Car Dealer Magazine: Issue 91

Business Publication of the Year

Issue 91 | October 2015 | CarDealerMag.co.uk | £3.50

The Class of 2015 HONDA CIVIC TYPE R JAGUAR F-TYPE R AWD MAZDA MX-5 LEXUS RC F BMW i8 MERCEDES AMG GT S McLAREN 650S SPIDER MSO

OVER 80,000 VEHICLES Your key to success this plate change NC1_206 2.09.15

manheim.co.uk/platechange Figure based on sales between the period of 1st Sept to 30th Nov in 2012 – 2014

02 | CarDealerMag.co.uk plus 2015 stock forecast in the same period. Figures exclude private sales.

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IGNITION.

EDITORIAL PRODUCTION EDITOR Dave Brown

dave@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @CarDealerDave

HEAD OF DESIGN Graeme Windell

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STAFF WRITER Sophie Williamson-Stothert

sophie@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @1Sophie_W

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Laura Thomson

laura@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @lauramayrafiki

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Harry Boucher

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ADVERTISING ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE Cliff Culver

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SUITS MANAGING DIRECTOR James Baggott

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OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Andy Entwistle

andy@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @CarDealerAndy

Contributors Jack Evans, Tim Naylor, Nick King, Mike Jones, Nigel Swan, Peter Spinney, Phil Riley, Jon Reay, Oliver Harry, Jo Squires, Jon Fleetwood, Ben Garside, Big Mike.

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was over my fifth beige WELCOME. Itportion of stodgy food I’d had that day that it struck me. No, not heartburn, but the fact that sat there on day four of Road Test of the Year in the front seat of the Mercedes AMG GT S that it was strange I still couldn’t pick a winner.

Usually with our showcase I can hazard a good guess at what was likely to rise to the top, but this year was different. Before we arrived I thought it would be the Mazda. Its combination of affordability and fun, I felt, would be impossible to beat. Mazda are clearly pinning a lot on the little roadster too, as you can read in our interview with the brand’s boss, Jeremy Thomson, on p46.

But as soon as we got to Wales my mind was swayed.

I’d driven all the way there in the frankly quite brilliant McLaren 650S Spider. I love everything about the McLaren brand, from the ethos to its design principles, but with a price tag of more than £200k would it prove to be 10 times better than the Mazda?

Then there was the Mercedes I was sat in. An utterly beautiful piece of design and a joy to drive. Or could it be the Jaguar F-Type’s year, here for the third time – would it finally take the title? My colleagues had certainly been raving about it enough for it to be in with a chance.

You can see my conundrum. With a brilliant BMW to my right, sparkling in the mid-morning sunshine, and Honda’s be-winged Civic Type R filling the Merc’s rear-view mirror, there were so many choices, so many good cars, and one very big decision to make.

We left the final choice to numbers, voted in secret and let a spreadsheet work out who’d be crowned. And do you know what? I didn’t see our result coming. Read all from p50. Oh, and make sure you enjoy our snapper Fleetwood’s incredible pictures, he gave us enough shouty orders over radios to get them…

We’ve got plenty of other gems in this month’s issue too. We chat to headline sponsors GForces about their involvement in next year’s CDX16, our expo at Silverstone, on p18. I am so excited about our plans for next year and can’t wait to reveal them all, but you’ll have to wait a little longer for that.

Meanwhile, if you haven’t nominated yourself for a Used Car Award, what’s wrong with you? It’s easy to do on our website carawards.co.uk where you can tell us why you should be getting a gong from Mike Brewer on November 30. There are still a few categories up for sponsorship too, so if you’re a motor trade supplier and want your name associated with the biggest used car bash in the business, let me know.

We like to highlight brilliant businesses that can help you improve in Car Dealer and we’ve got loads of them in this month’s mag. We’ve got the lowdown on the latest in web design, starting on p76, while we also take a look at the car cleaning side of your site. Don’t underestimate the difference that a clean car makes to a sale – I went to see a new motor this month at a prestige main dealership and it was filthy. Needless to say I walked away. Check our guide out from p89.

Oh, and you may be wondering why I’m back writing this column. Well, I thought that having me on the last page and the first page of the magazine was pleasing symmetry that appeased my OCD. That, and the fact that Colin Channon has decided to move on to pastures new. We wish him all the best. I hope you enjoy the issue.

James Baggott, Managing Director

WINNER

CAR DEALER MAGAZINE Best Business Publication CarDealerMag.co.uk | 03

04 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

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INSIDE. ISSUE 91 I OCTOBER 2015

Dashboard Feedback Used Car Awards

50

GForces: Why we love CDX Motorline Motor Group profile

Road Test of the Year

Ask HPI

We head to North Wales on our annual trip to test some of the most special metal that’s gracing your showrooms at the moment

Around the World Big Mike Finance

Forecourt

13 89

The new car dealing show that’s on its way to our TV screens

How YOU can clean up by making sure your cars are spotless...

44

‘‘

Jaguar XF Kia Cee’d Mazda Special: New MX-5 tested; we chat to MD Jeremy Thomson

Customers are researching online and then completing the deal in the showroom.

Henstock

Volvo S60 Cross Country Mazda MX-5

Features Road Test of the Year

103 Data File Car Dealer Club The Statistics Taking Stock Real Deals Auctions Market Insight

20

Suppliers’ Guide with Litton Key Notes with Traka Long-termers How Motorline have survived and thrived – even during the recession

James Baggott

06 14 18 20 29 30 33 34

38 41 43 44

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96 98 100 102 103 104 108 110 112 114

OUR EVENTS...

As voted for by dealers, the Car Dealer Power Awards are unique.

For full coverage of this year’s event, call 023 9252 2434 to get hold of a copy of the results issue.

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

To find out how to get involved this year, turn to page 14.

Next year’s CDX will be held at Silverstone on Tuesday, May 24. If you want to get involved, call us on 023 9252 2434 to register your interest. And turn to page 18 too.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 05

FEEDBACK. Your comments via email to dave@blackballmedia.co.uk

Our website at CarDealerMag.co.uk

How many independents I recently read a report that stated there were only 4,500 independents left in the country. I thought that figure was low as where I live on the Wirral, the independents outnumber the franchises about three to one. Is this figure of 4,500 correct or does anyone know the true number?

Phil H When our business was set up, we were advised of the same number. I cover the Wirral as a patch though and it does buck the trend – lots of used dealers there.

DanNextGear If you also count the independent layby dealers, this number would surely be in the tens of thousands?

Max Branning So who is going to do a survey of how many illegal traders there are out there? That’s something that may actually be useful to us !

Wheelerdealer1 When we find hundreds of these ‘illegal traders’ – no easy task – what do we do with the

Picture of the month WELL, at least we didn’t break a £100,000 supercar...! James Baggott was regaling other members of the RTOTY team with a tale about a former colleague of his who had broken a chair simply by sitting on it after one too many slices of prawn toast. Of course, we’d never expect that sort of thing to happen to our esteemed leader – but it did! Cue much hilarity and a rather red-faced conversation with the owner of our accommodation the following morning. And the chair? Well, the remains were used as firewood to make our north Wales cottage even cosier. information? Who do we report them to? And what will they do about it? We have to be very careful we don’t waste time and get distracted away from our core business ! #justsaying Last time I had a VAT inspection, I asked the inspector why there were so many ‘roadside illegal traders’ and what were they going to do about it? His reply was, ‘we don’t have the manpower to go after them’. I said, it looks like

because I am legally registered, I am an easy target for you!

Umesh Whilst it’s been quiet, I’ve been gathering a database of traceable non-franchise independent dealers within a 50-mile radius of Rainford and I’m up to 1,220 already. Collate this with the rest of the country and you may find as many as 30,000 traceable independents are left.

Phil H

www.desperateseller.co.uk | www.facebook.com/desperateseller.co.uk | twitter.com/despseller

06 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

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are left in the UK? Convertibles – is anybody buying them right now?

What’s the consensus on convertibles now ? Just back from BCA and they are all going under book big time but I guess it’s fear that you’ll be stuck with them till next year – not ideal! Thoughts ? j4ck100 I buy convertibles all year round and sell them all year round! A few years ago, I think I sold 6/7 convertibles in December – did have about 8/9 in stock. You just never know, especially if they are coupe/ convertibles (metal top).

Umesh This cheers me up no end, thanks! I have a TT TDI convertible in stock that I am starting to panic about, you see! j4ck100 Always done well with MX-5s and 206CCs all year round. I took a Tigra in p/ex two

weeks ago and it’s still here though, top spec as well (heated leather no less!).

See Cars Derby I’ve just bought a couple from auction, well under book price. I buy them all year round. My theory is, people are always ‘told’ not to buy them in the summer but buy them in the winter as the prices are cheaper. Plus, getting them for the right price, you can keep them if needs be till the spring and still make on them.

CJ Underhill I’ve sat on a 09-plate BMW 330i all summer, sick of looking at it so it’s priced at £13k to get it gone. Out of about 12 I’ve had since March it’s the only one I’m stuck with.

Gavin@Rousdon

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Top tweets Here’s Alistair at our Aylesbury dealership with his brand new 65 plate SEAT Ibiza. Looking good! @perrysmotors We took a brand new #Toyota #Mirai through London – and it emitted nothing but water vapour. @ToyotaGB We’ve had lots of happy customers today, collecting their new #65plate cars from us! @jct600 It’s the 1st September and that means it’s new reg day across @RidgewayGroup. We love this day! #65plate #ridgeway @RidgewayGroup The final #CarCafe of the year at Pendragon HQ was our biggest yet! Stay tuned for our next event to @PendragonVM #ShowUsYourMetal Average values for de-fleeted cars were up 2.2% (£159) in August @CarAuctions_UK

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RAC

45 dealers sign up to network THE RAC has signed up 45 dealers to its used car network in Northern Ireland in three months, creating a strong presence there.

This has been achieved since Colraine-based Tom Reid was appointed the RAC Dealer Network’s representative in the region.

Reid explained that dealers were recognising both the strength of the RAC brand name and the way in which working with the RAC allowed them to build a complete customer proposition to support used car sales.

NEW JOB

Neil appointed brand manager NEIL PARROTT has been appointed as the brand manager for Wessex Garages’ new Renault and Dacia dealership in Newport. In his new position, he will handle the day-to-day running of the Renault and Dacia brands.

Keith Brock, managing director of Wessex Garages, said: ‘Neil has been in the motor trade since 1987 so has a wealth of knowledge and will be a real asset.’

MOTOR VILLAGE

Contract renewed with football club MOTOR Village UK has renewed its contract with Fulham Football Club of the Sky Bet Championship to become the Club’s Official Car Partner for the 20152016 season. The one-year extension means that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ flagship London dealer will continue to supply Fulham FC with a fleet of vehicles for use as match day corporate shuttles and, on nonmatch days, for the Club’s Player Care and Academy departments.

From left, John Squires, Benfield chairman, and Mark Squires the outgoing chief executive, hand over the running of the company to Nigel McMinn, managing director, Lookers Motor Division and Andy Bruce, chief executive, Lookers plc

Lookers adds Benfield Motor Group to its growing portfolio Customers and staff to ‘stay at the heart of business’ after £87.5m deal

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ookers has added Benfield Motor Group to its expanding portfolio for £87.5m in cash. It comes hot on the heels of the Manchester-based business buying Amersham Jaguar from Jardine Motors Group.

Also known as Addison Motors Limited, Benfield is one of the largest private motor retailing companies in the UK. Lookers managing director Nigel McMinn was previously the chief executive of Benfield.

Benfield has 1,600 employees in 30 dealerships across the north of England and Scotland, with its franchises including Audi, VW, VW Commercial Vehicles, Skoda, Ford, Toyota, Lexus, Hyundai, Kia, Renault, Dacia, Nissan and Honda.

It also offers sales, service, parts and bodyshop facilities for new and used cars as well as commercial vehicles, and is seen as a perfect complement for the Lookers brand.

Andy Bruce, chief executive of Lookers, said: ‘We are delighted to have acquired this respected and longestablished family business.

‘A key attraction for us is the cultural fit. Both Lookers and Benfield share an approach which puts employees and customers at the heart

‘A DIFFICULT DECISION TO REACH’ MARK SQUIRES, Benfield’s outgoing chief executive, said: ‘This was a very difficult decision for our family to reach after all these years and so much company history.

‘However, after much careful thought and consideration, we think this is the best course for the business and for the long-term future of our staff and customers to become part

of our business and this acquisition will ensure that continues.

‘We are committed to preserving and nurturing this culture as well as putting in place new initiatives allowing Benfield to benefit from our larger scale and leverage the investments we have made.

‘The acquisition also strengthens our relationship with a number of our key manufacturer partners. I would like to welcome all of the employees of Benfield to the Lookers family.’

The company’s share price jumped to a high of £184.33 after the announcement was made.​​ The acquisition was funded via new banking facilities from the Bank of Ireland, Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, the

of a national group. Staff jobs will be safeguarded and Lookers plc certainly enjoy the scale, capabilities and access to financial capital that is required to win and secure the business in the decades ahead.

‘Lookers are a first-class company.

In Benfield they are acquiring a fantastic business with a great culture and customer service ethic.’

Royal Bank of Scotland and Yorkshire Bank. A statement from analysts at stockbroker Zeus Capital said: ‘We believe this is a good transaction as it provides more scale to the group with many of its brand partners.

‘Management know this business extremely well, and we can see how Lookers can generate a ROCE [return on capital employed] of circa 15 per cent from this transaction over time.

‘We think it’s possible for management to generate £12.5m of PBT [profit before tax] from this business on a normalised basis, and with modest synergies this target should be hit in the next two to three years in our view.’

Market Insight, page 104 CarDealerMag.co.uk | 09

DASHBOARD.

Kids made us buy a new car – and they chose the colour!

How do families make motoring choices? Auto Trader reveals all . . .

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ore than three quarters of parents (78 per cent) claim that having kids forced them to buy a new car.

And nearly four in ten (37 per cent) say that children go on to influence decisions about the vehicle chosen.

Those were the key findings of research carried out for Auto Trader, the UK’s largest digital automotive marketplace, in August, pooling the views of 1,000 parents and children aged between five and 11. The aims were to look at what parents and children looked for in their perfect family car – and to what extent children influenced their parents’ buying decision.

Findings pointed to a number of differences in the success of pester power. More than half of Londoners, for example (55 per cent), said they

were likely to be influenced by their children, compared with just 24 per cent in the north-east.

When it comes to the sexes, the research suggests dads should probably be the target of lobbying.

Thirty-nine per cent of dads said they were open to influence compared with 33 per cent of mums.

Nathan Coe of Auto Trader said: ‘A substantial amount of research has been done looking at how the decision of the car buyer can be influenced and at what stage in the buying journey. But few have really considered the role that children play, or the influence of pester power. If one of the kids doesn’t like the shape or colour of your next car, or it doesn’t come with a plug-in for an iPad, then be prepared for some pestering!’

Overall, colour is the most likely area for successful persuasion by children (26 per cent influenced their parents in this way).

Youngsters are most likely to push for red (28 per cent), followed by blue (21 per cent), black (14 per cent) and pink (13 per cent).

WESSEX GARAGES

Ruth in charge of marketing RUTH McMenamin from Bristol has been appointed group marketing manager at Wessex Garages.

McMenamin will be responsible for managing the dealership’s digitalfocused marketing team of eight people.

Keith Brock, managing director of Wessex Garages, which has dealerships in Bristol, Cardiff, Newport and Gloucester, said: ‘We would like to welcome Ruth to the Wessex Garages team.

This is Ruth’s first role in the motor industry and we chose her for the position because we wanted a fresh outlook and approach.

‘We’re very excited to see what marketing ideas Ruth will bring to the table.’

McMenamin was previously marketing manager at FoodBev Media.

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LOTUS – SEEKING NEW DEALER PARTNERS At Lotus, our revival continues; with a 102% year-on-year sales increase in the UK, our dealer partners are enjoying a strong period of customer demand and revenue opportunities.

Now, we have the launch of the new Evora 400, Lotus’ fastest-ever road car, with the first UK cars in showrooms this month. With exciting updates and additions to the Elise and Exige range, the Lotus 3-Eleven flagship car arriving next year, and a range of finance and retail support programmes, there’s never been a better time to be a Lotus dealer.

LOTUSCARS.COM

We are actively seeking Lotus dealers for the following areas: • Birmingham • Cambridgeshire • Essex • Exeter & South-West • Kent • Newcastle / Tyne & Wear • Norfolk, Suffolk and East of England Plus Lotus Approved Repairers for locations across the UK. Our terms are very reasonable and we are open to discussions with regard to space and shared facilities with both dealer groups and standalone businesses.

Please contact Graeme Robertson, Head of Sales, Europe on: Tel: 01953 608278 or 07803 027331 Email: grobertson@lotuscars.com

10 | CarDealerMag.co.uk Car Dealer Advert.indd 1

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SELL CARS THE SMART WAY 12 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

DASHBOARD.

The new TV show set to provide an entertaining insight into car dealing We chat to Jim Lewis, one of the stars of the ITV programme Deals, Wheels and Steals

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ot on the heels of popular TV show Wheeler Dealers comes Deals, Wheels and Steals – a new motoring series from ITV1 that will give a peek behind the scenes of the motor auctioneering world.

The programme sets six dealers the challenge of bidding on a trio of auction-room duffers each week. They must then restore them to roadworthy standard and strive to sell them on at a profit. Along the way, viewers are treated to an insightful, and sometimes humorous, observation of the hard graft and drama that goes into auctioneering a used car.

Commissioned by ITV as a six-part 30-minute series, it has been made by Attaboy, the production team responsible for Wheeler Dealers, and will start on September 22 at 8pm.

Jim Lewis, second from the left in the picture above, is one of the car dealers taking part. Here we chat to London-based Jim: CD: So Jim, can you tell us how you got involved in the show?

JL: Well, I’m basically a car dealer, and I got

JOBS AT RISK

HPI’s Wiltshire call centre to close VEHICLE provenance specialist HPI is to close its Salisbury call centre, putting up to 100 jobs at risk.

Parent company Solera UK made the announcement, saying it would be merging some of the operations there with HPI’s sister company CAP Automotive in Leeds or elsewhere.

A consultation process with staff has begun.

approached by the TV company to be in the series. We started off with the pilot, which we did two years ago, and I then got told the good news last October that it would be commissioned by ITV. CD: How does it work? What happens during the show?

JL: There are about six dealers in the show and we’re all up against each other, bidding on a certain amount of cars.

Obviously we have to get cars at a good price, and we do have a little bit of friction between us, but it’s all good off the camera, we all get on, but the thing is we all want to get the best deal and we don’t want other people to try to bid the cars up, that’s what we’re worried about, you know!

CD: Did you enjoy doing it?

JL: I absolutely loved it. It’s so good because they’re showing you what goes on when you go to car auctions, exactly how it is at car dealerships and how it works.

It just shows you the inside of car auctions, but it shows the happiness, the joy, it’s good to give

the public an insight. It’s how it should be, a car dealer being filmed at a car auction, which is really good.

CD: How long have you been a car dealer for?

JL: I’ve always been interested in cars and have spent about four years in the motor trade.

CD: So are you a fan of other car shows, such as Top Gear and Wheeler Dealers?

JL: I’m a big fan of Wheeler Dealers and I think Top Gear’s great!

CD: You must be really excited to see yourself on television.

JL: We’ve seen the first few episodes of the show.

It’s different seeing yourself on TV. You don’t know how you come across, and I think I come across as who I am. It’s all very natural, it’s all very factual, it’s about giving great tips on how to buy a car, what to look out for, how not to get stung, if there is a certain issue with a certain make. You find out about it and it makes you avoid certain cars.

by Oliver Harry

BMW pledges support for our charity rally WE’RE all looking forward to Bangers4BEN here at Car Dealer – our annual charity rally where we get together with our readers and buy a motley collection of old cars for a crazy trip across the continent.

It’s all done in a good cause of course – our aim is to raise as much money as we can for the automotive charity BEN while we have a good time on the road. We’re also pleased to report – and very grateful – that BMW has got involved for 2015. It

has pledged to provide a support car for the event, and as we have an X5 on loan from the company at the moment we snapped the pic above at

Car Dealer Towers with the said X5 sitting proudly between a couple of bangers we might be driving. If you’d like to take part this year we’re afraid you’re too late – we’re full up! But if you have enrolled, we look forward to seeing you at Silverstone on October 10 before we head south, cross the Channel and sample the former grand prix tracks at Reims-Gueux, the Nurburgring and Spa Francorchamps.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 13

The top reasons why you should enter the Car Dealer Used Car Awards 2015 Why you have to be there...

When is it?

The awards night takes place on Monday, November 30 and will be hosted by TV’s Mr Wheeler Dealer himself, Mike Brewer.

THE PRESTIGE: The Car Dealer Used Car Awards are sponsored by Black Horse and have become THE awards ceremony for the second-hand car sector. Winning one of our trophies can give your business a terrific boost because customers will know for sure that they’ll be getting a high quality of service from you.

IT’S PRICELESS: Yes, it doesn’t cost you a bean to enter the awards.

IT’S QUICK AND EASY: You can enter the awards online.

THE VARIETY: There are 20 categories, covering the whole field across the industry.

14 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

THE GLAMOUR: The event is held at The Brewery in London – an amazing venue that’s both small enough to give an intimate feel to the evening and large enough to host a fantastic celebration.

NETWORKING: The awards ceremony gives you the opportunity to rub shoulders with fellow motoring professionals and to make top contacts with people from across the industry.

ENTERTAINMENT: With food, drink, cocktails and a disco all part of the package, the awards night is also the ideal excuse for a Christmas party to put on expenses!

Simply go to carawards.co.uk to fill in the online nomination form – you can enter as many categories as you like.

Make sure that you give plenty of detail, though, to help our judges decide who should go on the shortlists, which will be drawn up by our judging panel, headed by Brewer. The closing date for nominations is Thursday, October 22.

You can also buy tickets for the glitzy event via the site, and we’ve got a great range of packages to suit all budgets.

Alternatively, you can book tickets by calling the Car Dealer team on 023 9252 2434.

So, what are you waiting for? Get your entries in and those tickets booked!

We look forward to seeing you at The Brewery on November 30…

N W IO NE AT SL RT GI LE LE A Is your business ADR compliant?

Motor Codes can help It’s the law - from 1 October 2015 all businesses must direct consumers to a CTSI Certified Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provider if they are unable to resolve a dispute.

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■ Motor Codes operates three Chartered Trading Standards Institute-approved codes of practice for new cars, vehicle warranty products and service and repair.

We can support your ADR needs by offering training to ensure your business is fully compliant.

Find out more and ensure you’re compliant web: motorcodes.co.uk/ADR-ready Tel: 020 7344 1651 Email: enquiries@motorcodes.co.uk

*under the Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes (Competent Authorities and Information) Regulations 2015 CarDealerMag.co.uk | 15

Amanda is a 29 year old product designer from Battersea. On the weekend she enjoys riding to Borough Market for organic fresh food. She really wanted to buy the blue 14 Plate Audi TT Roadster on your forecourt that she first saw on online.

THIS IS

A LEAD

Using the finance calculator on your website, she was able to look at a range of finance options matched with informative product videos.

She played with different deposits and repayment periods. To her surprise, she found she could afford the car and completed an online finance application using her tablet.

This was approved and she’s now on her way to see you for a test drive and to finalise a deal.

How do you attract more customers like Amanda? Through online products like Quoteware, part of the iVendi Platform. What we do at iVendi is simple: we use technology to empower dealers around 2,500 of them to date.

Wouldn’t you like to become empowered?

0845 226 0503 info@ivendi.com www.ivendi.com

16 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

DASHBOARD.

Coulthurst takes the helm to lead supermarket growth...

The Trade Centre Wales has big plans to go national across UK

C

ar supermarket group The Trade Centre Wales has announced plans for national growth as well as the appointment of Motors.co.uk managing director Andy Coulthurst as chief executive officer.

A new, purpose-designed, 8.7acre retail outlet will be opened on the A470 north of Cardiff early in 2016 and the company is about to complete work on a 30,000 sq ft new, state-of-the-art group preparation facility at Neath.

Chairman Mark Bailey said: ‘Our new Cardiff North outlet will showcase 800 cars, with a showroom capacity of 300, and it is critical as we scale up our operation that we continue to provide optimum quality used vehicles to our customers.

‘Our reputation is our most

valuable asset. However, our obsession with delighting customers means we must invest significantly as we grow our volumes.’

Before leading the growth of the Manheim-owned car classified network Motors.co.uk, Coulthurst, pictured above, spent 25 years leading sales operations in car supermarkets

...prompting change at top FOLLOWING the departure of Andy Coulthurst, Cox Automotive has announced changes to the leadership team at Motors.co.uk.

The changes strengthen its connection to its parent company in the US, classified giant Autotrader.com, and see the appointment of Phill Jones as its new managing director.

John Bailey, executive vice president, international, of Cox Automotive, commented: ‘I would like to thank Andy for his skill, vision and energy transforming Motors.co.uk over the last three years.

‘Having run the business from an operational perspective as commercial director since 2010, Phill is the natural successor to Andy.’

General Manager -­‐ Vehicle Contract Hire -­‐ Midlands

and, more recently, the Yorkshire-based premium dealer group JCT600.

He said: ‘I felt honoured to be asked by Mark to lead the business at this important stage of growth. Our Cardiff North opening marks the first stage of a significant growth plan, with openings in the south-west and midlands set to follow, and we will also open smaller format stores in the areas in which we operate, supporting our hugely successful CanCan car finance business.’

The Trade Centre Wales took 30th position in the 2015 Sunday Times BDO profit track 100 report, with growth of 75 per cent to £5.6m for the two existing retail outlets in Neath and Merthyr Tydfil.

MOTORS.CO.UK

Managing Director – Automotive Greater Manchester

This is a new position working within a very well established, profitable business. Your role will be managing the day-­‐to-­‐day sales and operational aspects of a company steeped in Classic Car and Classic Motorcycle sales.

Our client, a highly respected and well established business in the Vehicle Contract Hire and Fleet Management sector. This award winning Company have prospered by innovative thinking and putting original ideas into practice. To continue this trend they are seeking a General Manager who will already be a high achiever and will lead from the front with an entrepreneurial approach to providing practical, profitable solutions to customer needs.

The role: • Head and motivate a very committed, talented and product passionate team placed to support you.

• You will be tasked with increasing the turnover of the business by encompassing and building upon the opportunities already identified and pursued by the business.

• Bring knowledge and ideas to the web-­‐development team to improve the company’s on-­‐line presence

As a dynamic member of the senior team you will thrive on continuous improvement. You will motivate and develop a proactive team by building upon the existing company strategy and putting into place the measures and processes to continue and improve results across clearly defined areas. The role therefore calls for experience and a broad understanding of the constituent parts of the Vehicle Contract Hire product and a person who has successfully managed at a senior level within the Industry.

The person • Educated to degree level; an MBA is highly desirable.

• A minimum 10 years at a senior level in general management, preferably from the automotive sector.

• Good understanding of IT platforms and on-­‐line trading.

• Use your outgoing personality to promote the business at national and international classic car events and sales.

To discuss this position call Derek Webb on 01889 591554 or forward you’re CV with current salary in confidence to derek.webb@nicholasrecruitment.co.uk

This is an important appointment with career progression opportunities and the rewards are commensurate with that status including an appropriate Basic Salary + Bonus + Executive Car.

For a confidential discussion please call: Derek Webb on 01889 591554 alternatively e-­‐mail your CV with covering letter together with an indication of salary expectations to Derek.webb@nicholasrecruitment.co.uk.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 17

DASHBOARD. MITSUBISHI

Lings marks a good first year LINGS of Lowestoft is celebrating a successful first year since joining the Mitsubishi brand.

The Lings Mitsubishi showroom opened in August 2014 and the past 12 months have seen the business expand while scooping a major award along the way.

In December the familyrun dealership received the Outstanding Achievement Award at Car Dealer Magazine’s Used Car Awards, in recognition of the team’s fight back from adversity after the dealership was destroyed by a flood in 2013.

