What’s ahead in 2025?
Your roadmap to a stronger year with Capricorn.
holiday to Vietnam Corey shares his experience after winning an amazing prize.
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Welcome back to 2025. I’m thrilled to be writing my first Ignition message to you as your new Group CEO. It is an absolute honour and privilege to be asked to lead our cooperative.
I have been part of the Capricorn team for 17 years. In that time I've worked across many parts of the business and have developed a deep understanding of what is truly unique about it. For the last five years I've had the privilege of leading the Automotive team as the CEO.
What drives me each and every day is the opportunity to make a difference to our Community of Members, Preferred Suppliers and the Capricorn team. The Capricorn Community is special and I truly enjoy working with, and for, you all. Improving Member's lives by supporting them in building stronger businesses is and will remain our absolute focus.
In this month’s Ignition, we’ll dive into what’s ahead in 2025. We are enhancing our Rising Stars award with greater recognition opportunities. Providing our Community with information about the changing industry, so you can make decisions about your business and position yourself for the future, is something we will continue to focus on this year.
For each of us at Capricorn, each day represents the opportunity to work hard, have fun and make a difference to our Community. I was delighted for two of our Members who, by using their Capricorn Trade Account, won a holiday to Vietnam in our competition last year. Corey Ashworth of New Zealand and Craig Kelsh of South Australia enjoyed a trip of a lifetime to Vietnam with their families and friends. It sounds like they had a brilliant time and some fun along the way. The Capricorn team were thrilled to be able to offer such an amazing prize and opportunity for our Members to win a well-deserved break all for using their Trade Account.
I look forward to leading Capricorn as your new Group CEO. I am committed to continuing to support you in building a stronger business and navigating the industry together in the years to come. I hope you have an amazing year ahead. Capricorn, the business you own, will be with you every step of the way.
Brad Gannon Group CEO
2025
Your roadmap to a stronger year with Capricorn.
Corey shares his experience after winning a trip with Capricorn.
Are land yachts making a comeback?
Polestar makes a splash with two motors and no rear window.
20
5 key areas you should be focusing on.
All information, material and content in this edition of Ignition is provided or sourced by Capricorn Society Limited (“Capricorn”) for general information only and is not intended to be advice or comment on any particular matter or subject. Before acting on any information in this edition of Ignition you should consider the relevance of it to your own circumstances and, if necessary, take professional advice. Any opinions expressed in an Ignition article are those of the relevant individual author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Capricorn. Capricorn makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or reliability of any material (including without limitation, any third party authored article or supplier advertisement in respect of which Capricorn merely acts as conduit) included in this edition of Ignition. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Capricorn, its officers, employees, agents and representatives disclaim any and all liability to you or any other person for any loss or damage whatsoever connected with: i. reliance on any material in Ignition; or ii. any inaccuracy, error or omission in any material in Ignition. If you’d like to stop receiving a printed copy of Ignition, you can opt-out at any time by logging into myCAP and updating your Account settings and Communication Preferences.
What does 2025 have in store for you and your business?
Whether this is a year for growth and investment, rationalisation and consolidation, or even getting ready for retirement, one thing is certain—Capricorn will be there to help make doing business easier.
Capricorn’s new Group Chief Executive Officer, Brad Gannon is excited to be leading the organisation in 2025.
“Capricorn’s here to make our Members’ lives easier and their businesses’ stronger. This year we’ll continue to work with our Community to introduce a range of initiatives and innovations to make Members’ businesses more efficient.”
Capricorn is committed to making a difference in our industry as a whole, and this year we’re expanding our successful Rising Stars award to recognise more apprentices than ever before.
“In 2025, there will be a finalist from each zone, with one overall winner selected from them,” Brad said.
Rising Stars was launched in 2018 as a way to recognise future leaders in the industry. It both encourages Members to recognise great apprentices and opens up incredible opportunities for the apprentices who take part.
“If you ask past winners, they will tell you about how the award gave them confidence, a profile in the industry, and helped them achieve great things. We’re really proud of this.”
Speaking of Rising Stars, our apprentice of the year award is also one way Capricorn is helping tackle the skills shortage.
“We know that the skills shortage is an ongoing challenge for the industry, and we believe that by celebrating the best of our apprentices we can encourage more young people to join and stay in our industry,” Brad said.
