Car Dealer Magazine: Issue 85

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Business Publication of the Year

Issue 85 | April 2015 | CarDealerMag.co.uk | £3.50

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A V E N E G s r a t s super

osses b r a c g in d a e l with the uk’s s w ie v r e t in e iv our exclus

PLUS: how the whole industry is getting behind our conference

Tesla’s toughest test we take niche electric car to the country where it tops the charts

Mini adventures

how these little road cars survived some of the toughest terrain on earth

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IGNITION.

EDITORIAL EDITOR Colin Channon

colin@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @colinchannon

PRODUCTION EDITOR Dave Brown

dave@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @CarDealerDave

head of design Graeme Windell

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STAFF WRITER Rebecca Chaplin

rebecca@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @BelieveBecca

ADVERTISING ADVERTISING Manager Duncan Chappell

duncan@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @CarDealerDunc

Advertising EXECUTIVE Cliff Culver

cliff@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @CarDealerCliff

CREDIT CONTROL & ADMINISTRATOR Pippa Marsden

pippa@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @CarDealerPip

SUITS MANAGING DIRECTOR James Baggott

james@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @CarDealerEd

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Andy Entwistle

andy@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @CarDealerAndy

Contributors Tim Naylor, Nick King, Mike Jones, Jonathan Such, Daljinder Nagra, Chris Lloyd, Nigel Swan, Stephen Hall, Sophie Williamson-Stothert, Jonathan Fleetwood

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a good job Baggott is too Welcome. It’s busy playing SClub7 tracks

in his office, and seeing how far he can flick elastic bands across the newsroom, to have time to actually read the mag.

Because I’d hate him to see this picture above. I told him I had a hell of a time at the Geneva Motor Show, rushing from interview to interview, with barely time to pick up a canape and cocktail between appointments. So if he sees me sharing a joke with Jaguar Land Rover chief Jeremy Hicks, he may start to smell a rat...

Can’t quite remember what we chuckled over, but he was in a good mood. And if you see our Geneva coverage (his bit’s on Page 29, if you can’t be bothered to flick through the pages yourself) you’ll see why.

But I DO remember why Ford chief Mark Ovenden, left, had a smile.

Car Dealer magazine was on the table in front of us in the posh Ford refreshment area, and he saw the cover, which featured a picture of the new GT with the line ‘The show-stopping Ford that’s a match for Ferrari’.

Ford and Ferrari in the same headline, I mused. ‘Yes,’ he answered, deadpan. ‘Ferrari must be very proud....’

Geneva was good fun. Loads and loads of sleek, shiny new models – and there were plenty of cars to see, too...

Seriously, I was surprised how many scantily-clad women were on duty on the stands. This was my first motor show, and I had assumed – very wrongly – that it was something that had died out in the 1980s. Okay, they weren’t in their swimsuits, but still...

It didn’t take long to discover that some cars are real ones, and others are concept jobbies that will never see the light of day. They’re the ones with enormous wheels and tiny windows. Look great, but I reckon they’d be a devil to drive around London, with cyclists popping up behind you, on the outside and, most infuriatingly of all, overtaking

on the inside and almost taking off the wing mirror. But I digress...

Car Dealer was out in force in Geneva, and you can read all our hard work from Page 12. Just remember, if Baggott asks, you’ve heard I was run ragged there... oooo, a little bonus this month...

You may have noticed Car Dealer had a little buddy in the polybag this month. Welcome to the launch edition of Workshop magazine, aimed at garages and service departments. There’s plenty in it to read, including news of a game-changer for all workshops that carry out work on any car that trundles through the doors, and not just the one franchised motor. And Jonny Reay, a Car Dealer scribe who has difficulty lifting a pencil, let along a monkey wrench, spends time under a ramp. Don’t think they’ll be inviting him back...

There will be three more editions of Workshop this year – the next one’s in the summer. As ever, if you have some news you think we should be covering, get in touch.

RECORD BREAKER If I don’t answer the phone this week, my apologies. I’m likely to be under the table, still suffering all the effects of the champers the company suits are bound to have brought in to celebrate this edition of Car Dealer magazine – at a whopping 164 pages, the biggest in our illustrious, awardwinning history.

The mag is packed with goodies, but if you think we’ve missed something, and you have a story worth telling, email me at colin@blackballmedia.co.uk or, if you can fit stuff like that into 140 characters, tweet me @colinchannon Hope you enjoy the issue.

Colin Channon, editor

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INSIDE. ISSUE 85 I APRIL 2015

Dashboard Feedback Car Dealer Club

12

Geneva Motor Show Tesla Girl (and Boys)

Geneva Motor Show

Big Mike James Baggott

Our team of reporters chat to the manufacturer MDs and check out the cars that will be heading for your showrooms in future.

06 10 12 34 101 103

Features

78 Prestige Diesels 88 Trading Up 95 Real Deals 97 Independent Garage Association 114 Conference countdown

88

We visit the award-winning Prestige Diesels of Portsmouth.

54

‘There’s a big pool of people who could very well buy Volvo.’

136

‘‘

On test: the new Mazda2.

Forecourt

130 SsangYong Korando Sports Pick-up 132 Skoda Fabia Estate 133 Fiat 500X 134 Jeep Renegade 135 Volvo XC90

A good dealership works just the same as a successful football club.

99

Ben Garside

Data File The Statistics Taking Stock Buyers’ Guide Auctions Trader Talk

66

Market Insight Suppliers’ Guide with Litton James Baggott travels 1,300 miles across South America in search of the Dakar Rally – in a completely standard Mini Countryman!

Long-termers Time Is Money

148 150 151 152 154 155 156 159 162

OUR AWARDS...

As voted for by dealers, the Car Dealer Power Awards are unique in the industry. To get involved in this year’s event, turn to page 106

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

Check out our coverage of the 2014 awards at bit.ly/UCA2014

This year’s event is going to be bigger and better in every way – and it’s still free for traders and manufacturers to attend.

See pages 78-85 for details CarDealerMag.co.uk | 05

feedback.

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

Our website at CarDealerMag.co.uk

So what’s the future of Just wondering what thoughts everyone had on the future of retailing new and used cars. I was watching Alex Polizzi, right, last week explaining to a couple who were running a kids’ fun crèche and café business. Alex was telling them that if they didn’t keep up with the changes and what customers wanted their business would end up like Blockbuster – BUST! – as they hadn’t changed with the times with the introduction of Netflix, on-demand movies etc. Any thoughts?

Umesh People want to buy online. The sooner we can do this easily and simply, the better.

James Baggott Things will get tougher over the next few years, I think. Roadside pitches will become a thing of the past as more and more traders operate from home or from cheap units on industrial estates.

This will drive down the retail prices of cars – and this applies particularly in the £5k-and-under bracket. It will become a case of having to do massive volume to make it worthwhile.

Max Branning James, I think you forgot the word ‘some’ from the beginning of your comment. Anyway, the majority of motor traders do not want to buy part-exchanges online. Besides, we are talking about used cars, not TVs or shoes or cases of nasty wine or 45 minutes on a bouncy castle.

The fundamental difference is that ALL of our products are different from all of the others. So they need to be seen to be compared properly.

And that’s before you consider the Distance Selling Regulations and how they impact us, too.

And Max, the more you reduce the overheads and start competing on price, the less money you make, the more you have to cut costs to keep afloat, the more you have to sell so you’ll need more staff de da, de da, de da. It’s a short cut to the bankruptcy court. Good luck with that.

Green Giant It is difficult to try to sell used cars online.

Although I now do a full walk-round video of all my cars, there is something about touch, feel smell! The videos do work very well for me – I have definitely sold cars to many customers from further afield . Everyone says, ‘we know you have nothing to hide as you’re walking / talking us through the whole car’. The guarantee I give that they will receive a full refund of their deposit should the car not be as described gives them confidence to at least reserve the car.

Umesh This is a very interesting topic, and I have to say

it’s the million-dollar question as the one who cracks it will make a packet. Online-only will never work with used cars, ask Tesco and jamjar!

My opinion is that Cargiant has this cracked, a slick and up-to-date website, most of the cars you see online will be there when you turn up.

And when you turn up you can touch, feel and smell many, many different makes and models of used cars all on one site. You can’t beat that.

Then you simply queue up take a test drive, queue up and pay, and go home.

For me this is the future, and us little guys won’t have much hope if many car giants open up like Asdas and Tescos.

Why this hasn’t happened I don’t know, but when it finally does, the small independents will be few and far between.

Also – most of the big branded car dealers in America sell their used part-exchange cars direct to the public. This is harder to do in the UK due to space, but again, this might also be the future.

Imagine a Sytner online auction which the public have access to!

Wheelerdealer1

Are diesel’s days numbered?

Are diesels sales falling? We are seeing this more recently as petrols are bouncing back. Have you noticed anything?

TML Cars Limited Yes, we have seen this, we hate selling diesels. We are 98 per cent petrol now.

Wood235 I have noticed the same. I have also noticed that people aren’t too bothered about low tax. They couldn’t care whether it is £30 or £145. I still try and wow them with the fact, but they aren’t bothered. I reckon it is a combination of the knowledge of potential problems with diesels like TML says and also the DVLA accepting monthly direct debits as payment. jamslug The majority of my stock is diesel, has been for some time and I can’t see it really changing. sparky

Picture of the month Look what turned up in the Car Dealer car park just as the magazine was going to press? This vintage Citroen – a classic DS from 50+ years ago – received a lot of attention – so much in fact that it almost delayed this edition of the mag reaching the presses! As we write this, our video team and photographers are all over it, so find out what we thought – and how it measures up to the current crop of DS models from the French manufacturer – in the next edition of Car Dealer.

More and more of our readers are joining the debate – and it couldn’t be easier to get involved!

Sign up to our forum at CarDealerMagazine.co.uk/forum 06 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

On Twitter: Follow @CarDealerMag

Forum: CarDealerMagazine.co.uk/forum

motor retailing?

‘Auction credit cards’ – what are people’s thoughts on them?

I’ve never had a stocking plan before, I’ve always used my own money and the bank, but I’ve just signed up with Next Gear and BCA. My main reason for doing this is as follows. If I’m using my own money, I want a certain margin in the car. If I can’t mark it up by X then I don’t bother.

As we all know, buying the right stock at the right price is never easy and seems to be getting harder but that doesn’t mean there is not a butty to be made if it’s for a car you have total confidence in that will fly out.

So say, for example, car A is worth £4,500 on the pitch. With my own money I don’t want it owing me any more than £3,200 (I’d rather wait for something else to come along), but if I’m using someone else’s money maybe I could stand it owing me £3,300£3,500. OK, it’s not making a fortune but there is a profit in it all the same and a profit that I would never have had using my own money.

Top tweets

If they are only used once a month they have more than paid for themselves. These cards seem to be being pushed quite strongly and talking to those involved it’s not just the minnows like me who are taking them out.

Anybody else got one of these auction credit cards or got any thoughts on them?

Wood235 Interesting, is this an element to support the reason that two-thirds of the network are reporting a ‘squeeze’ on margins this month? As retail competitiveness increases?

Philip Nothard That would be my guess. Speaking to a couple of auction houses, these cards seem to be more and more popular. sparky

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DASHBOARD.

Don’t worry about those points on your licence! bit.ly/points-tally

Most customers look for their next car after you’ve gone home Focus on nightwatchmen, says Auto Trader

W

ant to sell more cars?

Then bolster your online presence – and make sure that potential customers can get all the information they need without having to give you a call.

Why? Because the latest research suggests more and more people are researching their next purchase in the evening – yes, that’s right, when your showroom doors are shut, and your salespeople are safely tucked up in bed.

The news comes from Auto Trader, which says that, along with a rise in ‘evening research’, there are now fewer forecourt visits but more customers arrive on site without having made any prior contact with sales staff.

Auto Trader says: ‘We’re reminding all retailers to focus carefully on their “night watchmen”, the online points of contact that drive leads when doors are shut and when buyers are searching.’

The second Annual Buyer Behaviour Study, conducted by GfK for Auto Trader, pooled the experience of 1,300 car buyers spanning the first three months of this year. The sample comprised

by COLIN CHANNON @colinchannon

16 dealers, four franchise groups – representing more than 250 dealerships with an even split between new and used-car purchases – ten independents and two car supermarkets, making it one of the most comprehensive studies of its type in the industry. Other findings are that two-thirds of traffic to the Auto Trader site is generated by mobile and tablet with 86 per cent of consumers now searching for their next car after 6pm.

While buyers do search at other times of the day, just 24 per cent of desktop users, 18 per cent of tablet searchers and 36 per cent of smartphone users said they were most likely to search between the hours of 9am and 6pm when dealers’ doors are typically open.

Only 50 per cent of franchise customers visited only the dealer from whom they bought their car compared with 47 per cent for supermarkets and 51 per cent for independents. The decline in dealer visits contrasts with an increase in the number of referrals to online

showrooms. Most people visit at least three as part of the buying journey, with the average standing at nearly five.

Walk-ins are now the first point of consumer-dealer contact in 58 per cent of transactions. For franchise dealers, the research revealed a higher figure at two thirds (66 per cent), compared with 50 per cent when asked the same question a year ago.

A slightly lower figure was reported for car supermarkets, with 63 per cent of customers making first contact through a walk-in, while for independents, the figure was much lower albeit still nearly half of

all transactions (48 per cent).

Nick King, market research director, says: ‘This latest research continues to frame a buying journey where a forecourt visit is increasingly the affirmation of a decision made following extensive research online.

‘In this new online environment, things like full-page-ad views and a content-rich, responsive dealer website become key tools in driving leads. They are the nightwatchmen for your dealership, the professional face of your online business that drive leads out-of-hours, or in the absence of any active engagement with you or a member of your team.’

Britain’s worst-kept secret? Chrysler will Ambitious have left the UK by 2017, says Fiat Group SsangYong FIAT Group has announced its American partner Chrysler will be removed from sale in the UK by 2017.

Karl Howliss, Fiat Group UK’s deputy managing director, revealed the news and said that by 2017 Chrysler would be removed from the UK completely.

According to Howliss, this is because of the brand’s limited product range and poor CO2 emissions, as reported by Auto Express. Chrysler suffered from dismal 2014 sales in the UK, dropping below 2,000 units sold. In February this year, the manufacturer sold 12 vehicles in the UK, and the 08 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

total for 2015 is just 69 units – less than half the figure for the same period last year of 181.

Chrysler told Car Dealer: ‘Although we have no official statement, we can confirm that the decision has been made to withdraw Chrysler from the UK and instead focus on other FGA brands.

‘We’ve given our dealers 24 months’ notice of termination of contract.’

Dealers were informed officially on 16th March and they will now focus on Jeep and Fiat, although it seems that they all already knew.

Chrysler Bristol general manager Andy Semper told Car Dealer: ‘I

think it’s the worst-kept secret in the UK. We first heard about it six or seven weeks ago but it wasn’t official.’ He said the dealer principal received the official message on 16th March.

And Derek Westaway, dealer principal at Westaway Northampton, said: ‘We’ve known about it for a long time.’

Chrysler is already shutting down sections of its UK website. Buyers are unable to see new car details for 300C or Grand Voyager and are instead taken to the used car section of the website. New car information on the brand’s supermini Ypsilon is still available via the website.

SSANGYONG has announced ambitious plans for the future.

One part of that programme is bringing out one new model every year between now and 2020. And, says Paul Williams, the CEO of SsangYong UK, that’s a brand-new model, not just a bit of spit and polish and a quick refresh of an existing car.

Another part is recruiting new dealers to cope with what it expects will be unprecedented demand for its cars. The manufacturer has 60 dealerships now and hopes to increase that to about 75 by the end of the year.

Pivotal times, p23

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CarDealerMag.co.uk | 09

DASHBOARD. FEATURE.

Ask Lawgistics

Get ready for pension auto enrolment

Car Dealer Club lawyers at Lawgistics answer dealers’ legal questions. Join for £39.99 a year to get advice like this when you need it

Q A

I have heard that eBay-style online courts are on their way – is this fact or science fiction?

For many car dealers, consumer disputes and claims are an occupational hazard and many will be sadly familiar with the present court process. However, we find ourselves in an age of momentous change.

Later this year, we are likely to see the much-vaunted and highly-anticipated Consumer Rights Bill come into effect. Suffice to say, the thrust of it is very much on ‘Consumer Rights’ as opposed to ‘Dealers’ Rights’!

Hot on the heels of the Bill, a new report recommends that low-value civil court cases in England and Wales could be dealt with by an online disputes system similar to that used by eBay. The Civil Justice Council report says settling non-criminal cases of less than £25,000 online would reduce the expenses generated by a court.

Principal author Prof Richard Susskind said eBay disputes were ‘minor’, like many civil court cases, and Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service has welcomed the report. The proposed online dispute resolution scheme would be similar to the one used by eBay. Online facilitators would be used to help parties reach an agreement, and if that failed, online judges would rule on cases without the need for courts to be booked or for the parties involved to appear in

Q

person to give evidence. The report, from the council’s online dispute resolution advisory group, suggests conducting a pilot, ahead of an anticipated full rollout in 2017. It is calling for a radical and fundamental change to the way courts deal with smaller claims, noting that eBay’s dispute resolution system settles 60m disputes between small traders every year. Prof Susskind said the model was ‘remarkable’ and could be used in a similar way in the civil courts system, which was ‘too costly, too complex and too slow’.

It is envisaged that the online court would have a three-tier structure, with most disputes resolved at the first two stages – dispute avoidance and dispute containment – without the need for a judge. Prof Susskind said the system had the potential to resolve tens of thousands of cases every year and cost less for the parties involved and taxpayer. Lord Dyson, chairman of the Civil Justice Council, said in the foreword of the report that the area of online dispute resolution had ‘enormous potential’. Its aim was ‘to broaden access to justice and resolve disputes more easily, quickly and cheaply,’ he said.

Of course, anything that is likely to save the government money is likely to get its vote, so online courts are coming.

.com

Sale refund demanded despite repair work

Q

We recently sold a vehicle and the customer reported an oil leak that we agreed to repair. The warranty company is paying part of the bill and we are covering the rest. We provided the customer with a courtesy vehicle.

We have had her vehicle two weeks and it is now ready for collection but when we called the customer she said she no longer wanted the vehicle and wants a refund. I don’t want to give her a refund. What can I do?

A

Section 48 of the Sale of Goods Act 1979 gives a number of additional rights to individuals who buy a car from a dealer.

Customers can, in certain circumstances, be entitled to a refund, a repair, a replacement or a reduction of the purchase price. In this case, your customer has opted for a repair and you have agreed to undertake that repair.

According to Section 48B, your duty as the seller is to then conduct

ADVICE

that repair ‘within a reasonable time but without causing significant inconvenience to the buyer’ and to ‘bear any necessary costs incurred in doing so’. In your case, you have completed the repair within two weeks. Depending on the type of repair, that does not sound unreasonable. There was no cost to the customer and they have had use of a courtesy car and so any inconvenience is minimal. You have met your statutory obligations and so we would argue that the customer is not entitled to a refund.

As a small business we have not yet been hit by the Pension Auto Enrolment Scheme. However, we are now starting to receive reminders from the Pensions Regulator that it will be affecting us soon. What must we do to prepare for this?

The first step is to be aware of exactly when your staging date will be. This can be done by submitting your PAYE reference on the Pensions Regulator website.

Businesses with fewer than 50 employees will have a staging date starting between June 2015 and April 2017. It is key that your scheme is set up and ready to go on your staging date, otherwise you may be subject to enforcement by the Pensions Regulator.

Once you have identified your staging date, you then need to work out how many of your staff will actually qualify for the scheme. If you have a number of ad hoc, or part-time, workers, they may not be considered eligible.

Once you have identified how many workers will need to be included in the scheme, you must then seek financial advice to obtain a suitable pension scheme, and ensure that someone is elected to manage and maintain the scheme on a day-to-day basis, or assess if they can outsource this work.

The final key consideration is to begin to budget for the contributions that you as an employer will need to begin making from your staging date, whenever it is.

A

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WHY I JOINED car dealer club WANT TO UPGRADE YOUR MEMBERSHIP?

Hassle-free and a no-brainer! No wonder Joe was so pleased with the first-class service from Lawgistics WITH many aspects to your business, it’s always important to know you have the best people supporting you. And that’s why Joe Duffy of Ashley Road Car Sales sought the support of Lawgistics.

Duffy, right, explained: ‘We have two forecourts in Poole in Dorset, which we retail cars from, and as anyone knows, you get legal issues with customers from time to time.

‘We have a close friend who is a well-respected barrister and as such has always helped us as much as he could when needed.

‘But we felt we were in need of a more structured procedure and protocol for when these matters occurred.’

On one occasion when a customer returned with a problem, Lawgistics were able to help Duffy find a solution that worked for both parties.

He said: ‘We had an issue with a car that was sold seven or eight months ago. The owner had come back with an overheating issue. Not living particularly near Poole, she didn’t want to bring the vehicle all the way back to us to repair it – she asked to take it to her local garage. We paid for the job to be done at £540, at her local garage, as a full and final settlement – obviously we hadn’t diagnosed the problem and we weren’t repairing it.

‘A few months later she then came back with another overheating issue on the car and was asking for us to pay for a rebuild of the engine. The repairing garage hadn’t done the correct job.’

It was at this point that Duffy decided to involve Lawgistics, the motor trade law specialists. ‘We’d noticed the Lawgistics section a couple of times in the magazine,’ he said. ‘It worked out well for us and the customer because they had the repair paid for by the garage who hadn’t done their job properly.’

LAWGISTICS’ basic membership – which you receive as a member of Car Dealer Club – is a cracking deal, but what if you need something that has extra clout? Larger dealer groups or a dealer embroiled in a big legal battle may require some more firepower, and the good news is that Club members get discounts on Lawgistics’ other packages. You’ll receive a £100 discount off the small business package (normally £695) – perfect for sole traders, a partnership or a small dealer group – and £250 off the professional package (normally £1,295). This is ideal for franchises, a dealer group or a car supermarket and covers all areas of legal law and documentation. There’s a package for everyone with Lawgistics.

The process was simple, as Duffy explained. ‘It was just a case of two phone calls and they gave me a couple of bullet points and pointed me in the right direction. I then passed those on to the customer and she then went back to the repairing garage. They realised that they were in a corner and they had to get the vehicle repaired for her.’

As a member of Car Dealer Club, Duffy could take advantage of his Lawgistics basic membership, but he was so impressed with the service he received he has now upgraded to the gold pack.

‘From the point of Lawgistics it was very, very simple. From my point of view it was a no-brainer. It made it hassle-free, it didn’t take up much time, it saved us money and it was just one less thing to worry about.

There were no letters going backwards and forwards.

‘That was the first time I’d used them and we’ve now signed up to a gold membership so we can use it as and when we need it.’

And he jokingly concluded: ‘I’d recommend it to other people but not too many – we don’t want them to be too busy!’

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FEATURE. GENEVA motor show 2015

So much to admire (and no, we don’t mean the models) by colin channon @colinchannon

Showstoppers

We highlight the models that got us very excited – from concepts to flagships via crossovers and hot hatchbacks

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or any car nut, walking around a motor show is about as much fun as you can have with your clothes on. Although looking at many of the young ladies draped around the cars, some of them were having fun with many of their clothes off...

But if you were there for the cars, nothing (no, not even those leggy models) could prevent you from bouncing from hall to hall, admiring the metal. Boy, there were some good cars there.

Of course, not all of them will actually make it into the showroom. Many manufacturers use these shows to put something showy and shiny on display purely with the aim of catching the eye of the media to gain a few extra column inches or a minute or two on the box.

Dismiss those and Geneva still had a heck of a lot to admire. The car bosses we spoke to (and you’ll see from the pages that follow, we spoke to a LOT) are all feisty about the year ahead. Most have some nice models coming out, and after last year’s record-breaking sales figures, the industry is hoping for more of the same.

Time will tell, of course. But it’s good to see so many designers throwing caution to the wind and coming up with designs that really look the part. We expect that from the Porsches, Aston Martins and Bentleys of this world. But when the Kias, Hondas, Fords and Volkswagens are producing motors that make you sit up and take notice – and leave you desperate to get behind the wheel and take them for a spin – you know the industry is getting things right.

One thing’s for sure. It’s going to be an interesting year ahead...

Inside Geneva ��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

Porsche Cayman GT4 The new flagship of the Cayman range, this hardcore, track-biased Porsche is the perfect riposte to those who look down at the sublime Cayman as a ‘soft’ option. Blurring the lines between road and race cars, the GT4 wears an aggressive bodykit for increased downforce, and features a new, larger 3.8-litre six-cylinder motor developing 380bhp. Order books are open now, with the first customer cars expected for delivery at the end of March.

McLaren P1 GTR With just 375 units built and an average sale price of more than £1 million, you’d think McLaren’s cutting-edge P1 hypercar was exclusive enough for even the most demanding car enthusiast.

McLaren disagrees, however, and is offering a select band of 35 P1 owners the chance to part with a further £1.9m for the P1 GTR. It’s not for the road, though. Owners will be enrolled in its driver-development programme and invited to play with their cars at global race tracks.

VOLKSWAGEN ‘We’re growing more than any other brand’ p16

MITSUBISHI Mirage is here to stay but we’ve had other priorities p25

in association with

Kia Sportspace Concept

Renault Kadjar

Honda Civic Type-R

Such has been the rate of change at the Korean manufacturer that it now has an enviable reputation for quality, value and style that is putting the wind up its established European rivals. It’s clear to see the confidence the brand has, especially with a car as stylish as this. The concept points to a forthcoming replacement for the now-defunct Optima family car and, we have to say, makes the new Ford Mondeo look positively pedestrian...

Crossovers, for better or worse, are all the rage at the moment, and Renault – having got in on the act at last with the Captur – revealed its second high-riding model, the Kadjar. Utilising the underpinnings of the highly successful Nissan Qashqai, Renault is hoping to emulate that car’s popularity by offering similar levels of family usefulness in a more stylish package.

Expect to see a range of frugal diesel engines and four-wheel drive on posher models.

Honda has been lacking performance cars since the demise of the old Civic Type-R hatchback in 2010. But now the bewinged monster is back.

The Japanese brand has been coy in revealing full details, with just a few teaser shots and glimpses in adverts giving the styling away.

What we do know is the car’s turbocharged motor will put out around 300bhp – enough for a top speed of 167mph – and is likely to start from under £30,000. Still want that Golf GTI?

Aston Martin Vulcan A number of manufacturers are now turning to extreme-performance track-only models to tempt their clientele and Aston Martin is the latest to show its hand with the stunning Vulcan. It takes a distinctly old-school approach: huge, naturallyaspirated V12 engine at the front, rear-wheel drive and a racy sequential gearbox. Just 24 are to be made, each costing a whopping £1.8 million.

Ferrari 488 GTB This year’s Geneva show had something of a performance theme to it, with a number of sports and tracks models unveiled. And knowing that it just wouldn’t be the same without them, Ferrari lifted the covers off the 488 GTB. Replacing the sublime 458 Italia, this new model is a departure for the prancing horse, being its first modern turbocharged model. The Ferrari faithful may scoff, but with a 0-62mph time of 3.0 seconds and a top speed on the exciting side of 200mph, it’s certainly got our attention.

Ford Focus RS At the more affordable end of the performance spectrum, Ford finally unveiled its new Focus RS hot hatchback. The latest in a model lineage that stretches back for decades, the new RS has been eagerly anticipated by performance car fans because of its blend of performance, practicality and value. This third-generation hot Focus comes with four-wheel drive for the first time, as well as a host of trick driver aids, which is just as well given that its 2.3-litre motor develops a searing 318bhp.

NISSAN Sway is a cool-looking concept but not the next Micra p28

GardX and Mike Brewer choose their top 10 cars at the Geneva Motor Show

bit.ly/geneva-top10 CarDealerMag.co.uk | 13

FEATURE. GENEVA motor show 2015

So you all think THIS is wacky... citroen: Cactus could be just the start, as marketing chief says they want to do things a little differently...

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hink the Cactus is a wacky-looking car?

Then be prepared to be shocked some more – that could be the way Citroen is heading the years to come...

Julien Montarnal, the brand’s very impressively-named director of marketing, communications and sport, talked about the Cactus’s eye-catching looks as it was paraded in pride of place in Geneva.

And he said Citroen will continue to think outside the box when it comes up with new models in the years to come.

‘I wouldn’t like to call it a gamble, producing something as different as the Cactus, but we want to do things differently than the mainstream market. It’s a very competitive market and we feel we have to be true to our DNA. Citroen is one of those brands that has to explore new ways to answer the questions posed by the customers of today,’ he said.

‘Things are looking very good for Citroen in the next 12 to 18 months. We have very good momentum. We recently launched the Cactus in the UK and it is our manifest for the future, loaded with creativity and very strong design and very different.

‘We are a mainstream brand but we consider that doesn’t mean we have to do things like the others.

The Cactus has strong design, creativity and is loaded with technology.

Cactus certainly catches the eye...

��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

by COLIN CHANNON @colinchannon

‘We started with a really simple assumption.

When you buy a smartphone, the first thing you do is buy a cover to protect it. So why don’t you do the same thing with your car?

‘That’s what Citroen stands for – creativity and technology.

‘We are very strong in terms of comfort, so the Cactus is a concentrate of all Citroen does best.

It’s our hero product for the months ahead.

‘With Cactus, we didn’t want to renew an existing car. We started with the question that if we were to produce a car to satisfy customers’ needs of today, what would it have inside?

Comfort, useful technology.

‘It is doing very well in the UK and internationally. After six months we already have more than 50,000 sales, which is exceeding

Splitting brands is a perfect solution Is there a danger that by splitting DS and Citroen, people will see Citroen as the cheap and nasty option? Definitely not, says Julien Montarnal. ‘It’s a great chance for both DS and Citroen. When we launched DS a few years ago, people were sceptical. Five years on, it has been an incredible success. And it was so successful that we decided to make a totally legitimate, premium brand out of it.

‘Splitting the brand allows Citroen to be clearer with our positioning in the mainstream car market. We have the Picasso, which is the leader in its segment in Europe with more than 200,000 sales, and we launched the C1, the urban city car, a few months ago, and we have achieved 45,000 sales, again exceeding our targets. Splitting the brands allows us to have a clear message to the customers: DS is premium, Citroen is mainstream, but that doesn’t mean we have to do things like the others.’ our sales targets, so it a big success for us. It has been praised internationally by the press, and it has already won 25 European awards, including hatchback of the year by Top Gear, and a lot of praise from our customers, and a lot of praise from people who love Citroen who think this car is true to our DNA. We think Andre Citroen would be very proud of this car.’

Cactus is one of the most distinctive cars on the market. So is there something equally distinctive on the way?

Montarnal adds: ‘What I can say is that we want Citroen to stand out, to be eye-catching and full of technology.’

in association with

Is a road-going version of Sportspace on the way?

After-sales plays a key Kia role

Another year of record sales KIA: Dealers are enjoying the profits that go with a brand that’s selling vehicles well above the market rate

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he days of Kias being bought purely for their low prices have long gone, according to UK president and CEO Paul Philpott. ‘2014 was a new record year for us. We sold 77,500 cars, which was another year of seven per cent growth,’ he says.

‘Retail sales are up 10 per cent, which was above the market, and dealer volumes are going well.’ And, best of all, dealers were profitable.

With the facelifted Rio supermini, Venga compact people carrier and Picanto city car models, Kia got off to a quick start in 2015, with the all-important brand new Sorento 4x4 arriving soon. This new Sorento should build on the success of the company’s smaller SUV, the Sportage, 21,000 of which were sold last year.

Philpott is expecting healthy sales in March: ‘We’ve got the supply on the ground, all the advertising and marketing together – everything

by CHRIS LLOYD chris@blackballmedia.co.uk

is set for a good March. We’ll be looking to sell more than 14,500 cars this month.”

If that’s successful, Kia will be on track to hit 80,000 annual sales for the first time. But Philpott isn’t placing sales figures above dealer profitability. ‘The key is sensible trading,’ he says.

‘We have to make sure enough of our incentives and our marketing is driving consumers in.

Providing we create demand, margins are under less pressure.’

Another factor contributing to dealers’ success is the shift from multi-brand showrooms to solus dealerships. While two-thirds of Kia retailers were multi-brand businesses five years ago, two-thirds now sell cars only from the South Korean brand.

Kia dealers’ success hasn’t just come in the form of new-car sales. After-sales revenue plays a crucial role, partly thanks to the company’s seven-year warranties which keep customers returning to the dealer network.

Even better, the popularity of PCP means a large proportion of customers are replacing their cars after three years – potentially even after two-and-a-half years. Philpott says: ‘We have one of the fastest-growing car parcs out there and because of our seven-year warranty we believe that by the end of this year we’ll have the fourth-largest warranty car parc of any car manufacturer.”

With this swelling, warranty customers are far more likely to come back to the selling dealer – whether their car is two or six years old.

‘Solus dealerships are dedicated to Kia and passionate about the brand, so we get a better result generally than multi-brand,’ Philpott says.

The company is also now managing to persuade owners of premium German machines to part with their cash. Though conquest customers are typically coming from Ford, Vauxhall, and French and Japanese brands, Kias are now becoming the second car in households where the first car is a premium brand. ‘They may well have an Audi as their primary car, but we’re having quite a lot of success with that kind of customer as regards a second car.’

With customers steadily buying higher-spec models, Kia is mulling over whether to launch a road-going version of the Sportspace – the large upmarket estate concept that wowed the crowds at Geneva. Philpott is tight-lipped, but expect to see it soon.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 15

FEATURE. GENEVA motor show 2015

A great time to be a VW dealer VW: We’re growing more than any other brand, says UK chief – and that’s the news the network wanted to hear

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he UK car market may have performed strongly in 2014, but Volkswagen sales are soaring above these, says Alex Smith, director of VW passenger cars. ‘In the UK it’s been really, really good. We had record volumes last year,’ he said. ‘This is the first time past 200,000 car sales in a year for Volkswagen in the UK.’ It’s not just sales that are doing well – Smith points out that VW has enjoyed market share growth too. ‘We’re all very proud that by unit volume, Volkswagen grew more than any other car brand last year,’ he says.

Helping to power Volkswagen’s increased market share was the introduction of the new Polo in 2014, which has been ‘brilliantly received by both loyal Polo customers and also people new to the car and the brand’, says Smith. Meanwhile, the Tiguan may be the oldest core model in the VW range, but it’s had a ‘really, really, really strong’ start to the year, chalking up record February sales.

Better than this, though, is that Volkswagen has been working

The Sport Coupe Concept GTE

��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

by CHRIS LLOYD chris@blackballmedia.co.uk

hard to route the maximum amount of volume through the retailer network. As a result, dealers’ throughput has almost doubled in the past few years, paying off the investment the network has put into new showroom designs. These more modern, bigger facilities give a real ‘fresh look’ to the network, Smith says.

Dealers can also expect a big influx of models to drive sales this year. ‘We’ve had a very, very successful market introduction of the new Passat,’ he says. Launched in January, orders for the Passat are going well, and this isn’t down to conservative sales estimates. ‘Given the quality of the product, we had extremely strong expectations,’ he says.

The new Touran is also a significant

A new breed of performance cars High-performance family cars also played a big part at Geneva – with estate versions of the Golf R and GTD on stand.

Alex Smith said: ‘The Golf R and the Golf GTD have enormous followings in their own right. And customers have been asking us, “You’ve got this amazing vehicle, you’ve got this amazing powertrain. Is there the opportunity to make it more flexible and slightly more family friendly?” ’ And the Smith family might soon be driving around in one of these too. ‘I’m absolutely in love with both the Golf R and the Golf GTD, which were indeed my last two company cars.

‘But I have three children and sometimes there’s a case for wanting slightly more practicality yet all the strengths of the R and GTD package. Something that offers that practicality is going to be a huge winner.’

improvement over the current model. ‘It really is so well-oriented around the family. I know when we showed it to the dealer network for the first time, they were hugely positive at what an enormous step forward it is.’

Also starring on the Geneva stand was the Sport Coupe Concept GTE – an upmarket CC-style ‘coupaloon’. However, Smith is keen to distance this concept from the old Passat-based CC that is currently on sale. With the Passat moving upmarket – competing against models from BMW and Mercedes rather than Ford and Vauxhall – this CC-esque four-door concept could move even further upmarket if it comes into existence.

in association with

We’re staying at No 1...

FORD: Others say they’ll take top spot from them. That could be easier said than done

The stunning new Ford GT

Ovenden on the Ford Mustang...

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ord is riding on the crest of a wave. It’s still the number-one brand in the UK, selling more cars than anyone else. but don’t think for a minute that the company bosses are sitting back, revelling in their success, and considering taking it easy.

Far from it. The bad news for rival brands is that Ford is anticipating building on its success.

And then building some more.

Mark Ovenden, Ford of Britain chairman and managing director, told us: ‘We’re at the top of the tree, but there’s no complacency. You have to earn the top spot.

‘Some of our colleagues have made claims about taking leadership from us. But we have always said that leadership is never our strategy.

Our strategy is to make fantastic products and work with our dealer partners to really look after our customers well.

‘There’s absolutely zero chance of Ford being complacent about where we are. Okay, you’d expect the MD to say that, but the best evidence of that is to look at the sheer investment we put into products, there’s absolutely no complacency, and certainly my bosses won’t let me be complacent, I can assure you…

‘It was a very good 2014 for us, working very closely with our dealer council, and we had a really good solid story of progression from 2011 onwards. It’s a good year for them because it’s all about product.

‘Last year we renewed our entire commercial

by COLIN CHANNON @colinchannon

vehicle range, which is very important to our dealers. If you look at what the dealers have coming this year, we have the new Focus in the market, the new Mondeo, the new C-Max coming, the Mustang, the Vignale, Edge – that, with the commercial range, is great news for the dealers. On the after-market side, we have initiatives like Ford Approved. An exciting time.

‘Mustang is exciting. Clearly it’s not about big volumes – we’re not going to sell as many Mustangs as Fiestas – but it’s certainly Ford’s most iconic vehicle in the world, and arguably the most iconic automotive brand in the world.

‘We have some fantastic plans for the next two years. There is absolutely no complacency.

‘For our dealer network, the best thing we can do is tell them and show them that we have a fantastic pipeline of new product coming, because they know that’s the pre-requisite for If you were transport minister for the day, what’s the first thing you would do?

I’d keep investing in the infrastructure and the roads. We’ve had tremendous support from the business innovation and skills headed up by Vince Cable, and I’d ensure we keep the consistency and the dialogue going between our industry and the government.

The early interest has been absolutely phenomenal, definitely more than I’d originally thought. I was opening a new Ford Store at Sandy Cliff in Leicester and while I was in the showroom visiting, they took two Mustang orders. They weren’t casual orders, these were orders with deposits. I met the second customer who came in and he’d always dreamed of having a Mustang.

He had a clear idea of what he wanted – he wanted the same colour green as the one in the film Bullitt, he wanted the fastback – and it was someone meeting up with his dream, which was a lovely thing to do.

them seeing a great return on their investment in the Ford brand. Yes, when we tell them what’s coming they want it now, but that relentlessness and that hunger is what makes them so good.

‘We have a great relationship with our dealers.

Once a year we have an owner and investment evening when we bring in keep people who either own dealerships or are senior in the publicly-quoted companies who own dealers, and we outline our strategy to them and show them the new product, and it’s always a really good event.’

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 17

FEATURE. GENEVA motor show 2015

There’s no time to take a break MAZDA: There are more launches this year than ever before – and the pace won’t let up next year, either

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t’s never been a better time to be a Mazda dealer than right now. UK MD Jeremy Thomson was gushing with good news about the brand which is celebrating a bumper year in 2015.

‘Between March and September of this year we’ll launch five cars, which is more than Mazda has ever done in its history. Five cars in six months is a hell of a stretch for our business and our dealers, but it’s a really exciting challenge,’ said Thomson. ‘Then you’ve got two peak months either side, so it’s going to be the craziest time. I’m just taking a breath now and preparing myself for it! This is what most of us live for in this organisation.’

You’d think that after such a full-on year of new launches, Mazda would be looking to consolidate in the 2106, but that’s not the case.

Thomson says: ‘The bizarre thing is, next year and the year after will be similar. We’re going through a three-year change in the brand, which is unprecedented. In a lot of cases it’s refreshing existing models, like the CX-5 and the Mazda6.

In other cases it’s entrants to all new segments,

The new Mazda 6 has been well received ��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

by REBECCA CHAPLIN @BelieveBecca

like the CX-3. We’ve never been in the B-SUV segment and we’ve now got a beautiful-looking car there.’

Thomson said Mazda was anticiparing 20 per cent of growth this year – all of it from new cars.He admitted there had been something of a renaissance in recent years and buyers were now looking at the brand in a new light.

‘Where we are increasingly successful is in the near-premium brands and increasingly into the premium-brand territory. People who would normally go to the premium German brands are looking at Mazda.

‘The car which everyone wants to try out this year is the new MX-5 and Thomson is confident sales will be outstanding.

He said: ‘I’m such an MX-5 fan, so it’s a bit unfair of me to comment, but the early reaction from those who’ve driven it has been phenomenal. The car will go on sale in August

Fewer dealers, bigger profits The new look for Mazda’s cars will now be matched with a new look for their dealerships. ‘We’re going through a change in dealer identity, so this year all dealers will move to a new look and style,’ said Jeremy Thomson. ‘There will be great kerb appeal to the outside of the dealership and much more of an “Apple Store feel” to the inside. Much more modern, brighter and uplifting and it makes the car the star of the showroom.

Dealers have never had it so good and it gets better as they go through this year.

‘What we’re doing is putting more sales through fewer dealers. Over the years we’ve reduced the dealer network from 160 to 137. That was deliberate so we could then put more scale into those dealers.’ and the pre-order website has gone live. We already have more than 3,000 people who have requested to find out more and hopefully will order that car – so we’re in a really good position.

‘It’s an icon. It has the potential to really drive the brand forward.’

in association with

The 20v20 concept which has got Seat excited

Set for a new look

Stepping into world of SUV

SEAT is about to have a new look in all their dealerships. Neil Williamson says: ‘In the UK, we are just embarking on a complete refresh of our dealers’ look and feel. We haven’t changed our corporate identity for 14 years, and if I’m honest, some are looking a little bit tired. I’m not saying they’re not in good condition, just that they are a bit dated – if you have a 14-year-old kitchen, it’s going to look a bit ordinary. The new look is very white, it’s very red, very Mediterranean colours, and the exterior is very different.

We’re helping dealers with the cost. The average cost per site is about £70,000 for a full refurb, and we’re paying half of that.’

SEAT: Dealers have been given a glimpse of the future – and it looks as if they’re very excited about what’s in store

A

sk any manufacturer what the next big thing is, and they’ll answer the same: the SUV market is exploding. Seat, for instance, reckon SUVs will make up a quarter, maybe even a third, of the entire market in the next three or four years.

That’s why UK MD Neil Williamson is so confident about the future – he’s about to make a bold step into the world of crossovers.

‘Our dealers are very excited by what is coming.

We took them to Barcelona in the late summer and we showed them the future, the next two or three years, and all the new cars that are coming.

The SUV is going to be the next big thing for us,’ he says. ‘We are great at small cars – the Leon has been great and very successful – and we’ll keep replacing them at the end of their lifecycles, but the SUV market is going to be massive for us.

‘We showed dealers the new SUV that comes out middle to late next year, and they loved it and

by COLIN CHANNON @colinchannon

were really excited by it. SUV is where it’s at. We have nothing in that segment at the moment. For us, that’s incremental business. Our dealers have other franchises, they know how good SUVs are because they’re selling them for other brands, our sister brands and others, so they’re really looking forward to it.’

So what will make their SUVs stand out? ‘What we have is our very sound, top-quality German engineering with Spanish design and flair and driveability. Look at Leon – that’s exactly that.

Tremendously well-engineered car, built in Spain, really high quality and drives brilliantly and stands out from the industry. It’s a five-star car and it keeps winning awards so we’ll take that DNA and turn it into an SUV, the practicality of

an SUV, and we’re really confident. There’s still room in that segment for a bit of flair and to produce something that’s a bit different. There are a lot of great products in that segment but some of it’s a bit middle of the road, and we’re not. Our designers have spent ages getting that right, interior and exterior, so we’re looking forward to that. The most important story for any car company is your cars, so we have shown our dealers a load of product. Dealers are very honest people – if they don’t like the look of something, they’ll tell you. Ours love what’s coming, and they want to sell it now. That’s the risk with these things, you show them the future, and they say “great, can we sell it tomorrow”. And we all feel that way – we feel the same.’

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 19

FEATURE. GENEVA motor show 2015 The long-awaited Type R looks great

It’s the year of the comeback HONDA: It may have been a long time coming, but this year customers will get a choice of several new models

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his is a comeback for Honda, according to UK managing director Philip Crossman. It’s been a long old slog waiting for the new cars that are on the way. ‘This pretty much takes us from being at the back to pretty much at the front – and very, very quickly,’ Crossman told us.

Honda was so confident in its range that ALL of their dealers were flown out to join them and gawp at the production cars with the crowds for the first time.

Crossman explained: ‘We took all our dealers out to Geneva to see all the production cars, as we had a feeling they were going to be very excited about what they saw. We try to communicate as much as possible with them. We took them to Paris to see the concept cars and four or five months later they’re coming out to see the actual production cars – cars which we’ll be getting in the showroom very quickly.’

Six new cars are being launched at the same time, Civic and CR-V are already in showrooms, then in the summer Type R will join them with HR-V and Jazz following close behind.

‘We haven’t opened the order books on Jazz ��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

HR-V is special one What’s the big one for dealers this year?

Philip Crossman says: ‘The car that everyone should be most excited about it is HR-V. It’s a growing sector and that car is sensational.

Beautiful styling, great handling, very fuelefficient and the space inside is first class.

Our biggest challenge right now is getting people used to being successful and moving forward. We have a very loyal customer base and we have a great dealer network – all of that should add up to a good package. Cars are affordable, super-reliable and we’ve got great customer retention – so it should be a good time.’

by REBECCA CHAPLIN @BelieveBecca

yet but we know what supply we’ve got and what we’re capable of, so I’m confident that will be sold out – and I believe HR-V will sell out too. We’ve just announced pricing on Type R, so for a 300bhp racing car it’s £30,000 or £300 a month with a 30 per cent deposit – so that car will sell out!’

And the much-awaited NSX is also expected to sell out. He continued: ‘We’ve taken over 100 orders for the NSX and we’ve got 75 in reserve.

We’re not sure how many cars we’re going to get, so my guess is that’s pretty much sold out globally – and that’s without people even seeing If you were transport minister for the day, what’s the first thing you would do?

‘I’d make it easier for people to buy cars.

I’d put investment into infrastructure for hydrogen. I’d accelerate a cleaner environment. And I’d also make it easier for people to get on motorcycles and pass their test.

the spec or the pricing. This thing has galloped away from us. People had their first view of the car three years ago and somebody went into a dealership the next day and put £5,000 down.’

This new model will be a hybrid, sharing exclusive technology with the McLaren-Honda F1 car.

But wait until next year and you’ll be able to buy a Jazz Hybrid too. ‘It’s the same engine on all three of them and that’s a great message from our point of view,’ he said.

‘We’re at a very exciting stage in the motor industry now, with technology in hybrids and in small diesels. We’ve actually just launched the FCX, FCV concept car with a hydrogen fuel cell.

That’s the end game. My grandchildren will look back and think how did you ever drive a car that burns fossil fuels?’

in association with

This isn’t just a car, it’s art...

INFINITI: Designer chief waxes lyrical about the models that are about to hit the showroom. Well, we’re hooked...

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t’s always fun talking to car designers.

They speak a different language to the rest of us. We want to know 0-60 times, the gadgets and gizmos, the smoothness (or otherwise) of the ride, the driveability. They, on the other hand, want to discuss a car’s artistry, and the shapes and lines and, in the case of Infiniti, the romanticism...

Alfonso Albaisa, Infiniti’s chief designer, didn’t disappoint. He waxed lyrical about the cars on display in Geneva, and the ones still on the drawing board.

‘It’s an exciting time for Infiniti dealers,’ he said. ‘The cars on the Geneva stand are not the whole picture. The brother of the one here, the Q30, is the road version. We’ll see that in the next few months. That’s followed by this Q30, which is very close. I love the whole sense of the Infinity artistry.’

See, told you...

He adds ‘Six months or so later or we’ll come out with the crossover, the QX30. The body

by COLIN CHANNON @colinchannon

will be super sleek and there will be the sense of an elevated coupe. Yes, there are a lot of crossovers on the market at the moment. But I think we have an advantage. The cars will have a technical beauty. They are perfect cars. You have the Jags and the Land Rovers, which have a classic beauty. For us, as a kind of mixed-race brand, we have the purity of this romanticism and this artistry, and we also have this power and this audacity.

