CarsGuide Autotrader Media Solutions Traction Jan - Mar 2021

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Quarterly overview & insights April–June 2019

Issue 1 1

31/1/20

Issue 2

11:40 am

Overview & insight into the car industry January to September 2020

The 3D Issue

Issue 3

Issue 4

Overview & insight into the car industry October to December 2020

The ‘Don’t Look Back’ Issue

The Bounce Back Issue

Issue 5

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Biggest international online classifieds company In July 2020, Adevinta, a global online classifieds specialist, agreed to acquire our parent company ‘eBay Classifieds Group’, creating the largest international online classifieds company in the world with operations in 16 countries. Adevinta provides technology-based services to connect buyers with sellers and to facilitate transactions, from job offers to real estate, cars, consumer goods and more.

We are pleased to announce that this deal has now been completed and we’re delighted to officially join Adevinta. You can read more about the transaction on Adevinta.com (or click the link below).

As part of a large global company, we recognise our responsibility to help build a more sustainable society. All of Adevinta’s brands are local at heart and proudly serve communities around the world, helping local economies to grow sustainably.

We want to reassure you that our change in ownership will not affect how we service your business.

However, leveraging the expertise and skills across the geographies and verticals Adevinta operates in will provide significant opportunities for our dealers and advertisers.

There will be a few minor changes that you will see in the coming weeks. One of those changes is our branding. CarsGuide, Autotrader and Gumtree Cars will be incorporated into the Adevinta family of brands, so you may see changes on our website footers and other fine print.

There will be no immediate changes to our product offerings or customer value propositions.

However, over time we will make sure that our newly combined business provides even better value to our customers and users.

We will keep you informed of any changes to come. We are very happy to answer any questions you have about this exciting development.

Please contact your account manager who will be happy to help you.

FIND OUT MORE

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Contents

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From the Editor

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Podcast review Q1 2021

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Journalist spotlight: Tung Nguyen

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Mark Kehoe gets behind the wheel

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eBay Classifieds Group combined motors numbers

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The new digital consumer – Who dares wins

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Gumtree Media - Connecting brands to life’s full circle

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Behind the scenes - Small hatch comparison

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State of Electric Vehicles 2020

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The expansion of the EV Guide

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Crafting Reviews by Marcus Craft

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1 car – 4 guides

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Positive dealer feedback speaks volumes

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Autotrader Group in the News

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Introducing Beth McMullen

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It’s time for a change - Autotrader Group

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Behind the scenes - Small SUV

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CarsGuide - The one-stop shop for auto-intenders

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Discovering French luxury in Australia with Peugeot

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REACH case study

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Case study: an experiential first for Mitsubishi Motors

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YouTube snapshot

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Most searched

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Ranking by bodystyle

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CarsGuide reviews - Top 20

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CarsGuide news - Top 20

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CarsGuide Quarterly stats summary

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Major launches - Top 10

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From the Editor On the back of CarsGuide’s record results in the face of global adversity in 2020, I am pleased to report that our success has continued, just as life has become a bit easier in 2021.

The surge in engagement we experienced in the second half of 2020 has continued through this first quarter of 2021.

Our site traffic has increased 65% since the same period in 2019.

To put this increase in perspective, site traffic has increased by 65% since the same period in 2019.

As a result, we’ve maintained our position as Australia’s leading online source*. for automotive editorial for Q1 2021, and our audience’s appetite for quality automotive news, reviews, advice and videos has never been stronger.

One of our most exciting developments so far this year has been the launch of EVGuide, which is being led by the ever-capable Tom White, and which joins our existing consumer-segment focused site sections that now include FamilyGuide, TradieGuide, AdventureGuide, and UrbanGuide.

There’s clearly never been a better time to launch EVGuide, with in-market car buyer interest spanning hybrid, electric and fuel cell vehicles booming exponentially.

You can read more about EVGUIDE and the other guides for that matter, later in this issue.

With 2021 looking a little brighter than last year from a public health standpoint, we’ve been carefully resuming our normal event attendance and travel activities, while still leveraging our spread across Sydney and Melbourne teams where possible.

Fingers crossed it only gets easier from here, but thank you to all our OEM partners for your ongoing support.

Malcolm Flynn Editor, CarsGuide

*Nielsen Digital Content Planning, November 2020, P2+, Digital (C/M), text, Gumtree Cars, Autotrader, CarsGuide, total de-duplicated unique audience *Nielsen Digital Ratings (Monthly) Tagged, Jan, Feb, Mar, April, May 2021, txt, P18+, PC, Smartphones & Tablets

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Podcast review Q1 2021

Over the first quarter of 2021 the weekly CarsGuide podcast analysed everything from the ‘Dawn of the Super Ute’ to the latest and greatest electric cars heading our way this year.

We even covered what emerged as a virtual Geneva Motor Show, with car brands taking the wraps off new models online in response to Covid-related physical constraints.

But there were a couple of standouts.

