. It had planned to build a £3.8bn gigafactory to make the batteries in Northumberland.

However, it has now appointed administrators from EY after failing to raise enough cash for research and the development of the Cambois site.

A GANG of hackers handed Arnold Clark a particularly unwelcome gift on Christmas Eve after the dealer group fell victim to a cyber attack.

The firm, which recently was named number one on our Car Dealer Top 100 list, saw its computer systems crippled on December 24.

The telephone system was also affected by the breach but a spokesman insisted that there was no evidence of customer information being compromised.

MAZDA isn’t planning an agency sales model, according to Mazda Europe CEO Martijn ten Brink.

Speaking at the Brussels Motor Show, where the firm revealed its MX-30 R-EV plug-in hybrid, he told Car Dealer that the manufacturer had no current desire to change the model via which it remunerates dealers. ‘At this moment, no. I think we are quite happy with our dealers. I’d like to think that we have a trustful relationship with them.’

Mazda doesn’t want to use agency sales

The percentage drop in registrations suffered by Seat in the UK last year – the most by any car manufacturer.

ENGAGEMENT

Most jobs go as Britishvolt fails

£1m-plus refurb for Redgate Lodge

Barretts shuts up shop on Sundays

REDGATE Lodge has ploughed more than £1m into buying a new preparation site as well as renovating its existing showroom.

It bought the ex-main dealer site in Newcastle in 2013, and after a period of sustained success, the firm has been able to throw money at a vast renovation project to transform the premises. At the same time, it has ploughed a further £800,000 into buying and restoring a new preparation site less than a mile from the showroom.

James Litton p19

BARRETTS Motor Group has become the latest car dealer to shut its showrooms on Sundays.

The Kent-based dealer group said in a statement that the decision had been made in order to give staff a better work-life balance in 2023.

In November, Car Dealer Top 100 firm Pendragon launched a threemonth trial after feedback from an employee survey.

It followed on the heels of Burrows Motor Company doing the same thing on a permanent basis.

CAMPAIGN GROWTH

This is how to say ‘Hyundai’ now

Rolls-Royce racks up record 6,000+ sales

FINALISED: Inchcape has completed its £1.3bn buyout of Latin America’s biggest independent automotive distributor. It sees Inchcape Americas combining with Derco, which has sites in Chile, Peru, Colombia and Bolivia.

NON! Renault isn’t ready to switch its dealers to an agency model, branding it a ‘risky game’. Group CEO Luca de Meo said potential gains by the transition would be outweighed by the need to hold hundreds of millions of euros of stock.

EXCLUSIVE: BMW has halted all car sales to police forces in the UK with immediate effect and shut down its sales centre in London. A team of around 20 people arrived at work to be told the International & Specialist Sales Division was closing.

LISTED car dealer group Pendragon is facing a $313m (£260m) claim from a reseller of its Pinewood tech.

The dealer group is facing a High Court case lodged by Pinewood Technologies Asia Pacific Ltd. It hasn’t been announced to the stock market and the reports were uncovered by Car Dealer.

The case is rumoured to be the main reason why the recent takeover bid by Hedin didn’t go through, according to sources.

HYUNDAI has launched an advertising campaign to re-educate people how to pronounce its name.

The manufacturer is changing the anglicised pronunciation of ‘Hy-undai’ to the global ‘Hee-un-day’.

The campaign shows puzzled potential buyers turning up at fictional places such as a hair salon called High ‘N’ Dye after using the previous pronunciation on their phones. Finally, a woman corrects one of them.

ROLLS-ROYCE is celebrating a ‘momentous’ 2022 after the British marque sold more than 6,000 cars for the first time.

The Goodwood-based outfit enjoyed a ‘particularly strong yearon-year growth’ with sales booming in the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, the USA and Europe. Overall, the firm delivered 6,021 cars – an eight per cent rise on 2021’s figure. Bosses say advance orders have been secured well into 2023, too.

REBRAND: Stellantis has retired the Robins & Day car dealership name after more than 100 years in operation. The group’s chief executive, James Weston, told staff that the 66 dealerships will be rebranded Stellantis & You Sales and Services.

DEAL: A Nissan showroom in Northern Ireland is to supply six new Leafs to a training company that helps people get work. The Pat Kirk dealership in Omagh is to deliver the EVs to 21 Training in nearby Strabane, along with wall box chargers.

Pendragon facing £260m legal claim

The one thing that is certain about 2023 is that supply levels will certainly not return to ‘old normal’.

HONDA CIVIC TYPE R

The new Civic Type R brings a power boost as well as exterior tweaks and some up-to-date technology. Jack Evans put one of them to the test.

WHAT IS IT?

When it comes to performance hot hatches, the Civic Type R has always been one of the key players. However, things move on, which brings us to this new version that aims to be more direct and powerful but still just as engaging.

WHAT’S NEW?

The previous Type R was well known for its outlandish styling but things have been toned down for this generation. Inside, we’ve got a significant upgrade in the form of a new infotainment system – brought straight from the standard Civic.

It’s a little bit larger in all respects, too, while a new ‘Individual’ mode – allowing you to pick and choose between the various settings – is a great addition.

WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET?

You might think that with the rest of Honda’s line-up going hybrid-only, the beating heart of the Type R would be some sort of electrically assisted setup. But no. Instead, we’ve got a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, which is likely to be the last time that we’ll see such a unit in a Civic.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?

Slot yourself into the nicely bolstered bucket seats and it’s not hard to feel at home as soon as you’re in the Civic Type R. The controls are well placed, too, with the delightfully tactile metal gearshifter for the six-speed manual gearbox being a particular highlight. On the move, and in its softest setting, the Type R handles the roads well, while the engine now feels even keener to get going than before. It scythes through corners with real verve, and that brilliantly weighted gearshift brings a whole lot of engagement.

Refinement isn’t the best, mind you, with large levels of road and wind noise inside the cabin – although it is a performance hot hatch, after all. The front end feels sharper and more direct than before, too, while switching into more aggressive driver modes enhances this. For road driving, however, we’d resist going for the sportier damping setting, as it just makes the Type R too uncomfortable and unforgiving.

HOW DOES IT LOOK?

It’s more rounded and does away with the slightly angular, computer-game-esque design

Power

The Civic’s 2.0-litre engine pumps out 325bhp and 420Nm of torque.

THE KNOWLEDGE

Honda

of its predecessor and, to us, it’s likely that’ll make it appeal to a much wider audience. There’s still a very large rear wing, but it’s a wholeheartedly toned-down affair. But that’s not to say it’s boring. The blocky front end has some serious presence, while the rear’s trio of exhaust outlets lends some proper drama to it.

WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE?

The fundamentals remain unchanged. The bucket seats are still wonderfully supportive, while the controls have been well judged where they’re placed. The pedal spacing, for example, is spot-on. For us, though, it feels like you’re sitting slightly higher up than before, and it’d be nice to be able to go a little lower. There’s a decent amount of space in the rear, while the 410-litre boot is bang-on in terms of capacity and shape.

WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE?

Prices for the Civic Type R start from £46,995, which is quite a sizeable tag for a car of this type and a significant rise on the £32,820 for the previous generation. That said, it’s pleasing that Honda has really upgraded the infotainment system, which was such a sore point on the old model. It’s got Apple CarPlay too, as well as a new ‘Performance Monitor’

Cabin

The bucket seats are very supportive but it would be nice to adjust them to go a little lower. Pedal spacing is perfect.

Style

The trio of exhaust outlets gives the rear of the car some real drama.

that can relay all sorts of key information such as water temperature and brake pressure back to the driver. You’ve also got Honda’s full Sensing suite of driver safety aids.

WHAT DO THE PRESS THINK?

Top Gear said: ‘The Civic Type R can function as your only car, yet is as thrilling as most bespoke sports cars. Stunning to drive. Now distressingly expensive.’