‘We want people to feel our uniqueness – that when the doors open on our cars they get a sense of our artistry. The hinges are perfect, the gaps around the doors are very small, there’s a seamlessness to it all. And add the passion, and you have Infiniti. You can feel the artistry of the designer, and the artistry of the builder...’

Enough, we cry. Infiniti’s still a new brand.

From an idea to the showroom NO-ONE can doubt Alfonso Albaisa’s passion. ‘As a designer, I want to design something that European people can connect with. Many urban dwellers will like this car, and like its sexiness. I think dealers will have a hard time keeping this in their showroom.

‘I like the way our cars are looking and developing. The best part of my job is that at midnight I may have a sketch in my mind and I’m wondering how to take it to the next level. I fire it off to the designer in the UK – it’s all encrypted so no-one can get to it – and after a few Photoshops and a bit of work, he sends it back and says “What do you think of this, boss?” and I send it to California and they’ll look at it and work on it. This cyclone of activity, I love it. The cars look nice now – and we have some lovely models coming up over the horizon.’

Will these new cars sell? ‘We do need to raise awareness of the Infiniti brand,’ says Albaisa.

‘We’re still a new brand but we have to keep doing what we’re doing and have patience.

It’s all producing great cars, and then word of mouth will work for us. I feel we are going to get a new customer with this car, a younger one.

‘I know that when people get in this car and drive it, they’ll be sold on it. I know that because I have driven it. I know the character of the QX30 family is quite impressive.’

The QX30 can be seen later this year CarDealerMag.co.uk | 21

��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

FEATURE.

in association with

GENEVA motor show 2015

Much more than just a car with that funny name SsangYong: The new Tivoli could be the car that makes the buying public sit up and take notice, says the UK chief

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sk a friend or a member of your family if they’ve ever heard of SsangYong. We’d be happy to bet a fair slice of Baggott’s weekly pay packet that not many of them will admit to knowing it’s the name of a manufacturer, let alone that it’s Korea’s oldest brand of car.

So there’s some work to be done. But it WILL be done. The number of dealers is on the increase. There’s a TV ad campaign coming. And with the new Tivoli, there’s a car they reckon will make a real difference.

Paul Williams is the straight-talking CEO of SsangYong Motor UK. And he reckons we’re seeing a pivotal time for the company. ‘I’m fortunate enough to have seen the long-range product plans until 2020, and we are entirely confident that the long-term development of our brand is going to be there,’ he says.

‘This is why we are convincing more and more dealers to be joining us. At the start of the Geneva show we had 58, by the end of the first week of the show we had 60, and we aim to have approximately 75 by the end of the year. Why

by colin channon @colinchannon

approximately? Because it may be 68, it may be 73, it may be 77, as ultimately we recruit dealers based on their attitude. It doesn’t matter about location, or if they have perfect premises, or if they come up with the right answers, it’s all about attitude. And I’m really serious about that.

‘Our dealers are all individuals, they’re all entrepreneurial. Most of our dealers have very strong used-car operations. Attitude is so important. You can do everything

Tivoli will have a real wow factor PAUL WILLIAMS says the Tivoli raises the game for SsangYong in terms of style and quality. He adds: ‘It’s going to have a massive appeal when we reveal the final spec and the prices. It’ll have a better price, better warranty, more features and a real wow factor compared with others on the market.

We’re going to have a lot of features on the Tivoli that come as standard. We’ll have a lot of standard features but we’ll also have a lot of premium engineering features. And we’re going to raise awareness of the SsangYong name in the UK with a major television advertising campaign in June and July.’

with it, and you can do nothing without it.

‘Awareness is our biggest problem in the UK. But if you were a dealer and I were to present you with an opportunity of a specialist SUV crossover brand, a firm that’s been around for more than 60 years, the cars cost 20 per cent less than Hyundai or Kia, with a better warranty than either of them, would you be interested … we have a light-touch relationship with dealers and oh, and by the way, it’ll cost you only ten grand to get involved… and the answer would be yes.

‘Last year we sold 1,800 cars retail, and this year we’ll do something between 3,500 and 4,000. We can get ourselves to 10,000 and 15,000 units, and that number shared between 70 dealers will be a really canny business for them and a very good business for us. In ten years a lot of people will have heard of SsangYong. We’re that car with a funny name that starts with Ss and has a capital Y in the middle.’

Tivoli raises the game for SsangYong CarDealerMag.co.uk | 23

FEATURE. GENEVA motor show 2015

Geneva sights The popular i30

Record numbers for Korean kings

Of all the cars at the Geneva Motor Show, Tony Whitehorn was ‘most keen to go and have a look at Vauxhall, because they’ve got the Viva range. I also wanted to look at the Renault Kadjar and I wanted to see the Skoda Superb too. They’re the ones that compete quite directly with us and our i10, Tucson and i40.’

hyundai: For the first time, the 80,000 sales figure has been breached – and there’s more to come, says UK chief

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yundai had a record-breaking 2014, with the company selling more than 82,000 vehicles in the UK and more than 25,000 i10s alone. Hyundai UK president and CEO Tony Whitehorn is understandably proud of these milestones. ‘That’s the first time any Korean brand has sold over 80,000, so that’s great. We did more than 25,000 i10s, which is the first time any Korean model’s done more than 25,000 vehicles,’ he said.

More than this, these sales figures indicate Hyundai is becoming a big part of the UK car industry, Whitehorn adds, with the company becoming ‘a solid mainstream player’. And the outlook for 2015 is even better, he says.

While the only new model in 2014 was the i10 city car, Hyundai has already got six new models lined up for 2015 – the i20 hatchback and coupe, facelifted i30, updated ix20 and revised i40, along with the brand new Tucson off-roader.

This new ‘bow wave of new product’ should prove a godsend, Whitehorn says, giving dealers a real reason to get in touch with customers.

It’s not just sales that are increasing, however, as profitability soared in 2014 too, claims the ��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

by chris lloyd chris@blackballmedia.co.uk

Hyundai boss: ‘Our profitability was at a record level last year. We were at about 1.7 per cent return on sales last year. And in pound notes it was a record for the network, which is fantastic.

So, while the dealers are continually investing, the throughput is going up dramatically.’

After-sales income has proved to be another important revenue stream with the growing vehicle parc meaning the amount of profit If you were transport minister for the day, what’s the first thing you would do?

We are a little bit too focused on electric cars. I feel there’s an opportunity for fuel cells. The quicker we as an industry embrace that, the better. It is the infrastructure that is holding it back. And the only people who can really influence the infrastructure is the government.

Putting infrastructure in London is the number-one priority.

retailers can make from after-sales is increasing.

It’s the new models that will make the biggest difference to dealers, though, according to Whitehorn. ‘We’ve had a fantastic response with the new i20 – we’re significantly up on last year.’

The new model’s impact has been much wider, though, getting potential buyers through the door with many looking at other Hyundai models that they may not have considered otherwise.

The split between ‘i’ models and off-roaders gives dealers an interesting opportunity.

Whitehorn says: ‘Our ‘i’ models are very much about volume. Understandably, when you sell a lot of volume, your profitability per unit is not as big as with a bigger car, like an SUV. The Tucson and Santa Fe, from a dealers’ point of view, is where they can make some substantial profit.’

Despite the popularity of Hyundai’s more upmarket off-roaders, Whitehorn is quick to point out: ‘We’re not going to do a Lexus or Infiniti with a standalone dealer.’

Similarly, the new Genesis luxury saloon is intended to provide a halo effect and boost the brand’s profile, helping it towards its target of 100,000 sales by the end of 2017.

in association with

It’s good now ...but just wait until next year MITSUBISHI: The search is on to add more dealers to the network to cope with an expected sales explosion in 2017

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f Mitsubishi dealers thought they were having a good time now, just wait until 2017 – because that’s when things get really serious, according to boss Lance Bradley. Following on from the launch of the Outlander PHEV– one the MD bills as the most successful ever for the brand – he believes the arrival of the next-generation ASX could spell even more exciting times for the brand.

Revealed in 95 per cent production-ready form at the Geneva Motor Show, Bradley believes the combination of attractive design and a PHEV offering could see sales of the new ASX explode.

‘I had lunch with the bosses in Japan when I was there in November and they’re both very sharp cookies,’ said Bradley. ‘They said if I was on course to do 10,000 Outlander PHEVs this year and the C segment is four times bigger than the D segment, then surely that would mean 40,000 ASX PHEV sales when they arrive. It’s really hard to say “don’t be ridiculous” because who knows?

We haven’t written a plan that says that, but why wouldn’t it be? The C segment is massive.’

Last year Mitsubishi sold 15,000 cars in the UK. The year before that it was 9,000. With Outlander PHEV now in full swing, a new L200 revealed at Geneva set to go on sale this year,

by JAMES BAGGOTT @CarDealerEd

and the new ASX the year after that, it’s easy to see why Bradley is predicting big things. There’s certainly a strong sense of confidence in the way Bradley talks, and who can blame him? After the gamble he took on PHEV paying off, few would bet against him doing it again with the ASX. ‘The market for plug-in hybrids the year before we launched Outlander PHEV was 980 – and this year we will do 10,000 – so we did gamble,’ explains Bradley. ‘Before anyone apart from us had driven the car, we ordered 2,500 so that was quite a big shout, but sometimes you get a product that you know is really good and the judgment call you have to make is whether the market is ready for it. With the market the year before less than 1,000 the question was is that because all the cars were compromised

There’s still room for the Mirage Mitsubishi won’t be killing off the Mirage.

Managing director Lance Bradley stuck by the struggling B segment supermini at Geneva and promised it won’t be canned.

‘We’ve had other priorities with the launch of the PHEV Outlander and when you look at whether you’d rather capitalise on that or a very competitive, low-margin sector like the B segment, then the choice is made for you,’ he said.

‘But we want to maintain a presence with that car and keep it ticking over. It’ll stay in the line-up and we have a few plans over the next 12 months that will improve its competitiveness and make it more interesting.’

or too expensive, or is it because customers don’t like the technology? So if there was a gamble, then that was it. It was pure gut instinct that we went with it and it paid off. I knew if we could save people money with the PHEV there would be demand – and that’s exactly what it has done.’

Bradley is now working on adding more dealers to his franchise to cope with this forthcoming demand. Currently he has 124 outlets around the UK, with six appointments lined up. His plan is to get to 135 dealers in time for the sales explosion in 2017. ‘What’s really positive is that the dealers we’re attracting are really good dealers – it shows how attractive this franchise has become,’ he said. ‘We’re in a very good place.’

Lance Bradley with the ASX concept CarDealerMag.co.uk | 25

FEATURE. GENEVA motor show 2015 The R8 – better than ever before

We’re ready to go on offensive AUDI: Ageing portfolio is getting a major refresh – and dealers are ready for the rush in demand, says UK chief

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et ready for an Audi explosion. There are new models galore coming along, with the aim of getting far more of their cars on British roads. It throws up the old argument that a prestige model can’t be a volume model, but Audi reckon they’re getting the numbers right.

UK director Andre Konsbruck told us: ‘We have a lot of new models coming up – it will mean a lot of work for our dealers, but I think they’re ready and waiting for it. We have one of the oldest portfolios in the premium market so we are ready to go on the offensive. We are ready to renew our products now, with the core models like the A4 and A5. We have just presented the Q7, the new R8, the TT last year, and now the Q models, and we’ve the product improvement launches, which for the dealers is also massive.

‘In mid-March we’ll get the Q3 and A1 product improvement into the showrooms, so we’ll be keeping the dealers busy. If you look at the national surveys with dealers, we are ranked very highly. Audio is a very attractive franchise. We have a very strong relationship with dealers. It’s a very strong partnership – we are very close to our ��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

by COLIN CHANNON @colinchannon

network, and we talk to them and listen to them and try to get the optimum from both parties.’

And Konsbruck is pleased that Audi is now living up to its Vorsprung durch Technik title.

The name, if you need reminding, means ‘advancement through technology’ – and the new virtual cockpit in the TT certainly fits the bill, ‘The reaction of the new car has been good, even though we do not yet have the TDI Quattro version, which was 40 per cent of our sale in the past. This engine will come but unfortunately we didn’t have the car for the launch. We now have the TTS coming and we have just launched the roadster. It’s a fast-growing success story If you were transport minister for the day, what’s the first thing you would do?

Diesel. It doesn’t seem right to allow tenyear-old petrol cars with Euro 3 or Euro 4 into town centres but not new Euro 6 diesel.

Premium will sell SUVs remain key for Audi. Andre Konsbruck says: ‘They’re a big seller for us. The Q5 has been an incredible story – the more it matures, the more cars we sell. Of course, that’s in line with a growing market, but the Q5 is just an amazing car. As is the Q3, and as we announced at Geneva, this isn’t the end of the Q3, there is more to come. In the UK, there is still plenty of room for premium SUVs. We have SUVs here, yes, but there’s room for premium SUVs.’ and we’ve had good feedback, even from Jeremy Clarkson. The virtual cockpit is good, ahead of its time, and we know the idea will now be copied by others, but we were first and that’s important for a Vorsprung durch Technik brand. It’s good to show innovation. We have the e-tron, the electric car of the year and the most suitable for the UK market. We are following that with the Prologue Avant and its new light technology. It’s putting us on the front page around innovation.

‘The UK is one of the top three global markets for the R8 – and we’re very excited by the new one. It looks more sports car, more power, and there’s a lot of innovation in it, with the light technology, the virtual cockpit and the driving dynamics. It’s a completely different car to the previous one. It’s not big volume for us when you’re talking in terms of selling 160,000 cars, but it’s an icon, a statement, what we translate from the racetrack to the road.’

in association with

Before you all ask... the new car’s called Ka-Jar renault: Okay, the name’s confusing – but the signs are it’ll be a big hit for the family market as well as with fleets

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enault launched a new car with a new name at the Geneva Motor Show, but it wasn’t its looks that set tongues wagging, but how on earth the name was meant to be pronounced.

The Kadjar is Renault’s take on the Nissan Qashqai and just like that class-leading C segment crossover did when it launched, it boasts an unfathomable name that’s caused more of a stir than the actual car itself.

‘We admit the name doesn’t roll off the tongue easily,’ said Renault Dacia UK MD Ken Ramirez. ‘It’s intended to be a global name and it’s pronounced “Ka-Jar”. It is intended to have a unique name just like the vehicle is unique.’

Nice. We love a good bit of PR speak. So that’s clear then – it’s a silent ‘D’. After we’d cleared up the naming confusion, Ramirez went on to explain the car’s importance to the brand.

‘It’s very important indeed,’ he said. ‘The C segment SUV sector is the second-fastest growing and with this we have a fantastic offering.’

He said the car will likely attract large numbers of customers for Renault and that the dealer network needs to be ready to impress those who do make the switch.

Ramirez said: ‘Kadjar should be a profitable car and will be a very good vehicle for retail.

Eventually it will be good

by JAMES BAGGOTT @CarDealerEd

for fleet too. It’s a great vehicle for the network.

‘But dealers have to be focused on delivering the customer experience that goes with it. We are delivering the product, the marketing, the brand identity and dealership environment but together we need to make sure the experience that starts with us online continues in showrooms.

‘Ultimately that’s what will drive loyalty and repeat customers – service loyalty and more. We are a highly conquest brand now and have all-new product. So we need to ensure customers who have never had Renault before and are seeing us for the first time have their expectations exceeded.’

Dacia branches out There are now three solus Dacia dealerships around the UK set up by confident dealer groups that have seen demand for the brand’s car boom.

However, these are all owned by groups that also hold a Renault franchise – something boss Ken Ramirez remains adamant will always be the case.

‘We’re not requesting it, but we have had several dealers come to us with proposals for solus sites and we now have three dealers with Dacia showrooms,’ he said. ‘They have grown organically in the market areas where they operate. The dealers proposed them and we agreed the architectural plans. They look similar to the Dacia corners of dealerships and work very well.’ He added that it is likely we’ll see more dealers follow suit.

Could you pronounce it before reading this page?

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 27

FEATURE. GENEVA motor show 2015

What a year – now it’s time to take stock...

NISSAN: Sales are really buoyant – but there were a few dealer headaches as launches didn’t go quite as planned

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issan GB boss James Wright has admitted the quick-fire launches of Qashqai, Pulsar and X-Trail didn’t quite go as smoothly as he’d hoped.

The brand enjoyed fantastic sales figures in 2015, chalking up 150,000 new car sales and is on target to sell 160,000 in its fiscal year with a market share of 5.6 per cent.

However, Wright said this was in spite of some troublesome launches for key new cars in the UK – and shows that there is still more potential growth to come.

‘Our focus this year is on stabilising,’ said Wright. ‘We had some big launches last year and introduced a lot and that asked a lot of our dealers.

‘We could have probably done more with the Qashqai launch. We had some supply issues

by JAMES BAGGOTT @CarDealerEd

and didn’t forecast the mix particularly well in terms of powertrains and then we were hit with a 10-day problem in production. That doesn’t sound like a lot but it put the dealers under a lot of pressure.

‘With Juke we had some powertrain issues too and the X-Trail was such a success story we had supply issues with that too. We haven’t been perfect in terms of execution but I think the network has done a really good job. We’ve gone from 5.2 share to 5.6 even taking that into account so it shows we still have a lot of potential.’

Wright said part of the problem was down to the vehicle market as a whole growing at the

Sway to go...

Nissan showcased the Sway concept car on the Geneva Motor Show stand – but Wright was clear to point out it is categorically NOT the next Micra.

‘It’s a cool-looking car and what we’re saying is if we did a future B segment car, this is what it could look like,’ he explained.

‘There’s no connection with anything that is on the market today, but it is to show the company’s styling has taken a real leap forward, and that if we were to do something with B segment, it may look like this.

‘The reception to it has been really positive.’ same time which added pressure on his team in head office and in the network.

But now the supply issues have eased, Wright says the focus is on stabilising and building on what they’ve achieved.

He said: ‘We’re asking dealers and the team to do a lot and that’s been stressful so 2015 is about stabilising that. It’s about making money and the most of the opportunities.

‘We need to capture renewal opportunities just as much too, because we’re getting a lot of new customers coming into the network now so we need to make sure we look after those customers we already have in the brand.

‘Dealers are upbeat. We’ve had a really strong quarter, but we’re having to pedal really hard.

And if we continue to do that, we’ll continue to perform well.’

The Sway concept – will we ever see it in production?

��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

in association with

The XE – yes, it’s a game-changer...

At the double – the XE really is rather special JLR: New model has the potential to double the number of Jaguars on UK roads. And no, that’s not a misprint...

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robably the most over-used word in Geneva in March was ‘game-changer’.

Manufacturers used it all the time as they stressed how the next model they were bringing out was going to be the most important one... ever.

But for Jaguar, ‘game-changer’ hardly does justice to the XE. It has the potential, says JLR MD Jeremy Hicks, to double sales for Jaguar. Yes, you read that right. DOUBLE the sales.

He told us: ‘With the XE, we’re getting into a brand-new segment for us. The XE has the opportunity to double Jaguar volumes in the UK. That’s incredible. We saw a really strong order bank develop up to the launch of Discovery Sport.

We have seen exactly the same development on the XE. For us, that’s hugely positive.

‘Every day, and I’m not just saying this, every day I pinch myself. I’ve been in the industry

Sales grow a-Pace The F-type outsold the 911 last year, which, says Jeremy Hicks with major understatement, ‘we are quite pleased about’. And the new F-Pace? ‘Well, I went to a Jaguar retailer in Hull last week and he told me he had four F-Pace orders. I asked him what he meant, that people hadn’t even seen it, or knew the price. But they’d ordered it because they wanted to be among the first to have the F-Pace. With that, and the XF, we are really focusing on the right product, to create a really great showroom.

‘We will see growth this year, there’s no doubt, and the conditions for the market are good – no rise of inflation, interests rates will stay low, house prices will stay favourable and unemployment is low.

‘It’s a good time to be a Jaguar and a Land Rover dealer.’

by colin channon @colinchannon

a long time and I’ve been really fortunate and I’ve worked for some great brands, but what we have with Jaguar Land Rover is really special.

We’re a British company, we have grown now to directly employ 30,000 people, have a £3.7 billion investment in the product and facilities, and 200,000 are supported indirectly by us. That’s a huge burden of responsibility we carry, but what an opportunity.

‘You don’t get afforded opportunities like this. I say to our network, this is one-in-a-career-lifetime stuff that we are doing here. It’s going to be a busy time for dealers. We have a lot of work to do, and they have a lot of work to do. We went out to them about a year ago and said ‘right, this

is where we want to be by 2020, and this is what it means for you, and this is what it means for us’. For dealers it meant they have to increase the number of people, they need to increase their training, so there was a lot of infrastructure work that needed to be done. And I’ve so impressed by the way they have embraced that.. The retailer network won’t invest – and I totally agree with them – unless they have confidence in you, your plans and your direction. We have to give them that confidence, and they are genuinely enthusiastic.’

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 29

FEATURE. GENEVA motor show 2015

You’ve heard of a s-t-r-e-t-c-h limousine...

FIAT: Take the 500. Make it longer, taller, wider. Pack it with goodies. And you have ‘the best SUV in the world’

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hat do you do when you have an iconic model – a truly iconic model – and want to expand your range? And you want to do something without diluting a model that has worked so well for you? The answer’s simple – you just stretch that icon and make it b-i-g-g-e-r all over...

That, in a nutshell, is what Fiat has done with its new 500X. It has taken the 500 and stretched it every way possible to make a new SUV. Sound wacky? Perhaps – but, says Olivier Francois, the global head of the Fiat brand, it’s an idea that is paying dividends. ‘The Fiat 500 is growing well,’ he says. ‘The 500 has been pretty much an icon of intricate design, heritage, the Fiat history. Now with the 500X we have a car that takes the same basic shape and the same heritage and DNA and propels it in a larger space. It’s bigger, more powerful, more capable, and has more substance. ��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

by colin channon @colinchannon

It was a challenge because we didn’t want to lose anything of the charm of the icon, but at the same time we wanted to give people a real car with real substance. We wanted to make one of the best cars in the category, and the best SUV ever. It’s not incredibly difficult to make a good car – it’s just more expensive.

‘The 500X has gone down well with dealers.

This car is about quality, technology and substance. We’re not afraid of anything. We’re offering something that is cool, trendy and capable. We have set the bar high with this car, and that was a conscious decision. My only assignment is to make Fiat a quality brand, and to have a profitable franchise for the dealers.

‘The 500-ness will be a winner’ ISN’T Fiat rather late to the SUV party, we asked. Yes, said Olivier Francois. ‘We’re one of the last manufacturers to the SUV market, and not one of the first. But it’s a growing market. So what is our unique selling position? The USP of the Juke was that it was the first. We don’t have that. What we do have with the 500X is its 500-ness.

‘I think some of the other SUVs in the market look good, but they don’t have our emotion or our inspiration – apart, perhaps, from the Mini Countryman. The first thing you’ll be attracted to is the look and the sense of belonging to a lifestyle experience.

‘We have the best-in-class infotainment system and we have a great choice of colours – people buy a Fiat for specific reasons, and style and design are very much part of that.’

‘There is no other way out than raising the bar.

That’s the reason, the painful reason, why we are so slow to replace the Punto. We will replace it. When the time is right to launch a B car, and make money with it, we’ll be there. And we’re working on it.

‘We have some good plans for the future. I think our next cars will be based more on the functional side, and not the emotional, iconic side. It’s a bit early to go into too much detail.

‘I’m also CMO of the group, so I’m familiar with the other brands and their nature and their DNA. Fiat can’t produce Italian sedans because Alfa Romeo is already there, we have to be careful when we do SUVs not to tread on Jeep’s turf, so we have to be disciplined. The last thing we want is to spend our money to create overlaps. This is why we do not launch cars at the same frantic pace that others have done.’

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Bad start – but now watch us go SUZUKI: New models can make 2015 a glory year, which is quite some comeback after that rocky Celerio launch

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uzuki had a much-publicised rocky start to the year when their brandnew model, the Celerio, just couldn’t stop. But they’re over that now and are confident they’re on the way to an exciting 2015.

With two new concepts revealed at the show, along with a host of updated models, there’s a lot for Suzuki to get excited about.

The new Vitara is the big push for Suzuki this year, as UK sales and marketing director Dale Wyatt explained.

‘It’s the most important car we’ve launched in a long time,’ he says.

‘It gives us a car that plays to our strengths.

We’re a brand with a four-wheel-drive heritage, where we’ve got a big customer base of SUV owners and I think Vitara plays to our sweet spot in terms of owning something authentic, rugged, straightforward but with emotion.

‘Our dealers are desperate for a car that can help grow our car parc, a conquest car. I think this will be a car we can attract new conquests as well as please loyal customers.’

Two new models, the iK-2 and the iM-4 concepts, took centre stage on the stand. One will be making its way to UK showrooms, the other is a maybe, but these both show the direction Suzuki is taking its product line-up.

‘The iK-2 is a

by REBECCA CHAPLIN @BelieveBecca

design study and one is a prototype of a car that is going to come in, so in Q1 next year we’ll have the iK-2,’ explained Wyatt. ‘iK-2 is a B-segment car, a bigger B-segment.

The thinking is that in the future we’ll have two A-segment, two B-segment and two C-segment cars. One is a rational car and one is an emotional car. We’ll have Celerio A-segment car, which is very rational, and iM-4, if it’s built, will be the emotional version.

‘In the B-segment car we’ll have a new Swift, which will be very emotional and the iK-4 which is more rational. For SUV we’ll have S-Cross, which is rational and Vitara as emotional. We’re aiming to appeal to head and heart with different types of car.’

The big player for 2015 will be Swift, though, as Wyatt explains they are predicting a 50 per cent increase in sales. ‘I think our biggest-

Problem took just three weeks to sort of course, we had to ask about the Celerio.

Although it was a troubled time for Suzuki, Dale Wyatt was pleased with the way the company and dealers dealt with it.

‘The problem was a right hand drive-only issue and it was a safety mechanism acting prematurely. The brake pedal is designed to break away and fall away from your feet in the result of a front-on collision and it was acting prematurely.

‘The way I’d describe it is embarrassed, irritated but proud – within three weeks we had a solution. Only a handful of customers were affected and the good news is we’re back and rolling now. The only thing is we’ve got to relaunch the car! In a year, we think we’ll sell between 6,000 to 8,000 of them – it’s an important car for us. Suzuki has a rich heritage of selling A-segment cars, a lot of Alto and a lot of Splash, so we’ve got a big customer base to buy that sort of car.’ selling model this year will be Swift – Swift is growing,’ he said. ‘We’ve got a plan to grow our Swift volume from 10,000 to 15,000 units.

‘I still think we’ve got a car with Swift that’s got an iconic design and the car has a very high testdrive-to-sale conversion rate.

‘More than 60 per cent of people who drive a Swift go on to buy one.’

He added: ‘Then I think it will be a shoot-out between Celerio and the new Vitara.

‘I think the new Vitara will win but I think it will be close between the two.

‘The Celerio has a nice high driving position, good visibility and bang on for our target customer.’

Dale Wyatt with the iK-2 prototype CarDealerMag.co.uk | 31

FEATURE. GENEVA motor show 2015

The brill and the bizarre

We sent our snapper Jonny Fleetwood to Geneva with the brief to take a picture of anything that caught his eye – well, apart from the scantily-clad models, of course . . .

A

way from the big consumer reveals and the deluge of red-hot performance cars, Geneva 2015 played host to the usual smorgasbord of wild concepts, advanced technological showcases and dubious customisation efforts by small design studios.

From transmission-less hypercars, through hybrid concepts to insanely vulgar one-offs aimed at the wealthy Middle Eastern market, there was something for everyone, though with one or two of the more questionable creations, you really do

have to wonder who is buying these things. Still, they made for a welcome respite to all the serious performance and family cars (of which there were plenty this year), and if the Geneva motor show isn’t the place for some automotive dreaming, where is?

If your interests are planted resolutely in the real world, however, you can read all about our stars of the show on page 12.

We sent our

new staff snapper Jonny Fleetwood to scour the show halls, leaving no stand unexplored in search of the best (and arguably, the worst) carmakers had to offer. Here’s a round-up of his favourites.

EDAG Light Cocoon At first glance, it’s just an attention-grabbing design study, but EDAG’s 16th concept car showcases the brand’s innovative manufacturing techniques, which it hopes will filter down into production vehicles in the future, including an outer cover that weighs just 19 grammes per square metre. The potential is there to revolutionise.

Porsche 911 GT3 RS

Rinspeed Budii

Mercedes G500 4x42

Porsche’s latest track-focused 911 is said to blur the boundaries between ordinary road-going sports cars and hardcore trackday specials. With tweaked aerodynamics, lightweight engineering and, of course, plenty of power – 493bhp to be precise – this new machine has lapped the fearsome Nurburgring in a mere 7min 20sec.

You’d think BMW’s i3 is zany enough, but Swiss concept car bods Rinspeed have torn out the standard car’s interior to create a self-driving lounge on wheels. Branded a ‘robotic friend on wheels’ the Budii features bold lines, a multi-coloured interior and a hinge-mounted steering wheel that can be moved around the cabin.

Remember the madcap G63 AMG 6x6 – the insanely-expensive three-axle off-roader?

This is its slightly less-unhinged fourwheeled offspring. It retains the hardcore off-road gear, including the cool central tyre inflation system and bomb-proof suspension, but is altogether an easier-to-park proposition.

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in association with

Koenigsegg Regera

Kahn Flying Huntsman

With 1,422bhp, three electric motors and a claimed 0-250mph time of just 20 seconds, this is the Swedish brand’s two-fingered salute to hypercar rivals. Not only does its power and acceleration significantly eclipse rivals from Ferrari and McLaren, but it showcases innovative tech including a Direct Drive transmission. Just 80 will be made, each costing around £1.23m.

Kahn’s latest old-school off-roader boasts no fewer than six wheels. Decked out in matte black paintwork, this menacing 6x6 machine might not out-bling the likes of Mercedes’ six-wheeler, but it boasts a 6.2-litre General Motors V8, along with ‘between 400 and 450bhp’ crammed under its elongated nose. Enough, we think.

Glickenhaus SCG 003 Glickenhaus may sound more like a Swiss bank than a car, but the SCG 003 looks like the mutant offspring of a Ferrari Enzo and a Nissan GT-R. Available with twin-turbo V6 and V12 motors, finance tycoon James Glickenhaus’s creation will be available in track-only and roadgoing forms. Prices start at £1.6m for the road car, the track machine an extra £750,000.

Yes, he does affordable really well...

Mansory GT Race

Seat 20V20

Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6

Geneva wouldn’t be complete without outlandish Swiss tuning firm Mansory showing off a new and expensive way of ruining a luxury car. This is essentially Bentley’s entry-level Continental GT model with the wick turned up to more than 700bhp and a bonnet wrap that looks like non-slip corrugated flooring. Want one? No, us neither.

Seat has been hinting at an SUV model for some time now, and this latest 20V20 concept gives the biggest hint yet of what such a car will look like. It’s got lashings of TFT screens and a ‘Personal Drive Device’ that instantly sets up the car to the driver’s preferences. Expect none of this to be carried over to a production version.

Bentleys are big bruisers; leather-lined cruise ships for the road, right? Wrong – the Crewe marque has plans to compete against the likes of Aston Martin in the two-seater GT sector, and this stunning concept previews what a future production model could look like. Expect a showroom version to use the 4.0-litre V8 currently available in the Continental GT. [CD] CarDealerMag.co.uk | 33

FEATURE. OUR TESLA TRIO HIT THE ROAD

Tesla girl (and

REBECCA CHAPLIN, CHRIS LLOYD and photographer JONNY FLEETWOOD embark on a road trip with a difference.

Will Becca’s planning work out well?

Will Chris enjoy the in-car tech? And will Jonny manage to get the pictures he needs? Read on and find out . . .

I

n Norway, one car shook up the 2014 sales tables, breaking a record that had stood for almost 30 years – and the car in question is of a less conventional breed.

The previous record was set by the Ford Sierra in 1986 and nobody had come anywhere close until this start-up from Silicon Valley appeared on the scene.

This hunk of metal has up to 682bhp and zero emissions. You might be surprised after hearing those figures, but no it isn’t the Nissan Leaf. Although Norwegians are quite keen on that too.

It has been in the press for outrunning Ferraris – for a bit – on the drag-strip, making a LOT of dealers angry in America and generally ruffling feathers in the automotive industry.

Yes, it’s the Tesla Model S. And we had to get behind the wheel of one to see if it was really worth the fuss. We thought it would only be polite to drive it to the country where it’s selling so well... so we headed for the land of trolls, fjords and the midnight sun...

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PICTURES: JONATHAN FLEETWOOD

boys)

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 35

FEATURE. OUR TESLA TRIO HIT THE ROAD Day One Gosport to Gatwick (Monday 9:15am) As the sun rose over the last petrol station we’ll be using for at least five days, and almost 1,500 miles, it dawned on me that quick fill-ups like this wouldn’t be possible on our epic journey.

The Tesla Trio consisted of myself as planner and organiser – so playing to my weaknesses – with Chris Lloyd, professional chauffeur and soon-to-be electric car fan, as well as Car Dealer photographer Johnny Fleetwood to capture all our mishaps on film.

We arrived at Tesla Gatwick, the first Tesla Store any of us had ever visited. Tesla might be a well-known brand but when it comes to car buying it’s not on many shoppers’ radar, although the company is looking to change all that.

To use a cliché for every new shop opening, Tesla’s dealerships have the air of an Apple Store about them. The showroom is brightly lit from all angles, and has floor-to-ceiling windows. The layout is simple and understated, but it’s clear a lot of thought has gone into it.

There are only three cars on display, every one a Model S, a touchy-feely wall of interiors to play with and computers to use when configuring a car before purchasing.

‘The vision is to make it as easy to buy a Model S as it is to buy something from Amazon,’ Georg Ell, Tesla’s UK & Ireland director, told us. ‘So, you can go to the website, you can specify your car and you can order it. Then four to five months later it will arrive at the store here.’

But what really makes these Tesla stores different from the dealerships we all know and love is the lack of the haggle factor. The price you’ll see is the price you’ll pay.

Ell explained: ‘We don’t discount any car ever, so if you see a celebrity driving one of our cars, then they’ve paid full price for it. They’ve waited in line just like everybody else. Even with enormous deals like the taxi deal in Amsterdam, where 167 Model S cars now form the two main taxi fleets out of Schipol Airport, every car is paid for in full. There are these levers available to us that we haven’t pulled and we’re still doing incredibly well.’

Although the company was unwilling to tell us exactly how well they were doing, or how many cars they expect to sell this year, it’s fair to say that the brand’s presence has been gaining pace as more than a novelty in the UK. ‘We started delivering cars in June of last year and if you compare where we were then to where we are now, it’s amazing,’ said Ell. ‘Seven or eight months ago, we had one store in Westfield, one tiny little service centre. Today we have seven locations around the UK. Back then we had one supercharger and now we have 21. The growth has been tremendous.

‘Our 2015 plans are continued supercharger growth, continued growth of stores and service centres up and down the UK and to capitalise ��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

“

We don’t discount any car ever, so if you see a celebrity driving one of our cars, then they’ve paid full price for it.

Norway Oslo FINISH OSLO

Stromstad Landvetter Sweden

Denmark

Eggebek United Kingdom Netherlands

START GATWICK

Belgium

France

Germany

Dusseldorf

on this infrastructure investment to attract more people to see us in stores and grow the brand.’

Driving the Model S could be a life-changing experience, Ell tells us: ‘There’s a really interesting emotional impact because you just feel smug and your driving tends to calm down a little bit. I really enjoy long journeys because I can put the traffic-aware cruise control on and drive more peacefully and calmly. It’s just a really nice environment to be in.

‘A lot of our owners talk about that, how their driving has calmed down, because you know that you can out-accelerate pretty much any petrol or diesel car out there. So once you know that power is there whenever you need it, you can just chill out and relax the rest of the time.

‘The other thing is braking. In Teslas you have regenerative braking. So if you’re approaching a bend or anything like that, you just take your foot off the accelerator and don’t touch the brake and the car slows down enough. If you need to,

you can just dab the brakes a little bit but most of the time you just use them to actually stop. That is a huge difference for me. Whenever I get in a petrol car now, whenever I touch the brakes, I feel like I’m wasting all the money that I just spent accelerating. It’s a really weird dynamic.

‘One of our owners wrote on the blog that the Model S should be prescribed on the NHS because it’s calmed down his blood pressure and it’s one of the safest cars on the road.’

Gatwick to Maidstone (Monday 12:00) Our first stint from the Tesla Store to the Maidstone Supercharger should have been easy at only 45 miles, but it succeeded only in giving us anxiety about both range and how the car would handle on the snowy Scandinavian roads that lay ahead.

We were two turns away from the dealership and Chris, clearly very excited about our newly-

acquired car, put his foot down. The back end swerved all over the road. Bearing in mind we had winter tyres on (a legal requirement in Sweden this time of year) and the roads were only – in the words of Jeremy Clarkson, mildly moist – this seemed like reason for concern.

We headed out on to the M25 and as it was lunchtime on a weekday not a lot was going on, thank heavens.

We were now beginning to see how accurate the Model S’s estimated range is.

We knew we had to stop at Maidstone if we were to make it across the Channel to our next supercharger. The next one wasn’t just a train ride under the sea away, we were also looking at a journey through France and into Belgium before we’d be able to top up our batteries again.

We had been told we probably wouldn’t see any other Teslas at superchargers for a while but, lo and behold, there was one at our first stop. We couldn’t work out how the driver managed to

park it in the space so precisely – at first glance, it seemed to be too small for the Model S!

Maidstone to Ghent (Monday 13:00) Feathers slightly ruffled as we were already running behind our schedule, a difficult choice was on the table. Do we make it to our crossing on time or top up so as to be sure we have enough range to actually make it to our next stop?

It was a question none of us thought would come into play so early.

Trains may come and go but we didn’t fancy spending the night sleeping in the car and waiting to be recovered halfway to Belgium, so we topped up the battery to full and powered on to the Eurotunnel terminal.

And then there was the M20 traffic. A collision meant the police had closed one lane and we thought we were done for. As the congestion eased, we stormed anxiously CarDealerMag.co.uk | 37

FEATURE. OUR TESLA TRIO HIT THE ROAD along the remaining stretch of road, anxiously watching the miles tick down faster than the distance we were covering.

By some miracle we managed to get to the tunnel with minutes to spare before being shuffled on to the train. Once we were in the carriage with the car in ‘park’ we could finally breathe out and relax.

When we reached grey France, it was 4pm and we were supposed to be in Dusseldorf to check into our hotel in an hour – ace planning by yours truly. Regardless, the Tesla flew on anyway while all of us were very conscious of how quickly our mileage was decreasing.

France soon vanished and we were into an equally dismal Belgium. The excitement of seeing other Teslas hadn’t worn off as we approached our second supercharger in Belgium (in fact, as I write this, I know that if one were to drive past the office window I would still get excited).

There was one parked in the car park of our Holiday Inn – but not in the supercharger space, strangely.

Then minutes later, another arrives, driven by a Belgian businessman who, through his broken English and our non-existent grasp of any other languages, explained that he has to travel over 200 miles for work sometimes. He was just stopping for 15 minutes to charge his car enough to get home.

Here there was a restaurant with discounted prices for Tesla drivers. Nice touch, Elon. We skipped this, however, hoping to scoop up masses of cheap food from the local Aldi, which we did before being refused at the tills.

Apparently MasterCard wasn’t acceptable – very embarrassing! So less than 12 hours since our last petrol station we were taking comfort at another one with crisps and apples for dinner.

Ghent to Urmond This was the ‘are-we-nearly-there-yet?’ point.

Unfortunately, we were still not even in the same country as our stay for the night.

We were now in Holland. Our only solace was that our daily driving quota would get shorter as the week wore on.

Urmond was not where we wanted to be at nine o’clock and still in need of a full charge to get to our next supercharger in Kamen, Germany, in the morning. I’d use the word knackered to describe how the three of us were feeling but it wouldn’t really do it justice.

We weren’t the only ones sat around the back of this nondescript hotel under the glowing red lights of the superchargers though. The closer we got to Oslo, the more Teslas we were seeing, but still only parked up at superchargers.

After a 45-minute charge, we were back on the road and soon into Germany. I’d already spoken to our hosts twice earlier in the day and they’d told us to call them when we were near (at least, we think that’s what they said. They only spoke German and all I managed to say was ‘do you sprechen de English’ to which they replied ‘nein’). ��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

Superchargers The Model S’s luxury car format and rapid acceleration may separate it from other electric machines, but it’s Tesla’s own Supercharger network that truly makes it a realistic proposition. These powerful chargers add a half charge in around 20 minutes, with a full charge taking 75 minutes – much less than the multiple hours needed to charge other mainstream electric cars at ‘rapid chargers’.

Unusually, Tesla’s Superchargers are free to use and are quickly becoming widespread across the globe, with 396 sites and 2,167 chargers already constructed. Southern England, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway are all well served, with the network extending from central Europe to Istanbul by the end of the year and to Moscow during 2016.

As we arrived in Dusseldorf I tried their phone but there was no answer. As we pulled up outside the block we tried again, still no reply. There was a light on but when we rang the bell we were left standing in the cold.

My default setting is panic, so at this point I was back on the internet, which we were able to access through the Model S’s giant touchscreen.

I was searching for any cheap hotel within a tenmile radius.

Meanwhile, Johnny was casing the building, and to this day we don’t know how he managed what followed, but before we knew it he was waving us in, having found our host.

This is when we learnt that Europeans could improve their photography skills. What we thought was a very basic hostel was actually an apartment with room to sleep five people.

And weirdest of all, everything was padded… the floors and doors were all packed out with soundproofing. We were in a quiet area of town and apparently could have been slapped with a huge fine if we made too much noise.

Which explained why the man living downstairs was shouting at us while we moved all our kit inside. Sorry!

Day 2 Urmond to Kamen After a well-deserved sleep in Dusseldorf, our little team was keen to get back on the road in the Tesla. However, after missing dinner the previous night, our most urgent requirement was food.

It was going to be another long day. The route from Dusseldorf to Eggebek in north Germany was only 336 miles – a drive that we could have done in six hours if we had been in a conventionally-fuelled car. However, we had to include three full charges in our schedule for the day, thus making our journey considerably longer.

Kamen’s block of superchargers was once again in another nondescript industrial estate.

Fortunately, there was a McDonald’s where we

In-car tech The Model S is studded with sophisticated tech, but the 17-inch touchscreen on the dash takes the trophy as the best piece of in-car kit. The screen’s sheer size means that you can not only fit whole countries onscreen in some level of detail, but you can also display two screens at once, whether those cover sat nav, radio, internet or energy use information.

The sat nav uses Google mapping for clear onscreen images, and instructions appear alongside the speedometer, meaning that the driver doesn’t have to take their eyes too far away from the road to check directions. Supercharger locations are also clearly displayed onscreen, with just a few clicks needed to set a charger as your next destination. were able to take advantage of some free wifi and grab a much-needed coffee.

Kamen to Lauenau

“

We were in a quiet area of town and could have been slapped with a huge fine if we made too much noise.

With our electric beast fully charged again, we started to get excited about the best attraction Germany was able to offer us – unrestricted autobahns.

The Tesla has had to prove itself in many ways to be taken seriously, so you might think that they’ve gone overboard on a few things. But when it comes to speed in our P85, they’ve given it a modest upper limit of 130mph. Not slow but not knock-your-socks-off, especially if you start comparing it with the new P85D, which has a top speed of 155mph and can accelerate from 0-60mph in just 3.2 seconds.

But, as UK director Ell mentioned to us the previous day, ‘you know that you can outaccelerate pretty much any petrol or diesel car out there’ and that is extremely satisfying.

Everywhere we’d driven so far, we noticed other drivers craning their necks to see what on earth we were driving.

Now we have the added wow factor of space to really see what the car can do.

To use a favourite phrase of Chris’s, ‘boost’ is the best thing about this car. I’ve never seen such a wide grin on the face of a man overtaking a lorry. Or, for that matter, a driver looking so smug as he storms away from a BMW driver who thinks he can pass us.

This is all thanks to torque, something electric cars have bundles of and can use without any clunky gears interfering. In the Model S the power is available instantly, so you can wave goodbye to almost any car off the line.

Lauenau to Bad Fallingbostel The unrestricted sections of the autobahns don’t last long enough to keep us happy and unfortunately neither does our range.

Thankfully, if you’re not going to make CarDealerMag.co.uk | 39

FEATURE. OUR TESLA TRIO HIT THE ROAD it the Model S will tell you. The Tesla has enough nifty tech to make any gadget geek lose their mind. But this is one of the handiest features and it works within the sat-nav. However, within our road-trip team we’re still divided on this.

Johnny is not keen, mainly because the sat-nav gets its location information via the sim card in the car. I don’t have to tell you how flaky mobile phone signals can be, so when you really need to know where you’re going – particularly in rural areas – you don’t want that dropping out, but it will.

I’m not going to deny that is a major fault in the system. But when you’re road-tripping like we are, the other features are great. Firstly, that huge screen is fantastic, and being able to zoom in and zoom out of a map of the world is really handy. It makes finding roads less travelled easier, which might not be the quickest route but are definitely the most interesting, and being able to use Google Earth is ideal if, like us, you’re planning photoshoots too.

The sat-nav is incredibly useful on a day-to-day basis because it will tell you if you can make it to your destination on one charge. Even more importantly, it will tell you if you can make it there and back without needing a top-up.

We might have planned this trip to a T, but that was out of the window by now. Soon we’d learnt that as long as we knew where our next charging point was, we could just select that from a drop-down on the satellite navigation. If it said that was too far, we’d just choose one closer.

Mr Ell, you were definitely right about that relaxed driving. Although, that’s until your car starts saying you won’t make it. Drive too fast and it will throw your predicted range into the red, so bye bye fun on the autobahn. We were back to a crawl as we tried to get back on track…

Bad Fallingbostel to Busdorf Lauenau had been a bizarre supercharger stop.

Themed service stations are weird enough at the best of times, but Spanish-inspired decorations with tourist manequins taking photos of you as you walk to the toilet is too strange for me.

Not to mention what the truck drivers in Germany are into if the lads weren’t teasing me with what they saw for sale in the gents…

It was strange, but at least there was somewhere to sit, a shop, and a restaurant, as well as a flashback-to-the-’90s internet café.

Bad Fallingbostel, just outside of Hannover, offered nothing. Absolutely nothing. Even the superchargers weren’t permanently fixed to the ground and the purpose of the site was… who knows? A collection of picture-postcard houses arranged around a stack of shipping containers is what we could see. This might seem like supercharger snobbery but when you have to wait over an hour to charge it can get quite tedious.

We seemed to strike lucky with our overnight stay again. ‘Fluke’ is definitely a key word here.

Again, the photos showed some beds in the corners of rooms and lots of wood cladding. The ��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

owner had asked us to call when we were 15 minutes away. We did, and as we approached this big country house, another car followed us in, doubled back and then flashed its headlights to beckon us over.

Scary, but we chanced it. It seemed our cheapest stay of the week had actually turned out to be a whole gingerbread-style house for the three of us!

Day 3 Busdorf to Middelfart I said our days were going to get shorter, didn’t I? I think I may have lied about that.

We started bright and early, and luckily our last charge of the second day would at least carry us all the way to (try not to laugh) Middelfart in Denmark. Our first port of call was the coastal town of Flensburg, on the border of Germany and Denmark.

The plan was to snap some photos in this serene place and, as always, to try not to upset anyone. Photos were sorted, keeping the peace didn’t work so well.

We’d only been driving around for maybe 20 minutes before we seemed to pick up a stalker in a black Mercedes.

Johnny, who had developed a nervous twitch since we insisted driving was more important than taking pictures until now, was focused on the task at hand. Myself and Chris were more interested in what this Merc was up to.

This might sound like paranoia but I can promise you it wasn’t. As is the way with shooting photos of cars, it involves a lot of driving up and down the roads in a way that will make you look odd to other road users. But, regardless, wherever we turned, this Mercedes would do the same about 30-feet behind. We parked in a car park and he continued to drive up and down the road on the phone. But to whom? The police? The Danish mafia? Both seemed like logical options to me at the time.

We turned down a side road and he parked at the end. This is when our bolshie snapper chose to take action. ‘I’m going to see what he’s doing,’ said Fleetwood.

Which seemed very dramatic. Both Chris and I were expecting a stand-off, but our stalker drove away. Very disappointing.

