Car Dealer Magazine: Issue 191

PLUS: WHAT DOES THIS YEAR HOLD FOR THE CV SECTOR?

DRIVE TIME

Issue 191 | February 2024

WHY YOU NEED TO BE AT THIS YEAR’S EVENT

CarDealerMag.co.uk | £6

FIRST DRIVES: WE TEST THE VAUXHALL ASTRA SPORTS TOURER ELECTRIC, LEXUS LBX AND THE ALPINE A110 R

CarDealerLive.co.uk

INTERVIEW

VAUXHALL BOSS: DEALERS ARE CRITICAL TO HELP CUSTOMERS SWITCH TO EVs

NEWS PLUS: ALL THE LATEST NEW • LOOKERS WORK HOURS ROW CAR NEWS • CAZOO’S FUTURE IN DOUBT • FCA CLEARS PENDRAGON SALE • RYBROOK TAKEOVER COMPLETE REVEALED: • ROGUE DEALERS WARNING THE USED CARS THAT MADE • VANTAGE CHAIRMAN QUITTING DEALERS THE MOST MONEY IN 2023 INSIDE: BATCH SPENDS A DAY EV TRAINING AT THE MAZDA ACADEMY

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THE BOSS FOUNDER James Baggott

james@thebaize.com Twitter: @CarDealerEd

EDITORIAL 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

Distribution Car Dealer is distributed to a database of up to 12,000 franchised car dealers, independents, service and repair sites, car manufacturers and suppliers. Advertisers are supplied with a print certificate every month.

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Winner of Best Business Publication, Headline Auto Awards 2012 & 2014

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Last year’s Car Dealer Live Conference

WELCOME.

C

hristmas feels very much in the rear-view mirror now, doesn’t it? Business seems to be mixed; some dealers are gossiping that getting hold of used car stock is a little hard, while franchised car dealers are now having to face the reality of selling more EVs than ever to hit the new ZEV mandate.

But hopefully, like us here at Car Dealer, you feel revved up for the year ahead. We’ve got loads lined up and plan to work even harder on delivering all the news and views that matter to you.

We clocked up more than 12 million views on our website last year – that’s a really staggering figure for a motor trade publication. Thank you for reading as much as you did – we don’t intend to rest on our laurels.

Aside from keeping you updated daily via our website and every month via this magazine, I’m really excited about our Car Dealer Live event.

We launched this conference last year and, as we opened the doors at the British Motor Museum to snow and bitter winds, we were truly humbled at the vast numbers of you who came along.

The good news is Car Dealer Live is back for a second year in 2024. It’s essentially the same format and at the same location but with a few tweaks here and there to make it even more enjoyable. This year, the conference is all about used cars and we’re working on a fantastic line-up of speakers – I really do urge you to come along. It’s a one-day event at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon on March 7 and you can read more about it on pages 6-7 in this magazine. You can also visit cardealerlive.co.uk for updates as they happen and to book tickets.

I hope you have a happy and successful start to the year, and maybe I’ll see you at Gaydon on March 7.

Enjoy the issue.

The good news is Car Dealer Live is back for a second year in 2024.

JAMES BATCHELOR Associate editor CarDealerMag.co.uk | 03

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IGNITION. ISSUE 191 | FEBRUARY 2024

6 CONTENTS

26 12

DASHBOARD

‘We’ve seen certain Renault and Peugeot models show great profit potential for the first time.’

8

10

6 8 10 12 18 20 34 38 41

COMMENT James Batchelor Big Mike

15 16

FORECOURT Lexus LBX Astra Sports Tourer Electric Alpine A110 R

24 26 28

FEATURES Mazda Academy Cool stuff

30 33

DATA FILE The Statistics LCV news Suppliers Guide Long-termers

42 44 46 47

28

8 30

BIG MIKE

Car Dealer Live conference Biggest used car profits Interview: James Taylor Van sales review New car news News digest Business news Finance Supplier news

‘I’ve sold two distress purchase cars in the past week to people who were desperate for wheels.’

16

FORECOURT

‘It takes quite a lot to stand out in this crowded market, but we reckon the LBX has done just enough.’

24

DATA FILE

‘With vehicle supply challenges fading, the new car market is building back with the best year since the pandemic.’

42 CarDealerMag.co.uk | 05

WHY I THINK YOU REALLY MUST BE AT CAR DEALER LIVE 2024

S

• Car Dealer Live 2024 takes place on March 7 at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon • It’ll bring together some of the biggest names in the motor trade to speak on stage • Panellists will discuss latest trends and give their opinions on the motor trade’s hot topics

ince the pandemic, I’ve enjoyed live events more than ever – and I’m now seriously looking forward to our forthcoming Car Dealer Live.

Taking place on March 7 at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon, it will bring together some of the biggest names in the motor trade to talk about their businesses and share their top tips.

We’ve got an amazing line-up for this year’s event – sponsored once again by headline partner Auto Trader – and I can’t wait to take to the stage and talk to them all.

I’m especially excited about our two headline interviews. I’ll be talking to Peter Waddell, the firecracker behind the hugely successful Big Motoring World Group of used car supermarkets. Meanwhile, in the franchised dealer world, few people are as respected and admired as Peter Vardy, the boss of the eponymous dealer group.

The franchised dealer panel – which includes Peter Smyth from Swansway, Chris Wiseman from Wessex Garages and Sue Corkin from Chorley Group – will look at the move to agency sales, growing AI trends and how they are dealing with EV sales at a time when many retail buyers don’t want them.

Our independent dealer panel will feature Estelle Miller, co-founder of EV Experts, Alex Jones of car supermarket Carbase and James McConville, the director of Solo Cars. I know all of these guests and their respective used car businesses well, and they’ll give attendees a unique take on various sections of the used car market.

On the luxury dealer panel will be former Used Car Awards Lifetime Achievement winner Tom Hartley as well as Brett Ward, from luxury group H.R. Owen, while our manufacturer panel will feature Nicola Dobson, used car director at Stellantis, and Matt Galvin, UK MD for challenger Chinese brand Nio. All attendees will be able to submit their own questions to the panels via an event app.

Some of my favourite sessions are with our partners. All of them will be producing exclusive research for this special event and sharing it with attendees.

I’ve also asked our partners to bring along some dealer panellists to join them on stage so they can give their immediate feedback to the research delivered on the day.

Tickets to the event include breakfast, lunch and refreshments as well as entry to the amazing British Motor Museum, which is well worth a look around during lunch or at the end of the day.

Parking is free, with the packed day starting at 9am and finishing at 4.30pm.

The 2023 event was hugely popular and feedback from attendees was superb. Nigel Hurley, CEO of Carshop, said: ‘Car Dealer Live was informative, professionally organised and varied in content with all the current hot topics that we are wrestling with today in our industry. The panel of experts gave honest and clear feedback on how they saw the challenges and opportunities that we are dealing with right now and also what’s coming down the track at us.

‘I will certainly be making next year’s event a date in the diary to attend.’

06 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

To book tickets, click here or visit

CarDealerLive.co.uk

Get exclusive insights from some of the biggest names in the trade at CDL 2024

We’ve got an amazing lineup for this year’s event and I can’t wait to take to the stage and talk to them all.

James Baggott Car Dealer founder

HEADLINE INTERVIEWS

Peter Vardy

Peter Waddell

CEO Peter Vardy Group

CEO Big Motoring World

Vardy and Waddell will feature in two keynote interviews, where they will individually share the secrets to their success and their very different ways of doing business.

LUXURY DEALER PANEL

Tom Hartley

Brett Ward

Director Tom Hartley Cars

CTO H.R. Owen

What’s it like dealing with prestige metal and the discerning customers that it attracts? Our panel of specialist dealers will reveal all and offer insights on how the luxury end of the market operates.

FRANCHISED DEALER PANEL

SESSION DETAILS Catherine Faiers COO Auto Trader

Catherine Faiers and a car dealer guest will be discussing how data can be used by dealers to help navigate turbulent times in the motor trade.

Auto Trader will delve into used car price fluctuations, how the online used car buying journey is evolving and what’s really happening with EV buyers.

Our headline partner will look at the forces of change for 2024 and deliver key takeaways for dealers to go back and implement in their businesses.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO

Peter Smyth

Chris Wiseman

Director, Swansway

Operations director Chorley Group FULL LINE-UP TO BE ANNOUNCED Franchised dealers regularly find themselves at the bleeding edge of new manufacturer initiatives and that’s not likely to change in 2024.

Our experienced panel will share their insights on the technological and regulatory changes coming our way in the years ahead.

INDEPENDENT DEALER PANEL Alex Jones

COO, Carbase

Estelle Miller

Co-founder, EV Experts

James McConville Director, Solo Cars

FULL LINE-UP TO BE ANNOUNCED Independent dealers don’t often have an easy life. With recent challenges such as vehicle electrification, volatile prices and a shortage of stock, our panel will discuss how to remain profitable and relevant in an ever-changing automotive landscape.

MANUFACTURER PANEL

Nicola Dobson

Used vehicle operations director, Stellantis

Arrival and coffee

9.30

Welcome in auditorium from Car Dealer editor James Baggott

9.35

Keynote interview – Peter Vardy

10am

Franchised dealer panel – sponsored by ATG

10.30 11am

The world’s largest search engine will be returning as a partner at Car Dealer Live, where it will share its unique data on how car buyers are searching for their next vehicle.

Car Dealer Live partner Cox Automotive impressed our audience in 2023 and will be back to deliver more exclusive research in 2024. Full details of the findings it’ll be presenting will be announced ahead of the conference.

Coffee break and networking

11.30

Cox Automotive research session

Midday

Manufacturer panel – sponsored by Cox Automotive

12.30pm

ATG research session

1pm

Lunch

1.45

Keynote interview – Peter Waddell

2.15

iVendi research session

2.45

A new partner for our 2024 event, Automotive Transformation Group will be researching the very latest trends in omnichannel retailing and delivering its exclusive data.

Full details of the research it’ll be presenting will be announced ahead of the conference.

Luxury dealer panel – sponsored by iVendi

3.15

Coffee break and networking

3.30

Independent dealer panel – sponsored by Auto Trader

4pm

Google keynote interview

Matt Galvin

4.30

MD, Nio UK

FULL LINE-UP TO BE ANNOUNCED While the agency model is a hot topic in new car sales, what do car manufacturers have in store for used car buyers? Our panel from across various automotive brands will tackle the hot topics for used car sales in 2024.

9am

Auto Trader research session

Sue Corkin

MD, Wessex Garages

AGENDA IN FULL

Event closes Session details were being finalised at the time of publication and will be confirmed in due course.

To book tickets, click here or visit

CarDealerLive.co.uk

EVENT PARTNERS CarDealerMag.co.uk | 07

DASHBOARD

THE USED CARS THAT MADE DEALERS THE MOST MONEY IN 2023 • Range Rover Evoque tops the list with an average of £3,325 profit on each car • The British 4×4 maker also tops the table of most profitable used car brands • Dealer Auction data gives insight into the cars with the most profit

L

by Jack Williams @JournoJack25

and Rover models made used car dealers the largest profit margins for the third year running in 2023, according to new data from trade-to-trade website Dealer Auction.

The British marque dominated the firm’s monthly lists throughout the year and once again came out on top for brands and models.

The Range Rover Evoque took first place in the annual models list, with Dealer Auction’s Retail Margin Monitor report showing that it made car dealers an average profit of £3,325.

It takes the title from last year’s winner – the Land Rover Discovery 4 – which made car dealers an average of £4,340 in 2022.

Another Land Rover – the Freelander 2 – also featured in the this year’s Top 10 with an average profit margin of £2,425.

The marketplace works out its list by monitoring what the cars sold for on its dealer-todealer platform and what the cars eventually retail for on Auto Trader.

It doesn’t account for any discounts or deals applied by the dealer in the showrooms, but gives a good guide to the margins available.

The Evoque has performed well throughout the year, achieving its highest profit margin in November, when dealers were making a whopping £5,100 on each car.

Land Rover also topped the 2021 annual list, with the Discovery 4 taking first place back then with a profit margin of £3,060.

Commenting on the results, Kieran TeeBoon, Dealer Auction’s marketplace director, said: ‘The top-selling profit-makers were consistent in 2023, with Land Rover continuing to reign supreme and other premium models regularly appearing in the top 10.

‘Despite the economic and political headwinds in 2023, it’s clear that there are significant opportunities for stock-savvy dealers to bolster their profit margins and start 2024 on a high.

‘The new data adds valuable extra context for dealers, too – for example, the tenth-place BMW 1 Series was the quickest seller of the year.’