WHAT DO WE THINK?

The new Civic Type R is, yet again, a hit. It’s staggeringly good to drive, with levels of engagement that you just don’t tend to get in this size of car. Now accompanied by muchimproved technology, it’s a hot hatch that could quite easily transform the dreariest, most mundane drives into something really special.

That price is a real hitch, mind you, as it does push the Civic Type R out of the more attainable realms that it once occupied. However, for those happy to stump up the extra outlay, this is one seriously impressive hot hatch.

It’s staggeringly good to drive, with levels of engagement that you just don’t tend to get in this size of car.

BMW X1

THE KNOWLEDGE

BMW X1

xDrive23i xLine

Price (as tested): £46,440 Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine

BMW

Power

The two-litre turbocharged petrol engine has mildhybrid assistance, giving the X1 215bhp.

WHAT IS IT?

The X1 – BMW’s smallest SUV – has been around for a little while, plodding along as one of the frontrunners in the compact end of the market. So to keep it current as rivals descend upon the segment, BMW is introducing a new X1, bringing a vast swathe of changes.

WHAT’S NEW?

From the outside at least, quite a lot has changed. The previous X1 was a decidedly compact-looking model, whereas this new, revitalised version is closer in design to the much larger X3. Up close, it’s actually hard to distinguish the two. Inside, there’s an even greater focus on practicality and quality, with the X1 aiming to deliver the kind of everyday usability that buyers in this area – mostly families – are after. A range of efficient engines is available, too, while a fully electric iX1 is due to hit the market soon as well.

WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET?

The one we’re looking at – badged X1 xDrive23i – uses a four-cylinder petrol engine with mild-hybrid assistance to deliver 215bhp and 360Nm of torque, making it the punchiest of all the combustion-engined X1 models. BMW claims a 0-60mph time of just under seven seconds, which isn’t half bad for a car of this type. The addition of xDrive all-wheel drive means you’ve got plenty of traction, too.

Despite its relatively brisk performance, the addition of that mild-hybrid assistance means you could see up to 42.8mpg and CO2 emissions of between 148 and 157g/km depending on specification. As you might expect, it’s the diesels that’ll prove to be the best on fuel, with the entry-level X1 18d able to return up to 57.6mpg.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?

It’s quiet at speed, able to cope with lumps and bumps in the road well, and has more than enough performance for most occasions. Visibility is good and this helps contribute to a very easy driving experience. We experienced a bit of a delay in the gearbox, with the pause between pressing the accelerator and the power arriving proving to be quite noticeable, particularly when leaving junctions

roundabouts. That said, when you’re up to speed, the seven-speed dual-clutch

really smoothly and accurately. It’s particularly reliable when

Style

The chunky boxlike dimensions give the X1 an upright, go-anywhere appearance.

HOW DOES IT LOOK?

Up close, the chunky, box-like dimensions are actually quite appealing – to our eyes at least – and give the X1 an upright, go-anywhere kind of appearance. Our particular car, in xLine trim, has a more refined take on design than the M Sport versions. So rather than the gloss black accents that you’ll find on the sportier model, you get chrome applied to areas such as the front grille and roof bars. To us, it’s the more attractive option.

WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE?

BMW has really lifted the overall look and feel of the X1’s interior, making it a very pleasant place to be. The upright design of the car as a whole means there’s plenty of headroom for front and rear occupants, while legroom for those in the back is decent, too. Everything has a nice robust feel to it – even the satin-coloured plastics on the dash aren’t scratchy.

There’s plenty of boot space. The rear seats split and fold 40:20:40 to give really flexible loading options, but even with them in place, there are 540 litres of space to play with. Fold all those rear seats down entirely and this expands to a healthy 1,600 litres. It’s a nice square boot, too, and there’s not too much of a load lip, so putting heavier items in is easy.

WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE?

Things kick off with Sport grade, but even here you get 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights plus BMW’s latest curved infotainment setup, accessed via a 10.25-inch screen. This is alongside a digital driver display, too.

Our car, in xLine trim, starts from £38,190 and as well as all of the standard features, you get 18-inch alloy wheels, heated front seats plus all the aluminium exterior elements. Some choice options – such as the £2,750 Technology Plus Pack with a heated steering wheel, adaptive LED headlights and head-up display – did crank the price up to £46,440 though, so as with all BMWs, keep an eye on the optional extras to help keep prices down.

WHAT DO THE PRESS THINK?

Auto Express said: ‘It’s yet another strong showing from BMW’, while Car Magazine described the X1 as a ‘well-rounded family car’.

WHAT DO WE THINK?

The SUV segment is awash with options but, thankfully, the X1 isn’t just another car for car’s sake. It builds on two generations of vehicles, so it’s got a bit of reinforcement heritage-wise. But it’s this, coupled with the excellent build quality and refined driving style, which helps to make the X1 feel like a very attractive proposition.

Go easy with the options list and there’s no reason why it can’t be a good-value one, either. Our only caveat would be the arrival of the iX1 which, with its 270-mile range and high performance, could actually prove to be this regular car’s greatest rival.

Inside

With plenty of headroom for the front and rear occupants the BMW also has a robust quality feel.

The SUV segment is awash with options but, thankfully, the X1 isn’t just another car for car’s sake.

FORECOURT FORD GRAND TOURNEO CONNECT

The Grand Tourneo Connect is the firstborn of the new FordVolkswagen alliance

– James Batchelor was invited to the christening...

THE KNOWLEDGE

Grand Tourneo Connect 2.0

122 EcoBlue Auto Active

Price (as tested): £32,696 Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel

WHAT IS IT?

Power

The 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel produces 120bhp and 330Nm of torque.

Designing and developing new cars costs a lot of money. It’s for this reason many carmakers join forces to spread those costs, and one of the most recent alliances is between Ford and Volkswagen. The first child of the happy new marriage is the Tourneo Connect – a five- or seven-seat people mover that focuses on practicality and versatility in a world of high-riding SUVs.

WHAT’S NEW?

This Tourneo Connect is essentially a rebadged Volkswagen Caddy rather than a bespoke in-house offering like previous versions. So, there are different lights at the front, different badges and a large Ford grille – even the interior is essentially the same as the Caddy’s. Volkswagen has happily switched the Caddy over to its famed MQB platform, promising it and the Tourneo Connect a more car-like feel to the way they drive. There’s also the choice of two bodystyles – the regular Tourneo comes as a five-seater with an option to add two seats in the boot, or a Grand Tourneo that gets seven seats as standard.

WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET?

The engines may well wear Ford’s ‘EcoBoost’ and ‘EcoBlue’ branding but they are in fact rebadged VW units. They comprise a 112bhp 1.5-litre petrol and a 2.0-litre diesel with 102bhp (arriving later in 2023) or 120bhp, which are all available with six-speed manual or a sevenspeed DSG dual-clutch automatic gearboxes, with drive going to the front wheels.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?

The blocky dimensions don’t bode well for a fun driving experience but there’s pleasure to be had behind the wheel. Thanks to that MQB platform, the family-friendly Ford rides and handles remarkably well, with relatively sharp and well-weighted steering. The suspension can get a bit floaty at higher speeds, but all in all this is a comfortable people mover that is surprisingly hushed with little wind noise, and it doesn’t bang, creek or rattle over potholes.

HOW DOES IT LOOK?

Style is very unlikely to feature high on potential buyers’ list of requirements when it comes to van-based people carriers, but Ford has tried to add a little interest here. The overall shape does look very Volkswagen versus the previous Tourneo Connect – which was an

in-house Ford design – but in mid-spec Active or top-spec Sport trim (the latter even coming with twin racing stripes) there’s enough Ford flair going on.

The Active trim, as tested, adds some grey body wheel arch cladding and silver-painted skid plates to give an off-roader vibe, but this is very much a road-biased vehicle.

WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE?

The Tourneo Connect gets the Caddy’s interior too, save for a few trim alterations and changes to where certain switchgear is placed. That means a modern-looking dashboard, and while there are plenty of hard plastics, the interior is solid and feels like it could withstand family life. The standard-length Tourneo Connect is roomy for five, but we’d question why buyers would specify the optional two extra seats in the boot when the Grand Tourneo Connect comes as a seven-seater as standard. There’s a decent-sized boot with all the seats in place, and with them removed there’s van-like room. The twin sliding doors make loading and unloading a breeze, too.

WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE?

There are three versions, with base-spec Titanium offering alloy wheels, heated front seats, keyless entry, roof rails, sat nav and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone connectivity. Active adds the off-road styling pack while Sport gets LED tail-lights and digital dials. The price jump from the standard wheelbase Tourneo to the long-wheelbase Grand is a very reasonable £960.

The Tourneo Connect is better equipped than its VW brother, and while that’s certainly a good thing on the whole, when it comes to the infotainment system it really isn’t a plus point. That’s because the Tourneo features VW’s larger touchscreen as standard, which relies on fiddly, touch-sensitive ‘sliders’ to adjust volume and heating. But our Grand Tourneo Connect Active test car fitted with 120bhp 2.0-litre diesel and seven-speed automatic gearbox seems good value at just over £32,600.

WHAT DO THE PRESS THINK?

What Car? said: ‘Fine to drive, very safe and has a huge price advantage over the mechanically similar Caddy, making it a practical choice for families not swayed by SUVs.’

WHAT DO WE THINK?

It’s great to see vehicles such as the Ford Grand Tourneo Connect still being offered by carmakers, as while seven-seat SUVs no doubt play the fashion card better, for outright practicality a van-based MPV can’t be beaten. With the Citroen Berlingo, Peugeot Rifter and Vauxhall Combo sisters recently going pure-electric, outdoorsy families looking for a flexible petrol- or diesel-powered MPV now have less choice. The Dacia Jogger has risen to the top in this sector, but for those who crave a bit more space and sliding doors, the Tourneo Connect is an excellent all-rounder and one we’d recommend.

On the road

The Tourneo rides and handles remarkably well, with relatively sharp steering.

Inside

The cabin has a solid feel plus a modern-looking dashboard, and the twin sliding doors are very handy.

It’s great to see vehicles such as the Ford Grand Tourneo Connect still being offered by carmakers.

CITROEN e-C4 X

WHAT IS IT?

It’s an SUV-inspired saloon with a name that looks like the start of a randomly generated password.

WHAT’S NEW?

The e-C4 X is a development of the latest C4 that arrived in 2021 and is essentially a new saloon bodystyle of the C4 – bringing a more elegant shape that sees the model extended by 25cm.

WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET?

The e-C4 X unsurprisingly uses the same powertrain as the standard C4 hatch so has a powertrain of everyday numbers (see panel on the right). It’s capable of charging at up to 100kW, though, meaning an 80 per cent recharge is possible in 30 minutes.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?

It’s equipped with the brand’s clever ‘Advanced Comfort’ suspension setup and cushioned seats, and the result is fantastic. Even rougher roads are dealt with in a remarkably refined fashion. But there’s little feel through the steering wheel and a bit of roll through the corners –not helped by the flat, unsupportive seats. It lacks the initial zip of some EVs, too.

HOW DOES IT LOOK?

Admittedly, saloons aren’t fashionable, but Citroen has made it look trendier thanks to the plastic cladding and raised suspension that runs around the exterior. You could think of it as a budget Polestar 2 in that respect, but to our eyes this ‘X’ model is the more handsome choice.

WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE?

It’s much the same as the regular C4, with a smart 10-inch touchscreen cut into the dashboard, as well as a range of textured materials. The infotainment screen uses Citroen’s latest software. Rear space is slightly more generous than in the C4, with loads of legroom, but headroom might not suit some taller passengers. The boot offers 510 litres of volume.

WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE?

The e-C4 X mirrors the regular hatchback, with three models on offer. The Sense grade kicks things off, being very well equipped with LED headlights, 18-inch alloy wheels and the touchscreen. If you want more, the Shine grade brings a head-up display, adaptive cruise control plus a reversing camera, with the flagship Shine Plus model adding heated and electric front seats and a Highway Drive Assist package. By EV standards, it’s decent value for money.

WHAT DO WE THINK?

The focus on comfort remains a selling point, and the fact it costs the same as the hatchback makes it more enticing. It’s not an EV that will be bought for driving pleasure, but if you want a comfortable and well-equipped electric car that won’t cost the earth, the e-C4 X is worth a look.

Inside

Price (as tested): £35,495

Powertrain: Electric motor with 50kWh battery

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 260Nm

Max speed: 93mph

0-60mph: 9.8 seconds

Range: 222 miles (WLTP)

Emissions: 0g/km CO2

TARGET BUYERS:

Those looking for a practical and well-priced EV but wanting something a bit different.

THE RIVALS: Nissan Leaf Renault Arkana Volkswagen ID.3

KEY SELLING POINTS: 1. Good equipment levels

Decent value for money 3. Refreshingly different design

DEAL CLINCHER:

The fact that it’s priced the same as the regular hatchback.

The interior of the e-C4 X is much the same as the standard C4, so there’s a smart 10-inch touchscreen and a range of textured materials.

Ted Welford headed to Madrid to put this oddly named new EV through its paces.

The automotive world is in a weird state of flux right now. At one end of the spectrum, we’ve got manufacturers announcing they’ll never sell another petrol or diesel vehicle as they switch to EVs.

Then, at the other, we’ve got firms letting their hair down with wild performance cars, almost as a last hurrah for the combustion engine as we know it.

All this makes it a particularly exciting time to be a part of the automotive industry.

There’s a lot of great new metal on the horizon – EVs, supercars, hot hatches and more. These then are the 10 cars to keep an eye out for in 2023.

Volkswagen Amarok

How could you not get excited by a new pick-up truck? Okay, maybe it’s just us. But the original Volkswagen Amarok made such a huge impact on the truck market when it first arrived that it’s hard not to feel just a little bit of anticipation about the arrival of the new one.

Sharing a platform with the new Ford Ranger, this latest Amarok looks even more aggressive than the one it replaces, yet it’s expected to retain

Porsche 911 Dakar

How do you go about making a Porsche 911 even more desirable?

The answer, it seems, is to crank up the suspension, add some extra spotlamps and give it a name that sounds good whenever you say it – Dakar.

Drawing inspiration from the classic 911s that conquered the famous Dakar Rally, this off-roadready 911 is limited to 2,500 examples, with each one costing £173,000. Our lottery numbers had better come in...

Mini Hatch

Mini’s Hatch is a consistent sight in the monthly list of best-selling new cars. So, how do you replace it? Well, you might expect it to switch to a totally electric model, but the new, yet-to-be-fully-revealed Mini will continue to be offered with petrol engines in some form.

That said, it’s likely we’ll still get a new version of the Mini Electric – we just hope it’ll have a longer range than the current version, as that’s the model’s only real shortcoming.

Honda Civic Type R

Honda’s mainstream European line-up has already switched to pure-hybrid and electric models but this is the exception. Set to hit the roads in early 2023, it’s a development of the predecessor – a true hot hatch favourite.

Limited to only a few hundred cars in the UK, it offers a sporty exterior design – including the trademark big rear spoiler and triple-exit exhaust – while its 325bhp 2.0-litre engine is the most powerful VTEC Turbo fitted to a Honda.

Hyundai Ioniq 6

Hyundai has quickly established itself as an EV leader, with its futuristic Ioniq 5 being widely praised. In 2023, things get even more interesting with the new Ioniq 6. It’s a car that Hyundai has been teasing for what seems like an eternity, but it finally arrives at dealerships early this year.