As we were all very upset that we hadn’t managed to get to the bottom of the mystery, it was lucky that the Danish police then turned the corner behind us to find out what we were doing.

‘We’ve had a lot of calls from residents asking what you’re doing,’ said the first officer.

It turned out this area had a very high break-in rate and the locals had thought we were casing their houses. Easy mistake to make when you see three English tourists driving around in a white electric car with a camera fixed to the roof.

Middelfart to Copenhagen We retreated from Flensburg and the police, although they had seen the funny side.

Tax breaks Though electric cars are lavished with an array of tax breaks in the UK – as the government attempts to encourage an indifferent car-buying market to purchase non-combustion powered cars – Norway rolls out the red carpet to those who drive an electric machine.

Between 1996 and 2009 Norway abolished import tax and VAT on electric cars, slashed registration and company car tax rates, introduced road toll exemptions, gave electric cars free access to parking spaces, free use of ferries and permitted them to be driven in bus lanes.

In comparison discounts issued to UK electric motorists seem a little stingy, in our opinion.

Finally we were getting braver with our range and as we needed to get to the outskirts of Gothenburg in Sweden that night we didn’t want to waste extra time charging. After a top-up and a McDonald’s, we pressed on from Middelfart, skipping the other superchargers across Denmark on our way to Copenhagen.

Here there are two supercharging stations; we chose the one at a dealership so we could have a nose around. As we drove down the road to the little lightning bolt on the map we passed quite a promenade of dealerships. In fact, more dealerships than I’ve seen in one place before. As the light was fading, the fluorescent signs glowed from either side of the road. If you wanted to buy a car in Denmark, you could spend all day here and still not have seen everything.

We stopped at the Tesla dealership, which was still relatively small compared with the other dealer giants, only to realise that there were

only two already occupied stalls. Apparently this is a constant issue, explained Copenhagen store manager Mikkel Søndergaard: ‘It doesn’t tell people there are only two on the sat-nav but if they stopped back in Koge there is a 12-stall station.’

This is one of the largest superchargers in Europe, proving just how accepted Teslas are in the Danish car market.

It was lucky Søndergaard was still in, as the store had officially shut but as he told us that because he spends all day speaking to people who are interested in the concept of Tesla, he usually ends up working late.

Admittedly, it speaks volumes about Tesla employees that a busy store manager would invite us in after hours to have a coffee with him, explain all about Tesla in Denmark and even sit us down at a computer to talk us through where else we should go on our trip.

We had to ask, what’s it like to sell Teslas in Denmark? Especially with so many other shop fronts to compete with in this part of town.

‘Awesome!’ grinned Søndergaard. ‘I usually say I’m just here for the entertainment.’

Tax in Denmark is incredibly high and on cars it is 180 per cent. Yes that’s not a typo, you’ll pay almost three times the value of your car. But luckily for Tesla, that’s not on electric cars. Petrol, diesel or hybrid cars all receive that whopping sales tax, but it’s zero for pure EV. So, as Søndergaard continued: ‘An entry-level BMW 5 Series is about the same price as a Model S. If you say it’s around $100,000 for a Tesla, another car for the equivalent amount will cost $280,000.’

But it wasn’t always this way in Denmark.

Søndergaard has been with the company for several years and has seen it change drastically.

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FEATURE. OUR TESLA TRIO HIT THE ROAD ‘There are about 650 examples of Model S on the road in Denmark now. When we started we were just a small store selling Roadsters (Tesla’s first road car) and the service guys just had to fix cars outside,’ he said.

‘This is now a Service Plus Store and there’s also another bigger showroom in town and another dealership elsewhere in Denmark.’

That figure of 650 might sound like a lot for an electric car, but remember that record-breaking figure of sales in Norway I mentioned at the beginning? In March 2014, Tesla sold 1,493 examples of its premium saloon. And despite its bigger landmass, Norway actually has the lowest population of the Scandinavian trio.

Copenhagen to Löddeköpinge Once we had made it over the final of the three suspension bridges that link the Danish islands, I was really hoping we would get to see some snow.

No such luck.

We still had to power through Sweden to near Gothenburg before we could stop for the night.

It was good news, though. The further north we got, the more snow we saw! And the even better news was that the Tesla was having no issue with this.

We took in the last supercharger of the day at Löddeköpinge before heading into the mountains, where we had booked a tiny chalet in the snow. Unfortunately, our bathroom was in the downstairs of the owner’s house, across the garden from us, but we did have beer, wine and sweets to get us through the night.

Day 4 Falkenburg to Uddevalla We woke up to snowy surroundings and made the most of it by exploring on foot. Impressively, for the gawky twentysomethings that we are, no-one fell over.

However, when we returned to the Tesla we realised it wasn’t having quite so much fun in the cold. Overnight we’d lost seven miles of range with the car sat on a driveway. As we were down to a measly 49 miles of range we’d be taking it easy to the first stop of the day.

The good news was we only had 200 miles to cover, so Fleetwood could finally get his camera out and snap some incredible landscapes.

Falkenburg would be our most frequented supercharger, and fortunately it had our new favourite Scandi-fast food restaurant MAX. We had a good laugh as an ambitious Volvo V60 Plug-In hybrid driver plugged in at one of the Tesla charging spots, soon followed by a grubby Ford Fiesta, but they just parked there to enjoy the attention – we think. It seemed everyone wanted to use a bit of Tesla supercharging power, something we hadn’t seen until now.

Our slightly stressed photographer had been scanning Google Streetview for a good spot. We soon bundled him into the car and just drove in the direction of water, hoping for some scenery.

This was a lucky strike as the hills soon folded ��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

away, showing us some incredible coast.

Myself and Fleetwood went rock-climbing (if you haven’t seen the Vine, head to CarDealerMag. com) to get a better view of Chris driving.

As we ventured further inland there were more treats to behold. Frozen lakes mixed with pine trees filled the landscape – a truly Swedish view.

The roads twisted to fit around the forest and we were able to enjoy these brilliant roads. This electric car was the ideal machine for the job, serene and smooth enough to slink through the trees without upsetting the wildlife.

After getting our fill of photos, and with Fleetwood almost having lost his fingers from the cold, we returned to the Uddevalla charger for the last top-up before making a run for the border, almost. We arrived in Stromstad, where we would be staying by the lake for the night.

It was the first time we actually had free time in the evening and we weren’t really sure what to do with ourselves without a fast-food restaurant or strange car park to sit in.

Day 5 Uddevalla to Solli See, I did say our distances would be getting shorter, and on our last day we only had 137 miles to cover. Peanuts.

As previously mentioned, we STILL hadn’t seen any Teslas actually driving on the road and we were beginning to think everything we’d heard about them being so popular was a lie.

Our first port of call would be a supercharger and this would be our last one before leaving the car. All of a sudden it didn’t seem like such a drag.

This cruise produced one of my favourite statements of the week from Fleetwood: ‘I miss the camaraderie of the petrol station.’

And it’s true, charging with no other cars around is no fun and if you were driving solo we can only imagine it would be even worse!

However, at our only charge in Norway we decided to go inside for a coffee, but it was when Chris decided to venture back into the cold to fetch his iPad from the car that he saw all the superchargers were full.

Driving impressions The Model S may initially feel similar to other electric cars thanks to its silent running and instant response every time you flex your right foot, but it is truly unlike any other electric machine to drive.

Where the Renault Zoe and Nissan Leaf, for instance, have zany multi-coloured dials and assault the driver with a futuristic array of bongs and pings every time you switch it on, the Model S doesn’t advertise its, er, electricness. It just surprises you every time you go for the accelerator instead.

Flatten the throttle and the P85 car we drove launches down the road like a supercar.

With no gears to shift and no turbo lag, the Model S feels sensationally rapid, though utterly refined and easy to drive.

Once you’ve linked your mobile phone to your car, you can watch from a safe, warm distance as it charges. We’d noticed this was going really slowly though; apparently charging wasn’t so super in Norway. Superchargers work in pairs and as all the chargers were in action, the car with the least charge gets priorty. We were almost topped up though, so our wait wasn’t much longer and it meant we could chat to other members of our exclusive club.

One Tesla driver told us that his son was planning to drive his car from Norway to the UK, while another – a security guard – talked us through his reasoning for buying the car, namely how affordable it is thanks to Norwegian tax breaks. He hinted that he was hoping to swap it for the supercar-rivalling P85D that Tesla will soon be launching. It wasn’t long before we started to see more cars matching our own driving the other way down the motorway. And yes, we got quite excited.

Solli to Oslo There was even more excitement when we finally arrived in Oslo. We couldn’t believe just how well the Model S had coped with everything we had thrown at it. It survived cities, countryside, autobahns and forests, as well as keeping us amused with its many tricks inside.

There are two dealerships in Oslo and we wanted to see what each had to offer. Although our final stop would be at the showroom in Skoyen, we first headed over to Alnabru. This was a bit of a shocker, as when we arrived there were no cars actually in the showroom.

We chatted to the store manager who explained that they were awaiting more stock and the one car they had for test drives was currently out. One very happy couple perched on the side of this empty showroom were waiting to collect their new car.

We decided to cruise over to our final destination to see how it compared and excitedly

parked up outside the Oslo Skoyen Tesla Store service entrance. Despite blending in quite well now we were in Norway, we still managed to cause a bit of a commotion as we tried to take our celebratory ‘we made it’ photo with the car.

Soon Panagiotis Gialellis, a member of the Tesla Oslo service team, appeared through the back door for a cigarette and a nosey at what we were up to.

‘You know your steering wheel is on the wrong way round!’ he joked.

We soon got to talking about the building, which it turns out used to be a train builders.

Now the Tesla dealership is the only vehiclerepair unit remaining, with the rest of the blocks turned into trendy shops – so a Tesla store certainly fits in.

Gialellis was from Greece, where he’d run his own garage specialising in Alfa Romeos and Lancias, but explained that working on electric cars wasn’t a difficult change CarDealerMag.co.uk | 43

FEATURE. OUR TESLA TRIO HIT THE ROAD INSIDE

Model S offers plenty of room for five passengers and optional child seats in the boot

“

This is a brand staffed by people who will do anything to help to make: ‘I used to work with electronics on other cars, you need some training but it’s not too difficult to understand.’

Once we’d explained why we were there, he invited us through to meet everyone in the team.

Everyone came over to shake our hand.

It was only once we were inside that we were able to grasp how big this labyrinth of a Tesla dealership truly was. There were three entrances, a service entrance with a funky, low-lit waiting room, and the main showroom that matched the style we’d seen at each dealership across Europe.

There was a futuristic feel to the dealership as everyone was walking and talking through headsets. Gialellis handed us over to the service managers who chatted to us briefly before one pointed at his ear and said, ‘Sorry, I have to go, I’m actually in a meeting at the moment.’

The other led us through to the showroom, telling us that he’d only started two weeks ago after a long career with proud Scandi-brand Volvo.

He told us that it was a big jump to make but he was excited to be working with Tesla at such an important time.

There was one thing we wanted to do before we left Oslo, and that was to try to acquire another car. Not just for fun, but to shoot some photos of our Tesla on the move.

Patrik Johnsen, sales adviser at the store, took us under his wing and talked us through the showroom and helped us borrow a car from somewhere. He went off to see what he could do, leaving us with a huge box of chocolates and lots of coffee. This is a brand staffed by people who will do anything to help, to make you feel comfortable and happy. ��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

Johnsen sorted us out with one of his test-drive cars, the Model S 85, a lower power version of the one we’d been driving all week.

And Chris and I cruising around Oslo in contrasting-coloured cars was the perfect way to finish this trip.

With all the photos we needed, we returned to the dealership to wave our goodbyes to the car and say thank you to all the staff there. There is an overwhelming sense that everyone who works for Tesla truly believes in what the brand stands for. Johnson and Gialellis both talked to us about Elon Musk and what an inspirational man he is.

They recounted how impressed they were with everything he had achieved.

And all the staff were all keenly waiting in line to get their hands on a Model S. Tesla Oslo Skoyen was the perfect location to end our European roadtrip. It was the largest and most magnificent Tesla dealership we’d seen on the whole run and completely summed up how important Tesla has become in Norway.

What was now an absolutely filthy white car stood out beside this huge red-brick building. We were genuinely saddened to walk away from the incredible electric car which had taken us so far.

Sadly, we wouldn’t be finishing our trip in the car. We unloaded what we realised was a huge amount of stuff from the car’s impressively large boot space – and we didn’t even use the second boot under the bonnet. Our return journey started on foot as we dragged our belongings to the railway station, before jumping on a train and ending on a plane. After being so eco-friendly on the way there, I’m sure we managed to balance that out as we travelled back to England… [CD]

ON TEST

Tesla

UNDER THE BONNET

Models produce from 375bhp to 682bhp and can travel between 240 and 310 miles per charge

LOOKS

Model S’s sleek silhouette closely resembles Jaguar XF, but looks more distinctive in the flesh

Model S

the knowledge

It’s swift, sleek, has a cutting-edge interior and emits no CO2 – this is truly a new genre of luxury machine, says Chris Lloyd What is it?

The Model S is a sleek, Audi A7-rivalling large car, which has created its own new genre as a rapid, upmarket fully-electric luxury machine. It offers a spacious fiveseater cabin with large boots under the hatchback and bonnet. It can also travel further between charges than all other mass-market electric cars, with up to 310 miles possible.

Thanks to Tesla’s Supercharger network, the Model S charges faster than rivals too, with a full charge typically taking 75 minutes and a half-charge around 20 minutes.

What’s UNDER tHE BONNET? A second boot. The batteries reside underneath the cabin while the motor sits between the rear wheels.

Model S 60 and 85 versions boast a strong 375bhp, while the rangetopping four-wheel-drive P85D churns out a supercar-beating 691bhp. The 60 sprints to 60mph in a fast 5.9 seconds, while the 85 takes

just 5.4 seconds and the P85D an even zoomier 3.2 seconds.

WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE? The Model S is a high-tech machine with a cutting-edge interior. All cars come with a jaw-dropping 17-inch touchscreen media system, which controls nearly all the car’s core functions. Allied to this is a slick sat nav system – which displays Supercharger locations across the continent – as well as 3G internet access and a hi-res reversing camera.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE? The first impression is just how rapid it is. With instant power from the electric motor and no gear changes to blunt the pace, this is one quick car. It’s still extremely easy to drive, though. Thanks to its automaticstyle gear selector, those behind the wheel can select ‘Drive’, ‘Reverse’ or ‘Park’ which automatically applies the handbrake. Simpler still, you can often drive the car using one

pedal, because as soon as you lift off the throttle the car slows quickly, as ‘regenerative braking’ adds charge back to the battery.

WHAT DO THE PRESS THINK? Autocar said: “The Tesla Model S certainly delivers a highly credible steer, a large, hushed premium cabin and massive load space with a nicely futuristic touch. It is, without doubt, the best of its breed.”

WHAT DO WE THINK? No other electric car can match the Model S for range, charging time or acceleration, while it compares favourably with petrol and diesel rivals – both in the value stakes and as a luxury driver’s car. Those who are used to petrol and diesel models may find the need to charge up a little frustrating, but with Tesla’s Supercharger network rapidly expanding – and being free to use as well – many buyers would quickly get used to this.

Model: Tesla Model S 85 Price: £58,680 Engine: 85kWh electric motor Power: 375bhp Max speed: 140mph 0-60mph: 5.4s Official range: 310 miles Emissions: 0g/km Residual values (three years): tbc

target buyers: Well-heeled drivers who want a fast and spacious luxury machine with sound eco credentials.

the rivals: Pure-electric BMW i3, hybrid BMW i8, Audi A7, Mercedes CLS.

Key Selling Points: 1. Strong real-world range 2. Huge performance reserves 3. Cutting-edge interior

Deal Clincher: No other mainstream electric car can travel so far, so fast and charge so quickly.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 45

��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

DASHBOARD.

Renault really rises in dealers’ estimation Survey results highlight positive transformation

T

he increased satisfaction, growing confidence and greater profitability of the Renault UK dealer network has been reflected in the manufacturer’s dramatically improved performance in the latest Dealer Attitude Survey just released by the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA).

Renault is one of the biggest climbers in the survey – an industrywide snapshot of the opinions and attitudes of the nation’s car dealers – scoring above-average marks in many of the most important categories to earn a place among the best-performing brands.

The results highlight the positive transformation that has taken place since the brand’s 2014 survey results. And it is another clear

by dave brown @CarDealerDave indication that the strategy for growth set out in Renault Group’s GO5+ plan for its mid-term future – specifically, its focus on volume, profit, quality and brand image – is continuing to bear fruit.

Crucially, 79 per cent of Renault’s 151 dealers nationwide responded to the survey – the third-highest rate of any manufacturer (average 38 per cent) – underlining the improvements made in the area of dealer engagement.

What’s more, the brand showed improvements across the board, with increased scores in 85 per cent of survey categories.

In the all-important ‘How would

you rate your manufacturer?’ category, Renault posted the secondbiggest improvement of all, with a score of 7 out of 10 – up from 5.5/10 in summer 2014 and beating the average score of 6.5/10. This places Renault ahead of brands such as VW, Vauxhall, Ford, Toyota, Honda, Citroen, Peugeot, Seat and Skoda.

Asked how satisfied they were with current profit returns, Renault dealers scored the brand 6.6/10 (average 6/10), a major improvement on the 4.8/10 it scored in summer 2014. Meanwhile, the number of dealers who would recommend the franchise to potential investors also increased significantly, with

dealers scoring the brand at 7.5/10 in this area (average 7/10), up from 7.1/10 in summer 2014 and 5.7/10 a year ago. This places Renault ahead of manufacturers such as Ford, Vauxhall, Toyota, Citroen, Honda, Peugeot, Seat and Skoda.

And the company’s biggest improvement – a leap of 2.2 points – came when dealers were asked to rate future profit returns. They scored Renault at 7.4/10 (average 6.3/10), up from 5.2/10 in summer 2014, underlining the optimism that surrounds the brand’s future and demonstrating dealer partners believe improvements in profitability can be sustained.

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CarDealerMag.co.uk | 47

FEATURE.

Honda’s rebirth From the outside looking in, Honda dealers have had a raw time of late. No new models to push, while their rivals were showcasing new car after new car. But all that is about to change – the battle cry is Honda is back, as COLIN CHANNON finds out

I

t’s been a period of success for the automotive industry. Great numbers of vehicles sold, PCP deals seeing cars shooting out of dealerships… everything in the land of the car is blooming.

Unless, that is, you’re Honda.

From the outsider looking in, Honda has missed the boat. It’s selling fewer cars than in previous years, it’s so late to the PCP party it’s in danger of turning up when all the best drinks have already been supped, and while other manufacturers have been launching new models galore, Honda has been asleep… well, more in a coma than sleeping, to be honest.

So what happened? How can Honda, still one of the most-recognisable brands in the world, have missed the boat so badly?

Leon Brannan, Honda’s head of cars, was frank. It has been down to having no new cars to shout about and not having a PCP offering. And that, he says, is about to change. This year, he says, will be the rebirth of a once-great car brand.

A new beginning. It’s the second year of his three-year programme, and he says everything is geared for lift-off.

So who is Brannan? And how can he change things so dramatically? ‘I’m now in charge of the car side of things,’ he said. ‘Before that I was a sales director. I took over the car business just over a year go and we laid out a three-year road map. It’s for three years deliberately because it’s in three stages.’

So, has Honda been going backwards, we asked? ‘Yes, we were. But everything harks back

��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

to our three-year plan,’ he said. ‘The first year was a preparation and foundation year, getting ready for this year. This year, starting at Geneva, we’re launching an entirely new line-up. Every single car in the range is either very heavily refreshed or brand new. We haven’t been in this position for quite a while.

‘We knew last year was going to be one of the trickiest years because it was the dark before the dawn. For our network we laid out that 2014 would not be a growth year, that we would stand still – and that means stand still in volume and profit. And we broadly did that.

‘We knew it wouldn’t be a growth year because of our line-up – we have come from a position five years ago, before the crash, when we sold more than 100,000 vehicles. We had a line-up of 11 or 12 cars, with half of them produced in Swindon. And then the crash happened. The foreign exchange rate went completely the wrong way – the yen went from 240 to 120, so an Accord, for example, doubled in cost for us within six months. We went from a profitable business model to an unprofitable business model.

‘We went into protect mode. That meant we

“

We talked ourselves into the fact Honda customers don’t buy cars on PCP. It was complete fantasy.

Leon Brannan cut some of the R&D – it’s still massive, £3.5bn, but we cut back – and we delayed some model launches. We pulled out of Formula 1 as we tried to protect the business.

‘That was on the global scale. In the UK, protect mode meant protect the factory. We have over £3bn investment in the Swindon factory, which we are very committed to. It was critical that the factory stayed in place. For commercial reasons we stopped importing a lot of vehicles from Japan, and really consolidated our range to a locally-produced product. That took us down to a three-car line-up last year – Jazz, Civic and CR-V. Each performed really well in its sector – the Jazz was five years old, and that’s a long tail for a car.

Yet it was third in the retail market – that’s a very successful vehicle.

The new beginning: PCP While other manufacturers were cashing in on PCP, Honda was left behind. The company suits had decided Honda owners just didn’t do PCP. Never mind it was revolutionising the way people owned a car, it wasn’t for Honda.

That had to change. And Leon Brannan has changed it. He admits: ‘We have been very weak with PCP. The market is, what, 80 per cent PCP? When I took over the role just about a year ago, we were selling just about 20 per cent of our retail sales on PCP, and historically we had been a lot lower than that.

‘People can afford a better car when they have PCP. My Sky TV bill each month is as much as you pay for one of our cars, it’s crazy. But we as a brand didn’t embrace PCP. ‘We – and that’s a we, because I talk about the network and us together because we work very closely with the dealer council – jointly talked ourselves into the fact Honda customers don’t buy cars like that. It was complete fantasy. Complete fantasy.’

So PCP deals were made mandatory in dealerships. And it worked.

‘We went from the beginning of the year with 22 or 23 per cent to, by Christmas, selling 89 per cent of our retail cars on PCP. It was a tricky journey, because we were transforming the whole way the network was selling cars. To do it in a short space of time wasn’t easy, but we had to.

‘Our average ownership cycle was about four years, eight months. Then we introduced PCP. In time went to three and a half years, then three. Over time, as we migrate all our customers to PCP, they’ll change their cars six months before a three-year PCP ends, so two years six months. That’s a massive acceleration.

‘Some dealers thought we were being heavy-handed with our methods. In the first half of the year it went to about 40 per cent, so we had stepped our game up. But it was still 40 per cent, when the rest of the market was at 80. In July, at our conference, we said we were going for 80 per cent, and that we were going to do it by the end of the year. I think some dealers thought ‘err, yes, whatever, good luck with that’. But we took away hire purchase and cash purchase. It was a brutal step change, but it worked.’

‘So our line-up went from over ten to just three. There was the financial crisis with the yen, we had the tsunami, then Thai floods – all within seven months of one another, which devastated our production facilities, and we just couldn’t get supply. We’re tracking now at 53,000 to 54,000, which is half what we used to do. We knew the line-up last year wasn’t what it needed to be. We knew we were waiting for this year and the new line-up. We are a sleeping giant.

We are passionate about engineering and quality. And this year we need to remind everyone just what we’re about.’

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 49

FEATURE.

A new beginning dealers have remained loyal While Honda has been putting the strategies in place, what about the dealers? Have they been struggling while the dealer down the road, with another manufacturer’s board hanging outside the showroom, has been rubbing his hands with glee as he sees new model after new model driving away? Did many Honda dealers lose patience and abandon ship?

Leon Brannan says: ‘We parted company last year with just one group, who we were mutually happy to part company with. Our cultures didn’t match.

‘Our network is fundamentally the same.

They are frustrated, undoubtedly. They’re used to having a good line-up of cars, and they have capacity to do more. They’re sat there with potential, but without the tools necessary to penetrate the market. That’s frustrating for them, and it’s frustrating for us too.

‘I think they get the reasons why, though.

And I think we have been lucky we have a quality network and a loyal network, and that has been the lynchpin of the whole thing.

Without that, we’d be dead.

‘The dealers know the reasons why we have done what we’ve done, they’re deeply loyal and committed to the brand, but they need to see change.

‘They are frustrated, but that’s a frustration borne of passion, because they want to see a return on their investment. I absolutely get it.

‘Our mission is to double the profitability of the network. We need dealers to be able to reinvest in premises, in quality staff and training, and they can’t do that without profits.’

To coincide with the new models on their way, every one of Honda’s 163 dealerships is refreshing the showroom. ‘The capital investment is not as onerous as some other franchises. The cost of entry to this business can be very high, and we try to strike a balance between great-looking premises and a great retail environment, without going crazy. How much depends on the individual dealership, but we’re looking at £32,000, perhaps £35,000.’ ��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

NEW JAZZ LAUNCH SUMMER

A

NEW HR-V LAUNCH SUMMER

fter a period of stagnation, this year sees an abundance of new Honda models hitting the showroom. Head of cars Leon Brannan says: ‘We have three launches this year – spring, summer and Christmas. In Geneva, we were launching the Civic and the CR-V, and they’ll be in the dealerships in March. Both these cars will benefit from extraordinary engine technology.

‘We have a 1.6-litre diesel engine that sits in both these cars, in two powers – 120 and 160. The 120 has been in the Civic for the past 12 months, and we have had reports of more than 100mpg.

‘The official figure is 78 and we routinely hit 80.

It has the highest real-world mpg of any car in the UK. Customers are telling us they are achieving those figures day in, day out.

‘The CR-V, a big, four-wheel-drive family car, and will do 57 or 58mpg. It also comes with a nine-speed auto box – normally if you want a nine-speed auto box, you have to buy a Ferrari, Porsche or a Land Rover Evoque. Or a Honda CR-V. In both cars, we are delighted with the design and the engine technology.

‘We are ramping up safety. All these cars come with city brake – no longer will you back into someone if you’re not paying attention. The CR-V

comes with intelligent automatic cruise control.

Lots of cars have radar technology, cameras and radars looking about, and this car has all of that, rear, sideways, the lot. But it also has adaptive cruise control, so not only is it looking out for you and keeping a safe distance, but if someone cuts in front of you, it has already predicted that and instead of slowing down very quickly, as some other cars do, it is already slowing down slowly because it has anticipated that. It’s extraordinary to drive.

‘What’s unique about Honda is that we have four grades of car, and there are no optional extras. It’s all on the car you buy. If you buy an EX CR-V, it’s all standard. City brake is on all cars. The seven-inch display screen is standard on all cars.

Honda have always been brilliantly-specced cars, which is why price comparisons can sometimes be misleading. Yes, you can buy a BMW for not a lot more, but you have to add to it and add to it.

‘We are launching the Civic with all that technology for £1,500 less than the old one, because we want to grow the Civic share in the market.

‘We are very excited because early summer, around July, the Type R comes back. This is a new one – it’s a turbo, and we’ve never put turbos in petrol in this country before. It’s a two-litre

CR-V MMC LAUNCH APRIL & JULY

NEW TYPE R LAUNCH JULY

CIVIC MMC LAUNCH MARCH

NEW NSX LAUNCH POST-DECEMBER

The PCP mechanics high-output turbo, over 300 brake, and it will be the fastest front-wheel car to go around the Nurburgring when we launch it. It’s an animal.

‘We took some dealers to Japan to see it – people who have been in the industry a long time and are hard boiled – and we took them around the test track, and they loved it.

‘There’s a core fan base of Type R who have already put in advance orders for the car, but we are going for anyone in that market, Focus ST, Golf GTI, Leon – we have something unique to offer. It will offer stunning performance and it’s an incredible-looking car.

‘In the summer, we have the HR-V. We showed this to the network in Paris and they were bowled over by it. And if they are bowled over, that’s a really good indicator – they will look you in your eye and tell you straight what they think of a car, whether it’s good, bad or indifferent, and they adored this one. It will benefit from a 1.6 engine, and considering that in broadly weight terms it’s the same size as a Civic, we can expect mid-70s in terms of mpg.

‘After that comes the new Jazz. It’s currently third in the UK retail market, yet it’s five years old. That’s extraordinary. The new one is leaner, meaner, prettier, sportier, a more efficient engine and a more modern design. It’s our number-oneselling car, our volume pillar, and we’re going to make it better.

‘The risk with both these cars will be getting enough supply. That’ll be the challenge. The Civic will be coming from Mexico, and the Jazz from Japan, when previously it was built in the UK.’ And the last new car this year is the eagerlyawaited NSX. It has been a concept for two years, and the production car was in Detroit, and it’s just stunning,’ says Brannan.

‘We opened the order book a year ago, and we’ve now closed it. Three and a half litre, twin turbo, three motor hybrid, two in the front and one in the rear, over 550bhp, four-wheel drive – stunning, stunning car.

‘The Type R is the accessible performance car.

The NSX is more of a brand statement and showcasing what Honda is about.’

“

Last year was going to be one of the trickiest years because it was the dark before the dawn

Leon Brannan is excited about the future sales that having a robust PCP policy can bring. And he says dealerships can really cash in. ‘We have now put tools in,’ he says.

‘All our dealers use a tool called Chrysalis, a very simple but clever bit of kit. Every car goes into the system, along with the payments and the value of the car. Every single day, the car gets valued and the finance balance gets checked. They are checked and checked and checked.

‘At the point they meet, that’s when we start thinking it’s time to start talking about a new car. At the point they go past each other, called parity, when the equity in vehicle is enough for us to ring the customer and say they can bring the car back to the showroom and have a new one, for the same monthly payment, and without paying a deposit. The conversion rate of that is incredible.

‘The software is in and we’re now training everyone up. This quarter our network has something like 11,500 customers who are in that position, who we contact and tell them they can bring their car back to us, and drive away in a new one.’ [CD] CarDealerMag.co.uk | 51

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DASHBOARD.

We want another 30 UK dealerships, says resurgent MG

Boom in sales last year saw manufacturer grow by 361 per cent

M

G wants another 30 new dealers – and has listed the ‘hot spots’ it wants to fill.

The brand is one of the fastest-growing marques in Britain, with a boom in sales last year that saw MG grow by 361 per cent.

But now MG says the demand for its cars across the country is outstripping the number of dealers in the network, so the firm’s franchise development team have created a list of key cities and towns where MG dealers are urgently needed.

MG’s head of sales Sam Burton said: ‘We urgently need good-quality dealers to represent MG in a number of key open points where we know demand for our cars is amazingly high, and growing on a daily basis.

‘We’ve established a dealer task force and their job is to find the right people to become MG dealers in these key towns and cities.

‘It’s a high priority job for us now and will offer a great opportunity for the dealers we appoint.’

MG currently has a network of 57 full sales dealerships plus 10 after-sales outlets.

The target by the end of the year is to have more than 80 full dealerships.

Matthew Cheyne, head of marketing at MG, added: ‘The MG3 created a huge boost in interest in MG. Soon we will launch the New MG6, which is a leap forward from the outgoing car, and next year we will see an MG SUV added to the range.

That’s going to create even more customer demand and we just have to have more dealers to meet this.’

The top 30 MG ‘hot spots’ include Sutton Coldfield, Edinburgh, Southampton, North-East London, Derby and Swansea.

Motorpoint, a great place to work – official MOTORPOINT has been named one of the top 100 best mid-sized companies to work for in 2015.

The UK’s leading car supermarket was awarded the prestigious honour for the first time by The Sunday Times at a special awards evening at Battersea Evolution in central London. Motorpoint was ranked 92nd overall in the list of top 100 best midsized companies to work for.

The ‘best companies to work for’ concept was devised by Best Companies more than

10 years ago to recognise excellence in employee engagement.

Every year, hundreds of companies from a wide range of industries work with Best Companies to measure the level of engagement among employees via a survey. The responses are collated and combined and only those businesses with the highest level of overall employee engagement qualify for the top 100.

Mark Carpenter, MD of Motorpoint, said: ‘We are absolutely thrilled.’

Can HPI help you? answering your questions

Have I lost my money after buying a write-off?

A

couple of weeks ago I was offered a Clio172. It was cheap and I knew the seller from a local business, so as I wasn’t in the office I did the deal that evening. I HPI’d the car the next day and discovered that it was a Category B write-off.

I’ve spoken to the seller, who claims no knowledge and won’t undo the deal, so I’m stuck with the car.

I thought that it was illegal to put Category B cars back on the road. What can I do? Do I have any redress against the seller?

Sadly, there is no redress against the seller. Although you bought the car in good faith, the seller has not done anything wrong in the eyes of the law. The area of write-off categorisation is complicated, but it is not illegal for any categorisation of written-off vehicle to be put back on the road.

The ABI code of practice states neither Category A or B cars should be put back on the road. Category A cars should be crushed and Category B write-offs should only be broken for parts. Category C and D cars can be placed back on the road. The insurance industry works hard to ensure that when written-off vehicles are sold they are not put back on the road, but it does happen. All cars except Category D must have a VIC check completed before they can be issued with a new V5, and this will be noted on the V5. However, contrary to popular belief, the VIC test is not a roadworthiness test, it is simply an ID check.

You are limited in what you can do with the vehicle.

Most auctions will not allow Category B cars through their halls and if you do decide to retail this vehicle, you must make sure you are very clear on its history.

Unfortunately, as you don’t know the history of the damage and its subsequent repair, there really isn’t much you can do, other than consider it a valuable (and expensive) lesson to check vehicles before you buy them, strip the car for parts and then crush the shell. You have said it didn’t cost you much, so hopefully this should minimise your loss.

‘Contrary to popular belief, the VIC test is not a roadworthiness test, it is simply an ID check.’

Who are HPI?

HPI are the experts in provenance and vehicle data.

Every month they will be helping answer questions from you relating to finance, write-offs or car scams.

If you have a problem and need some help email us at HPI@blackballmedia.co.uk and we’ll do the rest CarDealerMag.co.uk | 53

FEATURE.

Dealers: Stretch

With a fair few inquiries from people looking to join the franchise, a 24 per cent rise in sales last year and a new seven-seat SUV on the way, things are definitely looking good for Volvo. Nick Connor, its UK managing director, talked to Dave Brown about what has driven that growth, its hopes and targets – as well as the challenges that lie ahead.

N

o-one killed or seriously injured in a Volvo by 2020. Autonomous driving – if our lawmakers can get their act together. And a sale made to every single person who walks into a dealership.

Just three of the targets the Swedish car-maker has set itself. And when you talk to Nick Connor, Volvo’s UK managing director, you start to believe all of them can be achieved.

Volvo – that byword for safety and Scandinavian solidity – is standing on the threshold of a new era.

Arriving in dealerships a little later this year is the company’s new seven-seat SUV, XC90 – a car that has been launched to acclaim from the world’s motoring journalists and a vehicle that’s hugely significant for the company. As many readers will be aware, it’s the first car to emerge since Ford sold Volvo to Geely Holding Group four years ago and it has a lot riding on it.

It’s been a long time coming too and, not surprisingly, was a major topic of conversation

��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

Nick Connor when Car Dealer caught up with Connor recently.

Our chat took place just after the media launch in Barcelona. And Connor was clearly enjoying the positive reaction to the car from the UK’s leading motoring writers.

‘I was genuinely delighted to see the initial reports that came out,’ he told us. ‘There was

some very positive feedback. We spent a lot of time on this car, so we had to get it right.

‘Work on the car only really started in earnest after Geely bought us in 2010. Ford had basically canned the previous XC90 replacement project, so an awful lot of work has been done in four years.

It was much needed, I have to say, so it’s great to see that the car has been well received. It bodes really well for the future.’

XC90 is built on Volvo’s new SPA platform (scalable product architecture), which will be used extensively over the coming decade.

Connor confirmed: ‘XC90 is our most iconic product. It used to be V70, our large estate car, but over the past decade, the XC90 has moved to become the car that most people associate with Volvo. I don’t think we had any other option than to get it absolutely right. I think everyone recognises its importance to us as a brand – particularly as it’s come out of our development work. We did it all ourselves… the car has our own engines, our own platform and safety technology.

‘It’s a massive leap forward from the days of

your reach!

sharing platforms with the Ford Group.’

Volvo is being quite bullish about taking the fight to its German rivals with XC90.

Connor told us: ‘We’re at pains to say that this is a true premium competitor. Again, I think the feedback reflects the fact that the quality of the car is right up there with the best of our German and British competition.

‘We’ve done it our own way. One of the journalists wrote: “This is a car that clearly hasn’t been tested at the Nurburgring and is all the better for it.”

‘We don’t want to set sub-eight-minute laps at the Nurburgring. That’s not what XC90 is about.

It’s an uncompromised car in that sense. It offers very refined and flexible family transport. The approach we have taken means it does that job very well indeed.’

There are lots of nice little design touches in XC90 and the design is distinctively Scandinavian. ‘It’s ironic that the design was headed up by a Brit,’ smiles Connor, ‘but we have a car that has absolutely got what Scandinavian

design is all about: simplicity, functionality and understated luxury.’

When it comes to a bit of target-setting, Connor tells us he hopes Volvo will shift about 5,000 all-new XC90s a year, a figure he describes as ‘a conservative estimate’.

He added (and please bear in mind that we chatted at the end of February, so things might have moved on a bit): ‘We’ve got just under 1,000 sold customer orders in. We’ve got 13,000 what we call hand-raisers, in other words, people who have contacted us and said, “We’re really interested in XC90, keep us informed of it.” And I think now we’ve got the first press reviews, a lot of those 13,000 hand-raisers will convert into deposit-placers fairly quickly.’

All good news for Volvo’s network of 109 or so dealers, of course.

Connor acknowledged that his sales teams had been waiting a long time for the arrival of new XC90. ‘They’ve demonstrated a lot of patience, which is very much to their credit,’ he told us.

‘They’re very excited by it. None of them have

driven it yet but they have seen it in the flesh a couple of times.

‘They know how important it is for us as a brand and they know how important it is for the dealer network. They can’t wait and I think they are very impatient to get the car and start selling it to customers.’

With XC90 grabbing all the glory through 2015, will the other cars in Volvo’s range struggle to gain any attention?

‘The good news is that we change all of our cars in the next four and a half years, so in four and a half years’ time, XC90 will be our oldest car.

‘We’re in a rapid period of change in our model line-up. That does mean you have some cars that look a little dated compared with the latest offering but frankly that’s something we all have to deal with as manufacturers.’

So what’s next after XC90?

‘After XC90, we basically work our way through the large car range. After XC90, the next car to be replaced will be S80. That will be next year. From a dealer perspective, CarDealerMag.co.uk | 55

FEATURE.

Volvo’s line-up

V70

S80

XC60

however, everyone’s completely focused on XC90.’

That’s entirely understandable of course, and what’s also understandable is the fact that Volvo is fielding quite a few inquiries from people keen to take on the franchise.

It is a brand, after all, that notched up a 24 per cent increase in registrations last year (41,000 sales for 2014 as against 33,000 for 2013) with, as Connor points out, no new product.

‘The growth came from our existing product line-up with some new powertrains, particularly the new Drive-E engines, which are proving incredibly popular with both corporate and retail customers.’ As with anyone we chat to these days, Connor is well aware of the statistics that tell us that the average car buyer only visits around 1.3 dealers in the buying process these days.

‘Customers who visit our dealers have a very good idea of what they want, what they want to pay, the spec they’re after.

‘It’s ever so important that dealers are now able to convert everyone who walks through the door.

‘The old days of converting one in four or one ��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

“

We’ve got a very big pool of people who actually don’t buy Volvo today but could very well buy Volvo over the course of the next five years in five are long gone and need to be long gone, because people don’t wander in on the off chance very often these days.

‘In some ways it’s challenging for dealers, because the people walking in are incredibly well

informed and have a very clear idea of what they want. But in other ways it’s easier because at the very least you’ve got people who are very warm to the prospect of buying one of your cars. But if that person walks out of the door, you’ve lost what should have been a guaranteed sale.’

Connor seems to realise that Volvo has some work to do in terms of raising its profile and getting on to people’s shopping lists.

‘The challenge for us and for our dealers is to get people to look at us in the first place, to get them to research us online, before they get captured by someone else.

‘I think there’s a need for us as a manufacturer to be pretty much constantly visible to the public, both online and in conventional media.

‘We’ve got some serious marketing spend in place this year to not only support the XC90 launch but also to continue promoting our existing products.

‘From a dealer perspective, they’ve really got to reach out to get the customers in.

‘They’ve got to spend more time on social

S60

XC70

V40 CROSS COUNTRY

XC90

V60

HEADING TOWARDS AUTONOMY media. They’ve got to keep doing the traditional stuff too though, taking cars to country shows and shopping centres.

‘We set up some pop-up shops last year and the exercise was very effective at getting the brand in front of customers who never otherwise would have considered us.’

Connor acknowledges that Volvo will never be a volume player – and the company doesn’t have ambitions to be one in any case.

He said: ‘We’re a small brand globally. We’re a two per cent player, or less in the UK, so 98 per cent of people don’t consider us very much.

‘So if we can reach out to even a small proportion of that 98 per cent who don’t buy Volvos, we can make a very dramatic difference to our performance.

‘That’s what we keep saying to dealers. You’ve got to stretch your reach beyond the traditional showroom to connect with customers, whether it be at a garden centre, supermarket, shopping mall or wherever, just to get people to stop and say, ‘‘Well, maybe I should have a look at a Volvo

online.’’ We know that when people look at us and see the product, they are very warm to what we do. We’re not a volume player, but we don’t want to be a volume player. Our ambition is to get to 800,000 cars a year globally.

‘We want to grow to 60,000 cars in the UK over the next five years.

‘But even at 60,000 cars we would still be very much a minority player.

‘We’re fortunate in a way that we’re not having to do some of the things that the massmarket guys are doing and that we’ve got a very big pool of people who actually don’t buy Volvo today but could very well buy Volvo over the course of the next five years.’

Connor concluded by saying: ‘The overriding message from me is that we think that we’re in a very good place. We had a good year last year and we’re looking for further growth this year to 45,000 cars a year, which will be just under 10 per cent year-on-year growth over a very good previous year. It’s a very good time to be part of the Volvo franchise.’

A couple of issues we touched on briefly with Volvo boss Nick Connor were autonomous driving and the fact that the company is hoping that by 2020 no-one will be killed or seriously injured in an accident involving a Volvo.

On the safety side, he told us: ‘Yes, that is the stated aim. It’s a compelling proposition. Will we get there? We don’t really know, but we’re working jolly hard to deliver on it. XC90 is a very clear example of how we get there with the semi-autonomous driving and the safety systems we have in that car with more to come over the next five years.

‘It’s a bold and ambitious claim but I think we’ve got a pretty good chance of getting there and that’s certainly what we’re striving for.’

On fully autonomous driving, Connor told us: ‘We’re doing an awful lot of work in this area.

The technology is there, it’s now about refining it and, as much as anything else, getting the legislators to realise that autonomous cars have a place on our roads.’ [CD] CarDealerMag.co.uk | 57

��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

DASHBOARD.

Electric cars will come to the fore ‘sooner than we think’ bit.ly/EV-views

Pendragon boss is WMS Group delighted at healthy Mary shows the way increase in profits on customer service

BY JOHN COLINSWOOD

A

‘We thank our people for their continued support’ – Trevor Finn

P

endragon plc saw profits increase by 36 per cent in the year ending December 31, 2014, to £60.2 million. The company announced that gross profit was up 4.5 per cent to £522.6 million, from £499.9 million in 2013, and operating profit was also up by 17.9 per cent to £90.9 million.

Revenue increased by £151.5 million, up 3.9 per cent on 2013. Year-on-year, revenue increased by £216.9 million. Aftersales gross profit was up four per cent, by £7.2 million year-on-year. Used car gross profit also increased by £10.5 million (up 7.9 per cent) and sales were up 8.1 year-on-year.

New car gross profit increased by £11.2 million (up 8.0 per cent) year-on-year.

The company also announced that online visits to their Stratstone, Evans Halshaw and Quicks websites were up by 2.2 million from 13.5 million to 15.5 million.

Chief executive at Pendragon PLC,

Trevor Finn, pictured, commented: ‘We are delighted with the performance across our business, with a 36 per cent improvement in underlying profitability.

‘The heart of our proposition is to offer value, choice, service and convenience to our consumers from our key brands of Evanshalshaw.com and Stratstone.com.

‘We have expanded our convenience proposition, with the launch of ‘‘Move Me Closer’’ on Evanshalshaw.com – the UK’s first automotive ‘‘click and collect’’ service – and enhanced our value proposition with the implementation of ‘‘Sell Your Car’’.

‘We have a clear strategy which will enable us to continue to grow and are well-positioned to take the business to the next level.’

He added: ‘We have doubled the dividend to reward our shareholders and our strong balance sheet and cash flow generation will ensure we can maintain this dividend level alongside our expansion plans. We thank our people for their continued support in helping to deliver our performance and we are looking forward to 2015.’

Market Insight, p155

CAP forms a new partnership with Carcliq VALUATION provider CAP has announced a partnership with car sales website Carcliq.co.uk. The idea is to bring together buyers with dealers.

The deal will give consumers free access to CAP’s valuation service, as long as they submit their personal details.

This data will be passed to dealers of new and used cars, who already work with

CarCliq, who will then receive leads based on postcode, region and manufacturer.

The leads are valuable as they represent consumers actively searching for a new car.

Antony Lewis, who launched Carcliq. co.uk, said: ‘This partnership will enable us to provide an invaluable competitive edge to our dealers with meaningful leads and ultimately a satisfied customer.’

t the end of last year, TV’s legendary Mary Portas – known for her high street retail expertise, sharp business acumen and even sharper tongue – began filming a new prime-time series for Channel 4, which focused on putting the customer back into customer satisfaction.

The five-part series, Mary’s Secret Shopper, has shone the spotlight on to the customer care processes of a number of retail sectors, one of which has been the motor trade – and our very own Gatehouse Car Sales (part of Aylesbury Motor Group) was exclusively chosen to represent the industry.

It’s the latest project for the celebrity who has in the past looked at the plight of the UK’s struggling high streets as supermarkets and the internet increase their hold on consumer behaviour.

She was even selected to spearhead a government initiative on the subject, showing how highly regarded she is in her sphere of activity.

Anyway, at Gatehouse Car Sales, Mary showed the team how to deliver exceptional customer service and aftersales support, while implementing a number of innovative selling ideas that other dealers can use to improve retention levels.

The dealership also adopted our flagship warranty scheme Safe and Sound, endorsed by motor racing legend Sir Stirling Moss OBE. Paul Cockton, sales director of Aylesbury Motor Group, commented: ‘The site has been refurbished, staff have been retrained, we have a brand new identity, stock has been streamlined and the Safe and Sound scheme is offered free of charge with each model.

‘Our buyers can now look forward to receiving exceptional care during and after their purchase.’

The episode was due to be aired just as Car Dealer was going to press on March 17.

Did you see it? Please remember to tell us what you think on Facebook or Twitter by searching WMS Group.

‘Our buyers can now look forward to receiving exceptional care during and after their purchase.’

Who is John Colinswood?

He is MD of WMS Group, the extended vehicle warranty company supplying motoring products to over 3,500 dealerships nationwide.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 59

FEATURE.

Perfect way to

I

magine the perfect scenario. A customer sees your car on your website and asks you a few details via instant messaging. They ask for a few extra pictures, and you provide that, and to help them that little bit further, you walk around the car with a video camera, allowing the customer to see the images in real time.

After a quick exchange of details and documents, the customer turns up the next day, takes the car for a drive, loves it as much as they thought they would, and within a few minutes are driving away in it.

Sounds like Utopia? Something that will rarely, if ever, happen?

Think again. It’s happening every day of the week at Carbase, one of the largest used-car dealers in the south-west.

They have looked at internet trading and taken the whole business up several notches.

And it has been so successful that 40 per cent

��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

Many dealerships reckon they’ve got the internet sussed.

Others still struggle to have a decent online presence.

COLIN CHANNON meets one with quite a success story... of their customers are from outside their immediate area – and they are selling more cars than ever before.

Dealer manager Andy Peters admits he never thought he’d see the day when so many customers travelled so far to buy a car.

‘Our aim is to take the internet to the next level – the internet is our marketplace,’ he says.

‘There’s a lot of competition out there for cars, but we are doing something right as we’re on course to up our game by another 25 per cent this year. We’ll sell more than 5,000 cars this year, which is more than we’ve ever done.

Last year we sold 4,250, and this year we’re looking to bust 5,000, if not 5,500.’

The secret to the boom in internet business

at Carbase’s three sites – in Weston-superMare, Lympsham and Brent Knoll, servicing a local area including Bristol, Bath, Bridgwater and Taunton – comes down to one thing, says Peters: customer service. Get that right, and put the customer first, and you’re on your way.