On a brand level, Land Rover once again led the way, with an average retail margin of £3,425.

Its sister brand, Jaguar, came second last year but has now dropped out of the Top 10 08 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

The top-selling profit-makers were consistent in 2023, with Land Rover continuing to reign supreme and other premium models regularly appearing in the top 10.

Kieran TeeBoon Dealer Auction’s marketplace director

Reflecting on the full year of Retail Margin Monitors truly shows the value in using data to guide your decision-making.

Kieran TeeBoon

‘CARS ARE BEING PRICED BELOW THEIR MARKET VALUE’

BIGGEST USED CAR PROFIT MARGINS 2023 MODELS

Average profit margin

Days to sell

BRANDS

Profit margin £3,425

Range Rover Evoque

£3,325

37

Land Rover

Volvo XC60

£2,700

38

BMW

£2,700

Mercedes E-Class

£2,650

43

Mercedes-Benz

£2,575

BMW 3 Series

£2,575

41

Volvo

£2,500

Jaguar XF

£2,550

39

Audi

£2,450

Mercedes C-Class

£2,500

41

Mini

£2,225

Mercedes A-Class

£2,450

38

Kia

£2,010

Land Rover Freelander 2

£2,425

38

Mazda

£2,000

Mini Countryman

£2,375

40

Volkswagen

£1,980

BMW 1 Series

£2,325

36

Nissan

£1,975

SOURCE: DEALER AUCTION RETAIL MARGIN MONITOR altogether after a difficult year for the outfit. Instead, German rivals BMW and Mercedes took second and third place respectively.

Over the year, Land Rover ranked first in 11 out of 12 months, while BMW and MercedesBenz held top three spots 10 times and six times each.

The year also saw a greater variety of brands in the top 10 after the 2022 and 2021 charts both saw the same premium marques make up the entire list.

In 2023, there was a 60:40 split between premium and mainstream makes.

TeeBoon added: ‘Reflecting on the full year of Retail Margin Monitors truly shows the value in using data to guide your decision-making.

‘While there’s some consistency in the tables, there’s been plenty of curve balls, too.

‘This year, for example, we’ve seen certain Renault and Peugeot models show great profit potential for the first time and affordable brands like Kia and Mazda have entered the annual top 10.

‘Profit may not always be where you expect it, so staying informed is key.’

AUTO Trader says that Dealer Auction’s data highlights the importance of dealers taking a data-driven approach to pricing.

The automotive giant warned that almost 52,000 cars are currently being priced below their market value by around 8,000 dealers.

The firm says the trend can be put down to retailers guiding their prices off wholesale trends, which could be costing them more than £35m in lost profits.

Richard Walker, director of data and insights at Auto Trader, said: ‘The Retail Margin Monitor again reveals the many profit opportunities available to retailers who make data-driven pricing decisions.

‘Our data clearly shows that the fundamentals of the used car market remain solid: consumer demand is robust and cars are selling quickly, which combined with the slow return in supply means retail prices continue to show more resilience than trade.

‘Worryingly, it appears some pricing strategies are being guided by wholesale trends, placing pressure on retail values, and risking profits in the process.

‘Our data shows that nearly 52,000 cars are currently being priced below their market value by circa 8,000 retailers, which is potentially costing them over £35m in lost profits.

‘Rather than just a cause for concern, the retail and wholesale markets being out of sync also presents a profit opportunity for retailers who analyse the data on a car-by-car basis and price stock relative to retail valuations.’

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 09

DASHBOARD

CAR DEALERS ARE ‘CRITICAL’ TO HELP CUSTOMERS MAKE SWITCH TO EVS – VAUXHALL BOSS • Local representation is very important for customer trust, says Vauxhall chief • Multi-powertrain choice is ‘scary’ for some buyers, he says • Dealer network is said to be right size for medium term after Stellantis wielded axe

F

by James Batchelor @JRRBatchelor

PICTURE BY: STUART PRICE

ranchised car dealers are ‘critically important’ to help consumers make the switch to electric, the boss of Vauxhall has said.

The British car brand’s dealer network has been in sharp focus over the past 12 months, as parent company Stellantis sought to slash the size of the overall UK structure.

In October 2022, Stellantis announced that 138 UK dealers across its brands, including Vauxhall, would get the chop – mostly because of offering poor customer service. Vauxhall managing director James Taylor has now said the brand will have ‘the Vauxhall’s managing director, James Taylor, chats to James Batchelor best network coverage we’ve ever had’, and insisted that dealers are important despite the rise of online car sales.

‘We went through a recontracting process quite recently and we’ve come out of that with good network coverage,’ he told Car Dealer.

As of April 2023, Vauxhall had 222 dealerships, an exclusive Car Dealer report revealed, which was a drop of two compared with the previous year.

‘We’ve still got a few open points to fill in places like Brighton,’ Taylor added, ‘and by the time we finish 2024, we will probably have the best network coverage we’ve ever had.

‘We have lost some representation, but those have been more satellite sites rather than core sites. I think, ultimately, our network is one of our biggest strengths. We’ve got a lot of good partners who have been with us for a long time and we’ve got a good balance.’

Taylor was speaking a day before new Stellantis UK boss Maria Grazia Davino sat down with Car Dealer to explain the mistakes the carmaker had made in recent years, and how she’s delaying the roll-out of agency sales to its brands in the UK. He added: ‘Any future changes [to the dealer network] in the coming year or two will be organic. I don’t see any wholesale changes. The network is of the right size for us to go forward in the medium term. I think it’s important to have local representation.’

James Taylor Taylor explained that having ‘local dealers’ was ‘crucial’ to help customers make the Vauxhall managing director switch to electric – especially as carmakers will need to sell more electric cars in 2024 to meet the strict ZEV mandate.

‘Local representation is very important for electric. It’s critically important. Having a multi-powertrain choice [for customers] is scary for many people. Having a brand you can trust just 10 minutes away? There’s real value to that.’

He added: ‘I think we represent good value with our petrol offering versus our direct competitors. But what’s going to come from the ZEV mandate? We have to keep [pricing] under review. Will electric cars get significantly cheaper? Will everybody start chasing the 22% [to meet the mandate]? I think we have a good chance of being able to do it [hitting the mandate] without having to radically alter our business.’

We’ve got a lot of good partners who have been with us for a long time and we’ve got a good balance.’

10 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

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CarDealerMag.co.uk | 11

DASHBOARD

VAN SALES RETURN TO NEAR PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS BUT EV TAKE-UP REMAINS SLOW Craig Cheetham takes a look back at how the commercial vehicle sector fared in 2023 and finds out what needs to be done over the next 12 months.

T

he UK new van market returned close to pre-pandemic levels in 2023, with 341,455 new light commercial vehicles (LCVs) registered, according to the latest figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) – just 6.9% behind total sales in 2019, the last full year before the Covid-19 outbreak.

But while electric van sales increased by 21.9% to 20,253 units, the overall penetration of EVs in the van market remains way behind the 2024 government mandate of 10% of new vans being electric, with just 5.9% of new vans being pure EVs in 2023.

The increase in battery-powered vans is in line with a similar 21% increase in overall van sales – 59,316 more units than in 2022.

The Ford Transit Custom came out on top with 40,865 registrations. Add 28,280 sales of larger Transits and the Ford LCV was not only the UK’s best-selling van, but also the most popular new vehicle overall, outselling the Puma SUV by almost 19,000 units.

The largest vans (those weighing between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes) were the most popular, rising by 9.4% to 228,442 registrations – with these models representing 66.9% of all new van registrations. The largest growth in volume was for medium-sized vans (weighing between 2 and 2.5 tonnes), surging by 78.4% to 57,992 units.

Demand for pick-ups and 4x4s also rose, by 38.7% and 127.7% to 41,003 and 8,063 units respectively, but the smallest vans (weighing equal to or less than two tonnes) saw a fall of 23.7% to 5,955 units, the top seller in that sector being the Citroen Berlingo.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: ‘Rising demand for new vans in every month of 2023 – along with record uptake of battery-electric vans – is positive news for the UK, given the vital role of these vehicles in keeping businesses and the economy moving.’

But while new van sales might be encouraging as an economic indicator, it’s quite clear that there’s still a lot of work to do in order to encourage wholesale adoption of electric vans. The UK government has mandated that at least 10% of total van sales for 2024 must be electric, but the market fell short in 2023 by more than 14,000 units as operators continue to be reluctant to adopt EVs within the current charging infrastructure.

‘If 2024 is to be the year of the electric van, investment in chargepoint infrastructure is mission-critical – bringing with it the successful green transition and economic growth the nation needs,’ Hawes added.

Meanwhile, the Association of Fleet Professionals said that progressing zero-emissions 12 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Ford Transit Custom

Rising demand for new vans in every month of 2023 – along with record uptake of batteryelectric vans – is positive news for the UK. Mike Hawes SMMT chief executive

Vauxhall Vivaro

BRITAIN’S TOP 10 SELLING VANS IN 2023

van deployment was top of the fleet agenda for 2024, but chairman Paul Hollick said the issue was proving difficult for some Number sold businesses, with several tricky practical and strategic issues needing to be overcome.

Ford Transit Custom 40,865 ‘The view of most van fleets is that Ford Transit 28,280 electrification, which obviously forms Vauxhall Vivaro 20,477 the backbone of the move towards zero emissions, is going to be very much Ford Ranger 18,679 an incremental process because of Volkswagen Transporter 17,487 compromises imposed by the current Renault Trafic 16,041 technology when it comes to key areas such as payload, range and charging.

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 15,799 ‘Across our membership, the feeling is Citroen Berlingo 14,065 that these issues can be resolved but that it Toyota Hilux 10,888 will take time and a wide range of strategies will need to be applied.’

Ford Transit Connect 10,856 The most immediate problem to tackle, SOURCE: SMMT he added, was resolving 4.25-tonne electric van derogation, which has been beset by a degree of confusion that had caused many fleets to cancel or delay orders.

‘We’re talking to the relevant official bodies about this and are hopeful that workable solutions will soon appear. Being able to practically operate 4.25-tonne electric panel vans is central to many fleets’ zero-emission plans, and this is something that is very much acting as a roadblock to progress.’

At present, drivers on a standard licence can only operate vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes, but the additional weight of EV batteries makes this impractical in the large van market.

Charging off-site is also an issue.

‘We’ve been talking to charging companies about better access to forecourt chargers,’ added Hollick. ‘The bays are often not big enough or aren’t designed to accommodate light commercial vehicles, and this is proving a major hindrance to fleets that want to use electric vans.

‘Like on-street charging, this is not a problem that will be solved overnight, but we are hopeful that progress will be made on both these fronts in 2024.’

MODELS

Ford Ranger

The view of most van fleets is that electrification is going to be very much an incremental process because of compromises imposed by the current technology Paul Hollick Chairman of the Association of Fleet Professionals

CLICK HERE TO TURN TO THE LCV PAGE P44 CarDealerMag.co.uk | 13

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What I think makes Close Brothers different is that we have a relationship built on trust. It feels like a real partnership - they truly care about my business.

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An award winning partnership For over 30 years we’ve built an established reputation as a flexible and trusted finance provider, and have supported our dealer and broker partners through both good and challenging times.

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closemotorfinance.co.uk Finance Compliance Funding Insight

Customers could come under pressure if 22% EV quota is to be met

F

Ford won’t be able to sell enough Mustang Mach-Es to avoid the government’s naughty step.

or the past six months I’ve been driving a Suzuki. Not words I thought I’d ever say, but there we have it.

It’s a Swace – a car I’ve never really paid much interest in. But since living with one, I’ve discovered it’s a car that is loved by taxi companies and people who love a bargain. It’s so amazingly frugal, and despite the rather plain-Jane looks, it’s nice to drive and is an all-round excellent car. If that last sentence has dazzled you, you can read more of what I think about it on page 47.

I say it’s bought by people who love bargains because, as we all know, the Swace is really a Toyota. It’s a Corolla without – and I can’t believe I’m saying this, considering some of the woefully dull Corollas in the past – the style or the panache.

I don’t care that it’s really a Toyota in disguise, but this month something dawned on me that I think is rather alarming – and it’s do with its origins.

The reason why Suzuki pinches some Toyotas and puts its own badges on them is mostly due to the need to have more hybrids in its range. Like all carmakers, Suzuki needs to keep an eye on CO2.

But there’s a big problem...

Subaru has a similar partnership with Toyota. However, instead of it taking the Corolla hybrid and RAV4 PHEV like Suzuki has, it has bagged Toyota’s bZ4X electric crossover. Suzuki currently has no fully electric cars on its books, and that’s a problem when 22% of its sales need to be EVs this year.

