Car Dealer Magazine: Issue 189

PLUS: ALL THE LATEST NEW CAR NEWS

Issue 189 | December 2023

CarDealerMag.co.uk | £6

FIRST DRIVE: VOLVO THE CAR DEALERS IN THE FRAME FOR OUR BIG NIGHT

PLUS: DVLA IN £1M TRADE PLATES BLUNDER

NEWS • TOM HARTLEY CASE DROPPED • PENDRAGON DEAL BACKED • ROBIN BRINDLEY RETIRES • VINNIE JONES IN ISUZU DEAL • HOWARDS GROUP EXPANDS • REDGATE’S SPORTS BOOST • VOLTA FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY

EX30

PLUS: WE GET BEHIND THE WHEEL OF THE ALL-NEW NIO EL6 AND RENAULT CLIO

REVEALED: THE MOST PROFITABLE CAR DEALERS IN UK

INSIDE: THE WEIRD AND WONDERFUL FROM THE TOKYO MOBILITY SHOW

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02 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Start Now

Flashback to last year’s Used Car Awards Blackball Media Units 1 - 2 Warrior Court 9-11 Mumby Road, Gosport, PO12 1BS T: (020) 8125 3880 W: CarDealerMag.co.uk

THE BOSS FOUNDER James Baggott

james@thebaize.com Twitter: @CarDealerEd

EDITORIAL ASSOCIATE EDITOR James Batchelor

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

CHIEF SUB-EDITOR John Bowman john@blackballmedia.co.uk

STAFF WRITER Jack Williams

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

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

HEAD OF DESIGN Graeme Windell

graeme@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @graemewindell

CONTRIBUTORS Becca Chaplin, Jack Evans Nigel Swan, Ted Welford

FINANCE

FINANCE MANAGER Kate Gordon kate@blackballmedia.co.uk

ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Kevin Day

kev@blackballmedia.co.uk

ACCOUNT MANAGER Michelle Searle

michelle@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @cardealermich

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

Awards

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

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Car Dealer is published by Blackball Media Ltd (company number 6473855). All rights reserved. Conditions of sale and supply include the fact Car Dealer shall not, without our consent, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise disposed of in a mutilated way or in any unauthorised cover by way of trade or affixed to any part of a publication or advertising, literary or pictorial matter whatsoever.

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WELCOME.

A

s I write this we are just one week away from this year’s Car Dealer Used Car Awards. Just like it is for you, the awards are a time for us to take a pause and celebrate. The team are working frantically on making this year’s awards the best yet, and preparations are in full swing.

We’ve certainly been busy this year. We kicked off 2023 with our first Car Dealer Live event and we’ve just published our new Top 100, ranking Britain’s most profitable car dealers. And the year isn’t over yet!

You can read more about how the list is compiled and what are this year’s highlights on page 6. UHY Hacker Young worked tirelessly on formulating this important data for us and we’ve produced a brilliant video that explains more. You can watch this on our YouTube channel and our website – just click the ‘Top 100’ tab. The full list is available online and only to Car Dealer users; if you’re not one, then just click one of our Top 100 stories and you can register there – it’s very quick and simple.

Elsewhere in this issue we have a couple of very important road tests – Volvo’s EX30, which could shake up the small electric crossover segment when it arrives next year, and the Nio EL6. You might not have come across Nio but you’re about to hear more from this Chinese carmaker. It’s aiming to arrive in Britain next year with the EL6 and special centres that can swap a car’s battery in minutes, in theory eradicating ‘range anxiety’.

Head over to our website to find out more about what Nio is planning in my interview with the company’s UK boss.

That just leaves me to say I’m hoping to see many of you at The Brewery in central London on November 27 as we celebrate the cream of the used car industry.

Enjoy the issue.

The team are working frantically on making this year’s awards the best yet, and preparations are in full swing.

JAMES BATCHELOR Associate editor CarDealerMag.co.uk | 03

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We operate in 9 European markets Our mission is to help people with their mobility, facilitating their travels and helping them take care of their car

IGNITION. ISSUE 189 | DECEMBER 2023

CONTENTS

6

Car Dealer Top 100 6 UCA 2023 shortlist revealed 10 DVLA £1m blunder 13 New car news 18 News digest 20 Business news 34 Car Dealer Live 36 Finance 38 Supplier news 41

26 10

13

24

DASHBOARD

‘We’re delighted to sit atop the Car Dealer Top 100 for the fourth year.’

6

‘I never wanted to pay for vehicle tax, nor did any of my peers. And that’s where Legless Pete came in...’

16

15 16

FORECOURT Volvo EX30 Nio EL6 Renault Clio

24 26 28

28

30 BIG MIKE

COMMENT James Batchelor Big Mike

FORECOURT

‘The Volvo EX30 is a hugely tempting and much-needed competitively priced offering in the electric car market.’

24

FEATURES Tokyo Mobility Show Cool stuff

30 32

DATA FILE The Statistics LCV news Suppliers Guide Long-termers

42 44 46 47

DATA FILE

‘With demand for new cars surpassing prepandemic levels in the month, the market is defying expectations and driving growth.’

42 CarDealerMag.co.uk | 05

DASHBOARD

BRITAIN’S MOST PROFITABLE DEALERS CLOCK UP £2.78BN EARNINGS • Combined profits for Top 100 rise by £180m in a year • Revenues for most profitable car dealer groups rocket by £11bn • Arnold Clark tops list for fourth year running

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE CAR DEALER TOP 100 LIST IN FULL

by James Baggott @CarDealerEd

B

ritain’s most profitable car dealers saw their combined earnings rise to £2.78bn in 2022, according to the new Car Dealer Top 100, sponsored by Heycar.

Despite a tougher used car market, improved new car supply helped the UK’s largest car dealers increase revenues to a staggering £73.7bn for the year.

In last year’s list, which looked at figures for 2021, our Top 100 dealers generated combined profits of £2.6bn and revenues of £62.7bn.

The results are analysed in detail in a special Car Dealer Live video, which you can watch by clicking this link.

The research – compiled by UHY Hacker Young – reveals that the most profitable car dealer in the UK was once again Arnold Clark, registering Ebitda earnings of £383.8m.

Arnold Clark turned over a whopping £4.9bn in 2022, but it did see operating profit drop to £190.7m.

However, our research showed that the car dealer group still managed to generate more than £1m of Ebitda profits a DAY. Eddie Hawthorne, CEO of Arnold Clark, told Car Dealer: ‘We’re delighted to sit atop the Car Dealer Top 100 for the fourth year.

‘It really is testament to the hard work and commitment that has been demonstrated by every employee in a very challenging year.

‘As a company, we’re always looking forward, and we pride ourselves on offering the highest level of customer service all year round.

‘The industry is evolving, and we’re delighted to be leading the charge with exciting new mobility solutions still to come in 2024.’

The Car Dealer Top 100 uses Ebitda profit numbers to rank the list as it’s the fairest way to compare these businesses like for like.

The list is compiled using accounts filed for the car dealer groups with Companies House for 2022.

If operating profit had been the benchmark, Sytner – the hugely successful Penskeowned car dealer group – would have been number one with £198.1m operating profit. Its 06 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

We’re delighted to sit atop the Car Dealer Top 100 for the fourth year.

Eddie Hawthorne CEO of Arnold Clark

The automotive retailers in the top 10 share a number of characteristics that contribute to their success.

Heycar CEO Karen Hilton

Ebitda numbers were less than Arnold Clark’s, at £262.8m. Sytner was far and away the largest dealer group by revenue, with a huge £6.8bn brought in over the year.

The most profitable used car dealer was Car Giant, ranked 26th in the list. It made £25.8m in the year.

Staggeringly, the top 10 car dealers in the UK – which include Arnold Clark, Sytner, Pendragon and Lookers – accounted for 54 per cent of the Top 100’s profit, with £1.5bn of earnings to their name.

Looking at the top 10 – where two of the firms, Lookers and Pendragon, have been snatched from the stock market this year – there has been little movement.

Group 1 is a new entry this year, entering the top 10 at seventh place, while Days Motorpark owner C.E.M. Day and Marshall Motor Group moved up one place each.

Vertu Motors was the biggest faller in the top 10, dropping three places to eighth with £73.2m of profit. JCT600 was down one to ninth position.

The most notable riser on the list was Dick Lovett – up a whopping 33 places to take a place in the top 10 at 10th with an Ebitda of £51.2m.

Inchcape, meanwhile, rose from outside of the Top 100 to take 43rd place.

The worst performer – dropping 43 places to 95th on the list – was LSH Auto UK, the Mercedes-Benz dealer.

Karen Hilton, CEO of sponsor Heycar, said: ‘The automotive retailers in the top 10 share a number of characteristics that contribute to their success – they are nearly all large, multi-franchise dealerships with great levels of vehicle choice that have high levels of consumer brand awareness and trust.

‘The other recurring theme is their investment in customer service. They employ experienced and knowledgeable staff who are committed to helping customers find the right car for their needs and budget.

‘Put simply, they appear to walk the walk when it comes to looking after the people who look after the people.’

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE CAR DEALER TOP 100 LIST IN FULL

CAR DEALER TOP 100: THE EXPERTS’ VIEW CarDealerMag.co.uk | 07

DASHBOARD.

Q&A

Arnold Clark’s achievement of raking in more than £1m profit per DAY has been labelled as ‘simply phenomenal’ by the compilers of the Car Dealer Top 100.

This year, the list – sponsored by Heycar – was produced by experts at accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young who looked at hundreds of accounts to produce the league table of the most profitable car dealers.

Ranked using Ebitda profit, the list named Arnold Clark as the most

What has been the overriding thing driving profits this year?

McMahon: It’s been a fascinating exercise to get into. You seldom have the opportunity to stand back and really review these accounts in such detail. During 2022, we saw used vehicle residuals remain solid.

And perhaps these dealers have taken some of the learnings from the Covid years and stretched it out. It’s been a considerable year.

Why do we use Ebitda to rank these businesses?

McMahon: Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) is usually a good cash generative indicator for businesses.

It bases the list upon a business’s ability to trade and turn that trade into profit, which turns into cash. Ebitda is a good measure of that.

Arnold Clark, once again, is number one, making more than £1m profit a day – why is it so successful?

McMahon: I’ve got no doubt that the level of profitability over the years has really allowed them to reinvest into initiatives. They do have a strong market area presence, and you can definitely see that drives an ability to invest in emerging technologies, some of which are customer-centric, others are online initiatives. A million pounds profit a day is phenomenal, isn’t it?

Hilton: The automotive retailers in the Top 10 share a number of characteristics that contribute to their success. They are nearly all large, multifranchise dealerships with great levels of vehicle choice that have high levels of consumer brand awareness and trust.

They also combine significant real-world presence, making them a convenient choice for buyers who want to purchase in person, alongside great online experiences. But when you read a number of their quarterly or annual reports, the other recurring theme is their investment in customer service.

08 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

profitable dealer for the fourth year running with £383.8m of earnings.

Britain’s most profitable car dealers saw their combined earnings rise to £2.78bn in 2022 on revenues that rose by £11bn to a staggering £73.7bn.

The Car Dealer Top 100 looks at accounts for 2022.

Ian McMahon, partner at UHY Hacker Young, spoke to Car Dealer in a special video about the list. We also canvassed the opinion of Karen Hilton, CEO of sponsor Heycar, for the Q&A below.

There are lots of movers in our Top 10 but the biggest faller is Vertu, which is down three places – why is that?

McMahon: The Top 10 is pretty much as we would expect. Vertu is a business that continues to evolve and make acquisitions. Although a lot of the acquisitions are profit-positive from the getgo, there’s a little bit of expansion cost that goes with it.

and helping reduce the costs and distraction associated with recruiting and onboarding.

When it comes to used car specialists, some had a torrid time in 2022 – why was that?

McMahon: The highest-ranked used car specialist is Cargiant, ranked at 26. If you delve into their numbers, they have realised a gain on some investment properties in the year.

The others, like Trade Centre Group and Motorpoint, have dropped as they’ve got themselves on to a bit of a treadmill and might have to be paying a little too much for stock to keep that up. And there has been a lot more movement with used car prices, which hasn’t helped.

And we’ve seen a lot of M&A activity this year with the likes of Lookers and Pendragon – will this continue?