WESSEX GARAGES

Apprentice hired as role model AN APPRENTICE at Wessex Garages in Cardiff will soon be appearing in new marketing material for a leading training provider because of his dedication and hard work.

Rezwan Gafur, who is 17 years old and from Grangetown, is a parts apprentice at the dealership in Hadfield Road and will act as one of the role models for ACT Training in south Wales.

HYUNDAI

Motability target for new growth HYUNDAI Motor UK has announced that Val Geary has been appointed as rental and Motability manager.

Geary brings more than five years of industry experience to the team and will accelerate Hyundai’s growth in the rental and Motability markets.

Hyundai’s sales to the Motability market have grown in line with the company’s overall volumes recently. Key to this success has been Hyundai’s ability to maintain consistent pricing.

18 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Headline sponsors GForces: Why we love CDX so much Next year’s expo will build on the massive success of our 2015 event

P

reparations are well under way for next year’s CDX – the catchy name we’ve given to the Car Dealer Conference and Automotive Expo.

And we’re pleased to announce that GForces have confirmed that once again they will be headline sponsors of the event.

Car Dealer caught up with Stephanie Greenwood, GForces’ marketing communications manager, to find out a bit more about the company’s involvement.

How did you find CDX15?

The GForces team that attended were highly impressed at the scale and content of CDX15. In many respects it was the stand-out event of the year and it has been discussed at GForces numerous times since.

We really pulled out the stops for the day, and it’s pretty obvious that everyone else attending did so too which really added to the buzz that went with the event.

What did you make of the exhibitor line-up?

It was a stellar mixture of the industry’s best and biggest names, offering a huge opportunity to talk to new people and find out about their latest products and services.

Without a doubt it was the biggest gathering of automotive suppliers the UK has seen and there was a vast amount to see and do, from racing simulators to a giant Scalextric and even a BTCC racing car.

What are your reasons behind being headline sponsor for another year?

GForces gained a huge amount of

value from being headline sponsors of CDX15 and when Car Dealer approached us with the plans for next year’s event, we couldn’t turn down the opportunity. We’re really excited about the plans to have an extra hall for exhibitors, showing the growth of the event even in its second year, and the multiple workshops taking place during the day will no doubt prove to be very engaging.

What will the 2016 GForces stand contain?

While we can’t give away too much at the moment, rest assured that GForces’ display at CDX16 will make our previous stands look small in comparison. In fact, we are planning something that puts anything we’ve done before pale into insignificance in terms of scale, interactivity and wow-factor! Watch this space.

Make a date in your diary! CDX16 will be held at Silverstone on Tuesday, May 24 next year.

It will be a day packed full of workshops, keynote speakers, Q&A sessions with dealers and manufacturers, networking opportunities, top Tweeters... and much, much more. If you want to get involved, it’s not too early! Call us on 023 9252 2434 to register your interest.

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CarDealerMag.co.uk | 19

DASHBOARD.

Exciting times ahead as Its successful and healthy property division helped Motorline Group survive the recession – and now the Kent-based is company growing fast. DAVE BROWN reports

Y

ou might not have read too much about the Motorline Group in magazines such as Car Dealer lately.

There are two main reasons for that.

Firstly, the bosses of the company prefer to keep a profile lower than a tyre that’s barely visible – and secondly, they’ve been far too busy to talk to the likes of us.

Point one? Understood. Not everyone is interested in blowing their own trumpet. Point two? Well, that takes a bit of explanation, but when you look at Motorline’s activity over the last few years – and their plans for the future – it all starts to make sense.

The company is growing – and doing so quite rapidly. But to the (relatively) untrained eye, it would appear to be expansion built on pretty solid foundations.

Rewind a few decades and you’ll find that the Motorline Group was founded in the early 1970s by the father of the three brothers who are still at the helm: chairman Glen Obee and joint managing directors Gary and Thomas.

It continues today as a family-owned business operating throughout Kent, West Sussex, Surrey, Bristol and South Wales.

Representing brands such as Volkswagen, Toyota, Lexus, Nissan, Peugeot and Maserati as main dealers, the company takes pride in the levels of service it offers and the deals it provides to its customers.

Car Dealer recently caught up with chairman Glen, who spelt out the extent of the firm’s recent growth: ‘In 2008, we had 11 operating businesses turning over about £100 million and we employed 260 staff. Today, we have got 35 operating businesses which include three Volkswagen TPS businesses – so 32 car dealerships – and we employ 950 staff.’

It’s all a far cry from humble beginnings in the days when Slade were topping the charts and On The Buses was riding high in the TV ratings.

Obee told us: ‘My father came up with the

Motorline name in Canterbury in 1972. In those days, he was a sole trader. We took Toyota in June 1976, at a time when Toyota was probably a lesserknown brand in the UK. ‘We had quite a successful time with Toyota.

We then took on Renault back in about 1992 or 1993. Renault is our second longest brand partner.

We stayed at a reasonably compact, yet successful, size, right through the 90s.

‘My father retired from the business about 16 or 17 years ago. I think we had about six car dealerships at the time which were predominantly Toyota and Lexus.

‘Myself and my two brothers wanted to grow the business. We also wanted to diversify our reliance in terms of brands.’

Cutting a long story short, that’s what has happened in the intervening years.

But how did the company venture from its roots in Kent as far as the West Country and Wales? Obee told us: ‘A couple of years ago, we were invited by Toyota to consider Bristol and we bought a couple of businesses from the Sytner Group. A month after doing that, we found that the buyer of three businesses in Cardiff and Newport had backed out. We were then encouraged to buy those three dealerships as well and I’m glad that we did.’

It hasn’t gone unnoticed among Motorline’s manufacturer partners that the powers-that-be at the company have been trekking up and down the M4 quite a bit of late.

Obee confided: ‘A number of our brands have said to us that they might have opportunities for us along that route. We’ve been resisting the temptation to try to cross the dots off the map because that’s not what we originally set out to achieve. Having said that, we are opening with Nissan in Reading about now, which we’re very excited about. That will be our first investment along the M4 corridor.’

Obee and his brothers clearly enjoy working with the Japanese manufacturer.

MOTORLINE CHAIRMAN GLEN OBEE ON... n Renault: ‘We’ve carried the pain of being Renault dealers over the last five or six years. But these days they have a fabulously impressive range of cars.’ n Hyundai: ‘We have just built a super new facility in Maidstone and we’re looking at something at the moment that would be our third Hyundai business.’ n Maserati: ‘I’ve been surprised at how well we’ve done with Maserati. They have a small team in the

20 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

UK, but they’re very accessible, easy to get hold of.’ n Volkswagen Group: ‘You can’t not like the German brands. They seem to have a really strong connection with the car-buying public.’ n Peugeot: ‘Peugeot is the only brand we represent where we only have a single outlet – in Canterbury.

We bought the former Robins & Day business and relocated.’

He told us: ‘Although Nissan clearly have very strong Japanese origins, what we like about them is that they have a very urgent way of doing business. They’re very quick at giving you answers.’

Toyota was another carmaker Obee was keen to discuss in more detail too, saying: ‘We’ve got a fantastic relationship with Toyota and there’s a huge amount of trust there. We’ve now got three Lexus centres and we’re planning more investment with Lexus. That brand is really starting to come of age now.’

So what was it that helped Motorline thrive even during the teeth of the recession?

Obee said: ‘We probably went into the

“

I’ve been surprised at how well we’ve done with Maserati

Motorline expands Car manufacturers are very keen to be on the right sites in the right towns, says Glen Obee recession a little bit better resourced that one or two of our colleages. Our day job is motor cars and we live and breathe motor cars, but aside from that we have a very healthy and very successful property division.

‘Car manufacturers are very keen to be on the right sites in the right towns and with the right facilities. Our skill sets and expertise in the property sector have given us the opportunity to say to manufacturers, ‘we can find you a site where you’ve not found one’ or ‘yes, we can develop that’. Going into the recession, our offbalance sheet assets and reserves gave us extra ammunition to rely on.

‘That said, no matter how much money you

may or may not have, you’ve still got to have the ability to employ the right people, manage the business, sell the cars and hit the manufacturer KPIs.’ Perhaps it’s no wonder that the guys at Motorline are seeking a slightly higher profile than they have of late. After all, things do seem to be looking pretty rosy.

‘I wouldn’t say that we’ve had a faultless journey over the last five or six years,’ said Obee.

‘But I think we can look at where the group is this year and our growth in turnover in the last three years – and more importantly our growth in bottom-line profit – and this year we will break all records.’

Obee and his brothers still work hard at the business on a day-to-day basis. He told us: ‘We’ve got super staff. Every now and again you come across one

or two who want to challenge you, but that’s fine. We’ve got around 950 staff and most of those are prepared to go through a brick wall for the company.

We ask a lot of our staff and that’s OK, but they should see us match it in terms of effort. You earn respect, you can’t buy it and you certainly can’t expect it.

‘I’ve been in the business since I was 16 and I’m 52 this month. I haven’t got bored of driving to work.’

With that our chat is almost over and it’s almost time for me to deliver my traditional final question: Anything else you’d like to tell the readers of Car Dealer?

Obee hesitates for a second then says: ‘Well, we’re involved in a £12m investment on a three-acre site in Crawley – we already own the property. In our own small way we have quite an exciting period coming up over the next 18 months.’ [CD]

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 21

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DASHBOARD.

Marshall bosses delighted at staff feedback in major survey Despite a busy year, colleagues say company is a great place to work

M

arshall Motor Holdings has just received the results of its participation in the 2015 Great Place to Work (GPTW) survey – and the results have delighted bosses at the company.

In early 2015, Marshall was named by the GPTW Institute as the 26th best large workplace in the UK. Marshall has been working with the Great Place to Work Institute on its colleague engagement programme since 2008.

Each year, all 2,300 colleagues are invited to participate in the survey to understand levels of engagement across the business.

Eighty-seven per cent of colleagues participated in 2015, against a benchmark of 69 per cent.

Regarding the statement, ‘Taking everything into account, I would

say this is a great place to work’ Marshall achieved a score of 83 per cent, up from 80 per cent in 2014. The benchmark to be considered a ‘great place to work’ is 70 per cent.

The survey also groups questions together in five ‘dimensions’ to determine a ‘Trust Index’. The five dimensions are credibility, respect,

fairness, pride and camaraderie.

Marshall’s overall Trust Index score for 2015 is 83 per cent, up from 81 per cent in 2014.

Daksh Gupta, CEO of Marshall, left, said the company was incredibly proud of its 26th placing, ‘particularly when you look at some of our peers in the rankings, companies such as Capital One, Microsoft, Cisco Systems and SAP to name a few.’

He added: ‘Given what the organisation has gone through this year with the float of the company on the London Stock Exchange, we would have been pleased to have achieved the benchmark score of 70 per cent.

‘Everyone in the organisation is delighted with the result.’

Market insight, page 104

APPOINTMENT

Jon joins EDT Automotive JON TATNALL, formerly dealer principal at Yeomans Peugeot and Hyundai in Hastings, has joined Kent-based engine detox specialist EDT Automotive as national sales manager.

A motor trade man through and through, Tatnall started his career as a trainee sales executive at Sidlow Group, before taking increasingly senior roles at Lifestyle, Pinewood and Pendragon.

Tatnall said: ‘In these days of exhausted revenue streams, EDT is close to a fairy tale. The ‘‘detox your car’’ message is very effective. At Yeomans we were doing 25-30 treatments a month, earning a healthy profit on each job card. My target is to add 65 more UK sites in my first year.’

www.desperateseller.co.uk | www.facebook.com/desperateseller.co.uk | twitter.com/despseller

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 23

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Focusing on dignity and respect, we do not credit-score – each and every application is underwritten by a human being. We don’t upsell or cross-sell any insurance products – this allows our supporting dealers, to easily and transparently quote repayments to potential buyers.

24 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

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DASHBOARD.

Victims of keyless car thefts should sue, says Mr Loophole bit.ly/loopsue

WARRANTYWISE

Aftermarket cover for EVs WARRANTYWISE is to provide aftermarket cover for electric vehicles.

With some 40,000 EVs on the UK’s roads, many of which have outlived their manufacturers’ warranties, and with the potentially very high repair and parts replacement costs associated with EVs, Warrantywise has devised a specially-tailored product for Britain’s growing army of owners.

CEO Lawrence Whittaker said: ‘I am proud that Warrantywise is the first in the UK, perhaps the world, to offer such a product.’

VANTAGE

Official Oldham Mazda dealer VANTAGE Motor Group has been appointed as the official Mazda dealer for Oldham with plans to build a brand new site, signifying major growth for the business and boosting its turnover by £8million.

The move sees Mazda join brands such as Toyota, Kia, Citroen and Honda in Vantage’s portfolio and follows hot on the heels of the acquisition of the group’s first Skoda site in Morecambe.

GLASS’S

Discovery Sport is most wanted BUDGET family motoring brands Dacia and Chevrolet dominated Glass’s Hot Five of the fastest selling used cars for July – but the newest prestige model from Land Rover took the top spot.

The Discovery Sport is currently the most wanted used car on dealer forecourts across the UK as low volumes struggle to meet high demand. However, the now-defunct Chevrolet brand and budget relative newcomer Dacia took the other places in the Hot Five.

26 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Gavin Hayer, sales executive at Wessex Garages, is among those pleased to see Nissan’s Qashqai doing so well

Car buyers ‘have never had it so good’ as 65-plate arrives Strong sales ahead as dealership increases customer services initiatives

A

South West and Wales motor dealership has predicted strong sales of the 65 number plate this month after a successful past six months with new car sales up 13 per cent based on the same period last year.

Wessex Garages, which has outlets in Bristol, Cardiff, Gloucester and Newport, has reported motorists are ordering new vehicles in their droves this year and sales of September registrations look rosy.

Keith Brock, managing director of Wessex Garages, said: ‘So far this year we have had a great response from our customers regarding the purchase of new vehicles and predict this to continue in September with the new 65 number plate. Our pre-orders for

by DAVE BROWN @CarDealerDave September are on track and we think new car buyers have never had it so good. There is so much choice as well as discounts and offers to be had.

‘With our new Renault and Dacia dealership now open in Newport we are looking forward to seeing how it will fare in the next six months.

We can now offer our customers new vehicles from a range of top brands including Nissan, Fiat, Kia and Hyundai across our six locations.

‘We were also pleased to hear the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) recently announced that the Nissan Qashqai is now the fifth most popular car in the UK with

more than 38,000 sales year to date.

‘It is fantastic to see the Nissan Qashqai doing so well.

‘It is the most popular vehicle at our Nissan dealerships.’

Brock added: ‘We have worked hard to stay successful and it is great that it has paid off as these excellent sales figures show. We always put our clients in the driving seat and pride ourselves on being extremely customer-friendly.

‘We are now looking forward to expanding the business and increasing our award-winning customer service initiatives.’

Wessex Garages is a privately owned company that has outlets in Bristol, Cardiff, Gloucester and Newport.

Gemini Systems plans more events after top feedback AFTER receiving hugely positive feedback after its June events, Gemini Systems is planning five more regional customer events across the UK. The directors and management at Gemini Systems are keen to meet as many customers as possible on these occasions to discuss new opportunities, listen to customer ideas and feedback, review new products and hold informal workshop sessions.

Martin MacIver, head of commercial at Gemini Systems, said: ‘The June events were tremendously successful, so we will once again be showcasing our latest business accelerators: Campaign 365, TechMate & eVHC enhancements, specifically developed following in-depth discussion with customers.

‘They are designed with full integration to our Evolution DMS,

allowing dealers the opportunity to generate incremental revenues, while reducing overall operating costs.’

There will also be workshop sessions in the afternoon for those wanting to learn some practical tips, plus further explanation of the customer support portal Raptor and how it will evolve, giving powerful online access to Gemini Systems’ support and development teams.

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DASHBOARD.

Find out which are the most searched-for cars across Europe. bit.ly/car-search

Ask HPI YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Here’s when the warning bells should be ringing

T

Built in Britain: The next-generation Juke is on the way ‘Nissan will remain benchmark in the crossover segment’

F

ive years after inventing the small crossover, Nissan has announced that a newgeneration Nissan Juke is slated for production in the UK. The estimated £100m investment is a further endorsement of the quality of output from the Sunderland plant, and a statement of Nissan’s intention to remain the undisputed crossover leader.

Following the launch of the secondgeneration Nissan Qashqai in 2013, future Juke allocation points to a secure future for both production lines in Sunderland and the jobs of 34,000 people currently employed by Nissan and its British suppliers beyond 2020.

Nissan Europe chairman Paul Willcox joined colleagues in Sunderland to celebrate the announcement. He said: ‘The Juke’s unique design is one of the reasons Nissan is now the undisputed crossover leader, underpinning five consecutive years of sales growth in Europe.

‘With the next-generation Juke now confirmed for future production, customers can be assured that Nissan is going to remain the benchmark in the crossover segment for many years to come.

‘This announcement also gives security to our Sunderland plant beyond 2020, which the team has earned through many years of hard work and its ability to continually raise the bar on quality.’

Giving a further boost to the UK car industry, Nissan’s European design team in Paddington, London, and European

engineering headquarters in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, will be instrumental in the development of this new model – ensuring that European customers’ needs and tastes are incorporated in the secondgeneration Juke.

Chancellor George Osborne said: ‘It’s fantastic news that Nissan will be building their new car in Sunderland and securing valuable jobs for thousands of working people in the area.’

Unite, the country’s largest union, said the news was ‘another positive step in the renaissance of the British car industry’.

Refreshed in 2014, the Juke is now offered with personalisation options and a host of technology and styling features.

Nissan is now the biggest carmaker in the history of the UK car industry, with annual output exceeding 500,000 in each of the past three years and currently including the Nissan Qashqai, Juke, Note and all-electric Leaf.

Nissan employs nearly 8,000 people in its UK design, engineering, sales and manufacturing operations, supporting an additional 27,000 jobs in the UK supply chain plus 3,900 in dealerships.

his month we wanted to share a true story.

The names have been changed to protect the innocent, but this goes to show that anyone can get caught out. The dealer in question – let’s call him Bob – has been in the industry for a long time and liked to think that he knew how to spot a ‘bad un’.

Bob received a call from a gentleman selling an SL350.

The only time the car was available was a Sunday, but it was a nice sounding car and the seller was looking for a ‘very reasonable’ price. Bob wasn’t open but agreed to meet the seller at his house. When Bob turned up, the car was sitting on the driveway, keys in the ignition and the seller – let’s call him Fred – was mowing the front lawn. Bob test-drove the car and couldn’t fault it. At the asking price it was a steal so he agreed to buy it. Fred said he needed cash though as he was going through a messy divorce and didn’t want the cash to go through his account. Bob said he would get the cash and Fred agreed to drop the car off at Bob’s in the week with all the paperwork, although he couldn’t show him the V5 right then as it was in the office.

On Tuesday, Fred turned up with the car and the V5, it all checked out and Bob handed over a very reasonable £7,500 in cash.

Fast-forward two months and Bob has sold the car to a young lady who was very happy with it – until she tried to tax the car and couldn’t. It turns out that the V5 is stolen and when the police turn up the car is taken away as a ringer… Bob is mortified and immediately gives her the money back (well done, Bob). He goes round to the address where he saw the car only to find the place empty and speaks to a neighbour, who tells him that it has been for months, although come to think of it someone did cut the grass a couple of months back…

This is a true story, no matter how tall it seems. You might think that Bob was unlucky. However, it shows that criminals will go to all lengths. So, what could Bob have done differently?

In this instance, the cash request was the key. Never buy a car for cash. It doesn’t matter how cheap it is, always pay into the customer’s account and make sure the name is the same as that on the V5. We would also advise to verify the identity of the seller by checking their driving licence. If they refuse, ask yourself what they are hiding.

An HPI check can give you a lot of information, and had Bob conducted a V5 check it would have flagged an issue, but an HPI check combined with a bit of buying savvy is an even bigger tool to protect you from buying a clone. HPI is the only company to offer clone protection to dealers, but you need to use an element of common sense too. Remember, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is!

‘It shows that criminals will go to all lengths.’

Who are HPI?

HPI are the experts in provenance and vehicle data.

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

If you have a problem and need some help email us at HPI@blackballmedia.co.uk and we’ll do the rest CarDealerMag.co.uk | 29

DASHBOARD.

Around the world Dealer news from somewhere other than here

RUSSIA

TWO five-year-old Russian boys escaped from their nursery and set off on a mission to buy a Jaguar sports car, according reports. The youngsters apparently disappeared after escaping under a fence next to their sandpit – they had spent days digging a channel to make their break for freedom. On the outside world, they walked just over a mile to a car showroom selling luxury cars and tried to make a purchase!

USA

A MASERATI dealer has sued Maserati North America, claiming the car company told the dealership to misrepresent sales and discriminated against dealers who refused to do so, according to the website Automotive News. A spokeswoman for Maserati North America said they did not comment on pending litigation.

DUBAI

BRITISH sports car manufacturer Caterham Cars is expanding its growing global dealer network with the appointment of a new distributor in the United Arab Emirates. Distinguished dealer group Al-Futtaim has just taken delivery of its first Caterham Seven and has opened its showroom in Festival City.

CHINA

CHINA’S new car sales fell for a third month in August as auto makers continued to grapple with sluggish demand amid an economic slowdown and slumping stock prices, reported the Wall Street Journal.

Sales of passenger cars dropped by 3.4 per cent to 1.42 million vehicles, following a 6.6 per cent decline in July and a 3.4 per cent fall in June. Combined sales of passenger and commercial vehicles fell by three per cent in August to about 1.66 million vehicles, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said.

INDIA

LEADING global carmakers including Volkswagen, General Motors, Nissan and Renault are reviewing their blueprint for India to boost sales and avoid more painful cutbacks, according to Automotive News Europe. They have reportedly struggled to win over consumers even as the market starts to expand.

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BIG MIKE.

All Big Mike’s columns are on our website. Enjoy them here bit.ly/bigmike

Let’s salute our unsung heroes... and not throw pasties at them!

I

had a chat with a very interesting bloke the other day. He was in his late fifties, an exRoyal Marine, who lived in rural Oxfordshire with his wife and grown-up son. He was into building and flying model helicopters and photography, and as a hobby was building a ‘copter with a built-in camera so he could take aerial photographs and combine both of his pastimes.

He’d served in Iraq and Bosnia, had seen some of the worst that humanity can do, and dedicated most of his retirement to raising money for humanitarian causes, which is something he’s very passionate about.

We spoke about our combined love of classic rock music, the European migrant crisis, the indifferent summer we’ve both experienced, and by the time I dropped him off at a well-known dealer group just outside Solihull we’d agreed to meet up for a beer at some point and become Facebook friends – a properly nice bloke, with a hell of a story to tell.

A story that made my 40-odd years of pushing tin somewhat unadventurous by comparison.

I found Clive in a layby on the outskirts of Witney, having been down to the Cotswolds to collect a lovely old Jag, something that has become something of a specialism of mine in recent months as the market for the last properly curvaceous XJ is steadily on the up, for the good examples at least. My stock, like me, is rapidly moving away from modern and into classic territory.

But I digress. Like much of the summer just gone, it was raining, and Clive was standing 100 yards away from a layby looking like a drowned rat. I took pity on him because he was standing there holding a pair of trade plates. Since leaving the forces, he’d joined a very different army, and one that keeps our industry afloat in so many ways that we don’t often recognise.

His mortgage may be paid off, but Clive earns his pocket money by working as delivery driver for one of the big fleet companies. On any given day, he can dispatched from his base to anywhere within 200 miles of his home to collect and deliver cars, be it for auction houses, dealer groups, car manufacturers or vehicle management companies.

For one leg of his journey, he’s normally at the wheel of a comfortable late-model hatchback, MPV or family saloon, occasionally with the odd treat thrown in such as a Range Rover or his current car of the moment, the Jaguar XF. For the return leg, he has an allowance of about 30p a mile. That’s barely enough for a bus ticket, let alone a taxi or a walk-up train fare, so on the days where he’s

Big Mike OUR MAN ON THE INSIDE SPILLS THE BEANS ON THE CAR BUSINESS...

stranded in the middle of nowhere, he sometimes ends up in negative equity, which, for a day’s work, makes it much more preferable to stay in bed.

But Clive’s not like that. He’s led a life of action. He believes in getting a job done, and if he’s asked to do something he’ll do it and he’ll do it well.

So, shame on the driver who, five minutes ahead of me, rolled down his window and called him a filthy tramp.

Or the van driver who thought it would be hilarious to try and pelt him with the remains of his Gregg’s pasty, chucked out of his Transit window with the velocity of a speeding bullet. Not only did Clive shrug off such an idiotic gesture with the thickest of skins, but being a dutiful citizen

‘I took pity on him as he was holding a pair of trade plates . . . ’ he picked up the discarded pasty remnants and stuck them in a carrier bag, which he keeps handy for any such eventuality, ready to be deposited in a dustbin near home.

Clive is one of the true citizens that put the Great into Great Britain. He gets paid a pittance for doing a job that’s often thankless, and at the end of each working day he hands over 40 per cent of what he’s earned to the state because his pension and private investments push him over the high rate tax threshold. I wouldn’t do it, but were it not for the likes of him, the car sales industry could very easily grind to a stuttering halt.

Think about it. Margins are tight at the best of times. If they were cut even tighter by the cost of getting the various used cars currently for sale to far flung corners of the country, where auction houses and dealer groups dispatch them into the trade, prices ‘to trade’ would go up, and our margins would go down.

So next time you’re out and about and you see a bedraggled looking gent begging a lift with his trade plates, pull over and pick him up. He’s working for you, and chances are he’s a hardworking, decent bloke who, also like you, is just trying to earn an honest buck. Trade platers are, to a certain extent, the unsung heroes of our industry.

And whatever you do, be careful who you throw a pasty at. Clive may be a nice enough chap, but he’s killed a man.

He told me that, too.

Who is Big Mike?

Well, that would be telling. What we do know is he’s had more than 30 years in the car trade and picked up some incredible tales along the way.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 33

FINANCE.

Retailers warned: Take care after rise in PCP complaints Auto Trader has worked with the ombudsman to create a checklist of new and used car finance dos and don’ts

A

uto Trader is predicting that more than seven in 10 new cars will be financed on PCP deals during September – but retailers are being warned that they need to be careful.

Attractive PCP deals are seen as the engine of new car market growth, complemented by buoyant consumer confidence. Figures from the Finance & Leasing Association underline just how the market has grown in recent years, with used car sales beginning to follow the new car trend with progressively higher PCP penetration.

However, retailers are being advised to tread carefully when selling PCP products in September, as figures from the Financial Ombudsman Service revealed an 18 per cent rise in hire purchase complaints (including PCP deals) in 2014.

In total, 1,784 complaints were handled by the service, with most of them relating to buying a vehicle. Of these, 37 per cent were found in the consumer’s favour.

Caroline Wells, head of outreach at the ombudsman, said: ‘When making a sale we’d urge all dealers to make sure customers know what they are signing up to and to keep records of what was discussed.

‘That means that if problems crop up further down the line, they can be sorted out easily.’

Paul Harrison, head of motor finance at Auto Trader, said: ‘Retailers are looking forward to a bumper September market and it’s important that we help them make the most of

34 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

the opportunities, but also to navigate a path away from potential problems.

‘While the increase in finance complaints is perhaps unsurprising given the overall increase in car finance sales, it is encouraging to see that the ombudsman often rules in favour of the industry.

‘We’ve worked with the ombudsman to create a checklist of new and used car finance do’s and don’ts to help retailers avoid consumer complaints and manage them if they do arise.’

They include the following: n If a consumer is buying under a finance agreement, take the time to thoroughly explain how the product works. A salesman may think that the number of monthly payments, the interest rate or the fact that a ‘balloon payment’ may be required at the end of the agreement are obvious. But taking the extra time to draw this to the consumer’s attention could avoid any disagreements down the line. n Sometimes, consumers who have bought a car on finance may run into difficulty making the repayments.

