Ignition Magazine New Zealand | April 2024

Future Ride:

POLESTAR SYNERGY

DETERMINATION

It’s the secret to 55 years of success, says Frank.

SKILLED WORKER MIGRATION

Capricorn's expert guide.

David Fraser Group CEO

CEO’s message

Our industry is changing fast, and keeping up with the pace of that change is vital if we want our businesses to remain sustainable long into the future.

That’s why attending events like the Australian Auto Aftermarket Expo (which our friends over at the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association are holding this month in conjunction with the Collision Repair Expo) is so important.

These events are a wonderful opportunity for Members from all areas of the aftermarket to come together, network, learn and build our businesses.

This year’s Expo is an unprecedented opportunity to learn from some of the best in the business, with a Technical Training Program, a Business Education Program and a Collision Repair Training Program.

We know it’s busy out there and staff are hard to find, so some Members may feel they don’t have the time they would like to invest in training, networking and a range of “nice to have” activities. But to continue to grow and improve in these changing times, finding space to attend events like the Expo is a great investment in yourself, your team and your business. And, let’s be honest, it’s usually good fun, too.

This year we’ll have Capricorn and Repairify stands, so please stop by, say hello, and get a closer look at our innovative Repairify technology. I hope to see you there.

While I’m talking about training and the future of our industry, don’t forget that the 2024 Capricorn Rising Stars Award is still open for nominations. The award recognises talented apprentices who show initiative, a thirst for knowledge, a passion for their trade and a commitment to our industry. I always enjoy reading the inspirational stories we receive about our nominees. It’s encouraging to know that the future of our industry is in good hands. If you haven’t nominated your apprentice yet, visit cap.coop/stars.

Lastly, in this edition we have a fantastic feature on our Queensland Member Director, Mark Rowe. Mark joined the Board in late 2022 and has a been a wonderful addition. Member Directors play a vital role in helping steer our cooperative—making sure we’re growing, evolving and meeting Member needs. This year we’ll be appointing a new Member Director for the SA/NT zone. If you’re interested in contributing to Capricorn by joining our Board, I encourage you to read Mark’s story and keep an eye out for an email about nominations opening soon.

David Fraser Group CEO

FEBRUARY 2023 CONTENTS APRIL 2024

4 ARE YOU UNDERPROTECTED?

How much would it cost to get back on your feet?

6 IS COUNTING THE MONEY ENOUGH?

There’s more to success than just the $$$.

8 SKILLED WORKER MIGRATION

Capricorn's expert guide.

12 FUTURE RIDE: POLESTAR SYNERGY

Polestar’s electric Hot Wheels fantasy supercar.

16 DETERMINATION

It’s the secret to 55 years of success, says Frank.

21 2023 DRIVELIFE CAR OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Unveiling the best in automotive excellence.

27 2024 AUSTRALASIAN AUTO EVENTS

Showcasing cutting-edge technology and global connections.

Are your BUILDINGS and CONTENTS underprotected?

How much would it cost you to rebuild your workshop or home if it were destroyed in a disastrous event, like a fire or flood? How much would it cost you to clean up the mess, rebuild and get back on your feet?

If you’re not sure, it’s time to find out — because it’s these factors, plus a range of others, that will determine how much you should protect your buildings and contents for in your Home, Business Building and Contents Protection policies. Not doing so risks potentially having to find hundreds of thousands of dollars at the worst possible time — when you’re already dealing with the impacts of a disaster.

One of the main reasons why it’s vital to keep your protection assessments up to date is that replacement and construction costs can increase significantly over the course of a year, and last year’s protection level might be inadequate for this year. For example, according to Stats NZ, residential construction costs across New Zealand leapt by 11 per cent in the year ended March 2023 and non-residential costs increased by 9 per cent over the same time period. If you’re not aware of these cost rises, it’s easy to find you’re not carrying adequate protection — which can mean major financial consequences for you and your business if disaster strikes.

It’s also possible to find yourself underprotected if you’ve not considered the clean-up costs that come with a large-scale disaster. If a building costs $100,000 to replace, it might cost an extra $20,000 to clean up the site before reconstruction can start — so that needs to be factored into the protection figure, which should be $120,000.

But it’s not just the clean-up and replacement costs of buildings that can lead to underprotection; it’s also contents such as tools. For example, depreciation plays a big part in replacement value. Some older tools aren’t replaceable like-for-like, so they have to be replaced with new and more expensive versions. A scan tool which is damaged and not recoverable might have been worth $3,000 last year but might cost you $8,000 to replace this year.