McMahon: Definitely. It never ceases to amaze us the conversations that we’re having with our clients, as well as the wider networks. Certainly, the opportunity for some of their larger guys to reshape in line with their manufacturer business plans is always there.

We’ve had some big risers this year – what were the highlights for you?

McMahon: Inchcape has risen considerably – up 103 places – but that’s largely down to Ebitda as they had an exceptional impairment in their results the year prior. Dick Lovett also rose up the list to take a place in the Top 10, which was impressive.

Hilton: No surprises as such, but again when you look at the quarterly statements made by some of the biggest risers, the references to customer service and their ‘people culture’ can be seen time and again.

We know that many of them put great amounts of time and money into their training and management academies, rightly believing that this continued investment in their people helps to both deliver a better ‘front of house’ experience and retain their people for longer.

This combination brings with it the twin benefits of high levels of product and operational knowledge being retained within the business

The Top 10 dealers accounted for 54% of the entire profit from the Top 100 – the big dealers just seem to keep getting bigger, don’t they?

McMahon: Yes, it certainly seems that way. It’s a phenomenal statistic to be able to identify just what influence that they have on that Top 100.

What are your thoughts on how tough the used car market has been – and will be for these top 100 dealers?

Hilton: That potent mix of pent-up, post-pandemic demand combined with new car supply shortages that led to the 7.5m used car transactions in 2021 has certainly given way to a much tougher set of macro-environment conditions over the past 18 months.

Rising inflation has put pressure on household income and led to interest rate increases, making borrowing more expensive for consumers – and dealers themselves have had to absorb the higher costs of goods, services and wages.

While most experts expect the effect of the increased new car supply to soften prices rather than force anything more drastic, the scale of the decrease will depend on a fine balance being achieved by OEMs seeking to drive volume without oversupplying the UK market.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE CAR DEALER TOP 100 LIST IN FULL

SELL SMARTER NOT HARDER At heycar, we’re always looking for ways to supercharge your sales. With over 200 million visitors across the heycar network, we’re helping quality dealers just like you with access to digital customers ready to buy online, or directly in your dealership.

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CarDealerMag.co.uk | 09

EVENT

THE CAR DEALERS IN THE FRAME FOR OUR BIG NIGHT Shortlist has been decided following a tough round of mystery shopping

H

ere are the people and dealerships that have made it through our mystery shopping round to secure a place on the Used Car Awards 2023 shortlist!

After a tough round of judging by the Car Dealer team and its mystery shopping experts, the names from our Nominations List have been whittled down to five in each category.

A winner and two highly commended firms will be announced at the glittering awards ceremony, sponsored by Black Horse, at The Brewery in London on Monday, November 27.

Tickets for the event – hosted by TV’s Wheeler Dealers star Mike Brewer – are available to buy now.

Brewer said: ‘This year’s mystery shopping has seen a marked change in attitudes from previous years – a number of car dealers didn’t even return our calls and emails.

‘But the top firms were brilliant and have really shone out from the crowd.

‘Getting into the final five from the huge number of entries we receive every year is an incredible achievement in itself. It’s worthy of a celebration and the awards night will be just that.

‘I wish all those named on our shortlist the best of luck and look forward to toasting your achievements with you on the night.’

Our judging panel will be using the time leading up to the event to conduct their final checks on the businesses in the frame.

Where the category decisions are tight, this could even include further mystery shopping.

Those firms shortlisted are advised to book their places at the event quickly as it has sold out for the past two years.

For table bookings, please contact sales@blackballmedia.co.uk or call 020 8125 3880.

The event is black tie, includes a three-course dinner and unlimited beer and wine. eBay Motors Group will be sponsoring the pre-dinner drinks and providing an afterdinner fun casino.

Getting into the final five from the huge number of entries we receive every year is an incredible achievement.

Mike Brewer Awards host and Wheeler Dealers star

For table bookings, please email sales@blackballmedia.co.uk or call 020 8125 3880

10 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Shortlist Dealers' Dealer Sponsored by AutoProtect Group Craig Applegate, Carite Jamie Caple, Car Quay Steve Dhesi, SUV Prestige Sean Kelly, Vines Group Umesh Samani, Specialist Cars Stoke

Used Car Online Sales Experience Sponsored by Codeweavers Bristol Street Motors Car Quay Jardine Motors Snows Motor Group Wilsons of Epsom

Days to Turn Sponsored by Auto Trader Alexanders Prestige Porsche Centre Leeds Pro Drive Cars Quality Cars and Commercials Silverleaf Sports & Prestige

Used Car Supermarket Sponsored by eBay Motors Group Big Motoring World Car Planet Carbase CarShop Fords of Winsford

Service & Repair Outlet Sponsored by Warrantywise BS Motors Carite Grimsdyke Service Station Spencers MOT & Service Centre Thame Cars

Specialist Used Car Dealership Sponsored by Automotive Transformation Group Alexanders Prestige Fratelli Phantom Motor Company Redline Specialist Cars Romans International

Used Commercial Vehicle Dealer Sponsored by Close Brothers Motor Finance Anchor Vans Beechwood Autos JL Vans Loads of Vans VanStar Wakefield

Used Car Dealership: Up To 50 Cars Sponsored by Black Horse Alyn Brewis Grashion Automotive Solutions Grimsdyke Car Sales Thame Cars The Premium Car Collection

Used Car Dealer Principal Sponsored by Heycar Satinda Dhesi, SUV Prestige Kaoma Ermini-Jones, Sidegate Motors Will Lee-Kemp, Autosportiva Jay Manek, Mercland Stewart McMinn, Plympton Car Centre

Diversity & Inclusivity Sponsored by MotoNovo Finance Jardine Motor Group Mazda UK Steven Eagell Group Sytner Group TrustFord

Used Car Dealership: 51-100 Cars Sponsored by Black Horse ASK Motors Mount Vernon Motors Optimum Vehicles Plympton Car Sales Rangebrook

Used EV Dealership Sponsored by Santander Consumer Finance ERLS Vehicles EV Experts Go Green Autos R Symons The Electric Vehicle Company Social Media User Sponsored by iVendi Acklam Car Centre Amari Supercars Car Quay Romans International SUV Prestige Use of Video Sponsored by Autoguard Warranties Acklam Car Centre Premier GT R Symons Romans International Wisely Automotive Used Car Website Sponsored by EMaC Beck Evans Crompton Way Motors Fords of Winsford Frosts Cars Pershore Motor Group

Future Star Sponsored by Northridge Finance Michael Bibby, MSB Car Sales Alex Carroll, AutoSportiva Antonio Leitao, Steven Eagell Toyota Canterbury Bailey McMinn, Plympton Car Centre Jade Walton, Fords of Winsford

Car categories Sponsored by G3 Vehicle Auctions Small Car Mid-Sized Car Large Car Sports Car AFV Commercial Vehicle Used Car of the Year No nominations lists revealed

Used Car Customer Care Sponsored by RAC Dealer Network CarBrothers NI Crompton Way Motors GKS of Ivybridge Mount Vernon Motors Redrose Cars

Manufacturer Used Car Scheme Sponsored by Visitor Chat Audi BMW Ford Toyota Volkswagen

Used Car Sales Team Sponsored by Motorway Big Motoring World, Blue Bell Hill Browns Car Company Pine Lodge Cars Sidegate Motors Thame Cars

Newcomer Dealership Sponsored by Moneybarn Biggleswade Car Sales Car Plug MCR We Love Car Group Whizz Autos Wink Cars

Used Car Dealership: Over 100 Cars Sponsored by Black Horse Car Quay Pershore Motor Group Phantom Motor Company Saxton 4×4 Tenby Car Supermarket Used Car Dealership Group Sponsored by Black Horse Snows Group Steven Eagell Group Swansway Motor Group TrustFord Wilsons Outstanding Achievement Sponsored by Howden No nominations list revealed Lifetime Achievement (10+ years) Sponsored by GardX No nominations list revealed

The Used Car Awards 2023 will be held at The Brewery in London on Monday, November 27

Sponsored by CarDealerMag.co.uk | 11

DealersDeserveMore.co.uk 12 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

EXCLUSIVE

DVLA IN £1M TRADE PLATES BLUNDER

Agency is left red-faced after more than 58,000 licence holders are overcharged, reports Craig Cheetham.

A

massive administrative failure has led to more than 58,000 trade plate holders being overcharged up to £20 in duty after a treasury error in relation to the cost of a 12-month trade licence.

Licence holders were overcharged £5 in duty in 2021-2022 and £15 in 2022-2023, leading to the majority of those with trade plates being owed £20 by the DVLA – a blunder that will cost the government agency over £1m in reimbursed revenue.

The department says the mistake only came to light ‘in recent weeks’ and that it has taken ‘immediate and direct action’ to refund those who have been overcharged, including the vast majority of car dealers in the UK, as well as other trade licence holders such as motor manufacturers, auction houses, repairers and vehicle movement specialists.

In a letter sent out to trade plate holders, the DVLA said: ‘According to our records you held a trade licence between April 2021 and March 2023. Unfortunately, there was an issue with the rate of vehicle excise duty (VED)… that was applied during this period. This means that you overpaid for trade licences during this period.’

The refunds apply to more than 58,000 trade licence holders who hold licences for cars – but the refunds don’t apply to motorcycles or other types of vehicles, where the DVLA says the correct rate of duty was charged.

In total, the reimbursements are expected to come to more than £1.1m.

The agency has begun refunding customers via payable order or cheque, but in a further administrative bungle it admits it has issued the wrong amount in refunds to some customers, including many who hold multiple trade licences, such as movement companies and larger dealer groups. It is now frantically assessing the situation to ensure that the customers who are entitled to a refund receive one.

A DVLA spokesman said: ‘We recently identified an issue with the rate of vehicle excise duty that was applied to trade licences between April 2021 to March 2023. This resulted in a small overpayment, which we reimbursed to those affected.

‘Unfortunately, due to an error when issuing the refunds, some customers have received the incorrect amount. We are in the process of writing to those affected with the correct reimbursement and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.’

However, the DVLA has said it doesn’t want people who think they may have overpaid to contact it directly.

‘We definitely don’t want people to delay cashing their cheque or worry about contacting us, as the majority already have the correct amount of refund – they just need to carry on as normal,’ added the spokesman.

‘We’re in the process of writing to all those who have had the incorrect reimbursement to make sure they get the correct amount as soon as possible, so the message to those is very much the case of if you think you have had the incorrect amount of refund from DVLA for your trade licence, don’t call them as they will be in touch with you direct.’

Refunds will be issued to trade licence holders in November and December.

We’re in the process of writing to all those who have had the incorrect reimbursement to make sure they get the correct amount as soon as possible.

DVLA spokesman

Letter sent out by the DVLA to trade plate holders CarDealerMag.co.uk | 13

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I have to say I am absolutely delighted. So far the experience has been a breath of fresh air for the following reasons.

Firstly, the ease of communication with your front of house team starting with ease of opening an a buyers account to the helpfulness of the team and taking the due diligence and professional level of help in making it as painless as totally possible.

The description of the stock is nothing short of accurate and very precise in a transparent format.

When we have experienced any issue with a vehicle or admin its has always been dealt with promptly and reliably by all the team.

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Thanks to you and your great team.

The Cazoo Wholesale platform offers buyers simplicity of use – clear & concise, all necessary information is easy to find and the imaging is first class, easily the best amongst the competition.

Vehicle defects / damage are clearly described and again, the clarity of imagery of this gives a buyer confidence in making purchasing decisions along with photos of loose items andn we like the fair / fixed priced fees.

Aftersales support couldn’t be better.

Great selection of accurately described vehicles, perfectly photographed and advertised along with quick, efficient and friendly customer service.

By far my most preferred method of sourcing used vehicle stock. Highly recommended.

Purchasing from Cazoo Wholesale is simple and straightforward, the single buyers fee is competitive and easy to factor in to costs when purchasing.

The vehicle inspection reports are accurate and the digital imagery is very clear.

Keep on describing them correctly as you are.

After years of buying from a large competitor it is a breath of fresh air to have vehicles turn up and they are as described, and sometimes better.

Cazoo Wholesale has made auction buying simple!