Now, I need to be straight here. The bZ4X has hardly been the sales success Toyota would have wanted. Autocar said in a recent piece that Toyota dealers had shifted just 14 of them in October, but there are more EVs from Toyota on the way. For Subaru, the figure will likely be even less, but at least it’s a start.

Suzuki will leverage that Toyota love-in, though, and use some of Toyota’s expertise with EVs in the near future. It showed off a small, fully electric crossover last year that will likely arrive in 2025 or thereabouts. But it means that this year, Suzuki will be handing over bags of money in fines to the UK government for not meeting that strict 22% quota.

Suzuki isn’t alone. JLR won’t have its first EV, the electric Range Rover, on sale until next year, so it too will be slapped with fines, while Ford won’t be able to sell enough Mustang Mach-Es to avoid the government’s naughty step.

There are a few others as well.

What does this all mean then? Well, some carmakers will just have to suck it up and hand over the readies, knowing that their future electric models will save them in the future. But others might have to be a little bit underhand.

We could see scores of pre-reg EVs appearing on dealer forecourts – new cars that have only been registered just to hit that 22% mark. Good news for used car buyers, as there could be cheap EVs around, but not good for the market.

That’s as maybe, but the thing that leaves a nasty taste in my mouth is some customers will be pressurised into going electric when they don’t want to. One car manufacturer boss told me privately that there will be customers coming into one of his showrooms to buy a brand-new petrol car and they’ll be wooed by the salesperson to go electric. They have to, as the fines, for this OEM, will be crippling.

The carmakers, it would seem, are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

It might be fine if there were hordes of private buyers out there willing to buy an electric car, but I’m not sure there are…

Batch chat

COMMENT

JAMES BATCHELOR

CAR DEALER’S ASSOCIATE EDITOR HAS HIS SAY James Batchelor James – aka Batch – started at Car Dealer in 2010, becoming editor in 2013. He then worked for Auto Express and Carbuyer, went freelance in 2020, and became Car Dealer’s associate editor in October 2021.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 15

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

Who is Big Mike?

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

16 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

COMMENT

Stupid is as stupid does, it would seem, despite the best intentions of car makers

I

find at this time of year that the vast majority of cars I sell are bought out of need rather than desire – distress purchases, if you will.

As such, I tend to put away the sports cars, convertibles, modern classics and performance models I’ve bought into stock until we see the first green shoots of spring. A shame really, as the ‘interesting’ stuff is very much where my business is headed these days. The buyers are usually a far higher calibre (or are at least sane) and the margins are good, you get fewer comebacks and you generally end up dealing with people who are buying a car because they want one rather than out of necessity, which means they’re much more amenable to giving you a few days to complete things like a pre-sale service and arrange a new MOT – I don’t really see any point in getting a car tested to sit on the lot for a couple of months when I can wave it down the road with a fresh ticket, and customers largely prefer them freshly tested, too.

I’ve sold two distress purchase cars in the past week – a Ford Focus and Peugeot 3008 – to people who were desperate for wheels. The Peugeot was bought with an insurance pay-out and the Focus – a part-ex-to-clear cheapie – went to a bloke who was waiting for his insurance to cough up after he stacked the family Qashqai the week before Christmas.

Obviously, in both cases I was serving a need and happy to do business, although I was more than a little nervous going for test drives with the customers – and I have a very good reason why.

Put simply, who on earth manages to crash a modern car, and how?

I was on my way home down the A38 the other day when I saw a nearly-new Hyundai being winched out of a crash barrier on a stretch of road where a loss of control seemed nigh-on impossible. The road there is dead straight, there were no other vehicles involved and yet, somehow, the bewildered-looking driver was standing next to the wreckage of her £35,000 car yabbering into her mobile phone (which, I hypothesise, may have played a part in the incident to start with).

Every time I drive a car newer than 10 years old, which I admit is an increasingly rare occurrence because they seem to be valued like gold bullion these days, I find the number of driver aids on board bewildering.

I used to get baffled by features such as automatic headlights and windscreen wipers, as I’m intelligent enough to know when it’s getting dark or when it starts raining.

Now we have cars that put on their own brakes if you happen to forget, or which vibrate the steering wheel and bing and bong if you venture out of your lane. Brakes are so good that you only have to think about slowing down before you’re chewing the top of your steering wheel, and if you do engage idiot mode on the approach to a roundabout, what normally happens is the traction control, ESP and every other piece of automated

I’ve sold two distress purchase cars in the past week to people who were desperate for wheels.

Manufacturers such as Volvo spend vast amounts of money on safety systems, as well as recreating and instigating crashes, so why do people still have accidents, wonders Big Mike

nonsense you can think of kicks in and the car carries along on its merry way as if nothing dramatic had ever happened.

It’s almost as if you need to crash your car on purpose to unlock such an achievement, and as such I find it most bizarre that people still manage to do it. Don’t get me wrong – it’s good for business, and I appreciate that not all accidents are the driver’s fault, but my insurance went up this year and the reason I was given for that was that there had been an increase in claims. How? Just how?

I can only conclude that we’re going backwards as a species, and as my accompanied test drive with the lady who bought my Peugeot 3008 proved to me, there’s validity to my theory. Indeed, going backwards was a skill she clearly wasn’t very proficient at herself, and I now have a scuffed bumper on a Corsa sales car to sort out, but I decided not to force the issue as she agreed to buy the Peugeot pretty much out of embarrassment.

Meantime, there’s a chap a few doors down from me who’s in full-on buying mode at the moment, purchasing these individuals’ write-offs from salvage auctions and selling them all as repaired Cat S and N models that are cheaper than ones that haven’t been crashed yet. And after what I’ve witnessed in and around Birmingham over the past three or four weeks, it’s surely only a matter of time before they are…

Meanwhile, I’ve a good selection of inexpensive, mundane motors to shift before we get back into the fun season, so if you do know anyone who’s come unstuck and needs to get themselves back on the road, feel free to send them my way.

I can only conclude that we’re going backwards as a species, and as my accompanied test drive with the lady who bought my Peugeot 3008 proved to me, there’s validity to my theory.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 17

DASHBOARD

CAR NEWS ROUND-UP Manufacturers have been refining their models and producing new ones. We look at some of the results...

MERCEDES-AMG

SL63 S E-Performance hybrid boasts 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine MERCEDES has revealed the SL63 S E-Performance as its new sports car flagship.

It uses the firm’s latest sporty plug-in hybrid powertrain, as seen in the AMG GT. Packing a mighty 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine on the front axle and a rear electric motor, it

develops a significant 805bhp – 240 more than the previous range-topping SL. It allows for a 0-60mph time of just 2.7 seconds and a top speed of 198mph, where permitted.

It’s also equipped with four-wheel drive and a nine-speed automatic gearbox. Mercedes says

the electric motor ‘provides an extra boost’ when setting off, accelerating and overtaking, but the small 6.1kWh battery only allows for around eight miles of electric-only running ability.

A fuel economy figure of 36.7mpg is claimed, along with 175g/km CO2 emissions.

VOLKSWAGEN

NISSAN

Ariya Nismo revealed as sporty electric SUV NISSAN has unveiled the Ariya Nismo as its first road-going electric performance car.

It’s the first time Nissan’s performance arm has turned its attention to electric cars for the road. Based on the standard e-4orce four-wheel-drive model. it’s the first Nismo-badged SUV since the Juke.

Changes to the electric motor increase peak power by around 10% to 429bhp and 600Nm of torque.

Although there’s no word on performance, a 0-60mph time of less than four seconds is expected for the sporty SUV. 18 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Updated T-Cross goes on sale priced from under £27,000 AN UPDATED version of Volkswagen’s T-Cross SUV has now gone on sale priced from £23,695.

For 2024, VW’s smallest SUV gets several changes to keep it competitive with newer rivals. Design changes are fairly small but include new LED lighting at the front and rear, with more advanced matrix LED headlights available for the first time.

Inside, the T-Cross has a new free-standing touchscreen as standard. The engine choice is fairly conventional, offering 1.0-litre petrol engines with either 94bhp or 113bhp, as well as a 148bhp 1.5-litre petrol with a seven-speed automatic gearbox.

MG

New supermini to be unveiled at Geneva

MG will reveal a nextgeneration version of its MG3 supermini at February’s Geneva Motor Show.

It’s only been teased on X, showing a more striking frontend design inspired by newer MG models but with a similar overall silhouette. It can also be seen undergoing winter testing while still wearing heavy camouflage.

Although MG has been scaling up electrification plans, the new MG3 is set to stick with regular petrol engines to help keep prices low.

AUDI

FORD

Nod to rally with Q8 e-tron Dakar Edition

Bolder look and more power for 2024 Kuga

AUDI has unveiled a new special edition of its Q8 e-tron SUV that draws on the firm’s off-road motorsport expertise.

The Dakar Edition is being introduced to coincide with the launch of its third season in the legendary Dakar Rally.

The electric SUV’s lifted chassis is raised by 67mm versus the standard car, while off-road-specific tyres help to give it even more traction.

The wheel arches have also been widened to accommodate the bigger tyres.

FORD has revealed a mid-life update for its Kuga, bringing a more modern design and improved hybrid powertrains to the popular SUV. Styling revisions give it a much bolder look than before, courtesy of new silver detailing and a revised grille.

A four-wheel-drive selfcharging hybrid model has been added to the range, while the plug-in hybrid model receives a bump from 227bhp to 240bhp, with Ford claiming it can travel on electric for up to 43 miles. Prices are likely to start from around £34,000.

VAUXHALL

Mild-hybrid Corsa makes its first appearance in line-up VAUXHALL is expanding its range with the introduction of a hybrid engine on its popular Corsa for the first time.

The mild-hybrid model uses a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine that features a six-speed dual-clutch automatic and a small electric motor. Power outputs of 99bhp and 134bhp are available. It’s the same set-up as with the latest Peugeot 208, while it’s also set to be introduced in other Jeep and Fiat models that make up the Stellantis group.

The electric motor allows the Corsa to be driven at slower speeds without needing the engine, while also assisting the petrol engine under acceleration.

McLAREN

GTS builds on GT experience to increase bhp and lose weight MCLAREN has revealed the new GTS – an updated version of the previous GT model.

The 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 now produces 626bhp – up by 14bhp on the previous GT. McLaren has also managed to shave 10kg off the GT’s weight, taking the total kerb figure to 1,520kg. The GTS has a claimed 0-60mph time of just three seconds as well – 0.1 seconds less than the GT. In addition, the GTS gets a gloss black finish as standard on the exhaust tips, mirror caps and window surrounds, while new GTS badges feature on the side of the car.

CITROEN

VOLKSWAGEN

Tweaked e-Berlingo boasts longer range

Order books open for third-gen Tiguan SUV

CITROEN has revealed an updated version of its familyfocused e-Berlingo, which gets a new design inside and out, as well as a longer range.

The biggest update is a 54kWh battery (up from 50kWh), which increases the range from a claimed 174 miles to 198 miles. A more advanced regenerative braking set-up is adopted too, with paddles on the steering wheel now able to control the level of braking.

There’s a new front end, while inside is a larger 10-inch touchscreen.

VOLKSWAGEN says prices for its third-gen Tiguan start at £34,060, with orders for the new SUV now open.

It now has a stylish new design incorporating advanced LED lighting, with light strips at the front and back.

Inside is where you’ll find the bulk of the changes, with a range of new tech, including touchscreens measuring up to 15 inches and a clever OLED rotary control that can be used to adjust features such as driver settings and volume.

A DSG automatic gearbox is now standard as well.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 19

DASHBOARD RIVALS

BYD outpaces Tesla for last quarter

NEWS DIGEST

HERE ARE TASTERS OF STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

CLICK ON THE PICTURES FOR THE FULL STORY c

CHINESE EV maker BYD sold more cars than Tesla did during the last quarter of 2023, it has been revealed.

It said it shifted 526,000 battery-only vehicles versus Tesla’s record figure of 484,500 to make it the world’s biggest seller of electric cars.

The last three months of the year were the first quarter in which BYD has outpaced Elon Musk’s car company. However, Tesla still churned out more battery-only cars during the year – 1.84m versus BYD’s 1.6m.

PREPARATION

Greenhous Group leases ex-BCA site

GREENHOUS Group has taken over an ex-BCA preparation site in Oxfordshire.

The Shropshire-based dealer chain has become the leaseholder at the Upper Heyford site as it looks to carry out ambitious plans for growth.