It is prudent to review your protection levels annually to make sure you’re adequately protected. It’s why our Risk Account Managers or Risk Services Executive get in touch once a year to ask about your protection levels. Your Risk Account Managers or Risk Services Executive can provide you with a range of resources, such as content checklists, so you can calculate the right level of coverage. If you want to be reassured you have adequate coverage, it’s also possible to get an independent third-party insurance valuation.

Determining the appropriate level of building and contents protection for your business or home each year might seem like a hassle, but it could save you a lot of heartache when you need it.

Is counting the money enough to define a successful business?

by Jeff Smit

There’s more to measuring the success of an automotive aftermarket business than counting the money in the till at the end of each day.

Sure, profit is a vital measurement of success, but there are many other ways to define success, all of them contributing in their own special way to the value of the business.

If your goal is to build a respected, knowledgeable and profitable automotive business, the following measurement criteria should be applied alongside your profit and loss and balance sheet reviews.

Establish strong relationships with long-term customers

Long-term customers are the backbone of every business, but all too often they are not shown the appreciation they deserve. Choose any one of your regulars and do the sums. You might see that customer once or twice a year, and they are likely to spend just under $1,000 on routine maintenance alone each year. Over a decade, that customer is worth about $10,000 to the business — well worth looking after.

Treat your customers as you would like to be treated as a customer. Don’t talk down to them. Be prepared to listen to their points of view.

The big benefit of loyal long-term customers is that they are walking, talking advertisements for your business. One of the greatest sources of new business is the conversations your long-term customers have with family and friends whenever car issues surface.

Create a workplace culture that nurtures talent and encourages career advancement

Never lose sight of the fact that your workshop team can make you or break you. Staff thrive in a work environment that engages and motivates them. You don’t need to spoil them, but treat them with respect. Follow that principle and the chance of generating solid long-term returns from them will greatly increase. Consider it this way — without a good team, your business will not achieve the success you are aiming for. As the business owner, you only drive the bus, and your staff provide the energy that keeps the bus running efficiently. Surround yourself with people who will challenge you and are encouraged to express their honest opinions. They will contribute more to the business than those who will tell you what you want to hear. Adopt policies that will help staff become successful in their own right. Happy and successful staff automatically foster a happy and successful workplace.

Be passionate about what your business contributes to society

This oft-quoted adage is true: enjoy what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life.

Long days in a busy workshop should be passionate and full of fun. Celebrate the successful repair of a real problem vehicle, share the praise from a satisfied customer — that’s what keeps us all going.

Don’t ignore the value of work-life balance

The ideal work-life balance could be defined as meeting your deadlines and fulfilling your responsibilities at work while still allowing sufficient time for the enjoyment of family, friends and hobbies. It should be a given that everyone gets a good night’s sleep, eats good meals and leaves work problems where they belong — at work.

It’s all about maintaining a harmonious relationship between a working life and a personal life. It may involve consciously managing your time and energy to meet both professional and personal commitments while prioritising self-care and well-being.

After-work time should be spent on things that nourish us as people — things like friends, family, sports and hobbies.

Characteristics of a healthy work-life balance may include:

Setting boundaries — establish clear boundaries between work and personal life by defining specific working hours and separating workrelated tasks from personal activities. Time management — organise and prioritise tasks, ensuring that enough time is allocated for work responsibilities as well as personal pursuits.

Stress management — implement strategies to manage stress levels. This may include practising mindfulness, engaging in regular physical activity, taking breaks, and unplugging from work-related activities when needed.

Flexibility — adapt and adjust your schedule to accommodate unforeseen circumstances or personal needs without jeopardising work commitments.

Mental health is real and needs managing

Mental health is now recognised as a mainstream concern that requires vigilance on the part of business owners. This includes policies to assist you and your team to cope with what you might loosely call “the pressures of modern living”.

So many positive changes have occurred in our industry in recent years, bringing a level of intensity which has put pressure on everyone. The job of taking care of ourselves and our staff has become a priority and mental health has to be taken seriously.

Self-care is not selfish — in order to function at our best, we need to make time to rest, replenish and regain our energy.

Nourishing of mind, body and soul must be encouraged with kindness, care and respect. The result will be a more balanced lifestyle, a healthier mindset, and the resilience to deal with whatever life throws your way. Achieving these things in a workshop environment might be as simple as a daily ritual when a little calm can emerge from chaos.