I’ve been purchasing over the last couple of months and have been impressed with the CS team as well as the boys in the yard. And will continue purchasing!!

Register for your free trade account today and start to feel the benefits!

14 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

The winds of change are blowing with Amazon car sales on their way in USA

A

I’m going to make a prediction – Amazon will make a success of this and more carmakers will come to the platform.

nother big name with bulging bags of cash thinks it can sell cars.

Marketplace giant Amazon will add new car sales to its platform next year, and I think it’s a development that we can’t ignore.

Firstly, some background. Amazon has long considered itself a company that sells everything, but it’s only really been dabbling with the concept of selling cars until now. It took a five per cent share in a company called Greenlight.com in 2000, which was an online buying service that eventually operated in 31 states in the USA. Greenlight bought cars from dealers and sold them to online customers, and Amazon promoted the listings on its own platform.

But just over a year after Amazon’s investment, Greenlight.com was acquired by rival CarsDirect.com – the carmakers were unimpressed their dealers were selling stock to internet brokers, and, probably more importantly, data suggested customers were happy to research their next car online but were reluctant to hit the ‘buy now’ button.

That all sounds very familiar, doesn’t it, despite being nearly a quarter of a century later. In that time, we’ve seen Jamjarcars and Tesco Cars come and go, to name just a couple, and I can’t not mention the arrival of Cazoo and Cinch in the used car business. Selling cars online isn’t easy.

This time around, Amazon thinks it’s on to a winner. From next year, users in the US will be able to buy all the things they usually buy from Amazon and have them delivered in the firm’s trademark brown packaging, along with buying a brandnew car. The venture is only with Hyundai for the time being and one part of a wideranging agreement the two outfits have with each other, but in just under a year’s time Americans will be able to purchase their new car in the same way they buy air fryers, jewellery and razor blades.

It’s also the final part of a deal that Amazon had with Hyundai several years ago where customers could browse for a new Hyundai on Amazon’s site but the actual sale was conducted offline. Now, the sale will be managed by Hyundai dealers – Amazon, in essence, is the middle man.

When the news broke of Amazon’s and Hyundai’s cushy partnership, shares in American online car dealerships including Carvana and Autonation dropped by around eight per cent. It was a bombshell announcement and understandably unsettled the market.

But I’m going to make a prediction – Amazon will make a success of this and more carmakers will come to the platform. In time, I believe it’ll come to the UK, too.

Just think about it for a moment – it’s a very appealing concept for the customer.

We’ve all bought things online because sometimes the idea of leaving home and talking to someone in a shop seems just too much of a faff. That’s fine for the latest Jamie Oliver cookbook, you’ll no doubt be saying, but a car is different. And I agree, but there’s the power of the Amazon brand. Tesco thought its brand was strong enough to sell cars, too, but it’s known primarily as a retailer that has physical supermarkets. Amazon is an online marketplace giant.

Want another couple of reasons? Amazon doesn’t need to have large compounds of stock lying around, and while dealers might be a bit sceptical at first, if they’re guaranteed a sale without having to actively sell to that customer through costly marketing, then they’ll get on board.

The US car market is very different to the UK’s. We’ve seen Brits have a cautious approach to buying their next motor with a click of their mouse, and online car sales are going to be small fry for a long time.

But if anyone can give customers confidence in transacting online, it’s Amazon.

Batch chat

COMMENT

JAMES BATCHELOR

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

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 15

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

Who is Big Mike?

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

16 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

COMMENT

Legless Pete gave for his country – and that gave me free vehicle tax

I

took a 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class in part-exchange last week that came with a selection of old tax discs still in the windscreen, courtesy of a chap who had owned it since 2008.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I miss the old days of having a paper disc to show for the privilege of handing over a wedge of cash to the government. A tax disc may not have been much, but at least it was something.

Moreover, though, I miss the days of cars remaining taxed if the duty was paid, partly because a bit of rent in the windscreen was a selling point, and mainly because it meant free vehicle tax for the motor trade. The car I would drive home from work or at the weekend was whatever scruffy partexchange we had in stock that still had a valid tax disc in the windscreen, and the really grim ones we’d just use as our own transport until the MOT or tax ran out. Back then, you never saw a car trader knocking around in a decent motor – it was just one banger to the next to keep overheads down.

That was, of course, unless you fancied something really special. I’m a Jaguar man myself, and I’ve had a few of the company’s big saloons through my hands over the best part of four decades in the motor trade, a few of which have stuck around for several months.

Of course, being a motor trader, I never wanted to pay for vehicle tax, nor did any of my peers. And that’s where Legless Pete came in...

His nickname was one of two parts. The first was as a result of an unfortunate incident in the Falklands that led to the poor chap having no left leg and a stump on the right. The second was down to his lifestyle, as Pete spent his armed forces disability allowance (and most of his time) stationed at a copper table in a warm corner of the King’s Head, getting progressively more sozzled from lunchtime until one of the regulars wheeled him back home at closing time.

He was quite a tragic character, all told, as beneath an exterior hardened in the armed forces, there was a gentle kindness to him that few possess.

Pete passed on a couple of years ago, and it’s his wry smile and infectious humour that I always think of each Remembrance Day. But I digress. Pete was a popular chap within the local motor trade, partly because by spending most of his time in the pub, he would occasionally stumble across the odd bargain. After all, back then a lot of cars were bought and sold in the pub, and if you didn’t ask too many questions there were some bosting deals to be done.

But more than that, he was our source of free vehicle excise duty.

This was because despite being permanently over the limit and bereft of one and a half appendages, Pete had managed to retain his driving licence. He never used it, largely because

I don’t know about you, but I miss the old days of having a paper disc to show for the privilege of handing over a wedge of cash to the government.

he was usually three sheets to the wind, but by virtue of being mobility impaired he was also entitled to disabled vehicle tax, which, of course, was free.

I can recall at least four Jaguar XJs and a Vauxhall Senator that I kept for my own use that were, according to DVLA records, the property of Legless Pete. All I had to do was fill in the V5 in his name, fund six pints of Banks’s Bitter with a couple of whisky chasers, and on his way to the King’s Head he’d (literally as well as figuratively) swerve by the post office between afternoon refreshments and reward me (and several of my peers) with a free tax disc. If anyone had looked at his DVLA records, they’d have assumed he was a collector of 1990s luxury saloons and Range Rovers, all paid for on a services disability pension.

Admittedly, that wasn’t exactly an ethical practice, but in the eyes of the law the car belonged to Pete, and one of the conditions of us using his services was that we’d occasionally give him a lift when he needed one, which was an allowable reason (just) for the car having free road tax – at least back in the days when such things weren’t digitally policed. It was also the least we could do for a chap who’d given so much to his country.

These days it’s simply not possible, but there are a number of motor traders in the West Midlands who remember Legless Pete with affection, and I frequently raise a glass in his honour. Thank you for your service, Pete…

A lot of cars were bought and sold in the pub, and if you didn’t ask too many questions there were some bosting deals to be done.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 17

DASHBOARD

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

PEUGEOT

208 gets key upgrades including new powertrain for electric model PEUGEOT has announced that a refreshed version of its 208 supermini is now available to order.

The 208 was Europe’s most popular car in 2021 and 2022, and gains a number of key upgrades as part of this mid-life update. Some of the most notable are under the surface, with the electric

e-208 now using a new powertrain. Pairing a slightly larger 51kWh battery with a more powerful 154bhp electric motor, it increases the claimed range from 225 to 248 miles. With 100kW rapidcharging capability, the battery can be charged from 20 to 80 per cent in ‘less than 30 minutes’.

Peugeot is also introducing two new mild-hybrid versions of the 208, using a 1.2-litre petrol engine mated to a new six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Outputs of 99bhp and 134bhp are available, with Peugeot claiming they can reduce fuel consumption by 15 per cent.

PORSCHE

Panamera’s fresh cabin showcased MERCEDES-AMG

Plug-in hybrid tech for latest GLE 53 THE latest Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 has hit the road with a new plug-in hybrid engine that aims to blend performance and efficiency.

The GLE 53 combines a 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine with a compact electric motor and a 31.2kWh battery. Together, you get 536bhp – 87bhp more than its predecessor – and 750Nm of torque, which allows for a 0-60mph time of 4.5 seconds.

The car’s relatively large battery pack also means it can travel for up to 54 miles on an electric-only charge at up to 87mph. It has a redesigned front bumper plus reshaped air intakes.

18 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

VOLVO

EX30 production is increased following ‘strong demand’ VOLVO has expanded production of its upcoming EX30 electric SUV following ‘strong demand’ for the model.

Production will start at the firm’s plant in Belgium from 2025, complementing the existing production line in China. It started building cars there earlier this year, with the first customer cars expected to be delivered in the latter part of 2023.

Adding the Ghent facility helps to boost capacity ahead of ‘expected EX30 demand’ in Europe. The Swedish firm says it also mirrors its ‘ambition to build its cars where it sells them as much as possible’. Currently, Volvo builds its XC40 and XC60 SUVs in Europe and China.

READ OUR REVIEW OF THE VOLVO EX30 ON PAGE 24

PORSCHE has given a closer look at the interior of its new Panamera ahead of the car’s full reveal on November 24.

It has a far more digitalfocused feel than the previous generation, with one of the key new features being larger screens.

There’s now a 12.6-inch screen for the driver, coupled with a 12.3-inch infotainment setup and separate 10.9-inch touchscreen ahead of the passenger, where they can access media and navigation functions.

TOYOTA

ASTON MARTIN

Prius coming to the UK after all

Production outlook is downgraded

TOYOTA is to introduce its new Prius to the UK, U-turning on its previous decision not to launch the model here.

The fifth-generation Prius was revealed last November, with a radically different design to its predecessor.

Sleeker, more premium and more advanced, it gained lots of interest, but Toyota initially said that it wouldn’t offer the model here. At its reveal, the firm said there’d been ‘a clear shift in UK consumer demand towards more SUV-style vehicles’.

ASTON Martin expects to make around 300 fewer vehicles this year than it forecast after problems increasing production of its new DB12.

The luxury carmaker now thinks it’ll produce 6,700 vehicles during the year, rather than 7,000.

Aston Martin said it updated its annual outlook after delays linked to the new information and entertainment system limited production capacity for the DB12. On the upside, it said: ‘Demand is very strong, with DB12 orders into the second quarter of 2024.’

CITROEN

Electric e-C3 to offer 199-mile range at ‘under £23,000’ CITROEN has revealed its new electric e-C3, which will arrive in the UK with a price tag of ‘less than £23,000’.

Equipped with a 44kWh battery, the e-C3 has a claimed range of up to 199 miles, while 100kW fast-charging ability means it can be taken from a 20 to 80 per cent charge in just 26 minutes.

Plugged into a 7kW home charger, a 20 to 80 per cent charge will take just over four hours. With its 113bhp electric motor, it’ll manage 0-60mph in 10.8 seconds and go on to 84mph.

A new app will also let drivers pre-heat their vehicle, check battery charge or see the car’s location via their smartphone.

HYUNDAI

Sporty Ioniq 5 N now available from £65,000 HYUNDAI’S new Ioniq 5 N is now available to order, with prices starting at £65,000.

It’s the first in what is predicted to be a new range of ‘N’ electric vehicles, with this version being a completely overhauled version of the firm’s Ioniq 5.

It has been completely reworked by Hyundai’s N performance department, however, and receives a larger battery than the standard car, while power can be as high as 641bhp when the car is put into ‘N Grin Boost’ mode. As standard, it produces a still-respectable 600bhp.

SKODA

VOLKSWAGEN

Fourth-gen Superb gains sharper lights

First pictures of ID.7 Tourer are revealed

SKODA has unveiled its fourthgeneration Superb.

Available in hatchback and estate layouts as before, the new Superb offers a choice of six engines, with three petrol sitting alongside a pair of diesels and a plug-in hybrid version with a claimed 62 miles of electric-only range.

The exterior represents an evolution of the older Superb, with sharper lights and reprofiled rear lights.

The estate, in particular, has a more rounded aesthetic towards the back of the car.

VOLKSWAGEN has revealed new disguised images of its ID.7 Tourer, which will arrive in 2024 as the firm’s first electric estate car.