This would be something that they need to speak to the finance company about directly but, should a

customer approach you, be helpful. If you’re able to find the right person or number at the finance company then some simple signposting can help the person reach a resolution more quickly. n A used car may have some wear and tear when it’s sold. But if a consumer contacts you to complain, taking the time to clearly explain the difference between fair wear and tear and mechanical defects improves transparency between the two parties.

Often complaints happen because consumers and dealers are not clear with each other.

Investigating any problems thoroughly and with the right evidence will go a long way to resolve it – simply relying on the fact that the car was ‘sold as seen’ is unlikely to carry much weight, particularly if a complaint is reviewed by the ombudsman. n If you have a vehicle provenance certificate or anything else to show the history and quality of the car, don’t wait for the customer to ask for it. Offer it to them. Customers may not always know about these, so offering this level of service could help reassure them.

NON-FCA DEALERS

Great deal of interest in new product from iVendi NON-FCA dealers will soon be able to provide their used car customers with motor finance – thanks to a new product from iVendi.

The customer would be offered a fully FCAcompliant online process, usually presented by a motor finance provider, that will enable them to choose a finance option that suits their needs.

The dealer will effectively be acting as what is known in FCA terminology as an Introduced Appointed Representative, and will receive a marketing commission from the finance provider.

James Tew, CEO at iVendi, explained: ‘The process is very handsoff for the dealer. The customer is walked through an online motor finance process that shows them the pros and cons of different product types and allows them to try varying deposits and payment terms. They can then make an application online that will normally be processed in minutes.

‘It creates an infrastructure for dealers, who are choosing not to go down the FCA route, to still offer a customer a finance option, even if they are effectively several steps removed from the process itself. There has been a huge amount of interest in the product and we expect the first dealers to go live in a matter of weeks.’

..in association with

Offer point-of-sale finance to get buyers into their dream cars A

s customers, we always want something new and shiny. We’re like those pesky magpies. It’s that ‘I want it’ part of the brain that we all have. When we’re walking past a shop window and we see those new shoes, or even walking past the bakery in the morning and smelling the freshly-baked bread, the instant thought is ‘they look nice, I want a pair’, or ‘that smells really nice, I want some’. We all do it, just in our own way.

What a lot of people tend not to realise is that used cars are just the same; they’re no different to other new products. When a consumer claps eyes on a shiny used

Ben

Garside

‘We have found that by TIME IS letting the customers MONEY take their time, they tend not to back out.’ car, sitting on your forecourt, they still have that ‘I want it’ thought process.

It’s at this stage of the buying process when they then wonder whether they can afford the vehicle; if so, how will they pay for it; or maybe, ‘what will the wife say?’

Maybe we can’t help them with the last point, but the first two… we most definitely can!

Used car finance may not be seen like the fresh bread in the bakery, but when customers know that it is available and how it can help them, they will get really excited by the idea of driving away in that shiny used car that is currently parked on your forecourt.

Used car finance is possibly one of the best tools at your disposal; this is due to all of the added customer benefits. From a customer’s point of view, they see things

such as HPI checks and car valuations as added extras and pretty much all finance companies do these as standard nowadays.

Being convenient and timely is also a key feature here, as for most people, buying a car is the second most expensive purchase in their lifetime, so stretching the vehicle price across a number of years is going to help them significantly.

Consumers need the correct products offered to them at the correct times. This is where point-of-sale car finance comes in.

Having products, literature and merchandise readily available when customers have that ‘I want it’ thought, is imperative. It’s at that moment your customers need the knowledge and detail of what is available to them.

One thing to note here is that we MUST NOT

Turn over page for more finance stories pressure, rush or push through a finance agreement.

The customer needs to be given plenty of time to digest the info and products available to them. What we have found is that by letting the customers take their time, they appreciate it and tend not to back out due to buyer’s remorse.

I personally believe this no-pressure tactic has led to our increase in positive reviews and customer recommendations.

So if you want to increase your unit turnover, increase your positive reviews and improve your customers’ satisfaction, it is simple.

Offer point-of-sale car finance in a pressure-free environment, to customers who are thinking, ‘I want that used car.’

Who is Ben Garside?

Ben is marketing manager for First Response Finance. Call him on 07817 518739 or email ben.garside@frfl.co.uk

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 35

DEALFINDER.

FINANCE. YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO...

HYBRIDS VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTE

TOYOTA PRIUS

WITH a range of 580 miles and producing a massive 201bhp, the Golf GTE 1.4TSI is the sporty hybrid hatchback everyone wants.

And Volkswagen are now offering it on a three-year finance offer at an APR rate of 6.2 per cent and a fixed interest rate of 5.9 per cent. A deposit of £8,479.85 and an acceptance fee of £125 are followed by 35 monthly payments of £285, which amount to £18,579.85. At the end of the three years, if the customer wishes to purchase the vehicle outright, a final payment of £13,318.42, plus an option-to-purchase fee of £60 are applicable.

According to the manufacturer, the customer will end up paying £31,833.27 for a vehicle that costs £28,755 on the road (which includes the £5,000 government Plug-in Car Grant). The grant is an incentive to encourage UK drivers to go electric.

TOYOTA’S Prius Hybrid uses Hybrid Synergy Drive technology to optimise fuel consumption, thus producing low CO2. The electric mid-size hatchback can also run on pure electric power for two miles at up to 50mph. Toyota is currently offering its Prius on a 36-month contract with a fixed rate of interest at 3.45 per cent and a representative APR of 4.9 per cent.

A customer deposit of £3,340 is asked for, followed by 35 monthly payments of £561.74. If the customer wishes to purchase the vehicle outright at the end, a final payment of £12,397.50 is required, taking the total to £35,398.40 – £2,003.40 more than the £33,395 OTR price. The Prius is also eligible for the plug-in car grant, meaning the customer will have paid £31,398.40 for the Plugin Hybrid with a 1.8 VVT-I Hybrid Continuously Variable engine.

Government’s decision to extend plug-in car grant is welcomed ‘Positive move for all’ will see fastest-growing market for EVs in Europe keep growing

M

anufacturers of electric and hybrid vehicles have welcomed the government’s announcement that the plug-in car grant scheme will continue to offer motorists up to £5,000 off the price of an electric car until at least February 2016.

Previously, the government had announced that grant levels would be reviewed once 50,000 vehicles had been sold, a milestone expected to be reached in November this year.

As a result of a recent announcement, however, all plug-in cars with CO2 emissions of 75g/km or less will remain eligible for a grant well into the new year.

Transport minister Andrew Jones said: ‘The UK is now the fastest growing market for electric vehicles in Europe. We will continue to help make this technology affordable to everyone.’

36 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

by DAVE BROWN @CarDealerDave Lance Bradley, managing director of Mitsubishi Motors UK, said: ‘We have seen ultra-low emission vehicles rapidly establish a one per cent share of UK sales in a period of time unprecedented in automotive terms. The same short timescale has seen a dramatic shift in buyer preference from pure electric vehicles to plug-in hybrid technology, which now accounts for two thirds of ultra-low emission vehicle sales.

‘Clearly the market is moving quickly and still forming. We welcome the government’s decision to continue these incentives in a way which recognises the fledgling nature of this lowemissions market.’

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV still leads the market as the UK’s favourite plug-in vehicle. It has achieved 14,000 sales from launch and currently accounts for around half of all plug-in car grant applications. Hetal Shah, head of Go Ultra Low, an organisation designed to help motorists fully understand the benefits of ultra low-emission vehicles, said: ‘Continuing the plug-in car grant at current levels is positive news for everyone.’

There is now a huge range of ultra low-emission vehicles available to UK car buyers, from city runarounds and family hatchbacks to 4x4s and sports cars, with driving costs from as little as 2p a mile, according to Go Ultra Low. With new zero-emission technology constantly coming to market, such as fuel cell EVs, UK motorists will continue to benefit from the wideranging options available.

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MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER PHEV THE most spacious of the three vehicles, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is the hybrid version of an already well-established SUV. The Outlander PHEV GX3h 4wd Auto would cost £33,304 OTR, less the £5,000 government plug-in car grant, for which the Outlander PHEV is eligible, a total of £28,304. However, a 43-month contract with an APR rate of 5.9 per cent and interest fixed at 3.6 per cent allows the buyer to spread the cost across a number of years.

Withe grant factored in, customers are asked to put down a deposit of £9,969, followed by 42 monthly payments of £249, which total £10,458.

At the end of the four-and-a-half-year contract, if the customer wishes to purchase the Outlander outright, a final payment of £10,910 is applicable, including the £10 option-to-purchase fee. This means the total amount payable by the customer is £31,337, £3,033 more than the OTR price.

First Response Finance offer Non-prime finance with a Prime service

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PEUGEOT

CHANGES

‘Just Add Fuel’ available to teenagers thanks to advanced telematics

New MD appointed at UK finance arm of Fiat-Chrysler

JUST Add Fuel is Peugeot’s innovative and unique fixed-cost motoring package – and now it’s available to teenagers.

Since launch in July 2010, more than 27,000 UK drivers have taken advantage of Just Add Fuel. Along with being hassle-free, its low, single monthly payment to cover all motoring costs and exceptional value for money have been the appealing factors.

But it has only been available to drivers aged 21 or older – until now. Peugeot has again rewritten the retail rule book and, now, younger drivers can benefit.

Neil Moscrop, Peugeot brand director, commented: ‘Just Add Fuel is recognised as the most significant innovation in vehicle retailing for a number of years. Now we can widen its appeal even further.’

Just Add Fuel for those aged 18-20 is only available to Peugeot 108 buyers and is priced from just £248 rental per month.

The secret is a discreet plug-in telematics device. Using satellite tracking, it assesses the customer’s motoring style and rates each journey made, with the youngster’s driving carefully monitored.

FCA Automotive Services, the CMY UK finance arm of Fiat Chrysler K Automobiles, has announced the appointment of Alex Hughes to the role of managing director.

Formerly the marketing and sales director, Hughes has been with the business for 15 years and replaces outgoing MD Alberto Merchiori.

A number of other changes have been made to the UK senior management team at FCA Automotive Services.

Jayne Crosse will take the role of marketing and sales director for the retail business.

Wayne Vickers will take the new role of dealer finance director.

Wayne has been with the business for more than 18 years, most recently in the role of national sales manager.

Franck Gaillard has been appointed to the role of fleet and contract hire director.

M

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Get in touch today!

0115 946 6317

Registered in England No. 03560611. Registered Office: Chetwynd Business Park, 5 Regan Way, Chilwell, Nottingham, NG9 6RZ. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 37

FORECOURT. ENGINES

LOOKS

The majority of sales are expected to come from the four-cylinder 178bhp 2.0-litre Ingenium diesel unit.

The XF retains Jaguar’s signature bold but stylish design language, which we’re very much fans of.

INSIDE

The XF trumps its rivals with a class-leading boot space, which totals 540 litres. Loads of room for all that luggage.

Jaguar XF

A class-leading executive saloon? Jaguar certainly hopes so.

Sophie Williamson-Stothert puts it to the test WHAT IS IT?

WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE?

The new XF, one of two new cars to be delivered by the luxury British carmaker this year and one of three to be launched within the space of 12 months. It’s destined to take on the giants of the segment with a more appealing price tag, impressive handling and performance capabilities. Thanks to its aluminiumbased shell, the new XF is 190kg lighter, more efficient and nippier on its feet than the car it replaces.

Entry-level Prestige trim gets heated leather seats, 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic LED headlights, sat-nav and rear parking sensors as standard.

Step up a level to R-Sport for an extra £1,900 and the XF receives a body kit, 18-inch alloys and sports suspension.

For a further £2,200, the rangetopping Portfolio adds full electric seats, keyless entry, a rear parking camera and a Meridian sound system. Jaguar’s new InControl Touch Pro infotainment system will also be available as an optional extra on all models by the end of the year. It is an extra £1,200, but definitely worth the investment, enabling gesture control and a larger 10.2-inch touch screen.

WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET? There’s a choice of three engines: the majority of sales expected to come from the four-cylinder 178bhp 2.0-litre Ingenium diesel – mated with a manual gearbox, it boasts 70.6mpg and 104g/km CO2.

Next up is the 3.0-litre V6 diesel, which churns out 296bhp, while adrenaline junkies who require a little more oomph can choose the familiar 375bhp 3.0-litre supercharged V6 petrol unit.

38 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE? The new XF still retains the key qualities of the original car, including a comfy cabin environment, nicely weighted steering and notably impressive cornering stability for a hefty saloon. Aside from the

F-Type, Jaguar has never been one for setting the pace in one squeeze of the accelerator, so you’ll need to be patient and wait for the engine to hit 4000rpm before you really feel the XF begin to push you back in your seat. The V6 models are available with Configurable Dynamics, which further enhance the XF’s handling credentials, allowing it to match BMW’s 5-Series for driver entertainment.

WHAT DO THE PRESS THINK? Autocar said: ‘The Jaguar XF is still the king of dynamics. So if you care about such things, the XF should still be your default option in this class.’

WHAT DO WE THINK? Britain’s luxury car firm has finally managed to ace the task in hand, building a sporty executive saloon car that’ll outrun the Germans. It’s stylish, comfortable. nimble around bends and, when required, is ready to pounce.

THE KNOWLEDGE Model: Jaguar XF R-Sport Price: £36,850 Engine: 2.0-litre diesel Power: 178bhp, 430Nm Max speed: 136mph 0-60mph: 8.0 seconds MPG (comb’d): 65.7mpg Emissions: 114g/km

TARGET BUYERS: Business buyers and families who desire a spacious saloon, which boasts a comfy cabin as well as sporty driving dynamics.

THE RIVALS: BMW 5-Series, Audi A6, Mercedes-Benz E-Class

KEY SELLING POINTS:

1. Generous cabin space for front and rear passengers.

2. Impressive MPG figures 3. A futuristic and easy-to-use infotainment system

DEAL CLINCHER: It’s agile on its toes and offers great driver entertainment.

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MANHEIM CarDealerMag.co.uk | 39

We’ve developed the Black Horse Roadmap to help you navigate the changes the industry is facing and use them as a catalyst to grow your business.

The steps we take today will help build a sustainable platform for point of sale automotive finance.

Let’s navigate the future together.

YOUR FUTURE. OUR ROADMAP. Find out more about our Roadmap for point of sale finance at blackhorse.co.uk/dealerportal or contact your Account Manager.

40 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

FORECOURT. UNDER THE BONNET

LOOKS

The 1.0-litre petrol ‘EcoTurbo’ is the big news – it’s designed to fight the Focus 1.0 EcoBoost, and does a convincing job.

New ‘GT Line’ trim brings the looks of the sporty 201bhp GT to engines further down the pecking order.

DUAL-CLUTCH AUTO

The Cee’d finally catches up with the Golf, getting a seven-speed ‘DCT’ on 1.6 diesel.

It’s smooth and quick to change.

Kia Cee’d

Can a facelift and new engines help keep the Cee’d fresh?

Jon Reay heads to Slovakia to find out.

WHAT IS IT? A facelift of Kia’s popular Cee’d, freshening up the exterior and adding some new niceties inside too. It may not look all that different, but it’s under the well-proportioned body where things have really changed, thanks to the introduction of two new engines and a dual-clutch auto.

WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE?

Pretty comprehensive. There’s a new seven-inch touchscreen infotainment unit, offering 21st Century things like live TomTom traffic info, while DAB has finally made an appearance too.

There’s a new sporty-looking trim level badged GT Line as well, offering most of the looks of the more powerful GT, but with more WHAT’S UNDER THE affordable to run powerplants.

BONNET? Safety is taken care of by a blind For starters, the new 1.0, threespot warning system and cross cylinder ‘EcoTurbo’ with either traffic alerts, while a speed limit100bhp or 120bhp. It’s designed to detecting camera is on offer too. replace the 1.4 and 1.6 petrols, though Spatially-unaware buyers will be both are hanging around in the range pleased to hear that the self-park for the time being. As you’d expect system has been upgraded to handle it’s a torquey little thing, with either supermarket parking bays, too. version pumping out 171Nm of the stuff – more than even the 128bhp WHAT’S IT LIKE TO 1.6 – and it’s available throughout DRIVE? the rev range, meaning that there’s The new 1.0-litre: it’s very impressive. no frantic searching for a lower gear We couldn’t tell it apart from the Ford every time you hit a light incline. The equivalent, and trust us, that’s pretty old 1.7 diesel has gone too, replaced high praise. It’s refined, torquey and by the more refined 1.6 CRDi found pulls even the larger, heavier estate in the Soul. version along without breaking a

sweat, so shouldn’t be a hard sell over the entry-level petrols. The new seven-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox is just as impressive. Only on 1.6 diesel models for now, it’s more than a match for VW’s DSG and Ford’s PowerShift, changing quickly and effortlessly in both manual or automatic modes.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE? WhatCar said: ‘This facelift gives you more reasons to organise a test drive, as it offers improved interior quality, better refinement and improved emissions and fuel economy.’

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE? It’ll take more than a few tweaks to establish the Cee’d as a class-leader, but the pair of new capable engines and impressive DCT automatic gearbox are more than enough to cement the Kia’s reputation as a decent, well-priced rival to the Focus, Golf and others.

THE KNOWLEDGE Model: Kia Cee’d 1.0 GT Line Price: £18,000 (est) Engine: 1.0-litre, 3-cyl petrol Power: 118bhp Max speed: 118mph 0-60mph: 11.1 seconds MPG (comb’d): 57.6mpg Emissions: 115g/km

TARGET BUYERS: Small families after a practical hatch or estate, younger buyers who want a swoopy 3dr

THE RIVALS: Ford Focus, VW Golf, Hyundai i30, Toyota Auris, Peugeot 308

KEY SELLING POINTS: 1. Industry-leading warranty 2. 1.0 is refined and punchy 3. DCT offers fast and smooth gear changes

DEAL CLINCHER: Most compelling Cee’d yet, now with sporty trim line to match CarDealerMag.co.uk | 41

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FORECOURT. SAFE AND SOUND

SIMPLICITY

IntelliSafe is now Volvo’s blanket name for all active safety systems and is an important part of the approach in the S60 Cross Country.

The car is available in only one trim level, the top-of-the-range Cross Country Lux Nav.

INTERIOR

Volvo S60 Cross Country

The attention to detail, authentic materials and the easy-to-use controls contribute to the in-command driving experience.

Volvo has added a sense of adventure to its stylish four-door sports saloon, the S60. Is it any good? Dave Brown reports WHAT IS IT? A beefed-up version of Volvo’s S60 saloon car, designed to provide all the refinement of the regular fourdoor offering with a liberal dash of off-road appeal. The car features a ride height raised by 65mm, rugged design detailing, and optional allwheel drive for enhanced all-road, all-weather capability. It looks the business – purposeful and planted – and has been designed to build on the dynamic design of the standard S60.

149g/km of CO2, and gives a fuel consumption figure of 49.6mpg.

WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE?

The S60 Cross Country is only available in the top-of-the-range Cross Country Lux Nav variant, thus benefiting from a very high level of specification as standard. As well as the eye-catching Cross Country external detailing and branding, other benefits include leather-faced sport seats, a powered driver’s seat, the ability to memorise seat and exterior mirror settings, an active TFT crystal WHAT’S UNDER THE driver’s display, 18” alloy wheels, BONNET? active bending headlights and a The car is available with the 188bhp D4 front-wheel-drive from Volvo’s new headlight cleaning system.

Being a Volvo, of course, there is two-litre, four-cylinder Drive-E engine range. Options are a six-speed manual plenty of safety equipment too.

(111g/km of CO2 and 67.3 mpg) and WHAT’S IT LIKE TO an eight-speed automatic (120g/km DRIVE? of CO2 and 70.6mpg). Also available Volvos have long been about is the 188bhp D4 AWD – which, immersing you in a pleasant cabin confusingly, uses Volvo’s proven rather than offering outright driving five-cylinder 2.4-litre engine instead, thrills, and unsurprisingly, the S60 coupled with a six-speed automatic Cross Country is no different. We were gearbox. This engine produces

impressed with the ride and handling too. Even though it’s further from the ground, there’s very little body roll through the corners and the steering feels well-weighted and direct, if not as precise as its closest rivals.

WHAT DO THE PRESS THINK? Auto Express said: ‘Despite its likeability, we’d go for the more versatile V60 Cross Country all-wheel drive version.’

WHAT DO WE THINK? We were pleasantly surprised by the way the car looked ‘in the flesh’, and by the way it handled itself over the bumpy surfaces of back roads in the Cotswolds. Having said that, the black-top in Burford probably isn’t bumpy as it is in Brazil, one of the countries where the car is expected to prove rather more popular than the UK. Its estate sibling, the V60 Cross Country, is available for £1,300 more – and is certain to prove a far better seller.

THE KNOWLEDGE Model:

S60 D4 Cross Country Lux Nav Price: £33,695 Engine: 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo-diesel.

Power: 188bhp / 400Nm Max speed: 130mph 0-60mph: 7.2secs MPG (comb’d): 67.3mpg Emissions: 111g/km

TARGET BUYERS: Families who live in the country, anyone looking the versatility of four-wheel drive in a saloon

THE RIVALS:

Subaru Outback, Audi A4 Quattro, BMW 3 Series X Drive

KEY SELLING POINTS:

1. Comfy sports seats feature greater hugging side support.

2. Exclusivity – Volvo has very modest sales targets for the car.

3. Enhanced and enjoyable driving experience.

DEAL CLINCHER: An interesting mix of sportiness and versatility.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 43

FORECOURT.

Mazda MX-5 DRIVER STABILITY

Lighter and more supportive seats provide the driver with extra stability when cornering the featherweight MX-5.

THE KNOWLEDGE Model: Mazda MX-5 2.0-litre Sport Nav Price: £23,295 Engine: 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol Power: 159bhp, 200 Nm Max speed: 133mph 0-60mph: 7.3s MPG (comb’d): 40.9mpg Emissions: 161g/km

TARGET BUYERS: Thrill seekers, fans of the classic 20th Century British sports car

THE RIVALS:

MINI Roadster, Toyota GT86, Audi TT Convertible

KEY SELLING POINTS: 1. Price tag 2. Fun to drive 3. Looks great

DEAL CLINCHER: Driver connection with the car and the road 44 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

on test

Mazda have kept it simple with the latest incarnation of the WHAT IS IT? The latest edition of Mazda’s iconic two-seater sports car, and the final model in the range to be endowed with a fuel-efficient SkyActiv engine. The MX-5 is recognised as the world’s best-selling roadster and this fourth generation looks to extend that title and keep the characteristics that have made it famous.

Although some traditional MX-5 design cues are carried over, this is a completely new car with a wider stance and exaggerated curves and lines to make it look more masculine than its predecessors.

129bhp – already a higher output than the outgoing 1.8 MX-5 – while the 2.0 ups this to a more lively 159bhp and costs just £850 more.

Ignore how those figures look on paper, though – paired with the Mazda’s low weight and nimble chassis, both provide more than enough power to have fun with.

Crucially too, they’re a lot more characterful than the 1.8 and 2.0 units of the old car, revving more freely and giving a much fruitier soundtrack as you climb through the rev range.

WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET?

WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE?

You can choose between either a 1.5-litre or a 2.0-litre petrol engine, both made as light as possible to keep the weight of the car to a minimum. The 1.5 offers

Opt for higher-spec trim levels and despite Mazda’s weight-saving efforts, there are still a surprising number of toys to play with. Models

SOUND IDEA

Optional Bose premium sound system fills the cabin with sound whether the roof is up or down.

“

Although some traditional design cues are carried over, this is a completely new car.

EVEN BALANCE

50:50 weight distribution means that the car handles better than ever.

iconic MX-5. Harry Boucher is the one with the wind in his beard from SE-L upwards include the Mazda-Connect infotainment system, and navigation can be added for £600.

There’s the option of a Bose-designed ‘premium’ sound system too, even adding two speakers in each headrest to help surround you in your music. The result is very impressive – even with the top down – sounding just as good, if not quite as bassy, as the Bose system in Mazda’s 6 saloon.

Impressively, all the usual toys are still available too: cruise control, heated leather seats, singlezone climate control and automatic lights and wipers are all on offer, while safety is looked after by the availability of blind spot warnings, tyre pressure monitors and more.

ANY RIVALS? For the price, not many. The MINI Roadster is probably closest for two-seat drop-top thrills, but can’t match the poised handling of the MX-5’s rear-wheel-drive chassis. If you can give up the idea of a drop-top, Toyota’s GT86 is great fun but costs £4,000 more. Beyond that you’re looking at pricier options like the Audi TT convertible and Mercedes SLK.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE? In one word, fun! The smaller 1.5-litre doesn’t offer much in terms of power, but its incredibly low kerb weight means it still feels quick, hitting 60mph in a perfectly acceptable 8.3 seconds.

It was the 2.0-litre that really won us over, though.

Over the page we talk to Mazda UK MD Jeremy Thomson

With either engine, the Mazda is as sublime as ever. All the usual MX-5 trademarks are there: the 50:50 weight distribution, snickety gearbox with a short throw, and (relatively) communicative steering all give the impression you’re driving a modern interpretation of the Mk1.

WHAT DO WE THINK The 1.5-litre is great, offering a purer driving experience, but the improved performance of the 2.0-litre is worth the extra money.

Mazda has kept the MX-5 simple and ensured it has remained a real driver’s car. For the price there’s nothing to match its fun-to-drive, easy-to-live-with appeal, and the fact is we’d rather have it over many more expensive rivals.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 45

FORECOURT.

Jeremy Thomson Mazda’s UK MD is delighted hundreds of people put down a deposit on the new MX-5 without ever sitting in it

Do you think the all-new MX-5 can be as successful as its popular predecessors?

Well it is the world’s best selling roadster. We will look to sell around 4,000 a year, bearing in mind it is soft top only whereas the previous model had the hard top as well. Even with the soft-top only option I think we will easily do that. The interest in the car has been phenomenal. It is so visually distinctive, and the spring-loaded roof makes the car lighter and is so simple to put up and down.

Why was the decision made to launch the new model at the end of the summer?

We had no say as it was the global launch. We could have delayed launching but that would mean we would have missed the peak September and late autumn period, and that would have been crazy. Even though it is not an ideal time in the sense of trying to get as many orders in before the winter hits, and it is a very seasonal order profile, we are very keen to get as many cars in the bag in September.

“

The sports cars we release bring a lot of attention to the brand 46 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Of the various options available, which are you expecting to sell the most of?

We had 725 pre-orders, so that is over 700 customers who were prepared to put down a deposit without even sitting in the car. So far it has been shared 50:50 between the two engine options. There has been very high demand for the high-spec Sport Nav trim level, which you tend to get at launch, and 65 per cent of people have gone for Soul Red as a colour, which is the more expensive, premium metallic colour.

Who would you say the new car is aimed at, and who has placed those orders?

A very broad spectrum again. It is always quite hard to define MX-5 target customers and owners.

People maybe have an idea of what that customer group is but it is very diverse, and in the preorders we saw a mix of loyal customers as well as a lot of all-new Mazda customers, so I think

the car has the potential, as our RX-8 did back in 2004/2005, to draw in customers from outside of where Mazda has generally been successful.

Your dealers must have been really excited to get the chance to sell the new car...

To have had it on sale just before the September peak month will make a tremendous difference to dealer profitability.

What effect do you think the MX-5 has on the overall Mazda brand?

We noticed that the sports cars that we release bring a lot of attention to the brand as a whole.

For example, the MX-5 and the RX-8 really brought us a lot of sales throughout the range.

How important was Goodwood for you?

It was hugely important for us. We launched the MX-5 to the public there, so it was the European

reveal of the new MX-5. And as we were the lead sponsor of the Goodwood Festival Of Speed we were really able to make the MX-5 an important part of that event. The feedback we got suggested that it was extremely effective in making people aware of Mazda generally, and of new MX-5 specifically.

So why has 2015 been such a boom year for new Mazda models?

Well, the MX-5 is the last of what we call the sixth-generation of Mazda products. We finally get to the point where 100 per cent of our models have SkyActiv technology – that’s everything we make from today. It’s about emissions and fuel economy, but also making driving fun and lightweight and getting that balance between those things. We think we’ve got a magic solution.