He says: ‘We have some strong commitments – customer service and the quality of our product. If anyone joins us from other areas of the industry, they always say they’re the best-quality cars they have ever been involved in selling, and that confidence comes through when the staff are dealing with the customer.

‘Quality of the spec is important, and we offer value for money and we are committed to customer satisfaction.

sell cars online

‘We think our digital advertising is second to none.

‘We encourage customer feedback and we make subtle changes to what we do in response to customers’ feedback. Because of that feedback, we now offer customers the opportunity to have a video of their car.

They can have additional photos done, and we’ll happily provide any documentation that they require.

‘We like to think we can offer them all the information they need to make a decision about buying the car without seeing it, subject to coming down and testdriving it.

‘We are so pro-active with customer interaction we hope to answer all their questions. We have a live chat on our website which is really taking the place of email, and when people get in touch we can be dynamic in answering their questions, and satisfying all their queries.

‘The live chat icon pops up when someone comes on to our website, and prospective customers can say they’re looking for such-and-such, and we can discuss with them what we have available.

‘Outside of trade hours we have a call centre do there will always be a response, and we can then focus on getting back to the customer as soon as possible.’

So how does it work day to day? Peters explains: ‘If a customer has seen a car on our website – say, an Audi – and they’re interested in learning more about it, they can request a video, and we can go out and video the car inside and out, or talk to the customer live while walking around the car with an iPad, so together we can talk in real time while seeing pictures of the vehicle.’

And if a customer likes the car, it is reserved and prepared for a test drive – and, in many cases, a brief trip is all it takes to secure the sale.

it’s the boss’s role...

Selling so many cars in a year brings enormous pressure on having the right vehicles on the forecourt in the first place.

And at Carbase, that’s such a priority that the boss does it himself.

Andy Peters says: ‘Sourcing goodquality cars isn’t a problem for us. The founder of our business, Steve Winter, deals with buying all the cars, which is pretty unusual. It’s his money and he’s really, really principled about the quality of cars he sells.

‘He’s the MD and his role in the business now is buying the stock, and his speciality is having excellent relationships with decent companies.

‘It means our staff know from day one that the cars they are selling are a quality product. To us, customer satisfaction is so important.’

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 61

FEATURE.

“

Our staff have to take a much more integrated view of the business. If the salespeople look after the customer, they’re more likely to come back for MoTs and servicing.

��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

We just do that bit

I

nternet trading has changed the way many dealerships do business. Carbase is proof that if the website is attractive and easy to use, customers won’t shy away from choosing their next car online.

And that means the customer base stretches far, far further than the West Country and its environs.

‘When I started out, I never thought we’d sell 40 per cent of our cars to people outside the area,’ says Andy Peters.

‘The industry has changed massively with the power of the internet. If you go back ten years, it was said that on average people would visit seven sites before buying a car. That’s down now to 1.2. All the work has been done online, and that’s why we try to provide as much information as possible on our website.

People turn up having identified the car they want to buy, and are just coming down to secure it, pending driving it.

‘Our location isn’t heavy with chimney pots and we have to cancel that out to do the volumes, and we are doing that quite

successfully. Our customers come from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and all around the country – with the cost of flights these days, people come from all over the place.

‘If people fly into Bristol we will go and collect them instead of them getting a cab, which is a nice personal touch, or sometimes we’ll drive the car they’re looking to buy out to them, so they can test drive it back to the site.

We do try to provide a quality service.

‘We use Judge Service, an independent review service, which is used by customers after they have bought a car.

‘As a company, we look at what customers say and review the comments and talk through them all. If need be, we’ll review our systems and, if there have been issues, we look to overcome them.

‘It’s really interesting, I look at the reviews about us, and on social media it’s very much about people not asking us about our business, but asking our customers about our business.

You just have to get it right.

‘Since I have been in the business, things

extra... have become much more sophisticated and fast-moving. We have to really listen to the customer and give them a good service, and be professional with it.

‘Customer retention is all-important, and we thrive on that, but we don’t want to just sell them a car, we want to provide them with all their motoring needs – we have three workshops, an auto centre, we do everything from the MoTs to servicing to the maintenance or repairs, and we really try to look after people.

‘All our staff these days have to take a much more integrated view of the business.

If the salespeople look after the customer, they’re more likely to come back for MoTs and servicing. And we see more and more people coming back to us for cars for themselves, or their friends and their family. It’s very common for us to sell cars to someone who returns to buy a car for his wife, and then comes back again to get a car for their children, and we do try to repay that loyalty by offering superior deals to people.’

RAC BuySure scheme has been a sales boon

C

arbase is one of the biggest supporters of the RAC’s BuySure scheme, which launches to the public on April 15.

Every car sold by an RAC-approved dealer under the BuySure umbrella has to undergo an 82-point preparation check, and the scheme offers the customer three months’ RAC warranty, three months’ breakdown cover, and accident care, which includes legal support.

Carbase joined the scheme in 2013 as part of a trial before the scheme was rolled out – and the dealership have been delighted with the results.

Dealer manager Andy Peters says: ‘We joined the RAC BuySure scheme in August 2013, and during the first 12 months our sales improved by 25 per cent.

‘We were expanding at the time, but the impact of the RAC brand was a big factor in that. It gives a really strong confidence message.

‘Within the RAC BuySure scheme there is a uniform preparation standard that means we are preparing cars to a better industry standard.

There is now a consistent level of preparation, and it has brought uniformity to something that before could be a little bit indifferent.

‘We are an internet business essentially and the cars we sell are a good quality with good specification.

Forty per cent of our business is done with people outside our area and people will pay a deposit over the telephone, and look to travel and take the car on the same day.

‘The preparation standard is so good that we now describe each car as good to go.

‘Customers see the RAC brand and BuySure and they are more confident, and our staff are confident that the car

has been prepared well. ‘We carry out an 82-point inspection that every car has to pass, so we are improving the preparation standard of every car in our stock.

‘Initially, it’s a big investment in terms of workshop effort to get the cars up to that preparation standard, but once it’s there staff have real confidence in the cars, and that confidence gets passed on to the interaction with the customer. It’s getting that initial outlay in terms of time and resource, but once it’s up and running, it’s fine.

‘The RAC is a brand people trust, they’re a modern and dynamic force.

‘If someone from outside the area doesn’t know Carbase, the association with the RAC brings credibility and trust.’ [CD]

“

We joined the RAC BuySure scheme in August 2013, and during the first 12 months our sales improved by 25 per cent.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 63

GET MORE

CHOICE OVER

80,000 VEHICLES*

FROM THE UK’S LEADING VENDORS

Get ahead this plate change manheim.co.uk ��| CarDealerMag.co.uk * Figure based on sales between 1st March to 31st May in 2012 - 2014. Figures exclude private sales.

MANHEIM

DASHBOARD. the team

Kevin Watson I started as a car cleaner in the late 1970s, but was allowed to wear a suit on Saturdays to sell cars. I went from a salesman to a sales manager, with Peugeot, Austin Rover and Jaguar, and a sales manager at the age of 23. I was a dealer princpal and board director and left the coalface in 2006, and then went to work for Autrtrade-mail. I worked with them until last year.

In the past 12 months, I’ve realised cars run through my veins and I want to get back into it.

Gee Pugsley I worked in sales for a publishing company, initially in-house and then out on the road, looking after London and Kent. I then went to work for Kevin at AutoTrader as a sales exec, and became sales manager.

I was there until the business was taken over. A lot of our skills is with customer relations. It’s an industry we all love.

Laura Cannon I started in the finance world doing HP and then worked for a local paper as a motoring ad rep. In 2003 I started work for AutoTrader, at the point it really took off.

I was business development manager there.

Familiar faces launching a new trade-to-trade website Former Autotrade-mail team get back together in online venture

by COLIN CHANNON @colinchannon

T

he former management team of the biggest online trade-to-trade service is launching a brand-new car trading platform.

The trio – Kevin Watson, Laura Cannon and Gee Pugsley – are well known to dealers, as they managed Autotrade-mail in West Sussex.

They left when owner Auto Trader decided to move its sales and service operations up to its office in Manchester.

But now they’re back – and heading up a brand-new online site www.cartotrade.com, which goes live at the end of May. Watson, one of the founders of cartotrade.com, says: ‘The decision to regroup and develop our own proposition was a very exciting one.

‘The combination of our experience and the encouragement from our friends within the industry asking us to “do it again” only reinforced that it’s the right thing to do.”

He says cartotrade.com’s ethos is very simple – to create a friendly, independent, service that helps dealers buy and sell trade stock quickly and maximising trade profit.

The site will run an ‘invite-only policy’ with a strict vetting process which, he says, will generate a ‘club feel’ while maintaining the integrity of the website and security for its members.

Cannon says: ‘Being independent allows us to have purely dealer-

focused objectives, which means it won’t be about having the most dealers to satisfy revenue targets, it’s the quality of the dealers that’s important. We won’t artificially enhance our stock volumes by using feeds from other remarketing sources.

A car on the cartotrade.com website will be available to purchase, and the seller will know about it when a buyer contacts them.’

Gee adds: ‘While our website will provide a back-to-basics approach, we are very excited to be able to introduce some unique initiatives. We have always been innovators in this field,

so it will be wonderful to come to market with some completely new features, all there for the dealer’s benefit.

‘Our manifesto will cement our commitment to serving the industry with the dealers’ interests at heart – all will be revealed very soon!’

The cartotrade.com team will be calling hundreds of dealers over the next couple of months, but car industry professionals can pre-register their interest to have a free trial by visiting www.cartotrade.com For further information call 01243 772200.

Site opens for business this summer – and it plans to rival Auto Trader A CAR-SALES site which it says is designed to rival Auto Trader is about to launch – and is the brainchild of the man who used to run the publishing business responsible for the Auto Trader magazine.

Steve Edwards is the former CEO of Hurst Publishing, the business formed by Sir John Madjeski

to launch Auto Trader. He has announced the imminent launch of CarMart.co.uk, a new free-to-list car sales site.

Edwards worked with Auto Trader before moving to Daily Mail and General Trust’s regionals Northcliffe to launch rival auto magazines.

The new site and mobile app are due to go live on August 1 to provide

sellers with a free listing service in an attempt to create a market alternative to Auto Trader. The site will encourage the public and, later down the line, traders to register on their website to set up a lifetime free account.

Edwards said: ‘The car-listing sector has been dominated by a single player who has been hugely

successful in migrating from print to web while commanding the very high listing prices more often associated with printed editions.

Our site, due to launch on August 1, will be completely free of charge and will offer even more search features to car buyers looking to find exactly the right purchase. We’re already seeing a massive interest.’

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FEATURE. a mini adventure

High steaks

From the snow-tipped Andes to desert-like dusty roads, James Baggott travels 1,300 miles across South America in search of the Dakar Rally – in a completely standard Mini Countryman. This could go well…

I

t sounded like the trip of a lifetime. A 1,300-mile drive across Argentina chasing the Dakar Rally in the South American sunshine on road and off it.

There would be camping, there would be high chances of a Baggott-vs-snake interface, there would be incredible roads, epic scenery and the chance to experience the head rush of altitude sickness at 15,000ft. What was not to like?

Mini was looking to promote its involvement in one of the toughest races on the planet. It was aiming for win number four and its star driver Nani Roma was the likely man to deliver it. And the plan was we’d be there to witness it.

I was to be the only UK motoring journalist to take part in the epic road trip, sharing my drive with adventure journalist and all-round-harderthan-me, ex-Army captain Tobias Mews.

Why did they pick me? I have no idea, but I’m sure glad they did. Here’s my diary from the incredible journey.

Day One: The cars of Buenos Aires Whenever I land in a new country, one that’s unfamiliar and strange, it’s not the weather, the smells or the architecture I notice first, it’s the cars.

It comes with being a petrol head, I suppose.

I noticed the 1.8L Ford Escort with the wrong wheels barging for a space in the taxi rank outside Buenos Aires airport as soon as we landed and I noticed the unfamiliar Volkswagen Go parked up at the side of the road while the other hacks were imprinting colourful walls on their camera’s memory cards. ��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

I’ve just arrived in Argentina – just a few days after the most controversial Top Gear special based in the same country has aired – for a tenday event following the Dakar rally.

Our party arrived in Buenos Aires a little weary after a 15-hour flight – the longest non-stop BA do, no less – from Heathrow and were thrust straight out into the city.

Parts of the capital are extremely derelict. Near the port I spot shanty houses made from little more than corrugated iron and a few bricks, nestled under the struts of a motorway bridge.

One, three-storey rudimentary building looks like it is about to fall over at any moment as kids play happily barefoot on the pavement in front.

However, it isn’t the juxtaposition of derelict houses and huge government building monoliths just blocks apart that interest me most – it’s the cool cars.

The South Americans seem to have an incredible knack of keeping old tat on the road far longer than seems sensible. And then when they’re done with them, they just seem to dump them where they coughed to a halt.

For every five cars I’ve seen running, I’ve spotted one with four flat tyres, no windows and a burnt-out interior languishing in a side road. Even the Argentinian parking rituals seem odd – motorway central reservations seem to be perfectly acceptable places to park. There are cabbies having a smoke and bus drivers snoozing as four lanes of traffic wheeze past.

The variety of cars civilians drive seem unusual to say the least – from battered old pick-ups to strange rusty Fiats (aren’t they always?). What’s even stranger are the vehicles Argentinian police get about in. From weird Chevrolet-badged Vauxhall Merivas (poor, poor plod) to nippy little

bikes, the cops over here seem to drive anything and everything – including huge articulated lorries. Best avoid the latter.

Day Two: We collect our Countryman If you thought a Mini Countryman was some sort of softroader, think again. Yes, it might not have the go-anywhere capability of a Land Rover, but after some of the roads I’m tackling in the little city car, I’m beginning to think it would hold its own.

I’m writing this entry in the middle of nowhere – well, the middle of Argentina to be precise – sat next to my just-erected tent about 100 miles from Cordoba airport where we landed on the early-morning flight from Buenos Aires.

Waiting for us in the car park were our steeds for the next week as we cross the wilds of South America on the hunt for the Dakar Rally. The Mini Countryman Cooper S John Cooper Works may have the longest name in the history of motoring (allegedly), but they’re coping pretty well so far.

We left the airport car park in a convoluted convoy heading to a lunch stop on a ranch. After battling the morning traffic near the airport, we quickly realised this sort of thing doesn’t happen very often in Argentina.

We literally stopped traffic, which wasn’t exactly handy when we were trying to battle our

PICTURES: MINI

“

The South Americans seem to have an incredible knack of keeping old tat on the road far longer than seems sensible.

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FEATURE. a mini adventure way through it. Men and women stared while smartphones captured our progress at every roundabout, stop sign or traffic lights. It was clear this was a very alien procession for the Argentinians.

Once we’d cleared the city limits, the roads snaked their way through stunning countryside.

We fell in step behind a herd of bikers on powerful machines, whipping their way from S bend to S bend.

The little Mini loved it. These cars are stock from the factory, bar a few exterior modifications – like that huge roof rack and spare wheel strapped to it (no cans of foam here) – and great fun on the good black stuff.

Things soon got a bit rougher, though. First it was a rutted, dusty road to a lunch stop where we picked up the tents and some supplies for the trip, but then we turned off the main highway on to a rugged, muddy and rocky route.

This path wound its way around wild horses and huge herds of cattle and into some of the most glorious landscape I’ve ever witnessed. A cross between the highlands of Scotland and Welsh valleys, it stretched for miles, dipping and diving into the distance.

Progress was slow – through no fault of the car, but ours, as we continually stopped to commit landscape to iPhone memories. Incredible scenery imprinted on our smartphones because it simply would have been a crime not to.

We’ve camped up in a rocky valley for the night and it’s the group’s first taste of the outdoor life.

After battling with my tent and giving myself a minor asthma attack blowing up the camp bed, I’m just about ready for bed. But before then I need to work out what, if anything out here, constitutes the little boys’ room…

Day Three: We’ve caught the scent It’s taken us three days, some of the toughest roads and challenging driving I’ve ever tackled, but we’ve finally caught the scent of the Dakar.

It was after a morning of epic views and barren landscape that we got a glimpse of rally life, a handful of hardcore fans who have pitched up tarpaulins to sleep under at the side of the road or under bridges to watch the chaos pass.

Until it does, those fans had to make do with us. A procession of standard Mini Countrymans picking their way through the rocks and sand that in a few hours’ time will be strewn aside by the real machines of the Dakar.

We’ve tackled some of the toughest terrain I’ve ever driven on a variety of roads that could have been plucked from continents across the world. It doesn’t take long to realise why the Dakar moved here from Europe and Africa – the task is just as tough, and just as epic.

We started on boulder-strewn, rocky roads that rose and fell like a roller coaster. The Countryman crunched and banged its way across sharp stones, the suspension making sounds like it wanted to ��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

punch its way through the bodywork.

But the pain was worth it. Every mile revealed yet more breathtaking views, yet another vista to imprint on brain and commit to digi-byte.

Progress was again slow not because of the roads (if they could be called that) but because of the surroundings. It was impossible not to be in awe of the movie-set views unfolding in front of our eyes.

It was after the lunch stop of fried chicken and flan – in a small restaurant that appeared in the middle of nowhere – where we picked up the Dakar’s tracks. The scenery had swapped from Welsh hilltop to African trail, boulders became stones, sand tripping up our Mini’s traction control as we pressed on.

We emerged from a mountain range of Stelvio Pass-rivalling bends – albeit without the blacktop – to be met with a flat plain of vegetation stretching as far as the eye could see. A needlethin line of sand was just about visible from our precarious viewing perch, a track that would soon challenge our Mini to the limits.

After picking our way down from the mountain, the arrow-straight stretch of sand and rock rolled out in front of us, 60km for our Mini to throw up plumes of get-everywhere dust as we punched forward towards civilisation.

Temperatures rose to 38 degrees as the sand sent our car fish-tailing left to right and it was then the problems began. First the traction control failed, then the tyre pressure monitor went haywire. At one stage we had four different warning lights illuminating that dash – our Mini’s way of saying this place, these roads, this country, is just not normal.

But yet still it ploughed on. We’ve got five more days of driving so I’m hoping with every ounce of my being that it continues. There are no back-up cars here, no AA, no way out, no easy fix. If it breaks, it’s game over and my driving partner and I will be passengers. Hang on, little Mini, hang on…

SOUTH AMERICAN MARKET

Day Four: The scenery gets special There’s a time and a place to break bad news – and this was not it. I’d just woken up in a dusty, sweaty tent, pitched in the middle of a horse field, where I’d endured a night essentially wrapped in cling film in 30 degrees C heat.

On the Baggott Grouchy Scale of Grumpiness this was a pretty high eight, to eight-and-a-half. So when I heard on the rumour mill that our Dakar adventure would encounter just once the fabled race that was snarling its way across Argentina, I was more than a little miffed.

My mood began to ease as we pulled away from the sandy campsite we’d called home (well, I called it many things but ‘home’ wasn’t one) and finally found a stretch of arrow-straight tarmac.

Our Mini Countryman had been battling the toughest dirt tracks I think a Mini – short of Nani Roma’s Dakar racer – has ever come across over

MINI registered just 174 cars in Argentina in 2014 – a dramatic fall from the 736 it registered the year before. A tumbling economy saw the brand hit hard.

It was a similar story across the rest of the region, dubbed ‘Latin American and the Caribbean’. In total across that division, 1,860 cars were sold. The strongest market in the region is Chile, where sales just crept above 500 units in 2014.

The best-selling cars were the Mini hatch and Countryman. The brand’s strongest competition in South America comes from Alfa Romeo, Audi and Citroen.

This is nothing like the cowboys and Indians films I watched as a kid

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FEATURE. a mini adventure

the past few days, so the sight of some black top was a welcome relief.

The dead-straight asphalt stretched for miles into the distance. We saw one lorry driver so relaxed he had his feet up on the dash as he cruised on past, waving with BOTH hands.

Perhaps he was warning us about what was ten miles further down the road…

As we hurtled at the horizon at 60mph we spotted what appeared to be a pile of sand in the road – not huge, but enough to slow you down. I’m glad we did. Just 50 metres later the road disappeared. Around five miles outside San Agustin del Valle Fertil – a small town in west Argentina – a huge volume of water had simply washed the road away.

It was crumbling where we stood, the white lines dropping into the newly-carved river bed.

In the UK the road would have been closed for months, years even, but here there wasn’t a cone in sight. We simply drove around it on the dirt and carried on.

After filling up with fuel while what appeared ��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

to be the entire population of the town took pictures of our convoy, we headed further west, into Valle Fertil, an incredible, lunar landscape.

This national park was visited by Neil Armstrong and his team before they headed to the moon to show them what to expect – it’s that similar, and felt it.

Huge stalks of sand, whipped and eroded by the wind, stood proud across the barren expanse of dust. Gigantic iron-rich mountains of cascading blood-red sand framed the surroundings, made up of colours like those you filled tubes with at the seaside as a child.

Our Minis cruised through, interiors filling up further with get-in-your-eyes dust as our convoy whipped up huge clouds of dirt that drifted off into the distance.

We pressed on at a fair rate – these are Cooper S Countrymans, after all – and rapidly reached our overnight stop. Like manna from heaven, it was a motel, with a shower, a bed and, get this, a pillow! A relative lap of luxury in a week punctuated by canvas.

Day Five: We meet the Dakar After five days of hunting, we’ve found it – the dusty, small city-sized circus that is a Dakar Rally service area. We’ve been on the scent of the fabled race for days, catching glimpses of support vehicles, passing tent towns erected by spectators, and waving to huge numbers of cheering fans at the side of the road. And then there it was.

First we spotted the camp from 4km away, deep in the valley. What looked like a mirage on the sand was in fact the trucks, encircled by plumes of dust rising from the chaos below. The roads soon began to swell with spectators, waving Argentinian fans, shouting and cheering as we rolled by.

The town of Chileceto had mushroomed in size overnight – from 1,500 to 15,000 – and most of the newcomers obviously thought our liveried Countrymans were part of the support team.

Inside the camp it was hectic, like I’d imagine a military base to be when on high alert in the

COMPETITION WINNERS

Time for repairs – Kwik Fit this most definitely isn’t...

middle of Afghanistan. Police and national guard flanked the entries and exits of the shanty town of horsepower, helicopters buzzing overhead as drones tried their hardest to avoid each other while capturing the action.

We admired the precision of the teams working hard to service the cars, bikes and huge trucks. I spotted one quad bike rider, spread out across a table being punished hard by a masseuse easing the day’s battering while he soaked his swollen hands in ice-cold water.

The ingenuity of the Dakar was evident everywhere. An HGV lorry doubled as a fuel station with barrels of high-octane fuel pumped into the racers. Tents were erected on top of lorries, overland vehicles unfolded their canvas like origami.

Inside the Mini ALL4 Racing camp we had superb access to the team and drivers. I managed to persuade the mechanics working on Nano Roma’s car to give me a broken piece of mudguard as a souvenir. Roma even signed it for me later while telling me how he’d backed off

I won the adventure after buying a Paceman from Elms BMW in Stansted. The salesman pointed out the competition at the time but I never thought I’d win. Then I got a call with the amazing news. The 10-day expedition was unbelievable. We chased the Dakar and met the MINI X-raid team. We drove at 5,000m altitude, ate (a lot of) steak, slept under the stars, visited gaucho ranches and ancient Inca ruins. The whole experience has ingrained memories that will stay with me for a lifetime.

Mark Sullivan (and his friend James Brazier)

the pace now his chances of winning were out of the window, an engine fault on the first day effectively ruining his entire rally.

Stage three winner Orlando ‘Orly’ Terranova also chatted to me about his day’s stage victory, while the boss of the racing team told me it costs 800,000 euros to bag a customer car drive in the Dakar. ‘It even includes the helmet and overalls,’ he said. A bargain, I thought.

Before we had to leave I managed to blag my way inside Stephan Schott’s Mini racer.

He was one of the customers who’d bought his seat – he wouldn’t speak about money, but it doesn’t take a genius to work out how his sixyear career in the saddle has added up to many millions of euros.

I can see why he shells out. Although our glimpse inside the Dakar camp was short, it was worth every kilometre of challenging road in the Countrymans, every sleepless night on blowup mats. Before long, we were back at sweaty camp, reliving the memories on camera memory cards and listening to interviews on iPhone

voice memos, feverishly typing away. With temperatures approaching 40 degrees C in the middle of the day and it failing to fall by much as I write this, I’m guaranteed to be in for another hot, sticky night under canvas, but thankfully with some amazing memories of the Dakar to help me drift off.

Day six: We rise into the Andes Six days into our epic voyage across Argentina and I was beginning to get complacent with the stopand-stare scenery. Then South America went and hit me with the ‘reset the expectations’ button.

Today we’ve tackled our biggest distance yet in our Countrymans – some 500km on a variety of blacktop and broken roads – starting out from camp at bloodshot-eye o’clock.

As we rounded the village of Tinogasta we began to climb on rubble roads, a glorious valley stretching out behind us like a wave. It was just the foot of the Andes, CarDealerMag.co.uk | 71

FEATURE. a mini adventure Dust, mountains, dust, very little other traffic, dust, barren roads – did I mention the dust?

AN iMPORTANT MILESTONE

WHEN we talk about Mini in South and Central America, we talk about roughly 21 emerging markets. We cover a vast geographical area reaching from the most southern point, Ushuaia in Argentina, to Central American markets like Guatemala.

In this region we launched Mini roughly 10 years ago (in Argentina in August 2004).

Introducing such a unique and emotional brand into the Latin American market was an important milestone for us. Sales in these markets is relatively low, but we are leading in many of them.

Rolf Epp, CEO BMW Group Latin America & the Caribbean ��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

a mere line in the sand marking what was to come.

Every time we stop I can’t fail to crack a smile at our little Mini that’s carted us all the way here.

Remember, these cars are completely standard – bar the roof rack – and are even tackling the rough stuff on completely standard road tyres.

The toil of the past few off-road days are beginning to take their toll now, though. We’ve lost seven tyres in total on the 15 cars that are taking part.

As we pushed further north, the landscape opened up to reveal stop-you-in-your-tracks sights.

We stopped eight times in a stretch of just 30km, committing panorama to memory. The views are so big, so special, so unusual to someone who lives in built-up Hampshire, that it took a while for my brain to take it all in. My internal graphics processor simply couldn’t keep up.

The Andes are incredibly beautiful. Multicoloured, sharp, dramatic – they’re like it’s all been painted on to the horizon in 4K. I can’t help but feel like I’m in the Truman Show and will bump into the edge of the set at any moment. It’s that unreal.

Even the travel photographers with us can’t believe their eyes – and they’ve seen it all.

‘Everything from now on, it’s pointless,’ said one of the Italians. ‘Those sights, that beauty will not be beaten.’ I can’t help but agree.

For huge distances, for hours at a time, we see no-one on the road; our Mini convoy spread out like marbles across a giant kitchen floor. Just donkeys and horses punctuate the mileage.

As we rose high into the mountains, heads became light and dizziness set in – not great when you’re at the wheel. We stopped by a giant sand dune, whipped into shape by the winds of time and took stock. Well, as best as we could.

We were yet to rise to our highest point of the day, though – some 3,998 metres – and it was here where things really started to go wrong.

Vision went soft at the edges, my speech slurred as the altitude sickness began to kick in. An aspirin and a bottle of water eased the pain for the last few miles – this wasn’t as good as I was promised it would be…

We’ve now reached tonight’s base in Antofagasta, around 3,300 metres above sea level, nestled at the gateway to some of the highest peaks of the Andes. Tomorrow we head up even further into the atmosphere – and if the way I’m feeling now is anything to go by, chances are I might not be running as well as our Mini.

Day Seven: The salt plains of the Andes When (not if) the aliens finally invade, I know where I’m heading to set up base camp for the human race – here, in the Andes.

Today we’ve travelled from Antofagasta, some 3,600m above sea level, across a completely uncharted 256km stretch of mountain range.

It’s so vast, so barren, so empty of anything that

should an all-conquering race ever arrive, it would simply be the last place they’d ever look for us.

Over breakfast of tea-bag brewed coffee and stale bread and marmalade, our host for the night drew a Biro line away from the already-rough charted roads we’d been travelling on the day before on my map, zig-zagging a route across the Antofalla range, in north Caatamarca.

I should have realised the waiter-cum-parttime-explorer’s rough guide wasn’t a good sign for what was to come. Fortunately, my ignorance wasn’t to last long.

‘Today will either be your best day, or your worst,’ warned our adventure guide Eric Massiet du Biest. ‘Today is the most important to respect nature and the roads. If you go off track, you will die. We will not find you. Respect nature or she will take your life.’

Okay, that sank in. The Frenchman’s briefings had been mixed in their delivery this week but today’s was heartfelt and he had a worried look on his face. It was soon clear to see why.

Just five minutes from the town that had welcomed us with a party in the street the night before, the roads disintegrated. Soft, oft-driven-in sand turned to surprised-to-see-rubber rubble, sharp rocks, jagged ruts and wave after wave of lumpy, corrugated-iron style surfaces that battered and bruised our Mini.

Our French guide had feared the route – eight hours off road and a trail even he bills as one of the best in the world – would be a car killer. It did its very best to live up to its reputation.

We clattered through huge gaping holes, thundered down dips that compressed our suspension to a bone-jarring crescendo, punching the air out of our lungs in the process. And we were the ones being careful.

Many of our fellow travellers weren’t. We lost four more tyres today to the razor-sharp rocks.

This was our very own slice of the Dakar. Miles from civilisation, barren, empty and utterly beautiful. We reached the peak of our climb at 4,600m where even getting out of the car shortened breath, the edges of my vision blurring again with that now-familiar three-pints-in feeling.

That’s the highest I’ve ever been without a propeller, but yet just a few feet from where I was trying to get my just-blown brain to take it all in was a little Mini Countryman. On standard road tyres. I still can’t quite believe it took us.

The further we drove, the more surreal the scenery became. As we rose one crest, the most amazing view rolled into focus. All blink-becauseyou-can’t-believe-it beautiful. In the distance, rolling Andes ridges stretched from east to west, below it a gigantic salt lake glittered, spread like a burst bag across the valley.

‘That is the prettiest view I’ve ever seen,’ said one travel writer. A phrase I’ve heard a lot this week. Every day our expectations of what this world has hidden is readjusted that little bit further.

We picked our way down the CarDealerMag.co.uk | 73

FEATURE. a mini adventure Fifteen Countrymans and their crew – that’s me on the far right

mountainside and on to the salt flats, retinaburning in intensity and impossibly hard to fathom. I had to resist tasting it.

We watched the plumes of dust of our colleagues rise like jet-plane vapour trails miles in the distance for a few minutes before heading deeper into the wilderness. After three hours – at a maximum of 40mph – the surfaces changed from white to blood-orange, the ripples becoming large waves like a BMX track, crushing our spines with every dip.

As we approached tonight’s stop in Tolar Grande – still more than 3,000 metres above the sea – the marble mountains in the distance played optical illusions with my now air-deprived brain. Like an old Sega Mega Drive game where the background never moves but the road keeps rolling towards you, it played havoc with my senses.

We’re coming towards the end of our epic tour now – tomorrow is the last day in the cars and the last in the Andes.

As much as I want to get home, I’ll be sorry ��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

to leave. Argentina is without doubt the most dramatic, glorious and friendly country I’ve ever visited – and I still can’t quite believe a standard ‘soft-roader’ has helped us tour it.

Day Eight: We find Argentina’s best road If Argentina was saving its best hand for one final flush, today’s events can well and truly be classed as a royal.

I’ve been on the road for seven days now, each one of which has ended with an attempt to put the events, the sights, the Lord of the Rings backdrops into some form of words for this piece.

I can’t help but feel I’ve totally and utterly underdelivered.

There simply aren’t enough adjectives in the dictionary to describe the hidden jewels this beautiful South American country has been shielding from the rest of the world.

Yes, Argentina and Blighty might have form, and yes, that form might still be simmering ever

so close to the boil, thanks to recent exploits on Top Gear, but I can assure you every single person I’ve met has been nothing but utterly charming.

These are amazing people, living in an amazing place.

We left the tiny conurbation of Tolar Grande, nestled in the bosom of the Andes at 3,600m, this morning after a sweet cake and coffee breakfast to head north on to the Antoplato. We rolled out in convoy into a Californian-like mountain range, all bubbling sandy rock, rolling like waves into the distance.

The track was sandy slate, battered for years by hoof and rubber. Deserted, desolate and stark, we plunged into a canyon that could have been plucked straight from Mars. The trail dipped and switched between huge rock formations, penetrating up from the ground. It was other worldy, like a computer screen saver you swore was CGI, but now realise is real.

If the road had been paved, I’d have been in heaven. Tight twisting turns down the side of the clay rocks on a trail a giant had palette-knifed into

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The retina-ruining white of the Salmos Grandes salt flat rolls out, only the distant Andes peaks giving any sense of scale the contours of the cliff. Our Mini tackled the track in full attack, and as satsuma-orange dust turned to White Cliffs of Dover chalk, we started to enjoy our Countryman’s four-wheel drive.

Wheel skipping in my hands, back end loose and floating, I fishtailed my way towards a lunch stop in San Antonio de los Cobres.

I eat my first salad in days (even the beetroot, and I hate beetroot) and watch the high-altitude winds whip clouds into cotton-like streaks across the sky. A small boy with a baby llama walks over and offers a picture for two pesos (less than £1). I like his style, and his llama, so pay up.

The afternoon’s route is aiming for a huge ‘salar’, or salt flat. Unlike yesterday’s, this one could be driven on. Its thick, salty surface is deep, crisp and hard, and more than capable of affording us some fun.

The road is long and horrendously dusty. In convoy it’s lethal, a total whiteout, and even huge anti-ice road truckers come out of nowhere, like oil tankers in the fog. It’s scary stuff. We slow down to let the dust settle, but not enough. When

we pull up for the group picture, the Germans point at our tyre and laugh. It had finally succumbed to the battering.

I’ve no idea how long the Countryman’s flat tyre had been deflated – we didn’t get a warning and the loose gravel masked the lack of handling.

When we removed it, the rear of the rubber was slashed to pieces. Around 10 holes peppered the circumference of the Bridgestone, all big enough to get a finger in.

Tyre changed, I ticked a box on the to-do list as I rolled on to the Salmos Grandes salt flat.

Stretching for around 50km, its retina-ruining white rolls out until it meets the clouds in the sky, only the distant Andes peaks of Talao giving any sense of scale.

Group picture bagged, we drive off in a 15-car wide line, all smiles and cameras. As an end piece, it was pretty special.

But then Argentina had one last card up her sleeve. The route from the salt flats to the final stop was quite simply the best road I’ve ever driven in my life.

Part of route 52, the small bends on the map were, in fact, code for South America’s winning hand in a game of trumps with the Stelvio.

We descend 2,000 metres in 30 glorious minutes. Tyres squeal on hairpin after hairpin as we drop deeper and deeper into the valley.

Corners are tight and well surfaced, the asphalt road works fresh.

I laugh like a mad man. My driving partner simply clings on and lets me get on with it. This was our Mini’s swansong, an encore to the most epic of drives, a reward for a week on the rough.

Engine stretched, brakes burning, rubber fryingpan hot, we park up at the last stop before we start two days of air travel home.

I can’t help but give our little Mini a pat. What this little machine – on road tyres – has achieved this week is truly remarkable.

If we’d been alone I’d have billed it a freak, but parked up next to it are 15 others. All equally incredibly intact.

And a few days later, Mini wins the Dakar for the fourth time… fair play, Mini, fair play. [CD] CarDealerMag.co.uk | 75

The search is on.

But make the moment count.

You only have a matter of minutes to convince her to buy*. That’s how long seven in ten buyers** spend researching your website, searching for their next car. So showcase testimonials and make sure your contact details and information about your business are at her fingertips.

Let her see the friendly side of your business and embrace social media. To give her confidence that the car she’s been dreaming of is for sale with a dealer she trusts.

For buying, selling, marketing and managing. We help you stay one step ahead. trade.autotrader.co.uk/marketing *Auto Trader data, January 2015. **GFK Dealership Sourcing Studies, July 2014

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What drives us is you CarDealerMag.co.uk | 77

dashboard. car dealer conference & AUTOMOTIVE expo: JUNE 9, 2015

Come along and be part of a very

W

Last year’s conference was a huge success – but will be eclipsed by this summer’s event

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hat a difference a month makes.

It was only a few weeks ago that ops director Andy and I were exiting a flying tin can after an 11-hour haul back from San Francisco high, not on the lack of oxygen, but the realisation we’d had a Very Good Idea.

Saying our trip to the NADA convention was an epiphany is a bit much, but it certainly showed us the potential of bringing together the motor trade. We realised that if we could bring together lots of dealers, lots of suppliers and give all of them powerful reasons to be there, we’d be doing something right.

And in the past month the conversations the team and I have been having with the industry are proving us right. I’ve been amazed at the positivity from dealers, manufacturers and suppliers to our grand plan for the Car Dealer Conference & Automotive Expo.

It doesn’t take much explaining before the light-bulb moment occurs and whoever it is we’re explaining our event to just gets it. And what is it they’re getting? It’s that this industry needs an event of this type, and this is exactly the right format for it.

Everyone moans it’s too hard to find the time to meet new suppliers. That they’re too busy doing the daily grind to learn new things. Well, not if you put June 9 in your diaries, you’re not. In one day we’ve packed in so much that it is going to be impossible to do

Sign up online for free at – bit.ly/CarDealerConf

join us – special day From an idea on a plane to a huge event – it’s no wonder James Baggott is getting so excited... everything – and that’s intentional. We want to give those of you who decide to come along the choice to listen to the speakers who are most interesting to you.

And we’ve worked incredibly hard to make sure those companies holding workshops have interesting things to say.

There will be no direct selling in these workshops, let me guarantee you that. This event is about education and the workshops are designed to give you thought-provoking nuggets to take back to your businesses and help improve.

The business meeting part of the event takes place in the Expo hall where we’ll have around 100 motor trade suppliers showcasing their offerings.

At the time of writing we are already

“

We’ve packed in so much it’s going to be impossible to do everything...

70 per cent full and we’ve got some very exciting companies setting up some very exciting stands for you to browse.

This will be your chance to compare like-for-like the companies bidding for your business. Perhaps you might get a show day special or simply make contact for a visit to your showroom at a later date.

I’m extremely proud to be putting on the Car Dealer Conference & Automotive Expo and it’s already turning out to be an incredible day. But I need your help. I need you there. Without dealers like you we won’t get the suppliers there again next year, and we’ve been telling the suppliers the opposite – that without them, you’ll see no reason to go either. So they’re fulfilling their side of the bargain, now I need you to fulfil yours.

Sign up your team for the free tickets on offer – have as many as you want – we just want you to come along and enjoy what is set to be a very special day and in doing so help us make this event a date in the calendar that the whole industry can be proud of.

I look forward to seeing you there. Sign up for free at bit.ly/CarDealerConf

On the following pages – more on this year’s conference, including: Breakout Sessions Car Dealer Q&A Panels The Automotive Expo Event Timetable #CDX15

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dashboard. car dealer conference & AUTOMOTIVE expo: JUNE 9, 2015

Bigger and better I

think we can safely say the Car Dealer Conference and Expo 2015 has taken the industry by storm. It has been barely a month since we announced this year’s plans and revealed our idea to make this the biggest event of its type by a long, long way.

And I can reveal that already, with three months to go, we have more delegates signed up to this year’s conference than we had last year.

We are well on the way to our target to see more than 1,000 delegates signed up, with nearly 600 people already firmly committed to the event.

Franchises and independents have been signing up in their droves – and four of the biggest franchise groups in the UK are using the event as a chance to host a meeting for their dealers, bringing well over 200 people between them.

You’ll have seen from the

Independent dealers, as well as those from franchises, and suppliers are really getting on board, says Andy Entwistle previous page, our workshops have been finessed.

Each workshop is intended to educate and inform – rest assured, there is strictly no selling.

We want every single delegate to walk away from this year’s conference having learnt something they can take back to their dealership and implement the next day. And with 12 workshops and five keynote speakers, we’re absolutely confident this will happen.

And it’s not just the dealers who are already committing to the event.

In the four weeks since we first launched the idea, we’ve had more than 50 exhibitors confirm their

attendance at the Expo, which is going to be three times the size of last year’s.

We are receiving calls from suppliers throughout Europe who have heard about the event and are interested in being involved.

Many have booked space to build some seriously impressive stands, and at this rate it won’t be long before all our exhibition space is sold out.

It’s clear that they want to be talking to you, the dealer, and showing you their latest products and what they have to offer!

The industry has been crying out for an event like this and I am delighted that we are in a position

to be able to help deliver something on this scale. We have very clear plans about how we are going to continue to develop this event in the coming weeks and then over the coming years. But we need your support and your feedback to make sure that this is a success.

We have plenty more exciting announcements to make in the coming weeks, but don’t hang about waiting for even more information – book your tickets now and get your place secured at the biggest event of its type in the UK. After all, can you really risk not being at our Conference & Expo when all your competitors will be there and gaining so much from it?

Exhibitors already confirmed Auto Protect Auto’s on Show BCA BEN Blackball Media Blackhorse Finance Bluesky Brookspeed CAP Carcliq Cars 2 Trade Ciro CitNOW Dealer Auction Direct 2 Dealers Dragon 2000 FPC Vehicle Movements Gard X Gemini Systems GForces HPI

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Independent Garage Association Instant Feedback iVendi Judge Services Karcher Lawgistics Liquidline Manheim Martec MoneyPenny Motors Movex Northern Flags Perfect Placement Pro Align RAC Sky SSI Schaefer

The AA The Auto Network The Car Finance Company Traka Trust My Garage Trusted Dealers TWG WMS Wraptition n We want as many suppliers to exhibit as we can fit into the Expo area. We have flexible

space available for exhibitors and prices for stands start from as little as £495, with a variety of options to suit the demands of even the largest exhibitors. If you’d like to talk about these options in more detail, please do not hesitate to call a member of the Car Dealer team on (023) 9252 2434 or email us at events@blackballmedia.co.uk

#CDX15

Sign up online for free at – bit.ly/CarDealerConf

What the car bosses think...

It’s going to be the UK version of NADA...

Paul Williams (SsangYong) says: I’ve been to NADA, and having a NADA-style event in this country is a great idea. It’s a fantastic opportunity for people to take time out of their business, to take stock of where they are at, and in a different environment get some new stimulus – and we all need that. To have that, without having to go across the Pond, would be great. Yes, the UK market is different to the American market, but I’ve been to NADA three times and each time I’ve come back with things that are directly applicable. You discover things that make you think, and we all need time to think. It’s a great idea.

Manufacturers and dealers will share the same stage...

Neil Williamson (Seat) says: My ethos is working together with dealers – we’re on the same side. I’ve been a dealer, and I’ve been a car manufacturer, and it’s the same business – there is no line, we’re on the same side.

We’ll have lots of digital experts there sharing their experiences and their thoughts...

Mark Ovenden (Ford) says: One of the biggest challenges our dealers have is digital.

How does digital fit in? Manufacturers and dealers invest in these big glass and steel boxes but a growing part of what used to get done in there now takes place in digital.

I’m not one of those people who think digital will replace showrooms, but how the physical showroom and how the digital environment fit seamlessly together is a tremendous challenge, and one dealers are going to have to work through. The digital generation want everything immediately.

We talk about lead download in dealerships and how you must answer that lead in a day, or an hour, and I think now it’s probably shorter than that. I don’t think anyone fully understands how everything fits together.

I think a key factor in the winners and losers in the future is who gets digital, and who blends it with the physical dealership environment. People will always want to see cars and touch cars, that’s why we’re in the industry. But blending digital and physical together will be one of the biggest challenges for automotive retailers.

We’ll have people outside the industry sharing best practice...

Jeremy Hicks (Jaguar Land Rover) says: Do I think there should be opportunities to expose ourselves to best practice? Yes, I really, really do – and particularly best practice from outside our industry, because it’s a very small world. I have recently done a lot of work just looking and talking to other parallel industries, and the insight you get is very good.

#CDX15

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dashboard. car dealer conference & AUTOMOTIVE expo: JUNE 9, 2015

Breakout Sessions As well as the workshops, there will be four breakout sessions in the afternoon. These are a mix of open-to-all and invitation-only sessions, and will include the following:

Top 150 Dealers On Twitter

Find out before anyone else who has made the Most Influential Dealers On Twitter list this year. We’ll be inviting every dealer who has made it into our top 150, we’ll hand out some special awards and there will be an exclusive Q&A session with a representative from Twitter and Google’s Scott Sinclair.

Women In The Motor Industry

This unique, invitation-only session will see leading women in the motor industry give inspiring speeches and offer others a chance to network. Two exclusive talks from a leading franchised dealer boss and independent dealer will form key parts of this females-only session.

Car Dealer Q&A Manufacturer Panel

This open session will see four manufacturer bosses give their bestpractice tips and opinions on pertinent topics. Already signed up to appear are Ken Ramirez of Renault-Dacia and Lance Bradley of Mitsubishi.

This session will also take questions from the audience.

Car Dealer Q&A Dealer Panel

Another open session, which will see four of the UK’s leading car dealer group bosses discuss topical subjects and give their advice. We’re keeping their names under wraps for now but we can guarantee that they’re big players and you won’t be disappointed.

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Automotive Expo CAR DEALER Magazine is a passionate believer that the UK automotive industry is crying out for an event of this type.

That’s why we’ve been working hard with suppliers from across the industry to help them showcase their products and services to dealers at this event.

With a footprint that is three times the size of last year’s Conference, for dealers the Expo will be the perfect place to see what around 100 suppliers to the motor trade have to offer, giving you the chance to compare your current supplier with the competition. We know how tough it can be to arrange time in your diary to see suppliers, which is why the Expo – where they are all in one place – is the perfect place and time to do business.

Sign up online for free at – bit.ly/CarDealerConf

Sign up for Bangers4BEN we’ll be launching the annual fun trek across the continent, and you’ll have the opportunity to be the first to sign up.

#CDX15

Dealer and Manufacturer Meeting Space We have limited dedicated rooms for dealer groups and manufacturers to hold national meetings. If you can sign up a minimum of 50 delegates to the event, we can offer you a free room at Silverstone to host your meeting while your staff can also enjoy the Conference & Expo. This offer is completely free and on a first-come, first-served basis. Please contact james@blackballmedia.co.uk for more details.

Timetable 8am

Expo opens – breakfast

9am

Keynote speaker Steve Fowler (Auto Express)

9.20am

Keynote speaker Ken Ramirez (Renault-Dacia)

9.40am

Keynote speaker Tim Smith (GForces)

10am

Dealer group and manufacturer franchise meetings Workshops Session One x4, half an hour each

10.45am

Workshops Session Two x4, half an hour each

11.30am

Workshops Session Three x4, half an hour each

Suppliers – why you must be there!

Car Dealer Magazine wants to work with the industry to create a networking and educational event that works for the whole automotive industry.

We truly believe that if we can work together on this, we can create a lasting Expo that will become a key annual event. Having seen the popularity and brilliance of NADA, we know the motor trade here is desperate for something of a similar style, albeit UK-sized!

With this in mind, we want as many suppliers to exhibit as we can fit into the Expo area. Well over half of the spaces have already been snapped up. But we have flexible space available for exhibitors and prices for stands start from as little as £495, with a variety of options to suit the demands of even the largest exhibitors.

If you’d like to talk about these options in more detail please do not hesitate to call a member of the Car Dealer team on (023) 9252 2434 or email us at events@blackballmedia.co.uk

Midday

Lunch & Expo

1.45pm

Breakout Sessions x4, differing lengths Workshops Session One Re-run

2.30pm

Workshops Session Two Re-run

3.15pm

Workshops Session Three Re-run

4pm

Dealer and manufacturer Q&A panels

4.45pm

Keynote speaker Scott Sinclair (Google)

5.10pm

Keynote speaker Georgina Parnell (Twitter)

5.30pm Close

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dashboard. car dealer conference & AUTOMOTIVE expo: JUNE 9, 2015

Workshop sessions 10am & 1.45pm

(all sessions are repeated in the afternoon)

Point-of-sale finance in the digital age

The way customers finance their vehicles is changing.