It’ll be used for vehicle preparation, vehicle storage, EV charging and fleet management.

There are also plans to install renewable energy infrastructure.

Hundreds of jobs were put at risk when BCA left the site after its lease expired.

20 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

DEVELOPMENT

£6m TrustFord showroom in Glasgow set to open in April after construction ends and fit-out begins WORK on a £6m development for TrustFord on Scotland’s largest industrial estate has been completed, with the showroom poised to open in the spring.

Building the bespoke 29,000 sq ft dealership at Hillington Park in Glasgow began last May. The 3.7-acre site near the M8 was pre-let to TrustFord after the previous building was demolished in 2022 after being deemed no longer suitable for modern business requirements. The fit-out started at the beginning of the year, with the showroom due to open in April and set to create 40-plus jobs.

Image via Hillington Park

SALES

TRANSITION

Rolls-Royce enjoys ‘extraordinary’ year

Distillery chooses Ariya for pool fleet

BOSSES at Rolls-Royce say that last year was an ‘extraordinary’ one for the luxury brand as the outfit smashed its sales record.

According to figures published on January 8, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars delivered 6,032 cars in 2023 – 11 clear of 2022, which was previously the outfit’s best year.

Global sales were led by North America and China. The year also saw it start deliveries of its first EV – the Spectre.

For the past six months I've been driving a Suzuki.

Not words I thought I'd ever say, but there you have it.

James Batchelor p15

NISSAN is helping one of the world’s most famous whisky distilleries switch to electric motoring.

The Glenmorangie Company is adding two Ariyas to its busy fleet of pool cars.

Sandy Fraser, pictured, estates and workplace employee experience manager, said one of the Ariyas would be assigned to the Ardbeg distillery with the other based at the Livingston bottling hall, for employees to get from site to site.

Bumper raises £40m Supplier News: p41

‘The A110 R’s low-speed ride is brittle but when you gather speed it becomes more compliant.’

Forecourt: p28

CONDITIONS

OWNERSHIP

EXCLUSIVE

Lookers ‘changing working hours’

Staff to take over Toyota dealership

Warning over rogue dealers on Facebook

T S A C D PO Sponsored by

LOOKERS sales teams claim their working hours are being changed to make up for ‘staff shortages caused by redundancies’.

They say they’ve been told they will ‘no longer get weekends off’ and will have to work longer hours.

Sources within several Lookers dealerships have said managers have told them they'll now get a day off in the week and must work every other Sunday.

Lookers didn't respond to repeated requests for comment.

HELENSBURGH Toyota is to be taken over by its employees after a new ownership deal was struck.

Workers at the business on the west coast of Scotland have formed the Helensburgh Automotive Employee Trust to assume control of the company.

The outfit, which has two sites in Helensburgh, has represented the Japanese brand for almost half a century and the latest deal has secured its future for the years ahead.

TRADING Standards officers have warned of a growing number of rogue car dealers pretending to be private sellers flogging dodgy used cars on social media sites.

In an exclusive interview with Car Dealer, officers said they have seen a large number of used car dealers use sites such as Facebook to advertise cars privately – and the problem is getting worse. These cars often have hidden faults and offer the buyers no chance of redress when things go wrong.

POLL

DEAL

Garages tell of cash concerns for 2024

Penske completes Rybrook takeover

RISING operational costs, taxes and energy bills are set to be the biggest concern for garages in 2024, according to a new industry survey.

A poll of 104 independent garages and franchise dealer workshops

by The Motor Ombudsman found that the issues were raised by a whopping 75% of businesses when asked what they were worried about in the year ahead. More than half (58%) cited spare parts shortages and inflation as a concern.

I was more than a little nervous going for test drives with the customers – and I have a very good reason why.

Big Mike p16

ROM F M A E T THE EALER CAR DBOUT TALK ATEST THE LAAND NEWSVIEWS IN INTER EGULAR THIS R ST PODCA

E R E H K C CLI

THE American owner of Sytner Group has completed its deal to buy the Rybrook chain.

Penske Automotive Group now owns Rybrook’s 15 premium sites in the UK, including four Mini outlets.

Sytner Group chief executive Darren Edwards said: ‘We are pleased to expand our brand footprint and increase our scale.’

Pictured Via Google Street View is Rybrook’s Mini showroom in Stratford-upon-Avon

PAST O T N E T S TO LI ES OF THE EPISODEALER CAR DASTS PODC Turn over page to catch up on more stories

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 21

DASHBOARD WARNING

Cazoo says it faces ceasing trading

CAZOO is facing the very real possibility of ceasing business, it has revealed.

The online used car retailer, which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, said its liquidity – the ability to turn assets into cash – was limited and it must ‘substantially alter, or possibly even discontinue, operations’ if it didn’t get enough money by the start of the second half of 2024, according to a Reuters report.

The warning came less than two weeks after founder Alex Chesterman finally stood down.

INSURANCE

JLR launches bespoke policy

NEWS DIGEST

HERE ARE TASTERS OF STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

CLICK ON THE PICTURES FOR THE FULL STORY

PARTNERSHIP

Macklin Motors goes back to school to engage pupils in the search for car dealers of the future MACKLIN Motors has started a community partnership to find the car dealers of the future.

The dealer group’s Glasgow Toyota business has joined forces with Darnley Primary School, where nineyear-old-students will learn about the motor trade. The six-week initiative has been personally developed by general manager Mark Super, seen above with some of the pupils, and includes tasks such as producing a video selling a car. Fifty pupils were also recently given a tour of the dealership and told about various career paths within the automotive sector.

OPENING

Fireproofing wrangle is finally settled

JLR has brought out an insurance product to try to ease pressures faced by Range Rover owners because of increasing thefts.

It said its Land Rover Insurance was designed for customers who may be having problems trying to get cover, as well as with rising premiums. The policy is available in the UK for customers of new and approved used vehicles, subject to eligibility criteria. JLR said the policy was also available to clients looking to insure Defender and Discovery vehicles, as well as to Jaguar clients.

22 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

A £10M dealership that had its opening postponed indefinitely because of a fireproofing wrangle with authorities has finally managed to welcome customers.

Eastern Western Motor Group’s Lexus and Toyota site in Dundee was due to open on December 1 but, as reported by Car Dealer, there was a disagreement over a fireproof ceiling. The deadlock has now ended, though, with a temporary occupation certificate being granted.

1,350 THE WEIGHT IN KILOGRAMMES OF THE LEXUS LBX

Forecourt p24

IMAGE

Dacia’s dealers are given fresh identity

MORE than 70% of Dacia’s UK dealers have now been given the firm’s new visual identity as bosses look to freshen up the company’s image, the manufacturer has said.

The Romanian brand said the exteriors of 76 retailers have been fitted with the updated look, with the rest set for completion by next summer.

It added that the new visuals have been ‘designed to reference the values and attributes of Dacia’.

Set your focus on the latest ‘Quote.’ cool products vying for your cash

Feature: Feature: pXX p33

APPROVED

ANNOUNCEMENT

Tesla poised to open FCA clears path for Manchester site sale of Pendragon

TESLA is expecting to open a new showroom in Manchester within the first quarter of 2024.

The EV giant submitted plans in 2023 to transform a former Mercedes site on Rowsley Street, near the Etihad Stadium. The city council approved the proposals for a showroom, servicing centre and office space, and Tesla now says it hopes to have the site operational soon. It'll include several Superchargers, which will be available to owners of all EVs.

THE Financial Conduct Authority has cleared the path for Pendragon to sell its dealerships and leasing business to American giants Lithia.

In an announcement to shareholders made after markets closed on December 28, Pendragon said the FCA had ‘now been satisfied’ over the change of control to Pendragon Finance and Insurance Services Ltd. It smooths the path for the £397m offer from Lithia to complete on January 31.

ANALYSIS

Motorway charger target is missed

THE government has fallen well short of its target for electric car chargers on motorways.

Last year, the Department for Transport set itself the goal of having a minimum of six rapid or ultra-rapid chargers at every motorway service area in England by the end of 2023.

However, as 2024 gets under way, fresh RAC analysis of Zapmap data has revealed that just 46 out of 119 sites are currently meeting that target.

APPOINTMENT

IDENTITY

Snows announces new boss for division

New corporate look for KGM UK network

SNOWS Motor Group has had a shake-up of its senior management team with Richard Morgan heading up its Toyota and Lexus division.

Morgan, formerly Snows’ franchise operations manager, will now take on overall responsibility for its 11 Toyota sites across the south of England as well as three Lexus sites in Exeter, Hedge End and Bournemouth.

He joined Snows last February after nearly 40 years in the trade.

ALL KGM Motors UK dealerships are to showcase the brand’s new corporate identity by the middle of this year, the manufacturer says.

It follows its name change from SsangYong Motors UK in December following KGM Global’s transition from SsangYong Motor Company.

Kevin Griffin, managing director of KGM Motors UK, which has a 73-strong dealer network, said: ‘The rebrand is an important and fundamental stepping stone.’

BITE-SIZE Click on the text box for the full story

RETIRING: Vantage Motor Group chairman Phil White is quitting.

The dealer chain said he would step down in January as he felt now was the right time to hand over full control and ownership to CFO Tim Swindin and COO Andrew Mallory.

EXECUTIVE: The new year has brought a new director at Vertu Motors with David Gillard joining the dealer group’s board. The 61-year-old will sit as a member of the audit committee, nominations committee and remuneration committee.

GOODWILL: Isuzu dealerships spread Christmas cheer by using the D-Max to support local initiatives. Among them, Chorley Group provided a fleet to help with the Santa Run – a 15-mile trek in aid of Derian House Children’s Hospice.

GROWTH: Car factories had their best November for three years, latest data reveals. Figures from the SMMT show that 91,923 cars rolled out of factory gates during the month, representing a 14.8% increase and making it the best November since 2020.

SLOWDOWN: Audi boss Gernot Döllner says it’s reviewing the rollout of new EVs so as not to overwhelm dealerships. He said it had ‘first looked at what order and density of launches [Audi] could handle’, leading to a decision to spread them out.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 23

FORECOURT

LEXUS LBX Power

The 1.5-litre threecylinder hybrid powerplant produces 134bhp and 185Nm of torque.

THE KNOWLEDGE

Lexus enters new territory with the LBX – but can this small SUV come out on top in a congested market? Jack Evans took one for a spin in Valencia.

Lexus LBX Price from: £29,995 Engine: 1.5-litre hybrid Power: 134bhp Torque: 185Nm Max speed: 106mph O-60mph: 9.0 seconds MPG (combined): 62.7mpg Emissions: 102-108g/km CO2

WHAT IS IT? Lexus is known for its premium models, which largely revolve around larger, more high-end body styles. But it can’t ignore the growing demand for smaller SUVs and crossovers, which has prompted the creation of this – built with a little help from Toyota.

WHAT’S NEW? The LBX is based on the same platform as the Toyota Yaris Cross. However, Lexus has been keen to emphasise that it is far from some cookie-cutter operation, with a variety of edits made to differentiate it from its donor vehicle.

WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET? It’s a standard ‘self-charging’ hybrid set-up, which uses a 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine at its core, linked to a new ‘bipolar’ hybrid battery that aims to bring more power compared with a traditional battery but with far lower weight. In fact, weight is a big factor with the LBX – at 1,350kg, it’s remarkably light versus many of its rivals.

Power goes to the front wheels via a CVT automatic gearbox, and if you’d like a little extra traction, an all-wheel-drive version will also be available.

HOW DOES IT DRIVE? All of the major driving characteristics in the LBX are positive. As we mentioned, it’s a light car and this transfers through to the way it drives, as it manages to feel nimble and agile through the bends, while the steering has a nice bit of weight to it.

Although Lexus is known for its hushed cabin, the LBX does suffer from some prominent wind and road noise – particularly when you’re travelling over rough surfaces – but it isn’t too bad and is largely what we’d expect from a car of this size. The CVT gearbox, as is the case with nearly all cars using it, is loud and raucous if you really press on the throttle, but drive the LBX in a calmer fashion and it feels far more suited to the job. It’s ideal for aroundtown driving; it’s only when you need to join a motorway that it really becomes noisy.

HOW DOES IT LOOK? Gone is the huge spindle grille that we’ve seen on a number of Lexus models, replaced with a more modest set-up. This is a compact car, after all, so a gigantic front grille might’ve looked a little strange, but it does mean it stands apart from the rest of the Lexus line-up.

24 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Style

Lexus has done away with many of its hallmark designs from its other models and the results mean the LBX stands apart from the rest of the range.