He also said the changing nature of the industry is also an opportunity to attract a wider pool of people to automotive apprenticeships.
“Cars are now ‘computers on wheels’ and the skills required to service vehicles are far wider and technology-based than in any previous generation,” Brad said. “There is hope in the industry that the new technology will attract new talent, with anecdotal evidence from young people in the industry saying that the opportunity to work on technology-based vehicles is an exciting part of the industry’s future.”
See you in Cefalù!
We're pleased to announce that our next Convention will be held in Cefalù in Sicily, Italy, in June 2026.
“Running a business can feel like all work and no play sometimes, and we know our Members sometimes struggle to get time away from the workshop,” Brad said. “Our Conventions are a fantastic opportunity for Members to network with others in the Capricorn Community and have some fun along the way.”
Cefalù is a stunning seaside town, with ancient buildings, inviting beaches and vibrant streets Between the beautiful waters of the Mediterranean and the rugged mountainous landscapes of the Madonie National Park, it’s an idyllic location for a getaway.
The Convention will be held at a Club Med, so it is all-inclusive. Head to cap.coop/convention to register your interest now.
“If you’re planning to get away on a European holiday in 2026, then make the Capricorn Convention a part of your trip,” Brad said. “If you can’t make it along, don’t forget to take some time off to have a break and relax.”
Back in June last year year, all Members were given the chance to win an 11-day all-expensespaid trip to Vietnam, just by buying $600 worth of tyres from a Capricorn Tyre
Members who made a purchase were automatically entered into the competition, with two winners chosen at random. The winners were able to bring four friends or family members along with them on this unforgettable trip of a lifetime.
One of the lucky winners was Corey Ashworth, of Ashworth Automotive in Ashburton, south-west of Christchurch in the Canterbury Region.
“I buy quite a few tyres through Capricorn Preferred Suppliers, but to win was quite unreal, to be honest,” Corey said. “I never win anything!”
Corey, who had “been to Australia once about 20 years ago” but has not done much other travel, found himself and four family members travelling to Vietnam in October last year courtesy of Capricorn.
“It was brilliant,” he said. “We got out of the airport at Ho Chi Min City, got into a bus and we were straight out into this crazy traffic. I come from a small town in New Zealand—I’d never seen so many vehicles, cars and trucks.”
Beyond the initial excitement of the culture shock, Corey and his family enjoyed an 11-day guided holiday, alongside the Australian competition winners, with a local guide from Wendy Wu Tours.
“We stayed in Ho Chi Minh City, the busiest city in Vietnam, for four days and did all the sights and temples around there, then we went up into the countryside a bit more,” he said.
The prize included international flights with Singapore Airlines, all accommodation and meals, transportation, attractions, and a tour guide. The itinerary included a two-day boat cruise on Halong Bay and a cultural show, The Quintessence of Tonkin.
“The best day was actually not part of our itinerary,” Corey said. “We had half a day off and our guide, who was brilliant, suggested we go up to the Golden Bridge. We didn’t know anything about it but we went up the mountains in the gondola (cable car) and we were in this sort of mystical land, up in the clouds, with castles and mountains. It was just magical.”
The Golden Bridge is in the Ba Na Hills, near Da Nang in Vietnam.
It’s a 150-metre-long pedestrian bridge, coloured gold, that is held in place by giant hands. It affords a spectacular view of the surrounding landscape.
Corey said the Capricorn team had been fantastic, organising the itinerary and the guide, and helping get him and his family ready for travel.
“They helped us with everything from how to get money to bug spray and answered all my stupid questions—I couldn’t fault them,” he said. “With the itinerary and everything being organised to our needs, it was brilliant. I was way out of my comfort zone and everyone was wonderful.”
In fact, having rarely left New Zealand before, Corey has now caught the travel bug, and is hoping to travel back to Vietnam and check out a few other countries, including Cambodia.
In the 1950s, 60s and early 70s, American car manufacturers were making magnificent, massive luxury cars: the Lincoln Continental, the Cadillac Sixty Special Brougham, and the Chrysler New Yorker, among others.
They were dubbed “land yachts” because of their enormous size and comfort. As auto journalist Jim Sutherland once put it, they were designed “for the open road where living room – comfortable seats made the front seat seem like a plush couch with a windshield and steering wheel in front of it” Often, the suspension was as soft as the seating, so that those riding inside really did feel like they were bobbing about in a boat on the seas.