Workshops can be intense workplaces that often work considerably better if the whole team can be involved and trusted with the deepest of thoughts. Everyone should be encouraged to communicate their feelings in times of stress and anxiety.

Have an exit strategy

At some point, you may need to either sell your business or pass it on to a loved one. Any succession plan needs to protect your legacy and maximise your years of hard work. Don’t wait until a change in circumstances forces a big decision.

The Exit Smart Report 2023 revealed that 62 percent of small-business owners have no exit strategy at all. It can take years to execute a successful exit, so the end game needs to be in your mind from the start.

The earlier an exit strategy is adopted, the clearer the vision for you and the company.

Skilled Worker Migration

With 43% of Members surveyed as part of our State of the Nation Special Report: The Skills Shortage indicating that they’re struggling to find skilled staff, it’s perhaps surprising that so few Members have considered turning to skilled migration.

In fact, only 36% of respondents said they had thought about sponsoring qualified technicians from overseas to plug the gaps in their team. Why is this the case? Is there a reason why so few Members have considered bringing in a technician from overseas?

In this article, we’re going to dive a little deeper into the opportunity of skilled migration for automotive workshops, including:

Demystifying the options available.

Hearing from Members who have sponsored overseas workers.

Outlining the process.

Looking at the costs and time frames involved.

What Members are saying about the barriers to sponsoring skilled migration

"The process is too complicated and time-consuming. We have in the past sponsored three workers but declined to continue our sponsorship about six years ago. The government portals were clunky and not user-friendly at all, and procuring a migration agent was very expensive."

"There are extremely high visa fees and no control over the migrated worker. One of our migrated workers moved within seven months, thereby costing us the entire visa fees and the administrative hassle of getting a worker onboard."

"There is a long list of things you have to do before you can sponsor someone. You have to advertise on as many platforms as possible, including Government sites. This is to enable Australian citizens to fill the positions. However, this has not worked for us thus far."

Skilled immigration success stories

Before you get too turned off by the negative experiences, we also heard from Members who had fantastic experiences with skilled migration.

In a recent interview with Ignition magazine, Capricorn Member Larry Napoli, of Smithfield Collision Repair Centre in South Australia, said he’d had great success with sponsored skilled migration.

He’s sponsored around 10 skilled workers over the years, from all over the world including England, the Philippines, South Africa and Fiji.

“It’s not a cheap exercise but sponsored workers are committed to the cause,” he said. “They’ve got good reasons to hang around and do the right thing, so their whole culture and outlook is totally different .”

Automotive business consultant The Workshop Whisperer Rachael Evans agreed, saying in her experience skilled migrants were hard-working, grateful and loyal. “100% of our clients who have recruited offshore in the last 18 months cannot speak highly enough of the result,” Rachael said.

“The process is lengthy, but they’ve achieved the return on investment they were after. They’ve got workers who want to work and who come highly qualified.”

What Members are saying about positive experiences with skilled migration

"I have sponsored skilled workers in the past and I have not encountered any barriers ."

"I currently employ three skilled migrants, with another two arriving soon! "

"I currently have two migrant skilled workers. One is undertaking his own visa, the other is sponsored by me."

Visa options for skilled migration

To sponsor a skilled migrant as a New Zealand employer please visit immigration.govt.nz for full information, here is just an overview of what you need to*:

Be registered to use the Accredited Employer Work Visa

Pay the worker at least the New Zealand median wage

Demonstrate that you’ve been unable to hire a suitable New Zealand worker

Check whether the worker can legally work in New Zealand, using Job Check

Ensure they’re suitably qualified and their skills are on the Skills Shortage List

Make them a job offer that matches mandated conditions

Complete the visa application and be approved.

The fee to become an Accredited Employer is about $750 NZD for up to five skilled migrants at a time.

The Job Check fee is about $600 NZD.

The New Zealand Government says 50% of Skilled Migrant Visa applications are processed within five months of applying and 90% within six months.

24

2023.

Using an agent to take the hard work out of sponsoring workers

Given sponsoring a skilled worker is a process with a lot of steps, many business owners choose to outsource the task to an expert.

Obviously, this comes with added costs, but not only does it take a lot of the pressure off you, as the business owner, it can be much more efficient, too.

Rachael Evans said working with a reputable agent can also help alleviate a lot of those concerns expressed by Members in our survey.

“You should get to interview these people yourself,” she said.“But (a reputable agent’s) vetting process (should ensure) they wouldn’t put someone in front of you that wasn’t suited to the role - they wouldn’t go to all the hassle of getting that person in your workshop only for you to turn around and say, ‘This has not worked out,’ and they have to go through the process again for free. ”

* Information correct as of

August

Please seek independent advice to determine whether sponsoring a worker is right for your business and to ensure that you comply with the requirements.