Blackhorse will give a masterclass on how to harness your technology to keep pace

Understanding your digital customer

iVendi will show you how to best use the many streams of customer data now available

The customer journey

Motors will explain how to ensure you get the most from your marketing spend

Know your customers

CAP knows everything when it comes to making the most of key data. It’ll be sharing its knowledge

10.45am & 2.30pm

11.30am & 3.15pm

How to protect your dealership

Write-offs, repos and other cons

Former British security service staff will be talking about some of the current scams facing dealers from criminal gangs, and show how you can protect your business against criminals, insider threats and thefts of intellectual property rights

Lead generation masterclass

The Auto Network will show how lead generation can be a crucial weapon in every dealer’s arsenal

The power of customer reviews

Like ’em or loathe ’em, they’re a big part of the business these days – and the RAC will be explaining how to use them to the best advantage, even the negative ones...

Employment law

Using video to sell the modern dealership

It’s a minefield out there. Lawgistics experts will explain the most common pitfalls – and how to avoid them...

Experts from CitNOW will explain why everyone should be using personalised video to communicate with customers

Right Stock, Right Channel, Right Profit

The next generation of websites

Manheim will be hosting an interactive session on sourcing the best stock

Educate the industry We will be holding 12 workshop sessions on the day, which are all designed to educate and inform dealers on the latest trends. These will be held in the morning and repeated in the afternoon.

All workshop sessions are free to attend and can be booked in advance, or you can simply turn up on the day and choose which you’d like to visit. However, we expect these to be very popular and entry will be on a first-come, firstserved basis.

Speakers have been selected from a host of companies who are experts in their respective fields. And don’t fear, there will be categorically no selling in these sessions – they have all been designed to educate you.

��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

HPI will explain what to look out for so that you don’t get stuck with the wrong car – and what to do if you do...

Interactive 360 content, VR, HD images and video... technology changes every day, and GForces will be explaining why you can’t afford to be left behind and what customers expect to see on your site these days

Full details of all these will be revealed in coming issues of Car Dealer and exclusively on our website. Contents and sessions are subject to change.

Sign up online for free at – bit.ly/CarDealerConf

Keynote speakers Georgina Parnell Twitter

TWITTER has signed up to deliver a special workshop session.

Georgina Parnell, who works for Twitter UK with car manufacturers and dealers, will deliver a session explaining how dealers can make more sales using the social media network.

She will also attend the Top 150 Dealers On Twitter breakout session and will take questions from the invited guests.

This will be an exclusive opportunity only offered to dealers who made it into Car Dealer’s Most Influential Dealers On Twitter Top 150, which will revealed first at the Conference & Expo.

Parnell has worked at Haymarket, The Guardian and helped launch 4OD at Channel 4 before a stint at YouTube led to her joining the Twitter team.

Car Dealer met her counterpart, Robert Pietsch, who delivered a similar workshop at the NADA Convention in San Francisco.

Parnell will be using the basis of his speech and tailoring it to the UK car market.

Scott Sinclair

Google, industry manager

Scott’s a much-sought-after speaker as he gives dealers his special insight into all things Google. Anyone who misses one of his talks is missing a trick...

Ken Ramirez Renault Dacia, managing director

Since being appointed managing director in February 2013, he has overseen an unprecedented doubling of the group volume and the launch of the Dacia brand to critical acclaim. Renault’s sales and Dacia’s sales grew 44 per cent and 39 per cent respectively last year and his dealers are delighted with the new brand’s success.

Using no-nonsense advertising and plain sales techniques, Dacia has caught the car-buying public’s imagination. Hear how Ken and his team did it – and how the lessons they learnt can inspire you.

Tim Smith

GForces, group strategy director

Steve Fowler

Auto Express & Car Buyer, editor-in-chief

Tim will speak about how embracing a data-driven digital culture enables motor retailers to thrive in this era of the connected consumer. He will give examples of how many motor retailers are developing their processes to not only adopt new technology, but to successfully apply it and drive significant results from their digital dealerships.

Steve has had an illustrious career in journalism and is one of the wider media’s go-to experts for comment on all things automotive.

Formerly editor of Autocar and WhatCar?, Steve is now in charge of the biggest-selling weekly car magazine in the UK, Auto Express, and its sister website, Car Buyer. In his keynote speech he’ll be using data gleaned from his magazine’s annual Driver Power survey of 30,000 car buyers to tell you exactly what current consumers want from their dealers.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 85

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DASHBOARD. MITSUBISHI

‘Why PHEV is the right car for me’ A MITSUBISHI dealership in Bridgend features in a new video campaign for the Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV). Nathaniel Cars Mitsubishi provides the backdrop for the video in which accountant Stephen Griffiths explains why he opted for an Outlander PHEV and why he advises clients to do the same.

Stephen, director of DWA Accountants, got his vehicle from Nathaniel Cars Mitsubishi.

He said: ‘It’s a great vehicle for a business owner, whether you’re a sole trader or a limited company.’

VINES

Twelfth year of partnership THE Vines BMW Group has renewed its contract with Accident Exchange for the fifth time and is now entering the twelfth year of its partnership with the accident management firm.

The new contract will mean that Accident Exchange will continue to look after Vines BMW and Mini customers at least until the end of 2016.

TOYOTA

Bike ride boost for Comic Relief A TEAM from RRG Toyota Bury swapped cars for bikes to undertake a sponsored bike ride of 891 miles – the distance from Land’s End to John O’Groats – in aid of Comic Relief. The launch of the ride saw members of Bury FC visit the dealership to get the proceedings under way. The team installed a stationary bike in the dealership, where employees took turns to clock up the miles.

Industry hitting back over demonisation of diesel bit.ly/diesel-drive

New ‘Smart Finger’ campaign proves instant success HAVE you seen Mr Smart Finger, the new star of the TV ads for Motors.co.uk?

It is part of the business’ biggest-ever media advertising campaign.

And Mr Finger will soon be joined by Mrs F and Ms F. The early indications are the humorous characters are leading viewers to the site, as web traffic and leads leapt immediately.

On the first day the ad was screened, views were close to record levels. The ad will be shown on all the major networks, including a spot in the Coronation Street commercial break, one of the most expensive slots in the UK. The first in the series of fun storylines introduces Mr Smart Finger as he taps his way to his perfect car using the Motors.co.uk ‘Smart Search’ tool.

Seat dealerships undergoing major refurbishment projects ‘Spend a bit of money on bricks, mortar and nice desks and it pays back’

S

eat dealerships around the country are undergoing a complete refurbishment – the first freshening-up of the corporate identity for 14 years.

We caught up with Seat UK director Neil Williamson in Geneva, and he was excited about the rebranding programme. And he said the manufacturer would be helping out with the cost.

He told us: ‘In the UK, we are just embarking on a complete refresh of our dealers’ look and feel, our corporate identity – we haven’t changed it for 14 years, and if I’m honest, some are looking a little bit tired.

‘I’m not saying they’re not in good condition, just that they are a bit dated – if you have a 14-yearold kitchen, it’s going to look a bit ordinary. The new look is very white, it’s very red, very Mediterranean colours, and the exterior is very different.

by Becca Chaplin @BelieveBecca

‘I went to the second new one the other week, JCT600 in Bradford, a brand-new refurbishment of that business, and it looks amazing – it’s clean, it’s white, it’s sharp, it feels warm inside, and the people who work there love it. At the launch event, the customers loved it. It matches the cars – the cars are great, up-to-the-minute, really stylish.

‘I used to be a car dealer, so I know what it’s like running car businesses at the sharp end, and when you refurbish, immediately your staff feel better about themselves – they feel as if there’s a future, that the business is investing in them, they have a nicer working environment, their colleagues feel better about themselves. They’re more on their toes, feel sharper about life, and guess what – they sell more cars.

‘They’re better at servicing cars.

‘Customers come in and say “ooh, it’s nice here, the coffee’s better, the chairs are better” and they feel better about life, and all those aspects work off each other. You see an increase in customer satisfaction scores, and an increase in all the classic KPIs – it just feels a better place to be.

‘It seems crazy, you’ll spend a bit of money on bricks and mortar and nice desks, but it pays back, and pays back quickly – you get an immediate win out of it. We’re helping dealers with the cost. We’re a brand with a certain cloth to cut.

‘The average cost per site is about £70,000 for a full refurb, and we’re paying half of that, which is really quite generous. We’re being sensible about it – ask the dealers, they’ll tell you what they think. We’re less on the hi-tech side, like Audi and our sister brands which are right up there, we’re more traditional but very sharp.’

Glimpse of the future, p19 CarDealerMag.co.uk | 87

FEATURE. interview: prestige diesels Alexis Cassey and Scott Shilcock in their showroom

Prestige by name, prestige by nature Alexis Cassey and Scott Shilcock always wanted to do things differently. And their approach has already netted them a major award. REBECCA CHAPLIN pops along to find out more... ��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

“

In the first six months we were scratching a living and then gradually we were working until 9pm, seven days a week

I

t’s the little things in life which can decide your fate. Success and failure often hang in the balance of how far you are willing to go to ensure something is perfect.

This is no more prevalent than when you are running a small dealership with a very niche type of stock. These details can swing a customer’s decision, make them feel confident in your sale, in the car and happy in the knowledge they could return it without any issues if something were to go wrong with the car. These are the issues constantly playing on the minds of the team at Prestige Diesels.

This pair of perfectionists, Alexis Cassey

and Scott Shilcock, have proved their way of doing business really does work. Last year they nabbed the title of the Best Used Car Dealer Under 50 Cars at our Used Car Awards, despite coming from a ‘horrible little industrial estate in Portsmouth’, as Cassey jokes.

As you step into the dealership you’d be forgiven for thinking this actually was a jewellers, as the cars are lined up like gleaming gemstones once they’ve had the Prestige Diesels treatment. If you haven’t heard his story yet, and if you’ve met Shilcock we’re sure you have, he was a jeweller in a previous life and he’s carried over this attention to detail into his new career.

The pair took a chance and started their own independent dealership four years ago. They made the decision to do things their own way and, from what we can see, it’s certainly working.

‘We cannot fail at this, we have to make it work,’ explained Cassey.

You may also recognise the name Prestige Diesels as Cassey has been making some noise on Twitter and shaking up the motor-trade Tweeters with her surprise entrance to the last Car Dealer Top 100 Dealers on Twitter, placing second.

We took the trip, not too far from Car Dealer Towers, to see just what all the fuss was about.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 89

FEATURE. interview: prestige diesels

WHY PRESTIGE DIESELS? It might seem like a strange niche to get into, but it made sense to the pair when they set up the business back in 2010 and has paid off since.

It was the start of the recession and the choice came partly from rational thinking and partly from a passion for this breed of car.

Shilcock said: ‘I thought “what do I want to do and who is going to buy those cars?”. I didn’t want to start with the older cars because I’d done all that before. I wanted to sell to people I thought might have the money to buy the car at that time.

‘I thought, who’s got money? Generally people in a professional job, who work for a big company and their jobs are safe. They’ve probably got a family and they’ve got a reasonable income.

‘What would those people buy? Well, most of them are going to buy something which is a little bit better quality – probably a German car – and they’re probably going to go diesel because ��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

it’s more affordable to run as well as lower on emissions, so cheaper on road tax.

‘I just wanted, as well, to sell something I liked.

I can’t sell things that I don’t believe in, I struggle with that.’

Despite starting in the jewellery trade, Shilcock had experience selling cars before he decided to set up Prestige Diesels with Cassey.

‘I was asked if I wanted to try car sales and I did that for five years and then moved into a partnership for nine years. Then the site was redeveloped and I had to make a move so I started up on my own, where I could do things my way,’ he explained.

To get Prestige Diesels up and running, Cassey and Shilcock had to show real determination, but it was the change they both needed. Cassey had also come from sales, but in IT. It was pure coincidence that the couple, who had been together for just over a year at the time, were both looking for a new direction.

‘I did really well in the IT industry for about

“

We don’t want to grow too much, we want to offer a tailored service.

10 years, I was earning about four times as much as we do here, but it was relentless,’ Cassey told us. ‘I was doing 60,000 miles a year, I was getting targets for around £2million to £3million a month at the end. It was too much, I was coming home at night and phoning my mum – after driving back from Norfolk at nine o’clock at night and having to get up at five the next morning – in tears. I said I can’t do this any more. Luck would have it that Scott was leaving his place at the same time and it just worked out.’

However, when they say it just worked out, it was actually only the start of a major overhaul of the site you can see now. They shared the workload to get the dealership to this glowing standard but that meant late nights, dedication and no time apart for the pair.

Cassey explained: ‘We gutted this showroom – we were here together until 11 o’clock at night.

There were rooms we took out, and we spent two weeks painting the room ourselves. Scott went skiing for the weekend and I designed the logo!’

Shilcock explained: ‘When we first started, I think we had five or six cars. I had a small overflow of cars from the last garage and we split it between myself and someone else.

Then I started with them and the small amount of cash we had left. In the first six months we were scratching a living and then gradually we were working until nine o’clock at night, seven days a week.’

GETTING A WORD IN EDGEWAYS To say Shilcock and Cassey are talkative would be the understatement of the century, but it’s more than just their nature, it actually helps them sell cars. If you’ve ever spoken to the pair, you’ll know “so back to what I was originally saying” is a favourite phrase.

‘It’s an ongoing joke that Scott and I will spend four or five hours on the phone to someone!’ said Cassey.

Thanks to this attitude and their dedication to keeping the customer happy, the secret shopper call, which was made to all the finalists, won the pair the award for the Best Used Car Dealership Under 50 Cars.

‘We’re not cheating, lying people,’ continued Cassey. ‘We’re very honest about what we do and I think that comes across in the video of when they made the phone call in the UCA Awards secret shopper.

‘I think some people in the car trade are out to make as much money as they can and, for our own stupidity as much as we need to make some money, we seem to spend more of our time trying to please people and make sure somebody walks out of here thinking they have had the best experience they’ve ever had.

‘I think that shows in our reviews. People will write the nicest reviews and we don’t ask them to.’

Reminiscing about a night when all she really wanted to do was go home, but Shilcock refused

to get off the phone and risk letting a customer down, she said: ‘The first night we got the mystery shopper call, Scott was supposed to call him back but he couldn’t, so Scott called up at 6.30 the next night apologising it was so late.

‘As he was talking to the customer at the end of the showroom, I can hear he’s doing his “I used to be in the jewellery trade” and “we started this showroom” – he gets all his quotes out. This is what Scott’s like, he likes to tell you everything, but it was 7.30 and Danny and I just wanted to go home. I got really annoyed and said “I’m going now” and lo and behold that was the phone call that won us the award!’

Shilcock explained: ‘When I got off the phone, Danny said “You’ve been on the phone for nearly an hour” and I said “of course, it was a customer”.

‘All my calls are like that, because customers can read between the lines. I find you need to give them the picture of who you are, what you do, what they can expect from you and sometimes – not every time – I bring up that I used to work in the jewellery trade.’

Again, for Shilcock the details have to be right.

Even when Prestige Diesels aren’t doing the work themselves, he’s unwilling to let another garage ruin the customer’s experience or their reputation.

‘I’ve had to phone garages to do some work on a customer’s car up north. I don’t really know any garages up there so I have to phone round and look on the internet, trying to find a garage within the customer’s area that specialises in that particular car,’ said Shilcock.

He explained: ‘I’ll phone up the first garage and one might go “all right A&B Motors” and I’ll explain the job. They’re response is “well, a job like that, it’s probably six or seven hundred quid, mate”. And you know they’re not the people you want to deal with.

‘Firstly, I don’t trust them and, secondly, I’m not sending my customer there. So I might make five or six calls until someone picks up the phone and says ‘Good afternoon, this is A&B Garage’.

CUSTOMER SERVICE Customer satisfaction takes top billing at the Portsmouth-based dealership. Take a look through the reviews of Prestige Diesels on their website or on Auto Trader and they all shine, which admittedly has caused some issues for the dealership.

Cassey said: ‘Auto Trader told us the reason our reviews weren’t looking that great is because we didn’t have any three- or four-star reviews, they’re all brilliant, they’re all fives, and people don’t buy into that.

‘Well, I can’t go and ask our customers to write a four-star review because they don’t want to, they genuinely believe they’ve bought the nicest car with the best warranty. We’ve even asked customers who have had an issue and have had it repaired if they could leave a review saying they had a problem and CarDealerMag.co.uk | 91

FEATURE. interview: prestige diesels

we dealt with it – and they won’t,’ said Shilcock.

‘One of them said “and thanks for all your help today” which was as much as they would say.’

Prestige Diesels have tried to set themselves apart from the rest of the pack. As they explain the intricacies of what they do here, it’s clear they won’t leave anything to chance.

‘We always said that when we started this we wanted to be different to everyone else,’ said Cassey. ‘The idea is that we don’t want to grow too much, we want to offer a tailored service. And it is a tailored service, over and above.

‘If I can pick up somebody’s car in the morning because they need an MoT and drop it off in the evening, we’ll do it.’

Cassey added: ‘We’ve only ever had one customer we’ve fallen out with and I really think, for a car dealership to be able to say that, that’s pretty impressive – because how many dealerships burn customers daily?’

Shilcock admitted they do have to put in the hours, as a small team dedicated to customer satisfaction. But as customers will travel from all around the country, or even abroad, to make the sale, they have to be there.

He said: ‘I’ve been there until half seven on a Sunday night to sell a car.

‘Most of our customers travel a long distance to come to us, we don’t actually have a huge amount of local business.

‘We’ve had customers from Scotland and the furthest-travelling customer was from Germany.

He was an English guy but living in Germany.

He has bought two cars from us – a Golf first, and then he returned a year later for a BMW 330 diesel, which he still has and still loves!’ ��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

PERFECTION IN EVERY ASPECT OF THE BUSINESS Spotting the small stuff is in Shilcock’s genes. As you may have heard once or twice, he used to work in the jewellery trade. He told us: ‘My mum and dad have a jewellery business. We had four shops in the local area. I think that’s where my attention to detail comes from.’

We think he might be right.

He talked us through the selling process, which is more than rigorous, but ensures that everything is spot on. Cassey had admitted to us they’re both worriers, and by spending extra time finishing everything to the highest standard and bolting on a 15-month warranty, it gives them, as well as the customer, peace of mind.

Shilcock talked us through the cars in the showroom, explaining: ‘This car here, most people would just wash and wax. But we don’t, we’ll get all the debris off the paintwork using clay bars, and scratches are not flattened with

“

We always said we wanted to be different to everyone else. paper. They’re all three-stage mopped to polish the paintwork and make it shine.

‘This car here had been painted by a main dealer and the paint had sunk and looked dull.

We had to flatten the whole of that and polish it.’

The pair dare to be different and they’re not afraid to admit what they’ve had to do to the car: ‘A lot of car dealers won’t walk round cars and say they’ve had bits painted or had the wheels done.

They’ll say it’s a lovely car and in a way they’re kidding the customer that it came in like that.

Reporter Rebecca interviews Alexis, Scott and their dog George. Below, the proud couple at the big night at the Used Car Awards

They do that because they don’t trust that the customer will understand. So when I speak to a customer I am more than happy to say what I’ve had done to a car.’

TWITTER TOP SPOT ‘Oh I’m gunning for Perrys!’ Cassey tells us.

Don’t worry, there’s not interdealer war under way, but when it comes to the Car Dealer Top 100 Dealers on Twitter, Prestige Diesels are preparing to steal the top spot from the dealer group.

Cassey is the person behind the dealership’s Twitter account. She joined the social media network less than a year ago and went from a noshow on the list to second place – and the top independent dealer.

On the morning we released

the list, I had the pleasure of calling her to tell her. ‘Everyone just started tweeting me and I never thought little-old-us would place so high!’ she told me on the day. And she came out with one of my favourite dealer quotes of 2014: ‘I think I will be going to The Priory by the end of this year for Twitter addiction...’

Even as we’re sat chatting in the Prestige Diesels office, Cassey has to keep checking her Twitter updates, which are relentless. Although her tactics are strictly confidential, she admitted: ‘I’m on it constantly and I don’t mind telling people that because I don’t want them to think it’s easy. It takes dedication and you have to be prepared to work at it.’

The Top 100 Dealers on Twitter is calculated using scores from Klout.com, which is based on your influence on the social media platform.

But is there any chance Cassey

will slip before this is totted up once again? The short answer: ‘No chance!’ She joked: ‘The others haven’t got a hope in hell because what other idiot will be up until 1am on Twitter?

As a woman in a male-dominated industry, we had to ask, does it help or hinder her sales?

‘I find it easier, especially when you know what you’re talking about. You’ll have a customer who won’t believe in you and when I start giving them all the facts they realise I really know my stuff, which makes me really pleased,’ she explained.

‘I’ll give you an example. We started using a new supplier the other day and we took a car round there and when I went to pay he said “don’t worry, let the boss man settle up later”. So I just turned around and said that’s okay, because I’m the bigger boss”.’

To see how where Prestige Diesels have placed in this year’s Top 150 Car Dealers on Twitter, you’ll need to be at Car Dealer Expo & Conference at Silverstone on June 9. We’ll be announcing the top scorers at our Twitter breakout session. [CD] CarDealerMag.co.uk | 93

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��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

trading up.

We’re down but not out Our charity work has stalled a touch – but we are determined to bounce back, says ANDY ENTWISTLE

I

won’t lie to you, on a couple of occasions this month I’ve nearly thrown in the towel. However, that’s not our style here at Car Dealer and we are trying to do our bit for Great Ormond Street, so despite a series of incidents which have really tested my resolve, I have resolutely stood firm.

Firstly, I received an email from the buyer of a car we sold six months ago to say the engine had blown up.

Despite him being well aware of what we were trying to achieve, he insisted he considered me a trader and wanted me to make good. He wanted £2,500 for a new engine or he would take us to court.

A quick call to our friends Lawgistics confirmed that despite what we were doing, the fact we were making profit (even if it is a charity event) meant a court would likely see us as trading.

When we sold the car, we gave the buyer a warranty courtesy of Auto Protect, but the buyer was refusing to have any

investigative work done unless we paid. Stalemate and a lot of stress.

After a lot of back and forth, we decided to negotiate with the buyer and settled on £1,000 – so our thanks are due to Lawgistics, who helped save us potentially an even bigger bill. Also thanks go to Auto Protect, who then offered to go 50-50 with us on this as a gesture of goodwill for the charity, so what could have wiped out all our profit has just been a small knockback.

The Land Rover has now also gone. We traded this out to get some cash back, and despite Harwoods throwing the kitchen sink at it, we simply could not work out why it was down on power. The only thing that happened is we had a head fitted. My advice based on this saga is to go for a new or recon Land Rover head as we’ve lost a lot of money here, despite Harwoods not charging us a penny for all the hours of labour they put in. Finally, we’re

still waiting for the goodwill gesture Subaru promised us to come good. I’m sure it will, and it’s only a matter of sorting out the details, but until they do we lost on that too, so we’re down about £1,500 this month, which hurts.

We seem to have better luck with older vehicles, so until we can start to afford some seriously newer kit, I’ve picked up two new pieces of stock which I will assess and see if they are suitable for making a few quid for Trading Up. First up is a 2000 ML320, fully loaded and, although a few miles north of 100k, it’s been in the same family for ten years, is a good colour – which is important on older Mercs – and well loaded.

I also picked up a car from my youth, a very rare Mk1 Renault Clio 16v. This is a one-owner car and despite a few electrical niggles and in need of some cleaning up, mechanically it seems excellent. I love these cars and they are becoming very rare now – in fact, I can’t find another original, unmolested one for sale on the interweb. I’m not expecting a huge profit from these, but after our run of bad luck, if I can get £500 on each, it will put us back to where we were around Christmas time!

STORY SO FAR...

Suzuki Vitara Paid: £1,500 Spent: £300 Sold: £1,950 Toyota Rav4 Paid: £2,000 Spent: £200 Sold: £3,000 Mazda MX5 Paid: £1,500 Spent: £200 Sold: £1,900 Jaguar XJS Paid: £2,200 Spent: £0 Sold: £2,600 Audi A6 Allroad Paid: £2,250 Spent: £500 Sold: £2,650 Ford Fiesta XR2 Paid: £1,900 Spent: £250 Sold: £2,650 Land Rover Discovery Paid: £3,600 Spent: £1,500 Sold: £3,500 Subaru Impreza Paid: £1,600 Spent: £650 Sold: £2,250

Total £350

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• Uninsured Driver Cover CarDealerMag.co.uk | 95

��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

REAL DEALS.

Goodness gracious Mia – it’s no looker, but it’s a funky city runaround ANDY ENTWISTLE finds a car he’s never heard of – and there’s plenty to be impressed by...

C

entrally-placed driver’s seat? Check.

Electric power train? Check. Designed

by ex-Bertone designer? Check. This month’s real deal has all the hallmarks you would expect to find from the latest breed of exotic supercars – specifically those that come from near Woking. However, the price point is a little more Walmart than Woking.

This is no McLaren, despite it sharing not only its styling cues and power train but also its rarity.

This is a Mia electric car. Nope, I hadn’t heard of them either until I found this on a trade website.

Mia is a German-backed French car manufacturer, specialising in electric vehicles, and it has some pretty impressive provenance, with senior design staff from VW and Bertone on board. It’s hard to see what happened to its design skills along the way, as this is no looker.

But its three-seat layout is exceptionally practical, both rear passengers have legroom normally found only in business class and the sliding doors mean it’s easy to get in and out of.

The Mia is a fully-electric vehicle, with a rear-

mounted motor knocking out 24bhp and a flat 58nm of torque from 0 to 5,000 rpm, which takes the car up to a top speed of 66mph.

Impressively, the Mia can be fully charged in under five hours from a standard three-pin socket and has an express charge feature, giving five miles of range in just ten minutes. The battery is also warrantied for 70k and, being electric, servicing charges will be minimal.

At only 80p per 100km, the Mia’s running costs are low, too. The car’s light weight keeps down power consumption and at those kind of costs, for the price of two full tanks in a regular hatch you can cover 6,000 miles in this car.

I spoke to Phil Wight of Philip Wight Motor Company of Watford, who currently has this car for sale. He’s been buying and selling more of the unusual electric stuff for a while now and he explained that most of it goes into London – something like this is likely to end up in

Running costs are very impressive Fulham or Kensington. They are often bought by companies rather than individuals, and I can see that this is where the Mia could be perfect.

Measuring only 2.87m in length, the Mia offers great manoeuvrability in city-centre traffic and its tight turning radius (4.30m) makes it ideal for tight spaces. And at only 840kg, with an 18kw motor, the Mia will deliver a comfortable 80-mile range on a charge.

Perfect for the school run (no kids arguing about who rides shotgun) or a private taxi or corporate runabout, the Mia makes sense in the centre of town, when legroom is more important than fitting five in a car!

This 2013 model has already taken its big hit depreciation-wise and seems like a bargain at £8k. If you fancy something a little different as an advertisement for your business, maybe a cheap courtesy car or something to run customers to and from the station, this could be right up your street. Give Phil a call on 01923 220000.

One seat in the front, two in the back – no moans from the kids about who rides shotgun CarDealerMag.co.uk | 97

FINANCE. BLACK HORSE

Net lending growth hits £6.8 billion BLACK HORSE, one of the UK’s leading motor finance providers and part of Lloyds Banking Group, has reported a year-onyear net lending growth of 45 per cent to £6.8 billion for 2014, making it its strongest year yet.

The growth was driven by new partnerships including Jaguar Land Rover and overall strong performance across the underlying business.

Black Horse also added 275,000 customers across its motor, bike and leisure business and continued to invest heavily in its digital offering.

This, it says, has provided better finance systems for its dealers, focusing on swift payments to them so that consumers can receive their vehicle of choice in a quick and efficient manner. Chris Sutton, the managing director of Black Horse, said: ‘We continue to report strong growth and are proud of the progress we have made in 2014.

‘Our progress has been driven by new business growth, meeting strong consumer demand for new and used cars, bikes and motorhomes, offering competitively-priced finance and working closely with motor manufacturers and our dealer community.

‘We will continue to work hard to refine our service and products.’

��| CarDealerMag.co.uk

Used car PCPs are seen as helping to level playing field New models have often been more affordable, causing many problems

P

roblems for used car retailers competing with very affordable new car deals will be overturned by a new breed of dealer finance product – the used car PCP. That’s the message from CAP Automotive, the leading independent car information experts.

Massive growth in new car registrations over recent years has been largely fuelled by low-cost personal contract purchase schemes, enabling more private motorists to afford a new car than ever before.

But this has come at a cost for many dealers, who report difficulty in selling younger used cars without painful discounting that eats into profit margins.

This is because the new car is often more affordable through a PCP deal than a nearly-new car is with traditional finance. It has meant a constant worry for franchise dealers who pre-register cars to meet manufacturer targets, because they constantly find themselves carrying late, low-mileage stock that is harder to sell than a new car.

For independent used car dealers, the growth in new car registrations has sucked motorists’ attention away from nearly-new cars, making it increasingly difficult to compete with their franchised counterparts.

But the introduction of used car

PCPs, with low- or zero-deposit schemes and more affordable monthly rates, is helping to level the playing field.

Robert Hester, of CAP Automotive, said: ‘The market has been crying out for innovative solutions to the problem of an imbalance between the new and late-used car retail markets, and it looks like the used PCP is the answer. Used car dealers are excited about it because they are suddenly able to compete more effectively after struggling for so long to match the low deposits and monthly payments offered in the new car market.

‘It’s also great news for franchise dealers who previously faced the

problem of shifting nearly-new cars they had registered to qualify for target bonuses and often resorted to something close to distress-selling just to keep stock moving.’

Current used-car PCP deals are offered on cars up to three years old, for a further three years.

They are made possible by CAP’s forecast used car values, which provide a trusted picture of the car’s market value all the way through to the end of the PCP period. This means that the finance provider is secure in the knowledge that it will not lose money on the deal when the car passes back to it for future sale as a standard, older used car.

Consumer car finance volume figures show fall and rise CONSUMER new car finance volumes fell by three per cent in January 2015 compared with the same month in 2014 but remained 11 per cent up in the 12 months to January, according to figures from the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA).

The percentage of private new car

sales financed through dealerships

by FLA members reached a new high of 76.2 per cent in the 12 months to January 2015. Consumer used car finance volumes grew by three per cent in January and by 12 per cent in the 12 months to January 2015.

Geraldine Kilkelly, head of research

and chief economist at the FLA, said: ‘Consumer new car finance volumes over the last 12 months grew at a faster rate than private new car sales, and so we saw a new record high for the market share of dealer car finance. We expect the consumer car finance market to grow in 2015.’

..in association with

DEALFINDER.

Garside

SKODA YETI

Grafting for each other

FAMILY CARS FOR LESS THAN £200 A MONTH

A PRACTICAL, economical car with space for the whole family, the Yeti might not be the prettiest car in the world but Skoda has become a name synonymous with reliability and quality. After all, what buyers are getting is a Volkswagen but for a far more reasonable price.

With a deposit of £5,055.82 customers can now get a Skoda Yeti for just £179 a month.

This is based on a 36-month plan at 2.9 per cent APR. Buyers can choose to pay the optional final payment of £6,883.13, bringing the total amount payable to £18,263 once you have taken into account the £125 acceptance fee and £60 option-topurchase fee.

This is based on the Skoda Yeti S 1.2 TSI, with a recommended on-the-road price of £17,450. Those looking for more off-road capability can go for a higher-spec SUV model priced from £19,895.

CITROEN C3 PICASSO CITROEN is currently offering zero per cent APR on its C3 and C3 Picasso, but buyers choosing to take a plan with 4.9 per cent APR will be able to take advantage of the £2,750 deposit contribution from the French manufacturer. Citroen’s latest C3 Picasso has finally got some style, although it might not be to everyone’s taste. It does, however, have a roomy interior and large boot.

One issue with the C3 Picasso is it doesn’t come with stability control as standard on the entry-level VT specification, so buyers would be wise to opt for the slightly more expensive VT+.

However, based on this example, you can

get the C3 Picasso VTi 95 manual VTR+ for 35 monthly payments of just £169.

This is based on the customer supplying a 15 per cent deposit of £2,279, as well as Citroen’s contribution. The optional final payment is £5,308, bringing the total amount payable to £16,420.

FIAT PANDA FIAT buyers can splash out on a Panda Easy+ 1.2 for no more than £149 a month over a 48-month contract at 4.5 per cent APR. The little Panda has a lot to offer, although the ‘infinite capacity’ listed as one of its characteristics is, we suspect, a

tad unrealistic as it’s a little bit cramped for four adults. However, those purchasing the Easy specification will have all of the gadgets they could want for this reasonable price. Customers will only need to put down a deposit of £149 thanks to Fiat’s contribution of £400.

Typically, the on-the-road price of the Panda would be £10,295 if a customer were to buy it outright, but thanks to a separate offer from Fiat, customers can snap it up for merely £8,995.

Even with this PCP deal, once the optional final payment of £2,409 has been added, it will only cost £9,561.

time is money

I

t’s no secret that I’m a Derby County fan. My social media feeds are full of DCFC. And as this season is drawing to a close, I’ve reflected on recent times.

We’ve had an extremely good season this year and were in the play-off final at Wembley last season. We are currently sitting at the top of the league (hopefully we will still be there when this goes to print), playing a good style of football, with the backing of the board, the fans and most pundits. We should be in the Premier League next year.

Most fans put this success down to the leadership and management style of our head coach/manager.

But the club’s recent success is due to a number of things. Indeed, much of the praise should go to the leaders of the club. The CEO has also worked tirelessly with our head coach to bring in the right players, adding depth and quality to our team.

The players are also working as one, their teamwork is of the highest standard and they are all grafting for each other. The team have a common goal: they all want to succeed and get into the Premier League and they work tirelessly every game for each other and this common goal. This is without talking about the backroom staff, coaches, training and development people and the medical staff who help our players get back from injury. They’re all working together as one great supportive unit.

If we look at the motor trade, a good dealership works just the same as a successful football club. If a dealership has good leadership, a common goal, a good coaching team and a continued development plan then teamwork and success will follow.

How does your team work? What is it missing and would you buy a new season ticket to watch your team work?

‘We should be in the Premier League next year.’

Who is Ben Garside?

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

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 99

EVOLVE TODAY. PROSPER TOMORROW. Introducing our new Product Guide eBook As part of our new Roadmap we’ve launched our Product Guide eBook, available to download today from the Black Horse Dealer Portal.

This innovative tool is designed to help your customers understand our range of finance products in a clear and transparent way, so they can make an informed product choice that is suitable to their needs.

Download our new Product Guide eBook at:

blackhorse.co.uk/dealerportal ���| CarDealerMag.co.uk

big mike.

All Big Mike’s columns are on our website. Enjoy them here bit.ly/bigmike

‘Caveat emptor’ – how true that is on both sides of the business O

kay, so here’s a question. Would you ever, knowingly, sell something to an unsuspecting member of the public, knowing full well that it was broken and may well be only fit for the bin?

If so, would you expect the buyer to give you a fourfigure sum for that item, only to then be faced with the conundrum of rectification or flushing their investment down the loo?

Welcome to my world.

In terms of popularity, car dealers are up there (or are at least perceived to be) with estate agents and bankers. When people ask us at dinner parties what we do, we ‘work in the automotive industry’ or, in my case, specialise in the ‘redistribution of pre-loved horseless carriages to discerning clientele’. When you’re based just outside Solihull, you have to use posh language, after all…

But despite being in this game for nigh on five decades, there’s one thing that continually gets my goat. And it’s the reason why dealer trade-in prices are, commonly, well below market value. We expect a bit of remedial work, some cosmetic enhancement and the car to take up our space and time until we move it on, and that’s often factored into the deal, but we don’t expect to become scrap metal merchants.

It’s common human decency to not deliberately try to rip someone off, yet in just one week recently I’ve encountered four separate chancers trying to trade in cars that were, essentially, dead. I spotted three straightaway but the fourth one, sadly, got me.

The first was an Alfa Romeo with a chattering timing chain, which surprised me as Alfa drivers are, generally, a lovely bunch of people. You could hear it coming a mile off, so when the owner looked surprised when I pointed it out to him, it was one of the worst pieces of ham acting I’d seen since Police Academy. The second car I rejected (and the owner even had the cheek to argue with me, silly cow) was a Ford Ka with rust above the bumper line. Anyone who knows their Kas will be acutely aware that once it’s visible this high up there’s not much Ford left further down, so that, too, was a goner. Car three was a Punto automatic that looked very clean and bright but had clearly been driven to my lot very slowly, as the ‘box was stuck in second and it was in ‘limp home’ mode – did they really think I wouldn’t check the condition of the gearbox on a model that’s renowned for having a fragile automatic?

The fourth one, though, was so well concealed it was clearly a hatchet job, and in any other industry I’m fairly

Big Mike Our man on the inside spills the beans on the car business...

sure I could chase the customer for damages. The model in question was a 2006 Vauxhall Corsa 1.2, not silly on the miles, bright and tidy in and out, and exceptionally clean, even down to a recently steam-cleaned engine bay (I can hear you all telling me I should have known, but believe me, I don’t need telling again).

I did the usual checks, fluid levels, listened very carefully, looked underneath for signs of damage or leaks and found nothing. The customer, a young lady who had turned up with her boyfriend, was very keen on a 2009 Fiesta I had sitting out in prime position, and I did a deal there and then, allowing a fairly generous £2,700 for the Vauxhall on the basis they were happy to pay cash.

As it was late in the day and it was parked out the front, I decided to take the Corsa home that evening and all was

‘There’s no way the owner couldn’t have known about the fault’ going swimmingly – it was as lively as you’d expect a 1.2 Corsa to be (about as happening as sitting at home eating Ready Brek) – until the next day when, on my return, huge plumes of white smoke started to emanate from its Griffinadorned arse. I nursed it back to find that the head gasket had clearly gone – and in spectacular fashion, too.

Both the oil and coolant were the same consistency as the aforementioned Ready Brek but of a slightly sludgier consistency, while the over-pressurised header tank was slowly starting to hose coolant around the inside of the engine bay, hence why the car had obviously been for a bit of a steam-clean before it came in.

When we took it apart, we discovered the head was torqued down way too tightly, and that rather than try to effect a repair, the previous owner had poured in a bottle of magic goo that was trying its best, but failing, to fill the gaping chasm between cylinders two and three. There’s no way the owner couldn’t have known about the fault, a point backed up when, under the passenger seat, I found a carbon copy of an AA report from the previous Sunday, when it had been trailered back from Scotland with ‘suspected head gasket failure’.

That, folks, is fraud. And despite being a car dealer, I don’t very much like it.

Who is Big Mike?

Well, that would be telling. What we do know is he’s had 30 years in the car trade and picked up some incredible tales along the way.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 101

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bAGGOTT.

Have you got our FREE iPad app? Download it here bit.ly/CDMiPad

What I REALLY thought about Geneva – the good, the bad and the bizarre N

ow you might think we’ve gone a little bit Geneva mad this month – and you’d be right.

Some 21 pages of scintillating sentences stitched into palpable paragraphs await you somewhere (depending on where the editor decides to dump me this month) elsewhere inside this magazine. And I’m afraid I’m going to add to those many, many words with my own take on the most important motor show of the year. But bear with me, as I’m going to be stereotypically honest.

The Car Dealer team uses the motor show as the perfect place to gain access to the manufacturer executives that would otherwise take months to set up meetings with.

They’re all in one (albeit massive) place and all up for a chat.

And chat we did. Motor show virgin editor Colin didn’t know what had hit him as he ran around the show like a mad man, staff writer Becca looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights of a massive oncoming car, while I never saw Chris as he was so busy.

Me? Well, my day didn’t start well. I decided to arrive a little later than the usual 7.30am entry mainly to avoid the massive crush of already-sweating and impatient motoring hacks gathering outside the show’s doors that’s an annual occurrence as welcome as whaling. That would be my first mistake. At 10am the traffic outside Geneva was close to escaping an impending disaster in the movie levels. I was tempted to grab a passing biker, steal his wheels and head for the hills. And that was before I saw the queue for the car park, which took an hour-and-a-half to get through. I think I technically parked in France and walked across the border back to the show…

But I needn’t have rushed. The halls were still busy, the cars still shiny and the girls still half undressed. Geneva is a key show for manufacturers because it’s the first of the year in Europe and there was plenty to look at – while on some other stands frankly so little I wondered why on earth the manufacturers in question had shelled out all the money.

Let’s start with the Germans. BMW had, err, a stand.

Mercedes had a REALLY big old car with fewer wheels than the last really big car they had on their stand. Audi had a new R8 that, well, didn’t really blow my socks off. It’s hard to change an absolute classic design (just ask Porsche), and I’m not quite sure if they managed it. Still didn’t stop the Germans sweating over it.

I had a cursory glance around the VW stand, spotted a rather boxy-looking Golf estate that did nothing for me and moved on. Porsche had taken things seriously with its Cayman GT4 – but we’d already seen pictures of that

so it sort of spoilt the surprise. It’s a bit like showing your child a picture of their Christmas presents in the catalogue before you dish them out. Shame Ferrari did the same thing with the 488 GTB. I walked past and it was covered up. I have literally no idea why it was draped in a cloth when the internet was already weighed down with gigabytes of official pictures of it. Italian logic, eh?

I stumbled across the McLaren stand which was in typical Ron Dennis Lock Down Mode, so I couldn’t get anywhere near either of its show stars. The P1 GTR looked a bit, well, yellow and green from where I was stood and I could see absolutely no point in the 675 LT and there was no-one to tell me why I should care, so I walked off.

Jaguar Land Rover had seemingly forgotten there was a show on so bought some cars we’d seen before. And a couple of others it had rubbed over with a flannel. The manufacturer

James ‘...college project that Baggott had been knocked up EDITOR’S NOTE: nice that he had time to swan around, while we were all working our nuts off...

in one hell of a hurry...’ didn’t even hold a press conference… you know when a car firm is dripping in cash when it can do that.

Honda showed off its NSX (at last), which is already starting to look old, while we got our first glance at the Civic Type R. If ever there was a car that deserved a Dog’s Dinner tag it’s this. It’s got more flaps and slits than a box of envelopes and looks half finished. The skirting board that’s tacked around the wheel arches is a true triumph…

Fortunately Ford had an answer. Although the RS looks a little plain, it’s far more stylish than its Japanese rival and the GT looks all worlds of amazing.

It was clear new Aston Martin boss Andy Palmer didn’t like the firm’s Geneva plans when he arrived at Gaydon, because the DBX concept looked like it was a college project that had been knocked up in one hell of a hurry at fear of a sacking. The Vulcan just about fit in Hall 2 and looked, well, a bit green and wingy.

And as I’m now running out of space here’s my fast-paced look at my other highlights: Renault Kadjar – silly name, surprisingly impressive. Kia Sportspace Concept – an Audi estate rival with a sensible price tag. Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 – if we don’t see it in showrooms soon I’ll eat my Converse.

Porsche 911 GT3 RS – woah. Nissan Sway Concept – make the next Micra look like this. Now. And that’s about it.

Geneva wrapped up in probably too many words. Until next year when we’ll write some more…

Who is James Baggott?

He’s the founder of Car Dealer Magazine and managing director of parent company @BlackballMedia, an automotive services provider. He now spends most of his time on Twitter @CarDealerEd and annoying the rest of us.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 103

���| CarDealerMag.co.uk

DASHBOARD.

Lookers sees profits leap and is set for more growth Record sum of £3.8 million given to employees via share scheme

M

otor retailer Lookers’ profits powered ahead during 2014, it has reported, as the buoyant car market boosted its sales and servicing businesses as well as its thriving parts operation.

And the Manchester-based group, which represents manufacturers such as Volkswagen, Ford, Honda, Kia and Nissan across its portfolio of 123 dealerships, said it was confident of further progress during 2015.

Profits leapt from £43.9 million in 2013 to £59.2 million in the 12 months to December 31, 2014.

And revenues rose by almost a quarter to £3.04 billion from £2.46 billion. Pre-tax profits in the motor division rose by 37 per cent year-on-year to £58.3 million.

And the positive results come shortly

after it paid out a record £3.8 million to its employees through its share scheme.

Lookers chief executive Andy Bruce said the firm had raised its annual dividend by 10 per cent to 2.84p per share. He added: ‘The motor division has produced an excellent result and the parts division has made good progress, delivering a strong performance in improving but competitive market conditions. Lookers

is well placed to take advantage of future growth in the new and used car markets as well as increased demand for aftersales and parts.’

It reported that new car sales volumes rose 9.7 per cent in 2014, slightly ahead of the 9.3 per cent increase in total UK new car registrations. Gross profit per unit increased by 4.6 per cent on new retail cars. Used car sales volumes rose 4.4 per cent. Aftersales revenue went up by 5.3 per cent on a like-for-like basis.

Parts division revenue increased by four per cent to £8.4 million. Chairman Phil White reported that the new financial year had started well, with group results to date being ‘in line with expectations’.

And he said he was ‘confident of delivering further growth in 2015’.

Market Insight, p155

acquisition

Vantage adds Skoda to range VANTAGE Motor Group has completed buying David Ian Skoda in Morecambe – its first Skoda dealership.

The move sees Skoda join Toyota, Kia, Citroen, Honda, Hyundai and Lexus in Vantage’s portfolio.

All staff are being retained.

Mark Robinson, managing director of Vantage Motor Group, said: ‘The Skoda brand has gone from strength to strength and its increasing appeal in the eyes of buyers complements the strong values and focus on customer service that are consistent with the Vantage name.’

Heidi Cartledge, head of customer quality and network development for Skoda UK, added: ‘We believe that there is a great fit between these businesses as we have both enjoyed an exciting period of growth built upon delivering great customer service.’

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 105

survey.

Have your say in Car Dealer Our annual survey is easier to complete than ever – but hurry,

W

ell, we’ve had hundreds and hundreds of responses to our annual Car Dealer Power survey – and naturally we’re delighted! The more people that take part, the better the survey represents your views.

As we hope most readers will know by now, the awards aim to discover – and reward – the best manufacturers and suppliers with whom to do business in the UK. In previous editions of the magazine, I pleaded and begged with you all to email the form, and not send it by post. Why? Because some poor bugger would have to sit down and input all that info into the all-powerful Car Dealer Awards Computer – and yes, that poor bugger would be me.

So please log on to CarDealerPower.com and complete the form. It’s a case of the more the merrier. The more entries we receive, the more confident we will be of making sure the winners really deserve their prizes.

There’s a posh dinner and awards ceremony at the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth on Thursday, April 23, where the winners will be revealed.

So, to answer some of the questions you haven’t asked yet‌

Can I say what I really think?

Yes! The beauty of all this is that it’s totally, absolutely anonymous. Car Dealer Magazine is on the side of the car dealer (there’s a clue in the name). So when we discuss the findings over a

HOPE YOU DIDN’T MISS THE SUBTLE NUDGE – ENTERING ONLINE

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���| CarDealerMag.co.uk

Power, but please be quick! the deadline of March 31 is nearly here, says Colin Channon cup of tea (something stronger, probably, with those who haven’t fared so well) we’ll tell them what we found, but not who told us.

And the reason for that is simple. We don’t ask you for your name.

more important than saving the planet) means I don’t have the mind-numbing task of copying and pasting and inputting all that info into our computer. Simply log on to CarDealerPower.com to find the form.

Err… what I REALLY think?

What happens then?

Yes! If you want to praise a supplier but don’t want them to think you’re just brown-nosing, don’t worry. We want your honestly-held thoughts, not your name. And if someone has upset you and you really want to get it off your chest, fire away!

Once we have all the answers – the closing date is March 31, and have we mentioned it’s best to enter via CarDealerPower.com?) – our supercomputer will digest them all and spit out the winners and the losers.

We’ll then invite lots of people to a slap-up meal at the top of the Spinnaker Tower and reveal the winners, and hand over some rather nice shiny trophies.

So how do I let you know my views?

Simples, as those silly-looking meerkats would say. You can get a form in Issue 83 of Car Dealer magazine. But why would you want to tear out pages and wreck your copy of our award-winning magazine? So go online, where it’s quicker, easier, more eco-friendly and, more importantly (yes,

AT

CARDEALERPOWER.COM

Tell me again how I can take part Car Dealer Power?

Come on, pay attention – how many times do I have to tell you that you can find the form at CarDealerPower.com!!

WOULD MAKE LIFE EASIER FOR US...

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 107

focus on.

Auctions

Delivering an unrivalled experience city auction group

WORLD CLASS AUCTION EVENTS Thursday 16th & 30th April 2015 at 10am 1000 CORPORATE VEHICLES

W: cityauctiongroup.com

C

ity Auction Group’s second auction at Rockingham in March was a huge success, selling 300 cars with a total value of £2 million and all in excess of 96 per cent of CAP. In attendance were car supermarkets, franchised dealer groups and independent motor retailers.

Tom Hare, remarketing manager at Semalease, said: ‘We had a very successful second event, selling every vehicle at the worldclass Rockingham venue. We look forward to supporting the fortnightly events from Thursday April 16, 2015.’