Looking to keep a more traditional estate car profile, rather than the sleeker ‘shooting brake’ style seen in more recent years, including on Volkswagen’s Arteon, the ID.7 Tourer is a long car with plenty of bodywork.

VW says the model offers ‘sophisticated aerodynamics’ to give the model a low drag coefficient, only marginally behind the hatchback model.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 19

DASHBOARD PARTNERSHIP

Vinnie Jones picks up TV show pick-up

NEWS DIGEST

HERE ARE TASTERS OF STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

CLICK ON THE PICTURES FOR THE FULL STORY c

ACTOR, ex-footballer and presenter Vinnie Jones has partnered with Isuzu as he films a new TV show.

The 58-year-old – famous for his Hollywood hardman roles – collected his new D-Max AT35 from Crawfords in Billingshurst.

Jones will be using the pick-up while filming for the Discovery Channel.

The series, whose title is yet to be confirmed, will showcase his adventures and pursuits, including managing the wild spaces at his West Sussex farm.

HUB

Howards expands with Hyundai site

HOWARDS Motor Group has opened a new Hyundai showroom in Somerset.

The Taunton site takes the dealer group’s representation to 22 sites across the county and is its third showroom to have a Hyundai franchise. It’ll also serve as the administrative hub for all of Howards’ dealerships in Taunton. Howards acquired the former Jaguar showroom in Bridgewater Road in May, and it has since undergone a ‘significant refurbishment and modernisation’.

20 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

FORE!

Redgate Lodge swings into action with golf day to raise £12,000 for young sports people and clubs REDGATE Lodge Motor Group helped raise some £12,000 for a sports charity by hosting a golf day.

The event was held at City of Newcastle Golf Club in aid of Sport Newcastle, which supports the development of sport and young talent in the region. It attracted 164 golfers and the money raised will go directly to sports people and clubs in the north-east of England.

Pictured from left are ex-Tyne Tees TV presenter Roger Tames, Redgate operations director Paul Keighley, managing director Scott Sibley and triple jump champion Jonathan Edwards

SHARES

HANDOVER

Cinch owner ups its stake in Vertu Motors

Robin Brindley to retire after 60 years

CINCH and We Buy Any Car owner TDR Capital has increased its stake in Vertu Motors.

The private equity house has upped its interest from 3.1% to 4.1%, after buying a new tranche of shares. David Kendrick, CEO of UHY Hacker Young, told Car Dealer: ‘Having invested in Lookers previously, could this be another shrewd investment to move towards a 20% stake to protect the potential of Vertu being bought out?’

Amazon will add new car sales to its platform next year, and I think it’s a development that we can’t ignore.

James Batchelor p15

THE boss of a successful family-run car dealership is to hand over the reins of the business to his stepson after six decades as chairman.

Robin Brindley has guided the West Midlands-based Brindley Garages to 74th in the new Car Dealer Top 100 list of most profitable dealerships. It represents eight brands at 13 showrooms.

The firm will now be headed up by stepson Che Watson, who has played a key role in recent years.

Dealers given longer to place bids Supplier News: p41

‘There’s no doubt the EX30 will easily be a star car of 2024.’

Forecourt: p24

COURTS

T S A C D PO Sponsored by

Tom Hartley case discontinued by SFO

A tax disc may not have been much, but at least it was something.

Big Mike p16

THE TEAM FROM CAR DEALER TALK ABOUT THE LATEST NEWS AND INTERVIEWS IN THIS REGULAR PODCAST A CASE brought by the Serious Fraud Office against supercar dealer Tom Hartley was discontinued at Westminster Magistrates’ Court – with Hartley cleared of any wrongdoing.

Hartley, seen leaving the court with wife Priscilla and flanked by solicitor Antonita Arikaran and son Carl, had been accused of withholding information from a fraud probe into car leasing firm Raedex Consortium. Click on image for full story. Picture: Jon Reay

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO PAST EPISODES OF THE CAR DEALER PODCASTS

Turn over page to catch up on more stories

T +44 (0)1865 233 037 CarDealerMag.co.uk | 21

DASHBOARD ACQUISITION

Big Motoring World buys rivalʼs sites

BIG Motoring World has snapped up two of rival Available Car’s used car supermarkets as it targets a £1bn turnover next year.

Speaking exclusively to Car Dealer, boss Peter Waddell said he’d ‘been quiet for a while’ as he inked the deal and created new finance company Car Loan as well as an auction app that will go live next year. The Leeds and Cannock premises will become Big Motoring World sites, and Waddell said it was all part of a plan to achieve a £1bn turnover with profits of £50m.

LIFESAVER

Swansway finishes defib installations

NEWS DIGEST

HERE ARE TASTERS OF STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

CLICK ON THE PICTURES FOR THE FULL STORY

ROAR-SOME!

‘Kerbasaurus’ wheel repair service has dino-mite first year as demand takes Snows by surprise SNOWS is marking a successful first year of its ‘Kerbasaurusʼ wheel repair and refurbishment service.

The Jurassic-themed operation is based at Snows’ accident repair centre in Southampton and sends out a fleet of technicians in brightly branded vans to assist customers.

Since it was launched, 5,500 wheels have been repaired in the mobile workshops and 1,120 diamond-cut wheels have been restored at the centre. Daniel Bush, head of bodyshop operations at the centre, said: ‘We had high hopes that the service would prove popular but the level of demand has taken us by surprise.ʼ

ACCOLADE

Marshalls site wins Nissan global title

SWANSWAY Motor Group has now installed defibrillators at all of its dealerships as it looks to protect staff and customers.

The firm recently put in the last of the devices, which are available for anyone to use 24 hours a day, after a £7,500 investment.

It previously installed 12 defibrillators and has now put in another 10 at its dealerships in Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Staffordshire and the West Midlands.

22 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

A NISSAN dealership in Kent is celebrating after scooping a prestigious worldwide title from the manufacturer.

The Global Award for Aftersales for the 2022 financial year was won by Marshall Nissan Tunbridge Wells after it was assessed against the best of the best in key Nissan markets around the world.

Aftersales manager Ian Fraser, second left, said the secret of its success was planning.

329 THE CLAIMED RANGE IN MILES OF NIO’S EL6

Forecourt p26

CAPITAL

Cambria to invest millions in firms

CAMBRIA Investment Holdings has created new investment firm Cambria Private Capital.

The investments holdings outfit was formed as part of the Cambria Bidco investment vehicle that was used to take Cambria Automobiles off the London Stock Exchange in October 2021.

Cambria Private Capital – part of the Cambria Group – boasts an initial fund of £10m and will invest up to £1m in start-ups and scale-ups.

Latest cool products set to be real Christmas crackers

‘Quote.’

Feature: pXX

Feature: p32

FUNDRAISING

INVESTIGATION

VOTING

Childrenʼs cancer fund given boost

TV spotlight falls on used car scammers

Shareholders back Pendragon takeover

VERTU Mini Sunderland raised £1,300 in aid of a children’s cancer charity.

It held raffles, washed cars, sold sweet treats and donated £100 for every vehicle it sold, all in aid of Children’s Cancer North – smashing its £500 target in the process.

Pictured are Vertu Mini Sunderland head of business Jeff Aynsley, left, and brand manager Anthony Wheatley with the charity's corporate partnership co-ordinator, Emma Carson

CAR Dealer founder James Baggott took part in a feature on online used car scammers that aired on BBC One's Morning Live.

It focused on two customers who recently fell victim to scammers posing as legitimate car dealers.

Baggott told the BBC: ‘We’ve done a lot of work trying to get these people shut down, but it’s like Whack a Mole – as soon as you shut one down, they start up another business.’ Click here to see the feature, beginning at 09:08.

THE proposal to sell Pendragon to Lithia was approved by shareholders with nearly 99% of those who chose to vote backing the resolution.

It followed the withdrawal of a competing bid from AutoNation.

The results show that 27.24% of shareholders decided not to vote – close to Hedin’s 27% share in the company. Hedin had made multiple bids to buy Pendragon and had partnered with Penske to make another attempt before pulling out of the race in October.

REFUSAL

TRUCKS

Imperials loses bid to build new site

Jobs at risk as Volta files for bankruptcy

A USED car dealer in east London has had a planning application refused after councillors said the new premises would be ‘unacceptably dominant’.

Imperials Hornchurch in Emerson Park put in plans to Havering Council to replace its existing structure with a three-storey building. But the council said the development would be ‘harmful to the appearance of the surrounding area’.

Image: Google Street View

ELECTRIC start-up Volta Trucks has filed for bankruptcy, putting around 600 UK jobs at risk.

The Swedish firm put its 16-tonne electric truck into production in April but has run into difficulties after its battery supplier, Proterra, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US in August, said the Financial Times.

Most of Volta Trucksʼ business and engineering operations are in the UK, with bases in Warwick, Coventry and Reading.

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

DEAL: The SMC Motor Group is to change ownership for the first time in almost four decades after a takeover deal was agreed with the SLM Group. It follows a decision by shareholders James Kimber and Anne Knight that the time was right to retire.

AGREEMENT: Stellantis is to sell Leapmotor cars in Europe after signing a landmark deal with the Chinese EV brand. The €1.5bn (circa £1.3bn) agreement will see it start selling Leapmotor’s cars outside of China from the second half of next year.

GROWTH: UK car manufacturing saw its strongest month of growth for 2023 in September.

The SMMT said 88,230 vehicles were made. That was 25,105 more than in September 2022 – a 39.8% rise and the best September since 2020.

NETWORK? Chinese EV brand Nio is considering setting up a European dealer network. So far, it has sold to customers from its stores and online. But bosses are now said to be ‘mulling over’ the prospect of agreeing deals with retail partners.

TRADE: The UK and South Korea have shaken hands on a two-year extension of low or zero tariffs on mutual trade of products with parts from the EU. The government hailed the agreement as a major boost for the car industry.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 23

FORECOURT

Power

The single electric motor with 69kWh battery gives 270bhp and a claimed range of 298 miles.

VOLVO EX30

Volvo is aiming to capture a huge slice of EV sales in Britain with its new baby electric SUV. Is it a winner? James Batchelor put one to the test.

WHAT IS IT? On the surface at least, it’s a high-quality EV with a decent electric range and low starting price of just under £34,000.

WHAT’S NEW? It’s been designed and engineered to be an EV from the outset. Volvo says it’s not only the quickest-accelerating car it has ever built but also the greenest. The EX30 will be the entry point to Volvo’s line-up, with the seven-seat EX90 topping the model range.

WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET? There’s two battery options. The entry-level Single Motor model gets a 51kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, which is cheaper, but that also means the range is limited – Volvo claims 214 miles. Then there’s the NMC battery, which uses lithium, nickel, manganese and cobalt. This 69kWh battery is reserved for the Single Motor Extended Range and Twin Motor Performance models, is more expensive but unlocks more range. You get up to 298 miles in the Single Motor, while the Twin Motor travels a little less at 286 miles.

Both the Single Motor and Single Motor Extended Range models have a 270bhp electric motor on the back axle, while the Twin Motor Performance gets an additional motor on the front axle and has a total output of 424bhp. It races from 0-60mph in 3.4 seconds, making it the fastest-accelerating Volvo ever.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE? The Twin Motor Performance may well be the quickest car Volvo has ever made, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag to drive. There’s no denying it’s fast, but the car feels a little overwhelmed by the power deployed from the two motors – a feeling that’s exacerbated by a fidgety ride from the standard-fit 20-inch wheels, and twitchy reactions from the overly light steering.

Things improve considerably with the Single Motor Extended Range, which gets a more supple ride from its smaller 19-inch rims, and the steering feels far more fluid. Its softer, slightly more easy-going nature makes for a more enjoyable driving experience.

The EX30 gets a suite of driver assistance features that, in our pre-production test cars at least, were highly intrusive and either nibbled the steering to keep the car in-lane or constantly bonged and beeped – this was despite these systems being switched off. We’re told these will be tweaked on customer cars.

24 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

THE KNOWLEDGE

Volvo EX30 Single Motor Extended Range Ultra Price (as tested): £42,045 Powertrain: Single electric motor with 69kWh battery

Power: 270bhp Torque: 343Nm Max speed: 112mph O-60mph: 5.1 seconds Range: 298 miles Emissions: 0g/km CO2

HOW DOES IT LOOK? It’s a very handsome car that takes those classic Volvo design cues – ‘Thor’s Hammer’ headlights, strong shoulder line, and tall rear lights – and neatly updates them. The design is topped off with some chunky rear arches plus a squat roofline and the rear lights are split with the upper units appearing to integrate into the rear screen.

WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE? Volvo has tried hard to ‘declutter’ things, so the central touchscreen takes pride of place and elegantly appears to be perched on the dashboard like a picture frame. It runs a new infotainment system that is fairly easy to use, but we miss the small row of buttons that you find on other older Volvos, such as the chunky volume knob. The real metal door handles are a delight, and there’s a choice of colours and trims, although one uses broken-up pieces of uPVC windows that looks similar to the type of flooring you’d find in a hospital.

WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE? For now, the EX30 starts at £33,795 for the Single Motor in Plus trim, which makes it very competitive and there’s promise of an ever cheaper Core model coming in at around

Cabin

TARGET BUYERS:

Young families and mature purchasers, but primarily first-time EV customers.

THE RIVALS:

Kia Niro EV Jeep Avenger Volkswagen ID.3

KEY SELLING POINTS:

The cabin has a very uncluttered feel, with the central touchscreen taking pride of place on the dashboard.

1. Stylish design 2. Quirky interior 3. Up to 289 miles range

DEAL CLINCHER:

The Volvo EX30 is a hugely tempting and much-needed competitively priced offering in the burgeoning electric car market.

A Volvo that’s cheaper than a Vauxhall.

Style

The EX30 is a handsome car with classic Volvo design cues such as the ‘Thor’s Hammer’ headlights.

£32,000. The Twin Motor Performance cars start at £40,995 and rise to £44,495. Plus is very well equipped and gets heated front seats and steering wheel, ambient lighting, Harman Kardon sound bar, wireless phone charging, an 11kW on-board charging, and a heat pump (for the larger battery versions). Ultra adds extra tech, along with a glass roof, larger wheels, electric seats and a 22kW on-board charger.

WHAT DO THE PRESS THINK? Electrifying said: ‘It’s not perfect – the interior is a little too austere in places for example – but if you’re looking for a small electric SUV, it does tick a lot of boxes.’

WHAT DO WE THINK? On paper, the Volvo EX30 is a hugely tempting and much-needed competitively priced offering in the burgeoning electric car market. While the low headline price is for a version most buyers will likely find too compromised in terms of range, the EX30 is still a very desirable small electric SUV that makes many EVs from supposedly more value-for-money brands look unnecessarily overpriced. Factor in stylish good looks, a very comfortable and tasteful interior plus the cachet of Volvo’s badge and there’s no doubt that the EX30 will easily be a star car of 2024. And, more likely than not, a hugely popular car on British roads.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 25

FORECOURT

NIO EL6 Power

The twin electric motors and battery produce 483bhp and 700Nm of torque.

THE KNOWLEDGE

Electric SUVs are far from unique right now but the Nio EL6 has a surprise up its sleeve – a battery that can be swapped in minutes. James Batchelor checks one out.

Nio EL6 Price (estimated): £57,000 Engine: Twin electric motors with battery Power: 483bhp Torque: 700Nm Max speed: 124mph O-60mph: 4.3 seconds Range: 329 miles Emissions: 0g/km CO2

WHAT IS IT? Welcome to another Chinese electric car brand that’s about to arrive on UK shores – Nio will likely launch its five-seater electric SUV in Britain late next year.

WHAT’S NEW? To make your mark in the fickle UK new car market you need a USP – and Nio certainly has that. When the brand arrives, owners will be able to take advantage of its world-famous battery-swap centres.

WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET? Nio will offer the EL6 in two battery sizes, 75kWh and 100kWh, giving claimed ranges of 252 and 329 miles respectively. The charging speed, meanwhile, is 182kW, meaning a 10-to-80% top-up will take 40 minutes. At this point, you’ll probably be thinking that’s not all that impressive, but the battery-swap stations, located at the side of motorways and in busy places, will see robots swap an empty battery for a new one in under five minutes.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE? No matter which battery you go for you’ll get 483bhp and 700Nm of torque fed through twin electric motors – one on each axle giving four-wheel drive – which equals a 0-60mph sprint time of 4.3 seconds. That sounds fast but the on-paper stats don’t match up to real life. The EL6 feels a lot slower than those figures suggest – not in a bad way, we hasten to add, but while a Tesla Model Y will hurl you towards the horizon, the EL6 favours a more measured driving experience.

The steering is on the numb side, and show the EL6 a twisting set of corners and it’ll lean and roll its way through them. It’s not unpleasant by any means, but it’s a far cry from some German premium electric SUVs. Meanwhile, the easy-going nature is backed up with comfy suspension and an almost eerie refinement – it’s deathly quiet inside when on the move.

HOW DOES IT LOOK? Nio may be a Chinese company but it has an engineering facility in the UK and it designs its cars in Munich. There’s a clear European look to the design – the lines are simple, crisp and sophisticated. But there’s no getting away from the humps in the roof. These are for the

26 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Style

There’s a clear European style to the design with simple, crisp and sophisticated lines.

LiDAR and driver-assistance systems, and Nio’s CEO was very keen to show these off. When you’ve got some clever tech then why not make a thing of it? Trouble is, it makes the EL6 look rather like a black cab.

WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE? It’s inside where it’s clear that Nio is trying to rival the likes of Mercedes-Benz and Audi, for the EL6 has an interior that is covered in plush materials. Everything feels very good to the touch, and thanks to a massive glass roof (the largest in the class, according to Nio) the interior feels very light and spacious.

With such a minimalist look, the square-shaped 12.8-inch touchscreen rather dominates the interior. Sadly, the Tesla-like operating system is not all that easy to use, with many simple features being buried away in menus. If you spend too long prodding the screen while driving, the car will politely tell you to ‘pay attention’ to the road ahead. Also, there’s no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto capability as Nio prefers its own system.

The AI-generated voice assistant is good, though. Called Nomi, it can do most basic tasks such as adjusting the climate control or turning on the massaging seats.

Room in the back is good, too, with plenty of legroom, although the boot, at 579 to 1,430 litres, is just average.

Breaking into the UK market won’t be easy, but the EL6 has the right credentials to make an impact.

WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE? Nio hasn’t confirmed a launch date in the UK let alone agreed the final specification of the EL6, but we do know the car will be arriving probably in late 2024 and will be extremely well equipped. Features such as electrically adjustable and massaging seats will likely be standard, along with wireless phone-charging and the Nomi assistant, while lounge-like reclining seats, an electrically deployable towbar and, curiously, a ‘heated wiper bay’ will be on the options list.

WHAT DO THE PRESS THINK? What Car? said: ‘With a sea of new car brands flooding the market, it can be easy to overlook some of the newcomers. However, the EL6 proves that this shouldn’t be the case with Nio, especially when you consider how useful its battery-swapping technology could be.’

WHAT DO WE THINK? Prices will either make or break the EL6. If they’re competitive with European premium rivals, the EL6 could woo some buyers on account of its smart styling, plush interior and super-refined driving experience. Moreover, the EL6’s battery-swapping tech could tempt some buyers who have disregarded an EV up until now. Breaking into the UK market won’t be easy, but the EL6 has the right credentials to make an impact.

Inside

The cabin is covered in plush materials and everything feels good to the touch, while the massive glass roof gives the interior a light and spacious feel.

TARGET BUYERS:

Premium EV buyers and potentially first-time EV customers.

THE RIVALS:

Audi Q6 e-tron BMW iX3 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV

KEY SELLING POINTS:

1. Plush feeling interior 2. Refined pricing manners 3. Smart design

DEAL CLINCHER:

It has to be the batteryswapping tech – it’s totally unique in the market.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 27

FORECOURT

RENAULT CLIO THE KNOWLEDGE

Renault Clio E-Tech

Renault has added a number of tweaks and changes to its popular Clio – Jack Evans has been examining the impact that they’ve made.

WHAT IS IT? It’s a car that has transcended motoring groups throughout the years and provided reliable, relatively low-cost transport for the masses.

WHAT’S NEW? We’ve got a far sharper exterior design than before, while inside there’s a whole lot more techn Plus, a range-topping Esprit Alpine specification has been added to the list of trim levels.

WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET? The hybrid setup pairs two electric motors with a four-cylinder 1.6-litre petrol engine.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE? The steering is light but accurate while the powertrain has that pleasant immediacy that comes from the electric motors. Away from the lights, it feels brisk enough to keep things interesting, while the six-speed gearbox is impressively smooth.

HOW DOES IT LOOK? The brand’s new signature lighting setup gives the Clio a more distinctive ‘face’ than before, while plenty of brushed-satin chrome accents create a more premium feel. Techno or Esprit Alpine trim levels give you an ‘aerofoil’-style diffuser beneath the front grille, too.

WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE? No change in platform means the Clio can’t offer any more space than before. Up front, the view is nicely unobstructed with good visibility for driver and passenger. However, switch to the rear seats and you’ll find things to be a little tight..

Price (as tested): £24,095 Engine: 1.6-litre petrol with hybrid assistance Power: 143bhp Torque: 144Nm Max speed: 112mph 0-60mph: 9.1 seconds Economy: 67.4mpg Emissions: 96g/km CO2

TARGET BUYERS:

Drivers who still fancy an old-school hatchback with plenty of technology.

THE RIVALS:

Vauxhall Corsa Volkswagen Polo Seat Ibiza

KEY SELLING POINTS: 1. Strong equipment levels 2. Efficient powertrain 3. Sharp new looks

DEAL CLINCHER:

The Clio might be old-school in shape, but the hybrid powertrain and clever in-car tech mean this is one hatch that feels thoroughly up to date.

WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE? The Clio is now available from £17,795 but that price won’t net you the hybrid, rather the entrylevel petrol. However, all cars get a full suite of driver-assistance systems, alloy wheels and full LED headlights. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are included across the board, too.

Top-notch Esprit Alpine models – such as our test car – get 17-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, and a larger 9.3-inch infotainment display over the seven-inch standard unit WHAT DO WE THINK? This doesn’t feel like a night-and-day new model but rather a hefty revision on top of what was quite a successful original. This ‘new’ Clio definitely feels improved due to its in-car technology, while this hybrid version should prove cheap to run. It’s smooth to drive, too.

At its new base price, the new Clio feels like a bit of a steal, particularly when you consider the amount of features that you’re getting as standard.

But creep upwards through the specs and the Clio feels just a little too compromised in terms of space to really come out on top.

28 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Inside There's no extra room up front in the Clio than there was in the previous model – and passengers in the rear will find even less space,

Scan the QR code to find out more

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

David Wilson

Henson Motor Group

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

closemotorfinance.co.uk Finance Compliance Funding Insight

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 29

FEATURE

WEIRD AND WONDERFUL FROM TOKYO MOTOR SHOW James Baggott discovered the sky really was the limit at mobility event in the Land of the Rising Sun.

F

lying cars, wacky concepts and mad inventions were in plentiful supply at this year’s Tokyo Mobility Show and Car Dealer was there to soak it all up.

Flying cars seemed to be high on the agenda with no fewer than three designs on display – including one drone-like model from Japanese car maker Subaru.

The Subaru Air Mobility Concept, which uses five electric turbines, towered over the car manufacturer’s stand and pointed to a ‘Subaru of the future’.

The car maker builds helicopters under contract for Bell and said its aerospace and automotive engineers were already working on the flying car concept.

It wasn’t the only ‘flying mobility solution’ on display. Elsewhere, the Skydrive, a quadrotor prototype, was shown off. Skydrive said its model, which has a range of around 15km, is already on sale for around $1.5m (circa £1.2m) and the first deliveries are expected in 2026. That’ll give governments time to work out the legislation required to license these new forms of transport.

‘We expect our flying car to be used for commuting, but it’s not yet known whether those who pilot it will need a helicopter licence or similar – that sort of detail needs to be decided by local governments,’ admitted Skydrive’s Yoshiyuki Kobayashi to Car Dealer.

‘Japan is considering it now. It will be a great way to avoid traffic jams in cities.’

Kobayashi said Skydrive had already taken orders and expects the flying car to be fully autonomous by 2035.