Also, with the KODO design language the look of our cars is now consistent across the whole range. MX-5 is the last in the range to get KODO design, and it speaks for itself with a much more muscular look, a cabin back design and much more of a coupe-look. We are getting a very distinctive presence.

We dropped in on a Mazda dealer with our MX-5 CarDealerMag.co.uk | 47

FORECOURT.

The dealer

We thought it might be a good idea to talk to a dealer about the new MX-5 – so we visited Border Cars in Carlisle after attending the media launch of the car. We arranged to drop in on a Saturday morning for a coffee – and before we had even got out of the one we’d managed to snaffle

So what do you think of the new MX-5?

We saw it at the preview event and we’ve had our in-dealer training on it, and so far we are all in awe of this new car, it’s outstanding. Personally I think it is a stunning looking machine. I’m delighted to see it in a new colour, in the Blue Reflex before us, which I think is a very good colour. I’m very impressed. I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of one.

Has there been a lot of interest? Any phone calls to the office demanding one?

Very much so, we’ve got a number of people who are waiting for the first car to arrive to drive it. We’ve got about six or seven test drives booked. We so far have taken one order, which is not as many as I would like but I think most people these days would prefer to drive the car to see what it’s like. There are a few people sceptical about the car being a soft-top only, but I think once they see the car and the quality of the roof that will put any fears to rest.

So how many are you hoping to sell throughout the calendar year?

That’s a tough question because it’s a very seasonal car. We do sell more MX-5s as the summer approaches and the UK market is one of the best markets for the MX-5. I think anywhere between 2030 a year would be more than what we would expect for the numbers that we do here. We are a relatively

48 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

for a few days, the sales team were outside having a look at VN15 YZT. They were so excited that the sales manager, Tim Roelich, even came in on his day off to check it out and have a chat. Here is what he had to say…

small dealer so I would be happy with that.

What sort of customers do you think you will be selling the car to?

Initially it has been an existing customer, a renewal opportunity. I think Mazda are very keen to get a core of people who are purists and roadster enthusiasts.

The best-selling car in this segment at the moment is the Mercedes SLK. How it will do against that because they do it in a diesel and automatic, I don’t know. To me there’s no comparison because the car you are looking at here starts at £18,500 compared to £30,000 plus. I think it really has a niche market as there’s nothing else that comes close within the same price bracket.

For you, what is the main selling point of the Mazda?

I think just the looks of it. Personally I think it is stunning. A few people have mentioned about the front end but I think Mazda have got it spot-on. I think the back end is a nice contrast because it is very different to the front end, and a radically different design to the previous edition of the MX-5.

How excited are you to get this in your showroom?

I’m really excited about this new car. They’re treating the salesmen to a drive day event, which is always good fun but more so in the MX-5. Who wouldn’t want the opportunity to throw an MX-5 round an airfield? [CD]

MX-5 in Road Test of the Year - Page 50

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www.codeweavers.net CarDealerMag.co.uk | 49

FEATURE.

Introduction: JAMES BAGGOTT Photography: JONATHAN FLEETWOOD Location: NORTH WALES

MERCEDES AMG GT S PAGE 66

McLAREN 650S SPIDER MSO PAGE 62

50 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

JAGUAR F-TYPE R COUPE AWD PAGE 68

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CarDealerMag.co.uk | 51

FEATURE.

Our Road Test of the Year collection brings together more than £600,000-worth of metal for an epic four days of testing in north Wales, but with such an interesting mix who will be crowned champion? James Baggott introduces our contenders

I

’ve been left behind. I’m waiting at the north Welsh B&B we call base for four days of Road Test of the Year goodness and I’m itching to get out like a four-year-old in Clarks. The rest of the team are long gone.

By now they’ll be in fifth gear, all loud revs, angry exhausts and smiles. But here I am sat twiddling my thumbs, waiting for the final piece of our jigsaw puzzle to arrive. And I’m clucking like an addict.

Luckily I don’t have to wait too long. A farmer arrives at the B&B – shouting Welsh and not a word of English – he’s waving his arms about like he’s lost his flock to wolves. It soon transpires it’s not sheep murder that’s got him flapping, but a Mercedes – the very GT S I’ve been waiting for, no less. I manage to work out, thanks to some impromptu sign language, that the delivery driver is stuck and the car we’ve been waiting for is wedged up the road. Brilliant.

I thank Wavy Farmer Man and head around the corner, where a flustered truck driver is attempting to negotiate some very tight corners after releasing our last arrival for this year’s RTOTY. Thankfully, getting him out of Denbigh isn’t as hard as it was for him to get in and we’re soon on our way, sat low and comfortable in a car I’ve been waiting all year to get my hands on.

The Mercedes GT S is still so in demand from the UK’s automotive press that the usual weeklong loans have been cut to just two days. Well, at least that’s what we were told. Still, you won’t hear us complaining – this is a special car and Mercedes has delivered it straight to the door of God’s own car testing playground.

The GT S is in exalted company too. This year’s line-up is an eclectic mix of supercar and supersaloon with a pinch of sports car 52 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

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“

The delivery driver is stuck and the car we’ve been waiting for is wedged up the road. Brilliant.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 53

FEATURE.

and hot hatch thrown in for seasoning. For the uninitiated, an invite to RTOTY is a simple one: Cars have to be newsworthy, fun and on sale in the past 12 months. The newer they are, the better. To find our winner we use a scientific matrix that scores our contenders in a variety of categories – placing fun, desirability and thrills at the top of our agenda. And let’s face it: fun, desirable cars sell, and that’s exactly what you want in your showrooms.

This year’s line-up is led by the £215,250 McLaren 650S Spider. But this is no ordinary McLaren – as if there’s anything of the sort – this model is by McLaren Special Operations, or MSO for short. That means it’s been tinkered with by the Woking firm’s elite, clothed in even more carbon fibre and made even more exclusive and expensive. It’s a head-turner, that’s for sure.

Joining the McLaren and Mercedes (strange seeing them in the same sentence now) is BMW’s hybrid supercar, the i8. We were lucky enough to spend a few days with one of these earlier this year, albeit it in Gosport, and even a little over a year since launch it still turns heads like something from outer space. But has it still got enough to impress in this tough company?

Representing the stiff British upper lip is Jaguar’s F Type. This is the third year in a row we’ve had the pleasure of its company, but now it’s got all-wheel drive and is a lot more stickier.

It’s no less enthralling and even more intoxicating in anti-social V8 spec. Lovely.

We’ve got a trio from Japan. First up is the Honda Civic Type R, a car that has had a campaign period longer than a president of the United States. First mooted in what feels like 1979, it’s finally here – all flaps, slits and angry gills. Oh, and a spoiler so big you could picnic off it. But can it live up to that window dressing?

Lexus has served up its RC F. This is the most powerful V8 road car Lexus has ever built with a naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8 producing 470bhp.

Oh, and it’s orange, oh so very orange. Mazda, meanwhile, has been more conservative with its colour schemes, sending us an MX-5 in what can only be described as doom blue. We’ve got it in 2.0-litre trim – and we’ve been promised giant slaying things from those that have driven it.

Could it throw a spanner in the works?

My drive to our second RTOTY home, a gravel car park at the side of a windswept A543, is a brisk one in the GT S. The Mercedes feels unusual after my six-hour drive up the day before in the 650S. It’s longer, more nose-heavy, but brutally quick. And that noise – my God, the noise. I park up the GT S next to our hopefuls and smile.

These are going to be an interesting few days.

Better fire up the fuel card and crack on.

54 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

SPONSORED BY

“

The Honda Civic Type R is finally here – all flaps, slits and angry gills. Oh, and a spoiler so big you could picnic off it.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 55

FEATURE.

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This year’s line-up is an eclectic mix of supercar and supersaloon with a pinch of sports car and hot hatch thrown in for seasoning.

56 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

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FEATURE.

“ Y

Talented it may be, but fun?

I’m not so sure. The steering is way too light for my liking

ou’ve got to feel for Lexus really, haven’t you? Not only does the maker still have to play second fiddle to the famous trio of German rivals when it comes to sales, but there does seem to be a bit of a ‘cool’ deficiency across its entire range at the minute.

It was as I was pondering this, cruising quietly through a sleepy Welsh town, that something strange happened – a group of ‘yoofs’ actually stopped in their tracks and pointed as I went by.

Oh right... it’s bright orange, isn’t it?

You do get the impression that Lexus really is trying to add some sparkle to showrooms with the RC F. Aside from dressing it in some of Ford’s leftover Mk2 Focus ST paint there’s plenty to make it stand out – muscular styling on the outside, carbon-fibre-look trim all over the inside, and a pair of surprisingly firm sports seats to park 58 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

your backside on. That’s before you start it up, too. Lexus hasn’t caught the engine downsizing bug, so there’s no teeny four-pot with a turbo here: the RC F is endowed with a hefty 5.0-litre V8, pumping out 471bhp.

Don’t imagine that it’s made a crude bruiser of a machine, though – there’s a smorgasbord of clever technology under the skin, including an optional torque vectoring differential, something that Lexus boasts is a first on a front-engined rearwheel-drive car.

Has any of it worked? Well, sort of.

Let’s start with that engine: Yes it’s powerful, and yes it’s incredibly refined for a thumping

great V8, but it does seem to lack urgency lower down the rev range.

Then there’s the gearbox. It’s an eightspeed automatic, which sounds space-age but feels anything but. Changes are jerky, often feel delayed, and when you’re stuck behind a lorry doing 50mph in eighth, that third gear overtaking-zone power band is a frustrating number of downshifts away.

Get the RC F in the right gear, though, and it’s a real force to be reckoned with.

Beyond 4,000rpm the V8 suddenly jumps into life – throwing you back into your seat with hilarious might. The torque vectoring diff does sanitise the RC F of any rear-end waywardness, but there’s no arguing with the way it helps eat up corners, even on the undulating Welsh tarmac we visited again and again.

Talented it may be, but fun? I’m not so sure.

The steering is way too light for my liking, while

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The knowledge:

Lexus RC F

Price (as tested): £65,120 Engine: 5.0-litre V8 petrol Power: 471bhp, 530Nm Top speed: 168mph (limited) 0-60: 4.5s Fuel economy: 26.2mpg (comb’d) Emission: 252g/km

the car as a whole feels too big and heavy. I suspect it’s not the most balanced bit of kit either – BMW this is not.

Irritatingly, the RC F isn’t much good at being a Lexus either. I was hoping to waft home like a retired bank manager coming back from the golf club, but the sports suspension – about the only thing without nine different settings – is just a touch too jarring to be relaxing.

It’s not perfect then, the RC F, but curiously I rather bonded with it after 600 miles of driving.

Are there better all-rounders out there? Absolutely, but that’s not to say Lexus doesn’t deserve a bit of credit for what’s still a pretty appealing package.

Jon Reay Tech boy @JonReay CarDealerMag.co.uk | 59

FEATURE.

Y

ou know the old Peperami ad – ‘it’s a bit of an animal’? Well, the Honda Civic Type R we took to north Wales falls into that category. Actually, scrub that – it’s a LOT of an animal.

And if ever there was a car designed with the RTOTY gang in mind, this was it – displaying a combination of aggressive power, brute force and good old-fashioned driving thrills.

And those looks! The stunning styling might be a bit Marmite to some but we were big fans of the two-tone blue and red trim on our car and the new-look rear wing for 2015, which helps to optimise downforce without increasing drag at higher speeds. In other words, this (not very subtle) spoiler helps to keep the monstrous Type R firmly planted on the road when you’re pushing the red needle to the limit.

After grabbing the keys from video man Nigel, it was time to head up to the foothills of Snowdonia with the others, and I did so with a big stupid grin on my face.

It was great fun, and keeping up with the leaders of the RTOTY pack was not an issue as our very expensive convoy snaked out into a bleak and barren landscape where we’d planned to base ourselves for a few days.

Honda says the 2015 Civic Type R delivers one of the most immersive and rewarding driving experiences available in any sector – and it’s not wrong. With its aggressive aerodynamic styling and high-performance engine, plus its clever new chassis technologies and that downforce, RF15 VXP fitted the bill perfectly as we explored our favourite driving roads.

Its blistering performance is unmatched in the front-wheel-drive hot-hatch segment. The 0-60mph sprint is covered in just 5.6 seconds, and its top speed is 167mph. It’s impossible not to feel good when you’re behind the wheel. I found its six-speed manual gearbox fabulously slick, the steering well weighted, and it holds the road superbly well in high-speed corners. The dashboard display is suitably in-your-face and you feel completely cocooned in the comfortable and supportive sports seats.

Flick it into +R mode – designed for track days – and the dash becomes even more vivid, while the driving experience is intensified still further. Engine response is heightened, with torque mapping changed to a more aggressive, performance-focused setting.

OK, I wasn’t on a track, but there was definitely the chance to have some fun, with the bends and bridges of the Snowdonia National Park refreshingly free of traffic when compared with our normal surroundings of crowded southern England. In short, it’s awesome. And as we 60 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

arrived at the Llyn Brenig visitor centre in the heart of the Denbigh Moors for a well-deserved coffee after a morning’s photography, video work and note-taking, the Type R certainly came in for its fair share of attention, despite not being the biggest or the most exclusive member of our RTOTY 2015 grouping. What is it they say about the best thing coming in small packages?

Dave Brown Production editor @CarDealerDave

The knowledge:

Honda Civic Type R Price: £29,995 Engine: 2.0-litre VTEC Power: 306bhp/400Nm Max speed: 167mph 0-60mph: 5.6 seconds MPG (comb’d): 38.7 Emissions: 170g/CO2

SPONSORED BY

“

The stunning styling might be a bit Marmite to some but we were big fans CarDealerMag.co.uk | 61

FEATURE.

T

hings are moving quickly. Probably a bit too quickly. Like the four fighter pilots dog-fighting above our heads, my brain is processing information faster than it should be, and as I watch the Mercedes GT S fall away into the distance behind me with snatched glimpses in the mirror, it’s abundantly clear there’s not much that’s going to catch this thing any time soon.

At full chat and with Track mode selected on the McLaren’s prominent dash dials, the 650S and I are moving at internal-organ-rearranging speeds across the Welsh moors as it rifles through its ratios. The induction noise is furious, the sucking of the twin turbos gulping down air like a free diver.

The roof is down and we’re open to the elements; the small, leather-and-carbon-clad cabin filled with a rush of oxygen and the heady smell of the outdoors. I’m happy.

At least I am now, thinking back to that adrenaline rush of speed. In the driver’s seat the 650S demands chess player levels of concentration but my word is it good.

McLaren’s supercar offerings have played second fiddle to the drama from Maranello since they arrived – somewhat overlooked by supercar buyers who deemed them ‘too clinical’ and ‘numb’. That’s a shame, because what the British firm has achieved in such a short space of time is to be applauded. The 650S is without doubt a match for any offering from Ferrari, but over four days with the car I can sort of see what they mean about the numbness. It’s hard to criticise a car for being too good, but this 650S really is.

The stomach-churning acceleration – which will see it hit 124mph in just 8.6 seconds – is incredible, but it’s laid down in such a perfect manner that it feels like a computer game, not a heart-tugging machine.

That said, it’s an absolute stunning car to look at. This is the MSO version of the 650S Spider, which means it’s even more exclusive than its brothers. The flippy paint, which shimmers beautifully from black to purple, is an £8,632 option, while it’s adorned with carbon-fibre extras such as mirror arms (£3,505), diffuser (£7,463) and even yellow seatbelts that customers will be charged £2,247 for the pleasure of changing the colour of. It’s amazing what people will pay when presented with an extensive options list, isn’t it?

What they’re paying for really, of course, is the exclusivity that MSO offers. And supercar buyers like nothing more than exclusivity. That and how a car makes them feel. Fortunately, it ticks both boxes very well indeed. I spent a lot of time in the 650S and although over long distances found it a little uncomfortable – the seats don’t recline

62 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

enough for my giraffe-like limbs – it was easy to ignore thanks to its astonishing performance and the glow it gives you every time you climb in through those dramatic doors.

The steering has a crispness to it and feedback I’ve not experienced in a very long time, while it’s hard to imagine how anything could ever feel any quicker than this 641bhp supercar. God only knows how a P1 could offer an experience any more intense than this – even now I can’t fathom anything being any quicker.

But to the ultimate question, one I was asked many times during our test: Would I buy one? As much as I love it, as good as it is and as beautiful as it looks, I’m afraid I just couldn’t.

It doesn’t float my boat like a Ferrari 488 does, and I can’t help looking at the figures and thinking you could have the Mercedes, Civic Type R and Mazda from this test and some change for fuel for the same price. The McLaren is good, but not three cars good.

James Baggott Boss man @CarDealerEd

SPONSORED BY

The knowledge:

McLaren 650S Spider MSO Price: £215,250 Engine: 3.8-litre V8 twin turbo Power: 641bhp, 678Nm Max speed: 204mph 0-60mph: 3.0s MPG: 24.2 Emissions: 275g/km

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 63

FEATURE.

“

Of all the cars I could chuck around the fantastic roads we had at our disposal, the MX-5 is easily the most rewarding.

I

f there’s a car in our line-up with a weight on its shoulders, it’s the MX-5. Hardcore Mazda fans have been (often scornfully) comparing new MX-5s to the 1989 original ever since the Mk2 appeared in 1998, so this new fourth-generation model isn’t going to have it easy.

Personally, I don’t subscribe to that viewpoint – I couldn’t care less whether the new car ‘embodies the spirit of the Mk1’. This is 2015 after all – we don’t criticise chart music for not ‘embodying the spirit of Duran Duran’, do we now? The only thing I’m interested in is whether the world’s favourite roadster is still as well sorted and reasonably priced as it’s ever been.

So where to start, then? From the outside, it’s clear to see that Mazda has got its priorities right. The rounded, slightly feminine lines of the previous car have been wiped from the drawing 64 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

board and replaced with a more aggressive, surprisingly muscular design.

It’s smaller than the old car too, though thanks to some clever packaging it certainly doesn’t feel that way inside.

The most incredible achievement has been the weight shedding, though. Opt for the basic 1.5-litre and amazingly this 2015 car, with its airbags, electric windows and air conditioning, actually weighs less than the original Mk1.

And my word has it paid off. The previous generation was no fatty, even with the extra toys and metal roof that got piled on towards the

end of its life, but this Mk4 darts around like a springbok by comparison.

Plenty of credit needs to go to the pair of new petrol engines as well. Our car had the top-end 2.0-litre option, and it’s an absolute peach. It’s torquey, revs sweetly and supplies a raspy exhaust note too – it really suits the car well. In typical Mazda fashion, the six-speed manual gearbox is crisp and direct too, the stubby gear lever a joy to throw back and forth.

And the result of all this? It’s nothing short of brilliant. Of all the cars I could chuck around the fantastic roads we had at our disposal, the MX-5 is easily the most rewarding. It’s not the grippiest thing in the world, and on the comfort-biased suspension of our mid-range model there is a hint of body roll, but there’s great pleasure to be had in feeling exactly what the chassis is getting up to, all via the seat of your trousers.

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The knowledge:

Mazda MX-5 2.0 SE-L Nav Price: £20,695 Engine: 2.0-litre petrol Power: 158bhp, 200Nm Top speed: 133mph 0-60: 7.2s Fuel economy: 40.9mpg (comb’d) Emissions: 161g/km

Having drawn the ‘short straw’ to drive it all the way to Wales, I can happily say it’s not even that unrefined, either.

On motorways quite a bit of road noise seeps in through the roof, but it rides superbly and assuredly, while the 2.0-litre is happy cruising well into naughty speeds.

The best way I can sum up the MX-5? It comes courtesy of a passer-by I got chatting with while Baggo was buying his daily Euro Pallet of Red Bull. ‘So it’s £100,000 for that Jaguar and £20,000 for the Mazda?’ he asked. ‘I bet that F-Type’s not five times better...’

Do you know what, sir? You’re absolutely right.

Jon Reay Tech boy @JonReay CarDealerMag.co.uk | 65

FEATURE.

L

ook back at Mercedes’ history books and they’re littered with the bold and beautiful, with its 300SL one of the most coveted cars ever. The Mercedes AMG GT is the follow-up act to the SLS, and while it’s not a direct replacement, it does resemble much of the styling, with the long bonnet, gaping grille and swooping, curvaceous lines.

Its smaller dimensions are not only designed to help when it comes to agility and the allimportant price tag, but they’re also aimed to make it more of a rival to the Porsche 911, Audi R8 and Jaguar F-Type.

While the GT styling has a real sense of occasion, it’s more elegant and svelte rather than brutish and aggressive. And although it has a whiff of the SLS about it, Mercedes has favoured traditional side-hinged doors rather than the gullwing style. Shame, we liked them.

That makes the whole process of getting in and out much simpler, especially in tight parking spaces, albeit without the same sense of Hollywood. Once inside, the dash layout is everything you’d expect for a premium performance coupe, the materials and attention to detail are first class and the seats are supportive and comfortable.

However, you can’t help feeling a tad claustrophobic behind the wheel. The central transmission tunnel, which is home to all manner of buttons and controls such as the COMAND control, start button, radio and more, looks fantastic but is quite raised up, making you feel lower in the car. Now, while that’s something you want in a sports car, on several occasions trying to find the right controls while on the move wasn’t very intuitive.

The GT is going up against some pretty wellestablished competition in the performance car category – winners such as the 911 and R8 – so to compete, not only does it have to look the part but it has to be backed up by an excellent drive.

And thankfully it doesn’t disappoint.

Power comes from a twin turbo 4.0-litre V8, which makes the S the fastest Mercedes in the line-up. It pumps out more than 500bhp and will reach 0-60mph in under four seconds with a top speed of 193mph.

Much like the F-Type the GT has a real split personality. Drive it normally and it’s comfortable and relatively tame, but turn on the sports exhaust, flick it into ‘Sport’ mode and all hell breaks loose. While that strong V8 note that comes out of the tailpipes becomes more vocal, it somehow feels more demonic than the Jag, especially when revving over 3,000rpm.

Drive it hard and there’s a pleasing blip on the downshift, causing the exhaust to pop and

66 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

“

Drive it hard and there’s a pleasing blip on the downshift, causing the exhaust to pop and crackle

crackle, and there’s virtually instant throttle response. The steering doesn’t offer the same feel as the F-Type but it does feel sharp. However, it is a little too sensitive. The ride is a little too firm at low speeds too, which makes it harder to live with day-to-day than some of its rivals, but on open roads it all begins to make sense.

On a personal level, the Jaguar and the Mercedes are the two standout cars of the group, and while the others are very capable, most excel

in one area but are let down in another. The Jaguar and Mercedes, though, are just that bit better across the board.

It’s a tough choice between them and one I’ll leave to the science of numbers…

Nigel Swan Head of video @motoringnut

SPONSORED BY

The knowledge:

Mercedes AMG GT S Price as tested: £122,750 Engine: 4.0-litre twin turbo Power: 510bhp Max speed: 193mph 0-60 mph: 3.8secs MPG: 30.1mpg Emissions: 219 g/km

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 67

FEATURE.

T

he Jaguar Land Rover brand has been going through something of a resurgence over the past few years, producing a new range of cars that are making its German counterparts really stand up and take notice. So, with that in mind, it seems that our Road Test of the Year wouldn’t be complete without some sort of offering from the classic British marque.

This is the third year in a row that an F-Type has played a starring role in our halo review and it’s easy to see why. Put simply, we love it. In 2014, the rear-wheel-drive version of the Coupe R came a close second in the overall standings.

But with 12 different versions of the F-Type now available, we’ve managed to get our hands on the latest and range-topping all-wheel-drive one, which Jaguar claims offers improved handling and grip, albeit with an increased price tag.

But the important question is simple: Does it maintain the DNA of the old-school Jags or does it lack the personality that’s been missing from Jaguar for quite some time?

Flick through the motoring history books and you have to go as far back as the early ’60s to find a Jaguar that really captured the imagination of car fans around the world.

And the DNA from that E-Type is clearly evident in the ‘F’. Whichever angle you look at it, it truly is one of the most stylish performance coupes on the market. While many of its rivals produce cars that can match it pound for pound, few will turn quite as many heads.

It’s much the same story when it comes to the interior: It’s compact but at no point does it feel claustrophobic. But as beautiful as the F-Type is, what’s really important is the feeling it gives you on the open road. It’s powered by the same supercharged 5.0-litre V8 that’s in the R, but the all-wheel-drive version features Torque Vectoring on demand and Intelligent Driveline Dynamics (IDD) as well as a new electric power-assisted steering system, borrowed from the new XE compact executive. While all of these technical advances are yet more terms to learn to try to impress your customers, in essence, what they do is make sure they’re able to have the confidence to drive it to the limits of their ability.

Don’t worry, fans of rear-wheel drive are in luck as the AWD is set up to be more rear-biased.

Under normal driving conditions, all the engine torque is sent to the rear, but when traction is lost, power is sent to assist the front wheels.

The steering wheel gear-change paddles connected to the eight-speed gearbox make changing gears more fun too, especially when dropping a gear and flooring it.

And when you lift off the gas, there’s a reassuring crackle from the exhaust.

68 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

While the main difference between last year’s entry and this year’s lies underneath the skin, there’s no question the F-Type Coupe still turns heads wherever it goes. While some cars may be technically more advanced, efficient or even more practical, it’s all about that feeling you get when you sit behind the wheel, and for me, the Jaguar is the pick of the bunch.

Nigel Swan Head of video @motoringnut

The knowledge:

Jaguar F-Type R AWD Price as tested: £100,000 Engine: 5.0-litre Supercharged V8 Power: 542bhp, 678Nm Max speed: 186mph 0-60mph: 3.9secs MPG: 25mpg Emissions: 269 g/km

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“

While many of its rivals produce cars that can match it pound for pound, few will turn quite as many heads

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 69

FEATURE.

R

oad Test of the Year is moving towards its closing stages by the time it’s my turn to drive the BMW i8. In fact, our stay in north Wales is virtually over and most of the team are heading back to the south coast.

Settling in behind the wheel, and never having driven an i8 before, it very quickly dawned on me that I was about to experience something very special indeed. For this is a supercar that’s simply a jaw-dropping piece of machinery whichever way you look at it. And after a few moments spent thinking mainly about not pranging it as I negotiated the narrow streets of Denbigh and began to make the long trip home, I started to enjoy myself.

Although not the newest car we’d put to the test this week, the i8 was hailed as one of the most important arrivals of the past decade when it was launched last year. The scale of the achievement BMW made in terms of design, performance and efficiency certainly shouldn’t be underestimated. With its hybrid technology, strong performance figures and looks to die for, it’s certainly the real deal in the supercar stakes.

But perhaps that means this BMW has a bit of a problem. Was I impressed? Certainly.

But involved? Hmm, that’s a trickier one. The Germans have been so clinical and ruthless in pursuit of excellence here that I found myself weirdly unmoved by the driving experience – a little bit emotionally disconnected – especially when I thought back to the way that I had smiled to myself on firing up the Honda, thrilled to the growl of the Jag or felt annoyed by the less appealing feel of the Lexus.

But it seems I may have been in the minority when you look at the voting…

You see, I found the i8 to be so good, so firmly at the top of its game, that there was little to complain about. And as my RTOTY companions will tell you, I do like a bit of a moan.

Of course, I’m being ridiculously picky – the journey home was an immense amount of fun in wonderful surroundings.

You feel like you’re playing a compelling computer game, surrounded by space-age readout displays, electric blue mood lighting and oodles of lightweight carbon fibre. The only thing spoiling the ambience was the sound of Baggott snoring as he snoozed in the passenger seat.

That at least gave me some (sort of) quiet time to work out what’s under the bonnet. I deduced that the i8 is equipped with a 1.5-litre, threecylinder petrol engine – the unit found in the Mini Cooper – combined with a 129bhp electric motor. And while that might not sound like the kind of powertrain able to make the hairs on the

70 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

The knowledge:

BMW i8

Price: £105,840 (as tested) Engine: Plug-in hybrid with 1.5 litre, three-cylinder petrol engine Power: 228bhp petrol engine; 129bhp electric motor 320Nm (petrol engine), 250Nm (electric motor) Max speed: 155mph (limited) 0-60mph: 4.3 secs MPG (comb’d): 134.5mpg

back of your neck stand on end, the i8 is certainly no slouch. It’s able to sprint from 0-60mph in just 4.3 seconds and it can go on to a (limited) top speed of 155mph.