The good news is that the LBX has a good choice of colours, with our test car’s ‘Sonic Copper’ shade looking particularly good. It’s joined by yellows, blues and reds, and although there are more understated greys and silvers available, it’s just nice to see some brighter shades on offer in a new car.

WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE? Smart stitching, nicely damped buttons and a good fit-and-finish help to elevate it above rivals, although there are some scratchier plastics here and there. Rear seat space isn’t too bad, but if there’s a taller driver, then the person sitting behind them is going to feel quite squashed. There’s the capacity for three-abreast seating in the LBX, but it really does feel like this would be better suited to occasional use – it’s far too small to be seen as a reliable five-seater. A 402-litre boot is decent for this class of car, though, and you can extend it to 994 litres with the rear seats down.

It’s a fine alternative to cars such as the Audi Q2, which is now starting to feel its age.

WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE? The LBX range kicks off at a competitive £29,995, with entry-level Urban grade cars getting plenty of equipment from the off. There are seven trim levels and we’d rather there weren’t so many, since it’ll make deciding between them a lot more confusing.

But if you opt for the Urban grade, you’ll get 17-inch wheels as standard alongside LED headlights, front and rear parking sensors and a 9.8-inch touchscreen with all the smartphone mirroring systems you need. At this price point, the LBX makes for quite good value, too, and although you can move through the ranks – rising as high as the £40,545 Takumi Design specification – it feels as though this Lexus delivers more than enough equipment without having to trouble the upper echelons of the trim list.

WHAT DO THE PRESS THINK? Top Gear said: ‘Lexus has high hopes for its smallest compact crossover. Smart looks, a premium interior and efficient drive offer plenty of promise.’ Carbuyer said: ‘It’s attractive inside and out and well built, with plenty of equipment, and is good to drive, provided you’re more concerned with comfort than sporty handling.’

WHAT DO WE THINK? It takes quite a lot to stand out in this crowded market, but we reckon the LBX has done just enough to put its head above the parapet. It’s a fine alternative to cars such as the Audi Q2, which is now starting to feel its age, with the LBX’s well-specified interior and efficient powertrain set-up making it a choice that feels both a little bit special, yet still economical to run. We’d argue that at higher specifications the LBX becomes a little too expensive to recommend, but in lower grades – and at that all-important sub-£30,000 price tag – this is quite a convincing small crossover.

Inside

The interior has some nice quality touches such as smart stitching and nicely damped buttons.

TARGET BUYERS:

Crossover buyers who want a slightly more upmarket product with plenty of features.

THE RIVALS:

Audi Q2 Mini Countryman DS 3

KEY SELLING POINTS: 1. Stylish design 2. Efficient powertrain 3. Plenty of equipment

DEAL CLINCHER:

The LBX has all the features of a true Lexus – a high-end interior, lots of standard equipment and an efficient engine – all wrapped up in a user-friendly compact body style.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 25

FORECOURT

VAUXHALL ASTRA SPORTS TOURER ELECTRIC There aren’t many EV estates on sale but Vauxhall has arrived with its Sports Tourer. Is it any good? James Batchelor put one to the test.

WHAT IS IT? The Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Electric is a fancy name for what could be the most perfect and rational electric estate car on sale. It’s the first in a flurry of ’leccy load-luggers due to hit the market in the next few years from Volkswagen, Skoda, BMW and Audi.

Power

The electric motor plus 54kWh battery gives the Astra 154bhp and a claimed range of 256 miles.

THE KNOWLEDGE

Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Electric Ultimate Price (as tested): £45,110 Powertrain: Electric motor

WHAT’S NEW? Ah, you might be saying, you’ve forgotten the Peugeot e-308 SW – it too is a small family estate car powered by electricity. We haven’t though, as the Astra and e-308 are sister cars – same platform, same battery and motor set-up, and built by the same company: Stellantis.

WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET? One of Stellantis’s shiny new 54kWh battery packs provides power to the front-mounted 154bhp electric motor. Vauxhall is making a big thing of the fact the battery is fully integrated into the car’s platform, meaning there’s a lower driving position. The battery ekes out one more mile than its French sister at 256 miles. It’s not a huge figure but Vauxhall believes 256 miles is a good compromise for everyday usability and efficiency, and with a claimed efficiency figure of 4.2 miles per kWh it could well be right.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE? Despite being a touch longer than the Astra Electric hatchback, the Sports Tourer drives almost identically. That’s a very good thing because the Astra makes for a very comfortable and serene way to get around. With only 154bhp at your disposal, progress is never lightning fast or what you might expect from the latest range of super-quick EVs. But in the real world, the Astra is more than quick enough for an estate car, feeling alert and agile.

HOW DOES IT LOOK? There’s a sharp elegance to the way the Astra looks, and the latest car is a world away from the rather frumpy looks of previous Astra estates. All cars get the distinctive black ‘Vizor’ face – which consists of a black panel between the headlights – LED rear lights and alloy wheels, while higher trims get a black roof and detailing.

WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE? Vauxhall has boosted the quality of its interiors with this generation of Astra, and it really 26 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Power: 154bhp Torque: 270Nm Max speed: 105mph O-60mph: 9.2 seconds Range: 256 miles Emissions: 0g/km CO2

shows. There are plenty of soft-touch plastics around and everything feels well screwed together. Some piano-black plastics on the centre console look ripe for scratching, though, but the shortcut buttons for the infotainment system are a nice touch.

The PurePanel screen set-up – which sees the infotainment and driver display screens linked with one sheet of glass – is standard on all but the entry-level trim and it looks smart. Space up front is good, although rear legroom is a little tighter than it should be.

As far as the boot is concerned, the Astra boasts 516 litres when the seats are up and 1,553 when the rear seats are folded.

WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE? The £39,645 entry-level Design has more than enough equipment and comes with LED head- and tail-lights, front and rear parking sensors, climate control and a whole host of safety equipment.

Most buyers will likely favour the sportier look of the £41,995 GS with its black roof, 18-inch black alloys and black badging, and there’s the PurePanel screen and 360-degree parking camera.

Ultimate, as the name suggests, is the range-topper and gets IntelliLux Pixel LED

Cabin The quality of materials used in the cabin has been much improved with soft-touch plastics – and it all feels well put together.

TARGET BUYERS:

EV buyers after more space, but most likely company car drivers.

THE RIVALS:

MG5 Peugeot e-308 SW Cupra Born

KEY SELLING POINTS: 1. Well equipped 2. Smart design 3. Large boot

DEAL CLINCHER:

It’s one of few EV estates on sale and is one of the best to drive.

The Astra Sports Tourer Electric is arguably a great choice for those keen to make their first step into the world of electric motoring.

Style The Astra’s design is sharp and elegant and its looks are a world away from previous estate models. headlights – which have 84 LEDs in each unit – a panoramic sunroof and more supportive front seats, among other things. It’s pricey, though, and costs from £45,110.

WHAT DO THE PRESS THINK? Parkers said: ‘Compared with the MG5, the Astra is better built, more refined and better to drive. But it costs a whopping £9,000 more in cash terms. However, competitive monthly PCP finance deals close the monthly gap, improving overall affordability greatly.’

WHAT DO WE THINK? The Astra Sports Tourer Electric is arguably a great choice for those keen to make their first step into the world of electric motoring. It’s stylish, pleasant to drive, should deliver more than 200 miles of range in normal driving and is spacious enough inside. There is a but, though. With prices starting from over £39,000, we could see many buyers overlooking the Astra in favour of a more fashionable electric SUV such as the Skoda Enyaq, despite the Astra being arguably just as roomy inside and more fun to drive. And while the Astra does feel a more premium and well-rounded EV estate than the MG5, the MG is some £9,000 cheaper than the Astra. That’s a whole heap of money saved, and we could understand why people would rather bank the cash than splash out on the Vauxhall.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 27

FORECOURT

THE KNOWLEDGE

ALPINE A110 R Alpine looks to create a track weapon still usable for the road with its A110 R. Ted Welford tried one out for size to see if it’s succeeded.

WHAT IS IT? Alpine has gained quite a reputation for its light and agile A110, and numerous versions of this sports car have led to the A110 R – the lightest, most aggressive and track-focused Alpine yet.

WHAT’S NEW? Some of the stand-out differences you’ll notice are its mismatched carbon wheels, as well as the bonnet and rear window section being replaced by carbon fibre. There are also manually adjustable coilovers.

WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET? One thing Alpine hasn’t changed with the A110 R is what it’s powered by, which is the same mid-mounted 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol engine as that in the A110 S and previous Renaultsport Megane hot hatches. Drive is sent to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dualclutch automatic gearbox, too – Alpine has never offered a manual option on the A110.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE? The low-speed ride is brittle but when you gather speed it becomes more compliant. The A110 R’s steering, meanwhile, is just exceptional. It’s super-quick and direct – point and turn and it does just that. Few can make a car that’s as much fun down a British B-road as this.

HOW DOES IT LOOK? Carbon fibre is used for the bonnet, roof, wheels, side skirts and splitters – even the rear glass is replaced by a carbon-fibre panel. It's a far cry from the standard A110 but it certainly looks purposeful, with the revised ‘swan-neck spoiler’ giving it the true look of a road-legal race car.

Alpine A110 R Price (as tested): £96,990 Engine: 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol Power: 296bhp Torque: 340Nm Max speed: 177mph 0-60mph: 3.7 seconds Economy: 41.5mpg Emissions: 155g/km CO2

TARGET BUYERS:

Sports car buyers wanting something more track-focused.

THE RIVALS:

BMW M2 Porsche Cayman GT4 Lotus Emira

KEY SELLING POINTS:

1. Purist driving experience 2. The flagship version of an already acclaimed sports car 3. Race-car-like styling inside and out

DEAL CLINCHER:

A true, modern lightweight sports car in 2024.

WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE? The key change inside versus the S are the single-piece Sabelt bucket seats. While they’re not the easiest to climb in and out of, they’re surprisingly comfortable once you’re in. However, no rear window plus the six-point race harnesses strapping you in mean visibility is quite compromised. Microfibre adorns pretty much every possible inch of the interior. The Alpine suffers, though, when it comes to luggage space, with a tiny boot area in the back.

WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE? Features such as climate control, a Focal sound system and cruise control are all included, along with a digital instrument cluster. The actual climate settings and main touchscreen are borrowed from an old Clio, however.

WHAT DO WE THINK? For anyone looking to take their car to the track, the A110 R is the version to go for. But for road use, the awkward racing harnesses and limited visibility might just prove more of an annoyance than a benefit.

28 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Inside

The 110 R gets surprisingly comfy single-piece Sabelt bucket seats.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 29

FEATURE

CLASS ACTION James Batchelor enters the high-voltage world of training Mazda technicians to work safely on EVs.

‘Y

ou only cut corners once,’ says Mihai Lazar. He’s been a technical trainer with Mazda UK for more than seven months and has over a decade of training experience. So when a man of his wisdom says something like that, you take notice and listen.

And when you also realise that Lazar is conducting one of Mazda’s bespoke training sessions for electric vehicles, that sentence takes on even more weight. On my visit, it’s one of a handful of courses happening concurrently at Mazda’s state-of-the-art training academy in Stewartby, Bedfordshire, and the latest recruit is me. But why is a brand such as Mazda investing so much in something that’s so behind the scenes? Well, to understand that, you need to take a look under the bonnet of the car industry.

To put it simply, the automotive sector has been battling a huge problem in recent years.

Garages and dealerships are struggling to attract new talent to become technicians, while other businesses are having difficulty keeping hold of experienced workers.

A recent survey of 104 franchised car dealer workshops and independent garages by the Motor Ombudsman found that more than half of them – 52% – have prioritised recruitment in 2024. So stark is the labour shortage that the IMI – Institute of the Motor Industry – has declared the current vacancy rate to be the highest for 21 years. This situation, believes the IMI, is only going to grow worse because of an ageing workforce, dissatisfaction regarding salaries and the normalisation of job-hopping since the Covid pandemic. In the same survey, the Motor Ombudsman revealed that a whopping 50% of businesses couldn’t recruit enough technicians in 2022 to meet demand.

The issue is even more acute when it comes to electric vehicles. Not just confined to the UK, the shortage of qualified technicians to work on cars fitted with plugs is now a worldwide issue. Moreover, garage owners are loath to invest in sometimes costly new machinery and put their staff through training, despite the deadly consequences posed by 30 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

The shortage of qualified technicians to work on cars fitted with plugs is now a worldwide issue.

James Batchelor

PICTURES: MATT VOSPER

The Japanese carmaker views the whole concept of providing the finest training courses to dealership staff of paramount importance.