SYNERGY Polestar

SYNERGY

POLESTAR’S ELECTRIC HOT WHEELS FANTASY SUPERCAR.

Polestar

SYNERGY

Remember the sheer joy of finding a Hot Wheels stand in a shop when you were a kid? Spending ages spinning the rack around, checking out every single car, trying to find the coolest one, daydreaming about owning the real thing one day but—more urgently— trying to work out a strategy to convince the responsible adult in your life to buy you the Hot Wheels version in the meantime?

For most of us, for many of the cars we love, the Hot Wheels version is as close as we’ll ever get to owning the real thing. Love alone does not buy you a Corvette, sadly.

The adult version of this situation occurs at motor shows, where manufacturers tease us with stunning concept cars. We fall in love with the sleek lines and the sexy profile. We pore over the list of features and marvel at the incredible ingenuity and innovation. But we know we’ll never get to drive one, let alone own one. Why? Not because the responsible adult in our lives (presumably a partner now, rather than a parent) won’t buy them for us, but because most concept cars never go on to become reality. They are a tease. A false promise. And—worse—if they do ever get made, they’re so watered down that much of what made us desire the car in the first place has disappeared.

So it was with some interest that we noted the sexiest supercar to be unveiled at last year’s Munich motor show, the Polestar Synergy, might—just might—go into production. Certainly, Polestar’s design boss, Maximillian Missoni, says the Synergy is something “we’d like to do”. There are no production plans yet, but Missoni is reported as saying he believes the positive public response means the concept is “something we should take further”. There is room in the Polestar line-up for a supercar, after all.

Let’s take a step back and see why the Polestar Synergy was turning so many heads at Munich.

Just look at it.

The Polestar Synergy is an electric fantasy supercar that combines three winning designs which took the honours in the 2022 Polestar Design Competition (from a field of over 600 entries). Entrants responded to a brief to “design a Polestar vehicle centred around the experience of performance, providing an advanced technical story that enables this in a sustainable way”. After shortlisting ten designs, the judging panel selected two exterior design winners and one interior design winner. The three designers then collaborated with Polestar over a six-month period to produce the Polestar Synergy.

The design is supposedly inspired by a hammerhead shark and features hollowed out volumes, massive wheels on all four corners, and a cockpit that is part race car, part fighter jet—with a glass canopy that flips up to allow the driver in and out.

This single-seater is 1.07 metres tall and 4.65 metres long and very much has a Le Mans hypercar vibe to it. The whole vehicle sits so low to the ground driving through your average speed-hump loving, pot-hole riddled suburban street would be completely impossible, but who cares about practicality at this point?

If the exterior is cool, the interior is a rev-head’s science-fiction fantasy. It has a built-in helmet with an augmented reality visor that shows the driver track and road data.

The steering yoke provides biometric data. It literally has a heartbeat monitor on it. And the “floating” digital dash has not only a speedo but a G-force meter. You just want to take the Polestar Synergy out onto the track to see how high you can make the numbers go on all three of those meters!

But will we ever get the chance? Will Polestar finally add a supercar to their line-up and will the Synergy be it? Only time will tell. In the meantime, we can buy the Hot Wheels version, as Polestar has done a deal with Mattel to make its famous 1/64th scale models of the vehicle. Go find your nearest Hot Wheels stand. The daydreaming starts now.

DETERMINATION

It is the secret to says Frank. SUCCESS,

After 55 years in the industry, and 25 years as a Capricorn Member, Frank Grocl is retiring. Well, sort of. He’s managed to get his workload down to three days a week. And his son, Steven, has taken over the day-to-day running of the family business—J&F Motors in Richmond, Victoria—at least. So that’s almost retirement, right?

DETERMINATION

It turns out that at 71, Frank—who has been heavily involved in the Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce (VACC) for many years — is not quite ready to give up going into the workshop completely. The trouble seems to be Frank’s enduring passion not just for the job, but for the industry. He’s as passionate about the automotive aftermarket today as he was when he started his apprenticeship in February 1969. More so, if anything. His energy levels appear to have been supercharged by the success of the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association’s campaign for Right to Repair laws—a campaign in which he was heavily involved over many years. With that job done, Frank’s got the bit between his teeth, and has a list of other things he wants to achieve before he finally, truly, really retires. He’s keen for the industry to embrace electric vehicle servicing and to reintroduce real vocational education to help solve the skills shortage, for example.