Dealers and vendors were treated to a range of new features at the auction, including a corporate vendor lounge, built purposely for VIP corporate vendors in the paddock area with internet access, live digital sale information and complimentary hot food and refreshments.

Poseur tables were also introduced with power points to enable buyers to view the action from their smartphones and tablets effectively, as the sale began, close to the auction rostrum. A bigger

‘‘

auction office with meeting room, which overlooks the live auction, was also available.

Michael Tomalin, managing director of City Auction Group, said: ‘We took on board the comments we received from dealers and vendors after our first auction, so we could deliver an unrivalled auction experience. We introduced revised buyer fees for major motor trade professionals to ensure volume purchasers are rewarded.

‘Now, all operations are under one roof. On arrival, all clients are guided through the racetrack tunnel and then on to the newlyconstructed auction hall reception area for registration and VIP pass approval. There is a new, provisional bid office next to sale office in the auction hall for instant conversion.

Enhanced vehicle movement in the paddock area ensures a seamless flow through the auction hall.’

Full listings for the next auction on April 16 can be viewed at Cityautiongroup.com. For further information, call Michael Tomalin on 07808 791210 or email fleet@cityauctiongroup.com to register a motor trade account and receive updates.

We took on board the comments we have received from dealers and vendors after our first auction.

For details telephone 01536 270280 ���| CarDealerMag.co.uk

25 CORPORATE VENDORS

For further information, centre inspection or remarketing advice at this world class corporate venue please contact Michael Tomalin 07808 791210 or email mt@cityauctiongroup.com

Download our FREE iOS/Android Live Bid and Auction Apps Now Full listings can also be viewed on our website www.cityauctiongroup.com

Mitchell Road, Corby, Northants NN17 5AF

01536 270280

www.cityauctiongroup.com

DASHBOARD. WHATCAR.COM

Website figures top 3.9 million ONLINE activity at whatcar. com is indicating another potentially record-breaking year for car sales.

Visits to the car-buying brand’s website topped 3.9 million in January, with mobile traffic up 23 per cent compared with the same month last year.

The metrics indicate a high degree of buyer intent and follow a standout year in 2014, when sales reached 2.48 million.

Editor Jim Holder said: ‘We are now delivering more leasing leads than ever.’

EXPANSION

Batchelors joins Mitsubishi family A LONG-STANDING familyrun firm in North Yorkshire has expanded to take on the Mitsubishi franchise.

Batchelors of Ripon was founded more than 25 years ago, and managing director Tony Denton, pictured above left with brand manager Reg Thompson, said: ‘I’m very excited to be joining Mitsubishi. Adding Mitsubishi will mean more jobs for the local area and it will increase our turnover.’

SUZUKI

Celerios safety scare is over SUZUKI Celerios are now being returned to customers after a safety recall over the brakes.

The recall related to a possible fault in the brake pedal release mechanism but the company announced that a solution had been found. A shipment of modified brake components for customers’ vehicles has been issued to the dealer network.

ORDER books are now open for the new Mazda MX-5. The first models are rolling off the assembly line at Ujina Plant No.1 in Hiroshima, and while they are destined for the Japanese market,

where sales begin in June, they will arrive in the UK this summer.

It is the fourth generation of the iconic two-seater and the lightest MX-5 since the first generation. The European market

will have the choice of two lightweight petrol engines, delivering 131PS and 160PS. The Mazda MX-5 holds the Guinness World Record for the best-selling two-seater sports car of all time.

Ford mechanic dismissed after speeding in customer’s Focus Dashcam caught culprit in the act after suspicions raised over missing fuel

A

mechanic from a Ford dealership in Morecambe was caught on camera recklessly driving a customer’s car and hitting 118mph.

Customer Wayne Clinning, 42, from Heysham in Lancashire, noticed his Ford Focus ST had lost half a tank of fuel when he took it in for a service at Pye Motors, so decided to turn on his dashcam when he returned the vehicle for further repairs.

When he watched the footage back he was horrified to find a mechanic had taken it out for a joyride. The employee drove it at 56mph in a 30mph zone, up to 84mph in a 40mph zone and 118mph on a 60mph road.

Mr Clinning said in a Daily Mail report: ‘They have violated my trust,

by REBECCA CHAPLIN @BelieveBecca

joy-ridden my car and lied to me.

‘They were just using and abusing my car, flooring it up and down the motorway. I bet this happens all the time and they keep getting away with it.’ However, Pye Motors stated that it was an isolated case and that it had dismissed the apprentice who had been involved.

Director Helen Morley-Pye said: ‘Pye Motors have been trading for over 90 years and as a company we have always prided ourselves on our customer care and service.

‘As a family business, we treat any allegation extremely seriously and the

matter was duly investigated.

‘We apologised immediately to Mr Clinning for the distress caused and we had believed an amicable arrangement had been reached.

‘The apprentice involved was duly disciplined, and dismissed as soon as the facts of the event could be accurately established.’

Ms Morley-Pye added they had been ‘deeply saddened by the reckless behaviour of one member of staff’ who, she said, had brought the company into disrepute.

She stated that Pye Motors had taken steps to ensure the incident could not be repeated, and said they would co-operate fully with the police should they decide to investigate the incident.

Dealer who took 750,000 miles off cars is sentenced A CAR dealer who admitted removing more than 750,000 miles from odometers of vehicles he sold via the internet has been given a suspended jail sentence. An investigation by Northamptonshire trading standards officers resulted in Gershorn Hatinawedu, 39, who

ran a workshop in Geddington Road, Corby, being charged with 17 counts of fraud, according to a report in the Northampton Chronicle and Echo.

Hatinawedu used false identities to buy cars using online auction sites, Northampton Crown Court was told. He then ‘clocked’ them before

selling them on via Auto Trader.

Hatinawedu, of Islay Walk, Corby, is thought to have made £12,000 from it.

He was given an 18-month suspended sentence, ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid work and pay £500 costs, and made subject to a sixmonth curfew between 7pm and 7am.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 109

the grid Top stories, accelerated by you...

SuperUnleaded

is your new motoring service station where you choose what’s important. Like a post? #AccelerateIt up The Grid for others following in your slipstream and help set the starting line up of time-wasting content for everyone else.

Here’s Why Absolutely Everyone Should Love Formula 1

New Ford Focus RS or Honda Civic Type-R – Which Is Best?

The 2015 Formula One season is upon us. We take a look at all the reasons why everyone can’t fail to love the greatest motorsport spectacle in the world.

Visit: sprunl.de/l64v1

With Honda revealing its Civic Type-R, and Ford releasing a few more details about the Focus RS, there was a fight on in Geneva. Here’s how they stack up.

Visit: sprunl.de/dp8j2

Six reasons we love the beautiful Citroen DS by the power of Vine

Dubai Police Release Trailer For Supercar, And It’s Utterly Gorgeous

We like the Citroen DS. A lot. Which is why, after some begging on our part, we enticed Citroen into letting us play with their prized 1961 DS19. We Vined it.

Visit: sprunl.de/gfr8u

UK plod get Astras to drive around. And we feel for them, we really, do. So if you know an officer, do us a favour and don’t, whatever you do, show them this video.

Visit: sprunl.de/nnr8d

Watch The Terrifying Moment Rally Car Crashes Into A Lake

16 Reasons Why Ken Block Is A Tyre Shredding Motoring Demigod

Rally drivers know they’re having a bad day when they end up in a lake… and M-Sport rally duo Ott Tanak and co-driver Raigo Molder did it in VERY scary style.

Visit: sprunl.de/083m6

His Gymkhana videos have amassed more than 300m views. He competes on the World Rally stage. And he’s one cool guy.

Here’s why we love the YouTube legend.

Visit: sprunl.de/kkuq3

Fuel for thought Daily motoring news where you help choose what’s important. From the makers of award winning @CarDealerMag straight out of @BlackballMedia

���| CarDealerMag.co.uk

SuperUnleaded.com facebook.com/superunleaded

twitter.com/SprUnld

Photographer Went To Supercar Dealer And Took LOTS Of Pictures We sent snapper Jonny Fleetwood to Joe Macari Performance Cars, London and he was allowed to wander around aimlessly AND point his camera at pretty things.

Visit: sprunl.de/a6nig

These Car Crash Close Shaves Are Guaranteed To Make You Wince

Realise Parking Problems Aren’t Just Yours And You’ll Feel Better

We’ve seen a few close shaves during our hours spent idly clicking through the internet – but these bad boys take the biscuit. In fact the don’t just take it, they steal the chocolate hob nob right from under our noses and dump it into a giant cup of Oh My God Did You Just See That tea?! Visit: sprunl.de/pwwkf

Parking. It’s that annoying bit that comes at the end of a drive. But remember it’s not just you that hates it. Take a look at this lot, and realise it’s not *your* problem.

Visit: sprunl.de/fexbx

Meet Colin Furze: The Maddest, Baddest Inventor On The Interwebs

Say Hello To The Absolute Worst Drivers In The World

19 Car Tattoo Owners Who Must Be Regretting It Right About Now

Colin is no prawn sandwich-munching funsponge; he’s an utterly bonkers engineer, shed-dweller and inventor of things like the rocket-powered bicycle. We love him.

Visit: sprunl.de/kfatd

Take a look at this long list of automotive morons, who single-handedly make the average driver look like Lewis Hamilton in comparison. We dare you not to laugh.

Visit: sprunl.de/7llai

They might have *sounded* like a good idea after 13 cans of larger, but we’re pretty sure the owners of these car tattoos are probably thinking differently now.

Visit: sprunl.de/0qjg0 CarDealerMag.co.uk | 111

GET YOUR SMART FINGER OUT AND MAXIMISE THE EXPOSURE OF YOUR USED CARS

For more information on how you can reach over 3 million car buyers each month please: • Call 0845 265 6001 • Email sales@motors.co.uk • Visit media.motors.co.uk

SELL CARS THE SMART WAY ���| CarDealerMag.co.uk

dashboard.

Around the world Dealer news from somewhere other than here

CRIMEA

japan

Lada, Russia’s biggest car brand, has reportedly experienced a surge in popularity in Crimea after its annexation by Vladimir Putin’s government. OAO AvtoVAZ, the manufacturer of the vehicles, is said to be enjoying booming demand in the Black Sea peninsula after other firms vacated the area for fear of sanctions.

Yutaka Katayama, the marketing expert who masterminded Nissan’s arrival as a major player in the American car market, has died aged 105. Katayama – known simply as Mr K by thousands of Nissan enthusiasts worldwide – died of heart failure in a Tokyo hospital.

Nissan sent him to the States in 1960 and although his new posting was expected to be something of a dead-end job, he turned the brand into a household name across the country in the years that followed.

USA

A 10-YEAR-OLD boy from Michigan ran over his younger brother in a car stolen from a dealership close to their house in Roscommon, about 200 miles north-west of Detroit. Amazingly, the younger boy, aged nine, survived and was taken to hospital.

A spokesman for the local sheriff’s office said his injuries were not thought to be lifethreatening.

SOUTH AMERICA

JEEP is expanding in Brazil. The company is to start producing the Renegade in the country next month, according to chief executive officer Mike Manley. Jeep is more than trebling the number of dealerships in Brazil to about 90 for when Renegade sales start there, and Manley said he ‘would love’ to have 120 at the end of the year.

INDONESIA

GENERAL Motors is planning to halt vehicle production in Indonesia – a country widely expected to become one of southeast Asia’s fastest-growing car markets – because it is finding the competition from Japanese manufacturers too tough, according to a report in the Financial Times. The company will close its only Indonesian plant in June, the paper said.

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CarDealerMag.co.uk | 113 29/08/2014 09:25

FEATURE.

A

major initiative has been launched to attract bright school-leavers into the automotive industry.

The Independent Garage Association fears that too many people are swayed by Coronation Street and EastEnders, where the motor trade is portrayed as an industry conducted under the railway arches and in portable buildings.

That means teenagers leaving school with an impressive collection of qualifications will turn their attention to a career they feel will offer greater prospects.

But the Independent Garage Association (IGA) hopes to change all that.

It has appointed a local authority and schools liaison officer, who has been tasked with changing the perception of the industry.

Stuart James, director of the IGA, says: ‘Personally, as the trade body, I think we have a duty to promote the motor industry, and to provide awareness of the opportunities it can ���| CarDealerMag.co.uk

We need to prove we’re not like the TV soap characters The independent Garage Association has a far-reaching remit. In the next few pages, we explore its aims and its duties. One of its priorities is to ensure more bright school-leavers enter our industry – and it has big plans to do just that, as COLIN CHANNON discovers offer for young people. From the feedback we have received, for young people the impression of the motor industry is going backwards and government cuts have cut down on the number of career advice offices, and schools don’t understand the industry.

‘Teachers giving career advice don’t know the motor trade in the way we would like. The government is not going to put any more money into career advice, so the only way out of this is for us to create a school and local authority liaison manager, who is challenged to go into schools and talk and present to young school leavers the opportunities that are there for them in the motor trade.’

And, says James, the reaction of the industry to the new post has been very positive.

‘We sent out a communication to our independent garages and we said we’d like them to become involved in this. My members are based in the towns and the villages and they’re part of the community – they’re governors

in schools – and we’re finding we’ve had an unprecedented response from members wanting to be involved.

‘We want the garages to go in with our liaison manager, who will facilitate the meeting, to talk about the technicalities of the motor trade. We believe we’ve set up the perfect formula.

‘We are finding young kids in schools who are keen to come into the motor trade, and who have

8

decent grades, are getting talked out of it by their parents, because their perception is that the trade is under the arches and oily and dirty, and we’re losing good-quality students. We are hoping to turn the tide and get political backing by asking ministers to come into schools when we have these meetings. Hopefully we can communicate a stronger message.

‘I’m looking to attract for sponsorship for this role. It’s a good thing for the motor industry, and if companies want to be seen supporting the industry, it’s a way forward.

‘It’s a massive industry, employing hundreds of thousands of people – something like 550,000 people on the retail side alone.

‘Apprenticeships are really critical. We want to get young people doing apprenticeships and we have a seat on the government’s Trailblazer programme and we’ve been involved in rewriting the service and maintenance apprenticeship. We want people coming out of a three-year apprenticeship who can fix a car, it’s as simple as that.’

8

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 115

FEATURE.

Q&A

So what’s the IGA all about? What does it actually do? Stuart James was very patient with us and gave us all the answers...

So what is the Independent Garage Association, and how does it fit in with the Retail Motor Industry Federation?

The RMIF is a true trade association established in 1913 to represent the interests of the UK retail motor industry – the garages in the motor trade.

Today, just past its centenary, we are still a true trade association. We have no commercial influences and we are very proud of that. We are owned by our members and, having no commercial influences, we are a very strong point of contact for the government and the European Commission. Our chairman Coin Parlett is chairman of the independent garage body for Europe. We have a strong presence in Brussels and with other European countries.

And you’re funded entirely by members?

In 2012 we changed the constitution of the RMI. There are seven associations under the RMI umbrella and changing the constitution allowed us to operate entirely independently.

Each association under the RMI operates from the subscriptions from our members. We all have our own executive committee, made up of garage members, and they speak on behalf of the whole member base, and they decide how to spend their members’ money, on what projects and what activities, and what we’re doing for the good of the industry.

And those seven associations in the RMI? There’s the National Franchised Dealers Association, National Association of Motor Auctions, the Motorcycle Dealers Association, National Association of Body Shops, the Independent Garage Association, which is the largest by a long chalk, the Petrol Retailers Association and the Cherished Number Plate Dealers Association.

Commercial vehicles come under the NFDA. Our constitution is clear. One or two members of each executive committee will be nominated to sit on the main RMI board. The RMI is more a body that supports the motor industry in general, and we have subsidiary companies that sit under it, including Remit, a training company, Remit Resourcing, our UCAS business, RMI Standards

���| CarDealerMag.co.uk

and Certification, we have a company called Big Oil, which looks at oil prices for the PRA, and Trusted Dealers. The RMI is an umbrella organisation that is there for the good of garages and the whole motor industry.

How many members do you have?

Currently the RMI has 9,000. As for potential membership, we estimate there are between 17,000 and 24,000 independent garages. The IGA has 3,500 members.

Why did you make those constitutional changes?

They were brought about because in the early days it was perceived the RMI had in-house fighting between associations. The change has totally neutralised that. Now, for example, the NFDA and the IGA can challenge each other, and the RMI is not brought into it in any shape or form. We are acting as true independent associations but still have the weight of the RMI. Where we have issues – for example, MoT roadworthiness, which was a major issue last year – and the associations all agree on the challenges, then we fight it as the RMI, which gives us an unequivocal voice in the sector, and has proved to be really beneficial. We use the RMI voice when we have unity, we use the association voice while it’s separated.

You say it was a perception of in-fighting. Was it more than a perception?

No, it WAS the associations battling things out.

But because the associations were not clearly defined, it was perceived as the RMI arguing with itself. The comments were attributed to the RMI, and it looked as if we had different views and were fighting in-house. Now we have very separate associations, the RMI doesn’t get involved. That was always the case anyway, but now it’s clearer and absolutely transparent.

The organisation is flourishing now?

Yes, heavily flourishing. Retention rates have been unprecedented across the IGA. Last year we retained 97 per cent of our members, and we grew by 6.3 per cent last year. Our growth has been extraordinary.

“

We are still a true trade association. We have no commercial influences and we are very proud of that.

Stuart James I’m a motor mechanic, and I completed a four-year technician apprenticeship.

I worked for a local authority, working on a diverse range of vehicles, and joined them straight from school.

Because of budgets, we used to repair everything – alternators, starter motors, everything, which was a fantastic foundation-building apprenticeship.

I have worked in engine research and development and had my own business in southern Europe, repairing marine and vehicle, and established my own garage business.

I returned to the UK in 1995 and came back into the trade here. I’m motor trade through and through, and now a director of the IGA.

So why would a garage join the IGA? The various associations have their own membership subscriptions. For the IGA, we charge £500 across the board for membership for the year.

The proposition is absolute value for money.

Not just on third-party products and services, but what you get for your £500.

We will provide technical trainers for a whole range of things.

Everything the independent sector has ever been criticised for, everything we perceive the independent sector is needing, is available.

I challenge anyone to say ‘you don’t do this’, from legal and HR support to technical training on-site as part of membership. We have a code scheme which has an application for TSI approval, Trust My Garage. We have a consumerbased car-repair plan, and all of this is part of membership that garages don’t pay extra for.

We also have a complete operations department which supports members with MoT QC support, covering every aspect of running an MoT station, and provide a fully national health and safety scheme bespoke to the member business. We have created for independent garage members a UCAS-accredited business that will inspect against ISO standards, currently providing PAS 125 standard for the bodyshop sector.

How large is your team within the IGA? We have a team of 41. They’re all absolutely focused on supporting members and providing our quality of service. If the phone rings, they’re challenged to pick it up within seven seconds.

These include technical trainers to office-based staff. They’re there to support members. We have a technical helpdesk for telephone or email support for bodyshop repair methods, and other technical training teams.

Is there any government assistance?

No, none at all. And we don’t have income from commercial influences. We receive income from some subsidiary companies that goes into the RMI centrally, which then subsidises the association pot. For any member, membership is not an expensive proposition.

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FEATURE.

Of all the things you offer, what is the most popular? What takes up most of your time?

Technical training, which we launched about two years ago. We employed one trainer on hybrid awareness. Feedback from members informed us they were turning hybrid vehicles away and that they didn’t want to get involved in the electric elements. So we created our own hybrid awareness course, and we have delivered more than 1,600 courses to more than 4,000 technicians. It has been such a success that I now have six people in the field delivering this course.

We give this as part of membership.

We have also accredited the course with an IMI qualification so there’s a qualification behind it for those who attend. Our technical training offering has been so successful that in July last year we launched a follow-on course called diagnostic procedures and we already have 600 garages signed up. We are deluged in technical training.

Presumably the more technical cars get, the more up to speed your members need to get, which means more training…

Yes, and we absolutely focused on that. We are in the process of developing another course in the ���| CarDealerMag.co.uk

suite, and we’ll soon have seven trainers on board – and I expect our training team will grow in the coming months.

More and more garages are coming to you for advice?

Five years ago, when we went through the transition and then changed the way we operate, I spent two years just calling members, asking them if everything was okay, updating their membership details, and asking them for their biggest issues and biggest challenges.

After that two-year period we had a very comprehensive study understanding the issues in the sector. Since 2012, we have rolled out all these new products, based on the feedback we received from members.

I didn’t call to sell them membership or anything else – we don’t do that. We will never call a member to sell them anything. We will never pass on their details to a third party to sell to them. Our field staff are in uniform and have ID badges. We have had reports of people going into garages and saying they are associated or affiliated with us, and this will never happen.

Many members said they were happy at that moment, and that they’d call us when they had something to discuss. And in the past two years, our call volume has increased tenfold. Last year we received 20,550 incoming calls for support and help with running their business. Before it was about 150 a month. We are pleased that garages are seeing us as an integral part of their business, and we continually evaluate what we offer.

I might spend another year just doing calls again to see if members are still okay.

That’s a lot of calls….

Yes, and we do turn some garages away who ask for membership. We are not that desperate for money that we’ll take anyone. We are selective in who we bring in. If a garage is putting up our badge outside their garage, then we want it going up with pride.

Who do you turn away?

The type of garages we turn away are those which are below standard, or don’t have a genuine desire to do the right thing for consumers, or want to raise their standards. Every garage who comes on board is audited by a member of my staff – I

“

We have only 5,000 inquiries a year against the whole motor industry, only 10 per cent are valid

don’t use consultants – and they must sign to stay they are committed to operating by our code of conduct. They have an audit against garage and automotive activity and an additional audit for Trust My Garage, a consumer code scheme, to say they will do their best for consumers. If a garage isn’t prepared to adhere to service standards, we do not want them. We don’t just sign anybody up.

So if a customer has work done on a car and they’re unhappy, would they come to you to complain?

We are the national conciliation service. We provide conciliation for our members, and provide it for other trade associations and other organisations. It has been around for many years, is well established and very credible. It is independent of the trade association.

I have done a lot of radio interviews on conciliation in the used-car sector and it’s interesting that Citizens’ Advice say there are 84,000 complaints per year against used-car sellers.

But actually we have 5,000 inquiries a year against the whole motor industry, and of those, 10 per cent are validated as genuine claims, and of those, five per cent turn into arbitration cases,

with 96 per cent being dealt with on the first point of contact. We know that members of our trade association are genuinely doing the right kind of work for the customer.

Are you the right people to do the conciliation?

Yes. We’re successful at it because we know cars.

We can talk the same language to the garage, and we talk in a non-technical way to the consumer.

Cars are hugely complex, and things can happen.

In some cases, the handover that garages do, and the communication during that time, is not always perfect, and we have to hold up our hands to that and it’s something we can help our members with.

But when you look at the national statistics, and the statistics for RMI members, our complaints percentage and aggregate is really, really low. We know we have the cream of the garages in our membership. They have a desire to do the right thing.

So Arthur Daley-type Flog It Fast outlets don’t exist in the real world?

If you look at our garage and used-car outlets, and there is a real, real desire to do the right thing by the customers. They try very hard at it. We

know all our members – we have people out there every day visiting them. We talk to them about the way they operate, and in the past few years the independent sector has got better and better.

Things have really improved and they’re working hard to up their game.

But the soaps on TV, the media – they sometimes don’t help, and consumers still think the motor trade is under the arches and in the Dark Ages. That is so far from the truth. The motor trade is a million miles forward from that.

I have such a passion for that we have created a role to re-educate consumers – I have employed someone to talk to consumers through young people who want a career in the industry.

What other advice do you offer?

HR is a very popular service and it’s used in high numbers – we offer free legal and HR advice over the phone. If a dealer wants to write a letter, or lawyers will tweak it normally for no charge, so it’s a good service and the feedback from members is outstanding. We are an insurance policy for our members – no matter what the problem is, they can pick up a phone no matter what happens in their business, we are always there. We’ll always have a solution. [CD] CarDealerMag.co.uk | 119

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F&I and Aftersales

Welcome A

s regular readers of Car Dealer Magazine might know, we have had around three years of consistent growth in new-car registrations.

And figures reported on page 148 of this edition of the magazine reveal the number of used vehicles being sold is also increasing at the moment.

Good news! Or so it would appear. But we all know that the figures we’ve just referred to actually conceal some hidden difficulties in the marketplace ... such as pressure from manufacturers who are chasing volume and market share ... and customers who arrive at your dealership armed with their smartphones determined to reduce your margin down to next to nothing. All this is very frustrating but part and parcel of being a car dealer in 2015.

But what if you knew you could beat your rival down the road on the basic price of a particular vehicle.... because you had a useful arsenal of F&I and aftersales products at your disposal?

Well, that’s where the advertisers on the following pages come in. With paint protection, finance agreements and other useful add-ons, a deal that almost didn’t seem worth the hassle can suddenly look a whole lot more attractive.

And that’s good for you, and good for your customer.

Coming up..

Northridge FInance P122 We talk to one of the UK’s most dynamic challenger motor finance providers, respected for reliability and flexibility.

Mapfre Abraxas

P124

Why dealers should have MAPFRE – a name synonymous with quality – on their radar when they’re thinking about insurance and warranty.

Alphera

P126

Company’s new business model is an extemely transparent and straightforward solution for dealer and customer alike.

Gtechniq

P128

Gtechniq Platinum is on its way... and the company is looking for dealers to work with its network of expert professional detailers.

Dave Brown (@CarDealerDave) Production Editor

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 121

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F&I and Aftersales

Adding value to dealer partners northridge Finance

W: northridgefinance.com T: 0845 607 6775

‘‘

W

ith the advent of the Financial Conduct Authority, the regulatory landscape has changed dramatically for the F&I industry, meaning plenty for firms to get their heads round to keep on top of things.

One of the leading finance providers is Northridge Finance, and sales director Alan Carson explained to Car Dealer its role in all of this.

We’ve grown rapidly to become one of the UK’s most dynamic challenger motor finance providers

How has Northridge been assisting its dealer partners to flourish in the new climate?

At Northridge we’re always looking ahead – finding ways to work more efficiently and get better outcomes for dealers and, of course, end customers.

One great example of this would be the increased emphasis placed on our Joint Venture programme, where the dealer shares both risk and reward on a 50/50 basis. Their base rate is our base rate, which offers the potential to achieve outstanding benefits for dealers and customers alike.

Sell more cars, enhance finance penetration, increase overall profitability and, very importantly, offer your customer a fantastic market leading rate.

This is a truly innovative and practical solution more likely to be seen as conduct-friendly in the current regulatory environment.

So what has Northridge implemented to help dealer partners steer a safe path to meet this new regulatory challenge head-on?

We’ve issued regular e-mail bulletins, we’ve created fca_countdown@boiuk.co.uk for dealers to request assistance for specific regulatory queries, and we’ve held dealer roadshows. However, the main thrust of our support has been through specific tailored 1-2-1 onsite assistance to help our dealers’ transition.

We’ve received sensational reviews and I genuinely feel we’ve added value to these dealer partners.

To meet future demands and be more accessible we’ve also made major investments in systems, sales and underwriters. Northridge’s new eDoc365 system puts all documentation on screen at a stroke, eliminating paperwork, and will accelerate vehicle delivery and payments. Running in conjunction with our Target365 web-based proposal, settlement and reporting system, eDoc365 is highly efficient, customer friendly and provides the all-important seamless audit trail.

Our latest scorecard is placing us into a more mainstream position, making it easier for some dealers to work with us across their range of customers. Accept rates have improved significantly, resulting in fewer credit searches and, importantly, speeding up the decision process. This means we’re

Northridge four-year cost of funds (yield)

4.00

Four-year cost of funds (yield)

2011

3.00 2.00 1.00

2013

2015

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becoming the first-choice independent finance partner more often.

Why Northridge?

Being a self-contained end-to-end finance house, owned by a major challenger bank, Bank of Ireland, allows us to respond quickly to market changes and help overcome challenges, maximise opportunities

Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

and evolve. Northridge’s success has always been founded on looking after our clients. We’ve grown rapidly to become one of the UK’s most dynamic challenger motor finance providers, respected for reliability and flexibility.

More than ever, Northridge is confident it offers a real, but importantly, a consistent alternative to your existing finance provider.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 123

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Providing insurance solutions MAPFRE ABRAXAS

W: mapfreabraxas.co.uk T: 0845 6838795

I

representative office in the UK 11 years ago and t can be tricky to keep up with the started underwriting GAP for a company called ever-changing regulatory regimes in the Abraxas. Mapfre decided to buy the company finance and insurance sector, which to increase its overall presence in the UK. The is why it’s a relief to know there is company now employs more than 500 staff someone there to help you wade through the members in Mapfre Abraxas and other business evolving landscape of product developments and divisions in the UK. new regulations.

Car Dealer Magazine caught up with deputy That’s where Mapfre comes into the equation. managing director David Parrondo to discuss Originally founded in Spain in 1933, the the changes made by the FCA and why dealers insurance specialist began to branch out into should have Mapfre on their radar when thinking the international market in 1994. The multiabout insurance and warranty. channel and multi-product company Parrondo has been with the group for now operates in 47 countries across 15 years and has worked all over the five continents and works with a world in countries such as Argentina, staggering 23 million clients. To put Spain and Italy. Joining the UK team its success story into perspective, in 2009, Parrondo believes that the Mapfre Group employs 36,000 dealer’s voice matters. people and has built a network of ‘The past 18 months have been more than 68,000 intermediaries quite a journey. There was a period of across the world. In 2014, Mapfre uncertainty when the FCA first kicked Group reached a turnover of 26.3bn off its market study into add-on euros with a profit of 845m euros, David Parrondo insurance including GAP,’ Parrondo reiterating their financial strength. explains. ‘But things are looking much The FCA has been reviewing a wide more positive for GAP and warranty and we’re range of insurance ‘add-ons’ including GAP, optimistic about the future. From our perspective, which can help boost a dealer’s bottom line, it’s a perfect opportunity for dealers to review while also proving tremendously valuable to their insurance distribution strategy – it’s a crucial their customers. Dealers here in the UK will be profit centre and there is a real opportunity for happy to learn that Mapfre is firmly on their them to meet more consumer needs.’ side. As well as providing a wealth of quality GAP Combining local expertise with global and insurance products, which are backed by presence, Mapfre has a wider portfolio of reassuringly high levels of expertise, the company products than a number of its competitors in the has been in discussion with those directly in sector. Parrondo explains how the company can charge of the rules and regulations, participating cater to every dealer’s needs, whether they are in one-on-one meetings with the Financial small or large.

Conduct Authority (FCA).

Mapfre in the UK is best known for its involvement in the worlds of GAP and warranty, but the company has far more to offer than that. Mapfre established a

‘‘

Using our expertise, we regularly review our product portfolio to help our dealers meet more customer needs. ���| CarDealerMag.co.uk

‘You will often find our competitors focus on the minority, rather than the majority,’ says Parrondo. ‘Using our expertise in this field, we regularly review our product portfolio to help our dealers meet more customer needs while also generating more revenue for them. We have the know-how to help dealers define strategies when it comes to additional products. We have the in-house skills and capability to offer our partners innovative alternative distribution channels as well, which means they do not have to be as reliant on the traditional point-of-sale model.

Insurance is a vital revenue stream for dealers and we strive to support them in maintaining a well-balanced and controlled business.’

While dealers are experts when it comes to buying and selling cars, Mapfre is the expert in insurance. The name Mapfre is synonymous

fit for the future with quality, and one important element of the company’s quality-first approach is the functionality of the business, with everything under one roof. Thanks to its flexibility to accommodate any particular dealer need, Mapfre can work in conjunction with its dealers to define a long-term strategy and prevent risks in the future.

‘We have control of everything under one roof,’ says Parrondo. ‘When you deal with a member of the team at Mapfre, you’re dealing directly with Mapfre. This enables us to remain flexible and make effective decisions for our partners.’

The recent FCA market study suggested dealers had an unfair point-of-sale advantage when it came to selling GAP. Mapfre has been playing a key role in the FCA’s review of insurance add-ons such as GAP and explain why the group shares a different viewpoint. ‘GAP is a very good product, which provides good coverage for consumers – without dealers, there is no GAP market,’ says Parrondo. ‘The automotive sector is the ideal channel in which to identify customer needs and increase customer

awareness of the products available to them.’ To ensure the dealers and staff remain on top of the game, the company fully supports and provides a range of account management and training services to enable dealers to maintain ongoing competence and continue to deliver the right consumer outcomes.

‘Sometimes the perception is that our business is focused on large franchised dealers and leading manufacturers but we work with dealers across the board of all shapes and sizes, and we have a significant presence in the small to medium-sized dealer network,’ says Parrondo.

‘We can adapt our proposition, products and channels to fit dealers’ different business models.

It’s also crucial that dealers maintain good product and regulatory knowledge. Our training website is accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII), which means we can provide peace of mind to all our dealers.’

Mapfre believes the market review is a useful process for car sales businesses, no matter how large or small, and assures dealers they

will be at their side to offer guidance, support and industry-leading product and channel developments. ‘This is more of an opportunity than a threat for the dealer network and the manufacturers,’ explains Parrondo.

‘The motor trade can play a significant role redefining the finance and insurance industry.

We have been on the front line to back our dealers and help encourage the FCA to engage with the motor trade. This way, we can support dealers in reviewing their strategy and to define a clear business plan for all insurance products moving forward.’

by Sophie Williamson-Stothert (@1Sophie_W)

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 125

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F&I and Aftersales

Transparency, simplicity, alphera FINANCIAL SERVICES

F

or Alphera Financial Services, simplicity is one of the bedrocks of its business. Transparency and fairness are also qualities it values highly and the company embodies all three across every aspect of its operations.

Alphera Financial Services provides innovative multi-make vehicle finance solutions in more than 20 countries worldwide, including, of course, the UK, its largest market.

The company is part of BMW Group Financial Services and is one of the world’s leading automotive financial services companies. Alphera Financial Services’ flexible options offer a range of solutions for all makes of new and used vehicles through a nationwide network of its official dealer and broker partners.

Car Dealer recently caught up with director Andy Gruber, who confirmed: ‘Our new business model is probably the most transparent and straightforward solution out there for retailers, sales staff and ultimately for customers to understand.’

Alphera Financial Services’ new business model, outlined on the right, shows that not only has it responded to what car buyers and retailers demand, it has also listened to the FCA and adapted to the new regulatory environment. ‘At the end of the day, the retail world is evolving and customers demand more transparency. Motor finance needs to keep up in order to meet the needs of the consumer,’ explained Gruber.

‘What we’re saying is that the best way to move forward is to take all the complexity

W: alphera.co.uk T: 01256 747824

out and come up with a very straightforward solution.’

Alphera Financial Services is confident its new way of approaching the finance relationship with the consumer effectively wipes the slate clean. Gruber explained: ‘At a fixed APR and with virtually no fees, everything is more straightforward for sales teams. Instead of referring to a finance rate card with multiple permutations, sales staff can now focus on making sure customers get a consistent, fair and straightforward deal.

‘Our new business model aims to remove any bias in the sales process.

The commission scheme was previously geared in the way that it rewarded certain behaviours more than others. We are trying to remove the bias from the sales process and simplify it. Our approach just allows the sales staff at the dealership to focus on one thing, and that is to provide the right product for the customer.’

Alphera Financial Services has been rolling out this pricing model to its existing network of partners, a process which will have been completed by the end of June.

Gruber said: ‘Although at first there was a little scepticism, most dealer partners who have adopted this, find that ease of use means that the sales people get really behind it.

‘Sales teams have become more confident with the different finance options available and as a result penetration rates have gone up. This clearly will also have benefits for dealer loyalty rates.’

by Becca Chaplin (@BelieveBecca)

‘‘

Our approach allows the sales staff at the dealership to focus on one thing: to provide the right product for the customer.

– Andy Gruber, left

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fairness WHAT DOES 2015 HOLD FOR Alphera Financial Services?

IN 2014, Alphera Financial Services was focused on its partner network and worked hard so that business levels increased for everyone involved. Andy Gruber explained that this approach is set to continue and gather more momentum.

He said: ‘We’re going to be continuing the open dialogue that we have started thanks to the FCA roadshows we held with our retailer and broker partners last year.

‘This allowed retailers to give us feedback on what they think needs to be improved so that we can all work together on innovative new approaches to the evolving retail environment. We want to partner up with retailers to deliver this in a timely fashion.’

He also confirmed the launch of a new retention system which Alphera Financial Services will be introducing to its network of retailer and broker partners: ‘For us, it’s all about working with our partners to help them manage their portfolio of customers. We have developed a new and innovative tool, eMaster, which we see as the most advanced bespoke retention system in the market.

‘We’re going to be releasing more details on eMaster in due course, but this is the best system I’ve ever seen, with a lead-toconversion rate in excess of 30 per cent.

A rate of 30 per cent is unheard of in any environment that I’ve seen, highlighting the

strength of the platform.

‘It’s a system,’ he continued, ‘which calculates the real-time equity position for a specific contract and therefore allows retailers to be very tailored in their approach to customers. Using the system, they can come up with relevant offers at the right times for customers. This, again, feeds into our fairness approach, as customers will not be bombarded by marketing materials which are unsuitable for them. The eMaster system allows us to offer customers a key-for-key opportunity which has no or little impact on their financial situation.’

HAPPY CUSTOMERS FAMILY-RUN Richard Sanders Group operates six franchises in the Northamptonshire area.

They’ve embraced Alphera Financial Services’ new business model and are already seeing a positive effect on their business.

Group business manager Ross Brandrick said: ‘As a business, we’ve always ensured that our customers receive a high level of service and clear explanations of the products that we offer. So, we didn’t have to make any drastic process changes when the new business model came in.

‘The biggest variation we’ve made has been to put all of our customers on the same rate for all products and terms. At a fixed APR and with virtually no fees, this makes everything

far simpler for our sales team. Instead of referring to a finance rate card with multiple permutations, they can now focus on making sure customers get a consistent, fair and straightforward deal, allowing us to deliver really exceptional service.

‘We’ve had a positive response to these changes from both customers and staff.

‘The team enjoys the fact that our finance rates are open, honest and available for all to see.

‘Our managers have had to get better at making the overall deal work for customers in different ways, rather than just dropping the finance rate, and this gives us all the incentive to be even more imaginative.’

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F&I and Aftersales

Never a dull moment with gtechniq

T

here’s never a dull moment in the world of paint protection. Just when you thought you were familiar with the leading players, along comes an exciting new challenger.

That new kid on the block, hoping to create great working relationships with the UK’s premier automotive dealers, is Gtechniq.

And although we have described the company as ‘new’, that’s not entirely true. With its dedicated team of professional detailers, Gtechniq has been keeping premium and luxury cars in tip-top condition in the UK and across the globe for over a decade. At present Gtechniq’s profile may not be as prominent as other names in paint protection across the dealership world, but the brand is confident its new offering, exclusive to dealerships, is set to cause a stir.

Gtechniq’s aim is to raise the bar when it comes to paint protection, providing customers with the best standards and service levels possible. Using their scientifically-formulated Smart Surface Science and the skills and experience of master detailers, the brand is launching Gtechniq Platinum.

So for those who might not have heard of Gtechniq, who exactly are they?

Well, the company was founded in 2001 with a very simple and straightforward idea: to engineer the world’s most beautiful, perfectly-finished and most intelligent surfaces – and surfaces that don’t just look great when new. The products the company has developed can now protect and enhance every surface of a new car.

Gtechniq’s founder Drew Gill was working with paint protection systems around the turn of the millennium but was dissatisfied with the quality of the products available.

A physicist with a PhD in quantum physics, he decided to go back to the drawing board to develop a new range of products specifically designed to outshine and outperform anything that currently existed. And from those early beginnings, and after a lot of hard work along the way, Gtechniq now specialises in class-leading

‘‘

Our products are special – they’re phenomenal. ���| CarDealerMag.co.uk

W: gtechniq.com T: 01327 811 015 BioCote There’s one area of Gtechniq’s work that readers might well have heard about – as it’s attracted a fair bit of publicity lately.

The company has teamed up with BioCote, the creators of innovative antimicrobial technology, to eradicate unhygienic car interiors.

Rob Earle, Gtechniq managing director, said: ‘With 30 hours a year stuck in traffic, not to mention all of the hours on the move, there is no wonder cars are subjected to conditions that can encourage the growth of unwanted microbes.

‘Food, drink spills, dust and dirt are an unwanted health hazards. Our advanced knowledge of surface technology has allowed us to create a product to help ensure these unnecessary hazards are a thing of the past.’

BioCote is the leading provider of proven

surface protection products for the marine and aviation sectors, as well as the automotive world.

Currently, the company’s products for cars are applied via its 40-strong network of aforementioned detailers – but Gtechniq Platinum has been designed to provide the same level of finish and protection via dealerships.

Car Dealer recently chatted to Gtechniq’s managing director Rob Earle, and he explained that although the company was working in something of a niche market at the moment, it had built up an excellent reputation and had enticed many people away from traditional dealer paint protection offerings.

‘Our next phase is to bring about our own dealership offering,’ he confirmed. ‘We’re trying to raise the standards, not only of the products available in showrooms, but also the level of vehicle preparation.

‘A lot of our detailers are doing a great deal of work for specialist, high-end dealerships already.

We’re looking to formalise those relationships, and of course create new ones, giving dealers the tools and products needed to make Gtechniq an unquestionable service for customers when purchasing a new car.

antimicrobial / antibacterial technology. When integrated into Gtechniq’s interior protection products, BioCote technology is said to reduce microbes by up to 99.99 per cent, making the surface of the car hygienic and defending it against degradation, odours and staining.

Gtechniq is in the process of launching its antimicrobial products in the form of a fabric and leather protection, as part of the new exclusive Platinum dealership system.

Gtechniq are the first to launch protective nano coatings with lasting antibacterial properties.

Earle added: ‘As manufacturers of leading composite ceramic coatings it is great to be able offer something new to the market that will continue to make the lives of our customers easier and safer.’

‘Sales training and sales support aids such as a video, brochures and POS, combined with practical product demonstration tools, will allow the sales guys on the showroom floor to really push the key benefits of the Gtechniq system.

‘From the Gtechniq side, we’ll be involved with the process too, we are offering training to those dealers who want to raise their game in paint protection. Showing them how they can prep the vehicles before application and certifying them to say that they are able to do so.’

When asked about the products included in the Platinum system, Earle said:‘Our products really are special, in fact they’re phenomenal. The key thing is to minimise the dulling and the swirl marks that you get from washing – our products certainly do this and more.

‘The coating we apply is very thin and very hard. We have specifically engineered Gtechniq Platinum so water marks and water spots are far less prominent. Another factor that distinguishes us from what’s out there at the moment is the durability of our products. On the paint side, our Crystal Coat bonds chemically with the paint so the durability is exceptional. Our dealership product will come with a five-year guarantee and it is almost identical to the product our detailers use. The only difference is that it has been developed so the application process is relatively straightforward, yet it offers superb gloss

Gtechniq

retention characteristics and the swirl resistance is exceptionally good.’

Another stage in the roll-out of Gtechniq Platinum to dealers has been the preparation of eye-catching point-of-sale materials.

‘We’ve prepared the banners and of course we have prepared the packs,’ said Earle. ‘The dealership packs contain all the coatings that will be applied at the dealership. As well as paint protection, we have products for the glass, the rims, the fabric and the leather.

Then we have all the aftercare products.’

So how ambitious are Gtechniq about making inroads into what is known to be a pretty competitive arena?

‘Well, it’s probably a bit early for us to start thinking about working with the main franchised dealer networks – that’s not to say we wouldn’t,’ acknowledged Earle. ‘But to start with we’re targeting smaller groups, and the more specialist, higher end of the market where a lot of our detailers already have relationships.

‘I don’t think any of the other paint protection companies have an accredited detailer network of the breadth that we do. We can use those experts as a knowledge base and they can carry out a hand-holding exercise for our new dealer partners.’ [CD] CarDealerMag.co.uk | 129

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Volvo XC90

SAFETY

XC90 comes with the IntelliSafe package as standard, delivering Run-off Road Protection and Auto Brake at Intersections.

NAVIGATION

Volvo’s Sensus Navigation system provides internet access, traffic information and comes with free lifetime updates.

the knowledge

Model: Volvo XC90 D5

(Inscription) Price: £50,185 Engine: 2.0-litre,

four-cylinder diesel Power: 225bhp / 470Nm Max speed: 137mph 0-62mph: 7.6secs MPG (comb’d): 48.7mpg Emissions: 149 g/km Residual values: tbc

target buyers: 1. Anyone driving anything similar but German.

2. Big families.

3. Company bosses.

the rivals:

BMW X5, Mercedes M-Class, Audi Q7, VW Touareg.

Key Selling Points: 1. Scandinavian charm.

2. Interior quality.

3. Top touchscreen technology.

Deal Clincher:

Something a bit different, with a proper premium feel. ���| CarDealerMag.co.uk

LIGHTS

LED Active Bending Headlights with Active High Beam are a clever – and highly illuminating – touch. Check out the Thor hammer design.

on test

Dave Brown puts the new XC90 to the test – a car which has What is it?

The all-new XC90, Volvo’s premium seven-seat SUV, is hugely important for the Scandinavian car manufacturer. It represents the first step in the company’s rejuvenated product range and has been designed to deliver a ‘new kind of luxury car experience’. To us, it exudes a distinctly Volvo vibe – it feels more relaxed than some of its rivals from further south in Europe. At the same time it’s on an equal footing in the areas of engineering excellence, build quality and technology. A visually-striking

and characterful four-wheel-drive SUV, it exudes Swedish style – although Volvo realise that it won’t be seeing much off-road action. It’s the first car to be constructed on the company’s brand new SPA platform. Volvo boasts that it has thought-through safety and convenience features, luxurious comfort levels, adaptable drive settings and stunning design.

It’s hard to argue.

What’s UNDER THE BONNET? All engines fitted will be from the new four-cylinder Drive-E engine range, designed

interview

Iain Howat, Volvo’s head of product and pricing for the UK, Ireland and Iceland XC90 is clearly a big deal for Volvo. How have dealers reacted to the car so far?

We had a car in the UK a couple of weeks ago and we had a number of regional events. The dealer principals had already seen the car in Sweden but this was for our sales consultants and managers and they were blown away.

They were expressing the same sort of feelings that I’ve been hearing elsewhere – they were impressed with the premium nature of the product (in particular the cabin), the space in the third row of seats, the lovely little details such as the Scandinavian flag and so on.

We do talk to our dealers and we like to emphasise our Scandinavian difference. The little things I’ve just mentioned – features they can talk tangibly to their customers about – count for a lot. Messages tend to get diluted the further along the chain of command you go. So the message starts off as something very pure at the very top of the company but by the time it reaches the sales consultants, although it should be the same message, that’s not always the case.

If you give them something tangible to talk about, it’s much easier to communicate that Scandinavian influence.

And of course, XC90 features lots of clever design improvements...

With the previous-generation XC90, customers would use the vehicle as a five-seater, but when they turned it into a seven-seater, the load cover wouldn’t fit into the car because it was too big. In the new XC90, we have designed an extra-wide cubby hole at the back for it.

Dealers can say to customers who have perhaps had the first-generation XC90, look at this – it’s a clear example of an improvement we have made.

We hear Volvo is becoming quite a popular brand to represent...

Our network director is always on the lookout for new dealers, either to fill open points or to have as back-up to strengthen our network. He’s now got dealer groups almost queueing up, saying, I want a Volvo franchise, or, I’ve already got one, I want more. They are hearing these stories about our scalable platform architecture and the future as well as the concept cars we’re working on.

They’ve seen what we’re able to do – especially the dealers who are already part of the franchise.

They can see what’s coming up in the future.

Word gets out because the groups talk to each other. We’re in a very happy place, I would say.

And we all know that the way customers buy cars is changing...

Research tells us that people are making fewer trips to the dealership as part of the buying process. So they are doing research online. One of our internal strategies is to become a leader in the digital experience. We want

to have the best car configurator, and be the best manufacturer when it comes to providing online information about our cars. We know that’s the way people are buying cars.

They’re watching TV, an advert comes on, and straight away they pick up their iPad and look us up. Straight away. There is this immediacy.

Incidentally, I read an interesting article a few months ago. It said that as little as 15 years ago, the amount of information the president of the United States had at his fingertips has now been surpassed by children with their mobile phones.

And you’re not being shy about taking the fight to your rivals...

The X5, the Q7, the M-Class, they are all wellestablished Germanic brands. They all have their strengths and weaknesses, but very much in the same areas. I think we can bring something a bit different. People might be familiar with the notion of ‘Scandinavian warmth’ whereas the Germanic designs are a bit dark and very heavy with technology and driving focus, but not much else. There’s not much about visibility or practicality. However, where they do score is in the power of their brands. We need to work a little bit harder there.