Thanks to a couple of extinction-level events, the land yachts all but disappeared. The oil shocks of 1973 and 1979 saw petrol prices go up, and vehicle sizes come down.
But, half a century later vehicles have evolved once more, and with a new generation of electric cars taking to our roads, could the land yachts finally return?
Cadillac seems to think so.
In July last year, they released their SOLLEI concept—a luxury coach-built electric convertible that harks back to the golden age of the land yacht, when the Cadillac Eldorado was the last word in style.
There aren’t any tech specs for concept available, but the car is essentially a convertible version of the four-door electric Celestiq, with a longer body. It has almost the same front end, long coupe doors and a low tail, and there’s speculation it’ll have the same Ultium powertrain as the Celestiq, with two electric motors and a 111 kWh battery.
The name SOLLEI is a portmanteau of “Sol”, meaning sun, and “Lei”, meaning leisure.
“SOLLEI reimagines the discovery of travel, envisioning a personalised driving experience that connects one with the natural world around them,” Cadillac’s design director Erin Crossley said.
Presumably, the “natural world around them” is a bowl of custard because Cadillac has painted their concept a buttery yellow for all their promotional material. (In fact, the exterior is finished in “Manila Cream”, a colour originally used on Cadillacs in 1957 and 1958.)
Being a concept, the car has the expected level of experimentation. The SOLLEI’s console charging mats and door map pockets have been made using an innovative bio-based material developed using mushrooms.
The vehicle comes with zoned ambient lighting, with 126 colour options in each zone, so you can “evoke specific moods and personalise the interior ambience”. There’s sunburst wooden marquetry on the back of the driver and passenger seats. The rear seats have a fully integrated beverage chiller, with a “power glass door” and crystal glasses. Most bonkers of all, “SOLLEI caters to bird-watching connoisseurs” with a custom brushed metal and leather-wrapped case that houses 3D-printed acrylic bird calls, a leather-bound journal with handpainted bird illustrations and a leather tool roll for pens and pencils. What was going on in the meeting where that detail was prioritised?
For all that, the SOLLEI exudes sophistication and style.
The uninterrupted surfaces and stretched A-line emphasise the vehicle’s length, while the low tail design—with its thin light bar across the boot lid and illuminated risers that give a nod to the fins of old—create elegant proportions. The mid-body line seamlessly connects the headlamp to the taillight, unifying the car’s design. Conventional door handles are replaced with discrete buttons helping to enable the clean profile line. Design-wise, there’s plenty to enjoy here. This is a completely modern design, inspired by vintage Cadillac elegance—a car fit to rival the Rolls-Royce Dawn Silver Bullet and the Mercedes-Maybach Vision 6 Cabriolet concept.
The concept was unveiled at Cadillac House at Vanderbilt, the newly restored, stateof-the-art facility at GM’s Global Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. Cadillac says:
“This location is dedicated to providing a bespoke design experience for Cadillac Celestiq clients.” Which is as clear an indication as any that we shouldn’t expect to see too many SOLLEIs on the road. These will be custom-commissioned vehicles, based on the Celestiq.
“Each is a singular work of art, able to be customised to reflect the tastes, preferences and personality of its owner,” Cadillac said.
So, does the SOLLEI herald the dawn of a new age of land yachts? Probably not. Most of us are unlikely to ever see a SOLLEI in our lifetime—in butter yellow or in any other colour. But it’s nice to think that big, beautiful cars might not be extinct after all. Who knows what the future holds?
You’ve got to hand it to Polestar: they’ve managed to gain an almost cult status among some people. Why? Some of it’s down to marketing, and some of it’s down to design. Both the Polestar 2 and Polestar 3 bring something fresh to the table with their sexy, distinctive looks.
Now the Polestar 4 has arrived…with no back window. While the company claims this has been done in the name of “enhancing the interior space and the rearward view”, I suspect that it’s as much a marketing ploy as anything else. If so, then it might well have been a successful move, as it has definitely got people talking.
What we like What we don’t like
Performance Design
Rear leg room
Seat comfort, features, look and feel
Minimal tyre, road, and wind noise
Glitches in our test car Haptic steering wheel controls Bluetooth issues
There are two models in New Zealand for the Polestar 4:
Long Range Single Motor $119,990
Long Range Dual Motor $134,990 (tested)
The single motor model is rear-wheel drive, with a 200 kW electric engine. The dual motor model has two of the same engine, so 400 kW output total and of course, all-wheel drive. Torque in the single engine is 343 Nm, and in the dual motor it’s 686 Nm. To get to 100 kmh, the single motor takes 7.1 seconds, while the dual motor dispenses with it in 3.8 seconds.