Frank has always been a self-starter and a go-getter. His family migrated to Australia from Slovenia in 1961, moving to the Richmond area. He attended Richmond Technical College, where he discovered his interest in and talent for mechanics.

“When I finished my school I walked across the park to a service station, very close to where we lived, and that’s where I started my apprenticeship at the age of 16,” Frank said.

The workshop, Reserve Auto Port, was really four businesses in one—a petrol station, the mechanic repair shop where Frank worked and a Holden spare parts outlet.

“And we had an auto-electrician who was pretty much working out in the street, fitting starter motors and generators,” Frank said. “It was a very tight place to work but we were all good friends and we sort of all just bounced off each other.”

Eventually, Frank’s boss, Jim O’Connor—a VW specialist—invited Frank to go into partnership with him, and J&F Motors was created in 1973.

“About 10 years later Jim decided he was too old for the trade and wanted to retire so, naturally, my wife Trish and I bought his half share of the business and stayed on— and now I’ve worked there for 55 years, believe it or not.”

For 25 of those 55 years, Frank has been a Capricorn Member and says that it has had an undeniably positive effect on his business and life.

“The initial major impact was that it gave me the ability to buy from Preferred Suppliers Australia-wide and not have to worry about processing separate invoices. This made purchasing and admin a lot easier – my wife takes care of that side of the business, so she’s a big fan of the way that Capricorn has made her life a lot easier over the years.”

Beyond access to Preferred Suppliers and a reduction in admin work, Frank pointed out Capricorn Rewards Points as a fantastic benefit, some of which he has used to pay for purchases of Capricorn shares made on his Trade Account and help set himself up for the future. Other Rewards Points have been used to fund overseas travel including numerous Capricorn Conventions where he was able to network with other Members.

“I’ve met a lot of other people in the industry through Capricorn, which has been great. It means that I can now pick up the phone and exchange notes and information with people that specialise in other types of vehicles, which can be helpful when you’re in the middle of a difficult job.”

J&F Motors is now a business of nine people and still operates at the same site. While the business hasn’t moved, Frank has seen a lot of changes in the intervening years—and he’s as passionate about learning how to repair the cars of today, and indeed the cars of tomorrow, as he has always been.

“I am always amazed at technology in the automotive industry—how it’s moved forward from the air-cooled Beetles that I used to work on, to fuel-injection, to engine management systems. Now we’ve got electric vehicles, we’ve got ADAS—which is just about on every new vehicle sold now. ”

“I’ve been devoted to keeping up with the changes in the industry, to the point where we spent a lot of money on specialised equipment.”

“We’ve got to keep learning about this new technology, and we’ve got to be able to configure it.”

That last point is precisely why Frank is so passionate about Australia’s Right to Repair laws. As chairman of VACC’s Automotive Repair Division for the past eight years, he worked hard to help those laws become a reality, so that aftermarket technicians could access repair information on an equal footing with dealerships.

“I got frustrated that we couldn’t configure things,” he said. “We had all the equipment, but we didn’t have the ability to plug into the manufacturer to send the coding back to be able to make something work.”

While the Right to Repair laws are now in operation, Frank warns there is still work to do.

“It’s getting harder again, because the manufacturers are starting to pull it back in again, that they’ve got telemetry on the vehicle that goes back to the dealership, that the dealership can tell them if there’s a fault in the vehicle and get them in for that repair, which cuts us out of the picture again,” he said.

So, the job of fighting for the rights of the aftermarket will continue.

“I want the automotive repair industry to be at the forefront, to be able to decide what we need and what we’ve got to do to make the industry what we need it to be,” he said.

“Success comes with your determination to get there. I’ve always been determined to achieve things that weren’t possible to achieve. You work at it.”

So, is “be determined and work hard” Frank’s advice to people who want careers in the aftermarket that are as long, successful and happy as his?

“My advice to them is be committed to what you’re doing and be proud of what you’re doing,” he said. “You’re achieving something. We’re no longer grease monkeys, as they called us in the dark past. We’re now technicians. We’ve got to work on vehicles that have more computers in them than the space shuttle. They are very, very complicated pieces of equipment—so be proud of what you’re doing.”

“And specialise—because gone are the days where you can be a general mechanic and service all makes and models. You just won’t be able to afford all the scanners and special tools and everything that you need for every make and model on the road.”

With so much determination and energy, and with so many issues facing the industry, will Frank ever actually retire?