EVs’ high-voltage systems, reported Reuters in September 2023.

The IMI is fast-tracking training courses in the UK to prevent a shortfall of 25,000 qualified ‘TechSafe’ EV technicians by 2032. It’s even rolling them out in China and India as well.

Around 107,000 certified technicians will be needed in the industry by 2030. It’s an issue that is growing in relevance all the time, and Mazda is one of the car manufacturers taking it very seriously. Indeed, the Japanese carmaker views the whole concept of providing the finest training courses to dealership staff of paramount importance.

In September 2022, it opened its new ‘Mazda Academy’. It appears unremarkable on a small but smart-looking industrial estate in Stewartby, seven miles south of Bedford and a short drive from the famous Millbrook Proving Ground. Inside, though, it’s as if you’ve walked into one of Mazda’s latest dealerships. High-quality furniture, cool lighting and Japanese-style colours and furnishings give off an air of relaxation and professionalism – this is no drab innercity technical college.

It reflects Mazda’s heritage – a display car from the firm’s classic car collection is always on show in the reception area – as well as the company’s ‘Crafted in Japan’ feeling that you find in its cars’ interiors and its aspirations of becoming a premium carmaker by the end of the decade.

Below: Mihai Lazar explains to Batch and two dealership technicians how the Mazda electric motor works

Mazda’s training courses involve a mixture of practical and classroom-based activities

CONTINUES OVER PAGE CarDealerMag.co.uk | 31

FEATURE CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE Measuring 11,000 sq ft, it’s a cleverly designed space with offices, soundproofed broadcast rooms for live training delivery, and a large, eight-bay technical training workshop area. There are the usual ramps and garage paraphernalia, but the tool cabinets aren’t your normal affairs – they have integrated TV screens to transmit live trainer action footage. Above, classrooms surround a cool-looking refreshment area where delegates eat hand-made sandwiches prepared locally for lunch.

‘We’ve been running technical training since we opened, but now we’re going to offer the full range of courses – in particular, sales and service,’ Mazda UK’s communications, project and strategy manager, Sarah Nie, tells me.

We chat about the programmes on offer, including a 12-week course for salespeople. And in typical Mazda style, it doesn’t just provide the basics, it’s also a course designed to instil a sense of pride around the brand. Allowing people to be passionate and fired up makes them better sales people – it’s as simple as that.

I’m the latest recruit on Mazda’s Electric Vehicle Level 3 programme – high-voltage training, in other words – and I’m joined by two dealership service advisers. Mihai is leading the class, and despite me not being technically minded in the slightest, I find it really engaging.

In the classroom, we have open and frank conversations about the EV market and how customers’ expectations are different, along with discussions surrounding the different electrified models there are and how they differ.

It’s then down to work in the workshop. We pull apart a Mazda CX-60 PHEV’s gearbox and learn how to work on the electrical systems of the Mazda MX-30. It’s totally absorbing and fun – not how I imagined a day learning about high-voltage systems would be.

I leave the two other guys to do their practical part of the day and go away with a whole new understanding of exactly what goes into making dealership staff the best of the best.

With Mihai’s opening words ringing in my ears, I conclude that it’s probably best if I quit while I’m winning.

32 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

The course explains key tools needed for servicing EVs

Mihai explains in great detail the electrical systems of the Mazda MX-30

In the classroom, we have open and frank conversations about the EV market and how customers’ expectations are different.

James Batchelor

The training centre will offer a wide range of courses, says Sarah Nie

FEATURE.

G-Shock Rangeman GPR-H1000 – £450 G-SHOCK’S Rangeman line-up of watches is one of the toughest around – and this brand’s timepieces are already pretty rocksolid in the face of the hardest conditions the world can throw at them.

The GPR-H1000 adds clever new features, such as a heart rate sensor.

We also like the inclusion of GPS performance, letting you obtain a true location wherever you are while tracking other data such as steps and pace.

It’s got loads of settings for other activities, too, such as running, biking or open-water swimming.

COOL STUFF LG wireless transparent TV – £TBA IT WAS an event of firsts at the CES show this year as LG pulled the covers off something truly innovative – a wireless transparent television. The 77-inch display does away with the traditional ‘black’ set-up of a usual television and instead uses a fully transparent design to create a clever see-through TV. The LG Signature OLED T is linked to LG’s ‘Zero Connect’ box, which wirelessly transmits pictures and sounds to the ‘screen’, meaning there’s no need for a power cable either. It’ll make the house look tidier, that’s for sure.

A new year is upon us and for many people that means making a fresh start. Of course, by mid-February, most of our hardened promises that were decided upon following the Christmas period start to ebb, but the beginning of a new year does bring the promise of new things and new adventures.

We’ve picked out some superb products to kick off 2024 – so let’s take a look at some of the great new pieces of tech to make the most of this new year.

Sony ‘Spacial Content Creation System’ – £TBA VIRTUAL Reality headsets are poised to become even more popular during 2024 and Sony is keen to grab a slice of the action with its new mixed-reality headset. Unveiled at this year’s CES event in Las Vegas, the futuristic set-up has everything you need packed into it – it doesn’t require tethering to a computer or games console, for example.

Sony is aiming this new headset at creators and designers, with the included controllers giving the user the ability to ‘shape’ objects while viewing them through the headset. Clever stuff indeed!

Specialized Allez Sprint – £3,100 SPECIALIZED’S Allez range of road bikes is one of the gateways into road cycling, but what if you’re after a few more upmarket features from your next bike? That’s where the Allez Sprint comes in. Built around an alloy frame, it’s got a smooth-shifting Shimano 105 Di2 groupset and hydraulic brakes for reliable and easy stopping power.

The rims come straight from specialists DT Swiss and it’s all wrapped up in a rather stealthy black colour scheme. The £3,100 price tag might seem quite high for an alloy bike, but it’s going to be a bike that’ll last a while with this sturdy frame.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 33

DASHBOARD

BUSINESS NEWS

A ROUND-UP OF WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING ACROSS BRITAIN

REPORT

Scotch whisky industry adds £7.1bn to economy

DELAYS

Next warns about stock after Red Sea attacks THE boss of retail giant Next has said attacks on container ships in the Red Sea are set to delay stock deliveries and affect sales if they continue to disrupt the vital Suez Canal shipping route.

Lord Simon Wolfson, chief executive of Next, told the PA news agency that it could take another two to two and a half weeks for its stock to reach the UK if ships are forced to continue bypassing the Red Sea because of the attacks by Houthi rebels.

THE Scotch whisky industry brought £7.1bn into the UK economy in 2022, a new report has said.

The Scotch Whisky Association – the trade body for the sector – said the gross value added (GVA) of whisky in 2022 had increased by 29% since 2018.

The industry is worth £5.3bn to Scotland alone, equating to around 3% of total GVA.

SALARIES

Sainsbury’s to increase hourly pay rate for staff

SAINSBURY’S is to hike the hourly wages of 120,000 staff as part of £200m-worth of pay rises.

The supermarket chain, which also owns Argos, said hourly paid employees will see their salaries increase from £11 per hour to £12 per hour in March.

Staff in London, where living costs are typically higher, will be paid £13.15 per hour – up from £11.95.

34 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

REVENUE

Entertainment sales rise to record £11.9bn figure STREAMING and digital services drove a 7% rise in UK music, video and games sales to a record £11.9 billion in 2023, according to latest figures.

They increased sales by more than £800 million and now account for 91.7% of total revenue, the Digital Entertainment and Retail Association said. The fastest-growing sector was video – up 10% to £4.9 billion, driven by subscription services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.

2013 WINNER

BILL

HS2 project ‘could cost up to £66.6bn’ THE estimated cost of building HS2 between London and Birmingham has soared to as much as £66.6bn, MPs heard.

HS2 Ltd executive chairman Sir Jon Thompson told the transport select committee that the estimated cost for Phase 1 is between £49bn and £56.6bn at 2019 prices, but adjusting for current prices involves ‘adding somewhere between eight and 10 billion pounds’.

BOOHOO

‘Made in UK’ label put on clothes from Asia

THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOTE! Finance Provider of the Year (Sub-Prime)

FASHION retailer Boohoo mislabelled items of clothing from south Asia as ‘Made in the UK’, according to the BBC. A Panorama probe found it removed the original labels on T-shirts and hoodies at its Leicester factory between January and October last year. A Boohoo spokesman said it was an isolated incident that affected less than 1% of its global garments intake. He blamed human error and said steps had been taken to ensure it didn’t happen again.

PARTNER WITH AN AWARD-WINNING COMPANY 0115 946 6260

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DASHBOARD

INDUSTRY VIEWS NEWS AND THOUGHTS FROM CAR DEALER LIVE

You can watch all our Car Dealer Live broadcasts by clicking here: cardealermagazine.co.uk/live CAP HPI

We’ve definitely seen dealers are dipping back in, but no one’s going out and overstocking.

Derren Martin Cap HPI director of valuations

BIGGEST USED CAR PRICE DROPS MG HS Hybrid -£1,925(11.4%) Seat Leon Hybrid -£1,422 (9.7%) BMW 4 Series Convertible Diesel -£1,506 (8.8%) Cupra Formentor Hybrid -£1,587 (7.9%) Citroen C5 Aircross Hybrid -£1,325 (7.9%) Renault Megane Hybrid -£1,175 (7.2%) Skoda Scala -£797 (7.0%) Dacia Logan -£529 (7.0%) Jaguar XJ Diesel -£1,900 (6.9%) Fiat 500C -£645 (6.9%) Source: Cap HPI, December 2023

ST

PODCA

Sponsored by

36 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Used car prices tumble again in December – but they’ll begin to stabilise this year

U

sed car prices in 2024 are likely to begin to stabilise after the dramatic drops seen in the last three months of 2023.

Revealing a 2.1% fall in trade used car prices for December, Cap HPI director of valuations Derren Martin gave us his prediction for the year ahead.

The December fall means trade used car prices dropped by 10.5% in the last quarter of 2023.

Speaking to Car Dealer in an exclusive video interview, Martin said the December figures were among the worst on record but still a significant improvement on the preceding two months.

‘We had a 2.2% drop in 2014 and December tends to be a month where values do drop, but not by this much. So it’s still a reasonable drop, but I’m looking at it more on the positive that it’s been less than it has been over the last two months.

‘We are seeing this as a stabilisation and we do think there’s going to be, now, a gradual improvement – values now look more reasonable.

‘They’re still above where they were prior to those 2021 increases, on average, by about 13%.’

December’s trade values have been boosted by the fact many dealers have started buying again at the lower prices. Martin said they’d cut their losses on the used cars they had in stock at the higher prices and his teams had seen many were out buying again.

‘We’ve definitely seen dealers are dipping back in, but no one’s going out and overstocking.

‘In previous years, you’d have dealers that were stocking up for January sales and really going for it. But there’s still a degree of sort of pragmatism at the moment – they’re being a little bit careful.’

What will happen to values in 2024?

Martin predicted a ‘year of two halves’ for used car prices. ‘I’ve not spoken to a single

dealer that isn’t optimistic about January,’ he said. Martin added that a combination of many factors could affect used car prices next year, including manufacturer activity pushing new cars – especially EVs to hit their ZEV mandate targets – which will drive part-exes and fleets buying up new stock and shedding their old into the market.

‘We think that values will continue to drop but not by as much. We’ll see a stabilisation, or gradual stabilisation, so if it was 4.2% last month, 2.1% this month, then maybe a 1.5% drop in January. It will then slowly improve as we head through the year.

‘There are 2.5m fewer cars than there would have been if it hadn’t been for semiconductor issues, Covid, all of those sorts of things.

‘So, as we move through the year, we think values will continue to drop.

‘It might be a bit of a tricky first half that continues to see some small drops, but as we get through that and into the second half of the year, we’re kind of calling it a game of two halves.

‘We think the back end of the year could be stronger and you could actually see values going back up again.’

The December 2.1% drop in trade values equates to an average of £375 across the used car market, and Cap HPI called it a ‘return to normality’ in its editorial to dealers.

Martin said the fuel type hit the worst in December was hybrids, down 2.7%, while EVs fell by 2.3%. Petrol cars fell by an average of 2.1% and diesels by 1.9%.

Five of the top 10 biggest falling used cars were hybrids, with the MG HS top, dropping by 11.4% – or nearly £2,000 – in December.

Meanwhile, the Mazda 3 gained the most at £377, which equated to 3.9%.

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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 CarDealerMag.co.uk | 37 Authority. Registered in England No. 03560611.