We have obviously got nothing to be ashamed of with the product and once that message starts to get out, we’ll see progress.

Next year, we launch replacements for S80 and V70, and we’ll push on again.

a lot riding on it for Volvo and heralds the start of a whole new chapter for the firm. to provide outstanding performance and fuel efficiency. The diesel D5 – set to be the most popular option – develops 225bhp; achieves 48.7mpg (combined) and emits 149g/km of CO2.

Its petrol sibling, the T6, boasts 320bhp, will achieve 35.3mpg and expels 179g/km of CO2.

The T8 hybrid is equipped with a 318bhp petrol engine and an 82bhp electric motor. Claimed fuel economy is 113mpg on the combined cycle and the car emits just 59g/km of CO2.

What’s THE SPEC LIKE? Impressive – but of course the car isn’t cheap. We drove the expected bestseller, the D5, and it really is pretty special. Three trim levels are available: Momentum (entry level); R-Design (with a sporty

feel) and Inscription (luxury). Standard across the range are Volvo’s Sensus navigation system, delivered via a very clean-looking tablet-style touchscreen, LED active headlights with ‘Active High Beam’, hands-free tailgate opening system, keyless entry and drive, auto-dimming interior and exterior mirrors and DAB digital radio. The Inscription’s interior really is a thing of beauty.

What’s IT LIKE TO DRIVE? We loved it. We got the chance to put all three engines through their paces and our pick was the one destined to be the best seller, the aforementioned D5. There are no complaints with the T6 and T8, but when accelerating at speed, it just felt a little more at ease with itself than

the T6 in particular. The car was a consummate performer – with a supreme degree of ride comfort and sure-footed in corners.

What DO THE PRESS THINK? Car and Driver said: ‘Volvo has advanced its safety technology to new levels, while at the same time imbuing the family hauler with understated yet classy styling.’

What DO WE THINK? The XC90 is such a refreshing car to drive. You can tell instantly that you’re entering a world of relaxation and refinement and it’s the little details that have been thought about that make it something really special.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 131

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ECONOMY

New one-tonne payload means Korando Sports owners will qualify for commercial vehicle tax.

LOOKS

This sleek look can compete with any pick-up on the building site and the great price is a bonus.

SsangYong Korando Sports Pick-up It might not actually be that sporty but Rebecca Chaplin is impressed with this practical and well-equipped load-carrier What is it?

The Korando Sports is SsangYong’s pick-up truck. The Korean brand, who specialise in rugged 4x4 vehicles, has just increased the payload of this LCV to 1.050 tonnes. Not only does this open up their market and make the Korando Sports even more usable, it also means the owner will qualify for commercial vehicle tax.

WhaT’S UNDER THE BONNET? There’s only one option and that’s the 2.0-litre diesel engine. That’s not to say the Korando Sports isn’t well equipped, as the manufacturer’s latest e-XDi diesel engine – which can achieve 37.7mpg with its 153bhp and 360Nm of torque – pulls well and means you can make great progress even with a full load.

WhaT’S THE SPEC LIKE? It’s a pick-up so loads of fancy gear isn’t what buyers are looking for, but still the Korando Sports is surprisingly well kitted out. If you’ve ���| CarDealerMag.co.uk

been in one of SsangYong’s other models, you might even be surprised at how similarly comfy this pick-up is. It comes in two spec options, SX and EX, and we were quite impressed, as even the lower-grade SX is a wellfitted-out car. Starting from £14,995, it features 16-inch alloy wheels, tinted glass, air conditioning plus USB and Bluetooth connectivity. The EX has bigger 18-inch wheels and a more premium feel with leather upholstery as well as handy parking sensors.

Equipment on the dash feels slightly limited but it’s all easy accessible and simple to navigate.

WhaT’S THE SPEC LIKE? As SsangYong keep telling us, a major selling point for the Korando Sports is ‘it’s fitted with uprated and progressive rear coil springs within the existing multi-link rear suspension set up’. We might laugh, but the ride is really smooth in this pick-up. However, steering is pretty vague and you’ll find yourself wondering where it will drift next.

WhaT DO THE PRESS THINK? Auto Express said: ‘SsangYong’s pick-up truck is a decent effort that comes into its own when you start to do the sums.’ What Car? said: ‘The SsangYong Korando Sports is punchy and fairly smooth especially so with the manual gearbox fitted. It’s also well equipped. Pricing is its strongest weapon.’ Fleetpoint said: The Korando Sports brings a new level of refinement to the pick-up market, blending the suspension, engine and cabin finesse of a passenger car, with the silhouette, space and seating for five that’s typical of a double cab.’

WhaT DO WE THINK? It might be called the Korando Sports but we’re not really sure what’s sporty about it. The most appealing thing about it is definitely the pricing, but that’s not to say it doesn’t hold its own against its rivals. Buyers who take this for a test drive will definitely find themselves mulling over their options.

the knowledge Model:

SsangYong Korando Sports EX Auto Price: From £14,995 Engine: 2.0-litre e-XDi diesel Power: 153bhp / 360Nm Max speed: 107mph 0-62mph: No figure available MPG (comb’d): 37.7 (comb’d) Emissions: 212g/km Residual values: tbc

target buyers:

Sheep owners, tea drinkers, people with tools and those in the building trade will be key to its success.

the rivals:

Mitsubishi L200, Toyota Hilux, Nissan Navara.

Key Selling Points: 1. It’s a good deal cheaper than its rivals.

2. New one-tonne payload.

3. Five-year warranty with no mileage restriction.

Deal Clincher: The price... we’re still in an era of austerity, after all.

forecourt. space galore

sharp looks

With design by Jozef Caban, who played a part in the Bugatti Veyron, the striking new look was always going to be impressive.

The extra 26cm on the rear provides more space than you would imagine – especially with the rear seats folded down.

plenty of toys

The S, SE and SL trims are all better equipped than the outgoing models, featuring lots of goodies as standard.

Skoda Fabia Estate Sophie Williamson-Stothert pops to Nice to try the Fabia Estate – and has a very nice time driving a very, very nice car What is it?

This is Skoda’s all-new Fabia Estate – the respected hatchback’s spacious big brother. It is a five-door family runaround and remains one of the most comfortable and spacious contenders in its sector. The extra 26cm on the rear provides a gigantic 530-litre luggage space (505 with the optional spare wheel under the floor).

Fold the rear seats forward, and this extends to an impressive 1,370 litres.

What’s under the bonnet?

figure of 60.1mpg and emits just 107g/km of CO2. It’s not the slowest car on the road either, with the ability to accelerate from 0-60mph in a respectable 10.8 seconds. Meanwhile, the 89bhp 1.4-litre diesel has a combined fuel consumption figure of 83.1mpg and emits 89g/km of CO2. Furthermore, no model exceeds car tax band B, so tax will cost a maximum of £20 per year.

What’s the spec like?

Both the hatchback and estate are available in the three trim levels – S, SE and SE L. They are all Skoda’s all-new estate comes with a better equipped than the outgoing variety of engine options. If you’re models they replace, and lighter sticking to petrol, we’d recommend the 89bhp 1.2-litre TSI petrol, which is too, improving economy and performance. Entry-level S models, also available with a DSG automatic from £12,405, feature Start/Stop, a six-speed gearbox and in 109bhp tune. But for better fuel consumption digital radio, electric front windows and Bluetooth. Move up a level to and lower tax bills, the new 89bhp SE, from £13,905, and you gain air 1.4-litre, three-cylinder diesel is the conditioning, 15-inch alloy wheels, one to go for and is also available height-adjustable front seats and roof with an automatic gearbox and in rails. Meanwhile, the range-topping 104bhp form. The 1.2-litre TSI offers SE L models, from £14,755, add larger a strong average fuel consumption

alloy wheels, climate control and LED daytime running headlights.

What’s it like to drive?

Sharing lots of its underpinnings with the VW Golf and Audi A3, the Fabia Estate is a small package full of big ideas. It’s responsive and satisfyingly smooth. For a five-seater family car, it is impressively nimble.

What do the press think?

the knowledge Model: Skoda Fabia Estate SE Price: £14,535 (as tested) Engine: 1.2-litre, four-cylinder,

turbo petrol Power: 89bhp, 160Nm Max speed: 115mph 0-62mph: 11 seconds MPG (comb’d): 60.1 Emissions: 107g/km Residual values: tbc

target buyers:

Young families who need the large boot space of an estate and the practicality of an everyday city car

Autocar said it’s a delight to drive thanks to its fine road manners. Auto Express gave it four stars.

the rivals:

What do we think?

Key Selling Points:

It’s cheap to buy and run and usefully practical, with a large boot for its size and good on-road behaviour. The petrol 1.2 TSI – set to be Skoda’s best seller – is the engine to go for and you’ll want to opt for mid-range SE trim, which is crammed with kit. It’s a mid-size family car with a supermini price tag.

Dacia Logan MCV Seat Ibiza ST

1. It has a class-leading luggage capacity of up to 1,370 litres 2. VW-group architecture 3. Dual-clutch gearboxes are smooth and punchy

Deal Clincher: It’s one of very few spacious compact estates.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 133

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LOOKS

The traditional Fiat 500 looks remain but with a pumped-up SUV stance

Fiat 500X

The Italian marque could well be on to something with its initial foray into crossover country, as Becca Chaplin discovers What is it?

It’s Fiat’s next stab at the crossover market after the abortive Sedici with styling inspired by the popular 500.

As the biggest car segment in Europe, it would have been silly for Fiat not to join in, so this is the Italians throwing their hat into the ring – and we think they might be on to something. It’s a well-known fact that most people can’t resist the cheeky grin of the Fiat 500, so the designers have stuck that on a four-wheel-drive-capable platform, given it an extremely competent engine and made the interior feel safe and comfortable. But really we know most buyers will be sold as ‘it looks like a Fiat 500’.

What’s under the bonnet?

We tested the top-of-the-range Cross 2.0-litre model with 138bhp and a nine-speed automatic gearbox.

However, it’s also available in 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6-litre variants with either a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic or manual gearbox. CO2 ���| CarDealerMag.co.uk

emissions are 144g/km but lower power engines emit as little as 109g/km and it’ll return 51.4mpg (combined).

What’s the spec like?

Fiat knows a huge proportion of 500X owners won’t be heading off-road, so it comes in both ‘City Look’ and ‘Off-Road Look’ guises. As we were in snowy Sweden, the Off-Road Look seemed appropriate, and featured chunky plastic under-guards to protect vital components, and unique ‘Trekking’ alloy wheels. The interior still isn’t knock-your-socks-off luxury but it is comfortable and offers good build quality.

Any rivals?

Quirky crossovers are springing up left, right and centre, and the 500X is looking to steal some of their limelight. The obvious rival is the Mini Countryman. The new Fiat will also have to square off against the likes of the Nissan Juke and Renault Captur.

What’s it like to drive?

On snow, excellent. On normal roads, we can’t be so sure. We tested the 500X on ice with all-weather tyres and it still felt incredibly stable.

As we pushed harder it started to squirm, but a well-judged stability control system saved our blushes. The absorbent suspension also made for a relaxed ride on our snowy adventure.

What do the press think?

Autocar said: ‘A shame this Fiat’s refinement isn’t better, but this shouldn’t be a deal-breaker.’ Auto Express said: ‘There’s nothing wrong with the way it looks, inside and out, making it instantly the most desirable small SUV out there.’

What do we think?

The 500X feels like a complete package compared with other Fiats.

It’s easy and enjoyable to drive and you’d struggle to miss it on the road.

It also feels good quality.

the knowledge Model: Price: Engine:

Fiat 500X £19,538 2.0 MultiJet II 138bhp AWD Auto Power: 138bhp Max speed: 118mph 0-62mph: 9.8 seconds MPG (comb’d): 51.4 (comb’d) Emissions: 144g/km Residual values: tbc

target buyers:

Young adults looking for something that’s a bit different or young families in need of a bigger car.

the rivals:

Nissan Juke, Mini Countryman, Renault Captur

Key Selling Points:

1. It’s got the style of the 500 with more space 2. Extremely comfortable car to drive 3. Very refined and quiet even at high speed

Deal Clincher: The looks of a Fiat 500 on a family-sized SUV.

PICTURES: JONATHAN FLEETWOOD

ENGINE

inside

Two very different cars sharing the same engines and a new nine-speed gearbox

They might be mechanically similar but Fiat chooses comfort while Jeep goes for a rugged style

LOOKS

Jeep Renegade

Increased ride height, unique bumpers for a 30-degree approach and 17-inch tyres make this Trail-Rated 4x4 ideal for rougher terrains.

Top 4x4 credentials and stand-out looks will help set newest member of the Jeep family apart, reports Becca Chaplin What is it?

It’s the Jeep Cherokee’s little brother and ready to prove it’s just as good off-road as its siblings. This downsized compact crossover’s bold looks will appeal to younger drivers and the deal will be sweetened by a very reasonable price tag. I was lucky enough to try it out off-road in some deep Swedish snow where it lived up to its spec name of ‘Trail Hawk’ – majestic!

What’s under the bonnet?

Our Renegade had the most powerful 2.0-litre MultiJet II diesel engine with 170bhp and new segment-first ninespeed automatic gearbox. It’s also available with 1.4-litre petrol and 1.6litre diesel engines, with the option of a six-speed automatic gearbox.

What’s the spec like?

Inside, the Renegade hasn’t lost its Jeep charm. It might be covered in plastic but it feels hard-wearing and ready for working boots or dogs. Our ‘Trail Hawk’ spec was the most off-

road-ready model. A lot of thought has gone into the design. There’s a metallic burnt-orange trim around the console and they’ve even added mudsplatter graphics in the red-line zone of the rev counter. It’s also available in the entry-level Sports spec, which includes DAB radio, Bluetooth and 16inch alloys. The Limited version adds 18-inch aluminium wheels, collision and rear parking sensors, leather seats and privacy glass.

the steering feels really direct and positive. Everything here is ultraresponsive, which is just what you want. The go-anywhere suspension also means the ride is relaxed if cruising on the motorway, and the nine-speed gearbox is so smooth you can just sit back and enjoy the drive.

What do the press think?

Autocar said: ‘Choice is always a welcome addition to any part of the Any rivals? market – and this particular agent Much like its Fiat counterpart, the of it has no small amount of charm.’

Renegade will have to hold its fists Auto Express said: ‘The Renegade’s up to the big boys of the crossover brand heritage, genuine off-road market, such as the Mini Countryman ability and stand-out looks set it apart and Skoda Yeti. It will also have to in such a competitive class.’ face off the likes of the Citroen C4 Cactus, which has equally divided the What do we think? public on its looks. But these top 4x4 In a class that’s so competitive the credentials and stand-out looks will Renegade has brought some real, certainly set it apart from the rest. pure-bred off-roading excellence.

However, most people walking into What’s it like to this segment won’t really be using this, so on that front it feels slightly drive? over-equipped.

I loved the driving position, and

the knowledge Model: Jeep Renegade Price: From £16,995 Engine: 2.0 MultiJet II Power: 170bhp Max speed: 118mph 0-62mph: 8.9 seconds MPG (comb’d): 48.7 (comb’d) Emissions: 151g/km Residual values: tbc

target buyers: Young ’uns looking for something that’s slightly style over substance but with some real off-road credentials.

the rivals: Fiat Panda 4x4, Mini Countryman and Skoda Yeti

Key Selling Points: 1. Competitive entry-level price 2. A striking look that you couldn’t miss on the road 3. Actual off-road capability

Deal Clincher: If you want more than a crossover then this is the car for you.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 135

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Mazda2

interior

Buyers who stay away from the entry-level models will find an upmarket interior they’ll like

the ride

Very little road noise at speed – or noise from the wind or the engine, to be honest.

It’s a very comfortable experience

on test

Can the new Mazda2 beat the evergreen Ford Fiesta? Christofer Lloyd finds out What is it?

What’s the spec like?

The 2 is Mazda’s latest model in the its range overhaul. The new car doesn’t compete with the Vauxhall Corsa or Ford Fiesta on price – prices start at £11,995 – but majors on providing plenty of standard kit, a spacious interior and strong performance.

Entry-level SE cars include electric wing mirrors, a height-adjustable driver’s seat, a trip computer, remote central locking and air conditioning. The only kit that buyers may miss are split-folding rear seats, alloy wheels, and electric rear windows, which are included on mid-spec SE-L cars, along with electric folding, heated wing mirrors, Bluetooth connectivity and cruise control, for a £1,000 premium. The 1.5-litre 89bhp SE-L models also feature a standard-fit seven-inch touchscreen media system along with a digital radio. Top-ofthe-range Sport and Sport Nav cars add automatic headlights and wipers, rear-parking sensors, tinted windows and climate control, plus sat nav in Sports Nav trim.

What’s under the bonnet?

The new 2 is available with three 1.5-litre petrol engines and a 1.5-litre diesel. Unlike its rivals, the petrol engines aren’t turbocharged, but the 2’s light weight means that acceleration – and economy – are better than the similarly powerful Skoda Fabias and Ford Fiestas. Petrol engines come with 74bhp, 89bhp and 113bhp, while the diesel puts out 104bhp. Even the least-powerful model sprints to 62mph in a very nippy 12.1 seconds while returning a claimed economy of 60.1mpg. The sweet spot of the Mazda2 range has to be the 89bhp petrol. This model zooms to 62mph in 9.4 seconds but it is still capable of achieving 62.8mpg. ���| CarDealerMag.co.uk

What’s it like to drive?

We drove the entry-level 74bhp petrol engine in SE-L trim. Though it is the least-powerful engine, it offers a reasonable amount of punch, provided you work the engine. Around town the 2 is easy to manoeuvre with very light steering

and reasonable visibility. The gear change is slick and satisfying. The ride is slightly firm but still very comfortable. The 2 acquits itself equally well on the motorway – unless you work the engine hard, when it is a little louder than buyers might expect.

What do the press think?

What Car? said: ‘Prices are competitive, resale values are strong and even the petrol models sit in low road tax bands.’

What do we think?

With big-car refinement, an easy drive and plenty of equipment, the Mazda2 is a wise supermini buy – especially considering its strong but frugal engines. The basic design and mediocre quality materials in our car were less appealing, though models with Mazda’s seven-inch touchscreen media system look much more upmarket. Prices are higher than some rivals though the 2 looks sharp inside and out, as long as buyers avoid the cheapest versions.

Mazda6 The Japanese manufacturer has also given its flagship family saloon and tourer a makeover, reports Dave Brown What is it?

power

Really nice. Even the least-punchy engines deliver plenty of power – and they’re great around town

It’s a car that will be playing a key role in helping Mazda reach its target of a 20 per cent year-onyear sales increase in the UK during 2015. The refreshed Mazda 6 range features improved standard equipment throughout its SE, SE-L and Sport Nav model grades. Included in the specifications are a new DAB radio, seven-inch colour touchscreen, Multimedia Commander with separate handily-placed volume dial and an integrated nav system. Still displaying its striking Kodo – Soul of Motion – design language, it’s inside where the bulk of the changes are to be found, however.

What’S UNDER THE BONNET?

the knowledge

Model: Mazda2 1.5 75 SE-L Price: £12,995 Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol Power: 74bhp Max speed: 106mph 0-62mph: 12.1secs MPG (comb’d): 60.1mpg Emissions: 110 g/km Residual values: tbc

target buyers

Style-conscious supermini buyers after something more stylish than the default Fiesta and Corsa options.

the rivals:

The range features a selection of 16 Saloon and 12 Tourer models, priced from £19,795 to £28,795 on-the-road. Both Saloon and Tourer variants are available with the choice of 2.0-litre Skyactiv-G petrol or 2.2litre Skyactiv-D diesel engines with the option of either six-speed Skyactiv-MT manual or Skyactiv-Drive automatic transmissions. Skyactiv-G petrol engines include the 2.0-litre 143bhp and the 2.0-litre 163bhp both producing 210Nm at 4,000rpm. Skyactiv-D diesel engines include the 2.2-litre 148bhp producing 380Nm at 1,800rpm to 2,600rpm and the 2.2-litre 173bhp producing 420Nm at 2,000rpm.

What’S THE SPEC LIKE? As well as the features we’ve already mentioned, Mazda have added quite a few other bells and whistles to the new version of the 6. All models now include Mazda’s first electronic parking

brake, coming/leaving home headlamps, and a bold new instrument panel and centre console design. There’s a revised suspension system and improved sound insulation throughout the body.

What’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE? We liked it. The cabin is comfortable and spacious; the technology is intuitive and welllaid out and visibility is excellent. The new suspension is more than capable of minimising lumps and bumps and the car copes with even sharp corners efficiently and effortlessly. And Mazda are right, there is less road noise.

What DO THE PRESS THINK?

Auto Trader said: ‘While the tight body control and plentiful grip makes the 6 feel fairly agile and alert, the knowledge the lightness and remoteness Model: Mazda6 2.2D 175ps of the steering detracts from Sport Nav Auto Saloon (driven) the amount of fun you’ll Price: £27,995 have.’ What Car? said: ‘The Engine: 2.2 litres, four-cyl new model has lost some of Power: 173bhp / 420Nm the handling capability that Max speed: 134mph so impressed in the previous 0-62mph: 8.2secs generation, even if the 2015 MPG (comb’d): 58.9mpg model still has light and Emissions: 127g/km precise steering.’

Residual values: tbc

target buyers: 1. Company car drivers.

2. Families who aren’t into crossovers.

3. People who want something a little different.

the rivals:

Vauxhall Insignia, Ford Mondeo, Volkswagen Passat.

Key Selling Points: 1. Growing brand recognition.

2. Stylish, smart; improved tech.

3. Roomy, comfortable cabin.

Deal Clincher:

A convincing alternative to the mainstream.

What DO WE THINK? We’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for the Mazda6.

It’s always been good to see a traditional family saloon display a bit of genuine pizzazz and style, with a generous helping of proper engineering focus. This facelift improves the interior styling to quite a large extent, and brings things generally a bit more up to date. It’s a car that is popular with retail and fleet customers and on a retail basis actually outsells Mondeo and Insignia.

This refresh should help keep it on people’s shopping lists.

Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa, Peugeot 208, Skoda Fabia, VW Polo

Key Selling Points:

1. Sharp styling inside and out 2. Refined interior 3. Economical and punchy petrol motors

Deal Clincher: Petrol engines beat many rivals for performance and economy CarDealerMag.co.uk | 137

We’ve developed the Black Horse Roadmap to help you navigate the changes the industry is facing and use them as a catalyst to grow your business.

The steps we take today will help build a sustainable platform for point of sale automotive finance.

Let’s navigate the future together.

YOUR FUTURE. OUR ROADMAP. Find out more about our Roadmap for point of sale finance at blackhorse.co.uk/dealerportal or contact your Account Manager. ���| CarDealerMag.co.uk

forecourt.

GOOD LOOKS

In the transformation from being a 1 Series to a 2 Series this new BMW has grown in style and acquired sharper styling than its predecessor

UNDER THE BONNET

Four petrols and a diesel motor available.

M235i petrol produces substantial 322bhp and zooms to 62mph in a speedy 5.2 seconds

BMW 2 Series Convertible

INSIDE

Interior largely the same as the Coupe, although soft-top surprisingly seems to offer a little more headroom than its hard-topped counterpart

Chris Lloyd puts the latest compact cabriolet from BMW to the test. With summer on the way, will it be a success?

What is it?

The 2 Series Convertible is BMW’s smallest drop-top, being based on the 2 Series Coupe. Unlike other models that use folding metal roofs, BMW has stuck to a conventional fabric item for its latest model. However, the company claims that a much greater level of sound proofing in the roof means that the driving experience is significantly more refined than its predecessor.

What’S UNDER THE BONNET? Five engines will be available initially – turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol models, the 220i and 228i, along with the 220d diesel and the sporty range-topping M235i, which boasts a powerful 3.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine. An entry-level 218i petrol will also be available shortly after the launch. Details for the three-cylinder 218i are yet to be announced, but all of the other models sprint to 62mph in 7.5 seconds or less, with the M235i hitting the benchmark in a rapid 5.2

seconds in manual form. Meanwhile, 220i and 228i versions both return claimed combined fuel economy of 41.5mpg, while the 220d returns an impressive average of 60.1mpg.

What’S THE SPEC LIKE?

the ride could be better, particularly in the diesel.

What DO THE PRESS THINK? The Daily Record said that, inside, the car is ‘very comfortable with lots of lovely leather’. Yahoo Cars said: ‘This 2 Series Convertible is the logical evolution of BMW’s compact offering, and its familiar looks plus the labour-saving powered fabric roof and additional space over the old car should endear it to those seeking a solid all-rounder’.

Standard on all cars is the electric folding roof, which takes 19 seconds to open and close, and can be operated at speeds of up to 30mph.

All models have climate control, with standard air vents for those in the rear seats, 17-inch alloy wheels, Bluetooth, a digital radio and rear parking sensors, while Luxury models gain 18-inch alloy wheels and leather What DO WE THINK? trim among other trinkets.

The one big downside in the cars we drove was the ride quality and What’S IT LIKE TO tyre noise, which many drivers DRIVE? will find simply too firm and We drove the diesel 220d and the uncomfortable. With prices starting sporty M235i. Both cars felt firm just shy of £30,000, the 2 Series and sharp to drive, with none of Convertible carries a hefty premium the flawed road-holding inherent in over the Coupe, meaning that buyers many older cars that have had their will have to mull over exactly how roofs cut off – and they offered high much they’re willing to pay for levels of cabin refinement – though having a drop-top.

the knowledge Model:

BMW 220d Sport Convertible Price: £29,965 Engine: Turbocharged 2.0-litre diesel Power: 187bhp / 400 Nm Max speed: 140mph 0-62mph: 7.5 seconds MPG (comb’d): 60.1 (comb’d) Emissions: 124g/km Residual values: tbc

target buyers: Those who are keen to buy a compact convertible that prioritises sharp handling above comfort.

the rivals:

The Audi A3 Convertible and the older Volkswagen Eos.

Key Selling Points: 1. A range of punchy engines.

2. Sharp styling, good roadholding.

3. Strong economy.

Deal Clincher: Handles corners better than most cabriolets.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 139

forecourt.

INTERIOR

PAINT JOBS

Eight vibrant external colours to choose from as well as three contrasting ‘tridion’ colours and three shades for the front grille.

Various fabric acccent trims come in bright, eye-catching colours such as bright blue and a rather natty shade of orange we liked.

SAFETy FIRST

smart fortwo

Unique safety cell is joined by ESP, Crosswind Assist, Hill Start Assist and five airbags as standard.

Dave Brown heads to the north-east of England to put the latest incarnation of a clever little car through its paces . . .

What is it?

Sixteen years ago, the original smart city coupe was launched. And now, more than 1.5 million global sales and over 100,000 UK registrations later, the third-generation smart fortwo has arrived. With very minor alterations in dimensions over its predecessor (although it is a bit wider), it’s one of the safest city cars available to motorists today.

What’s under the bonnet?

Two petrol options are available: a 999cc unit with 70bhp and a turbocharged 898cc unit with 89bhp.

Both are equipped with five-speed manual gearboxes – a twin-clutch DCT gearbox option will appear a little later this year.

What’s the spec like?

It’s quite easy to get a handle on the trim levels here – there are three model lines: passion, prime and proxy. Passion comes with 15-inch alloy wheels, automatic climate ���| CarDealerMag.co.uk

control, the smart audio system and a multi-function leather steering wheel. Prime adds two-tone alloys, Lane Keeping Assist, a panoramic glass roof and heated seats. Proxy is priced the same as prime but swaps the heated seats for 16-inch wheels finished in black, a chrome exhaust finisher and a couple of other snazzy touches. Safety is key too. The car’s ‘tridion’ safety cell will protect its occupants and there are five airbags.

What’s it like to drive?

Lots of fun. We put the car to the test in busy Newscastle upon Tyne, described by some as the party capital of the north-east. And the little car certainly put us in a good mood, even on a dank Tuesday afternoon in mid-February. It is, of course, in its element on the busy streets of a city.

You feel safe and sound, parking’s a doddle and even though it’s an up-todate take on a car that’s been around for a decade and a half, there is no shortage of admiring glances.

What do the press think?

Richard Hammond, writing in The Mirror, said: ‘Widening the body has improved its manoeuvring ability by creating more space in the arches. This allows the wheels to turn 45 degrees off the straight ahead, resulting in a turning circle of 6.95m which is tighter than a London cab can do it.’ BusinessCar said: ‘The lower-powered engine is expected to be the best seller. It, however, struggles when out of town, particularly on inclines.’

What do we think?

Good things come in small packages, as the saying goes, and that’s certainly the case here. You get a real feeling of joie de vivre when you get behind the wheel of a fortwo. The normal trials and tribulations of city driving seem more bearable and for a tiny vehicle, it offers a lot. Smart sales are down significantly at the moment, but this little car could be a big help in turning things around.

the knowledge Model: Price: Engine:

smart fortwo From £11,125 0.9-litre 3-cyl petrol turbo (tested) Power: 89bhp, 135Nm Max speed: 96mph 0-62mph: 10.4 seconds MPG (comb’d): 67.3 (comb’d) Emissions: 97g/km Residual values: tbc

target buyers:

City dwellers (obviously), singletons, people with a sense of fun, newly-qualified drivers.

the rivals: Toyota IQ, Fiat 500, Ford Ka.

Key Selling Points: 1. Big on the fun factor.

2. Great around the city.

3. New model a bit wider to help accommmodate, ahem, larger occupants.

Deal Clincher: Even after 16 years, still arguably the funkiest two-seater around.

smart forfour

the knowledge

. . . and after smart fortwo, it’s only natural that its larger sibling should be taken for a spin. Can it help smart sales?

What is it?

Sister car to the Renault Twingo, this car has rear doors that open to 85 degrees, space for four adults and a load volume of up to 975 litres. It hasn’t been around for quite as long – this is only the second generation.

What’s under the bonnet?

Like the fortwo, the forfour is available with a 1.0-litre petrol engine with 70bhp and a turbocharged 0.9litre petrol engine producing 89bhp.

And again, both cars are equipped with five-speed manual gearboxes, with the twin-clutch DCT gearbox on its way shortly.

What’s the spec like?

Sorry if we’re being a bit boring, but you’ll have read this on the opposite page! Passion, prime and proxy are the model lines again. Passion-grade cars start from £11,620 and for that you get a model with 15-inch, silver

MANOEVRABILITY

alloy wheels, a black honeycomb grille, automatic climate control and the smart audio system. Prime adds a panoramic glass roof complete with integrated blind, a set of unique 15inch two-tone wheels, Lane Keeping Assist and additional dashboard intrument pods. Proxy is priced precisely the same as prime (that’s easy for us to say) and comes with cloth and leather seats in white and blue with a colour-matching interior colour scheme. There’s sports suspension too.

What’s it like to drive?

Although lacking the genuine fun factor of its two-seater sibling, we really rather enjoyed this car. Nimble and agile, it nevertheless felt solid, safe and sure-footed. And although we embarked on a reasonably long jaunt through the North Yorkshire moors in the middle of winter, our car didn’t put a foot wrong.

Capable of performing a U-turn, kerb-to-kerb, in 8.65 metres. (The fortwo can manage less than seven metres.)

What do the press think?

Auto Express said: ‘The ride is supple and composed, with the suspension absorbing urban obstacles such as manhole covers and potholes with ease. However, the smart loses its controlled edge on faster, more open roads. Parkers said: ‘It’s built alongside the Renault Twingo – a car we’re already very fond of – and shares much of its technology. Of course, Mercedes-owned smart needed to put a ‘‘premium’’ slant on things, so the forfour gets 40kg of extra sound deadening in an effort to justify the higher price tag.’

What do we think?

As we mention opposite, smart isn’t exactly setting the sales charts alight at the moment so there will be a lot riding on these two cars. Our worry with the forfour is that it occupies a crowded segment of the market and could struggle to find a voice.

Model: The new smart forfour Price: From £11,620 Engine: 1.0-litre, petrol (tested) Power: 70bhp, 91Nm Max speed: 94mph 0-62mph: 15.9 seconds MPG (comb’d): 67.3 (comb’d) Emissions: 97g/km Residual values: tbc

target buyers: Families with young kids (not lanky teens), city dwellers, those seeking an alternative city car option.

the rivals:

Peugeot 108, Renault Twingo, Kia Picanto.

Key Selling Points: 1. High-quality interior.

2. High level of refinement compared to rivals.

3. With two occupants, the car has 975 litres of load space.

Deal Clincher: Two extra seats over the fortwo, for just £495 more.

PRACTICALITY

Readyspace rear seats with removable cargo box and 50:50 folding seatbacks are standard across all trim levels.

NICE AND BRIGHT

Nine colours available here, plus three ‘tridion’ colours. Proxy has 16-inch wheels finished in black.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 141

focus on.

Trusted Car Buyers

Get the right car at the right Trusted Car Buyers

H

ere at Car Dealer, we talk to quite a few suppliers of goods and services to the automotive industry and it’s always a pleasure to find out about the latest products and developments that are on the way to make life easier for us all.

For the piece you’re about to read, however, we’ve taken a slightly different approach, and to explain the benefits of the Trusted Car Buyers service we’ve spoken to a dealer who actually uses the system.

Trusted Car Buyers has one aim: to give 300 dealers the opportunity to enter the car-buying industry – and the team behind the venture are roughly a third of the way towards their target.

To the punter with an unwanted car to shift, there is a crucial benefit to choosing Trusted Car Buyers over, say, another well-known online carbuying service.

In a nutshell, they are almost certain to get more money because the cars that are bought via the Trusted Car Buyers website are bought by dealers, thus cutting out the auction stage of the

W: dealerportal.trustedcarbuyers.com process that other websites include. And for the buyer, and member of the Trusted Car Buyers scheme, there are numerous ways in which the scheme is a winner.

We spoke to Rich Donaldson, the managing director of a group of three dealerships: Clifton Specialist Cars, Bristol; Imola of Bristol; and City Vehicle Contracts, Cardiff.

He’s been with Trusted Car Buyers since the early days of the venture a couple of years ago and told us: ‘It’s a good system. It works well for us. It’s excellent and I think it’s only going to get better. It’s something that we have done from day one – it’s just such an obvious way to buy cars.’

Discussing his involvement with Trusted Car Buyers, Donaldson quickly ran through the traditional ways a dealer finds stock, such as buying from other dealers; buying from auctions; checking out private advertisements and walk-ins.

But he added: ‘All of those have got their issues. If you buy a car at auction, do you really get the chance to test it properly? No. If you buy 10 cars, you will inevitably get one or two that

THERE’S A BIG DIFFERENCE, AND IN THE DEALER’S FAVOUR As well as talking to Rich Donaldson, Car Dealer had a quick chat with Paul Fisher of Trusted Car Buyers. He was pleased to hear Donaldson was happy with the way things were going.

‘With the recent TV advertising campaign, a lot more dealers have been making inquiries with

���| CarDealerMag.co.uk

us,’ he told us. ‘What we charge dealers, they can’t buy cars for that at auction. ‘There’s a big difference, and in the dealer’s favour.

‘And of course, a key feature is that the stock comes to them. They’ve got time to properly test-drive a car and make sure they’re buying something they’re happy with.’

have fairly significant issues and you’ll find that your margins are down.

‘With an operation like Trusted Car Buyers, being a sort of add-on to your forecourt, the customer comes to you. You can do your homework beforehand and find out about the car that a customer is bringing in.

‘Then you get the chance to look at it properly.

You get a chance to drive it. As mechanics, we get the chance to put the car in the air and thoroughly check it over.

‘With Trusted Car Buyers, it’s very simple: I’ve got a much better chance of buying the right car at the right money. And of course we don’t have to travel to auctions to pick them up.

‘From a logistical point of view, it’s far, far more efficient. If you were to analyse it as a business model, all your cars are supplied by the public but they’re chosen by you. From an efficiency perspective, we aim, by the end of the year, to have no other supplier of cars to our business – just Trusted Car Buyers.

‘We’re there or thereabouts already. We’re

price T: 0843 557 3422 running at over 50 per cent at the moment.’

So far so good. And Trusted Car Buyers certainly have a fan in Rich Donaldson!

But what if a punter rocks up at your business with a vehicle that doesn’t quite fit your stock profile? Well, Trusted Car Buyers are in a position to help here too.

‘The Trusted system works as follows,’ said Donaldson. ‘We say, well, actually, that’s not quite the car for us retail-wise, however, it still comes into us, we evaluate the car thoroughly as if we were buying it for ourselves, upload the appraisal form and the photographs of any damage and it goes on to the internal Trusted Car Buyers network. Then, one of the other 90 or so dealers in the scheme gets the opportunity to buy that car safe in the knowledge that it has been evaluated by a Trusted Car Buyers dealer.

‘If everyone looks after each other by doing their job right on the cars that are coming in – whether they are for them or for the Trusted group network – then we all end up being beneficiaries of that group-buying system. It’s just

a far, far better way of sourcing stock.’

And of course, when sellers arrive at your premises, it presents you with a chance to make a sale as well.

‘Yes, that’s right,’ said Donaldson. ‘They might not be looking for a car at that particular time, or they might have already done a deal. However, it does give them the opportunity to see you as a business and it just presents them with another option for either now or in the future. You just need to look after the customer properly, and of course, that’s what we do.’

The Trusted Car Buyers team have noticed a big upturn in the level of interest since a recent television advertising campaign got under way.

‘Since the TV campaign started, the bookings and quotes have gone through the roof. It’s been unbelievable. I can only see that the more the television campaign is out there, the more brand awareness and brand loyalty they will get.

‘In turn, there will be more quotations being supplied and more bookings being made.

‘‘

‘I see more and more dealers coming on board.

I’m sure it’s going to get bigger – it’s only just getting started really.’

So what are the Trusted Car Buyers guys like to deal with on a day-to-day basis? Helpful? Friendly?

Over to Rich Donaldson again. And once more, he’s full of praise for the team.

‘They are easy to deal with,’ he told us. ‘They are a nice company to deal with.

‘Every single person I talk to on the phone is efficient and friendly and they are clearly hardworking. I’ve had conversations with them at 9pm in the evening; I have had conversations on a Sunday afternoon.

‘We’re a relatively young and hungry company.

We’re not afraid to put the effort in.

‘I don’t think they are either. Things are only going to get bigger and better.’ [CD]

It’s something that we have done from day one – it’s just such an obvious way to buy cars.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 143

focus on.

GardX Protection

Great people, great products GARDX

W: gardx.co.uk T: 01243 376426

A

nyone in the motor trade who hears the word GardX Protection will probably think to themselves, ‘ah, the paint protection people.’

And that’s certainly true. But to categorise the company purely in that way is a bit like saying Marks and Spencer sells the occasional pair of Y-fronts.

You see, there is far more to GardX than simply selling paint and interior protection packs – although that is a crucial cornerstone of their ever-expanding operation.

Car Dealer recently travelled to the company’s UK headquarters near Chichester to get the latest news from Managing Director Victor Coutin.

And we had an interesting hour or two with the man who, together with another ex motor trader, Martin Webb, founded the company 13 years ago and has managed its expansion into a multi-million-pound business with offices and operations in many of the world’s leading automotive markets.

So how did it all begin?

Former dealer group boss Coutin told us: ‘Martin and I had. jointly, more than 50 years’ experience in running our own dealerships where we had sold thousands of paint protection packs.

We knew how to achieve significant sales of this type of product.

‘Back then we approached the business as motor traders rather than a chemical company.

Any supplier can deliver product. The difficult part is maintaining sustained sales of that product over the long term. In our opinion, our rivals had been in the industry a long time and were just chemical suppliers. When GardX launched, we had some specific core objectives – set by me and based on my experience of running my own dealer group.

‘Number one, we asked our chemists to develop a paint and interior protection product that incorporated the latest technology and could compete with the best in the market. They delivered. We believe our paint protection product is the only UK product to achieve ISO 2812-5:

‘‘

Victor Coutin and Mike Brewer: Our top 10 cars at the Geneva Motor Show

bit.ly/geneva-top10 2007. We then added some tangible benefits that added value to our protection system during the customer’s ownership of the car. If a customer sees values in a product he has purchased, the chances are they will buy it again when they change their car.

‘And thirdly, we made the products easy for sales people to sell. I wrote a simple but disciplined sales process that could seamlessly integrate into any dealer’s sales process that was guaranteed to increase product sales but not affect the sale of any other F&I product.

‘All this was enhanced by powerful point of sale including a sales video presented by respected TV presenter and motoring journalist Mike Brewer.

‘That sales video helped the customer understand what the product was and what the benefits were – and made it very easy for salesmen to present the product. Our core premise is we are not just a product supplier but a business partner. Our objective is to integrate our account management team into a dealership’s sales team to maximise every opportunity.

‘We support our dealers with professional account management with monthly or bimonthly visits to their dealerships. The first two years were slow going but since then we have achieved phenomenal success.’

We’ve got some really good people – the level of experience in our team has helped drive our business forward. ���| CarDealerMag.co.uk

Those founding principles still hold true today and combine to provide a great example of achieving success by getting the basics right.

And, boy, has the company come on in leaps and bounds since the early days. Attracting dealer groups of the calibre of Inchcape, Lookers, JCT600 and Perrys, GardX is a leader in its field.

‘In the early days the view of some sales people was that it was more difficult to sell this sort of product on a used car.

‘We’ve proved them wrong. We have been very successful in the volume superstore used car sector, counting top retailers like Car Giant and Car Shop as clients,’ said Coutin.

‘Every time we’re out there, talking to our clients, we want to be judged on the following: the incremental increase in penetration – naturally that improves and increases the amount of profit – and also, how we execute the professional account management within that business.

‘Top CEOs will tell you, these guys have not only made a significant difference to my business in terms of profit – but, actually, the way they have managed my business has also had a positive impact.’

As we’ve said, GardX is known principally for paint protection, but there’s a lot more to the business now.

Under its GardX Maintain umbrella, for instance, it offers a range of products such as fuel additives, engine flush, oil enhancer, antibacterial air conditioning treatment products and a diesel particulate filter cleaner.

Coutin explained: ‘All these products are typically ones that would be sold on an aftermarket basis in a workshop/service area.

‘And you won’t be surprised to hear that we teach disciplined processes to service advisers so they can promote these products to their customers successfully.’

But perhaps it’s GardX Assure Insurance Services where the most exciting opportunities are presenting themselves to Victor Coutin and his team. He was keen to explain.

‘GardX Assure was set up three-and-a-half years ago,’ he said. ‘Our customers were saying to us that if we provided the same level of account management, support and training on insurance products, and they were competitively priced with good levels of cover, then they’d be interested in talking.’

and a great future

Disciplined processes...

GardX boss Victor Coutin

reading this, perhaps something of a revelation claim frequency here promotes the need for this To cut a long story short, GardX developed a that there is more to GardX than meets the eye. product and this delivers high levels of customer smart insurance product called C.A.R.S.: Cosmetic But there’s another aspect we haven’t touched satisfaction as our mobile repairers complete the Accident Repair Solutions. on yet and it’s arguable that it’s something every repair very quickly. When a customer comes back Coutin told us: ‘The reason we got involved business needs to succeed. Good people. to a dealership to buy a car, if they have claimed with smart insurance – which, incidentally, is ‘One of the keys to our success has been our once on this product, it’s highly likely they will probably one of the fastest-growing products people,’ agreed Coutin. ‘We’ve got some really buy it again. within the auto sector – is that we are in the good people and the level of experience in our ‘GardX Assure is the fastest-growing segment business of protection. team has helped drive our business forward. of our business. When you combine these ‘We recognised that if we went to market with We’ve got some great agents in the field, for products along with our offering of paint a total protection offer, combining our existing example, and hugely talented national account protection, it allows us to be very effective in the exterior and interior offerings with a product that agents. way we manage relationships with dealer groups. covered dings, dents, scuffs and scratches, we ‘More recently we have managed to attract ‘All of these products have a video feature with would have something very powerful to say. three senior individuals from Mapfre Abraxas, them, so when we go into a dealership and sit ‘We also added CWP – complete wheel Nancy Rignall, Amanda Massey and Richard down with a salesman, we make it protection – and GAP. Hage. They have and will make a huge easy for the salesman to present these products ‘These products have proved very successful contribution to our business.’ to consumers.’ with our dealers. They resonate very nicely with Great products, great people – and a great It’s all fascinating stuff, and for many people consumers. Why? Because most people have had future. Maybe it’s time you minor bodywork teamed up with GardX. [CD] damage, a kerbed See video testimonials from motor industry leaders alloy or a puncture.

by Dave Brown www.gardx-info.co.uk/testimonials/ ‘The high level of (@CarDealerDave) CarDealerMag.co.uk | 145

focus on.

Gumtree Motors

Moving ahead with dealers GUMTREE

A

W: gumtreeforbusiness.co.uk/motors T: 020 8334 7952

fantastic new website – check. A userfriendly back-end system that makes life easy for dealers – check. A very reasonable pricing structure – check.

And thousands and thousands of eager buyers online looking to replace their car. Check, check and check again.

That, in a nutshell, is the story of Gumtree Motors, the automotive arm of the UK’s numberone classifieds website.

And it’s a story the Gumtree team are very excited about and keen to share with the UK’s dealer community.

Car Dealer last caught up with Andrew Hooks, director of motors at Gumtree, last summer – and at that point he was delighted that more than 1,000 dealers had signed up to the service since its launch at the start of 2014.

When we spoke to him at the beginning of March, he had even more good news to share.

‘We’ve got a great story to tell,’ said Hooks. ‘Last summer we were celebrating the fact that we had 1,000 dealers on the platform. We’ve now grown from that point very substantially so we’re way over twice that size now, which is fantastic.

‘We’re making real progress and we are working with a whole range of players in the market, from small independents and sole traders right through to some of the biggest names in the industry. We have a wide range of customers and we are showing we can deliver excellent value, which is a great place to be.’

Hooks describes Gumtree as ‘the best-kept secret’ in the industry and while that may be true, it certainly seems as though more people are being let in on it!

He explained: ‘I don’t think the wider marketplace understands just how big Gumtree is, particularly in terms of the traffic that we bring. Figures show we have the second highest level of traffic in the classified space.

‘We enjoy that position thanks to very strong leadership in the ‘‘for sale by owner’’ market place. We have almost three times the number of private listings than our nearest competitor. This

‘‘

means that customers, when they are looking for a great deal on a car, are automatically thinking of Gumtree and coming to us. On top of that, we have super SEO capabilities which do a good job of augmenting that natural traffic.

‘So we’ve got a really strong proposition and what we’re seeing is that those customers are very open to the trade proposition as well.

‘They are not at all blinkered in their approach – they’re very much interested in getting a good deal, plus the added value you get when you buy from a dealer such as the security, a warranty, and so on.’

As well as being able to supply lots of potential leads to their dealer partners, the team at Gumtree are especially proud of the new-look website, which is key, both in progress made to date, and also when it comes to moving forward through 2015 and beyond. ‘Since we last spoke, we have rolled out a completely new website,’ Hooks confirmed. ‘Dealers’ cars are now being presented on a website which has a much cleaner design. We have had a great response from users.

‘They are very happy with the way it works.

And it obviously reflects well on the people who are advertising with us. That was a huge move for us and one that we’re very pleased with.’

As well as the fantastic new website, which incidentally is fully responsive so can be viewed on anything from a smart TV, desktop PC to a smartphone, Gumtree has a suite of four apps that add even more value and functionality.

And further advancements are in the pipeline for later this year, so don’t be surprised to see another Gumtree feature in Car Dealer in a few months!

But what about the customers the site is attracting? Are they really in the mood to buy?

Hooks is in no doubt about that. ‘We have a very large number of people on the site who expect to buy a car within the next 12 months,’ he explained. ‘They’re serious and are browsing the site with a view to making a purchase.

‘Of course, and like all sites, we do have some casual-browse traffic but our statistics show that a

We have a very large number of people on the site who expect to buy a car within the next 12 months. ���| CarDealerMag.co.uk

very high proportion of people who visit our site are there because they want to find a good deal on a car, and if a good deal is to be had, transact.’

When we spoke to Hooks last summer, he was keen to point out that Gumtree was doing a lot of work with dealers in the independent sector.

And while that’s still the case, he told us: ‘We are still appealing to independent businesses – and we have forged many great relationships in that sector – and we have seen a shift towards slightly higher-value vehicles lately.

‘We now have a larger proportion of vehicles in the £5,000-plus and £10,000-plus brackets and we’re seeing a very strong response from users

of all shapes and sizes TAKING A FLEXIBLE APPROACH

to those vehicles. So we’re moving forward with independents but we’re moving forward with manufacturer franchises as well.