Aside from the flying cars, other firms were showing off equally wacky concepts, which are highlighted here.

30 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Mazda Iconic SP

This is as close as you’re going to get to an electric MX-5… for now. The Iconic SP is a rotary electric sports car with 370bhp.

It uses what is believed to be a new incarnation of the electric-rotary system currently found in the MX-30 R-EV crossover. The rotary petrol engine is used as a generator for the electric motor and batteries, rather than driving the wheels.

Daihatsu Osanpo

They might not sell Daihatsu models in the UK any more, but that doesn’t mean we don’t desperately want an Osanpo.

It’s an electric car concept that formed one of four cool little K-car models from the Japanese firm at the show. Think of it as a chunky Copen and you won’t be far off the mark.

THK LSR-05

The LSR-05 is made by a Japanese tier one parts supplier and has motors in the rear wheels and active suspension. It boasts a 200kWh battery and a theoretical range of 1,000km.

But the really clever bit is the wireless charging that works with panels in the road to deliver the same amount of power as it’s using while driving, potentially offering an infinite EV range.

Yamaha Tricera

This three-wheeler trike might look like a Batmobile but Yamaha is convinced its backto-basics thrills will delight drivers. Like most concepts at the show, it’s an EV, but this one has a rear-wheel steering system.

Nissan Hyper Force concept

This is Nissan’s take on the GT-R of the future – a 1,341bhp solid-state monster that’s said to offer ‘the ultimate driving pleasure’.

Up until now it wasn’t clear if the GT-R would remain a part of the Japanese giant’s future, but it now looks like it might just be.

It has four-wheel drive, and those solid-state batteries mean it’ll be quicker to charge and, importantly, be lighter.

Lexus concepts

Lexus had two concept cars on show – this one is the LF-ZC, or Lexus Future Zero-emission Catalyst.

The LF-ZC has all-wheel drive and a completely digital cockpit.

Two digital pads let the driver quickly change settings, like on-board assistance systems, while on the right pad the driver can change music and climate control functions.

AIM EV Micro 01

This tiny car is designed for a new category of cars in its home Japanese market – somewhere between a motorcycle and a K-car.

It has a 60kph top speed, a range of around 120km, uses a mobile for navigation and is designed for younger drivers and the rental market in cities. It’ll cost circa £5,500 if AIM ever finds a company to partner with for production.

Toyota FT-Se

Up until the Nissan was unveiled, Toyota had all but stolen the show with the FT-Se sports EV concept.

It’s the first electric car from the GR sub brand and is said by many to be a spiritual successor to the MR2. Scant details about the car were given in Tokyo, but my word it looked incredible and is due to appear around 2027.

Toyota Gusei Felsby Concept

This K-car-sized concept aims to showcase the modular steering system that gives the interior more space.

Of more note though is the umbrella-style solar panel that unfolds to help recharge the car. At present it creates just enough power to charge an occupant’s electronics, but it’s hoped that in the future it’ll trickle charge into the battery.

BMW X2 & iX2

On the more ‘normal’ car front, BMW took the wraps off its new X2 and electric iX2.

Debuting new looks and designed to appeal to younger car buyers, the car will be an important conquest vehicle for its dealer network, said BMW. The iX2 will have a 279-mile range and optional illuminated kidney grille LED lights to make it stand out from the crowd.

Turing Alpha

Named after the famous mathematician and scientist Alan Turing, the Turing Alpha autonomous driving sports car aims to ‘overtake Tesla’.

Yugo Tokuchi, general manager of the Japanese start-up, said the car uses ChatGPT-style AI to help give it a ‘human-like brain’ that’ll see it have fully autonomous driving capability by 2030.

‘We have undertaken 10,000km of testing and by the time we’ve covered 50,000 we believe it’ll be powerful enough to deploy,’ he said.

Honda Uni-One

This wacky mobility concept is designed to help people around shopping centres and airports.

Honda believes people will hire them to avoid walking. It uses gyros and electric motors and is controlled by sensing body posture movements.

‘You don’t drive it, you walk it,’ Honda’s chief frontier robotics engineer, Macoto Hasegawa, told Car Dealer.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE HONDA UNI-ONE VIDEO

IAT T Mad

This Tesla Cybertruck-rivalling pick-up has five seats that swivel round to create a ‘communication space’ for the driver and passengers. The huge concept truck has a 200kph top speed and a claimed range of 600km.

Chinese engineering firm IAT says owners will also be able to plug in an additional battery pack to boost this to an 800km range.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 31

FEATURE.

Bang & Olufsen Beosound A5 – £1,299

BANG & Olufsen is one of the most trusted names in the audio business and its Beosound A5 packs all of the company’s time-learnt features into a small and transportable package.

It’s just been updated with a new aluminium finish, too, with 3,500 individual ‘discs’ helping the outside of the speaker to look like it’s floating.

You’ve got some great tech features as well, such as USB-C charging and up to 12 hours of wireless playback time.

COOL STUFF

Yeti Cocktail Shaker – £60 YETI’S range of drinkware is truly in vogue at the moment, with its line-up of toughened mugs, tumblers and flasks all delivering the same aesthetically pleasing design. It’s now been added to with a new cocktail shaker, which could be ideal for the festive holidays.

It’s made from Yeti’s double-walled aluminium, meaning it’s dishwasher-safe as well as dead easy to clean.

32 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

It feels as though once Halloween is out of the way, the entire country is on a direct course for Christmas. So if you’re getting prepared for the big day, we’ve found some great products that could prove a real hit when the presents are unwrapped.

We’ve got a variety of different cool new items this month, so let’s dive in and see what’s about.

Canyon Grail – from £2,599 CANYON’S Grail is one of the best-known bikes in the gravel segment, providing the ability to go a little further off the beaten path while also delivering an on-road experience that can ensure you still hit all of your target times.

There’s now a new Grail, bringing a host of enhancements in the process. Its aerodynamics have been improved, while some versions also get Canyon’s clever Load down-tube storage system.

Apple Pencil – £79

IF YOU’RE looking how to get the best out of your iPad, then this new Pencil could be a great way to do it. Effectively a new ‘entry-level’ version of the iPad Pencil, it’s got USB-C charging and can magnetically attach to the latest iPads, too, when it’ll automatically enter sleep mode to help save battery power.

There’s a more expensive version with more features, but if you’re after a cheaper way to elevate the iPad experience, then this is a great way to do it.

1961

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 33

DASHBOARD

BUSINESS NEWS

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

STEPPING DOWN

PA Media Group boss to retire after 14 years

DEAL

ScS agrees £99m takeover by Italian brand SOFA chain ScS is set to be taken private after agreeing a near-£100m takeover by an Italian furniture retailer.

Poltronesofa will pay 280p a share, including a 10p dividend, valuing ScS at £99.4m. It sees Poltronesofa – which has around 300 shops in Europe – enter the UK market for the first time.

ScS has 100 outlets and a website offering, as well as the recently bought Snug brand.

PA Media Group CEO Clive Marshall is to retire after 14 years at the helm.

Marshall, 65, will step down next year after overseeing the transition to a new leadership. During his tenure, he has led the firm’s transformation from a national news agency to an international multimedia business.

It holds a stake in Car Dealer’s parent company the Baize Group.

RESULTS

BT enjoys six-month profit rise to £1.1bn

TELECOMS giant BT’s profits rose by close to a third as it passed on high inflation costs to customers and a three-year cost-cutting programme paid dividends.

The company said its pre-tax profit was £1.1bn in the six months to the end of September – up 29% on the year before. BT said it had managed to cut annual costs by £2.5bn since April 2020.

34 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

OPPOSITION

U-turn over closure of railway station ticket offices THE government has announced a U-turn over plans to close the vast majority of railway station ticket offices in England after the two transport watchdogs involved opposed every single one.

Transport secretary Mark Harper said train operators had been asked to withdraw the proposals as they ‘do not meet the high thresholds set by ministers’. But a train operator source told the PA news agency: ‘The plan was signed off by civil servants and ministers. They’ve U-turned.’

2013 WINNER

SLUMP

Warm September hits retail sales UK retail sales slumped in September as hotter-than-expected weather put shoppers off buying autumn clothing, according to latest official figures.

The Office for National Statistics said retail sales volumes fell by 0.9% in September against the previous month. It came after a 0.4% increase in August.

The fall was heavier than expected, with analysts having predicted a 0.3% decline for September.

ACQUISITION

Estate agent sold to European services group

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

ONE of the world’s oldest estate agents, Chestertons UK, has been sold to a European technology giant.

The deal – believed to be worth around £100m – comes nearly two decades since the struggling firm was rescued from near-collapse. Mercantile Group, which has owned Chestertons since 2005, announced the sale to Campions Group Ltd, which is a subsidiary of real estate services and technology provider Emeria.

PARTNER WITH AN AWARD-WINNING COMPANY 0115 946 6260

enquiries@frfl.co.uk

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The latest from our fleet Long-termers: p47

DASHBOARD

INDUSTRY VIEWS NEWS AND THOUGHTS FROM CAR DEALER LIVE

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

We’re seeing new brands come to market with new models at a rate that we’ve never seen before.

Catherine Faiers Chief operating officer at Auto Trader

ST

PODCA

Sponsored by

36 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Used car market is unlikely to return to ‘normal’ as dealer nerves worsen

T

he used car sector is unlikely to ever return to a pre-pandemic ‘normal’, and dealers will have to adapt to a new market with different trends.

That’s the view of Auto Trader, whose chief operating officer, Catherine Faiers, told Car Dealer in a special video interview that dealers are facing uncertainty as they adapt to a new market that’ll ‘take years to play out’.

She said: ‘We’ve seen a period over the last three years or so where cars were appreciating in price, and the seasonal trends that we used to see before the pandemic just weren’t really there in the same way. With massive supply shortages, we saw retailers having to think about sourcing, pricing and other key business strategies – it all had to change. That historic performance data we used to rely on for stock availability and pricing is no longer that helpful, because we know, looking forward, structurally the market is going to look quite different.

‘We’re not seeing a return to prepandemic trends in the data, we’re seeing a very new and different market taking shape – and one that’s going to take years to play out.’

Faiers continued: ‘Electrification means the whole car parc is changing and we’ve got very little historical data to guide us on that. We’re seeing new brands come to market with new models at a rate that we’ve never seen before, and we have no history of valuation data on those brands or on those makes and models.

‘We’ve also got a consumer segment who don’t really know these brands, don’t understand the different models and that data on specification. And data on each vehicle is only going to become more

important.’ Faiers explained that in light of this, dealers needed to have a ‘vehicle-led view’ not a ‘forecourt-led view’.

Dealers are facing further complexities due to pricing, too. ‘Pricing is definitely the biggest challenge that we’re all navigating,’ said Faiers.

‘Pricing movements, in particular those pricing movements for younger age cohorts, have been playing out differently due to supply dynamics.

‘We’ve definitely seen some softening over the last few months, but we haven’t seen the level of step-down on retail pricing that has been reported on trade values.

‘September was the first month where we saw year-on-year declines in retail prices. It was a small percentage movement but it was a decline, and that’s the first time we’ve seen this for more than 40-odd months. For October, we’re seeing the same but with a slight step-up in that rate of decline.

‘At this time of year we would expect to see some seasonal softening, but I do think it’s a bit more than that. We’re seeing a nervousness among retailers – some of that I think is driven by the trade [pricing] projections, and also concerns over the level of supply growth in the new car market and more of a return to volume, short-cycle business and discounting cars. Couple that with some worries over how and where consumer demand might trend and we’re seeing more nervousness than we might normally have seen.’

She added that despite all of this, consumer demand was ‘robust’ but transaction volumes and speed of sale were ‘varying by cohort’.

In the video, Faiers explained how Auto Trader was trying to help dealers adapt to this new market, including launching new products such as Trended Valuations and making its ‘enhanced retail check’ features available to all dealers from early next year.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO OUR CAR DEALER PODCASTS

WE’RE AWARD-WINNING

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

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

The second recognition came from our dealer partners who voted us ‘Finance Provider of the Year (Sub-Prime)’ in the Car Dealer Power Awards.

We are honoured to have won this award 8 times!