DASHBOARD

FINANCE NEWS DATA

Fiesta was UK’s most-financed car of 2023 COMMISSION

FCA to investigate finance firms over compensation

by James Batchelor james.batchelor@blackballmedia.co.uk

T

he Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is to investigate cases of motor finance firms not paying out compensation to customers over now-banned commission arrangements.

The watchdog will use its powers under section 166 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 to identify cases of potential wrongdoing by motor finance firms.

In 2021, the FCA banned commission models that gave motor finance brokers and dealers an incentive to raise customers’ finance costs. It made the move after discovering ‘serious concerns’ about the way lenders chose to reward car retailers and other credit brokers.

The FCA said there had been a ‘high number’ of complaints by customers to motor finance firms claiming compensation for commission arrangements prior to the ban.

However, firms are rejecting ‘most’ complaints because they feel they have not acted unfairly, ‘nor caused their customers’ loss based on the applicable legal and regulatory requirements’, the FCA said.

It’s believed many new complaints from consumers to firms will now arise after the Financial Ombudsman Service found in favour of the complainants in two recent decisions.

The FCA has said it will review historical motor finance commission arrangements and sales across several firms and if it finds ‘widespread misconduct’ and ‘that customers have lost out’, it’ll seek to resolve cases and ensure they receive compensation ‘in an orderly, consistent and efficient way’.

It added that ‘if necessary, [it will] resolve any contested legal issues of general importance’.

As of January 11, the FCA paused the eight-week deadline for motor finance firms to provide a final response to relevant customer complaints. The pause will last for 37 weeks.

38 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

THE Ford Fiesta was the most-financed car of 2023 as customers turned to cheaper models in the face of the costof-living crisis.

That’s according to new data from Close Brothers Motor Finance, which crunched the numbers of the past 12 months.

According to the firm, 70 per cent of its dealer partners told it that customers have been looking to buy cheaper models this year.

That trend is seen in the list of 2023’s most-financed cars, with the Fiesta coming out on top at 2,329 agreements, followed by the VW Golf.

Completing the top three is the Ford Focus, with the BMW 3-Series and 1-Series just behind. Lisa Watson, director of sales, said: ‘Drivers’ continued battle with the rising cost of living is reflected in the selection of second-hand petrol and diesel-powered car models which have been financed most frequently throughout the year.

‘This comes as no surprise due to lack of clarity around the cost of buying and maintaining an electric vehicle in comparison to a petrol or diesel-powered car.’

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

TIME IS MONEY RICHARD PYGOTT

A MONTHLY LOOK AT THE WORLD OF AUTOMOTIVE FINANCE AND MARKETING

Banish the January blues with plan of attack for year ahead

T

Richard Pygott is digital marketer for First Response.

Call him on 0115 946 6365 or email richard. pygott@frfl.co.uk

he inflatable Santa that had joyfully bobbed around in the wind in my neighbour’s garden in the run-up to Christmas is still there, but it’s now considerably – and literally – deflated.

The taste of Christmas dinner is long gone, and the hangover from New Year’s Eve is a distant, painful memory.

As a result of having to cope with bad weather and dark mornings at the moment and summer feeling as if it’s a lifetime away, many people in the motor trade, including myself, might be down in the dumps courtesy of the January blues and they can often feel like my neighbour’s Santa: deflated.

Having spoken to dealers in the motor trade over the past 11 years, many have told me that to battle the seasonal dip in mood and business, they set goals for their company and what they want to achieve over the year.

With many predicting 2024 to be challenging with the cost-of-living crisis continuing to bite, fluctuating car prices and some traders in the industry struggling to pay their overheads, setting goals is more important now than ever before, in my opinion!

When I set goals, I always find it useful to take time out to reflect on what I want to improve and what specifically I want to achieve.

Once I’ve decided on my goals, I ensure that they are easy to measure.

If I choose more than one area to improve, I prioritise what I want to tackle first—what’s most important and urgent for the business.

Setting goals can be challenging if they’re hard to measure, so I find that breaking them down into smaller chunks makes them much easier to track and to allow for adjustments if needed.

Setting personal goals has many benefits for both business and personal life.

It gives me direction and something to aim for, and in pursuing these goals, I often notice other areas that could use improvement.

2024 is going to be a challenging year in the motor trade, but as always with this great industry, where there are challenges, there is opportunity.

Setting goals for yourself and your dealership can be a guiding light, providing a roadmap that allows you to navigate the challenges, and capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead.

Whatever happens in 2024, First Response Finance is here to support you through good times and bad. Find out here how First Response Finance can help you have a great 2024.

Setting personal goals has many benefits for both business and personal life.

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DASHBOARD

SUPPLIER NEWS

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

FINTECH

It’s going, going, gone for auctioneer Andy

A MUCH-LOVED auctioneer has brought down his gavel for the final time.

Andy ‘The Gaffer’ Conde oversaw his last sale in Manchester on December 21, having been a feature of Manheim auction halls across the UK and Ireland since the early 1990s.

His career saw him sell an estimated 250,000 cars. Conde spoke to Car Dealer Live last year, in which he spoke of his passion for his job – click here to watch the video.

Bumper raises £40m to speed up its growth FINTECH firm Bumper has completed a £40m Series B funding round to accelerate its growth.

The company helps drivers split repair bills into interest-free payments, and the latest round – which comprises £15m equity and £25m debt – was led by Autotech Ventures, with investment from Shell Ventures as well as JLR’s InMotion Ventures, Porsche Ventures and Revo Capital.

It means that a total of £53m has now been invested in Bumper to date.

MOTORWAY

STARTLINE

COX AUTOMOTIVE

Staff costs head list of dealer worries for 2024

Stable outlook forecast New TV campaign for new and used cars features true stories

A POLL of 60 dealers found that nearly half of them believe that staff costs will be the biggest factor affecting their business in 2024.

The January Startline Used Car Tracker saw 47% express their fears about workers’ costs. Meanwhile, a third were also worried about the cost of premises and the potential for used car sales to fall.

Other concerns included higher stocking costs (30%) and higher advertising costs (22%).

Once I’ve decided on my goals, I ensure that they are easy to measure.

Richard Pygott p39

COX Automotive has repeated its predicted stable outlook for the new and used car markets in 2024, despite uncertainty over no-haggle agency sales, the ZEV mandate and other economic headwinds.

The company expects new car registrations to lift by 6.1% to 2,020,050 over the course of the year, while used car sales will reach 7,350,205.

Its 2023 forecast for new cars was less than 1% adrift.

MOTORWAY has launched two TV adverts that feature true stories.

One of the new ads for the online used car marketplace depicts a woman selling a car via her phone because she and her husband decide they can downsize from two.

The other one features a newly redundant man making enough money by selling his car to buy a van plus tools and set up in business.

Motorway says the aim is to bring in more high-end stock for dealers.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 41

DATA FILE

STATISTICS

THE LATEST REGISTRATION FIGURES

DECEMBER/YEAR TO DATE

GROWTH

TOP

SMMT

SALES DATA

2023 was new car industry’s best year since before pandemic

2

CARS SOLD IN DECEMBER 2023

by John Bowman john@blackballmedia.co.uk

023 ended with the new car market registering 17 consecutive months of growth and was its best year since 2019. A total of 1,903,054 new cars reached UK roads last year, which was a 17.9% rise on 2022’s figure of 1,614,063, the SMMT said.

Battery-electric vehicle (BEV) sales rose by 17.8% from 267,204 to 314,687 to reach a record volume, although conversely their market share dropped by 0.1 of a percentage point to 16.5%. It meant, however, that 2023 saw more BEVs reach the road than 2020 and 2021 together, which had a combined total of 298,932.

Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV) saw their market share rise from 6.3% to 7.4%, with sales going up by 39.3% from 101,414 units to 141,311.

And hybrid-electric vehicles (HEV) increased their market share by a percentage point over the year, rising to 12.6%, with a 27.1% increase in sales from 187,948 to 238,942 cars.

Petrol-powered cars saw a 13.5% rise in sales from 682,472 to 774,484, but that wasn’t enough to stop their market share dropping from 42.3% in 2022 to 40.7%.

However, diesel’s market share dipped – down from 5.1% to 3.8% – as did its sales, which fell by 13.8% from 82,981 in 2022 to 71,501 last year.

Fleet deliveries rebounded by 38.7% year on year at 1,041,350, taking 54.7% of the market share, while business registrations, a small proportion of the market, fell by 1.5% to 44,031 and accounting for 2.3% of the market. Meanwhile, private consumer sales dipped slightly by 0.1% to 817,673 units and a 43.0% market share. It followed their strong recovery in 2022, with cost-of-living pressures and high interest rates constraining growth.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: ‘With vehicle supply challenges fading, the new car market is building back with the best year since the pandemic. Energised by fleet investment, particularly in the latest EVs, the challenge for 2024 is to deliver a green recovery. The government has challenged the UK automotive sector with the world’s boldest transition timeline and is investing to ensure we are a major maker of electric vehicles.

‘It must now help all drivers buy into this future, with consumer incentives that will make the UK the leading European market for zero-emission vehicles.’

The SMMT reckons this year’s new car market will reach 1.97m units. The next quarterly revised outlook will be published in February.

Model

Regs

Tesla Model Y

4,816

Nissan Qashqai

4,253

Mini

3,608

MG HS

3,362

Ford Puma

3,157

Vauxhall Corsa

2,990

Volkswagen Golf

2,555

Nissan Juke

2,473

Volkswagen Polo

2,415

Ford Kuga

2,353

Click here to see our top 10 rolling sales charts for December 2022 to December 2023

Volkswagen retains market share crown with increase in 2023’s battle for new cars VOLKSWAGEN was the winner in the new car market share stakes last year, keeping its crown from 2022 and even increasing its hold, the SMMT has revealed.

The German brand grabbed 8.52% of the market by shifting 162,087 units – an increase on 2022’s figure of an 8.17% market 42 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

share with 131,850 cars sold. Ford came second with a 7.57% market share, selling 144,072 new cars – a drop from its 7.86% market share in 2022 with 126,826 units.

Meanwhile, Audi was third with 7.22% of the market (137,485 new cars), giving it a boost from its 6.82% share in 2022 when

it sold 110,144 new cars. BMW came fourth with a 5.87% market share (111,734) and fifth was Toyota 5.77% (109,864), with the rest of the top 1o comprising Kia (5.66% – 107,765), Vauxhall (5.28% – 100,417), Nissan (4.70% – 89,460), Mercedes-Benz (4.61% – 87,782) and Hyundai (4.58% – 87,112).