Another characteristic that marks me out from at least some of my RTOTY pals is that I’m not keen on being the centre of attention. Heading down the M6, the car was papped on countless occasions. And you know what? For once I actually loved it.

Dave Brown Production editor @CarDealerDave

SPONSORED BY

“

This is a supercar that’s simply a jaw-dropping piece of machinery whichever way you look at it

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 71

FEATURE. IT WAS impossible to call. Sat around the B&B cottage kitchen table we’ve been using as a desk-cum-beer store for the week, discussions turn heated.

We’re not normally known James for our peace-treaty levels of Baggott agreement, but not one of us can settle on the same winner.

So we left it to science. Or maths. Or whatever the table below is. Simple, unbiased and fair, four testers would mark each of this year’s Road Test of the Year contenders in nine categories. Alone with just their thoughts to confuse matters.

So now the votes are in and even I couldn’t see what unfolded happen. But it did. So here’s how

this year’s line-up stacks up. At the bottom of the pile is the Lexus RC F. Sadly, it didn’t excite our testers quite as much as we’d hoped. A place at RTOTY is an achievement in itself, so residing at the bottom isn’t anything to be ashamed of, but our testers felt the RC F lacked style, wasn’t as fun as the collective and missed out in the desirability stakes. No one can deny the points though, and the stats below show the Lexus was

OL OG Y

MO N

TE CH N

TO TA L

23

28

39

293

27

27

30

290

27

25

29

288

23

35

29

286

34

38

36

31

32

2. Jaguar F-Type R AWD

34

35

36

35

3. Mercedes AMG GT S

33

35

36

35

4. Mazda MX-5

38

33

33

30

36

5. McLaren 650S Spider MSO

34

37

33

39

38

24

18

19

27

269

6. Honda Civic Type R

33

21

22

31

34

30

34

29

30

264

7. Lexus RC F

20

21

16

28

26

31

33

24

25

224

72 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

DE

1. BMW i8

FU

HA

VA LU E

29

FO R

IC AL IT Y

33 34

PR AC T

CO MF O

RT

G LIN

33 34

ND

32

PE

RF OR MA N

G ST YL IN

SI

N

RA BI LI

TY

CE

EY

And the winner is...

a long way off the pace in this test.

The Honda takes sixth place. It was met with a mixed reaction in Wales. Some loved its looks, other hated them. Some loved its raucous performance, others felt it wasn’t raucous enough.

It was this dichotomy of opinion that saw it fall down the chart. Our testers marked it down in the comfort stakes – but then customers don’t buy one of these for comfort – but it was the low scores in desirability and styling that saw it fall down. That said, it scored brilliantly in handling and value for money.

In a strange fifth place is the McLaren. It was a car I was convinced was set for a win at the outset, but despite breathtaking performance and top scores in desirability it was low marks

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in comfort (and it really isn’t that comfortable), practicality (but then it is a supercar) and value for money that saw it finish mid-table.

Don’t get us wrong, the 650S is an incredible car, but on this criteria and in this company it didn’t stack up.

And so to my second favourite for honours in this test (lucky I’m no betting man) and it’s the Mazda MX-5. The £20k roadster was up against stiff competition here, and the fact it places higher than a car costing 10 times as much is a real achievement. Brilliant handling and value-for-money scores saw it move up the chart, while solid fun factor marks added to its tally. Mazda really has managed to pull it out of the bag with this replacement for an icon.

In third place is the Mercedes AMG GT S. It’s an incredible car that not only has dramatic looks and a soundtrack to wake the gods, but the performance and handling to match. The fact just five points separated it from first place shows how close it came to the crown.

When you look at our scoring chart on the left you can actually see just how close this year’s test was. Despite a collective 360 points available for each car, first and second were split by just

three marks. And it’s the Jaguar that’s edged into second. This is the third year we’ve had an F-Type along for the ride and the third year in a row it’s narrowly missed out on a win. There’s no doubt it’s a fabulous car; the noise is intoxicating, the performance incredible and the way it drives simply gets under your skin. But once again it gets edged off the top spot.

That place is this year secured by the BMW i8. Yes, we know it’s a bit older than the other cars here, but it’s still the biggest news story going for the supercar market. A performance hybrid that’s both affordable and from a mainstream manufacturer that has stuck its neck well and truly on the line. The i8 is to be applauded in so many ways. It is fantastic to drive, stop-traffic gorgeous and so packed full of tech we probably used less computing power to get man on the moon. It wins here because it’s a landmark car, a car of the moment and one we’ll look back at in years to come as the beginning of change and the start of acceptance for new technology. Bravo BMW, bravo. [CD] Baggott’s scoring: 1. Mercedes AMG GT S 2. BMW i8 3. Mazda MX-5 4. McLaren 650S Spider MSO 5. Jaguar F-Type R AWD R 6.

Honda Civic Type R 7. Lexus RC F

Testers' verdicts

Jon Reay

Jon: Because I like to be difficult, I’m going to be the one standing up for the underdogs here. Admittedly the i8, my number one, doesn’t need much help – just look at the thing. It’s an incredible bit of design and engineering before you even consider how it drives. My silver medallist might have a few other fans – the Mazda MX-5. This Mk4 model can do no wrong as far as I’m concerned. Not only is it one of the better cars I’ve driven this year but it’s £20k and can be used every day.

That just leaves me with the Civic, a car that’s definitely been overshadowed in our line-up.

I think Honda deserves a round of applause, frankly: it eats up tarmac, is brilliant fun and (as someone of the PlayStation generation) I think it looks fantastic too.

Jon’s scoring: 1. BMW i8 2. Mazda MX-5 3. Honda Civic Type R 4. Jaguar F-Type R AWD R 5. Mercedes AMG GT S 6. McLaren 650S Spider MSO 7. Lexus RC F

Dave Brown

Dave: Top of the heap for me was the BMW i8.

The fundamental reason? Many manufacturers (BMW included, to be fair) trade on their past glories, their heritage. But the i8, although not brand spanking new, is firmly about the future – and I love it for that. Space-age design, a futuristic driving experience and supercar performance from uber-clever hybrid technology means it more than deserves its top spot. Second for me was the little MX-5.

Everything a rear-wheel-drive two-seater sports car should be and more. Launched at the end of August in the UK, it looks set to be as successful – if not more so – than its predecessors. And taking third place in my list was the Jaguar F-Type. Combining thrilling performance, instant response and superb levels of refinement, who could resist that guttural growl of the engine and the way it demands attention?

Dave’s scoring: 1. BMW i8 2. Mazda MX-5 3. Jaguar F-Type R AWD 4. McLaren 650S Spider MSO 5. Mercedes AMG GT S 6. Honda Civic Type R 7. Lexus RC F

Nigel Swan

Nigel: With such a glamorous line-up you might think it’s pretty hard to pick a winner.

In reality though, for me it’s been easier than I thought. These are cars that are all about the feeling you get not just behind the wheel but when you look at it on your driveway. They generate emotion and the car that stands out head and shoulders for me is the F-Type R. Its blend of looks, performance, handling and the pleasing noise from the exhaust would really have you looking no further. Not far behind is the Mercedes AMG GT S. While it too looks like a showpiece it just feels bigger to drive, but you can’t question its ferocity. Bronze goes to BMW and the i8 for its sheer technical innovation. How can a performance car capable of 0-60mph in 4.3 secs still manage to return over 130mpg? Must be magic.

Nige’s scoring: 1. Jaguar F-Type R AWD 2. Mercedes AMG GT S 3. BMW i8 4. McLaren 650S Spider MSO 5. Mazda MX-5 6. Honda Civic Type R 7. Lexus RC F

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 73

FOCUS ON.

Contract Hire & Leasing

A fundamental change in CONTRACT HIRE & LEASING

F

rom his office in Stockport on the fringes of Greater Manchester, one man is witness to one of the biggest changes in the automotive industry.

It’s a change in consumer attitudes, a new approach to the fundamental issue of how drivers pay for their vehicles. Personal leasing has spread across the Atlantic and is now washing over the whole country. And on the crest of the wave, helping dealerships harness its power, sits Dave Timmis, Managing Director of ContractHireandLeasing.com.

So, ContractHireandLeasing.com is obviously all about contract hire. That’s a market that seems to be on the up — why do you think that is?

Leasing has long been a popular way to fund vehicle usage in the business sector, and it’s continuing to grow in that area. But the current surge in contract hire is coming firmly from the personal market.

It’s a trend that first started growing in the US a few years ago – to the point where 24 per cent of all new cars sales there are now made on lease.

In fact, in some parts of Florida, as many as 70 per cent of all cars are now leased. And we’re fast catching up here in the UK. In the last three years alone, searches for personal leasing deals on our site have increased 300 per cent.

Why do you think leasing has grown so quickly in the personal market?

There are lots of reasons. First, today’s direct debit generation are getting more used to the idea of using rather than owning. If you’re used to paying for a phone on a monthly basis, then it’s not a big leap to leasing a car.

But more generally, a personal lease allows the motorist to drive a nicer, more expensive car than they could afford to buy outright. It’s an incredibly flexible and low-commitment method to get hold of a better vehicle. And in many other ways it’s also more straightforward than traditional ownership, with simple fixed monthly payments and no need to worry about warranties.

Of course it helps that in their own marketing campaigns, manufacturers are increasingly promoting personal leasing. It’s a financing model that works for them. They can highlight appealing, low monthly costs without a never74 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

W: contracthireandleasing.com

ending stream of t&cs in their ads. And their captive finance companies can retain the profit at the end of a short-term deal – rather than potentially giving it away to the customer.

At the end of the day, I think that leasing is also a natural progression for many motorists who have become used to fixed-price motoring through PCP. They are increasingly realising that contract hire is an even more effective way of receiving those benefits.

are often completed faster, as customers can leave a much smaller deposit than with Hire Purchase or PCP. There’s also better likelihood of return business – one survey showed that about 65 per cent choose to lease again from the same dealership.

So tell me a little more about ContractHireandLeasing.com then…

ContractHireandLeasing.com is the largest advertising portal of its kind in the UK and the number one destination for vehicle leasing in the country.

Everything about the site is 100 per cent geared to attracting and reaching out to the fleet and company car market, as well as the fast growing savvy, monthly payment-led consumer market.

As the site is so dominant in the leasing space, we receive over 500,000 ‘in market’ visitors each and every month – all looking for their next car lease. And because of the focused and informed nature of those visitors, our lead generation rate is impressively high – with over 18,000 deal enquires passed to our advertisers every month.

So, for advertisers ContractHireandLeasing. com offers a simple platform to cost-effectively maximise the impact of their leasing campaigns, while enhancing their online visibility far beyond that which they could achieve by themselves.

Tell me more about leasing’s relationship with PCP. Many consumers are confused by the distinction. So what is the main difference and what makes leasing a better option, in your opinion, for motorists and dealerships?

PCP and personal contract hire have some similarities, but they are different beasts.

In both methods, a driver puts down an initial deposit and pays a monthly repayment. The repayments are based on the difference between what the car is worth new and its Guaranteed Future Value. So far, so similar.

But with PCP the repayments are financed with a loan. So each month, as well as paying for the depreciation of the car, the buyer also pays towards the interest on their finance.

Also, at the end of the contract, a PCP customer has the option to buy their car outright. But as this final ‘balloon payment’ is based on the Guaranteed Future Value, they might find And what’s the story behind themselves with a vehicle that’s worth less than ContractHireandLeasing.com? When did you the payment to keep it. Which might be why only start the company? about five per cent actually do.

After a short spell in a pie-packing factory, Personal leasing is a much easier concept.

I moved into advertising, sales and Three or six payments upfront, say, and marketing. I worked with newspapers, then pay the remaining fixed payments magazines and data companies and over the set contract. And that’s it — the over the years I developed a love car is simply returned to the finance of cars and the auto industry. That company at the end of the period. The passion helped me to spot the driver hasn’t got to worry about the car opportunity for the site. being in warranty, they haven’t got to In 1999 I saw the marketing worry about breakdowns, and opportunities the internet road tax is usually included offered. At the time for the duration. It’s literally the main place to fixed-price motoring. And advertise contract that’s one of the things hire was in print Dave Timmis, making it increasingly media, which was managing director of popular with out of date by ContractHireandLeasing.com dealerships, too. Deals the time it was

the car market T: 0161 482 7650 printed. But with the internet, you could put up new deals instantly and you could adjust your offers in real-time… we launched in 2000.

Back in 2000, many dealers didn’t even have a website…

That’s right. In the case of ContractHireandLeasing.com, I saw the opportunity to offer a whole new way to reach a massive potential audience — an audience actively looking for lease deals. I suppose I thought this whole internet thing looked like it could really take off!

position lets us pass on quality leads. Our audience has grown to 500,000 visitors a month, and these are really high-quality leads.

Visitors to the site tend to be informed consumers who know exactly what they want, and who are just looking for a good deal. That certainly doesn’t just mean the cheapest deal.

But they do know what they want. And that’s why we’re confident our conversion rates are much higher than those of any other car aggregator site. [CD]

How have things changed since those days?

Well. At the start I had to sell the benefits of online advertising, whereas now any dealer who isn’t advertising online is just… well I don’t know how they are surviving.

So, in today’s market, how unique is ContractHireandLeasing.com?

We don’t really have any true rivals, not who offer the same thing we do.

Over the latest 15 years, there’s obviously been a number of companies who’ve tried to copy or replicate what we’ve done. But at the end of the day, nobody can match our exposure or offer the choice that ContractHireandLeasing.com does.

What’s given the site staying power in such a competitive online environment?

On their own website, dealerships may struggle to get in front of large numbers of ‘in-market’ consumers: it’s difficult for all but the most committed businesses to get to the top of page one on Google. So ContractHireandLeasing.com offers a simple way for dealerships to benefit from the widespread visibility we have built up over the years.

Our goal is to make sure that when someone is thinking about leasing their next vehicle, they come to us for it first. We constantly invest in enhancing and pushing our brand awareness to the next level, with SEO and PPC campaigns, outdoor advertising and radio. In fact, we’ve just launched a new radio campaign on talkSPORT which will run for six weeks — make sure to listen out for that!

And all of this investment in our market

‘‘

ContractHireandLeasing.com is the largest advertising portal of its kind in the UK and the number one destination for vehicle leasing in the country.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 75

“NetDirector Auto V10 has revolutionised the way we do business online. Its performance is on another level, and more importantly our customers love it!�

Barney Sturgess, Managing Director, Sturgess Motor Group

THE POWER OF

NETDIRECTOR AUTO V10 Delivering a 64% increase in organic leads*

www.gforces.co.uk | info@gforces.co.uk | 0844 846 4767

76 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

*Compared to NetDirector Auto V8 analytics for the same period.

FOCUS ON.

Web design

Staying one step ahead in the world of the web The internet is always evolving so we need to take the same approach. Luckily, help is at hand

I

n this month’s edition of Car Dealer, we have chatted to some of the most impressive dealer website companies out there – and they all have a slightly different take on the things you should be looking at to make your website sing.

Our first featured supplier is GForces. The company told us: ‘More so than ever, motor retailer websites are the public face of a dealer’s business.

‘A professionally designed, easy-to-use site that is packed with functionality is essential for generating leads and sales. GForces’ data-driven approach to its NetDirector Auto V10 platform is delivering powerful digital dealerships that are converting more traffic and sales opportunities.’

Media Motors were

by DAVE BROWN @CarDealerDave

keen to be involved in this feature, and sales and marketing director Jeremy King told us: ‘With the internet being most people’s first impression of your business, it is important to make it a good one and one they will remember, so standing out and having all the necessary tools to help a customer with their buying process is a must.’

Click Dealer, too, clearly know what they’re on about. The company specialises in working with independent dealers and is absolutely passionate about supplying businesses with websites that meet precisely the needs of dealers and their customers, and packed with easy-to-use features and functionality.

Over at Bluesky Interactive, we were supplied with four fabulous pieces of advice, which will all lead to the creation of a relevant, innovative and

exciting website. And CITNow, of course, are the well-respected video experts who are on a mission to bring a customer-personalised video presentation service to every car showroom in the country.

We also spoke to Nick King, Auto Trader insight director, who told us: ‘Buyers quickly turn away if a site is not mobile-optimised, if it doesn’t work well on the devices they are using to search, or if it doesn’t contain all the information they need to engender trust.

‘It makes sense therefore to build an online forecourt that reflects the high standards you’d wish to project in your physical showroom.

‘Consider how to stand out in an increasingly crowded online marketplace.

‘Things like implementing a strategy for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) to ensure your site ranks highly on Google and working with PPC can help drive leads to a site, and ultimately visitors to your physical forecourt.’

FEATURED SUPPLIERS GForces

Media Motors

Click Dealer

Bluesky Interactive

CITNow

GForces’ NetDirector product will make a real difference to your profitability.

Every business has a unique story to tell – this company can help you get yours out there.

Independents need look no further if they want a great-looking site from a forward-thinking outfit.

When two skill sets combine to create a great website, the results can be remarkable.

Using video to help build a high level of trust between dealers and their customers.

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CarDealerMag.co.uk | 77

YOUR DIGITAL DEALERSHIP We are in a digital age whereby consumers are demanding a retail experience through their mobile, tablet or desktop device, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Is your website doing enough to deliver the personalised interactions your customers are looking for? he internet is now used as the primary source for researching and comparing during the car buying journey. Potential customers are able to acquire information about vehicles in their area with greater ease and speed – and are willing to travel even further to get the right deal. Competition for business is fiercer than ever – but by using the right online tools you can make your website work for you.

Automotive retailers cannot afford to have a website with dull aesthetics, a confusing layout, or poor functionality. Even more than your forecourt or showrooms, your website is now the main face of your business – and a professionally designed, easily usable site is essential for generating leads and staying ahead of your competitors, not to mention strengthening your brand’s authority and prestige in the market.

As well as technological expertise, effective website design is down to careful research into the needs of potential customers. Truly responsive sites make navigation an effortless experience for visitors, regardless of whether they are using the site on a desktop computer, tablet or mobile phone. They also take every opportunity to convert a visit into a lead, whilst displaying your selection of vehicles, services, special offers and finance agreements to their best advantage.

NetDirector Auto V10 uses an arsenal of different techniques to establish confidence in your audience and increase the possibility of leads or conversions. Raw data, whilst essential, is no longer enough by itself – the visual impact of your site needs to be enhanced by clear, relevant images (like those generated by NetDirector Image QA) that show your stock in their best light, clearly differentiating them from those on competitor sites.

The resulting high-quality images and bespoke video content drastically increase the visual appeal of your site and the vehicles available – and functions such as NetDirector Vehicle 360 draw potential buyers in by providing a real “showroom experience”.

Dealers using this service have reported a colossal 51% increase in leads. TrueView Model Reveals can bolster marketing campaigns around new vehicles in a similar way – indeed, video search results boast a click-through rate 41% higher than those just offering plain text.

As well as attracting customers’ initial interest with an eye-catching and unique appearance, a high-quality User Interface (UI) keeps up the level of consumer engagement as they navigate your site.

Professional website design also makes it simpler for consumers to connect with your business. 44% of Top 200 UK motor retailers utilise Live Chat functionality, for example, enabling staff to respond

78 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

to online queries more quickly and efficiently than ever. Providing easy access to respected authorities such as What Car?, peer review sites such as Reevoo and credit checking resources like Codeweavers or iVendi, meanwhile, makes your digital dealership even more authoritative and user-friendly.

Our NetDirector platform has been created by the some of the most experienced and highly-regarded developers and web designers in the industry. More of the UK’s Top 200 dealership use NetDirector products to build original, striking and user-friendly websites that generate higher levels of traffic, sales leads, and conversions.

T O F I N D O U T M O R E about how our suite of products and services can give your business that extra competitive edge, visit www.gforces.co.uk or call us on 0844 846 4767.

“

NetDirector Auto V10 has revolutionised the way we do business online. Its performance is on another level, and more importantly our customers love it!

“

T

Barney Sturgess, Managing Director, Sturgess Motor Group

FEATURES

RESPONSIVE DESIGN

INTEGRATIONS

THE POWER OF

CMS

TOP 3 THINGS YOU NEED ON YOUR WEBSITE NOW New Car Model Reveals Short, high-impact vehicle adverts pre-prepared and effectively ‘off the shelf’, but adaptable to businesses by adding branding, custom URLs on-screen throughout, music and optional voice-over. They can be deployed across platforms including dealer websites, social media and YouTube, and can be promoted via paid video marketing.

DEDICATED MEDIA GALLERY AND CENTRALISED ADVERT MANAGEMENT

24/7 Live Chat Powered by BoldChat technology, LiveChat enables your dealership staff to converse with potential customers as they browse your website, enabling them to offer advice, guidance and create a rapport that regularly leads to sales.

INTERNATIONALISED

• One user of this service sold 76 cars and 186 services thanks to the system in one year, converting leads at over 13% for sales and 34% for service. (GForces data)

NetDirector CAP Valuations A simple two-step process through which web visitors can gain an indicative valuation of their current car. Leads are delivered via a full back-end reporting dashboard, including name, contact details and their trade-in.

AUTOMATED TECHNICAL SEO

• Thame Service Station converts 22% of valuations to sale.*

“Adopting NetDirector CAP Valuations has been a fantastic move for us.

Our website was already performing well, but the strength of the leads that the valuations widget provides is high value currency.”

ADVANCED CONVERSION PROCESS

Nicholas Allen, Sales Director, Thame Service Station *average tracked conversions

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 79

FOCUS ON.

Web design

We can help you tell your MEDIA MOTORS

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W: mediamotors.co.uk

or most people, when searching for a product or service, the first port of call is the internet. First impressions are everything – especially when trying to attract clients.

Media Motors is an innovative company which provides car dealers with tailored advertisement and promotion solutions in the form of websites and digital marketing products. And they truly can put you one step ahead of the competition.

Their unique car dealer service was launched two years ago when they created a website for a car dealership. But it wasn’t until they produced two more sites that things really started to take off and Media Motors was born.

Head of sales and marketing at the company, Jeremy King, explained that he could see the potential in offering car dealerships a unique way of attracting clients.

‘Every business has a story to tell and a unique identity; this is why we offer a bespoke service,’ he told us when we caught up with him recently.

‘We will listen and get to know your business and build your online brand based on our findings. With the internet being most people’s first impression of your business, it is important 80 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

T: 01733 889329

to make it a good one and one they will remember, so standing out and having all the necessary tools to help a customer with their buying process is a must.’

So what sets Media Motors apart from everyone else? They are proud to say that they have a dedicated team of friendly experts who can design and develop websites and software, and help with marketing too, which means they can offer their clientele endless solutions.

The company is made up of talented people from various business sectors.

Whether an individual is known for their design skills, business acumen or project management, the team combine to create a wellrounded skill set to offer clients.

King takes pride in being able to offer an endto-end solution, from building a brand from the ground up or assisting their customers to better represent their brand or business online. They offer graphic design services, web development, marketing and even software development.

Media Motors has worked with many large organisations in the UK creating back-end databases and software, not just limited to the car industry.

The beauty of this company is that they work with businesses of all shapes and sizes. As long as you have the same ambition and intuition to achieve something special for your brand, Media Motors are more than happy to help.

One such customer was the business owner of JJ Premium Cars, Johan Leuridan-Herrera, who decided to approach Media Motors to help design a new website for his business. He was extremely impressed with their knowledge and creativity.

‘We were excited to be involved in the process of building our new website and we were kept up to date throughout. It was great to see our new website come to life,’ he said.

‘Since a lot of our business is conducted online, we feel it is imperative to have our business well represented, as this is usually the first point of contact someone has with us. First impressions are crucial and the guys have worked hard to get it right.’

Media Motors endeavour to build long-lasting relations with their clients. They are always on hand to support them 24/7. They have even been known to work a 10pm-10am shift when required.

Their versatility is something to be admired.

They can create anything! Any style for any

unique story

‘‘

Every business has a story to tell and a unique identity; this is why we offer a bespoke service

business can be achieved online. Their main influences are from outside of the industry – this ensures that the client will receive a website that has not been seen elsewhere.

And they will always make sure that your business stands out from the rest.

This ambitious company is well and truly in the 21st Century. They are leading the way in the use of social and multimedia as well as other channels to promote businesses. They have created an instagram account (@mediamotorsuk) accessible to anyone interested in admiring their pictures of luxurious cars.

Going that one step further in what is being called the ‘digital era’ is far from daunting for them. They are always looking to expand their toolbox with fresh and innovative ideas.

And although the team at Media Motors love designing websites, they provide a lot more services besides.

King explains: ‘We are building a marketing and design agency and we have some new products launching this year. We want to give dealers new tools to help them attract clients.

‘We are designing a new website for a business called Junction 17 Cars and this will launch very

soon. Their new site is looking great and we are excited to get this out. Software development is also a key part of our business so CRM systems are also readily available.’

As if they didn’t offer enough services, Media Motors offer SEO (search engine optimisation) and PPC (pay per click) packages to improve your ranking on search engines and send instant traffic to your website.

It appears when visiting their own website they clearly lead by example. The website is easy to find and is fresh, clear and concise with a unique

layout. Twitter and Facebook statuses in the ‘blog section’ are displayed with updates regularly published as well as links to the social media sites.

The photography is stunning with beautifully clear and colourful pictures on every page. This website is attractive and distinctive in every way and definitely lives up to all expectations.

With many services to choose from you are spoilt for choice and with its expert team you are sure to get a five-star service.

This busy team are always keen to help clients make the best of their business. They thrive on enthusiastic car dealerships that are keen to make their mark in the motoring world. King says: ‘We love to design, create and build so for anyone looking to work on their online brand, we are happy to meet with you and discuss your business needs and supply you with our thoughts and offerings.’ It might be worth taking a look at your own website – could it be improved?

If so, it might be worth getting in touch with this company who can help you take the internet by storm.

By Jo Symes @Jo_Lily_Symes CarDealerMag.co.uk | 81

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Web design

Helping you get the edge CLICKDEALER

W: clickdealer.co.uk

T

here are independent car dealer websites, and then there are independent car dealer websites. Gerry Moxham doesn’t say ClickDealer.co.uk is the biggest, but he does make a confident case that it’s among the best.

‘We’ve got around 500 customers across the country at the moment,’ says Moxham, speaking at ClickDealer’s Stoke-on-Trent HQ. ‘Now, we reckon there are around 9,000 independent car dealers in the UK, so we are not massive in terms of market penetration. But by understanding what an independent dealer’s customers want, and providing the dealer with an all-in-one website, we can differentiate ourselves from the competition.’

Moxham started up his business in 2002 and in the initial years focused on providing dealership management systems for independents in the used-car market.

‘Through that experience we got lots of information and masses of feedback on what the dealers themselves wanted, and also what their customers were looking for during the process of buying a car,’ said Moxham.

‘In 2011 we used all that acquired knowledge and experience to develop websites for independent dealers. Our real strength is being able to offer a full solution, combining all the benefits and virtues of a DMS for the independent car dealer, with a customer-facing website that really works for the car buyer. In addition, we have a strong, integrated social media presence on our sites, a very important feature in the modern age.

‘We’ve got lots of competitors out there in the market but none of them supply the level of information that we do.’

He continued: ‘For instance, one of our main strengths is incorporating finance links into our dealers’ websites – having that is a big part of their customers’ journey.

‘And as our websites are fully integrated, the DMS ensures that the finance application forms filled in by the customer goes to the right place at the right time. It’s a big differentiator between ClickDealer and the competition.’

ClickDealer’s websites of course also offer the more commonplace interactivity allowing customers to book servicing, MoTs and other workshop services, choose from a range of 82 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

warranty options, arrange vehicle delivery and collection, car valuations for those wanting to sell, test drives for those looking to buy, customer testimonials and, front and centre, the virtual showroom which puts the dealer’s full stock range on display with suitable filters to aid a search. All the usual DMS functions, such as valuations and KPI tracking, also feature.