‘We have a very strong value proposition for every customer in the market. And to the many dealers reading this, we would be very

happy to discuss your needs with you and prove that we can offer great value.’

by Dave Brown (@CarDealerDave)

THE GUMTREE team take great pride in the level of customer service they provide. And with the substantial increase in the number of dealer partners over the past few months has come a sustained period of recruitment to the company’s friendly and efficient account management team.

‘We have a very clear process to welcome new customers,’ explained Andrew Hooks.

‘Any new customer works with one of our client liaison officers for the first few weeks on the site.

‘They’ll receive intensive support to make sure everything is working, that they are getting a response and making full use of their account. After that, they are passed to a formal account manager for the longer-term relationship. And our account managers are expert at advising on little tweaks here and there to improve a dealer’s performance.’

What about the actual process for dealers who are adding their cars to the site?

‘Smaller dealerships might want to use our self-load procedure but if you’ve got a larger amount of stock, you’re probably looking at an automated way of bringing it across from one of your existing stock management systems,’ acknowledged Hooks.

‘In which case, we’ve got two routes. As part of the eBay Inc family, we work very closely with eBay Motors Pro which exports listings to Gumtree. We have developed and are continuing to develop means and tools to help customers become successful customers of both eBay Motors Pro and Gumtree.

‘The third route is a direct feed from your existing dealer management system. We accept feeds from a wide range of players in the market. Most of the big players will feed directly to Gumtree so if, for example, you work with AutoExposure, you can put your listings on to Gumtree very easily.

‘It’s very flexible for dealers. We don’t want to prescribe to our customers how they should or shouldn’t upload inventories.

Different routes work for different customers, so we are as flexible as we can be.’ [CD] CarDealerMag.co.uk | 147

DATA FILE.

Thestatistics n

SMMT Sales Data

n

Taking Stock

The longest period of growth ever for UK new car market

Figures reflect a strong upturn in the confidence of UK buyers, says the SMMT

T

he UK new car market has grown for a 36th consecutive month – a record growth period, according to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

In February, traditionally one of the quietest months of the year ahead of the number plate change in March, the market grew 12 per cent year-onyear with 76,958 new cars registered, achieving a year-to-date rise of 8.3 per cent. Fleet buyers drove this increase with registrations up 19.9 per cent in February, while the private market saw an increase of 3.4 per cent.

The UK car market’s sustained expansion is the longest ever seen, beating the previous record of 26 months set in the late 1980s. The number of new cars registered has risen every month since March 2012, as the UK continues to bounce back from the recession. Consumer demand has been driven by exciting new products and attractive finance deals.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: ‘Three years of continuous growth in the new car market is remarkable and reflects the strong upturn in the confidence of UK car buyers since the recession.

‘Registrations of fleet and business cars have outpaced the private market in February, reflecting the increased business confidence across the UK. ‘With most fleet car buyers on a three-year replacement cycle, many of those cars purchased at the beginning of the current growth period are now due for replacement. Over the course of 2015, however, we are expecting a more

stable market to emerge given there has already been an extended period of consistent growth.’

Richard Lowe, head of retail and wholesale at Barclays, said: ‘The UK new car market is still motoring forward, with the business and fleet side racing ahead with manufacturers continuing to offer attractive finance packages to fleet buyers in the UK. All eyes are now on March’s plate change, and whether 2014’s stellar performance can be beaten.’

The best sellers during February were as follows: from the top – Ford Fiesta (4,096 units registered); Volkswagen Golf (3,177); Vauxhall Corsa (2,830); Vauxhall Astra (2,396); Ford Focus (2,021); Nissan Qashqai (1,800); Vauxhall Insignia (1,797); MercedesBenz C-Class (1,686); Audi A3 (1,609) and Fiat 500 (1,436).

Fiesta’s sales total would place it seventh among the top-selling car manufacturers, meaning that Fiesta on its own outsells the car ranges of all but five of Ford’s rival car makers.

Used car sales up by 2.6 per cent, says Experian USED-CAR sales rose by 2.6 per cent in the third quarter of last year to reach their highest point since 2008, according to data from information services company Experian.

A total of 1.86 million used cars were sold in Great Britain between July and September last year, compared to the 1.82 million in the corresponding months in 2013. It represented the ���| CarDealerMag.co.uk

strongest period for used-car sales since the second quarter of 2008, when 1.92 million vehicles changed hands.

Older cars caught the eyes of motorists, with the number of used cars aged nine years or more sold up by 7.1 per cent year-on-year in the third quarter of 2014. Sales of used cars aged up to three years increased by 4.3 per cent, but there was a drop in

transactions of vehicles aged between three and six years (3.4 per cent) and six and nine years (3.9 per cent).

Andrew Ballard, strategy director at Experian Automotive, said: ‘It’s not just new cars which are catching the eye – motorists aren’t scared of cars which have been on the road for nine years or more, probably because they are often more affordable.’

SMMT sales data Feb/year to date

5

Top

Most-improved manufacturers in February

Lotus +400.00% Mitsubishi +177.89% Maserati +176.19% Jeep

+164.86%

Mini

+79.37%

5

Bottom

Worst-performing manufacturers in February Perodua

-100%

Chevrolet -99.81% Chrysler -81.82% Bentley

-58.21%

Smart

-41.34%

RENAULT +67.38%

HYUNDAI -16.31% Figures supplied by SMMT

Marque Abarth Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Chevrolet Chrysler Citroen Dacia Fiat Ford Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Kia Land Rover Lexus Lotus Maserati Mazda Mercedes-Benz MG Mia MINI Mitsubishi Nissan Perodua Peugeot Porsche Proton Renault Saab SEAT Skoda smart SsangYong Subaru Suzuki Toyota Vauxhall Volkswagen Volvo Other British Other Imports Total

Feb 2015

2015

46 123 7 4,412 28 5,091 1 12 3,074 569 1,941 9,858 1,580 2,602 18 249 196 2,334 794 234 5 58 1,306 4,347 63 0 1,756 553 4,145 0 3,917 172 0 1,709 0 1,176 2,260 105 49 47 923 2,958 9,552 7,710 920 24 34 76,958

% market share 0.06 0.16 0.01 5.73 0.04 6.62 0.00 0.02 3.99 0.74 2.52 12.81 2.05 3.38 0.02 0.32 0.25 3.03 1.03 0.30 0.01 0.08 1.70 5.65 0.08 0.00 2.28 0.72 5.39 0.00 5.09 0.22 0.00 2.22 0.00 1.53 2.94 0.14 0.06 0.06 1.20 3.84 12.41 10.02 1.20 0.03 0.04

Feb 2014

2014

32 145 8 4,178 67 3,037 535 66 3,106 475 1,810 9,935 2,023 3,109 16 231 74 2,126 727 228 1 21 1,109 3,638 47 0 979 199 3,480 2 3,258 155 0 1,021 0 930 2,341 179 40 37 1,199 2,411 9,332 5,559 831 30 9 68,736

% market share 0.05 0.21 0.01 6.08 0.10 4.42 0.78 0.10 4.52 0.69 2.63 14.45 2.94 4.52 0.02 0.34 0.11 3.09 1.06 0.33 0.00 0.03 1.61 5.29 0.07 0.00 1.42 0.29 5.06 0.00 4.74 0.23 0.00 1.49 0.00 1.35 3.41 0.26 0.06 0.05 1.74 3.51 13.58 8.09 1.21 0.04 0.01

% change 43.75 -15.17 -12.50 5.60 -58.21 67.63 -99.81 -81.82 -1.03 19.79 7.24 -0.78 -21.90 -16.31 12.50 7.79 164.86 9.78 9.22 2.63 400.00 176.19 17.76 19.49 34.04 0.00 79.37 177.89 19.11 -100.00 20.23 10.97 0.00 67.38 0.00 26.45 -3.46 -41.34 22.50 27.03 -23.02 22.69 2.36 38.69 10.71 -20.00 277.78 11.96

2015 179 359 52 15,766 157 13,099 1 69 8,488 2,189 6,125 31,338 5,189 8,396 79 1,049 532 7,248 5,097 1,240 18 173 4,646 13,695 198 0 3,999 2,361 15,221 0 11,088 802 0 4,725 0 5,313 7,376 297 170 213 2,820 9,669 26,487 21,703 3,929 73 186 241,814

Year-to-date (YTD) % market share 0.07 0.15 0.02 6.52 0.06 5.42 0.00 0.03 3.51 0.91 2.53 12.96 2.15 3.47 0.03 0.43 0.22 3.00 2.11 0.51 0.01 0.07 1.92 5.66 0.08 0.00 1.65 0.98 6.29 0.00 4.59 0.33 0.00 1.95 0.00 2.20 3.05 0.12 0.07 0.09 1.17 4.00 10.95 8.98 1.62 0.03 0.08

2014

115 442 58 14,925 222 10,960 1,232 181 8,577 1,848 6,033 31,727 5,229 8,173 82 1,324 275 6,821 5,111 898 17 84 3,911 11,430 185 5 2,998 897 12,279 10 10,869 674 1 3,851 0 4,594 7,400 467 134 165 3,048 8,584 24,224 19,995 3,082 98 63 223,298

% market share 0.05 0.20 0.03 6.68 0.10 4.91 0.55 0.08 3.84 0.83 2.70 14.21 2.34 3.66 0.04 0.59 0.12 3.05 2.29 0.40 0.01 0.04 1.75 5.12 0.08 0.00 1.34 0.40 5.50 0.00 4.87 0.30 0.00 1.72 0.00 2.06 3.31 0.21 0.06 0.07 1.36 3.84 10.85 8.95 1.38 0.04 0.03

% change 55.65 -18.78 -10.34 5.63 -29.28 19.52 -99.92 -61.88 -1.04 18.45 1.52 -1.23 -0.76 2.73 -3.66 -20.77 93.45 6.26 -0.27 38.08 5.88 105.95 18.79 19.82 7.03 -100.00 33.39 163.21 23.96 -100.00 2.01 18.99 -100.00 22.70 0.00 15.65 -0.32 -36.40 26.87 29.09 -7.48 12.64 9.34 8.54 27.48 -25.51 195.24 8.29

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 149

TAKING STOCK. Remarketing specialist BCA reflects on what the future may hold as the latest Pulse report shows the headline average value of a used car fell for third month in a row

Some uncertainty likely in run-up to general election Volume vendors must appraise sale stock closely to ensure it’s valued in line with market expectations, says Simon Henstock, BCA’s UK network operations director

B

CA’s latest Pulse report shows the headline average value of a used car fell for the third month running in February, although values remain substantially ahead year-on-year.

It was a mixed picture overall, with fleet and lease values rising for the second month to reach record levels, while part-exchange values declined, although both sectors saw notable value growth over the year.

Levels of trade were steady during February, with plenty of interest in retail-ready cars, but buyers were rather more wary of poorer-condition vehicles.

With a greater volume of stock expected to reach the marketplace in 2015, buyers have a lot more choice and vehicles requiring repair and refurbishment need to be sensibly valued to compete.

For cars with cosmetic damage, SMART repairs are a cost-effective option for sellers, meaning their vehicles can be quickly processed and presented in the best possible condition.

Looking ahead, most commentators are

‘Most commentators are expecting a strong March for new car sales.’ expecting a strong March for new car sales and, as every new car sale typically generates a chain of used car activity, there will be greater volumes from fleet and contract hire sources as well as increasing numbers of dealer part-exchange vehicles. This could impact on residual values in the weeks ahead and BCA is recommending volume vendors appraise their sale stock closely to ensure it is valued in line with market expectations.

In addition, the Easter break and the spring bank holiday are nearly upon us and the dynamics of the wholesale market are likely to change over the coming weeks. Retail demand typically softens post-Easter as the focus

Average part-ex value

£4,041

turns towards the summer holiday rather than changing the family car. The general election also begins to loom large on the horizon, and we should expect a little uncertainty in the wholesale markets in the run-up to May 7.

From the dealer’s perspective, now is a great time to appraise any over-age stock and get it sold, rather than chasing the market in a few weeks’ time if values soften.

The headline average value of a used car in February fell to £7,814, down by £141 (1.7 per cent) compared with January, with performance against CAP Clean improving to 99.08 per cent.

Year-on-year, values were up by £484, a 6.6 per cent rise, with average mileage and age falling slightly compared with 2014. Performance against CAP Clean was up slightly over the year.

Fleet and lease cars averaged £9,673 in February, a rise of £195 (2.0 per cent) compared with January and the highest monthly value on record. Average age and mileage were broadly static over the month, while retained value against original MRP (manufacturer’s retail price) improved by a point to 42.26 per cent. Average values were up by £482 (5.2 per cent) compared with February 2014, with a nearhalf-point rise in performance against CAP Clean.

Average dealer part-exchange values fell for the third month running, averaging £4,041, and representing a fall of £34 (0.8 per cent) compared with January, although performance against CAP rose again to 98.41 per cent.

Year-on-year values remain ahead by £244 (6.4per cent), with average age rising and mileage falling over the year. CAP Clean performance was ahead by nearly a point compared with a year ago.

Nearly-new values continued to fall from the record levels seen in December, although model mix has a significant effect in this low-volume sector. CAP Clean performance fell slightly to 100.03 per cent.

Average value of a used car sold at BCA

£7,814

���| CarDealerMag.co.uk

Buyers’ guide

Mercedes

R171 SLK

As spring approaches and young minds turn to all things topless, ANDY ENTWISTLE looks at a Merc

S

pring is on the way, and dealers start to turn good, solid winter stock into a forecourt of sporty convertibles, making the most of the feel-good factor associated with the first warm days of the year.

Most will stock a variety of models, normally consisting of MX-5s, Boxsters, Mini convertibles and Audi TTs. Throw in the 3 series Cabriolet and you have most bases covered. But there are other credible alternatives that might make your stock stand out. So step forward the Mercedes Benz R171 SLK. Launched in 2004, the R171 replaced the ageing R170 SLK, bringing with it a modern look and a cabin that finally had all the relevant options to pit this against the best that BMW, Porsche and Audi had to offer. The SLK is not as sporty to drive as its rivals, but it has that onceimportant ace up its sleeve – a folding hard top, which makes it a much more refined alternative to the rest for the vast majority of its time.

The one thing that Mercedes has excelled at is giving its customers choice when it comes to engines. The R171 can be had with anything from a 1.8 Supercharged (SLK200) right up to the 5.5-litre SLK55 – and offering a 2.8, 3.0 and 3.5 along the way. All these engines give a decentenough return of speed and consumption. The SLK200 will be by far the most popular engine choice, as it’s cheaper to insure and run than the rest and most of the people who buy this car are more interested in the looks and the badge rather

than any sporting pretentious. Saying that, the SLK350 is a very quick car, only marginally slower than the AMG 55, it isn’t quite as compromised in pursuit of speed while still retaining a fantastic soundtrack from its exhaust.

Although the R171 is significantly more modern than its predecessor, the onboard computer is still frustratingly difficult to navigate and the Command system, while looking good, is technically some way behind the competition.

When looking for spec, seek out the air scarf which blows warm air from the heating system through the seats and around the occupant’s neck. Heated seats are also an important option in these cars. Stay clear of cars with larger wheels and sports suspension, as this makes them very hard to drive – some are so firm they create problems with SRS sensors. Buyers want these cars for their comfort and refinement and will be put off with a overly firm ride.

The R171 is generally wearing its age well.

Higher-mileage cars are being reported with very little known issues beyond failing sensors that plague all modern cars, and while the build quality is back to what would be expected of Mercedes Benz, there are some known issues.

The most important thing is to check that the roof operates correctly – while it’s much more reliable than its predecessor, the roof can still

suffer from problems, generally down to leaking seals or sensors. Either way, these problems can be expensive to fix. Check also for a damp carpet or signs of water ingress into the boot caused by leaking boot seals. Creaking noises from the roof are most likely just seals, and a simple coat of silicon should solve the problem. However, a notable cracking noise at the front is likely to be a worn roof catch. Worn bearings are not uncommon so listen out for rumbling when test driving the car. Faulty windows are a common occurrence, normally requiring a new motor as a result of water ingress.

Most buyers of the Mercedes will be female and as a result its looks and spec will be very important. Keep away from cars with overly large wheels and brash-coloured interiors. Most will be found in black and silver and there is a reason for that – these are the colours people want a Mercedes in, so steer clear of anything bright. Best buy for spring stock is an SLK200 auto in black with a black or light interior, ideally source cars with the optional air scarf and Bluetooth built in.

the roof

The most important check of all – although it’s better than earlier Merc models, the seals and sensors can wear, and they can be a bit expensive to replace.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 151

auctions.

Green credentials becoming more important for buyers bit.ly/green-cred

Quentin Willson wields hammer for first lot at CCA’s launch event Silverstone’s halls are packed as new player enjoys 65 per cent sales

sold for £16,854 including premium.

Speaking afterwards, CCA auction manager Joe Watts said: “It’s been a great first-ever sale for us and it’s been fantastic to see so many enthusiasts and buyers come and visit us for what will hopefully be the first of many.”

Also among the highlights were a 2000 Jaguar XKR Silverstone – one of just 50 made – which sold for £20,140, while a 1969 Jaguar 4.2 MK 2 with a striking blue exterior and luxurious red leather interior sold for the substantial sum of £19,504.

Entries are now being invited for CCA’s next sale, which will be taking place on April 21st and once again at Silverstone circuit, with interest in cars up to an approximate value of £25,000.

Trade-only site now goes fully mobile DEALER-AUCTION.COM – the UK’s largest trade-only auction site for franchised dealers – has launched its new, fullymobile website.

It sells vehicles for more than 600 franchised dealers in the UK to carefullyvetted, professional motor traders.

The company has come a long way in the six years since it was formed and is a respected and award-winning business.

Dealer-Auction.com, which is part of the Manheim group, was named trade-to-trade remarketer of the year at last year’s Car Dealer Power Awards.

Outstanding results at spring classics sale INTERNATIONAL auctioneers Coys achieved outstanding results of some £3 million in sales at their Spring Classics auction in London on March 10.

One of the star lots of the auction was the last original Aston Martin DBS to come off the production line, which was found in a barn in Surrey, and sold for £43,240.

The car had been sitting in a barn since 1980 and was discovered by Chris Routledge, the managing partner of the auction house, who said: ‘A great ���| CarDealerMag.co.uk

auction stations

Digital trading saves so much time and effort

L

N

ew classic car auction house CCA sold an impressive £400,000worth of vehicles at its launch sale on March 3 at Silverstone race circuit – notching up a 65 per cent sales rate.

With a fantastic range of cars displayed in the iconic F1 pit garages, the halls at the legendary venue were packed as renowned classic car expert Quentin Willson gave the buyers some insider tips on how to buy a classic car at auction.

He also hammered away the first lot, a 1951 Land Rover Series 1, for a winning bid of £5,035 including premium.

The highest-selling car on the day was an incredibly rare Riviera Blue 2001 Porsche 911 (996) Turbo, which fetched £30,740, more than £4,000 over its lower estimate.

Close behind was a rare and sought-after 2001 Morgan Aero 8, selling for a premiuminclusive £27,030. Wowing the crowds was a last-of-the-line 2001 Rover Mini Cooper with just 182 miles on the clock. The last to be sold in Scotland, the time-warp car

Henstock

ending to a fantastic story. The car has been sold to an Aston Martin collector who was so excited about having the opportunity to restore the very last production DBS that he almost started to do the work in the auction room.’

Other important cars auctioned included a 1923 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost (£158,600), a 1992 Porsche 964 Carrera 2 RS Lightweight (£157,480), a 1935 Rolls-Royce 20/25 3-Position Drophead Coupe by HJ Mulliner (£147,400) and a 1959 Maserati OSCA Tipo ‘J’ Formula Junior (£147,400).

ast month, BCA recorded the highest percentage of vehicles sold online in a single day – as 28 per cent of all the cars and vans offered around the nationwide group were purchased digitally via BCA Live Online, e-auction or our Bid Now/Buy Now channels.

Which made me think: if 28 per cent did buy online, that’s still 72 per cent that didn’t... and why might that be? After all, the benefits can be significant. In terms of time spent travelling, buying digitally can save hours, and instead of visiting just one or two local centres, you can participate in sales right around the country from your desk – or from wherever you want, in fact.

Stock location is straightforward. Our enhanced Auction View search makes finding the right vehicles even easier and quicker. You can go online to browse catalogues and make vehicle searches. BCA has introduced a new generation of vehicle appraisal and grading technology that means our vehicle descriptions are comprehensive and accurate and vehicles are imaged to a high standard. In addition, the BCA Assured mechanical report means that online buyers can be confident with the benefit of a 30-point mechanical check independently carried out by the AA. Trade professionals can also store searches, track vehicles and get alerts of vehicles that are due to feature in BCA Live Online auctions across the country. You’ll soon put together your own catalogue of target buys from the convenience of your desk.

BCA’s Live Online sales let you view and bid on vehicles as they pass through the auction hall. Because you’re involved in a live auction in real time via your computer, you can bid against other potential buyers in the hall and on the web. If you buy a vehicle and have a problem, we promise to investigate and resolve it as quickly as possible with a dispute resolution process and commit to provide you with a satisfactory outcome.

Not only can you buy online but you can also settle your account and order transport. No more queuing, it’s all done from your PC or mobile device. And as an online bidder you can also get access to special vendor auctions. These are exclusively online and feature stock not available anywhere else. Then there are fixed-period Bid Now and instantpurchase Buy Now sales, again often featuring vehicles you will not see elsewhere and you can buy these vehicles online 24/7. If you haven’t tried it yet, what are you waiting for? Sign up on the BCA website at bca.co.uk

‘You can participate in sales right around the country from your desk.’

Who is Simon Henstock?

Simon is UK network operations director for BCA. Visit british-car-auctions.co.uk or call 0845 600 6644.

Gumtree Motors

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CarDealerMag.co.uk | 153

TRADER TALK.

..in association with AutoTrader

Why everything needs to be fully responsive How do you build trust in your business among sceptical buyers? Nick King explains

F

inding the right car takes a buyer one step closer to a forecourt visit.

But most still find the prospect a little daunting and many are wary of making the wrong decision – either about the car or the dealer from whom they wish to buy.

Seventy-one per cent of consumers turn to a dealer’s website as part of their research, but visits tend to be transient, lasting only a few minutes. Buyers will be looking for reassurance, however they will be put off quickly if a site is unresponsive in design, if it doesn’t work well on the devices they are using to search or if it doesn’t contain all the information they need to build trust.

Your showroom online An online forecourt should therefore reflect the high standards you’d wish to project in your physical showroom. That starts with a mobileoptimised website, with well-presented content such as beautiful images of your cars and clear, accurate descriptions.

Testimonials can be an important string to your bow too, and they needn’t be as hard to obtain as you might think. Happy customers can be surprisingly willing to speak as an advocate of your brand and their online endorsement can be very persuasive.

Always make it easy for buyers to find your physical site, too. Incorporate a Google map into your page and include directions to your dealership. Display contact details prominently, including a landline number.

Buyers ascribe greater trust to a business that doesn’t just list a mobile.

A swift response A responsive, content-rich website is thus important. But the principle of responsiveness is one that should run throughout a dealer’s business. Mystery shopping reveals that experience is not always a positive one when it comes to the basics. Half of dealers contacted, for example, do not respond at all to messages, let alone promptly.

Contrast that statistic with a significant shift in expectations for a speedy response to email and voicemail contact in the past three years. In 2014, 57 per cent of people expected a response to an email within four hours, compared with 48

Who is Nick King?

per cent in 2011. In terms of voicemail messages, 36 per cent expect a response within one hour compared with 28 per cent in 2011.

Social media As part of your suite of tools to draw in buyers, embracing social media may seem like a nice thing to do. But one in five say it’s important for dealers to have a social media presence and many use it to seek objective evidence that yours is a professional operation.

It can help engage with customers and potential customers ahead of their arrival on site and develop advocates for your dealership and cars on your forecourt. There are different approaches to how engagement via platforms like Facebook or Twitter work, but there are some rules of best practice to follow: n Select the correct person for the job of posting: avoid the person who makes controversial comments in the office.

n Don’t say anything that may put the brand at risk – if a thread looks like it may turn nasty, consider a phone call to the customer. n Respect the law when it comes to defamation, discrimination, harassment and copyright: don’t post personal comments about employees or customers. n Never get into an argument: remember the customer has more to gain than you. n Be polite, transparent and honest, and remember potentially anyone in the world could see what you say. n Don’t over-post, over-sell or go off at a tangent.

Customers will engage only if they get value from your social existence.

All this contributes to socially proofing your brand, particularly among members of the younger generation.

And younger buyers will only accelerate the trend to ‘trust via third-party endorsement’ in the years to come.

Nick is market research director of Auto Trader, the UK’s number one digital market place for new and used cars. Visit autotrader.co.uk ���| CarDealerMag.co.uk

MARKET INSIGHT.

..in association with ASE-global.com

First announcements of the year continue positive trend Increased dividends being proposed are expected to gain momentum, says Mike Jones

T

he positive start to the year continued with upwards movements in most share prices compared with the start of the year. Pendragon and Lookers announced good sets of results, with the share prices at the end of February trading 21 per cent and 18 per cent higher respectively than at the start of the year. Both companies have proposed increased dividends compared with the previous year. This trend of increased dividends is expected to be followed by the other dealer groups.

Share price performance – February 2015 Share prices performed well over the month as a whole, with only Caffyns trading marginally below the start of the year. The Pendragon share price ended the month at 39.5p, the highest since October 2013 and some 7p higher than the start of the year. Investors were no doubt buoyed by the doubling in the final dividend to 0.6p, which contributed to a full-year dividend of 0.9p – 125 per cent higher than the previous year. The Lookers share price continued its steady climb and reached a peak of 156p during February, representing its highest level since the summer of 2007. Lookers also proposed a dividend for the full year 10 per cent up on the prior year at 2.84p.

The general view remains that the market is undervalued compared with the UK general retail sector. However, further positive share price movements on the back of strong trading announcements may start to reverse this position.

Financial performance Pendragon released its annual results during the month, with underlying profit before tax up £16m to £60.2m, an increase of 36 per cent. Like-forlike revenues were £216m higher, with growth across all areas of used (8.1 per cent), new (4.3 per cent) and aftersales (3.6 per cent). Underlying operating profits were £13.8m (17.9 per cent) higher at £90.9m, principally because of the motor segment, up by £13.5m to £74.5m (22 per cent higher).

The major Stratstone and Evans Halshaw businesses produced higher operating profits than the previous year, with the smaller operations in the US and through Quicks in the UK marginally declining. Pendragon continues to champion its online offering, which

Share price movement from Jan 1 to Feb 28, 2015

Share price movement from Jan 1 to Jan 31, 2015

Pendragon

121.5%

109.2%

Vertu

99.2%

93.2%

Lookers

118.3%

115.2%

Inchcape

101.5%

96.1%

Cambria

117.7%

105.3%

Caffyns

95.5%

101.8%

continues to bear fruit with visitors through the Stratstone.com, Evanshalshaw.com and Quicks. co.uk websites increasing by 16.3 per cent over the prior year to 15.7m visitors. The Sell Your Car initiative through evanshalshaw.com continues to grow and now operates from 42 retail sites, and in February the innovative Move Me Closer offering was launched. This allows the consumer to reserve a vehicle direct from their electronic device and choose to have it delivered to their nearest retail store. This innovation in product offerings and investment in digital development is a strong platform for Pendragon to drive future growth.

Lookers reported an increase in revenue of £578m (23 per cent) to £3,043m, with £222m coming from the acquisition of Colborne a year ago. Underlying profit before tax increased by £18.2m (31 per cent) to £76.6m. New retail car sales were 9.2 per cent higher on a like-for-like basis, with fleet sales up by 14.1 per cent. Used vehicles were up 4.4 per cent and profits per unit were 2.7 per cent higher. Aftersales revenues

Higher operating profits: Evans Halshaw

increased by 5.3 per cent with like-for-like margins slightly ahead of the prior year at 42.7 per cent.

A 10 per cent increase in the final dividend has been proposed, taking the total dividend to 2.84p, 10 per cent higher than the prior year.

Lookers continues to invest in its estate and multi-channel customer experience concept, and leads generated through the group’s website were 33 per cent higher than the previous year.

Outlook Pendragon and Lookers report current trading in line with expectations despite a general feeling in the industry of a softening in the market. With the growth in new car sales stabilising, success in the used vehicle and the aftersales channels will be critical to the delivery of future growth.

It is clear the players who are able to combine the physical and digital customer experience in an efficient and innovative manner will be better positioned to grow.

Enhancing the website experience and the launch of new channel offerings will be key to growth in the used market and as important as the use of video technology for vehicle health checks in the aftersales market.

Transactional activity A relatively quiet month on the transaction front.

It was interesting to see that Haversham Holdings, the recently AIM-listed specialist investment management company, changed its year end to December 31, the date when most of the listed motor retail groups draw up their accounts.

In the results announcement, Pendragon confirmed that King Arthur Holdings Sarl, a company in which it has a five per cent investment, sold its only subsidiary, King Arthur Properties Sarl, which acted as the landlord to a number of properties operated by Pendragon as car dealerships.

The transaction happened post-yearend and Pendragon expects to receive approximately £24m in respect of the original £10m investment, generating an estimated non-recurring profit of £14m for the 2015 financial year, with the proceeds being used to reduce debt.

Board composition and activity / Directors’ holdings There have been no changes to report this month.

Who is Mike Jones?

He’s the chairman of dealer profitability specialist ASE plc. You can read ASE’s column here every month CarDealerMag.co.uk | 155

data file.

James Litton Trader tales

Our Star Expert has shone so brightly

I

n November we appointed our first product specialist – or Star Expert, as Mercedes likes to refer to them. When writing the job specification for this role, I think it is imperative to contextualise the size of retail operation. Product specialists at hub sites with strong footfall are probably best employed in the showroom armed with an iPad. I have always seen the essential function of a product specialist as bridging the link between initial visit and quotation and I can imagine this is a full-time operation at big sites. However, at a site such as Taunton, our physical footfall is not big enough to task Chris with showroomroving as his primary role.

Instead, he has been creating a used car video library, working on product quizzes and fulfilling a role as Mercedes ConnectMe ambassador in addition to test-drive and product demonstrations.

On the second day of his employment, he asked not to be pressurised into coercing a customer in a direction that suited anyone other than the customer.

While every sales action we take should be customer-centric, I think we all know what happens in reality. I could not disagree with this request. What is the point in trying to offer a customer the best retail experience only to have it undermined by the very person employed to guarantee its success?

So how have I measured his success? There are certainly no measurables that make it easy to define. Our enquiry rate has risen only in line with brand expectations, and like many, our test-drive ratio is dropping.

Our sales performance is strong, but again only in line with our own internal expectations. I would describe Chris’s performance as the icing on the cake.

We are now able to deliver professional used car video presentations that are concise and informative. Our showroom looks as great, and all of our apps are current and available. Customers know about ConnectMe and love the idea. Most importantly, the customer feels like they have not been sold to, just given information in a timescale that suits them. Our controllers and sales people are reaping the rewards – I just wonder how long it is before we have a showroom full of Chrises and traditional sales people are a thing of the past?

‘Product specialists at hub sites with strong footfall are probably best employed in the showroom armed with an iPad.’

Who is James Litton?

James is sales manager at Mercedes-Benz of Taunton. He always has something to say about the industry he loves. ���| CarDealerMag.co.uk

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Time-wasters needed to be taught a lesson

A

t about 5pm on a Friday afternoon a few weeks ago, a couple walked up to my desk and asked to test-drive a 3 Series we had in stock. I said, ‘Of course, I’ll get the keys.’

We walked towards the car and the lady asked if she could put the results of her ‘retail therapy’ in the boot. She loaded up the car with about six bags from various shops and was impressed with the load space. A good buying signal, I thought!

‘All right to take it to our house? I want to see if it fits on our drive,’ the bloke asked. I thought this was another clear buying signal, so again I said, ‘Of course!’

The test drive was fairly uneventful. The couple seemed to like the car, so I started to harbour hopes that I’d have something to celebrate in the pub after work.

After about 20 minutes, we arrived at their house.

We pulled up outside and they jumped out. ‘Just need to open the gates, mate,’ he said.

The lady took her shopping out of the boot, adding, ‘Might as well take this indoors.’

They both walked up the path and went straight into the house. I sat there for about five minutes before it dawned on me. They weren’t coming back!

I knocked on the door and all I got was a voice from behind the door, saying, ‘Yeah, we don’t like it, but cheers for the lift home, ha ha!’

Now I’m not one to take revenge on people, but sometimes the worst in me gets the better of me. Know what I mean? As I left, I noticed their house was for sale with a board outside.

I called the estate agent to arrange a viewing with the intention of leaving my business card in their house or something to spook them.

But I’d struck gold by calling, as they said, ‘We don’t have the keys for the property. The vendor will be more than happy to show you around.’

So, over the next week, I made 10 viewings all under different names and didn’t show for any of them. Waste my time, I’ll waste yours! I’m not saying sorry to the couple – they shouldn’t have messed me around. I am sorry to the estate agent, though – no one deserves to have their work time wasted…

‘Now I’m not one to take revenge, but sometimes the worst in me gets the better of me’

Tell us your story

Have you something to confess? We’d love to hear your tale of woe. Email the editor (you can find our details on page three) or post them on our new forum – simply type cardealermagazine.co.uk/forum into a web browser and get confessing!

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 157

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TRAINING

TRAINING

the fleet.

LATEST FROM THE FLEET...

Fifth report:

Mazda6 Right: Our longterm Mazda6 was more than up to the job of transporting us to Switzerland Below: It was a bit of a squeeze for Glenn on the first leg of the journey...

Car Dealer’s hard-working writing staff have long suspected that being in the Blackball Media video team was a bit of a jolly... and for our Mazda 6 report this month, Nigel Swan confirms that !

F

or anyone in the motoring journalism world, March means only one thing – the Geneva Motor Show. It’s one of the most important dates in the automotive calendar – second only to the Car Dealer Magazine Used Car Awards, of course. For manufacturers it’s the chance to show off the latest and greatest new metal to the world’s press.

For the Blackball video team, it was a good chance to stretch the legs on our long-term Mazda 6 estate, as we took it on the 1,800-mile round trip to Switzerland, via a quick pit stop in St Anton am Arlberg in Austria for a week on the slopes.

Needless to say, the extra space offered by an estate came in pretty useful. Not only were we taking the film kit for the show, but also carrying all our ski gear and enough pants for two weeks.

Fold the seats down and there’s 1,648 litres of boot space to play with. Okay, it’s not the most spacious in its class, the Ford Mondeo estate has 1,728 litres and the Skoda Superb estate a cavernous 1,865 litres, but it wasn’t cramped for two occupants up top.

It was a tad uncomfortable for one of the Blackball video crew – Glenn had to sit in the

the knowledge Model: Mazda 6 2.2D 175s Sport Nav Tourer Price: £27,955 (as tested) Engine: 2.2-litre diesel Power: 173bhp, 420Nm Max speed: 137mph 0-60mph: 7.8s Emissions: 121g/km Mileage this month: 2,332 This month’s highlight Heading for the mountains in comfort and safety. back seat for the first leg of the journey to the Chunnel. Fortunately, the split-folding rear seats made packing around him somewhat easier. But once James had transferred to another car, myself and Glenn had more than enough room to act as support vehicle for the journey.

The French autoroutes are famed for being smooth and largely congestion-free, and the 6 Tourer ploughed through the miles with consummate ease.

For journeys like this, I’m a huge advocate for automatic gearboxes. Simply stick the car in drive, point the car at the mountains, and drive, so I

was a bit sceptical about the six-speed manual.

However, I was pleasantly surprised. Rarely did I have to kick down a gear for overtaking, and when we reached the twisty mountain roads, it was nice to open the Mazda up a bit and work through the gears. The 6 is also impressively refined at cruising speed with barely any wind or road noise.

The Mazda is a bit more of a sporty offering compared to some of its rivals, and this really shone through when climbing the mountains.

It’s no sports car, but it revs sweetly and remains composed on roads that drivers with small children would dread, especially in cars that pitch and roll through the corners.

The suspension is focused on precision and there’s ample grip.

The steering is also really well weighted, meaning you can point the car exactly where you want with absolute confidence.

Once we arrived in Austria, it was almost a shame to park it up and use it as a storage unit for a week. But it ticked the boxes there, too.

Nigel Swan (nigel@blackballmedia.co.uk) CarDealerMag.co.uk | 159

the fleet.

LATEST FROM THE FLEET...

Second report:

Lexus IS300h

Third report:

Kia Procee’d GT

Fifth report:

VolvoV40

Just a couple of niggles spoil the overall impression

Fore! Nippy and comfy, it’s the perfect ride for every golfer

Commuting in comfort is a highlight on chilly mornings

THIS month, I’ve covered well over 2,500 miles in the car, so she really is seeing the kind of use that these cars would expect to see in the hands of most sales managers.

The refinement and comfort of the car means I’m finding myself picking the keys up to the Lexus when other more sporting stuff may be available (my normal fare).

Lexus have ploughed a different furrow to the rest of the premium brands, focusing on comfort over sporting pretentions and having covered so many miles, I have to say I think this approach has worked for them.

There are still a couple of frustrations that ruin the overall experience, however.

I’ve already mentioned the fiddly heating controls. A bi-metal strip in the dash might sound cool, but in reality it is just too awkward to operate. The brakes are also extremely hard to get on with, I’ve found.

Having covered nearly 5,000 miles, I’d expect to be used to them – however, the regeneration function means they feel like they are either on or off and grab very easily. It ruins what is otherwise a comfortable and enjoyable drive.

Having said that, there is plenty to like about the car and the in-laws (dyed-in-the-wool Mercedes fans) were more than a little impressed with the rear legroom and comfort when I took them to crown green bowling last week!

Andy Entwistle (andy@blackballmedia.co.uk)

There’s probably nothing worse than getting into your car and driving home after attending the Geneva motor show. After all, you’ve been drooling over some of the nicest bits of metal on the planet for hours on end, some costing hundreds of thousands of pounds, and then you get into your own car... But my little Kia hadn’t lost any of its gloss. It looked good when I picked it up at the airport – it certainly looks the part, even when it’s surrounded by row upon row of premium brands. And it drives beautifully.

It has plenty of oomph to make whizzing around the congested London streets as bearable as driving in the capital can ever be. And it coasts effortlessly on the motorway. It’s comfy and it’s roomy. If satisfies my boy racer side, and is big enough to cope with all the family’s demands.

And at weekends, there’s never a problem getting my golf bag and all the paraphernalia (at this time of year you’re never sure if you need wet-weather gear, an umbrella or suncream and a floppy hat) in the back. Although, it has to be said, if I reacted like Rory McIlroy and threw a club into the drink after every bad shot, I’d get the contents of my bag into the boot of a Fiat 500...

Any grumbles? For a car this posh, I’d have thought sat-nav would come as standard. And it’s a little on the thirsty side – even driving carefully, I’m not getting much more than 35mpg. But it’s nimble and it’s fun.

Colin Channon (@ColinChannon)

OUR Swedish representative on the Blackball Media fleet has been my commuter car for the month. My drive to work is a bit of a slog from Southampton to Gosport, this 16-mile journey can be done in 25 minutes if the traffic is clear but usually on a weekday morning it’s more like 45 minutes to an hour.

The V40 makes a pleasant change, as it’s so smooth and effortless to drive. The mornings have been getting brighter but they’re still chilly, so stepping out the front door and into the toastie Volvo before cruising along the A27 is a great way to start the day.

It’s great to be able to drive all week without worrying about needing to fill up, and then just give it a £20 top-up on Monday morning.

The V40’s kit is so simple to use, once you’ve got your head around it, which makes the morning rat run even less painful.

Although the console filled with buttons looks a bit like an ‘80s computer, analogue is a lot easier to use while you’re driving rather than jabbing at a touchscreen.

So I can just sit in, press ‘OK’ to connect up my phone, choose some music and enjoy the ride.

My only complaint is still visibility, but the more I drive it the more I’m getting use to this.

The visibility out the rear is pretty much nonexistent – the cameras almost make up for that – and the chunky A-pillars don’t help.

Becca Chaplin (@BelieveBecca)

the knowledge Model: Lexus IS300h Price: £38,495 (as tested) Engine: 2.5-litre 4cyl, 178bhp, plus electric motor Power: 178hp, 300Nm Max speed: 125mph 0-60mph: 8.4s Emissions: 109g/km Mileage this month: 2,669 This month’s highlight A pleasant run to crown green bowls with the in-laws. I even had a go myself! ���| CarDealerMag.co.uk

the knowledge Model: Kia Procee’d 1.6 T-GDi GT Price: £22,495 (as tested) Engine: 1.6-litre petrol Power: 201bhp Max speed: 143mph 0-60mph: 7.4secs Mpg: 38.2 (combined) Mileage this month: 948 This month’s highlight Whether I’m in boy racer mode or being the family man, the car has performed perfectly.

the knowledge Model: Volvo V40 Cross Country D4 Price: £36,045 (as tested) Engine: 1969cc, 4 cylinder, turbo-charged Power: 190bhp, 400Nm Max speed: 130mph 0-60mph: 7.1s Emissions: 104g/km Mileage this month: 709 This month’s highlight Enjoying the sunny, but still chilly, mornings in the comfort of the V40.

longtermers

Sixth report:

Seventh report:

Farewell report:

MitsubishiASX

DaciaDuster

NissanQashqai

Sofa, so good. The ASX makes a very capable load-lugger

NJ14PFD has mod cons missing from dearer cars

Once you’ve taken this for a spin, there’s no going back

ONCE again this month the Mitsubishi ASX has proven what a versatile vehicle it is.

Whether I’ve been using it on project ‘doing up the house’ or driving through the Yorkshire Dales, the ASX has handled everything I’ve thrown at it.

First up was the challenge of getting a new sofa in the back, with no contingency plan of a rope to tie the boot down if it didn’t fit. My wife was doubtful, as were the three members of staff from DFS (other sofa stores are available) who carried it out to the car park.

But the ASX is deceptively spacious and after a bit of fiddling with the front seats, in it went. Much to the disappointment of the three smirking shop workers. Admittedly I had to drive home with my seat so far forward my knees were under my chin but hey, it’s an automatic.

Aside from house renovations, I’ve also had to do some actual work this month, and part of that meant a trip to lovely Yorkshire.

Driving through the Dales in our range-topping ASX 4 was a joy and while I didn’t exactly have time to take in the view through the panoramic sunroof I did find the elevated driving position reassuring as I negotiated the narrow lanes.

The heated seats proved a real benefit on the cold mornings and I’ve even discovered the satnav has a ‘where am I?’ button. I’m hoping future models will answer more existential questions, such as ‘who am I?’ and ‘why do we exist?’.

Gareth Bethell gareth@blackballmedia.co.uk

OUR long-term Dacia Duster, NJ14PFD, needs its first service in 1,000 miles. And on seeing that alert pop up on the dashboard, I was reminded that the car really has delivered several months of trouble-free motoring to the team here at Car Dealer Towers.

Although Dacia is supposed to be a bargainbasement sort of brand, this car, as I’ve mentioned before, is equipped with plenty of bells and whistles – including, crucially for the line of work we’re involved in, a sat-nav.

And there are cars currently on our longterm fleet, purporting to be snazzier and more desirable, that lack that essential mod-con. No names, no pack drill though.

The Duster’s sat-nav works, too! And although that might seem to be a funny thing to say, I’ve driven plenty of cars in which the sat-nav has decided to have a temporary funny turn, just as you’re closing in on your destination with not too much time to spare.

The other handy bit of functionality I’ve been using to full effect lately is the cruise control, which is an absolute dream and has the full range of settings available to the driver via three simply designed switches – one on the dash and two on the steering wheel. Brilliant for those late-night jaunts down the M3 I sometimes have to do.

How on earth did we ever cope without those two genius inventions?

Dave Brown @CarDealerDave

WELL I find myself in the somehwhat unusual position of being asked to write the ‘farewell’ piece to our long-term Nissan Qashqai when I’ve only just taken possession of the keys.

So just what is so special about the Qashqai?

I’ll tell you. It’s comfortable. It’s safe. It’s simple.

It’s the three things most of us ‘family-types’ look for when we peruse the garage forecourts.

Once you get in and take it for a spin, there’s no going back.

My wife recently got behind the wheel of our long-term Nissan Qashqai Tekna and was instantly won over. So much so she now resents stepping into our Renault Megane.

The Qashqai ticks all the boxes for middle-class families – it’s swish, but not flashy; it’s got all the fantastic safety features, yet you’re not faced with a gantry of confusing knobs and buttons; it’s roomy, but you don’t feel as if you’re in charge of a tank. And the ease of which you can plug in your baby’s car seat without having to struggle for half an hour is a huge blessing.

The Qashqai – the original crossover – has added to its list of awards recently after it was crowned Best SUV and 4x4 at the 2015 Carbuyer Awards.

One thing is certain, there will be plenty more honours. So with this example of the Qashqai family on its way back to the Nissan fold, let’s hope a replacement is on its way before too long.

Paul Foster paul@blackballmedia.co.uk

the knowledge Model: Mitsubishi ASX 4 Auto Price: £24,649 (as tested) Engine: 2.2-litre diesel Power: 147bhp, 360Nm Max speed: 118mph 0-60mph: 10.8s Emissions: 153g/km Mileage this month: 1,081 This month’s highlight The look of dismay on the faces of the DFS staff when I managed to fit the sofa in the back.

the knowledge Model: Dacia Duster Laureate dCi 110 4x4 Price: £16,380 (as tested) Engine: 1.5-litre, turbocharged diesel Power: 109bhp, 240Nm Max speed: 104mph 0-60mph: 12.3s Emissions: 137g/km Mileage this month: 1,055 This month’s highlighT Planning ahead to get the car serviced ready for some more trouble-free motoring.

the knowledge Model: Nissan Qashqai Tekna Price: £23,670 (as tested) Engine: 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol Power: 115bhp, 190Nm Max speed: 115mph 0-60mph: 10.9s Emissions: 129g/km Mileage this month: 877 This month’s highlight Starting my career with the Car Dealer gang at the wheel of a classic crossover.

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data fiLe.

Good service has become the exception rather than the norm

H

aving returned to the car following a visit to one of our dealer partners, a telephone call to the office was required to investigate a proposal that the dealer had sent to us. I put the number into my phone and pressed the button, and before you knew it I was met with our introductory greeting menu, which included selecting the option for my specific enquiry.

We’ve recently upgraded our telephone system, which should now mean it’s far easier to get to your desired destination along with some information regarding First Response Finance in the background while you’re waiting for the relevant person to answer the call (which, of course, we aim to do in as little time as possible).

The automation during the call mentions that we are a ‘customer-driven’ organisation who ‘put your needs at the core of everything we do’ and I genuinely believe this to be the case. However, what I think and preach isn’t important, nor in many ways are the messages you listen to. Putting a slogan on your corporate website, or a message on an automated phone system, or commenting on any other advertising medium that you use regarding the level of service you provide or the values you believe in, doesn’t mean you have brought these words to life.

They are just words.

In reality, none of this really matters, as it’s the experience of your customers that should prevail and their opinion on your business and what they say about you that should hold substance, particularly following a transaction with your company.

I would go so far as to say that people are captivated

Jonathan

Such TIME IS MONEY

by examples of good service, and I have no doubt this has been caused by the fact good service has become the exception, which is supported by a recent publication I read that claimed that more than 80 per cent of customers surveyed ceased doing business with a company because of an example of bad customer service they received.

The good news is a lot of businesses are getting this area completely wrong, so the opportunity for you to improve and stand out is enormous. In most scenarios you have to make only small, subtle changes in certain areas to see a remarkable improvement.

Customers do not expect you to call them back when

‘The opportunity for you to improve and stand out is enormous’ you say you will, so make sure you endeavour to fulfil the commitments you have made to them.

Customers expect to feel undervalued when they make a call to a company, so listen to what they have to say and provide them with the information they are looking for.

Customers expect to travel through numerous departments to get to the answer for their call, so make the customer journey for your top demands as easy as possible.

These three examples may seem really simple to you, and only you will know if they happen time and time again. Oh, and your customers (or previous customers) – they will also know.

Who is Jonathan Such?

Such is head of sales for First Response Finance. You can contact him on 07917 781608 or email jons@frfl.co.uk

Coming next month

If there’s something you think we should be covering, get in touch. Actually, please don’t as we’re still recovering from doing this 164-page mag. Only joking. Our details are on page three. ���| CarDealerMag.co.uk

Taking Note: Behind the scenes at Nissan’s European technical centre

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