Offering a raft of new technology, its impressively

Polestar 3

Polestar has been establishing a firm reputation here in the UK, with its ‘2’ electric model finding favour with all manner of buyers. So you can’t blame the Swedish firm for looking to capitalise on this popularity by

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a true supercar from Alfa Romeo, but that time is coming in 2023 as the brand looks to send its combustion engines out on a high and celebrate the centenary of its sporty Quadrifoglio division.

Alfa Romeo still hasn’t definitively confirmed the arrival, but since boss Jean-Philippe Imparato has spoken about it being ‘limited to 100 cars’ and ‘designed with customers’, we expect it to make its appearance in the first few months of 2023.

Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato

It seems like 2023 is going to be the year of the raised-up sports car – just see what Porsche has done to the 911 – with the Sterrato being a more go-anywhere-focused version of Lamborghini’s Huracán.

It’s a release tinged with sadness, mind you, as it’ll probably be one of the last times we see Lamborghini’s famous V10 in one of its new cars.

That said, as a finale it’s a heck of a way to go out.

BMW M3 Touring

Performance BMW fans have been asking BMW for an estate version of the M3 for years, especially given that both Audi and Mercedes have rival models. But the wait is over next year, with the new M3 Touring.

Revealed at the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the first cars will arrive at dealerships in 2023, bringing far greater practicality than the standard M3, yet still with the same focus on performance and driving enjoyment.

Jeep Avenger

‘Jeep’ is a name that many think of in relation to big, thirsty SUVs. But this American 4×4 brand is changing, with nearly all of its models already electrified in some way. Jeep takes the next big leap in 2023 with its first production-ready EV – the Avenger.

Slotting beneath the Renegade in the line-up, the Avenger offers Jeep’s well-loved EV powertrain and a developed version of a powertrain found in various other Stellantis products. A four-wheel-drive model is set to follow, too. Jeep has underperformed in the UK for some time, but the Avenger will hopefully serve as a return to form.

Didn’t that Christmas period go quickly? Well, as we step into 2023, there’s a whole lot to get excited about in the products world, with the next 12 months shaping up to be very interesting indeed!

Here, we’ve picked out some of the items that we’ve seen so far – and hopefully they should add a little excitement to the start of this year.

Casio G-Shock Adventurer’s

Stone £246

Believe it or not, the G-Shock has been with us for 40 years, establishing a reputation for being robust and hard-wearing as well as really cool in design. To celebrate, Casio has created a special line-up of watches called the Adventurer’s Stone – which sounds like a wizard should be involved...

As well as looking the part, they’ve been given a textured finish that resembles that of a

McLaren is one of the fastest names in the car business, which is why it makes its partnership with athletic footwear brand APL a pretty straightforward one. It’s recently unveiled its HySpeed range of trainers in a new range of colour combinations, giving them a seriously eye-catching look as well as some go-faster features.

They may be pricey, but the HySpeeds look like some of the quickest shoes you can get today.

You can’t go wrong with a good Lego kit to get the year off to a top start, right? One of the latest to be introduced is a scale version of Bugatti’s amazing track-only Bolide, shrunk to a model made up of 905 pieces.

And it’s a very detailed kit indeed. You get fully functioning ‘scissor’ doors, for example, as well as a movable steering wheel plus a W16 engine with moving pistons.

The mountain bike world is a fastmoving one and Saracen, in order to keep up, has released a vast suite of new models as we go into 2023.

Core to this new line-up is the Ariel 30, which is an all-rounder cross-country bike designed for trails and all manner of conditions.

It’s got a really lightweight frame, as

Picture of the month

LET’S hear it for Aston Martin – 110 years young this January!

In photographs released to start a year-long celebration, two of its most iconic and innovative models have been brought together: the record-breaking 1923 racer Razor Blade and the Valkyrie hypercar. Happy birthday, Aston Martin! Here’s to your next 110 years!

Cazoo’s actions highlight narcissism of its founder

Like a lot of unicorn flops, where founders make-believe others, the only people they take for a ride are their investors and the stock markets – who should have more brains than wash to begin with.

The timeline and actions of Cazoo clearly show rushed, overly ambitious, irrational decision-making, not towards expanding its underlying foundation but more so the narcissism and arrogance of its founder.

But what do I know? Maybe some people can teleport before they can walk.

Sanjay Patel

It’s all very well looking to disrupt the market but do your research first. It would have told you that more than 80 per cent of people want to see the car they are buying.

Failing to understand customers’ needs has been the domain of manufacturers – particularly the prestige German ones – for years. The agency model is likely to be yet another one.

The end is near.

I’d love a final curtain!

petrol head

It’s me

BUSINESS NEWS

A ROUND-UP OF WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING ACROSS THE UK

CONSULTATIONS

Amazon jobs put at risk as 10 sites set to close

AMAZON has revealed plans to shut three UK warehouses and seven delivery stations in a move that will affect more than 1,200 jobs.

The company has launched consultations over closing warehouses in Hemel Hempstead, Doncaster and Gourock. Stations in Huntingdon, Horley, Birmingham, Newcastle, Hemel Hempstead, Portsmouth and Aylesford will also close.

RETAIL

Nearly 50 shops shut each day in 2022

SUPERMARKETS

Aldi enjoys record UK Christmas sales

ALDI has hailed record Christmas sales as shoppers saw their budgets squeezed by the rising cost of living.

The discounter revealed that sales jumped by 26 per cent in December to top £1.4bn in the UK and Ireland for the first time.

The German retailer, which has around 990 stores here, recently overtook Morrisons as the UK’s fourth-largest supermarket.

THE UK’s retail sector had a bruising year in 2022 as more shops closed their doors than at any other point for at least five years.

Around 47 sites shut up shop for the last time every day last year, according to new analysis.

The Centre for Retail Research found that 17,145 shops across the country closed in 2022 – up by nearly 50 per cent on 2021’s figure.

ANTI-STRIKE PROPOSALS

Workers taking action ‘unlikely’ to face the sack

Sainsbury’s increases staff pay again

SAINSBURY’S is to increase pay for its 127,000 hourly workers in the third hike over the past year.

The retail giant, which runs almost 600 supermarkets and more than 800 convenience stores, said it will raise their pay to at least £11 an hour from February. It represents a 10 per cent increase year on year and will cost the firm around £185m.

COMPANIES hit hard by the pandemic missed out on around £300m of business rates relief, according to analysis of new government figures. The government has handed out only 80 per cent of the cash available from its £1.5bn Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund, which was designed to aid firms such as commercial landlords that weren’t covered by other tax relief schemes, according to analysis by experts at Gerald Eve.

INDUSTRY VIEWS

NEWS AND THOUGHTS FROM CAR DEALER LIVE

It’s still likely to be a relatively good year –probably not as euphoric as maybe the last couple of years... but a very good one.

Ian Plummer Auto Trader commercial director

January has been ‘good busy’ and momentum is poised to continue throughout rest of the year

The used car market has shrugged off potentially depressed demand and activity levels in January, with the month shaping up to be strong.

Moreover, January is proving to be a solid indication that 2023 could be a ‘very good year’ for dealers, with strong levels of demand and consumer sentiment, along with returning levels of new car supply.

Commenting on January’s activity, Auto Trader commercial director Ian Plummer told Car Dealer: ‘It’s busy, but good busy.

‘December finished pretty positively for everybody, with sales up around six per cent on 2021 levels, and consumer appetite was good in December too with 10 per cent growth on Auto Trader site visits. We’ve taken that momentum into January. ‘Despite the doom and gloom, it’s not as bad as perhaps we allow ourselves to believe. The Office for National Statistics said the economy grew a bit in November,

employment is starting low at 3.7 per cent, and consumer confidence is growing. So it’s all relatively good when you look at the macro numbers going into January.’