But it is the added range and flexibility of the ClickDealer offering that gives it the edge, says Moxham, and gives its clients an advantage not only over independent competitors but also main

dealers. Our dealers don’t have a big brand, like Ford, say, to rely on or hide behind,’ he says, ‘they are smaller and have to compete effectively.

over your rivals T: 01782 478220

‘‘

We’ve got lots of competitors out there in the market but none of them supply the level of information that we do

‘Part of our USP is that ClickDealer is fully responsive on all platforms – it doesn’t matter whether you go to a dealer’s website on a PC, laptop, tablet device or mobile phone, you get the same presentation with all the features, like financing, visible to site visitors. That’s a major advantage over many other website suppliers

who can’t offer that.’ And he adds: ‘We have a number of dealers who have full RAC approval and whose cars carry their 82-point checks. We have developed the technology to add an RAC icon to any photos so the potential buyer can see it however they visit the website.

ClickDealer offers a fully-customisable readyto-go website option, with several linked on their own site, but can also provide a fully bespoke creation, such as the one for Newcastle’s Redgate Lodge dealership.

One of the most impressive facets of their overall offer to customers, however, is the dramatically short, rolling contract period of

A FAMILY BUSINESS ClickDealer describes itself as a family business, and it really is with both Gerry’s son Oliver, and daughter Pippa, at the heart of the operation.

Pippa handles customer service and the sales side, with Oliver bringing his considerable expertise to bear on the digital aspect. In fact, Gerry credits his son with sparking the move from their early DMSonly operation to the fully-fledged, fully integrated service they now provide.

‘Oliver was the catalyst in the development of ClickDealer, and he has played a vital role in moving things forward, as has Pippa with her customer-focus,’ said Gerry.

Gerry emphasises that ClickDealer develops all its own technology, literally in-house at their Stoke base, and has never outsourced its R&D. ‘We are always looking to be different and utilise technology to work for our dealers,’ he says.

‘If we see something new or valuable we can respond very quickly.

The pace of change is unrelenting, with ClickDealer now on its fourth generation of platform since 2011. Evolving technology has also speeded up their delivery – a website that used to take a week to set-up now can be developed in a couple of hours, allowing the ClickDealer community to take on 20 to 25 new clients a month.

And while the digital direction of travel has given ClickDealer a distinctive profile in a competitive market, it is also underpinned by a dedication to customer service, which includes a seven-day help desk operation.

‘The weekends are our busiest time, just like our independent dealer customers,’ said Gerry, ‘and we need to be there for them.’

only 28 days. It’s a bold provision based on a confidence that once a dealership signs up with ClickDealer they will stick around.

‘We’ve got a waiting list of dealers wanting to come over to us but they are tied into long contracts with their current website providers,’ said Moxham. ‘We don’t want to hold on to people if they don’t want to stay.

‘ClickDealer may not be the best forever – if we can’t keep moving forward and offering more innovation, then we don’t deserve to keep our customers.’

by Phil Riley (@PhilRiley5) CarDealerMag.co.uk | 83

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Four key steps to excellence W: blueskyinteractive.co.uk T: 0845 415 4853

BLUESKY INTERACTIVE

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luesky Interactive is one of the industry’s leading digital marketing agencies, and as such we want to build you a great website. However, whilst we have a team of expert, innovative designers on hand, there is more to it than design alone.

In the ideal website build, we combine your car sales expertise with our website and conversion expertise. When these two skill sets work together, the results are remarkable.

Read on to find out how you can use your website brief to deliver an industry-leading site.

1

Don’t be ‘brief’ Your website needs are different to everyone else’s. This is the reason that we at Bluesky Interactive don’t use templates – there is no ‘one size fits all’. So when writing your website brief, make sure to put some real effort into it.

That way you won’t only get a great-looking website that works really well – you’ll get one that’s completely tailor-made for your needs, and how your business works.

Don’t just ask to be like another dealer website – you deserve more than that.

Instead, try and go deeper, taking the time to write a comprehensive brief that gives a strong insight into your business and how you sell cars. It will pay off, we promise!

84 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

2

Get inspired Before you ask for website designs, think about non-dealer websites that represent businesses with a similar personality or target audience to you. If you only look at other dealer websites you might miss brilliant ideas that could be useful – and which would set you ahead of your competitors.

Of course, our designers are always looking around for fresh ideas – but it’s only by being open to fresh approaches and understanding your needs that you can move to the next level.

3

The who and why of it all Try and define your audience and their needs so that your sales team, and your website designers, can understand them as well as possible. Your manufacturers may be able to supply profiles of different car buyers, or you may have an in-house CRM that gives useful market intelligence.

The more we know, the better and more relevant your website will be. Are you targeting first-time buyers, or Type A personalities with an interest in premium, luxury design? Imagine how different their digital needs are likely to be!

4

Let us know your business There are plenty of ‘best practice’ conventions and recommendations that, as your digital agency, we will integrate into your designs and your digital

marketing strategy. That goes without saying.

But you are the one who knows your business down to the more detailed level – and to make the most of our partnership, you need to help us understand it too.

This knowledge means that you can tell us that you convert best by phone call, even though email is convenient. You can tell us that your Motability customers choose you because your Motability manager is much more than just a sales guy. You can fill us in on your competitors’ flaws so that we can highlight you in comparison.

If you follow these four steps when you get a new dealer website, then a specialist agency like us should be able to create a relevant, innovative and exciting website that doesn’t just look nice – but which you can be confident will deliver leads and new business. Who wouldn’t want that? n Bluesky Interactive are a dealer digital marketing and web design agency with three offices nationwide. They were recently placed first for client ranking out of all similarly sized independent agencies nationwide, and all because they listen to clients and deliver bespoke solutions.

To find out more about what they can offer, visit their website at www.blueskyinteractive.co.uk or call them on 0845 415 4853.

MPG PPC LIVE CHAT

OFFERS

STICKY NAV RESPONSIVE DESIGN

CMS

How does it all fit together?

A great dealer website strategy needs a full service agency that you can trust.

KEYWORD SEARCH

STATS

VIDEO SEO

BRANDING CONTENT STRATEGY

0845 415 4853

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CarDealerMag.co.uk | 85

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Web design

Getting in the video habit CITNOW

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W: citnow.com

n the words of the song, the times they are a-changin’, and nowhere more so than in the penetration of digital video into the world of car sales and servicing. At the forefront of what is a veritable tsunami of change is CitNOW, a Wokinghambased company that’s on course to bring a customer-personalised video presentation service to every car showroom and workshop in the country – and beyond.

And if that sounds over-ambitious, well the numbers suggest it’s a project well on its way to success.

‘There were 1.2 million videos produced last year, and 700,000 were produced in the first quarter of this year alone,’ said CitNOW commercial director Alistair Jeff. ‘The important thing to recognise is that customers want more than just some details and a few images. That may have been OK 15 to 20 years ago, and multiple images have been common since around 2008. Now though the customer wants more, the whole landscape has changed.’

What’s changed, of course, are ever-expanding websites which have given customers the ability to research a vast range of vehicles and services, and compare and contrast the on-line offers from any given dealerships. And this information puts purchasing power in the customers’ hands.

Recognising this shift in the relationship dynamic was the CitNOW starting point, a bid to re-establish the direct interaction between customer and salesperson or technician, and putting some of the power back in the dealership’s hands.

Now a potential buyer browsing a dealer’s website who spots a car that meets their requirements can click on a button to request a personalised video. A salesperson will be tasked to record a video, lasting around five minutes, introducing themselves and taking the prospective buyer on a guided tour of their specified vehicle.

‘Many dealers already put generic videos of their stock on line, but 95 per cent of our videos are personalised from a sales executive at the dealership for a specific customer request,’ says Jeff.

‘For the salesperson, once they have received our training, it is easier for them to record and send a personal video than it is to put together an 86 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

T: 01189 977740

email. They open an app on their iPod and start filming. Once they’ve finished they simply enter the customer’s email address and send it.

‘When the customer opens it, they receive a brand approved email and a link to the video of the vehicle they’re interested in on a brand approved web page. It’s a soft interaction,’ he adds, ‘but it has a significant impact on sales conversion and is in any event a great opportunity to develop a relationship with the customer.’

It is this relationship, rather than any technical wizardry, that is central to what CitNOW is offering, a point emphasised by chairman Andrew Howells.

‘Video is working not because we are brilliant but because customer behaviour has changed,’ says Howells.

‘When a customer looks at a particular car on a dealer’s website, we provide an easy-to-take next step, giving them the option to receive a personalised video. They can choose to provide particular details or information on what questions they want answering or they can choose to not access the service at all.

‘The point here is they can request their personal video tour at 11pm at night without ever having to talk to a salesman.

‘Selling cars is like a dating process, it’s about building a relationship and creating trust.

‘Our videos deliver that and at the end of the day people get relevant information in an entertaining manner.’

With years of first-hand experience in the motor industry, both Howells and Jeff recognise that successful salespeople are, first and foremost, good with people, and CitNOW’s videos offers them a chance to apply that skill.

‘If the customer is on-line and not interacting directly with the salesperson then the video is a great opportunity for them to get their personality over,’ says Jeff. ‘Video allows that interaction, the eyes and smiles are visible.’

At the outset there was a degree of resistance to change among some dealer sales teams, Howells concedes, but objections are now much rarer. ‘In the early days the top salespeople weren’t always the ones who wanted to pick up the kit,’ he says, ‘these days there’s momentum in the market and it’s a long time since any of our trainers have commented on people not being receptive.’

Aside from the sales side and the showroom, CitNOW videos have over the past three years established an increasing role in the workshop with definable improvements to aftersales.

‘Most dealers, particularly franchised dealers, use a traffic light system as part of their electronic Vehicle Health Check,’ says Howells. ‘We can demonstrably show that red and amber work goes up when a customer has been sent a video of the work required by a technician.’

The industry average red work conversion is around 50 per cent, though CitNOW report that this can be turned into a conversion rate of up to 80 per cent in some cases following a personalised video recording. Motorline sites

to increase sales FIRST STEP IN A RELATIONSHIP

reported an average increase of 53 per cent in the value of red work sold within three months of introducing CitNOW. ‘Video in the workshop works well as it disarms the customer,’ says Andrew. ‘The person doing the service is not in sales but is an expert technician, so the customer does not feel they are being sold to.

‘In addition, once the work has been pointed out on video and the technician says the car is on the ramp and repair work can begin immediately, the customer is more likely to say yes to the work.

Convenience and service are more important than price at that point.’

The video can be fully integrated within the dealer’s eVHC system, with a detailed report included in the same web page as the personal video.

Putting a precise figure on increased car sales is more difficult to measure – ‘dealers are more reluctant to talk about their new-found success

once they’ve got it,’ Howells shrewdly observes – but CitNOW can draw on some definite success stories. A BMW group in the north west reported a 20 per cent surge in sales volume after introducing CitNOW, while Volkswagen observed a spike in customer satisfaction in their network.

Recently, a Peugeot dealer sent customer videos after training on the Friday and sold an additional five cars over the weekend, and a DP persuaded his Tyneside sales force to each generate three videos a day. Two months later their December sales doubled.

‘We know that CitNOW can have an immediate impact in any dealership,’ said Howells. ‘The time of waiting for new customers to show up in the showroom has gone.’ [CD]

THE personalised video is only the first step in an on-going customer life cycle, points out CitNOW chairman Andrew Howells.

After the initial inquiry there are numerous opportunities to follow-up, with 30 to 40 per cent of subsequent videos not featuring the car at all, rather detailing updates or offering further information or assistance.

Volkswagen, by way of example, have identified 16 ‘touch points’ in the sales cycle alone, rising to over 30 when the workshop and aftersales side of the business is included.

Volkswagen Video (powered by CitNOW) is enabled in a lot of their UK sites with their innovative concept migrating from sales to workshop and now to web.

In contrast, Nissan started in the world of aftersales first.

CitNOW, meanwhile, estimates their involvement in sales and workshop across the UK is evenly balanced.

The company started in the UK, but now has offices in mainland Europe and Japan. Their applications have been translated into 20 other languages so far.

by Phil Riley (@PhilRiley5)

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 87

The FD5 was not a Thunderbird.

But it was still FAB! Mavica, (magnetic video camera) was a brand of Sony cameras which used removable disks. The MVC-FD5, launched in 1997, was the first digital camera to use 3.5 floppy discs (another Sony invention) for storage. Each disk could store a maximum of 55 images even if there was space left for more! In the late nineties, it proved an ideal companion for any dealership who wanted to add images via TraderDesk to their web site in a timely fashion on their dial-up modem connection.

As a CitNOW Web user it’s much easier. You can record a one minute ‘walkaround’ video and store 20 images in 90 seconds and it’s live on your Used Car Locator immediately, pushed out to any Classifieds online service in minutes. You don’t even need a list, the app tells the user which cars require video and imagery.

‘Browsers’ can also request their own personal video presentation. Requests are sent straight to your Sales app ready to respond. We also copy in your Sales Manager and CRM too.

Visit: www.citnow.com/citnow-demo to experience the power of personalised video

0118 997 7740 | reply@citnow.com | www.citnow.com

88 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

FOCUS ON.

Car cleaning

How sparkling stock will help you clean up Let it shine! We chat to the experts to find out how you can add some sparkle to cars of all ages

W

e all know the importance of a friendly welcome, great offers, a clever website and sensational customer service when we’re doing business.

But how much attention do we pay to the task of simply making sure our stock is clean and presentable at all times?

Judging from a quick chat with colleagues at Car Dealer Towers, it would appear that at some dealerships, there is room for improvement!

Over the next few pages, we chat to some of the experts in the car cleaning field, who can all help you make sure the metal on your forecourt is looking simply sensational.

And by way of an introduction to our feature, we had a separate little chat with the companies who can help you.

For instance, when choosing your power

by DAVE BROWN @CarDealerDave

washer, Karcher advises that it’s important to choose a proper professional machine, as these feature plenty of heavy-duty stainless steel and brass components to provide long life. For any dealership washing more than a handful of cars every day, a four-pole motor is essential, as these last longer than cheaper two-pole motors.

Autoglym told us they had recently released Rapid Renovator – a ground-breaking way to bring paintwork back to a near-factory finish in a fast and economical manner, increasing revenue and margins. Most other restoration products require a multi-stage application process, tying up staff for long periods and eating into profits.

But the new Rapid Renovator, made specifically for professionals, is a hassle-free, one-pad process that often requires no additional refining.

Car Dealer’s operations director Andy Entwistle spent the day with Paul Every of Rebellion Automotive near Chichester in West Sussex. Paul has no shortage of hints and tips for effective car cleaning and as an accredited Gtechniq detailer, he certainly knows what he’s talking about. Find out why some dealerships’ car cleaning methods can actually damage the paintwork overleaf!

And we also chatted to the team at the National Car Cleaning Company who have been providing a professional valeting service to their customers for over 30 years. Their wise words are well worth reading – for instance, did you know that your wheels MUST be cold before you start cleaning them? They have more great advice on p92.

FEATURED SUPPLIERS Gtechniq

National Car Cleaning Co

Karcher

Autoglym

The team at Rebellion, who work in partnership with Gtechniq, give us their top tips to help your stock shine. Check them out !

This company swears by Autoglym products – and has great advice about treating carpets, mats and leather.

Invest a bit of extra time, get hold of the right equipment, and you can use some clever detailing tricks to great effect.

Rapid Renovator – specifically for professionals – is a fantastic new way to bring paintwork back to near-factory finish.

P90

P92

P94

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CarDealerMag.co.uk | 89

FOCUS ON.

Car cleaning

Preparing to sell more cars GTECHNIQ

W: gtechniq.com T: 01327 811 015

E

state agents say it’s location, location, location. Location also used to be key for car dealerships, however with the advent of the internet it no longer plays such a big part in finding customers. These days its preparation, preparation, preparation that really matters.

Philip Nothard from data experts CAP explained: ‘Well-prepared vehicles will have the edge in a tough market and the data supports this picture. The effect is more pronounced in certain sectors, with convertibles and luxury executive vehicles prepared to a top grade achieving more than 100 per cent of CAP Clean.’

Given that final preparation of the vehicle is ultimately what the customer will base his or her purchasing decision on, it’s still amazing how poorly presented many cars are.

A well presented car can add thousands to the final price achieved and, furthermore, it also enhances the customer’s opinion of the dealer.

Over these pages Car Dealer is happy to pass on some expert advice and top tips on keeping your stock shining, increasing its value and reducing the time it spends on your forecourt We spent a day with Paul Every of Rebellion Automotive near Chichester. Every is an accredited Gtechniq detailer and has renovated cars of all shapes and sizes including classic Ferraris and Bentleys. He shared with us some of his tips and advice.

Many dealers still just run a wet rag over their cars each morning, using untrained staff because they are cheap, However, Every explains that on average he sees at least one car a week where a cleaner has made the car worse as a result of scratching the paintwork while cleaning it. He argues that all staff should be properly trained.

The right time to properly clean a car is when it first arrives. Do the right job and a quick washdown and wipe over will bring back the shine.

Every uses Gtechniq’s Quick Detailer, however any wax will also do the job to seal in the shine and ensure water beads off the body while on the forecourt, prolonging the shine between washes.

We took my 911 to Rebellion, which I regretted as soon as he put it into their cleaning bay. Under the intense arc lights the previously good looking paintwork was a mass of swirls, scratches and a poor finish. Every pointed out numerous areas 90 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

‘‘

Well-prepared vehicles will have the edge in a tough market and the data supports this picture

where he could easily improve the car, things that would be a very obvious visual improvement. I had known that the O/S headlamp was new, but the deterioration of the nearside was marked.

Rebellion explained that people would assume the car had been in an accident rather than just had a lamp replaced, an instant lost sale.

Every immediately set to work on polishing the headlamp, working through 1500, 2000 and 3000 grit. Once completed he used body cutting compounds, and by the time he had finished the headlamp looked as good as the new one.

Finally a UV coating was applied to the surface without this the lamp will quickly discolour. All

PAUL EVERY’S TOP TEN CAR CLEANING TIPS

1

Always follow the two bucket rule - One with the soapy water and another to rinse the mitt before making the next application.

Load the mitt with soapy water, wash from the top down, then rinse the mitt in the clean water before reloading, otherwise you’re washing a car with dirty water that’s potentially full of grit.

2

Never use a sponge – Sponges trap in the dirt and grit and can damage the paintwork while you are cleaning, which is where many of the swirls you see in paintwork come from. Use a microfibre washing mitt, so any grit is taken down into the fibre rather than staying on the surface.

3

Don’t use a chamois - Every advises throwing away those old leathers. They are harsh on the paintwork and can drag dirt and grit around. Instead he suggests using a microfibre towel. He suggests you drag a leather and a towel across your arm - you’ll notice the difference and the towel will also leave a much better final finish.

4

Work on the windows - Don’t just give the windows a cursory wipe. One of the most noticeable differences you can make is to properly clean the windows inside and out. Use a good quality cleaner and then a polish. It will greatly enhance water beading ensuring the glass continues to look like new.

5

Use a paintbrush on the interior – A good quality paintbrush is perfect to dust all those crevices in air vents and around the dash and console. The eye is immediately drawn to any dust in these areas. A brush for cleaning these area is a must for every dealer. Again a small detail that makes a lot of difference.

6

Carpet mats – Every has a real bee in his bonnet about carpets as these can make or break a car. If the mats are old and worn, don’t chuck them in the boot, replace them. Mats don’t have to be expensive, but make sure the

told he spent around 40 minutes and the results were astonishing. Rebellion normally charge £30 for this job and it’s money well spent, the transformation of the front end was immediately noticeable.

Every then moved on to the wing - under the arc lights the imperfections and tiny scratches

were clear. He set about the job with a light cutting compound before eventually applying Gtechniq Crystal Serum to seal the paint. The results were impressive and the wing had a much deeper shine than the rest of the body. However I was dubious if this would be noticeable in the real world light of the yard. How wrong could I be as the wing stood out like a new panel. The results really did speak for themselves, I just need to get the rest of the car sorted now.

Rebellion charge around £250 for a full car

quality reflects the price point of the car. Don’t leave a car without mats as original carpet is cheap and will detract from the overall look.

Spend time cleaning the boot carpet.

7

Bomb the car – We don’t mean with TNT. Every is a big believer in using a car odour bomb, but not just before a customer is due.

A car that smells too fragrant is likely to leave the customer wondering what you are hiding.

Do it when the car arrives and is going through prep. Contrary to popular belief Every says that you can remove ‘wet dog’ odour, however this will require a thorough wet vac and, in some instances, it’s worth removing the seats to get the carpet under them too. He does say, however, that you can never truly remove the smell from a car that has been smoked in.

8

Number plates – Make sure the plates are clean and undamaged. If they are not, replace them. If they have a non-standard typeface replace them with standard font.

Every explains, a car that is fully detailed can be completely let down with old and pitted plates that have lost their shine.

9

Wheel Nuts – If the car has exposed wheel nuts these are often overlooked and invariably rusty. An old cardboard box with some holes in makes a pefect holder for you to give them a quick brush over with wheel silver.

Try it on one wheel, you will be amazed at the difference it makes.

10

Check all the nooks and crannies – There is nothing worse than a customer opening up an oddment tray and pulling out pens, old tissues or worse. It look like you haven’t properly checked over the car, and if you haven’t checked the interior then what hasn’t been looked at under the bonnet? Every has come across all sorts in his time, from a child’s foldaway scooter secreted in the spare wheel well, to a fast food outlet’s happy meal – complete with its toy – under the seat of a car that a main dealer claimed was retail ready!

detail. This may seem a lot of money, but for more expensive stock most of his customers see this as an essential part of the sales process. They know that they can achieve more for a properly prepared car and it won’t sit around gathering dust for as long. However, you don’t need to spend this kind of money to make sure your cars look great. Above, Rebellion give us their top ten tips on what to do to pull in the profit.

by Andy Entwistle (@CarDealerAndy) CarDealerMag.co.uk | 91

FOCUS ON.

Car cleaning

Expert valet tips for a quick car sale NATIONAL CAR CLEANING

A

professional valeting service can be the difference between making a quick car sale and having to free up more space on your forecourt. But, if you have the time to clean your vehicles yourself, there are a few key tips that can help you speed up your sales.

Wheels Your wheels MUST be cold before you start. Hose them down and spray a wheel cleaner (such as Autoglym’s Clean Wheels) on them until all visible surfaces of the rim are wet.

Working on one wheel at a time, use a wheel brush to spread the spray and then use a hose to wash it off before it gets a chance to dry.

Never use an abrasive substance on your wheels and always wear rubber gloves and goggles.

W: nationalcarclean.co.uk T: 01268 565050

Interior Remove as much dirt as possible from the inside of your vehicle using a vacuum cleaner. Clean all cloth and plastic trim surfaces with Autoglym’s Interior Shampoo.

Mats should be removed from the car, cleaned with Interior Shampoo and left to dry.

Finish carpets and mats with Autogylm’s Odour Eliminator, which removes unwanted smells from fabric surfaces.

For leather interiors, use Leather Cleaner instead of Interior Shampoo and finish with Leather Care Balm.

Glass and bodywork Use a hose to clean down the bodywork, windscreens and windows. Then mix Bodywork

Shampoo Conditioner with some tepid water and sponge down all of the car’s doors and panels.

Remove the shampoo with a hose before it gets a chance to dry. Use a synthetic chamois, such as Autogylm’s Hi-Tech Aqua-Dry chamois, to dry all doors and panels.

All glass surfaces can be cleaned with Fast Glass, which should be sprayed on and then wiped off with a kitchen towel.

At the National Car Cleaning Company, we have been providing a professional valeting service to our customers for over 30 years.

As an Autoglym partner, our valeters only ever use the very best car care products on the market.

For more information on how to prepare your car for a quick sale, please visit our website nationalcarclean.co.uk or call 01268 56 50 50.

WE DON’T DIVERSIFY… WE VALET CARS. We’re a commercial company with one service – quality valeting for the motor vehicle trade.

92 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

PARTNERS WITH THE BEST

IN THE INDUSTRY

AutoGlym is the only cleaning product we use.

t. 01268 56 50 50 www.nationalcarclean.co.uk

ND RA FT V

ER

SIO

Does the finish of your cars portray the image you desire?

AF

TV

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SIO

Do your valeting staff reflect your brand standards?

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We are the experts in car valeting and detailing and offer training and advice for you and your staff

TV

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We can train your cleaners and valeters to not only improve the finish of your vehicles, but also ensure they do so in the most cost effective way. No more damaged paintwork, no more unhappy customers.

DR AF

Contact us now to find out how we can help you improve the way you present your cars. For more information, please contact Paul at info@rebellionautomotive.co.uk or call 01243 575258

PERFORMANCE AND DETAILING CENTRE CarDealerMag.co.uk | 93

FOCUS ON.

Car cleaning

The profit’s all in the detail KARCHER

W: karcher.co.uk T: 01295 752142

W

hen you’re prepping a used car to get the best value from it, standard valeting practices aren’t always enough.

Of course, a thorough wash goes a long way, but there are little detailing tricks that can be achieved easily with a little more time and the right equipment.

A decent professional pressure washer should wash and rinse a car quickly, and also have some added functions to take care of detailing jobs.

Pressure isn’t everything – high water flow is more important to get rid of dirt and soap. Time is always of the essence, so a hot water pressure washer like Kärcher’s HDS 7/10-4 M is a great choice as the hot water (usually 60-80°C) shifts road grime, oil and grease more quickly than cold water. It’s also great at taking care of water marks (like the ones that form below wing mirrors), and for removing wax protection drips from doors and sills.

The machine’s rotating lance makes it easy to clean under sills, all the way around wheels and arches and behind wing mirror glass, and by

turning down the pressure (this can be done at the gun) essential areas like door shuts, roof gutters, window seals and badges can be cleaned without excess splashing. Don’t forget to clean around the boot opening and the bodywork behind the wheels.

Adding the right detergents also helps. Kärcher’s professional range includes TFRs, shampoos, waxes, and wheel cleaners which are all designed to speed things up and get a better finish.

The 7/10-4 can also generate steam up to 155°C for cleaning and degreasing: ideal for removing brake dust from calipers, shocks and backs of wheels. If you don’t want to use a steam-generating pressure washer to detail the engine bay, Kärcher’s low-pressure dry steamer SG 4/4 makes an ideal alternative as the steam is focussed on small areas at a time and can be combined with scrubbing.

Since EU energy labels (like the ones on fridge-freezers) came in last

year for dry vacuums, suction performance of these products is now capped.

But wet and dry vacuums are exempt from the legislation, so valeters can still get the power they need. Models like Kärcher’s NT 65/2 feature twin motors that double the power, making very quick work of interior clean-ups, and automatic filter cleaning that ensures the suction power stays high.

With older or lighter-coloured interiors, carpets and upholstery should be deep cleaned with a sprayextraction cleaner like the Kärcher Puzzi 8/1.

These draw huge amounts of dirt out of textile surfaces and restore carpet pile, but leave surfaces almost dry – well worth the extra effort to make the most profit.

But these products won’t just help you to get the most profit from your stock. They can also be used all around your business to ensure it’s not just the car that gives a great first impression.

Save time and make money AUTOGLYM

A

W: autoglym.com T: 01462 677766

ll car dealers will be acutely aware that their vehicles must look their best on the forecourt to maximise profit.

Perhaps the most important aspect – the thing which is going to attract customers and increase the ticket price significantly – is the condition of the paint.

For that reason leading car care company Autoglym has released Rapid Renovator – a groundbreaking way to bring paintwork back to a near-factory finish in a fast and economical manner, increasing revenue and margins.

Most other restoration products require a multistage application process, tying up staff for long periods and eating into profits.

But the new Rapid Renovator, made specifically for professionals, is a hasslefree, one-pad process that often requires no additional refining.

It is a machine polishing compound that quickly 94 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

removes paintwork imperfections from any vehicle, leaving an ultra-gloss finish and a natural depth of shine.