Early in the year, episode #166 posed the question, ‘Can Kia topple Toyota?’, looking at the brand’s prospects in Australia once it has likely new models in its local line-up, including a dual-cab ute, and a full-size, off-road focused SUV. A substantial number of viewers and listeners saw Kia’s steadily growing reputation and sales as a strong platform for further growth and the arrival of niche-filling new products. A threat to Toyota’s dominance? Not yet, but nothing stays the same forever.

However, the biggest response was to episode #174, with more than 50,000 viewers on YouTube alone tuning in to our update on the new Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series. Having pulled together details on dimensions and powertrains, as well as anticipated standard equipment and launch timing, engagement with the subject was huge.

Rust in Pieces - the models we’ve lost in 2020. Podcast: Ep. 165

Can Kia topple Toyota?

Podcast: Ep. 166.

Toyota GR powering up!

Podcast: Ep. 167.

Dawn of the Super Utes.

Podcast: Ep. 168.

The case for Arctic Trucks HiLux in Australia. Podcast: Ep. 169.

Subaru targets AMG with new STI. Podcast: Ep. 170.

TRX set to devour the Raptor?

Podcast: Ep. 171.

Virtual Geneva motor show.

Podcast: Ep. 172.

Shockingly good electric cars sparking up in 2021. Podcast: Ep. 173.

New Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series just around the corner. Podcast: Ep. 174.

Mazda’s premium play.

Podcast: Ep. 175.

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Journalist spotlight Tung Nguyen

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Which Fast & Furious movie is the best? This is a question that Tung ponders on a regular basis, and something he could devote more time to solving if not for his fast-paced and ever-changing role as as CarsGuide News Editor.

It wasn’t just glitzy Hollywood wheels and macho men talking about ‘family’ that got him into cars though, because as a kid, Tung would log hours on Gran Turismo, Need for Speed and Mario Kart 64 to perfect clipping apexes, outrunning Porsches and dodging blue shells.

This love of cars transferred from digital life to reality when, at the age of 18, he purchased his first car – a 1996 Toyota Supra. His influences, of course, meant the classic Toyota coupe didn’t stay standard for long, with new wheels, lowered suspension, a gaudy bodykit and an extra loud exhaust fitted in the home garage.

At the same time, he went through university studying a Bachelor of Communications, majoring in Journalism, and while the rest of his peers wanted to write about food, travel and fashion, Tung followed his passion into automotive journalism.

As a graduation present to himself, he sold the Toyota Supra for a 2004 Mazda RX-8 (and continued to tinker), and took on an internship at Carsales, then contributed to the then-newlyminted Wheels website, before landing a full-time role with industry publication GoAuto.

Tung started at CarsGuide in July 2019 as the first Editorial team member in Melbourne and has built news into a key pillar of the CarsGuide portfolio, while also contributing to launch coverage, video presentation and new model reviews.

The Mazda RX-8 has also since moved on, replaced with a track-focused 1999 Mazda MX-5, and now, an in-pieces 1993 Honda Civic and 2015 Skoda Octavia RS family wagon.

Gran Turismo Mario Kart 64 Bachelor of Communications, majoring in Journalism Carsales Wheels GoAuto CarsGuide

However, between juggling a newborn baby and keeping up with the latest in the Fast & Furious franchise, work on the Civic has been slow to say the least.

Fun fact: Tung now has worked for CarsGuide longer in lockdown than he has in the office.

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Business & Marketing UTS Sydney Esso Australia GraysOnline.com sparesbox.com.au Gumtree AU CarsGuide, Autotrader and Gumtree AU 10

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Mark Kehoe gets behind the wheel

Mark Kehoe has been appointed as Managing Director of Gumtree, CarsGuide and Autotrader..

The announcement coincides with the launch of the Autotrader Group, offering car dealers efficient, cost-effective connections with millions of users across Autotrader, CarsGuide and Gumtree.

Then, in the late 1990s, Mark played a crucial role in founding the e-commerce business, GraysOnline.com. With innovation front of mind, he helped grow operations from a back shed in Lakemba to what became Australia’s largest local pureplay e-commerce company, listing on the ASX in 2016, and now approaching $1B in annual transacted sales.

Mark’s vision for CarsGuide and Autotrader is focused on leveraging the respective strengths of these brands, delivering significant value to dealers, and providing consumers with a world-class digital experience - even more information, choice, and convenience when buying their next car.

With a passion for transformative tech, Mark has held key consulting positions for companies including Virgin Australia, and spent three years as a non-executive director of Australia’s largest automotive spare parts company, sparesbox.com.au.

No stranger to the automotive industry, Mark studied business and marketing at University of Technology Sydney, before joining Esso Australia, a local affiliate of US-based oil giant ExxonMobil.

Mark is a self-proclaimed family man who (when not behind the wheel or catching up on the latest tech news) enjoys running, swimming, mountain biking, and just for good measure, wing foiling (you may need to look that last one up).