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

First Response Finance Ltd, 5 Regan Way Chetwynd Business Park, Chilwell, Nottingham, NG9 6RZ. Authorised & Regulated by the Financial Conduct CarDealerMag.co.uk | 37 Authority. Registered in England No. 03560611.

DASHBOARD

FINANCE NEWS BORROWING

Tighter budgets ‘sees lower loans for used cars’ RESEARCH

Consumers are reversing on their car-buying plans

by John Bowman john@blackballmedia.co.uk

C

onsumers are continuing to change their car-buying plans because of the cost-ofliving crisis, with over a third more open to paying for a vehicle using finance. That’s according to the latest Forecourt Foresight research from Close Brothers Motor Finance, which found that relentless economic stresses are still putting pressure on finances for many buyers, who are having to alter plans and make cutbacks to save money.

The research, which asked 157 UK dealers in September their views and attitudes towards consumer car-buying behaviours, found that more than six in 10 car dealers (62%) stated that customers were looking to buy older vehicles to try to cut costs, and more than half (55%) said that customers were buying smaller vehicles.

Almost three in five dealers (57%) have noticed customers are cutting back on the number of cars per household. However, those who are still planning to buy are sacrificing extras to minimise the cost, according to 57% of dealers.

Buyers also appear keen to reduce the initial financial outlay associated with buying a car. More than a third (36%) of dealers stated that buyers were more open to paying for a vehicle using finance, preferring to pay a monthly figure as opposed to a larger lump sum to buy a car outright.

Lisa Watson, director of sales at Close Brothers Motor Finance, said: ‘Given the welldocumented pressures currently facing consumers, it’s no surprise that many are having to adapt their plans to ease the cost of buying and running vehicles.

‘The recent Ulez expansion and similar plans likely to follow in other regions, coupled with the push back of the ban on new diesel and petrol vehicles, will only add to uncertainty for buyers.’

38 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

MOTORISTS are borrowing 5% less to buy used cars this year as the cost-of-living crisis bites.

That’s according to new data and analysis from AA Car Finance, which said that this time last year, the average loan was enough to buy seven of the 10 most popular used cars on its platform.

But this year, only four would be affordable after price rises were taken into account. The average amount financed per used car from January to August 2022 was £13,239.

That was enough to buy a second-hand Vauxhall Astra, Fiat 500, Vauxhall Corsa, Ford Fiesta, Ford Focus, Vauxhall Mokka or Nissan Juke.

However, the average value of approved loans fell to £12,532 in the same period this year, putting a Mokka, Juke and Focus out of reach when price rises were included. AA Car Finance director Mark Attwell said: ‘The cost-of-living crisis has hit motorists hard, and many finance companies have made it tougher to get loans to protect themselves. For many drivers, popular used cars like the Focus can be out of reach without a significant deposit.’

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

TIME IS MONEY RICHARD PYGOTT

A MONTHLY LOOK AT THE WORLD OF AUTOMOTIVE FINANCE AND MARKETING

Promotions on social media need to have all the facts

I

Richard Pygott is digital marketer for First Response.

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

like to keep myself up to date on what’s happening in the motor trade, especially when it comes to all things regulatory related. Earlier this year, I read a consultation paper published by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) called ‘Financial promotions on social media’.

Over the past few years, I’ve observed that when the FCA releases consultations like this, it typically signals upcoming rules it will implement. I strongly suggest taking proactive steps to develop positive habits around your financial promotions now, so you won’t be caught off guard when the FCA does introduce these as new regulations.

I can fully appreciate time is in short supply when it comes to running a dealership, but I have found in my day job that having a thorough sign-off process for any social media promotions is vital. When I post on social media for First Response Finance, I always ask myself, ‘Am I promoting advice around a financial product?’, ‘Has the advert been reviewed and fully signed off by someone else?’ and ‘Does my advert follow the Advertising Standards Agency rules?’.

Having a thorough checklist to go through before posting any online adverts can play a crucial role in guaranteeing that all your financial promotions give customers the information they need and comply with the FCA’s expectations. Doing so can also reduce the risk of you posting non-compliant adverts and even stop minor errors such as grammar mistakes appearing in your adverts.

I would also recommend that in your sign-off process when it comes to promoting any finance offers, check that your online advertising is fair, clear, not misleading and gives customers all the facts they need to make informed decisions. This is even more important now that Consumer Duty has come into play.

In addition, I’ve found it really helpful to keep a record of my online adverts in a Word document or spreadsheet. This not only provides a useful archive for potential audits but also allows me to track their performance effectively, and if the FCA ever comes knocking, I have a paper trail I can easily refer to and give to it.

While the FCA doesn’t always directly relate to all aspects of the motor trade, it really does pay to stay in the know about its stance on social media. It has recognised the power of platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X (formerly known as Twitter) in financial services, so my best advice would be to stay informed about the regulator’s regulations and current focus area and maintain a thorough sign-off process for all your online advertising.

If you would like to discuss any of this with me further, feel free to drop me a message on LinkedIn.

Having a thorough sign-off process for any social media promotions is vital.

PARTNER WITH AN AWARD-WINNING COMPANY 0115 946 6260

enquiries@frfl.co.uk

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DASHBOARD

SUPPLIER NEWS

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

MOTORWAY

Strong RVs ‘crucial to success for Chinese’

STRONG residual values that help create an attractive motor finance proposition will be crucial to the success of Chinese manufacturers entering the UK market, says iVendi.

Darren Sinclair, chief commercial offices at the motor retail technology specialist, said that so far, used values and prices for these electric vehicles had been quite competitive, but volumes had been limited and the developing future picture was difficult to predict.

Dealers are given more hours to place their bids MOTORWAY has changed the hours of its daily sale to make things more convenient for dealers.

Since its inception, the daily sale has given dealers access to preview stock from 7pm the day before, with the cars going live at 8am in the morning. Now, though, dealers can bid from 7pm, with the live sale ending at 3.30pm – half an hour later than before.

Commercial director Oliver Grummell said the move came about following feedback from dealers.

STARTLINE

AUTO TRADER

CARWOW

New product to help with used prices trends

Urus smashes record as Modern cars ‘too big for multi-storeys’ it sells for £305,050

AUTO Trader is launching a new product to help dealers track trends in used car pricing.

Trended Valuations is to be made available with an enhanced Retail Check from April as part of all advertising packages.

Chief product officer Karolina Edwards-Smajda said it marked ‘another important step in our commitment to empowering our partners with the scale of our data and the power of our technology’.

Having a thorough sign-off process for any social media promotions is vital.

Richard Pygott p39

ONLINE marketplace Carwow has smashed its record for the highest price achieved in one of its used car auctions after a Lamborghini Urus sold for more than £300,000.

The 23-plate performance SUV achieved a hammer price of £305,050, having attracted bids from 16 dealers. The bidding war sent the final price £95,000 over Cap Clean value. Previous top results included a Porsche 911 GT3 that went for £181,000.

NEARLY two out of three motorists (65%) say modern cars are too big for multi-storeys.

Startline’s Used Car Tracker, which polled 336 people, also showed 34% have scraped their car when using a multi-storey and 28% have dented their car in the next space when opening the door. CEO Paul Burgess said: ‘Many multi-storeys still in use were built in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s when cars were simply much smaller than they are today.’

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 41

DATA FILE

STATISTICS

THE LATEST REGISTRATION FIGURES

OCTOBER/YEAR TO DATE

RISE

TOP

SMMT

SALES DATA

Best October for new car registrations since 2019, but EV growth is still ‘subdued’ – SMMT

T

CARS SOLD IN OCTOBER 2023

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

he number of cars registered in the UK in October rose by more than 14% with the market ‘defying expectations’ – but EV growth is still subdued, latest figures say.

Last month saw 153,529 cars hit the UK’s roads – a 14.3% increase year on year and a 7.2% rise above pre-pandemic 2019, data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reveals.

The growth was driven ‘almost entirely’ by large fleets, though, said the SMMT, which rose by just under 29%. Private registrations lifted by 0.3% to 62,915, while business sales fell by 15.2% to 3,135.

The SMMT said that registrations were up by 19.6% in the first 10 months of the year, making 2023 the best year since 2019.

It will slightly revise upwards its forecast for the number of new cars that will be registered in 2023 and 2024.

Its previous forecast, issued in July, predicted that registrations would reach around 1,847,000 this year and 1,951,000 next year.

Electrified vehicles accelerated again in October, with hybrids rising by 24.6%, plug-in hybrids up 60.5% and battery-electrics (BEVs) growing by 20.1%.

The market share of new BEVs last month remained steady at 15.6% – a relatively small rise from last year’s 14.8%.

Private BEV sales accounted for fewer than one in four new BEVs this year, ‘underscoring the need for fiscal incentives for private consumers’, said the SMMT. Meanwhile, the SMMT noted that 4,753 new charging points were installed during the last quarter – the largest-ever quarterly delivery.

The Ford Puma was October’s best seller at 4,824 registrations, followed by the Mini (3,779) and Vauxhall Corsa (3,464).

The Puma remains the year-to-date top seller, too, at 42,136. The Nissan Qashqai holds second place with 34,952 and the Corsa is in third with 33,641.

SMMT chief Mike Hawes said: ‘With demand for new cars surpassing pre-pandemic levels in the month, the market is defying expectations and driving growth.

‘As fleet uptake flourishes, particularly for EVs, sustained success depends on encouraging all consumers to invest in the latest zero emission vehicles.

‘The Autumn Statement [on November 22] is a key opportunity for the government to introduce incentives and facilitate infrastructure investment. Doing so would send a clear signal of support for drivers, reassuring them that now is the time to switch to electric.’

42 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Model

Regs

Ford Puma

4,824

Mini

3,779

Vauxhall Corsa

3,464

Volkswagen Polo

3,426

BMW 1 Series

3,424

Kia Sportage

3,422

Peugeot 2008

3,145

Audi A3

3,012

Ford Kuga

2,948

Volvo XC40

2,577

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

With demand for new cars surpassing pre-pandemic levels in the month, the market is defying expectations and driving growth.