Plummer explained that on Auto Trader’s platform so far in January, visits were up by 15 per cent and proxy sales data had risen from six per cent in December to 9.2 per cent in the first week of January. Consumer confidence, meanwhile, is rising as well, with more consumers who were quizzed by Auto Trader feeling more likely to buy a car.

He also said that momentum was likely to continue to flow through the rest of the year.

Plummer added: ‘It’s still likely to be a relatively good year – probably not as euphoric as maybe the last couple of years has been in terms of record levels of demand and often record levels of profitability, but a very good one, and probably ahead of where we would have been pre-pandemic in terms of both sales numbers, potentially, and notably profit.’

Expert warns there is a ‘bumpy’ road ahead for EVs

The road ahead for EVs is likely to get ‘bumpy’ in the coming years but battery-powered cars will make it in the end, an expert has told Car Dealer.

Peter McDonald, from EV charger manufacturer Ohme, said difficulties around charging infrastructure had led to negative headlines of late.

However, he insisted that the UK’s network of chargers will

continue to improve, and said that within five years, battery-powered cars would be ‘ubiquitous’ on British roads. ‘There’s an inevitability now, there’s going to be this switch and transition to EVs, so I guess it’s picking up a great deal more publicity.

‘Yes, some of those stories are positive and some are negative, but we [Ohme] work in a world that looks a little bit longer-term.

‘There are going to be news stories of infrastructure that doesn’t quite work or supply issues or demand. There are a variety of things and it’s going to be quite bumpy.

‘But if you can step into the world of five years’ time, it is going to be ubiquitous, they’re going to be everywhere [and] there is going to be better infrastructure to support it.’

AUTO TRADER

Driven by

OHME

WE’RE AWARD-WINNING THANKS TO YOU!

This year we’ve won not one, but three awards - an achievement that we are all very proud of.

Our customers voted First Response Finance as the ‘Best Car Finance Provider’ in the Consumer Credit Awards 2022 for the second consecutive year. In addition to that, we’ve won the prestigious ‘Firm of the Year’ award!

The second recognition came from our dealer partners who voted us ‘Finance Provider of the Year (Sub-Prime)’ in the Car Dealer Power Awards. We are honoured to have won this award 8 times!

Vans, cars, motorbikes - it doesn't matter what type of vehicle we’re financing, our award-winning service remains the same.

First Response Finance Ltd, 5 Regan Way Chetwynd Business Park, Chilwell, Nottingham, NG9 6RZ. Authorised & Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England No. 03560611.

FINANCE NEWS

LENDING

Jump in borrowing as costs go up and Christmas nears

by John Bowman john@blackballmedia.co.uk

Nearly £320m was borrowed on credit such as car financing in November as people felt the cost-of-living squeeze, new figures show. Households piled an extra £1.2bn on to credit cards as living costs increased and Christmas approached – the highest amount since 2004. In total, people borrowed another £1.5bn in consumer credit in November –twice October’s figure of £748m, according to the Bank of England.

As the latest figures were released, charity StepChange warned of a ‘real danger’ that people will increasingly turn to credit to finance the essentials. The additional consumer credit borrowing in November was split between £1.19bn on credit cards – the highest total since £1.28bn was borrowed in March 2004 – and £317m borrowed through other forms of credit such as car dealership finance and personal loans.

Karim Haji, a financial services head at KPMG, said: ‘While this time last year we were breathing a sigh of relief that the worst of the pandemic was behind us, that optimism now seems a dim and distant memory.

‘We enter 2023 cautiously with a subdued economy expected to last well into the year.

‘The increase in the cost of living has driven consumer lending up in November with an additional £1.2 billion of credit card borrowing.’ Richard Lane, director of external affairs at debt charity StepChange, said: ‘The impact of the cost-of-living crisis on people’s finances shows little sign of abating. With financial pressures across the board creating problems for an increasing number of households, there is a real danger that people will increasingly be turning to credit to meet essential spending into the new year and beyond.’

NEW CARS

Rising interest rates ‘driving down sales’

THE drop in new car sales to their lowest level in 30 years hasn’t just been caused by supply issues following Covid – rising interest rates have also played their part.

That’s according to car finance company First Response Finance, with a spokesman telling Car Dealer: ‘Supply issues following Covid have certainly played a part in the drop of new car sales.

‘In addition to this, however, sales have also been affected by the increase of the global interest rate. This has put an end to the cheap credit of the past decade, which fuelled the interest in new cars.

‘The drop means we’ve seen a huge increase in the value of second-hand vehicles due to consumers switching from purchasing new cars to used cars. This is confirmed by data that shows sales and demand for used cars have been strong and growing over the course of 2022.

‘Off the back of this, there is strong demand for “used car finance” despite rate increases, as the lower price of the vehicles creates affordable monthly repayments.’

TIME IS MONEY

A MONTHLY LOOK AT THE WORLD OF AUTOMOTIVE FINANCE AND MARKETING RICHARD PYGOTT

Don’t fear change – but don’t wait for it to happen either

The Christmas and new year holidays have finally come to an end after months of anticipation and build-up. As Big Ben struck midnight on New Year’s Eve and the river Thames reflected the thousands of fireworks heralding 2023, many people were making new year resolutions and hoping the coming year will bring prosperity and change for the better.

As I have mentioned on many occasions in this column, despite the challenges the UK has faced in recent years, there is no industry more agile and adaptable to these uncertain times than the automotive industry.

Change has been the only true constant in the past few years and there’s no escaping it; it’s one of the few things we can count on, and in an uncertain world it’s interesting to observe how people and organisations adapt to it.

But change is something that shouldn’t be feared, nor is it advisable to simply wait for its arrival. The best thing to do is to embrace change and even initiate it yourself, as doing so can reap the biggest rewards. One good example of this is when First Response Finance reorganised its sales department last January. The structure and management of the sales teams hadn’t changed in nearly 10 years, and while there was nothing inherently wrong, it was time to see if we could improve our services to our dealers and make our staff happier in their daily roles.

We started by asking our staff which aspects of their roles they preferred, and any skillsets they had that they believed were being underused. We then realigned our people by matching those skills to the different roles available within the sales department. While this change wasn’t without its challenges and teething problems, it has meant there is more variation within our people’s day-to-day activities, better skill sharing and teamwork. These changes also ensured that our dealers have the best salesperson to look after them based on what they are good at, and all of this has had a positive impact on staff morale.

If we hadn’t adopted an openness to change and doing things differently, none of this would have been possible. These changes have contributed to significant growth for First Response Finance in a constantly changing and challenging market.

Big

Richard Pygott is digital marketer for First Response.

Call him on 0115 946 6365 or email richard.

pygott@frfl.co.uk

I would certainly recommend talking to your own staff, asking them about their roles and if they have any skill sets that your business may be missing out on. You do not have to rewrite the rule book or restructure your entire business, but applying small incremental changes in your business can have a huge impact on your staff, your customers and your bottom line. Change always presents opportunity – with 2023 now well under way, make sure you don’t miss out on the benefits of it.

As

Ben struck midnight and the Thames reflected the thousands of fireworks heralding 2023, many people were making resolutions.

SUPPLIER NEWS

A ROUND-UP OF WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING ACROSS THE COUNTRY

Phil is made UK sales director in new role

Boxing Day bounce as campaign is launched

AUTO

Visits to the platform increased by 12.4 per cent on 2021’s figure, which the firm said pointed to ‘positive retail trends’. It also launched a multi-million-pound marketing campaign on the day to capitalise on the trend, which saw 2.2m consumers visit the site on December 27. The most unusual car for sale in 2022 was a 1995 Cadillac Seville converted into a Buddhist hearse, above.

AUTOMOTIVE Compliance has made Phil Harding its national sales director in a newly created role.

The company, which helps ensure car dealers comply with Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules, said it was embarking on a big year in supporting dealers with the new FCA Consumer Duty.