Oliver James, of Autoglym, said: ‘We are extremely proud of Autoglym Rapid Renovator, which makes it far quicker and easier for a dealership to prepare a car for sale.

‘The hassle-free application of Rapid Renovator means that the car is in front of customers sooner, ensuring there is maximum opportunity for a sale. There are additional savings as less money is spent on vehicles which are sitting dormant

waiting for restoration, and valeting and product costs are also reduced.

‘We are sure that dealerships are really going to feel the benefits of Autoglym Rapid Renovator. It produces the as-new finish that today’s customers expect in a far easier way.’

The product is silica and silicone free, delivering a fantastic finish without any danger to the user and the environment.

Before starting work, the vehicle is cleaned and dried, ensuring all industrial fall-out and contamination is removed from the paintwork.

Rapid Renovator is then applied directly to a medium foam pad in three pea-sized blobs and applied directly to the surface using a machine at 600-800 RPM, passing over the area in a horizontal, overlapping motion, gradually increasing the speed to 1500-1800 RPM. The product is also available as part of the Autoglym Complete Paint Rectification Kit. The kit includes one litre of Rapid Renovator, a 160mm Renovating Pad, a 125mm Renovating Pad and a Microfibre Finishing Cloth. [CD]

Profits from other vehicle protection systems look dull by comparison.

Carbon Shield TechnologyTM Fuses liquid carbon to vehicle paintwork to create an impenetrable barrier against harsh contaminants and the elements.

LifeShine’s new Carbon Shield Technology™ outlasts other vehicle protection systems to give your customers a superior product and put the shine back into your profits.

Research shows that on average a dealership’s penetration rate increases by 13% when they switch to LifeShine*.

What’s more, with a lifetime guarantee from the most recognised and respected names in car care, it really is the easy choice for customer satisfaction.

That’s the Autoglym way. Always has been.

*Swift

International Research 2014

www.lifeshine.com CarDealerMag.co.uk | 95

DASHBOARD. FEATURE.

Ask Lawgistics

Here’s a way to see off hashtag hijackers

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

Q A

Can I use an unroadworthy sales invoice for an old part-ex?

This is a regular question we get asked, and in most cases the answer is no. We understand that part exes are generally old vehicles that are near the end of their lives, but unfortunately this doesn’t change the potential buyer’s statutory rights, and producing an unroadworthy sales invoice will not help you to get around this.

An unroadworthy sales invoice is exactly what it says it is, and the vehicle must be unroadworthy for you to issue one. If you use an invoice pad like those supplied

by Lawgistics, the terms and conditions will state that the vehicle cannot be used on the public highway until it is made safe and it will be removed from the premises by a transporter or similar means.

An unroadworthy invoice is usually applicable for vehicles being sold for repair or parts. In reality, if you have advertised a vehicle for sale and the potential buyer has taken the vehicle out on a test drive and driven it away, your use of an unroadworthy invoice would be seen as an attempt to restrict your client’s statutory rights.

This equally applies to any agreement made with the client regarding putting an MOT on the vehicle.

This invalidates the unroadworthy sales invoice and

Q

the client will still have their entitlement under the Sale of Goods Act 1979. This may seem unfair applied to a vehicle which could be 15 years old and has travelled many miles, though the law recognises that components may come to the end of their life due to wear and tear which as a seller you are not liable for.

However, if a component fails soon after purchase then it is more evident that the component failure was present at the time of sale. If you are selling a part-ex which is roadworthy (i.e. has a valid MOT) but has a known fault, then we recommend that you use a standard sales invoice pad but state on the invoice the faults which are known on the vehicle. Make the client aware of this before they enter into the agreement, and once the fault is included on the sales invoice, obtain the buyer’s signature.

If the client then returns after purchase and specifically states the problem which you had made them aware of, you have the evidence to show that the buyer knowingly entered into the contract with the known fault, and thus it can be argued that you are not liable for that particular fault.

Please also be aware that if you are selling a vehicle as ‘unroadworthy’ you should not provide a current MOT or allow a test drive on the public highway.

.com

Consultation is needed to change commission

Q A

I want to change the rates of commission I pay my salesman. How do I go about this?

The process you follow will depend on the contracts of employment you currently have in place. If the payment is discretionary, then the rate can be altered or removed without the employee’s consent.

If the payment is considered to be a fundamental part of the employee’s terms of employment, you must consult with the employee regarding the proposed change and obtain their written consent.

This consultation process will include you speaking to the employee, explaining the rationale behind the changes, and issuing a formal written proposal outlining the changes so that they can take this away and consider it fully.

You must make yourself available to the employee to answer questions.

Give the employee a deadline for the return of the written consent form and, once received, you must then give four weeks’ notice to the employee

before the change takes place.

You will then need to issue a new contract or amended any policy document before the change comes into effect.

If an employee refuses to give written consent but continues working for you, then their conduct can be deemed as valid consent.

If the employee refuses to give consent and later resigns, they may have a case for constructive dismissal if the change is deemed unfair. However, in this case it would appear unlikely.

ADVICE

Further to your website article about hashtag hijacking, I wonder what action you can take against someone who is using your hashtag in a negative way, or if a competitor used it to piggyback on your company’s goodwill to make themselves appear associated with you?

Thank you for the interest in our article, we are glad it’s provoked some thought! Having looked into this, at present in the UK we don’t have the capacity to actually copyright or trademark protect hashtags, so you couldn’t protect these from being used by other tweeters.

This has become a trend in the US and it may be something which filters through to the UK in due course. However, if you already own a trademark for your company name I don’t see why you couldn’t extend this protection to the trademarked name being used within a hashtag.

This is something we would need to explore if the situation arose. With regards to competitors using your hashtag, again, if this is your business name, you could pursue them for something called ‘passing off’, where a company seeks to use the good reputation of another business to drive customers towards them. This is something that is already an issue with website domain names, which we have already successfully dealt with for clients.

A

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WHY I JOINED CAR DEALER CLUB

WANT TO UPGRADE YOUR MEMBERSHIP?

Total engine failure on a recently sold vehicle led this new member to seek advice from Lawgistics

CRAIG Fleming had only been a member of the Car Dealer Club for a few months when he found himself in need of some advice from Lawgistics. An engine failure had occurred in a Mazda he’d sold five-and-ahalf months previously, and, naturally, the owner returned to his dealership, Flemings Specialist Cars.

As he had only travelled 6,000 miles in the second-hand vehicle, the customer assumed that there must be a fault somewhere in the engine, and he was right.

A hole in the side of the engine block was found to have caused the engine to fail, however the customer declined to authorise a diagnostic, so Craig had no way to discover the cause of the damage, nor its extent.

After a little research, Fleming established that the problem was inherent to the car, apparently a design fault rather than anything that he had caused.

He commented: ‘I pride myself on preparing everything properly before a car leaves me. I have it serviced by an independent workshop using only genuine parts, but the problem that had come about

was a combination of the way the customer had driven the car and also the way that Mazda’s DPF regeneration system works.’

Due to the car having been sold on a sale or return basis, and the problem being a manufacturer fault, Fleming, who has run the business for the past five-and-a-half years, was unsure whether he was liable.

A quick chat with a Lawgistics adviser reassured him that he was not responsible, and left him in a good position to negotiate.

While he could have refused to help the customer due to the length of time that had passed and the mileage that had been covered since the sale, Fleming did not believe this to be a professional or personable way to deal with the problem.

Instead, he took the Lawgistics advice on board but compromised with the client to find a mutually-acceptable solution.

‘Whilst I didn’t have any obligation towards him, I wanted to help the customer out – he had bought a car from a dealer for the reason that if there was a problem, there was a comeback.

‘I just thought it was the right thing to do to assist where I could.’

£1,000s AND ALL FOR JUST £39.99

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AMS – GAP Insurance

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

EASY STEPS TO JOIN CAR DEALER CLUB

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GO TO CARDEALER MAGAZINE. CO.UK/ CARDEALER CLUB

Scan the QR code

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HIT SUBSCRIBE

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FILL OUT YOUR PAYMENT DETAILS ON PAYPAL AND 4 HIT SUBMIT WAIT FOR YOUR CAR DEALER CLUB PACK TO ARRIVE IN OR THE POST PHONE 023 9252 2434 AND SPEAK TO ONE OF THE CAR DEALER CLUB TEAM

Dragon2000 CarDealerMag.co.uk | 97

DATA FILE.

Thestatistics n

SMMT Sales Data

n

Taking Stock

It might have been summer – but car market still grew...

That’s 42 consecutive months of improvement – and now it’s September!

T

he new car market recorded its 42nd consecutive month of growth in August – traditionally one of the year’s quietest months – according to figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

New car registrations increased 9.6 per cent to 79,060 for the month, taking year-to-date growth to a healthy 6.7 per cent. Gains were made across all sectors and all fuel types, with registrations in the private, business and fleet markets up 7.2 per cent, 11.8 per cent and 12.1 per cent respectively.

The market for alternatively-fuelled vehicles, meanwhile, grew 52.3 per cent year-on-year, maintaining a steady 2.4 per cent share of the overall market.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: ‘August’s strong performance has again been driven by attractive finance deals and a diverse range of technologically advanced models.

‘Britain’s budget-conscious buyers are taking advantage of low regular monthly payments that provide

certainty and affordability. With September’s new 65-plate now in full swing, we expect UK showrooms to be as busy as ever.’

The best-sellers during August were the Ford Fiesta (4,753 units), Ford Focus (2,673), Volkswagen Golf (2,456), Vauxhall Corsa (2,154), Volkswagen Polo (1,911), Audi A3 (1,838), Vauxhall Mokka (1,751), Vauxhall Astra (1,614), BMW 3 Series (1,337), and the Ford Kuga (1,325).

In the year-to-date figures, the top sellers were the Fiesta (85,247), Vauxhall Corsa (57,165), Ford Focus (54,795), Volkswagen Golf (45,597), Nissan Qashqai (39,596), Vauxhall Astra (34,767), Volkswagen Polo (34,511),

Audi A3 (31,334), Mercedes-Benz C Class (28,488) and Fiat 500 (27,104).

Once again, the Blue Oval was the star performer, with the Fiesta at the top of the monthly and annual sales charts. Andy Barratt, Ford of Britain chairman and managing director, said: ‘In a UK market that has recorded 42 consecutive months of growth, Ford is carrying strong sales momentum into September, which, in combination with the March registration plate change month, accounts for a third of UK annual sales.

‘We are consolidating and growing our long-standing UK market leadership through continued investment in exciting products and industry-leading technologies.

‘The sales success of our fresh and extended CV range underlines this, while car sales are outpacing rivals thanks to the flow of new models, including C-MAX, S-MAX, Galaxy, Mustang and Mondeo Vignale.’

The Ford Fiesta is in its seventh year as the UK top seller.

Record September could be ‘calm before the storm’ ALTHOUGH all the indicators point to a record September for new car sales, this could be the ‘calm before the storm,’ according to valuations experts CAP. Derren Martin, senior editor, CAP Black Book, said: ‘September will undoubtedly see large numbers of retail part-exchanges and fleet returns.’

Martin predicted that September would probably stay relatively steady with regards to value movements, with 98 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

particular pressure not appearing until the additional volumes start to appear.

He said: ‘With used car volumes being high, and on the increase, and reductions in values so far this year being relatively modest, we are faced with a similar picture to last year.

‘In the final three months of 2014 there was a pricing realignment in the used car market and there is every likelihood that this could happen again, although this time around there

is the potential for it to start earlier and still last for the remainder of the calendar year.’

Used-car supply levels were high in August but demand closely matched them. Values in Black Book Live declined slightly, with average value dropping a modest 0.6 per cent at the three-year, 60,000-mile point.

City cars and convertibles saw the heaviest reductions in percentage terms, it was reported.

SMMT sales data Aug/year to date

5

Top

Most-improved manufacturers in August

SsangYong +261% Jaguar +202% Lexus +108% Infiniti

+95%

Abarth +70%

5

Bottom

Worst-performing manufacturers in August Chrysler -95% MG -43% Lotus -37% Dacia -37% Aston Martin -26%

BMW +36.49%

MG -43.42% Figures supplied by SMMT

Marque Abarth Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Chevrolet Chrysler Citroen Dacia DS Fiat Ford Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Kia Land Rover Lexus Lotus Maserati Mazda Mercedes-Benz MG Mia MINI Mitsubishi Nissan Perodua Peugeot Porsche Proton Renault Saab SEAT Skoda smart Ssangyong Subaru Suzuki Toyota Vauxhall Volkswagen Volvo Other British Other Imports Total

August 2015

2015

85 128 14 5,850 27 4,848 1 3 2,863 428 389 2,031 11,980 1,629 2,208 39 836 278 2,123 1,086 283 15 46 1,450 3,969 43 0 1,660 602 3,159 0 3,304 280 0 1,734 0 1,348 2,716 344 123 79 1,273 2,313 8,919 7,611 831 32 80 79,060

% market share 0.11 0.16 0.02 7.40 0.03 6.13 0.00 0.00 3.62 0.54 0.49 2.57 15.15 2.06 2.79 0.05 1.06 0.35 2.69 1.37 0.36 0.02 0.06 1.83 5.02 0.05 0.00 2.10 0.76 4.00 0.00 4.18 0.35 0.00 2.19 0.00 1.71 3.44 0.44 0.16 0.10 1.61 2.93 11.28 9.63 1.05 0.04 0.10

August 2014

2014

50 151 19 5,159 24 3,552 0 73 3,003 680 0 1,901 11,231 1,511 2,665 20 276 176 2,386 827 136 24 38 994 3,444 76 0 1,609 454 2,956 0 3,280 160 0 1,587 0 1,526 2,631 272 34 49 1,381 1,968 8,817 6,127 694 52 150 72,163

% market share 0.07 0.21 0.03 7.15 0.03 4.92 0.00 0.10 4.16 0.94 0.00 2.63 15.56 2.09 3.69 0.03 0.38 0.24 3.31 1.15 0.19 0.03 0.05 1.38 4.77 0.11 0.00 2.23 0.63 4.10 0.00 4.55 0.22 0.00 2.20 0.00 2.11 3.65 0.38 0.05 0.07 1.91 2.73 12.22 8.49 0.96 0.07 0.21

% change 70.00 -15.23 -26.32 13.39 12.50 36.49 0.00 -95.89 -4.66 -37.06 0.00 6.84 6.67 7.81 -17.15 95.00 202.90 57.95 -11.02 31.32 108.09 -37.50 21.05 45.88 15.24 -43.42 0.00 3.17 32.60 6.87 0.00 0.73 75.00 0.00 9.26 0.00 -11.66 3.23 26.47 261.76 61.22 -7.82 17.53 1.16 24.22 19.74 -38.46 -46.67 9.56

2015 1,323 3,046 579 104,863 875 94,596 8 134 53,842 15,931 1,965 39,400 213,245 32,829 55,119 785 13,106 6,323 50,228 40,072 8,040 241 929 28,006 88,899 1,950 0 36,087 15,414 96,494 0 67,718 7,649 0 44,073 0 31,865 48,760 4,525 1,875 1,913 21,005 62,509 168,252 143,178 25,003 469 1,246 1,634,369

Year-to-date (YTD) % market share 0.08 0.19 0.04 6.42 0.05 5.79 0.00 0.01 3.29 0.97 0.12 2.41 13.05 2.01 3.37 0.05 0.80 0.39 3.07 2.45 0.49 0.01 0.06 1.71 5.44 0.12 0.00 2.21 0.94 5.90 0.00 4.14 0.47 0.00 2.70 0.00 1.95 2.98 0.28 0.11 0.12 1.29 3.82 10.29 8.76 1.53 0.03 0.08

2014

955 3,450 551 100,952 954 88,629 2,761 1,283 52,272 15,060 0 41,634 208,432 34,460 50,699 377 11,454 2,082 49,246 34,568 6,498 153 763 23,307 75,714 1,483 5 26,588 7,635 84,340 25 67,553 5,461 1 37,739 1 33,017 49,395 3,214 852 1,523 23,361 58,823 169,182 130,810 23,554 561 958 1,532,335

% market share 0.06 0.23 0.04 6.59 0.06 5.78 0.18 0.08 3.41 0.98 0.00 2.72 13.60 2.25 3.31 0.02 0.75 0.14 3.21 2.26 0.42 0.01 0.05 1.52 4.94 0.10 0.00 1.74 0.50 5.50 0.00 4.41 0.36 0.00 2.46 0.00 2.15 3.22 0.21 0.06 0.10 1.52 3.84 11.04 8.54 1.54 0.04 0.06

% change 38.53 -11.71 5.08 3.87 -8.28 6.73 -99.71 -89.56 3.00 5.78 0.00 -5.37 2.31 -4.73 8.72 108.22 14.42 203.70 1.99 15.92 23.73 57.52 21.76 20.16 17.41 31.49 -100.00 35.73 101.89 14.41 -100.00 0.24 40.07 -100.00 16.78 -100.00 -3.49 -1.29 40.79 120.07 25.61 -10.09 6.27 -0.55 9.45 6.15 -16.40 30.06 6.66

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 99

TAKING STOCK. The shape of the used car market is likely to change as the new cars sold in recent years start to feed into the sector in greater numbers...

A record year for used car sales after a 5.6pc increase BCA has just published its 25th Used Car Market Report . . . and it provides a fascinating insight into the state of the industry

A

ccording to the 25th edition of the Used Car Market Report, published this month by BCA in association with the Centre for Automotive Management, University of Buckingham, the value of used car sales in 2014 reached £45.1 billion – a year-on-year increase of 5.6 per cent and an all-time high for the sector.

Dealers account for £34.3 billion (78.3 per cent) of all used car sales and 4.1 million sales, equivalent to 57 per cent of all sales.

A total of 7.2 million used cars were sold last year as the market maintained a strong performance in the post-recessionary period.

Alongside the 2.5 million new car sales figures reported by the SMMT, this resulted in a ratio of 2.9 used cars sold to every one new car.

The collective value of the UK new and used car markets leapt to £88.5 billion in 2014 up from £79.4 billion in 2013, with used vehicles accounting for 51 per cent of the total market value.

The BCA Used Car Market Report also provides insight into buying and ownership preferences amongst UK motorists, based on consumer research conducted earlier this year*.

Significantly, it identifies changing attitudes to the used car buying process with the handson experience – in the form of the test drive – becoming more important than in previous years.

For 22 per cent of the motorists surveyed, the test drive was the most important influence on their choice of used car – rising from 16 per cent last year.

Customers are increasingly researching online and then completing the deal in the showroom.

Those visiting a dealership are at a fairly advanced stage in their buying process and are checking the look and feel of a car, making the test drive an increasingly important element. Thirty-four per cent of buyers visited just one forecourt before purchasing a used car, with 20 per cent visiting up to five before sealing the deal. Perhaps surprisingly, 28 per cent of buyers claim to have visited no forecourts at all in their search for a car, this number being dominated by private-to-private sales. On average, buyers visit 1.73 forecourts during the buying process.

And the majority of buyers are visiting local

dealerships – 42 per cent spend less than 20 minutes travelling to buy a car with just 17 per cent prepared to spend more than an hour.

The report also shows how the mix of used cars is starting to change.

Average age rose to 7.8 years in 2014, meaning the average car is now one year older than it was a decade earlier.

The report suggests continuing strong new car sales will result in average age declining and predicts a small fall by the end of 2016.

Car ownership is also on the rise, from a five-year low of 69 per cent of households in 2014 to 75 per cent in 2015. Twelve per cent of motorists are likely to buy a car in the next 12 months – of those, almost three quarters (72 per cent) said they would buy a used car in 2015.

Hatchbacks remained the most popular model amongst used car buyers – increasing seven per cent year-on-year to a total used car market share of 51 per cent. Diesels accounted for 36 per cent of those bought by respondents which represented a fall of one percentage point compared to the previous year.

Spencer Lock, group managing director, BCA,

Total value of new and used car markets

£88.5bn

100 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

said: ‘The 25th edition of the BCA Used Car Market Report provides valuable perspective on this important part of the UK automotive industry.

‘Used car market values rose to record levels, as did the combined value of new and used cars sold. A record-breaking £88.5 billion was spent on used and new cars last year.

‘Dealers continue to generate significant volume and value in the used car market, representing nearly 80 per cent of the total market value and 57 per cent of the total volume.’

Lock added: ‘The shape of the used car market is likely to change as the new cars sold in the last three or more years start to feed into the sector in greater volumes. Dealers that have had to focus increasingly on older vehicles should find growing volumes of younger used cars available to meet the needs of their customers.’

Proportion of households owning a car

*BCA commissioned TNSBRMB to carry out research with 4,000 used car buyers in the UK to identify their priorities and experiences in buying and owning a used car. The research was carried out in March 2015. Market volume and value figures were prepared by Emeritus Professor Peter NC Cooke and the Centre for Automotive Management, University of Buckingham.

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REAL DEALS.

Once ahead of its time, it is now a rare sight The Ford Sierra divided opinion at launch but it broke new motoring ground, as ANDY ENTWISTLE reports

T

he ‘Salesman’s Spaceship’ or a gamechanger, the Sierra divided opinions,

but you can’t argue with the fact that it had a huge impact on the European car market. Released to an amazed public in August 1982, believe it or not it was only on sale for just over 10 years. It feels like it was much longer, but for those years it really was one of the most significant cars on the market.

Replacing the ageing and woefully outdated Cortina, the Sierra was a car with a modern shape. By the time the Mondeo replaced it in 1994, its silhouette – with plastic wraparound bumpers, no discernible grille and flush-moulded lights and windows – was commonplace.

Everyone else followed where Ford had first ventured, and I think that it’s fair to say modern car design owes more to the Sierra than it does any other single model.

As with most sales rep fodder, the proliferation of these vehicles meant they ended up being cheap second-hand purchases, normally bought by those with little concern for their upkeep by the time they were six or seven years old.

So despite 1,299,993 being sold in the UK, there are only 3,000 remaining on the road, according to Howmanyleft.co.uk, and only six from 1993 when this car was first registered.

It wasn’t just the European public who were shocked by Ford’s new offering, and it’s alleged that Ford’s US parent company was baffled by its European offshoot. Who in their right mind would launch something so radical into the fleet

This Sierra has only covered a little over 31,000 miles

102 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

market? At first these concerns seemed justified, as the public couldn’t adjust to such a radical change in styling and people flocked in the opposite direction.

It took around two years for sales to pick up and it was only when the MkII was released in 1987 that things really took off. Although the interior was less cutting edge than the exterior, it still had one of the first moulded dashboards, designed with driver ergonomics in mind, and warning lights via a very rudimentary onboard computer – something that up to this point had been the preserve of executive cars only Technically, it felt as if Ford had spent all the money on styling, as under the bonnet early Sierras picked up where the Cortina had left off, with a range of OHC Pinto and Cologne V6 engines and tried-and-tested McPherson struts upfront. In 1987, Ford introduced the Sapphire, a booted Sierra that fleet managers and sales reps had been crying out for as something a little more ‘classy’. Ford also put a grille on the Sapphire as a gesture to the conservative British public.

We can’t talk about the Sierra without touching on the XR4 and Cosworths. Lending some sporting prowess to the range, the Cosworth was a legend the moment it was released. Sadly, it also appealed to

joy-riders and ram-raiders, and people’s inability to get insurance on these cars in the early ’90s is well documented. These days, MkI Cosworths change hands for well over £40k, with even later Sapphires regularly achieving more than £10k The car we have here is a MkIII – in reality, a facelifted MkII, which was the pinnacle of the Sierra. By then, all cars came with painted bumpers, smoked rear lights (very ’90s cool) and a range of decent engines.

The interior had been improved and the Azura special edition had all the expected toys – alloy wheels, an FM radio (with cassette player of course), electric windows and a sunroof.

Time has not been kind to many Sierras, with smoking engines and body rust, but there are no such problems with this Azura. It’s covered a tad over 31,000 miles and had only four owners.

The current owner hopes it might be worth somewhere over £3k. Will Larmour of Pebley Beach is a bit more realistic and looking for bids on this piece of motoring history. Call him on 01285 648503 and see if you can come to a deal.

AUCTIONS.

Peter Vardy sees sharp acceleration in sales and profits. bit.ly/vardy91

240 cars worth £1.7m sold – and strong debut by auctioneer Andrew Great results for dealers and vendors alike at Rockingham sale

AUCTION STATIONS

Fascinating trends are beginning to emerge

T

A

total of 240 vehicles were sold at City Auction Group’s sale at the end of July, with a combined value of £1.7 million.

The auction results led the market in the last two weeks of July, with 82 per cent of vehicles achieving an average CAP Clean value of 97 per cent. Demand was strong for 13- and 14-plate small to mid-range vehicles with an average of 20,000 miles.

The top five best performing vehicles were the Audi A1 TDi 2.0 Hatchback Diesel, achieving the highest CAP clean value (104.3 per cent); followed by the Mini Cooper 1.6 Hatchback (104.2 per cent); BMW 116d 2.0 SE Hatchback (104.1 per cent); Fiat 500L 1.3 Multijet Pop Star (101.8 per cent); and the Peugeot 208 1.2 VTi Allure Hatchback (101.2 per cent).

There were strong results for Fiat and Peugeot, with both marques achieving four appearances each in the top 20 CAP Clean list. Again, there was strong demand for hatchbacks, which made up nearly three

Henstock

quarters of the vehicles achieving the best price, in the top 20.

City Auction Group has also expanded its sales team with the appointment of Andrew Maddocks as new business development manager. Zoe Kennedy joins as office manager along with Naomi Dickson as auction support.

Michael Tomalin, pictured, managing director of City Auction Group, said: ‘We waited patiently for an experienced auctioneer to become available and Andrew fits the bill perfectly. He has a wealth of experience and excellent contacts in the retail sector.

‘Andrew’s inaugural event on July 23 at Rockingham was very successful. The auction delivered great results for our vendors and dealers were able to acquire a wide range of high-quality stock.’

Large family cars perform well in August Year-on-year, values were up across AVERAGE part-exchange values were the board, in all vehicle segments. The up 1.7 per cent (£58) month-on-month top five increases in average selling price in August, and were 9.4 per cent (£307) compared to August 2014 were in the above the same period in 2014, according executive (22.1 per cent), MPV (16.3 per to Manheim’s monthly sales data. cent), 4x4 (15.2 per cent), coupe (14.4 The average part-exchanged car had per cent) and compact executive (9.9 per 803 fewer miles on the clock than the cent) segments. Key monthly performers previous month, and 1,950 fewer miles Car dealer May 2015 24/4/15 10:53 Page 1 were vehicles in the large family segment. than August 2014.

No cowboys.

Just Just trade trade professionals. professionals.

he annual publication of BCA’s Used Car Market Report always turns up some interesting data on the wider market and this year’s – reported in full on page 100 – certainly shows a buoyant market.

Dealers account for £34.3 billion (78.3 per cent) of all used car sales and 4.1 million sales. Good value appears to be the main driving force and notably the used car price index is lagging behind the RPI figures by more than 20 points, showing that used cars represent great value for money. But dig into the figures a little further and there are some fascinating trends beginning to emerge in car-buying habits amongst differing age groups.

We are all familiar with Generation X, but we are increasingly seeing the differing needs of Generation Y and the millennials (born up to 2004) impacting the car buying arena. Research by Urban Science presented by their managing director Paul Dillamore at a special conference staged by BCA to mark the launch of this year’s report, highlighted some of the characteristics of these younger motorists. Gen Y, for example, expect quick answers to questions, prefer text to email, take their driving test later and need positive feedback.

When choosing a car, they are much more concerned about fuel consumption, servicing costs and insurance costs, but relatively unworried about performance, safety or equipment levels when compared to their slightly older brethren in Gen X. Gen Y are more likely to pay for a car from savings than a loan, credit card or PCP deal. When buying a car, while they – like Gen X – overwhelmingly prefer to buy from a franchised dealer, they are also more likely to buy from a specialist dealer or online third-party site such as eBay or Gumtree.

Knowing your customers and their needs has never been more important than in the digital age – you can be sure they know all about you!