“We’re semi-retired,” he said. “My wife and I do want to retire. Probably in a couple of years.”

Iswear, this is getting harder to do every year. As cars improve on all fronts, it makes it difficult to find a bad car. There are no bad new cars out there, just cars that are different.

So how do we decide on what car wins what award? An even harder decision is what car takes the DriveLife Car of the Year Award. It’s never easy and there is rarely a unanimous decision. In saying that, I believe the winner of our 2023 Car of the Year award marks the first time there was no discussion; the car was named, and we all agreed. It’s truly that good.

Car Review

To be clear, as we have learnt we need to do every year, there are rules we need to tell you about. We have criteria that must be adhered to, such as the car having been reviewed in New Zealand — so any tests by our man in Japan, Ken Saito, are out. The review has to have been published in the 2023 calendar year, and the car must have been supplied by a distributor or brand — not a dealer.

If you want to give feedback, go for it — engage with DriveLife at drivelife.co.nz or on social media at @DriveLifeNZ on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. So, let’s dive into each category winner.

2023 DriveLife BEST VALUE CAR OF THE YEAR

2023 DriveLife DRIVER’S CAR OF THE YEAR

This award goes beyond you grinning when you approach the car, eager to get behind the wheel. To be eligible for this award, the driver has to be grinning about the drive, without even seeing the car. That’s the sign of a true driver’s car.

WINNER

Honda Civic Type R

The Honda Civic Type R is amazing. This really shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. The incredible part was how much Honda was able to improve upon the already amazing previous-gen FK8 Type R.

For the FL5 Type R, Honda’s taken the FK8 and cranked it to 11. Its performance is lively and engaging, its handling is razor-sharp, the braking and steering feel are excellent, and the gearbox is one of the best manual transmissions in a modern car. Heck, even the cabin provides you with a sense of occasion every time you get in for a drive.

The value for money award is a subjective thing but it is sometimes overlooked. Regardless of the vehicle’s cost, this award represents excellent value in technology, performance, safety — or just features — compared to competitors.

WINNER BYD Dolphin

To be honest, I was quite stunned when writing the review for the BYD Dolphin. When I compared the car to its natural competitor, the MG4, the Dolphin has so much more equipment it’s not funny. Yes, the Dolphin costs a grand more, but the list of features added to the car is outstanding and by far outweighs the price difference. If anything, it highlights just how under-equipped the base MG4 is. The Dolphin also contains more features than cars costing $10K or more extra — petrol or EV.

Read our review of the Dolphin, and I am sure you will agree. Regardless of the petrol versus EV debate, it’s a highly equipped car — and the easy winner of our 2023 Best Value Car of the Year award.

Altogether, the FL5 Type R has a performance spirit and an edginess about it, which I’ve not experienced in any new car for a long time. It’s one of the most rewarding driving experiences I’ve had in 2023.

In short, it’s one of the best new cars I’ve driven. Hence, it wins our Driver’s Car of the Year award.

2023 DriveLife FAMILY CAR OF THE YEAR

This award is all about practicality, and if you could have only one car, then which would be the best all-around vehicle for the family of today? Family on a long road trip? Seven seats? Space for everything? Can it take knocks from unruly kids and the dog in the back?

WINNER Ford Everest

The Ford Everest is what happens when you take New Zealand’s best-selling vehicle — the Ford Ranger — then add a roof, two

extra seats and more sophisticated suspension at the back.

On this basis alone, we knew the Everest was going to be good. Yet, the Everest still had the ability to impress us.

The combination of its silky-smooth Ford F-150 derived V6, selectable four-wheel drive, chassis and that new suspension set-up made for an excellent performing family SUV.

If you want that one car that does everything, you’ll find the Everest hard to beat.

2023 DriveLife HOTTEST CAR OF THE YEAR

This award is all about looks. Which vehicle would create the best bedroom poster, desktop or phone background?

WINNER Nissan Z

Have you ever looked at something and instantly knew that whoever made it was genuinely passionate about what they were doing?

It’s obvious the team behind the new Nissan Z are passionate because the Nissan Z is a stunning car to behold.

It merges many signature Z-car design traits, combining them into a modern retro-throwback sports coupe. Importantly, it’s reminiscent of the car that started it all, the 240Z.

So yeah, the Nissan Z takes this one. It’s truly an aspirational vehicle.

2023 DriveLife TOUGHEST CAR OF THE YEAR

This award is about the rough and tough. Which vehicle would take you over the toughest terrain while trying to survive a zombie apocalypse?