Twin sales crowns for Ford Transit Custom LCV news: p44

-66%

+241%

TESLA

DACIA

Figures supplied by SMMT

Marque Abarth Alfa Romeo Alpine

DECEMBER 2023

2023

% market share

DECEMBER 2022

2022

% market share

% change

YEAR TO DATE

2023

% market share

2022

% market share

% change

Bentley BMW BYD Chevrolet Citroen Cupra Dacia DS

67 129 16 9,614 47 10,342 263 0 2,242 2,275 3,198 77

0.05 0.09 0.01 6.81 0.03 7.33 0.19 0.00 1.59 1.61 2.27 0.05

31 88 20 8,941 96 9,523 0 0 973 1,121 939 103

0.02 0.07 0.02 6.96 0.07 7.41 0.00 0.00 0.76 0.87 0.73 0.08

116.13 46.59 -20.00 7.53 -51.04 8.60 0.00 0.00 130.42 102.94 240.58 -25.24

886 1,546 297 137,485 1,312 111,734 1,158 102 30,931 25,658 28,651 2,403

0.05 0.08 0.02 7.22 0.07 5.87 0.06 0.01 1.63 1.35 1.51 0.13

1,544 1,576 288 110,144 1,629 108,624 0 0 28,487 14,383 27,221 3,674

0.10 0.10 0.02 6.82 0.10 6.73 0.00 0.00 1.76 0.89 1.69 0.23

-42.62 -1.90 3.13 24.82 -19.46 2.86 0.00 0.00 8.58 78.39 5.25 -34.59

Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GWM Ora Honda

643 160 8,829 72 57 1,341

0.46 0.11 6.26 0.05 0.04 0.95

976 0 7,676 163 21 528

0.76 0.00 5.98 0.13 0.02 0.41

-34.12 0.00 15.02 -55.83 171.43 153.98

16,598 160 144,072 1,362 911 25,274

0.87 0.01 7.57 0.07 0.05 1.33

19,698 0 126,826 1,000 68 24,084

1.22 0.00 7.86 0.06 0.00 1.49

-15.74 0.00 13.60 36.20 1,239.71 4.94

Hyundai Ineos Jaguar Jeep Kia Land Rover Lexus Maserati Maxus

5,234 36 1,068 201 3,585 4,519 1,613 34 0

3.71 0.03 0.76 0.14 2.54 3.20 1.14 0.02 0.00

4,740 0 909 293 3,450 2,592 1,641 71 0

3.69 0.00 0.71 0.23 2.69 2.02 1.28 0.06 0.00

10.42 0.00 17.49 -31.40 3.91 74.34 -1.71 -52.11 0.00

87,112 877 14,235 3,089 107,765 53,388 15,963 892 13

4.58 0.05 0.75 0.16 5.66 2.81 0.84 0.05 0.00

80,419 0 12,165 2,525 100,191 43,180 10,675 720 0

4.98 0.00 0.75 0.16 6.21 2.68 0.66 0.04 0.00

8.32 0.00 17.02 22.34 7.56 23.64 49.54 23.89 0.00

Mazda

1,760

1.25

2,168

1.69

-18.82

30,495

1.60

25,209

1.56

20.97

Mercedes-Benz

7,293

5.17

4,346

3.38

67.81

87,782

4.61

80,910

5.01

8.49

MG

6,765

4.79

2,927

2.28

131.12

81,289

4.27

51,050

3.16

59.23

Mini

5,279

3.74

5,008

3.90

5.41

47,594

2.50

45,854

2.84

3.79

Nissan

7,712

5.47

7,878

6.13

-2.11

89,460

4.70

76,711

4.75

16.62

Peugeot

3,093

2.19

1,428

1.11

116.60

62,401

3.28

52,264

3.24

19.40

Polestar

1,102

0.78

1,104

0.86

-0.18

12,543

0.66

7,345

0.46

70.77

Porsche

2,244

1.59

3,055

2.38

-26.55

24,241

1.27

18,267

1.13

32.70

Renault

3,164

2.24

4,666

3.63

-32.19

42,545

2.24

32,285

2.00

31.78

Seat

3,436

2.44

1,966

1.53

74.77

32,177

1.69

22,140

1.37

45.33

Skoda

5,297

3.75

4,175

3.25

26.87

70,024

3.68

48,848

3.03

43.35

Smart

129

0.09

71

0.06

81.69

785

0.04

1,256

0.08

-37.50

SsangYong

124

0.09

80

0.06

55.00

1,660

0.09

1,536

0.10

8.07

Subaru

318

0.23

149

0.12

113.42

2,409

0.13

1,391

0.09

73.18

Suzuki

1,648

1.17

912

0.71

80.70

26,574

1.40

17,378

1.08

52.92

Tesla

5,517

3.91

16,368

12.74

-66.29

49,571

2.60

54,622

3.38

-9.25

Toyota

7,675

5.44

6,835

5.32

12.29

109,864

5.77

102,181

6.33

7.52

Vauxhall

5,994

4.25

3,335

2.60

79.73

100,417

5.28

83,691

5.19

19.99

Volkswagen

12,263

8.69

13,118

10.21

-6.52

162,087

8.52

131,850

8.17

22.93

Volvo

4,227

3.00

3,742

2.91

12.96

50,184

2.64

36,506

2.26

37.47

Other British

299

0.21

177

0.14

68.93

3,359

0.18

2,167

0.13

55.01

91

0.06

59

0.05

54.24

1,719

0.09

1,481

0.09

16.07

9.83

1,903,054

Audi

Other imports Total

141,092

128,462

1,614,063

17.90

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 43

DATA FILE

FAVOURITE

LCV NEWS

Transit Custom takes twin LCV sales crowns

by John Bowman john@blackballmedia.co.uk FORD’S Transit Custom topped the sales charts for December and 2023 as a whole.

The Transit’s larger sibling racked up 3,298 sales during the month and 40,865 in total for the year, said the SMMT in annual figures for the LCV sector.

During 2023, UK demand for LCVs grew by 21.0% from 282,139 in 2022 to reach 341,455 units. December, meanwhile, saw 29,701 LCVs registered – up 36.1% on 2022’s figure of 21,825.

As a result of rising vehicle investment across the year, 2023 saw the highest demand for new vans since the sector’s post-pandemic 355,380 bounceback in 2021, with the market just 6.6% below 2019’s level of 365,778.

REGISTRATIONS OF NEW COMMERCIAL VEHICLES LESS THAN 3.5 TONNES Marque

Ford Vauxhall Renault Volkswagen Peugeot Toyota Mercedes Citroen Maxus Isuzu Nissan Landrover Iveco Fiat Renault Trucks

DECEMBER 2023

2023

8,178 3,369

% market share

DECEMBER 2022

2022

27.53

7,442

11.34

1,702

Figures supplied by SMMT

YEAR TO DATE

% market share

% change

2023

34.10

9.89

103,026

7.80

97.94

34,587

% market share

2022

30.17

105,913

10.13

27,709

% market share

% change

37.54

-2.73

9.82

24.82

3,001

10.10

1,623

7.44

84.90

27,772

8.13

14,194

5.03

95.66

2,975

10.02

3,295

15.10

-9.71

34,707

10.16

28,276

10.02

22.74

1,991

6.70

1,014

4.65

96.35

25,516

7.47

20,810

7.38

22.61

1,883

6.34

1,060

4.86

77.64

19,315

5.66

12,469

4.42

54.90

1,562

5.26

2,324

10.65

-32.79

20,807

6.09

21,365

7.57

-2.61

1,399

4.71

923

4.23

51.57

27,268

7.99

19,714

6.99

38.32 50.61

1,282

4.32

206

0.94

522.33

6,151

1.80

4,084

1.45

1,038

3.49

410

1.88

153.17

6,315

1.85

4,350

1.54

45.17

694

2.34

165

0.76

320.61

7,171

2.10

3,531

1.25

103.09

559

1.88

310

1.42

80.32

5,515

1.62

2,628

0.93

109.86

458

1.54

304

1.39

50.66

4,763

1.39

3,923

1.39

21.41

404

1.36

330

1.51

22.42

5,979

1.75

5,025

1.78

18.99

258

0.87

216

0.99

19.44

3,421

1.00

2,256

0.80

51.64

153 134

0.52 0.45

69 204

0.32 0.93

121.74 -34.31

1,354 2,953

0.40 0.86

466 2,239

0.17 0.79

190.56 31.89

Suzuki

MAN Isuzu Trucks

130

0.44

135

0.62

-3.70

2,082

0.61

1,547

0.55

34.58

Ineos Ssangyong Dacia Fuso LEVC

108 87 25 13 0

0.36 0.29 0.08 0.04 0.00

0 53 9 27 4

0.00 0.24 0.04 0.12 0.02

0.00 64.15 177.78 -51.85 0.00

842 1,348 222 266 73

0.25 0.39 0.07 0.08 0.02

0 996 94 253 297

0.00 0.35 0.03 0.09 0.11

0.00 35.34 136.17 5.14 -75.42

LDV Total Light Cv

0

0.00

0

0.00

0.00

2

0.00

0

0.00

0.00

29,701

100.00

21,825

100.00

36.09

341,455

100.00

282,139

100.00

21.02

REGISTRATIONS OF NEW COMMERCIAL VEHICLES 3.5 TONNES TO 6.0 TONNES Marque

DECEMBER 2023

2023

Mercedes Fiat Ford Peugeot Iveco Maxus MAN

115 58 51 42 41 9 6

% market share

DECEMBER 2022

2022

34.33 17.31 15.22 12.54 12.24 2.69 1.79

239 74 56 8 20 10 1

% market share

% change

57.04 17.66 13.37 1.91 4.77 2.39 0.24

-51.88 -21.62 -8.93 425.00 105.00 -10.00 500.00

Figures supplied by SMMT

YEAR TO DATE

2023 1,558 919 1,790 550 296 377 67

% market share

26.86 15.84 30.86 9.48 5.10 6.50 1.16

2022 1,026 843 1,358 651 300 308 29

% market share

21.43 17.61 28.37 13.60 6.27 6.43 0.61

% change 51.85 9.02 31.81 -15.51 -1.33 22.40 131.03

Vauxhall

4

1.19

2

0.48

100.00

45

0.78

28

0.58

60.71

Volkswagen Citroen Renault Trucks

3 2 2

0.90 0.60 0.60

3 0 1

0.72 0.00 0.24

0.00 0.00 100.00

53 114 9

0.91 1.97 0.16

68 99 26

1.42 2.07 0.54

-22.06 15.15 -65.38

Isuzu Trucks Renault Other Imports

1 1 0

0.30 0.30 0.00

1 2 2

0.24 0.48 0.48

0.00 -50.00 0.00

12 9 1

0.21 0.16 0.02

18 11 22

0.38 0.23 0.46

-33.33 -18.18 -95.45

Total Heavy Cv

335

100.00

419

100.00

-20.05

5,800

100.00

4,787

100.00

21.16

44 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

MARCH 7, 2024

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LONG-TERMERS

THE KNOWLEDGE

SUZUKI SWACE The Swace is such a roomy and efficient estate, it means plenty of spare cash is being spent on ‘home improvements’, reports James Batchelor.

I

t’s a bit of a running joke that motoring journalists only ever take estate cars to Ikea or the tip. Recently, I’ve been guilty of one of those things. As soon as my other half discovered that I’d be living with an estate car for six months, a ‘jobs list’ of things that we needed to do appeared on the kitchen fridge. Top of that list was a trip to the famous Swedish purveyor of everything.

I loathe trips like these because what starts out as ‘Oh, we just need some new towels’ ends up with us buying half of the items displayed in the ‘Market Hall’.

We’ve all been in this situation – the trolley being packed ever higher, heated exchanges involving sentences such as ‘We don’t need this’, and the slow walk back to the car, knowing that none of the items you’ve been told ‘Aren’t these lovely?’ will fit in it.

A visit to our local Ikea recently went exactly like this, apart from the last bit. Amazingly, despite buying armfuls of stuff we didn’t need – sorry, home essentials – the Swace’s boot was more than large enough for the job. At this point you might think, ‘Well of course it was’, but honestly I was surprised.

The Swace is based on the Toyota Corolla Sports Tourer and it’s one of the larger small estate cars on sale. To be specific, there are 596 litres of space back there, and with the seats folded that swells to 1,232 litres.

But numbers are one thing – what pleases me are the little details. Those seat backs, for instance, fold down completely flat, and there are handles on the sides of the boot meaning you don’t have to lean too far in to unlatch the seats.

The Swace swallowed our Ikea ‘bargains’ (not my words) so well that my other half said we might as well drive round to John Lewis ‘while we’re here’ to buy that new television we’d been putting off. With the 50-inch TV bought – oh yes, we pushed the boat out! – it was time to load it in the Swace. This time it was a slight squeeze but nothing that a good reorder of the boot could fix. It was at this point I noticed how well-lit the boot was.

Well-lit, you ask? Yes. You see, I don’t normally notice how good the interior lighting is in a car’s boot, but I did in the dark John Lewis car park. Unlike some cars that have one stingy light in the boot, the Swace has a strip of LEDs on each side under the window line, bathing the boot in super-bright light. Perhaps I do notice the quality of boot lighting more than I thought I did.

Aside from being amazed at the Swace’s illuminations, I’m really enjoying driving it. I’ll go into more depth on how the Swace drives in a future report, but what I will say now is that the car is delivering some outstanding fuel economy figures.

Suzuki claims around 62mpg and I’m regularly achieving that – sometimes it’s even higher on small journeys where I can maximise the time spent in EV mode. The Swace is a conventional hybrid – a ‘self-charging’ hybrid, it’s sometimes referred to as – so it has a tiny battery and a small EV range. But around town and perhaps on trips to the supermarket, which is about five miles away, I can do 80% of the journey on electric power.

All of this fuel saving is doing great things to my wallet. So much so that it’s leaving me with more money to spend in Ikea...

Suzuki Swace 1.8 Hybrid Ultra CVT

Price (as tested): £31,999 Engine: 1.8-litre, four-cylinder hybrid Power: 138bhp Torque: 185Nm 0-60mph: 9.2 seconds Top speed: 112mph Fuel economy: 62.7mpg (combined) Emissions: 102g/km CO2 Mileage: 1,080 miles

This month’s highlight:

Being able to pack the car with plenty of items from Ikea – which we didn’t need!

OTHER CARS WE’RE DRIVING

Cupra Formentor Mileage: 5,248 Three months in and ‘our’ Cupra continues to prove to be a very capable all-rounder.

Mazda CX-60 Mileage: 7,620 We’re loving the 3.3-litre straight-six in the CX-60. It’s an absolute corker.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 47

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