Harding, pictured, said: ‘It’s a crucial time in the industry. I’m excited about the opportunities and can’t wait to get going.’

Matt

Car-buying

USED car marketplace Motorway has appointed Matt Sleeman as its vicepresident of engineering.

He will lead the engineering team and tech strategy, with the aim of ensuring car dealers and owners have a selling and buying process that’s as seamless as possible, says Motorway. Sleeman has joined it from HealthHero, where he held the same role. Before that, he spent nearly five years at Just Eat, rising to become its head of engineering.

MOTABILITY Operations chief

executive Andrew Miller was paid £673,000 last year.

The boss took home a salary of £421,000 and was paid a £170,000 bonus for the year ended September 2022 as revenue and profits soared.

His pension pot was topped up by £63,000 while other benefits to the tune of £19,000 were also enjoyed.

His total remuneration rose by £197,000 on 2021. Motability’s revenue grew from £4.4bn to £4.7bn.

p43

Pygott

CAR-BUYING journeys are likely to become more complex in 2023 as the cost-of-living crisis affects consumer behaviour, says iVendi.

James Tew, CEO at the motor retail tech market firm, said because personal finances were under pressure, individuals were likely to take more time and put more effort into buying. The challenge for dealers would be to give them the means to make choices with which they were comfortable, he added.

Trader enjoyed a huge Boxing Day bounce as consumers flocked back to its site searching for used cars.

is appointed to vice-president role

Boss’s pay packet rises to £673,000

journeys set to be more complex

AUTOMOTIVE COMPLIANCE

IVENDI

AUTO TRADER

Change has been the only true constant in the past few years and there’s no escaping it.

Richard

STATISTICS

Nissan Qashqai takes number one spot – but 2022 new car sales tumble to 30-year low

by James Baggott @CarDealerEd

The British-built Nissan Qashqai was the UK’s best-selling car last year as annual figures show the market plunged to a 30-year low.

The Japanese SUV snatched the top spot, selling 42,704 units – the first Britishbuilt car to be the best seller since 1998. It was designed in Paddington, engineered in Cranfield and is built in Sunderland. The Qashqai was ahead of the Vauxhall Corsa in second place (35,910) and Tesla Model Y in third (35,551).

Andrew Humberstone, managing director of Nissan GB, said: ‘This is a landmark moment for a landmark car and it’s great to see how the latest-generation Qashqai has struck a chord with car buyers here in the UK.

‘We’re absolutely thrilled to see this car’s increasing success over the past 16 years, and it’s a fitting tribute to the skills and talents of Nissan’s excellent design, engineering, production and sales teams all around the UK.’

But while it may have been good news for Nissan, the new car market overall suffered from a lack of supply of new models caused by disruption to supply chains.

The well-documented semiconductor shortage continued to impact on new car production, resulting in just 1,614,063 new cars being sold in 2022.

That total is a two per cent fall from the 1.65m registered in 2021 and 700,000 down (30 per cent) on the 2.31m sold pre-Covid in 2019. However, although the figures might look bad, with demand outstripping supply for new cars many dealers have in fact booked record profits, thanks to selling new cars with no discounts.

Pure-electric vehicles sales were up 20 per cent year on year in 2022, while diesel accounted for just 10 per cent of the market.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes described 2022 as ‘a very difficult year’ but insisted there were signs that supply problems were ‘beginning to ease’.

He said: ‘The automotive market remains adrift of its pre-pandemic performance but could well buck wider economic trends by delivering significant growth in 2023.

‘To secure that growth – which is increasingly zero-emission growth – the government must help all drivers to go electric and compel others to invest more rapidly in a nationwide charging infrastructure.

‘Manufacturers’ innovation and commitment have helped EVs become the secondmost popular car type. However, for a nation aiming for electric mobility leadership, that must be matched with policies and investment that remove consumer uncertainty over switching, not least over where drivers can charge their vehicles.’

The SMMT is predicting car sales will rebound in 2023 as supply improves. It thinks 1.85m cars will be sold this year, despite the rising cost of living and a recession.

The automotive market remains adrift of its prepandemic performance.

Mike

Hawes SMMT chief executive

ABARTH

DECEMBER 2022 DECEMBER 2021

YEAR TO DATE

Marque 2022 % market share 2021 % market share % change 2022 % market share 2021 % market share % change

Abarth 31 0.02 105 0.10 -70.48 1,544 0.10 2,335 0.14 -33.88

Alfa Romeo 88 0.07 124 0.11 -29.03 1,576 0.10 1,574 0.10 0.13

Alpine 20 0.02 13 0.01 53.85 288 0.02 202 0.01 42.57

Audi 8,941 6.96 7,647 7.04 16.92 110,144 6.82 117,953 7.16 -6.62

Bentley 96 0.07 116 0.11 -17.24 1,629 0.10 1,348 0.08 20.85

BMW 9,523 7.41 6,420 5.91 48.33 108,624 6.73 116,577 7.08 -6.82

Citroen 973 0.76 1,436 1.32 -32.24 28,487 1.76 30,204 1.83 -5.68

Cupra 1,121 0.87 564 0.52 98.76 14,383 0.89 7,584 0.46 89.65

Dacia 939 0.73 1,742 1.60 -46.10 27,221 1.69 17,568 1.07 54.95

DS 103 0.08 279 0.26 -63.08 3,674 0.23 2,362 0.14 55.55

Fiat 976 0.76 1,427 1.31 -31.60 19,698 1.22 20,154 1.22 -2.26

Ford 7,676 5.98 4,973 4.58 54.35 126,826 7.86 116,305 7.06 9.05

Genesis 163 0.13 11 0.01 1,381.82 1,000 0.06 127 0.01 687.40

GM Ora 21 0.02 0 0.00 0.00 68 0.00 0 0.00 0.00

Honda 528 0.41 1,588 1.46 -66.75 24,084 1.49 26,928 1.63 -10.56

Hyundai 4,740 3.69 4,740 4.36 0.00 80,419 4.98 69,680 4.23 15.41

Jaguar 909 0.71 1,333 1.23 -31.81 12,165 0.75 18,868 1.15 -35.53

Jeep 293 0.23 195 0.18 50.26 2,525 0.16 4,463 0.27 -43.42

Kia 3,450 2.69 2,903 2.67 18.84 100,191 6.21 90,817 5.51 10.32

Land Rover 2,592 2.02 2,669 2.46 -2.88 43,180 2.68 53,111 3.22 -18.70

Lexus 1,641 1.28 701 0.65 134.09 10,675 0.66 13,878 0.84 -23.08 Maserati 71 0.06 69 0.06 2.90 720 0.04 765 0.05 -5.88

Mazda 2,168 1.69 1,174 1.08 84.67 25,209 1.56 25,852 1.57 -2.49

Mercedes-Benz 4,346 3.38 5,508 5.07 -21.10 80,910 5.01 97,945 5.95 -17.39 MG 2,927 2.28 1,126 1.04 159.95 51,050 3.16 30,600 1.86 66.83 Mini 5,008 3.90 5,924 5.46 -15.46 45,854 2.84 45,756 2.78 0.21

Mitsubishi 0 0.00 0 0.00 0.00 0 0.00 5,125 0.31 0.00

Nissan 7,878 6.13 6,365 5.86 23.77 76,711 4.75 68,494 4.16 12.00

Peugeot 1,428 1.11 4,544 4.18 -68.57 52,264 3.24 61,106 3.71 -14.47

Polestar 1,104 0.86 433 0.40 154.97 7,345 0.46 4,096 0.25 79.32

Porsche 3,055 2.38 2,221 2.05 37.55 18,267 1.13 13,702 0.83 33.32

Renault 4,666 3.63 2,019 1.86 131.10 32,285 2.00 29,836 1.81 8.21

Seat 1,966 1.53 1,032 0.95 90.50 22,140 1.37 43,130 2.62 -48.67

Skoda 4,175 3.25 3,665 3.37 13.92 48,848 3.03 55,561 3.37 -12.08 Smart 71 0.06 138 0.13 -48.55 1,256 0.08 1,581 0.10 -20.56