WINNER

Toyota Hilux SR5 Cruiser

Our toughest car award usually goes to a ute, and this year is no exception. The Hilux’s rough-and-tough credentials are well established, and the SR5 Cruiser adds to that, really looking the part with its wide stance and chunky arches.

2023 DriveLife UNEXPECTED CAR OF THE YEAR

This award is for the vehicle that turned out to be a big surprise compared to our unjustified expectations.

WINNER Nissan Qashqai

I wasn’t expecting anything special when I picked up the keys to the Nissan Qashqai for our road test. But far from being just another hybrid SUV, the Qashqai won me over.

Straight off the bat, it looks good with nice, clean lines. However, it is when you get inside and start driving that it stands out. The interior is high-quality, extremely comfortable and loaded with tech. It’s spacious, drives well and has an engine and motor system that provides ample performance whilst remaining efficient. Top this off with a price point that sits extremely competitive compared to other options and I'm surprised we don't see more of these on the road.

After a week I was reluctant to give the Qashqai back. If you’re looking for a hybrid SUV, it would be remiss to not put this on your must-try list; if not you could miss out on a very nice surprise.

2023 DriveLife LUXURY CAR OF THE YEAR

The luxury award represents the pinnacle of what manufacturers can offer in terms of comfort, quality and style.

WINNER BMW i7

I would argue that the BMW i7 is the first genuinely luxurious electric vehicle. It has road presence and oozes quality both inside and out. Sitting in those generous rear seats gives you that “ahhhh” feeling, it’s just so good. Combine that with the sumptuously smooth ride, along with an EV’s lack of vibration and noise, and it becomes the ultimate luxury ride.

2023 DriveLife CAR OF THE YEAR

And so it comes to this — our Car of the Year for 2023. This award is for the best car of the year and is only open to those vehicles that we rated above 8.0 in our reviews. We take many things into account to award our Car of the Year, so it’s not focused on just one aspect.

Please note this is not the Cheapest Car of the Year award. It isn’t about cost – it’s about being the best car overall that we have reviewed. Cost is taken into account (that’s the ‘Value’ rating in our reviews), but so are all the other factors that come into what makes a car the best we have reviewed.

WINNER BMW i7

We drove some excellent cars in 2023, many of them highly rated by the DriveLife team. There was one stand-out car that wowed everyone who experienced it, and the only one rated 9 or above out of 10. That was the BMW i7.

We talked around and around the decision because at $296,000 it’s unattainable for all but a very select few, but it really is the best car we’ve reviewed in 2023.

It does its intended job exceptionally well, delivering an impressive quality, refinement, ride, and a feeling of real luxury. The technology for both driver and passengers is a step ahead, with many innovations that haven’t yet been seen elsewhere. Existing technology such as safety systems, voice control, lighting, and ergonomics are refined and improved over previous generations of the 7 Series. It’s a showcase for BMW’s latest and greatest, much of which will filter down and become standard in all of their cars.

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by Paul Marinelli

Australasia is set to host many automotive events this year showcasing cutting-edge technology and global connections. Here is what to look for.

As 2024 quickly progresses, two of Australasia’s largest automotive trade shows, the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Expo (AAAExpo) and the Collision Repair Expo (CRE) make their welcome return.

These two major trade fairs are being held concurrently 11-13 April 2024 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. They are without a doubt the largest showcase of everything that the Australian automotive aftermarket industry has to offer, providing mechanics, automotive and collision repair workshop owners and reseller product buyers with the ability to look, touch, feel and learn across three busy days in one central location. These are Australia’s only comprehensive trade exhibitions for the country’s $25 billion automotive aftermarket industry.

This year heralds the return of the AAAExpo as a truly global industry event with the return of the International Pavilion. This allows AAAExpo visitors to connect with suppliers not only from across the country, but from across the world, as was the case prior to the pandemic disruption.

The theme of the 2024 AAAExpo is “The Future is Here”. In line with this, it will be showcasing the latest vehicle repair and servicing equipment, parts, tools, accessories, new technologies and trends. The 2024 AAAExpo will also include a comprehensive training and education program, featuring several free training opportunities for attendees. This training program will be led by international diagnostic superstars Danny Versluis from the “Diagnose Dan” YouTube channel, and Sean Tipping, host of the Automotive Diagnostic Podcast in the USA.