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Brindley Road, Stephenson Industrial Estate, Coalville, Leicestershire LE67 3HG T: 01530 833535 email: info@fleetauctiongroup.com www.fleetauctiongroup.com

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 103

MARKET INSIGHT. August was a good month overall, says Mike Jones

A

ugust proved a good month for the majority of UK listed motor retailers.

With the exception of Inchcape, which has been hit by the same global uncertainty as that which is depressing the FTSE100, the car dealer stocks made significant gains in the month on the back of continued strong trading updates, continued record registration levels and more consolidation.

The largest mover in the month was Lookers, which received a significant boost following the announcement of the deal to acquire Benfield. As with all stocks, the car dealers saw a significant fall in the middle of August as the market reacted to global economic uncertainties.

With the exception of Inchcape, the shares bounced back quickly as the impact on UK dealers’ fortunes was reassessed and the share price growth has continued since then.

Financial performance Lookers announced a strong set of results for the first half of 2015, beating a strong set of comparatives and analyst expectations. Revenues were up nine per cent year-on-year, with adjusted PBT up more than seven per cent.

On the back of this, Lookers continued the recent trend of all listed stocks, increasing its interim dividend by 10 per cent on the prior year.

Marshall made its first results announcement since admission to the stock market, with a strong performance for the first six months of 2015. Revenue was up 16 per cent year-on-year, with profit before tax up just under 10 per cent for the same period. Vertu announced a pre-close

..in association with ASE-global.com

Transactional activity and strong earnings drive retailers in right direction Share price movement from January 1 to Sep 8, 2015

Share price movement from January 1 to Aug 4, 2015

Pendragon

139.8%

126.9%

Vertu

119.5%

109.3%

Lookers

140.3%

127.5%

Inchcape

99.1%

114.1%

Cambria

156.8%

151.1%

Caffyns

108.7%

105.9%

Marshall

127.9%

119.7%*

*movement since admission to AIM on April 2

Lookers shocked the industry with its £87.5m acquisition of Benfield Motors.

Inset: Nigel McMinn.

Who is Mike Jones?

He’s the chairman of dealer profitability specialist ASE plc. You can read ASE’s column here every month 104 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

statement for the five months to July 31, building on the back of the strong full-year performance for 2014/15.

While we will see the full half-year numbers in the middle of October, revenues are growing across the board and the company is trading in line with upgraded expectations when it announced final results in May. Cambria also announced a confident trading update for the 11 months to July 31.

The second half of the year is apparently progressing well against the prior year comparative and the company is expecting to beat market expectations when it announces its full-year results.

All these announcements continue the trend of positive trading results, with the listed dealer groups able to manage the self-registration pressure and deliver enhanced earnings.

Transactional activity Lookers shocked the industry with its £87.5m acquisition of Benfield Motors, adding 30 dealerships to the group. Given that Lookers COO Nigel McMinn’s prior role was CEO of Benfield, there should be slightly less surprise and a significant head-start on integration compared with most transactions.

While the headline goodwill payment at circa £32.5m (dependent on Benfield’s current year trading performance) looks quite high, the fact that Benfield had not revalued any properties and had an amortisation and depreciation charge of £4.3m in 2014 will bring this down to approximately twice EBITDA. In addition to this transaction, Inchcape has acquired the Yorkshire-based Land Rover dealership Armstrong Massey.

While Inchcape has not disclosed the acquisition, it makes sense, given Inchcape’s ownership of the Jaguar retailer in York.

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Get it right and you’ll feel good every time you make a journey. Get it wrong, however, and you’ll never feel satisfied. Choosing an employer is similar but, considering how much time we spend at work, it is far more important to get that choice right. After all, this is a decision that will literally change the course of your life. You need to know, however, that we are equally choosey when deciding who will make this journey with us. You would expect no less.

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Follow Us! CarDealerMag.co.uk | 107

DATA FILE.

James Litton

TRADER TALES

Name that chills the hearts of sales execs

T

here is an online company whose very name strikes fear into every sales manager in the Mercedes-Benz network. Carwow. Not a day goes by without one customer or another telling the sales executive they have been on the Carwow website.

My previous dealership was one of the first of those to sign up to the website a couple of years ago, and their evolution since then is both impressive and terrifying in equal measure.

Their recent appearance during primetime television suggests that their website could soon become a staple part of conversation for all franchised dealers, in much the same way webuyanycar has become.

Intermediaries are nothing new. I have written many times that brokers feast upon our own inadequacies and ineptitude, but no third party website has entered the car buying consciousness of the general population as quickly as Carwow has managed.

Drivethedeal and Broadspeed used to promise users UK-supplied cars at heavily discounted prices, but as the dealers involved were never revealed until after the purchase, the average buyer was sceptical of their promise and their success was marginalised.

Carwow, however, have successfully harnessed the positive attributes of all price comparison websites. As soon as a customer registers, the world and his wife bombard the individual with offers for the model of their choice. You can immediately see who the dealers are, what they are offering and, invariably, the response takes no more than 15 minutes.

As a car shopper, how could you achieve this without spending hours visiting countless showrooms? What is not to like?

At this moment in time they have a monopoly but no doubt there will soon be imitators and competitors.

You could even see them resorting to targeting the children of site users with cuddly toys (is there a marketing ploy more cynical?).

However, as I have written many times, I do not fear intermediaries and neither should you. Good insurance brokers are thriving. You will not see good hotels on laterooms.com.

Solid marketing strategies relating to all elements of the mix will always see you through.

‘As soon as a customer registers, the world and his wife bombard the individual with offers.’

Who is James Litton?

James is sales manager at Mercedes-Benz of Taunton. He always has something to say about the industry he loves.

108 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Suppliers’ If you’re looking for a motor trade supplier you can find

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I hope this phone prank stays a secret!

W

e all love a good practical joke at my dealership but one day I fear I may have taken things a little too far. Fortunately I haven’t been found out about this one just yet, and I’m praying that never happens.

I’d been reading on the internet one of those silly sites that lists things with funny videos and the like and publishes many pictures of cats being scared of things like cucumbers.

On there was a picture of a brilliant text conversation between one teenager and his parents. He’d got hold of his parents’ phones and fiddled with auto correct so every time his mum typed ‘no’ it replaced it with ‘hell yes’, and whenever his dad typed ‘no’ it replaced it with ‘where the bitches at’.

You can guess how the conversation went when the son asked his mum and dad in a group message if he could throw a party… I laughed, quite a lot, and then decided to play a trick on my boss.

While he was out dealing with one particularly irate customer I seized my moment and grabbed his phone. Now I couldn’t think of something quite as good as the American teenager and his parents, I was far more childish than that, so instead delved into his contacts.

There I replaced ‘Work’ with ‘Jane Big Boobs’ and waited for my moment to strike…

And strike I did. Knowing the big boss man was enjoying a romantic Bank Holiday weekend away with his wife in the Cotswolds – and that he always has his phone hooked up to his car’s hands-free that clearly displays the name of the caller on the central dash display for all to see, I got Sarah on reception to give him a shout and tell him ‘we really need him’.

Needless to say, the boss didn’t pick up, but I know it rang just about long enough for the caller ID to be shown front and centre.

‘Jane’ was sent straight through to voicemail and told the boss man how much she ‘needed him’ back in the office. I don’t know exactly how the rest of the boss’s weekend went, but I for one felt considerably better about him making me work the Bank Holiday!

‘I know the phone rang just about long enough for the caller ID to be shown front and centre.’

Tell us your story

Have you something to confess? We’d love to hear your tale of woe. Email the editor (you can find our details on page three) or post them on our new forum – simply type cardealermagazine.co.uk/forum into a web browser and get confessing!

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 109

KEY NOTES

..in association with Traka

Handle with respect You need to inspire confidence – not concern – in your customers, says Paul Smith

M

anaging car keys seems like a simple enough thing to do. But some of the larger and more successful dealerships today are selling more than 100 new cars and simultaneously handling up to 100 part-exchange or used car sales as customers trade up to new wheels each week.

These are very busy places, sometimes with two to three linked (but separately located) showrooms and additional car pounds for stock that cannot be accommodated in cramped showroom car parks.

One company we spoke to recently needed 1,000 slots for keys to ensure that it didn’t run out during plate-change months, which see 30 per cent surges in car numbers on site.

When you rise to vehicle numbers this large, with each set of keys potentially being handled by up to 50 staff within the sales, PDI and valet teams, the need for a foolproof electronic keymanagement system becomes self-evident.

As Callum Rankin, dealer principal at BMW Harry Fairbairn, which is part of the Arnold Clark Group, indicates, the alternative hits the bottom line as well as CSI numbers. ‘Our previous keymanagement system had a knock-on effect of lost sales. So if a customer came to the dealership to test-drive a specific used car that they had researched on your website, if they could not access it in 20 minutes and they’ve set aside that lunch hour to test-drive it, they may not come back. That sale could be lost. Our CSI score can be negatively impacted, which can have a negative impact on sales momentum and agent morale.’

The other issue is perception alignment. Many modern franchise dealerships today look very slick. New showrooms look like shiny glass palaces, with dazzling lights, sparkling tiled floors, polished cars and sharp-suited sales agents. Customers arriving at these retail palaces adjust their expectations upwards in line with the amount of money they are about to spend and the luxury retail experience they are walking into.

They expect everything that happens in that dealership – every interaction they have with staff, the sales brochure that they pick up or the car that they sit in – to be very much in line with that expectation.

If just one element of that customer experience falls short, it sticks out like a sore thumb.

All too often, that sore thumb today is handling and finding car keys. And the evidence is that customers are generally becoming less tolerant of waiting more than a few minutes to

test-drive a car or pick up their vehicle following a service. They simply do not budget much time to do these things. If they are kept waiting in the dealership, the customer is quicker to give that dealership a black mark than they used to be.

The result is sliding CSI scores and potentially declining sales.

In aftersales, we think it is important to think as many people do when handing something valuable over for someone else’s safekeeping; whether it be your three-year-old child being dropped off at a new nursery for the morning or handing over the keys to your £40,000 Range Rover. Stand for a minute to watch the concern in the customer’s eyes as their keys are handed over only to be attached to a dirty, pre-used manila paper tag. Perhaps the key-handler is crossing out the previous car registration and scribbling the new customer’s registration in its place before handing the keys to a technician who has oil all over his hands, or placing it on an unsecured keyboard close to the open rear door of the workshop.

Compare that experience with seeing the key looped on to a metal electronic key fob while receiving a brief explanation of how the car key will now be electronically tagged, stored in biometrically-secured key cabinets and tracked between handlers at every stage.

The latter experience is likely to impress and certainly reassure the customer parting with something they value very highly. The former leaves them wondering what kind of place they have entrusted their car to.

Is it time to think again about how you treat your customers’ keys?

Who is Paul Smith?

ASSA Abloy recently purchased the electronic key management software provider eTag Solutions. eTag was founded by Paul Smith, who now heads Traka Automotive, part of the ASSA Abloy Group brand Traka. Traka is a leader in intelligent access control, key management control solutions and keyless electronic lockers.

Keys can make you money…

Find out how at www.traka-automotive.com The only viable key management solution for automotive POWERED BY

Email sales@etagsolutions.com or call 0845 225 2910

110 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

SuperUnleaded.com THE GRID

Top stories, accelerated by you...

SuperUnleaded is your new motoring service station where you choose what’s important. Like a post? #AccelerateIt up The Grid for others following in your slipstream and help set the starting line-up of timewasting content for everyone else.

Fuel for thought

Daily motoring news where you help choose what’s important. From the makers of award-winning @CarDealerMag straight out of @BlackballMedia

facebook.com/superunleaded

twitter.com/SprUnld

These Ferrari Challenge Racers Are Utterly Pants

From BMX To BMW, The Tetraplegic Drifter

A Ferrari 458 will mean you’ll attract new friends like flies to… something brown and smelly. However, we can’t promise those new pals will stay amicable if you drive like this...

Visit: sprunl.de/1yz9l

Some people deserve serious respect, and Liam Shetly is certainly one of them.

The 21-year-old is aiming to build a special drift car, following a serious BMX accident.

Visit: sprunl.de/0adpr

This Comedian Totally Nails His Parking Ticket Response

This Video Will Make You Do A Bit Of Sick In Your Mouth

Comedian Joe Lycett, of 8 out of 10 Cats does Countdown fame, recently received a parking ticket. His method of dealing with said ticket was novel, but highly amusing.

Visit: sprunl.de/4bir0

Ever seen a clip so confusing that you have nightmares about it? Neither had we, until this gem featuring Team Nitto driver Shannon Campbell was released earlier this month.

Visit: sprunl.de/3m757

Classic Cars Go On Epic Road Trip, We Love The Pics

Ferrari Takes On Tree, Tree Wins

Who wouldn’t love to go on a drive through scenic Scotland in the presence of 50 fantastic cars, ranging from a 1903 Mercedes to a 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari?

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Of all the cars this driver could have wrapped around a tree, it had to be a Ferrari 458 Spider, didn’t it? The Johannesburg driver apparently forgot how to control his very pricey supercar.

Visit: sprunl.de/muio9

125mph Crash Test Shows Horror Of High Speed Impact

Cute Toddlers Love Going Sideways In Dad’s E46 M3

In an attempt to improve in-car safety, a Swiss company has conducted tests on cars during 125mph impacts. The results are staggering, with very little of the vehicles left afterwards.

Visit: sprunl.de/ki0uy

Falken Motorsports Pro Formula driver Calvin Wan realised he was raising two future drifters after taking them for a spin in his beloved E46 M3...

Visit: sprunl.de/rz135 CarDealerMag.co.uk | 111

THE FLEET.

LATEST FROM THE FLEET...

Sixth report:

Second report:

Third report:

VWTransporter

FordST

Outlander

A commanding driving position allows me to pretend I’m Hannibal from The A Team

I’ve just found out how much I’ve been missing

My first choice for those long, long journeys

THE ST has been on our fleet a few months now, but as I’ve been treated to the luxurious comfort of the Audi S7 I haven’t spent much time in it.

Until now, that is.

And, you know what, I’ve been missing out. After just a few miles in the ST I realised just how much fun I’d been unintentionally avoiding.

And it wasn’t just me, either – ops director Andy texted me one night after borrowing the keys to get home with three words: ‘ST is brilliant!’

I had a MKII Ford Focus ST as my own car for three years and loved it.

But boy did that thing drink the fuel.

While the new model is thirsty too, it’s more Diet Coke in comparison to the full fat older model. It’s considerably better to drive too. The noise may be slightly artificial but it’s equally addictive and the lively steering and whiff of torque steer make it just as entertaining.

It’s a comfortable car too. The Recaro sports seats I found to be extremely supportive.

Meanwhile, Ford heard how much I was enjoying the ST and sent me the official ST watch. It’s actually rather smart but at £165 I think I’d rather spend the money on a few more tanks of fuel! Far more fun…

James Baggott (@CarDealerEd)

WITH a work trip to Aberdeen on the cards the Outlander was my first choice for one simple reason and that’s the ‘C’ word: comfort.

The elevated driving position provides a good view and there’s plenty of head and legroom in the front, so you’re not cramped in on the long journeys. Two-way steering wheel adjustment and multi-adjustable seats mean you’d have to be Andre the Giant to find it uncomfortable.

It offers a smooth ride and the soft suspension soaks up any bumps. Mitsubishi have worked hard to improve the handling and stability compared to the old model and there’s far less wind noise, road noise and vibration, which again makes it more comfortable.

It’s also an easy car to drive and the running costs are healthy, with figures of 52.3mpg and 140g/km of CO2 for the six-speed manual.

Our model is the GX4, which adds leather upholstery; heated front seats; a DAB radio and powered tailgate among other things to the lower models.

The Outlander also offers the reassuring safety you’d expect from a big Mitsubishi.

Gareth Bethell (@garethbethell)

THE more I drive the Transporter the more I love it. Not only because it makes me feel like Face from the A Team, or Hannibal (let’s go with Hannibal, as I was never cool enough to be Face), but also because of its ability to be a van.

I know most of the above paragraph makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, so hear me out for a minute.

Firstly, I could definitely pull off Hannibal because I’ve got grey hair and occasionally have a penchant for cigars, but secondly I often forget the Transporter has that massive load space behind me, hence the van surprise.

You see the more I drive it the more that size disappears and the more I love the commanding seating position the cabin offers.

This month it has totally come into its own too and impressed me with its ability to swallow equipment that would normally require a roof rack, a step ladder and an appointment with the chiropractor.

I’m training for a triathlon with a difference at the moment – it’s called a SUPBikeRun, and will see me complete (fall off) a paddleboard course of 3kms, take on a 30km mountain bike trail ride and then a 5km trail run.

It’s the former I’ve needed the training for so, paddleboard 112 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

purchased, I’ve mostly been transporting it down to the sea in the Transporter this month.

But not only does it cart that with ease – albeit after removing one of the seats from the second row so it slots all the way down the side of the van – but it also has room for two kayaks so my wife and friends can come along too.

Now these sea kayaks aren’t particularly small, but with some fine tweaking, much shoving and careful arrangement they all fit, while still giving me room to take three passengers to the water.

That alone makes the Transporter my current favourite on our fleet – there’s a lot to be said for fast and fun, but practicality like this really floats my boat (so to speak). I must be getting old…

James Baggott (@CarDealerEd)

THE KNOWLEDGE Model: VW Transporter Sportline 60 LWB Price: £37,306 (as tested) Engine: 2.0-litre BiTDI 180PS 7spd DSG Power: 178bhp, 400Nm Max speed: 119mph 0-60mph: 10.2s Emissions: 211g/km Mileage this month: 444 THIS MONTH’S HIGHLIGHT Being able to transport a paddleboard down to the beach.

THE KNOWLEDGE Model: Ford ST-3 5-door Price: £27,730 Engine: 2.0-litre 6-speed manual Power: 247bhp Max speed: 154mph 0-62mph: 6.5sec Emissions: 159g/km Mpg: 41.5 (combined) Mileage this month: 2,004 THIS MONTH’S HIGHLIGHT Getting the chance to add to my watch collection.

THE KNOWLEDGE Model: Mitsubishi Outlander 2.2 DI-D GX4 Manual (Diesel) Price: £30,498 Engine: 2.2-litre diesel Power: 147bhp, 380Nm Max speed: 124mph 0-60mph: 10.2s Emissions: 140g/km Mileage this month: 2,911 THIS MONTH’S HIGHLIGHT Enjoying the comforts on a business trip to Aberdeen.

LONGTERMERS

Fourth report:

Fourth report:

Ninth report:

Farewell report:

AudiS7

Mazda6

KiaProcee’d GT

DaciaDuster

Great to drive even with the boss alongside

Frugal, comfy but a little too complicated for me

Reunion showed GT is a bit of a head-turner

It divided opinion but it is a great-value vehicle

THE first time I finally got to drive the S7 my excitement was tempered slightly by the fact that my boss was in the car with me.

It was a bit like going on a date with a page 3 girl and having her dad come along as a chaperone. I was driving with the hand brake on, metaphorically speaking.

Still, the sleek S7 is a beautiful machine that combines style and quality to great effect.

The sweeping design looks stunning and it’s no surprise there’s been a queue to get a drive.

The quality of the interior matches the outside and Audi aren’t wrong when they talk about ‘immersing yourself in total comfort’.

It’s got all the things you would expect, plus a couple of things I really like. The ‘phone box’, that charges your phone and lets you use it is a nice touch and I now need a head-up display in my life.

But this classy coupe is not all about the looks and the S7 can certainly perform.

With plenty of room inside and a big boot, the S7 really does combine luxurious practicality with exciting performance.

Gareth Bethell (@garethbethell)

FIRSTLY, I need to make a quick confession. I swiped the keys for VE64 PHU simply assuming that it was the most frugal of the current Car Dealer fleet.

I had a journey to Huntingdon to look forward to, and being rather close to payday, funds were tight.

I had seen the burgundy Mazda 6 in the car park, I had even admired its looks, but had paid it no more attention than that.

Good choice! The six-hour round trip flew by. I have been lucky to spend time in some of our ‘premium’ cars recently, but none felt more comfy than this.

OK, this model is at the expensive end of the range, with electronic handbrake, swanky entertainment system and even a heads-up display.

Which brings me to my only complaint. I struggled to use it! The infotainment system seemed overly complicated. You also need to have the dexterity of Houdini to view your speed on the heads-up display.

That said, it didn’t help that a case of bug strike also hindered the view.

The disappointing thing is, that this could so easily be rectified by using a slightly less transparent screen.

The devil is in the detail as they say.

John Bowman john@blackballmedia.co.uk

IT was a trip to my local filling station that made me realise that the Kia Procee’d GT we currently have on the fleet is a VERY goodlooking car. A real head-turner in fact. The reason?

Well this particular fill-up trip turned into a bit of a reunion involving me and some former neighbours of mine.

And as we caught up with each other’s news and annoyed the waiting people in the queue behind us at our local Sainsbury’s, the conversation turned to LG64MPF. It was a Sunday and the car was looking spotless in accordance with the Car Dealer rules that all vehicles must (a) be clean and (b) be full of fuel every Monday morning. And as our pretty little Kia sat there glinting in the sun, I checked her out myself and saw her with fresh eyes.

My former neighbours (hello Ollie, Maureen and Simon) all thought the car looked stunning and I couldn’t help but agree.

The distinctive quad LED lights, honeycomb grille and the dash of red along the front splitter really make the car stand out.

It’s a Kia with a dose of added swagger and style and we love it.

Dave Brown (@CarDealerDave)

THAT’S me in the pic above, on the right, saying goodbye to our longterm Dacia Duster.

Dacia, of course, is the budget brand that has helped lead to a resurgence in the fortunes of Renault over the past couple of years.

And although I had enjoyed driving the car, it’s fair to say that it divided opinion during its time with us. After several months of me singing its praises, it was a colleague who spoilt the mood with his verdict: ‘I love affordable motors.

Unfortunately, on this occasion, I’m making an exception.’

He went on to describe the diesel engine as gruff and noisy, a fair point, and the shortness of the gears, again not unreasonable.

So, do the positives outweigh the negatives? Well, the experts at Auto Express declared themselves ‘big fans of Dacia’ and Autocar’s verdict was: ‘Buy a new Duster and you’ll find a good looking compact SUV with a spacious interior, for not much money, parked outside your house.’

So there you have it: a few shortcomings, certainly, but for the price, a Dacia Duster is a very attractive proposition.

Dave Brown (@CarDealerDave)

THE KNOWLEDGE Model: Audi S7 Price: £61,995 Engine: 4.0-litre, V8 twin turbo Power: 414bhp Max speed: 155mph 0-60mph: 4.7s Emissions: 225g/km Mileage this month: 1,979 THIS MONTH’S HIGHLIGHT Realising that I need a head-up display in my life.

THE KNOWLEDGE Model: Mazda 6 Price: £27,655 Engine: 2.2-litre diesel sixspeed manual Power: 173bhp Max speed: 130mph 0-60mph: 9.1s Emissions: 107g/km Mileage this month: 1,820 THIS MONTH’S HIGHLIGHT The six-hour round trip to Huntingdon just flew by.

THE KNOWLEDGE Model: Kia Procee’d 1.6 T-GDi GT Price: £22,495 (as tested) Engine: 1.6-litre petrol Power: 201bhp Max speed: 143mph 0-60mph: 7.4s Emissions: 171g/km Mpg: 38.2 (combined) Mileage this month: 1,306 THIS MONTH’S HIGHLIGHT My lovely former neighbours thinking I’d gone up in the world!

THE KNOWLEDGE Model: Dacia Duster Laureate dCi 110 4x4 Price: £16,380 (as tested) Engine: 1.5-litre, turbocharged diesel Power: 109bhp, 240Nm Max speed: 104mph 0-60mph: 12.3s Emissions: 137g/km Mileage this month: 568 THIS MONTH’S LOWLIGHT Saying goodbye to NJ14PFD after a long stay with Car Dealer.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 113

BAGGOTT.

I

Have you got our FREE iPad app? Download it here bit.ly/CDMiPad

We need a way to stop the cowboys ruining life for the rest of us

’m starting to hear worrying things about how tough business is out there for some independent dealers – and I’m wondering whether it’s time something drastic happened.

I don’t mean drone strikes, but something a little more thought through and planned than a good old moan to your kinfolk down at the auction.

Delving into the Car Dealer Forum, as I do regularly (if you’re not on there you really should be because it’s full of dealers like you talking about the issues that affect you every day), I spotted a worrying post from one of the more active members saying he was throwing in the towel.

In a post entitled ‘Closing Down My Business, Sad Day’, Wheelerdealer1 says that with a heavy heart he’s decided to call it a day. In an emotional post he wrote: ‘I sold the last of my stock today. Unfortunately I can no longer compete with all the local driveway sellers working from home I have down here in West London and up and down the country.

‘I prep my cars well and sell from a premises with a warranty, and these guys are undercutting me big-time selling no prep cars, no warranty, with no comeback from anyone so they don’t really care what scrapheap car they sell.’

What a sad state of affairs. A legitimate business closed down by cowboys – roadside traders, or home-based wannabe car dealers who are giving you hard-working tradesmen and women out there a bad name.

But what can we do about it? And more to the point – what can we do about it before the government steps in and does something that causes even more pain for the rest of us? It’s no secret that one of the largest causes for complaint in the automotive sector to Trading Standards is from used car buyers.

But I’d hazard a guess that those buyers aren’t buying from the VAT-registered, FCA-approved, customer-conscious dealerships that make up our core readership. No, they’ll be buying from Dodgy Dave in a layby on that busy road into your town where you find all the cheap cars with fluorescent for sale signs in their windows. And when their car, which they bought because it was ‘a bargain’ breaks down they have no avenue for recourse.

I’m not stupid, those complaints won’t just be about the roadside traders. I’m sure there are some ‘proper’ dealerships out there that don’t do the best by their customers either, but what is clear is that there’s a minority ruining it for the rest of the industry.

So what can we do about it? Well, I’ve long thought that a campaign that supports the good guys – you – was needed, something that signposted consumers to the

Who is James Baggott?

good guys. Customers like to buy with confidence, just look at sites like Checkatrade.com for proof of that, but how does that take shape for us, what form does it take and how does it work?

We could go all out and attack those dodgy roadside traders, point out with stickers and flyposting on the cars that the buyer should beware, that the seller is a trader but not offering trade benefits to the customer. But that’s just an incendiary to fan the flames of contempt in the industry – let’s face it, as annoying as it is, we’ve all got to start somewhere, right?

I’m afraid I haven’t got the answers, but I do know that if we don’t do something together, as a collective industry, to stamp out those rogue traders that are giving the rest of us a bad name then big brother is going to do it instead. What this

James ‘I’ve long thought a Baggott campaign that supports

the good guys was needed’

AGAINST OUR BETTER JUDGMENT, WE GIVE OUR MD THE LAST WORD EACH MONTH

business needs is a solid scheme that everyone believes in, a scheme that has a set of standards the dealers have to adhere to for membership, a scheme that would give car buyers the confidence that they were buying from a trusted retailer who isn’t a flash in the pan and who will still be able to help them if things take a turn for the worse with their purchase.

No one likes more regulation, but by clubbing together and getting the message out there that buyers should be purchasing their cars from verified dealerships that are part of a national scheme that boasts an agreed set of principles and minium standards, then perhaps the bad guys will be weeded out by process of elimination.

Think of it like the Food Standards ratings that tell you how clean the takeaway is you’re ordering from – I’m not saying a star rating is needed, but you wouldn’t buy from a one-star takeaway would you? And before that scheme was introduced you had no way of knowing which was a clean one and which was swimming in rat poo, did you?

Think, just for a minute, how powerful a nationally recognised scheme would be for the used car industry, especially if you were one of the approved dealers. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this matter.

Get in the forum and post your comments, tweet me @CarDealerEd or send me a good old-fashioned email.

My details are on page three.

He’s the founder of Car Dealer Magazine and managing director of parent company @BlackballMedia, an automotive services provider. He now spends most of his time on Twitter @CarDealerEd and annoying the rest of us.

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