SsangYong 80 0.06 93 0.09 -13.98 1,536 0.10 1,525 0.09 0.72

Subaru 149 0.12 176 0.16 -15.34 1,391 0.09 2,107 0.13 -33.98

Suzuki 912 0.71 842 0.78 8.31 17,378 1.08 20,976 1.27 -17.15 Tesla 16,368 12.74 9,612 8.85 70.29 54,622 3.38 34,853 2.12 56.72

Toyota 6,835 5.32 6,078 5.60 12.45 102,181 6.33 100,895 6.13 1.27

Vauxhall 3,335 2.60 6,097 5.61 -45.30 83,691 5.19 91,452 5.55 -8.49

Volkswagen 13,118 10.21 8,854 8.15 48.16 131,850 8.17 147,826 8.97 -10.81

Volvo 3,742 2.91 3,443 3.17 8.68 36,506 2.26 48,260 2.93 -24.36

Other British 177 0.14 129 0.12 37.21 2,167 0.13 2,206 0.13 -1.77

Other imports 59 0.05 68 0.06 -13.24 1,481 0.09 1,494 0.09 -0.87

Total 128,462 100 108,596 100 18.29 1,614,063 100 1,647,181 100 -2.01

Figures supplied by SMMT

COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

Sales fall by more than a fifth over the year DECLINE

by John Bowman john@blackballmedia.co.uk

LCV registrations fell by more than a fifth last year with 282,139 units sold, according to latest figures from the SMMT.

The 20.6 per cent decline on 2021’s strong post-pandemic bounceback was despite strong order books throughout 2022.

The SMMT said performance continued to be held back by supply chain problems restricting production worldwide, causing limited model availability. As a result, the market was 22.9 per cent down on pre-pandemic 2019’s total of 365,778, making it the fewest LCV registrations since 2013, when just 271,073 LCVs were sold. Demand for battery-electric vans grew, though, with deliveries up by 31.2 per cent to 16,744 units.

Ford 7,442 34.10 9,187 31.24 -18.99 105,913 37.54 121,465 34.18 -12.80

Volkswagen 3,295 15.10 2,076 7.06 58.72 28,276 10.02 34,182 9.62 -17.28

Mercedes 2,324 10.65 2,036 6.92 14.15 21,365 7.57 29,824 8.39 -28.36

Vauxhall 1,702 7.80 3,770 12.82 -54.85 27,709 9.82 34,344 9.66 -19.32

Renault 1,623 7.44 1,769 6.02 -8.25 14,194 5.03 18,128 5.10 -21.70

Toyota 1,060 4.86 580 1.97 82.76 12,469 4.42 13,282 3.74 -6.12

Peugeot 1,014 4.65 2,721 9.25 -62.73 20,810 7.38 28,511 8.02 -27.01

Citroen 923 4.23 1,705 5.80 -45.87 19,714 6.99 25,153 7.08 -21.62

Isuzu 410 1.88 320 1.09 28.13 4,350 1.54 3,688 1.04 17.95

Fiat 330 1.51 1,011 3.44 -67.36 5,025 1.78 9,964 2.80 -49.57

Land Rover 310 1.42 119 0.40 160.50 2,628 0.93 3,361 0.95 -21.81

Iveco 304 1.39 359 1.22 -15.32 3,923 1.39 4,621 1.30 -15.10

Renault Trucks 216 0.99 246 0.84 -12.20 2,256 0.80 2,457 0.69 -8.18 Maxus 206 0.94 600 2.04 -65.67 4,084 1.45 3,700 1.04 10.38 MAN 204 0.93 318 1.08 -35.85 2,239 0.79 2,968 0.84 -24.56 Nissan 165 0.76 2,164 7.36 -92.38 3,531 1.25 13,639 3.84 -74.11

Isuzu Trucks 135 0.62 135 0.46 0.00 1,547 0.55 1,291 0.36 19.83 Suzuki 69 0.32 19 0.06 263.16 466 0.17 406 0.11 14.78

SsangYong 53 0.24 88 0.30 -39.77 996 0.35 570 0.16 74.74 Fuso 27 0.12 27 0.09 0.00 253 0.09 249 0.07 1.61 Dacia 9 0.04 1 0.00 800.00 94 0.03 20 0.01 370.00 LEVC 4 0.02 145 0.49 -97.24 297 0.11 347 0.10 -14.41 LDV 0 0.00 8 0.03 0.00 0 0.00 142 0.04 0.00 Mitsubishi 0 0.00 0 0.00 0.00 0 0.00 3,068 0.86 0.00

211.11 Other imports 2 0.48 1 0.16 100.00 22 0.46 28 0.47 -21.43 Renault 2 0.48 1 0.16 100.00 11 0.23 8 0.13 37.50 MAN 1 0.24 15 2.35 -93.33 29 0.61 123 2.05 -76.42 Renault Trucks 1 0.24 11 1.72 -90.91 26 0.54 125 2.09 -79.20

Isuzu Trucks 1 0.24 10 1.56 -90.00 18 0.38 37 0.62 -51.35

Citroen 0 0.00 23 3.60 0.00 99 2.07 183 3.06 -45.90 Total heavy CV 419 100.00 639 100.00 -34.43 4,787 100.00 5,988 100.00 -20.06

Figures supplied by SMMT

Figures supplied by SMMT

SUPPLIERS GUIDE

Auctions & Trade-To-Trade Sales

BCA

W: bca.co.uk

T: 0344 875 3480

E: customerservices@bca.com

Info: BCA’s remarketing programmes deliver volume, choice and availability for buyers, and speed, efficiency and market-leading returns for sellers.

Automotive E-Commerce

ATG

W: atg.auto

T: 0844 264 3519

Info: Leading provider of retailing solutions, Automotive Transformation Group maximises sales for retailers, OEMs, financiers and fleet suppliers by making car buying easier for their consumers.

Data

Real World Analytics

W: realworldanalytics.com

T: 0808 1890 617

E: auto@realworldanalytics.com

Info: We are a SaaS-based data analytics solution provider for multisite dealers. Our business intelligence tools help customers make faster and better decisions.

DMS

DealerDesk

W: dealerdesk.co.uk

E: contact@dealerdesk.co.uk

Info: Modernise your stock management, advertising, communication, sales and website. DealerDesk provides you with easyto-use tools designed to simplify your dealership management.

Finance

Blue Motor Finance

W: blue.co.uk

T: 020 3005 9331

E: dealersupport@blue.co.uk

Info: Blue is transforming the car finance market, making car ownership simple and flexible and providing motor traders with access to essential finance.

Finance

Close Brothers

Motor

Finance

First Response

W: firstresponsefinance.co.uk

T: 0115 946 6317

E: marketing@frfl.co.uk

Info: First Response is an awardwinning UK finance company providing simple financial solutions. Get in touch and let us help increase your profits.

Finance

Forza

Finance

W: forzafinance.co.uk T: 01245 245678

Info: Benefit from Forza Finance’s expertise, choice of products and lenders. Their personal approach will help you achieve higher levels of finance penetration and, ultimately, sell more cars.

HR & People Management

HR Manager

W: hrmanager.co.uk

T: 01480 455500

E: info@hrmanager.co.uk

Info: HR Manager is Lawgistics’ new digital compliance portal designed to assist employers in managing their legal obligations, responsibilities and duties.

Insurance

Tradesure

W: tradesureinsurance.co.uk

T: 0121 248 9313

Info: Providing motor trade insurance to full- and part-time motor traders in the UK, the Tradesure team are reliable professionals who know how to help you.