Mike Hawes SMMT chief executive

Tenth month of growth in a row LCV news: p44

-75%

+24.2k%

ABARTH

TESLA

Figures supplied by SMMT

Marque

OCTOBER 2023

2023

% market share

OCTOBER 2022

2022

% market share

% change

YEAR TO DATE

2023

% market share

2022

% market share

% change

Abarth

79

0.05

313

0.23

-74.76

766

0.05

1,413

0.11

-45.79

Alfa Romeo

121

0.08

105

0.08

15.24

1,250

0.08

1,408

0.10

-11.22

Alpine

16

0.01

13

0.01

23.08

266

0.02

238

0.02

11.76

Audi

12,598

8.21

10,193

7.59

23.59

116,666

7.27

90,238

6.72

29.29

Bentley

106

0.07

141

0.10

-24.82

1,168

0.07

1,384

0.10

-15.61

BMW

11,188

7.29

9,199

6.85

21.62

89,403

5.57

88,844

6.62

0.63

BYD

183

0.12

0

0.00

0.00

628

0.04

0

0.00

0.00

Citroen

2,463

1.60

2,781

2.07

-11.43

26,185

1.63

25,588

1.91

2.33

Cupra

2,523

1.64

1,543

1.15

63.51

21,198

1.32

12,016

0.89

76.41

Dacia

1,843

1.20

1,773

1.32

3.95

23,299

1.45

23,053

1.72

1.07

DS

234

0.15

539

0.40

-56.59

2,220

0.14

3,134

0.23

-29.16

Fiat

1,070

0.70

2,504

1.86

-57.27

15,302

0.95

17,900

1.33

-14.51

Ford

12,119

7.89

13,295

9.90

-8.85

123,894

7.72

108,072

8.05

14.64

Genesis

149

0.10

72

0.05

106.94

1,188

0.07

638

0.05

86.21

GWM Ora

92

0.06

42

0.03

119.05

760

0.05

42

0.00

1,709.52

Honda

1,777

1.16

2,245

1.67

-20.85

22,147

1.38

21,689

1.62

2.11

Hyundai

6,156

4.01

5,663

4.22

8.71

75,456

4.70

69,757

5.20

8.17

Ineos

62

0.04

0

0.00

0.00

800

0.05

0

0.00

0.00

Jaguar

1,449

0.94

375

0.28

286.40

11,628

0.72

10,520

0.78

10.53 24.39

Jeep

261

0.17

100

0.07

161.00

2,657

0.17

2,136

0.16

Kia

6,831

4.45

6,041

4.50

13.08

96,784

6.03

89,146

6.64

8.57

Land Rover

4,582

2.98

3,275

2.44

39.91

44,157

2.75

37,120

2.76

18.96

Lexus

1,157

0.75

767

0.57

50.85

13,131

0.82

7,937

0.59

65.44

Maserati

64

0.04

42

0.03

52.38

786

0.05

618

0.05

27.18

Maxus

0

0.00

0

0.00

0.00

12

0.00

0

0.00

0.00

Mazda

1,842

1.20

2,179

1.62

-15.47

26,701

1.66

20,827

1.55

28.20

Mercedes-Benz

5,900

3.84

6,022

4.48

-2.03

72,801

4.53

71,371

5.32

2.00

MG

6,079

3.96

4,749

3.53

28.01

67,739

4.22

43,061

3.21

57.31

Mini

4,512

2.94

3,700

2.75

21.95

37,547

2.34

35,929

2.68

4.50

Nissan

5,036

3.28

6,817

5.07

-26.13

74,592

4.65

59,625

4.44

25.10

Peugeot

7,106

4.63

5,642

4.20

25.95

53,477

3.33

48,449

3.61

10.38

Polestar

744

0.48

1,069

0.80

-30.40

10,862

0.68

4,994

0.37

117.50

Porsche

1,996

1.30

1,207

0.90

65.37

19,748

1.23

13,155

0.98

50.12

Renault

4,347

2.83

2,768

2.06

57.04

34,467

2.15

24,948

1.86

38.16

Seat

2,339

1.52

1,532

1.14

52.68

26,679

1.66

18,463

1.38

44.50

Skoda

5,670

3.69

4,130

3.07

37.29

58,913

3.67

39,979

2.98

47.36

Smart

117

0.08

57

0.04

105.26

471

0.03

1,112

0.08

-57.64

SsangYong

153

0.10

166

0.12

-7.83

1,417

0.09

1,373

0.10

3.20

Subaru

89

0.06

168

0.13

-47.02

1,910

0.12

1,056

0.08

80.87

Suzuki

1,962

1.28

1,001

0.75

96.00

22,756

1.42

15,078

1.12

50.92

Tesla

2,677

1.74

11

0.01

24,236.36

42,406

2.64

32,229

2.40

31.58

Toyota

8,616

5.61

8,341

6.21

3.30

93,639

5.83

87,279

6.50

7.29

Vauxhall

9,266

6.04

7,710

5.74

20.18

85,219

5.31

73,758

5.49

15.54

Volkswagen

13,058

8.51

12,804

9.53

1.98

136,391

8.50

104,975

7.82

29.93

Volvo

4,489

2.92

2,941

2.19

52.64

41,656

2.59

29,024

2.16

43.52

Other British

276

0.18

181

0.13

52.49

2,795

0.17

1,817

0.14

53.82

Other imports

132

0.09

128

0.10

3.13

1,500

0.09

1,319

0.10

14.28

1,605,437

Total

153,529

134,344

1,342,712

13.72 19.57

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 43

DATA FILE

GROWTH

LCV NEWS

Market rises again but BEV sales slump by fifth

by John Bowman john@blackballmedia.co.uk LCV registrations rose by 17.7% in October with 26,342 new vans, pickups and 4x4s joining Britain’s fleets, latest figures from the SMMT show.

The year-on-year growth was some 3.8% above pre-pandemic October 2019’s level of 25,373 and capped 10 months in a row of rising demand, totalling 284,321 units. The industry body said it was the highest volume for two years as the easing of supply chain disruptions meant more operators could more readily renew their fleets.

However, following a glut of new battery-electric van (BEV) registrations in September, uptake was slower in October – down by just over a fifth (20.2%) to 1,362 units. In 2023 to date, BEV demand has risen by 19.8%, with 15,658 units registered.

REGISTRATIONS OF NEW COMMERCIAL VEHICLES LESS THAN 3.5 TONNES

Figures supplied by SMMT

Marque

Ford Volkswagen Vauxhall Mercedes Renault Citroen Peugeot Toyota Maxus Isuzu Land Rover Iveco Nissan Fiat Renault Trucks MAN Isuzu Trucks Suzuki Ineos SsangYong Fuso Dacia LDV LEVC Total light CV

OCTOBER 2023

2023

7,441

% market share

OCTOBER 2022

2022

YEAR TO DATE

% market share

% change

2023

% market share

2022

% market share

% change

32.44

2.46

86,924

30.57

88,647

11.40

37.19

28,691

10.09

37.57

-1.94

22,066

9.35

30.02 17.65

28.25

7,262

13.29

2,552

2,551

9.68

1,966

8.78

29.76

28,432

10.00

24,166

10.24

2,317

8.80

1,812

8.09

27.87

17,270

6.07

16,911

7.17

2.12

2,031

7.71

1,593

7.12

27.50

23,019

8.10

10,884

4.61

111.49

3,501

1,757

6.67

1,113

4.97

57.86

23,844

8.39

17,902

7.59

33.19

1,599

6.07

2,152

9.61

-25.70

21,766

7.66

18,867

8.00

15.37

1,478

5.61

896

4.00

64.96

15,591

5.48

10,375

4.40

50.27

870

3.30

464

2.07

87.50

3,995

1.41

3,455

1.46

15.63

481

1.83

418

1.87

15.07

4,600

1.62

3,434

1.46

33.95 139.02

414

1.57

328

1.47

26.22

4,649

1.64

1,945

0.82

405

1.54

429

1.92

-5.59

3,815

1.34

3,247

1.38

17.49

397

1.51

324

1.45

22.53

5,861

2.06

3,081

1.31

90.23

311

1.18

388

1.73

-19.85

5,227

1.84

4,444

1.88

17.62

243

0.92

208

0.93

16.83

2,883

1.01

1,754

0.74

64.37

174

0.66

174

0.78

0.00

2,659

0.94

1,795

0.76

48.13

139

0.53

176

0.79

-21.02

1,757

0.62

1,273

0.54

38.02

100

0.38

13

0.06

669.23

984

0.35

293

0.12

235.84

79 39 12 2 1 0 26,342

0.30 0.15 0.05 0.01 0.00 0.00 100.00

0 84 22 5 0 7 22,386

0.00 0.38 0.10 0.02 0.00 0.03 100.00

0.00 -53.57 -45.45 -60.00 0.00 0.00 17.67

680 1,191 234 176 1 72 284,321

0.24 0.42 0.08 0.06 0.00 0.03 100.00

0 857 200 77 0 289 235,962

0.00 0.36 0.08 0.03 0.00 0.12 100.00

0.00 38.97 17.00 128.57 0.00 -75.09 20.49

REGISTRATIONS OF NEW COMMERCIAL VEHICLES 3.5 TONNES TO 6.0 TONNES Marque

OCTOBER 2023

2023

Mercedes Fiat Ford Iveco Peugeot MAN Citroen Volkswagen Maxus

127 91 73 30 18 17 13 9 6

Vauxhall Renault

% market share

OCTOBER 2022

2022

% change

16.48 14.65 20.51 8.06 20.51 0.00 0.37 1.83 13.55

182.22 127.50 30.36 36.36 -67.86 0.00 1,200.00 80.00 -83.78

1,292 790 1,615 232 435 56 100 45 350

45 40 56 22 56 0 1 5 37

6 0

1.54 0.00

2 1

0.73 0.37

200.00 0.00

Renault Trucks Isuzu Trucks Other imports

0 0 0

0.00 0.00 0.00

6 1 1

2.20 0.37 0.37

Total heavy CV

390

100.00

273

100.00

44 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

YEAR TO DATE

% market share

32.56 23.33 18.72 7.69 4.62 4.36 3.33 2.31 1.54

Figures supplied by SMMT

2023

% market share

2022

% market share

% change

18.15 17.53 31.22 6.28 15.31 0.65 2.44 1.50 4.54

77.47 12.38 28.99 -7.94 -29.15 115.38 2.04 -25.00 92.31

25.96 15.88 32.46 4.66 8.74 1.13 2.01 0.90 7.03

728 703 1,252 252 614 26 98 60 182

41 8

0.82 0.16

25 9

0.62 0.22

64.00 -11.11

0.00 0.00 0.00

7 4 1

0.14 0.08 0.02

24 17 20

0.60 0.42 0.50

-70.83 -76.47 -95.00

42.86

4,976

100.00

4,010

100.00

24.09

MARCH 7, 2024

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LONG-TERMERS

SUZUKI SWACE

THE KNOWLEDGE

Suzuki Swace 1.8 Hybrid Ultra CVT

You might not have heard of the Suzuki Swace before but James Batchelor is living with one for a few months to see how the full-hybrid family estate car shapes up.

I

t won’t surprise you to hear that over the past few years, I’ve been driving more and more cars powered by some form of electricity. But I’ve never ‘lived’ with one, despite there being a steady stream of them arriving for testing at my house most weeks of the year.

That’s about to change, though, as I’ve taken the keys to a new long-term test car that I’ll be running for the next few months. Meet the Suzuki Swace.

The what, I hear you cry? Yes, it’s a rather odd name isn’t it, but in reality, ‘Swace’ is as weird as it gets, because this is one of the most rational and sensible cars that money can buy.

This family estate car is a full-hybrid – or a ‘self-charging hybrid’ as it’s sometimes known – and if it looks just a little bit familiar, then your eyes aren’t playing games as it’s the nearidentical sibling to the Toyota Corolla Touring Sports.

Built in Britain, the Corolla is one of the finest hybrids you can buy in my opinion, and the Corolla/Swace pairing came about through a technical partnership between the two Japanese carmakers. Suzuki also takes the Rav4 plug-in hybrid and offers it as the Across, while by adding some mild-hybrid powertrains to its Ignis, Swift, Vitara and S-Cross models, Suzuki can now say it only offers hybrid cars for sale in the UK. The Swace is a bit cheaper than the Corolla and there’s a very good reason for that.

Suzuki has decided to only take the estate version of the Toyota and is positioning it at the value end of the mid-sized estate car market.

So, there are only two trim levels, and both dispense with the big wheels, glossy black trim and sporty bodywork of models that you’ll find at the top end of the Corolla Touring Sports range.

My Swace is the top-spec Ultra model, but you really wouldn’t know this is the poshest Swace – it’s a car that doesn’t like to shout about itself. Look a bit closer, though, and you’ll spot the 16-inch alloys, heavily tinted rear glass and, because this is the facelifted version, LED headlamps with new LED daytime running lights.

It’s well equipped inside as well, with heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, front and rear parking sensors, a rear parking camera, blind spot monitoring plus Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay. The only option on KP23 OKR is the £600 metallic paint.

Toyota offers two hybrid engines but Suzuki has plumped for the lesser of the pair, presumably to keep in tune with its more value-focused aspirations. It’s a 1.8-litre petrol, and because it’s the updated model it’s had a bump in power to 138bhp, with power sent through a CVT gearbox.

At a base price of £31,399 it’s reasonable value for money and I’ve certainly seen a lot of them around only to realise it’s the Toyota version. Even the police in my area use them as panda cars – the Toyota version, it turns out.

Early impressions are very good. It’s supremely comfortable, feels very well made and the fuel economy is extraordinary. Suzuki claims 62.7mpg but I’m routinely seeing 65mpg on long motorway journeys, while on shorter trips to shops anything over 80mpg is entirely possible. Yep, the Swace is definitely a welcome new ride!

Price (as tested): £31,999 Engine: 1.8-litre, four-cylinder hybrid Power: 138bhp Torque: 185Nm 0-60mph: 9.4 seconds Top speed: 112mph Fuel economy: 62.7mpg (combined) Emissions: 102g/km CO2 Mileage: 1,080

This month’s highlight: Early impressions are very good and it’s supremely comfortable.

OTHER CARS WE’RE DRIVING

Nissan Qashqai Mileage: 18,445 Nissan wants OV71 ULB back fairly soon, which is a shame as we’ve enjoyed driving it.

Peugeot 408

Mileage: 4,156 We’re looking forward to putting the 408 through its paces, including electric-running ability.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 47

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