Range on a full charge is close, with the WLTP figure for the single motor at 620 km, while it’s 590 km for the dual motor. Both models are fitted with a 100 kWh, 400-volt battery pack.
What’s the interior like in the 2024 Polestar 4 long range dual motor?
If the exterior catches your eye, the same will happen when you open the door of this car. It’s beautifully simple and luxurious, with stunning material choices used everywhere.
Using the car on a daily basis, I found that there were a few minor niggles. There is no 12-volt socket in the front of the car for a dash cam, and no USB port on the mirror for one. According to the documentation, there is a built-in dash cam using one of the car’s apps, but I could not find it. Secondly, the doors have no provision for a drink bottle, so mine ended up in the very high center console.
The rest of the interior is excellent. The center console has gallons of space underneath, as well as a deep rear cubby with 2 USB-C ports. Rear leg room is massive, and since there’s no rear window, the clear roof goes further back over the rear passenger’s heads, giving them a feeling of more space as well as more actual headroom.
The boot is generous at 526 litres. It’s a dual-layer set-up, so you can drop the floor down if you need some more height. There is a 12-volt socket in the boot and a couple of side pockets with nets.
What’s life like with no back window?
The good news is that the central mirror is a high res 8.9” screen, and the image shown on it is outstandingly clear. Not only that, but since the camera on the tailgate is under a cover, it’s never affected by rain and the image is always perfect. At night, too, it’s enhanced to give a far better image than a ‘normal’ mirror ever could. However, the lack of a rear window does leave a blind spot when looking over your left shoulder when changing lanes. Otherwise, driving with ‘no back window’ is drama-free, and potential buyers should not think it will impact their driving at all.
With 400 kW (536 hp) of power, even in Range mode, performance is excellent. Stick it in Performance mode, however, and be prepared to be impressed. Even in pouring rain, full-throttle acceleration in Performance will see about a half-second of wheel spin, and then systems kick in and the car simply shoots forward at a fast rate of speed. The front end of the car can lift on full acceleration and feel a little floaty with it, but not uncontrollably so. Mid-range acceleration in either mode is always enough for any conditions or situation.
Unfortunately, we experienced a few glitches in our test car (including the haptic controls, Bluetooth connectivity and customisable center display), which is less than desirable in a vehicle that costs $134,000. Thankfully, other than the physical button issue with the steering wheel controls, I am certain the issues I found are all fixable by software updates, and that’s effectively a zero cost. I guess there’s one ‘but’ here — those haptic steering wheel controls are so painful to use and that’s not going to be fixed with software. If Polestar can make the car less glitchy, it will be something worth considering, as it drives very, very well. I enjoyed every second of my time behind the wheel of the Polestar 4 and I believe any owner will love their car.
So, other than performance, what’s it like to drive the Polestar 4? Mostly very good. There’s almost no wind noise at any time inside the car, also road and tyre noise is pretty much non-existent. This makes travelling in the Polestar 4 a serene experience. The ride can feel a little firm at times, but on the whole it’s very good. The Polestar 4 does have adjustable suspension (standard on the Long Range Dual Motor), so you can choose from Standard, Nimble, or Firm. There are subtle differences between each, but switching straight from Standard to Firm does see a reasonable change in the car’s handling.
The Polestar 4 also has haptic steering wheel controls that we found erratic and annoying at times. In fact, the left-hand side controls didn’t work reliably at all, which meant the adaptive cruise control (or regen/drive mode) was sometimes not available until the buttons decided to work again.
Have you enjoyed this review?
NXP offers a wide range of products, including office supplies, paper, café items, cleaning products, technology, packaging, safety gear, furniture, and branding solutions. Their extensive product range includes everything from filing, stationery, and writing supplies to ink and toner, batteries, and projectors. They also offer PPE, gloves, footwear, and first aid supplies, ensuring that businesses have everything they need to operate smoothly and safely.