An exciting new AAAExpo innovation for 2024 is the Expo Electrified Zone, which offers unique opportunities to learn about electric vehicle (EV) and hybrid service and repair with hands-on and practical demonstrations including live testing of EV motors and generators, all delivered by industry-leading experts. The Expo Electrified Zone will also feature the latest in EV tools, workshop equipment and EV Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) along with a Ford F-150 Lightning EV on display from the Auto Innovation Centre (AIC).

In total, 2024 AAAExpo and CRE visitors will have access to more than 400 local and world-leading automotive aftermarket product

brands covering the latest in vehicle/ collision repair, servicing and diagnostic technology, hard parts, workshop equipment and accessories. Visit autoaftermarketexpo.com.au and collisionrepair.com.au for more information.

In addition to these major trade shows, there is another Australian and New Zealand collision repairer-focused event that has gained major industry traction over the past three years: the National Collision Repairer (NCR) Symposium This year’s event, referred to as Symposium24, will be held on 19 June 2024 at the Novotel at Sydney Olympic Park. Designed to be interactive, the event features panel sessions designed to engage with attendees in a Q&A format, covering topical issues facing the collision repair industry. More information can be found at ncrsymposium.com.au.

New Zealand’s auto trade welcomed the Autorama Industry Show at the Mystery Creek Events Centre in Hamilton across three days last November. This successful event will be returning to the same venue 8-10 November 2024, bringing together a wide range of businesses that supply machinery, tools and parts to the automotive sector. Visit the expo’s website at autoramacarshow.co.nz for updates.

For those who are more involved in new and used car sales, the 2024 Australian Automotive Dealer Association (AADA) Convention and Expo will take place 24-25 July 2024 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. This wellestablished annual event covers all in the world of new and used car sales and associated services, including major industry keynote speakers and related industry association meetings. Find out more at aadaconvention.com.au.

Major automotive events that are not trade exclusive this year include the 2024 4X4 Outdoor Shows being held across the country. These are Australia’s longest-running and biggest 4X4, offroad, touring, camping and caravanning expo events. They showcase all the outstanding innovations in four-wheel drive/ recreational vehicles and the myriad of accessories available for them. The first of these shows took place in Brisbane back in March, with more being held in Sydney from 14 to 16 June 2024 and in Melbourne from 23 to 25 August 2024. More details are available at 4x4show.com.au

The four-wheel drive sector is very well catered for when it comes to big expo events, with the Australian 4WD and Adventure Shows taking place 6-8 September 2024 in Sydney, 25-27 October 2024 in Adelaide and 8-10 November 2024 in Perth. These bumper 4X4 events have been staged by the same organisers for three decades, so if you are a four-wheel drive enthusiast, you won’t be disappointed by the breadth of the vehicles and accessories on display. More details are available at 4wdshow.com.au.

The trucking industry also has its own major shows, with last year’s incredibly successful HVIA Brisbane Truck Show not due to return until 2025. In the interim, the same organisers present the debut of a new heavy transport industry expo, TruckShowX. This show caters for the huge interest in emerging truck technologies for production-ready vehicles powered by renewable diesel and batteries, all the way to hydrogen fuel cell prototypes. This inaugural industry event takes place 13-14 May 2024 at the Cape Schanck Resort located on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. More information can be found at truckshowx.com.au.

In both Australia and New Zealand, the major auto trade parts suppliers conduct their own smaller and more localised trade shows in major cities and regional centres. To find out about the schedule of trade shows taking place in your city or state, contact your parts supplier representative.

Most importantly for all Capricorn Members, the Capricorn Gala Dinner & Tradeshow events across Australia and New Zealand will take place during the final half of 2024. Be sure to visit any one of these outstandingly successful Capricorn Member exclusive trade shows and social events for special offers, one-on-one supplier meetings and a famously entertaining night out afterwards. More information on these fantastic 2024 business and social events will be advertised on soon.

Last but certainly not least, the largest automotive aftermarket trade show on the planet, Automechanika Frankfurt, takes place 10-14 September 2024 in Germany. This is a must-see-to-believe biennial global industry event. Visit automechanika.messefrankfurt.com for more information.

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As the exclusive distributor for Liqui Moly and authorized distributor for Mahle, ATE, Continental, and Valeo, SPEED is committed to delivering top-notch products and exceptional customer

service. Specialising in parts and fluids for European and late-model American vehicles, they cater to mechanical, automotive electrical, and smash repair sectors.

Despite humble beginnings, SPEED has earned recognition in the prestigious Deloitte Fast 50 index twice, showcasing their steady growth and commitment to excellence. With a vast inventory and strategic distribution network, SPEED ensures prompt service and satisfaction for all customers.

speed.co.nz

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