Key Control

Traka

W: traka-automotive.com

T: 0333 355 3726

E: automotive@traka.com

Info: Bespoke software and electronic key management cabinets to deliver the most effective solution to dealerships to manage their keys and vehicles.

Lead Management

GardX

Lead Management

iVendi

W: ivendi.com

T: 0330 229 0028

E: tellmemore@ivendi.com

Info: iVendi delivers a fully connected platform that engages consumers, converts buyers and manages transactions of vehicles online and in the showroom.

Legal & Compliance

Lawgistics

W: lawgistics.co.uk T: 01480 455500

E: sales@lawgistics.co.uk

Info: The legal experts for the motor trade, giving advice and support to our industry for over 15 years. Not anti-consumer, just pro-trader.

Marketing, PR & Video

OnCue Communications

W: oncuecomms.com

T: 020 8125 3880

Info: We are a leading provider of PR, video and events services to the automotive industry. The PR team has a proven track record of securing high-value, big-impact media coverage.

Marketing, PR & Video

Marketing Delivery

W: marketingdelivery.co.uk/ T: 01892 599911

E: get.in.touch@marketingdelivery.co.uk

Info: Our SocialStock helps target prospects with tailored stock remarketing and social media advertising tools, and automated lead capture for Facebook.

Oil & Lubricants

Mobil™

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.

Stocking Finance

STAR Stocking Finance

W: starassetfinance.com/ stocking-finance T: 0330 202 0619

Info: STAR Stocking Finance offers simple and flexible stocking finance that enables you to cost-effectively manage the buying and selling of your forecourt stock.

Trade Bodies

Ben 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.

Vehicle Photography

Dealer 360

W: dealer360.co.uk

T: 01270 780855

E: nicky.spratt@ukturntables.com Info: UK makers of photo booths incorporating our turntables for car, van and motorcycle dealers. Our software controls turntable and cameras – a onestop solution.

Vehicle Tracking

Meta Trak

W: metatrak.co.uk

T: 020 8867 2340

E: enquiries@metatrak.co.uk

Info: Total vehicle security. Clever tracking technology, advanced immobilisation, 24/7 monitoring and an easy-to-use app. Security. Connectivity. Peace of mind.

Warranty Providers

Autoprotect

W: autoprotect.co.uk

T: 01279 406888

E: sales@autoprotect.net

Info: AutoProtect offers a full portfolio of award-winning protection products, including GAP. We lead the market with an ‘Excellent’ rating on Trustpilot.

Warranty Providers

Händler Protect

W: handlerprotect.com

T: 0800 088 7889

E: sales@handlerprotect.com

Info: Händler Protect is an exclusive dealer warranty provider. Proud to partner and represent more than 1,000-plus ‘active’ independent motor dealers across the UK each month.

Warranty Providers

Warranty Administration Services

W: warrantyadmin.co.uk

T: 01522 515600

E: tellmemore@warrantyadmin.co.uk

Info: Unlock new profit and aftersales flexibility with Crystal Clear Warranty. Ideal for franchised dealers, groups and independents.

Warranty Providers

Warrantywise

W: warrantywise.co.uk/dealer

T: 0800 001 4551

E: dealers@warrantywise.co.uk

Info: Warrantywise sells over 100,000 warranties per year.

Quentin Willson personally designed Warrantywise to be the UK’s best used car warranty.

Warranty Providers

WMS

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.

Website Design & Digital Marketing

Bluesky Interactive

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.

Finance

W: closemotorfinance.co.uk/

Info: Close Brothers Motor Finance are a specialist finance provider, working with over 8,000 dealer partners to offer flexible finance solutions for car, motorcycle and LCV customers.

E: goforaspin@gardx.co.uk

Info: The award-winning 360 service offers an engaging display of the vehicle while additionally presenting profitable F&I products to a consumer.

Recruitment

WeRecruit Auto

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.

Warranty Providers

Car Care Plan

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.

Website Design & Digital Marketing

Haswent

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.

BMW 2 SERIES ACTIVE TOURER

In the Nineties, car manufacturers did a superb job of convincing everyone that they needed a large multi-purpose vehicle, or MPV for short. These days, the MPV craze has been superseded by SUV-mania and there are very few people-carriers on sale. Which is one of the reasons why we were keen to spend some time with the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer. You could say the practical Beemer shares very little with the good old MPVs of the Britpop era. There are no removable seats, for example, and there are no clever storage compartments to lose things in. It’s essentially a normal car with slightly more headroom, and is arguably the only model in BMW’s range that simply focuses on the job of being a car. I like that.

In my time with it, I never wished for the seats to move around to create a conference area like those MPVs of yore. I never yearned for sliding doors, either. It was great at carrying the occasional tall passenger and a tonne of luggage, or a builder’s bag of rubbish to the tip.

Another way it’s unlike those old large battle buses is the way it drives. Our car, badged 223i, was fitted with a 2.0-litre mild-hybrid four-cylinder petrol engine that pushes out 215bhp. Doesn’t sound all that impressive, I know, but by heck did it shift.

It’s an engine that loves to be revved to the red line before changing gear, too, and with 0-60mph taking just 6.8 seconds it feels hilariously fast for such a tall car. As it was an M Sport version, it got stiff suspension, a thick-rimmed steering wheel and figure-hugging sports seats up front; it even sounded rather fruity, too.

The 223i was surprisingly good fun when I was in the mood to drive quickly but frustrating at the more mundane, normal driving, which was surprisingly disappointing.

BMW has fitted the 2.0-litre with a mild-hybrid system to reduce CO2 and improve fuel consumption, but it annoyed me as much as it delighted me. At very slow speeds or when cruising, the engine would shut off and the car would drive on electric power. At other times, there was a little extra electric boost to assist the petrol engine when accelerating.

This was excellent and I’d routinely see 40mpg on the trip computer. What was not so good was the system’s hesitance when stationary. It seemed to hate being rushed from a junction, for example, leading to a handful of rather dangerous moments at T-junctions or roundabouts. Spot a gap in the traffic and push the throttle and quite often there was no power at all –squeeze harder and the engine would kick in and I would hurtle forwards.

While I think of it, that stiff ride that was so good on a twisting B-road was a little too unforgiving around town, and that thick-rimmed steering wheel made low-speed manoeuvres a bit cumbersome.

Speaking of frustrations, BMW’s decision to not fit a rotary controller for the infotainment system is a curious oversight. The Active Tourer gets BMW’s latest infotainment tech and onepiece curved touchscreen display, which is excellent. But while the 4 Series and iX BMW have a wheel on the centre console to control it, the 2 Series doesn’t. It’s an odd decision in what is a family car, and it made selecting even basic functions such as a radio station or adjusting the climate control unnecessarily complex.

Our six months with the 223i have been enjoyable, and overall I think I could live with all of the shortcomings. It’s practical, has some clever tech and feels a quality item.

Factor in performance that will embarrass a hot hatchback and the 2 Series Active Tourer is a fine example that MPVs can be good cars.

THE KNOWLEDGE

BMW 2 Series Active Tourer 223i M Sport

Price (as tested): £41,489

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol

Power: 215bhp Torque: 360Nm Top speed: 150mph Fuel economy: 44mpg (combined) 0-60mph: 6.8 seconds Emissions: 137-149g/km CO2 Mileage: 4,853

This month’s highlight: Performance that would embarrass a hot hatchback.

OTHER CARS WE’RE DRIVING

Skoda Enyaq iV 80x

Mileage: 1,804

There’s a lot of chat about EVs at the moment so we’re looking forward to seeing what living with one is like.

Services that make a difference

At Black Horse, we support dealers with expert knowledge and insight, so you can support your customers.

We underpin everything with straightforward tools and systems to simplify the finance journey and help you grow your business.

Find out how we can help you at www.blackhorse.co.uk