NXP has been a trusted name in the industry for over 70 years. As a privately owned company, they can make fast decisions and ensure efficient and responsive service
They are committed to providing great service, with free delivery for orders over $50 and same-day dispatch from their three NZ warehouse locations. Fully Kiwi-owned, NXP is big enough to meet all business needs, yet small enough to provide a personal touch.
nxp.nz
by Geoff Mutton
The recent State of the Nation survey revealed that 70 percent of Capricorn Members were planning on growing their business over the next 12 months. Is this possible given the challenging economic forecasts, or are they being unrealistically optimistic?
Only time will tell if growth is possible this year. But despite the current cost-of-living pressure and dull economic environment, I believe workshop owners have every reason to feel positive about growth prospects in 2025. While these two limiting factors will likely continue into the beginning of this year, there are many variables still in play. But the overriding consensus among leading economists is that interest rates will start falling by mid-year.
If this plays out as predicted, improved economic conditions could be expected in the second half of 2025.
New car sales started to falter in the last quarter of 2024 and this trend is expected to continue in the first half of this year. The net result of this is that motorists will be holding onto their cars for longer, which is a good thing for the aftermarket repair industry.
The cost-of-living crisis has forced many customers to extend their vehicle service cycles and they are delaying non-essential repairs and
maintenance. These jobs will need to be done eventually, and what usually happens when maintenance is delayed or neglected is that repair issues will grow and become more complex. So don’t be surprised to see a shift in your job matrix in 2025, with bigger and more expensive repair jobs landing in your workshops.
Despite this optimistic forecast for improved economic conditions later in the year, don’t sit back and expect it to happen without any help from your business. Growth will happen only for those who map out a plan and work hard on its execution.
Here are five essential tips to help your business grow in 2025:
Set targets and track performance
It is an undeniable fact that those who spend some time planning and setting targets will achieve a better result than those who don’t. Take the time to set a profit and loss forecast and budget for the business. Don’t neglect other targets like technician performance, average dollar sale, car counts and parts mark-up.
Once targets and goals are set, make the time to sit down each month and review performance against those targets. Discuss the targets and results with your staff and be prepared to bounce ideas off each other. Talk frankly about what went well and what didn’t. Broach ideas from everyone on how things could be done better and how the numbers can be improved.
Improve workshop efficiency
On average only about seven out of ten hours worked by a technician will be charged to a customer. There may be many reasons why this is happening but working smarter rather than harder can usually improve this performance. This is a standalone topic in its own right, but here are some key tips:
Set technician output targets
Review and discuss technician performance
Ensure staff clock on and off jobs accurately
Review vehicle history before starting the job
Charge for diagnostic time
Review and plan out jobs 24 hours before they reach your workshop
Learn when to say ‘no’ and outsource jobs beyond your skill set
Invest in training and access to information
With the likely shift in the nature of your work because of an expected rise in the number of more complex and expensive repair jobs, you will need to be efficient with your diagnostics and repairs. The days of the business owner being the only person able to tackle the more complex jobs may no longer be sustainable.
To be prepared, investment in training and on-the-job experience will be essential for staff.
Having swift and accurate access to data and information will also be imperative. No single data provider has the answer to everything, so consider investing in more than one data subscription.
A customer database is the most valuable asset in a business, so it’s imperative that you invest time keeping it up to date and regularly marketing to it.
In 2025 I believe you will get a far greater return on investment from marketing to your own database rather than marketing externally to attract new customers. Over the next 12 months you should consider the following contact points:
Service reminders
Registration and Warrant of Fitness reminders in applicable jurisdictions
Inactive customer follow-ups
Easter and Christmas holiday messages
Seasonal specials related to your geographical area or business niche
There is nothing to indicate any significant change in the technician shortages that have been affecting the aftermarket industry. With fewer
leaving the industry for greener pastures, the industry might expect some improvement in staff retention and stability.
The loss of a key staff member can be detrimental to sales targets and growth plans. It’s imperative that you work very hard on retaining current staff. Review employee compensation, job perks, working conditions, training and career development for all staff members. Take the time to perform an annual employee review to ensure they have goals for the year ahead, and in that process nip any lingering issues in the bud.
Keep your chin up, stay positive and don’t let negative talk about the economy get you down. There will always be anomalies in some areas, but I believe there are many reasons why everyone should take a positive outlook and work to make sure that the industry does improve during 2025.
Submit your entry at cap.coop/funzone by 28 February 2025
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