His initial role as an analyst underpinned a move into territory management, overseeing Esso’s industrial and wholesale accounts in greater Sydney.

Whether it’s professional or personal, Mark loves a challenge, clearly something he has never shied away from.

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eBay Classifieds Group (part of Adevinta) combined motors numbers eBay classifieds group has a vast network of auto platforms providing global scale and access to auto innovation.

2.19M Dealer cars

B2B NETWORK

448M Visits for motors every month

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B2C ACCESS

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71,400 Dealers in Europe

eCG MOTORS

C2C FLYWHEEL

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1.85M Private listings

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The new digital consumer – Who dares wins Jerry Berowne is Principal of FF2, a strategic research consultancy.

ONLINE IS INTEGRAL Online research is now an integral part of buying a car for consumers. Almost all new car buyers use online resources, and the purchase journey begins online for about two thirds of Australian buyers. Also, internet research and third-party comparison sites are ranked as the highest influences in getting ‘other brands’ (additional to their initial choice) onto consumers’ consideration lists. Consumers often arrive at dealerships with printouts from their online research. So digital influence continues to increase.

FULLY ONLINE PURCHASING? Will consumers ever move to buying cars online? That is, with the whole transaction conducted online and without time spent in the dealership? Our research indicates that 16% of new car buyers say they ‘definitely would’ be likely to purchase a car online without going to the dealership.

Other surveys indicate that up to 25-30% of people would be comfortable with a fully online purchase. Really? Rather than taking such figures literally, maybe we should consider them indicative of consumer interest. The McKinsey Centre for Future Mobility estimates that ‘the new-car purchase journeys will shift to 10–25% digital from 0% today, with used cars increasing to 25% digital from around 6% today’.

CONSUMER QUESTIONS Would you purchase a car entirely online? Without seeing and feeling the car in real life? If I ask myself that question the answer is a resounding: No way! I want to compare the feel of the internal space in different vehicles (‘Is it big enough for my family and what we do?’). I want to feel the finish; haptics for you car afficionados (‘Does it feel like quality?’). I want to look at the colour with my own eyes (‘How does it look in real life, versus on the net?’). I want to understand the features offered (‘Does the 180° reverse camera really look around corners?). There are a whole raft of consumer questions, which might be different for each person, that warrant a visit to a dealership of some description. Consumers are certainly interested in doing parts of the buying process online but I would suggest that most of us still want to touch and see the car in real life.

CHANGING PREFERENCES Of course we do need to consider the macro trend of e-commerce that is influencing consumer preferences. Have a look at the revenue growth for Amazon (see the graph, right) to remind yourself how fast we’re adopting internet purchasing. A massive 38% increase in revenue in 2020 over 2019.

Which leads me to ask: Even though we’re probably not yet ready to buy cars online, aren’t there other consumer categories that were like that just a few years ago?

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Take books. We used to believe that the experience of thumbing through a book in a bookstore was essential.

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Now bookstores are almost a thing of the past. Not only did online blow the price model up, it also provides nearly perfect product availability.

•

Take clothes. Didn’t we long believe that people would always want to try clothes on, in a store? Online has destroyed that model too. My partner orders four things online and simply returns them all if they’re not right.

Much easier than going to the shops.

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Take household appliances. If you look at Winnings virtual showroom, you’ll start to understand why a drive to the showroom might not be needed. You can shop for your appliances 24/7 and not have to stalk the aisles to find a salesperson.

The list goes on when it comes to things that we were once less inclined to purchase online, for which we now prefer the digital channel. We are more trusting of online buying and more willing to buy bigger ticket items unseen. Plus the convenience of online generally wins when all other things are equal.

THE NEW NORMAL The conclusion of automotive commentators is that car purchasing is becoming an ‘omnichannel’ process. Which makes sense, because a seamless, blended, on and off-line retail experience is becoming the new normal. Consumers are comparing their experience in other categories with automotive and with those comparisons come heightened expectations. Using the term omnichannel feels to me like a bit of a cop out, as it’s an each way bet. It doesn’t really address where the balance of influence will be: Online or faceto-face?

EMERGING FORCES Three emerging forces push the pendulum towards a fully online buying process becoming dominant. These three trends are additional to consumers’ increased propensity for online shopping and the e-commerce boom.

First, innovative players will normalise online interactions.

Tesla has captured the consumer imagination in several ways and the combination of online shopping with in-store guidance is just one part of the brand’s innovation and disruption of norms. Look at the very first screen on the Australian web site video, ‘Ordering a New Tesla’.

The video goes on to knock off a range of pain points that are still part of the traditional process; e.g. getting a test drive, choosing vehicle options. Partly because of the positive brand halo, Tesla will help make the online ordering process desirable and aspirational.

In the used vehicle space, new entrants such as Carvana, Shift and Vroom are introducing online purchasing and aiming to overcome risk and confidence issues for the buyer. The longer-term consumer uptake of such offers is debatable, but you’d have to bet on at least one of these succeeding. continued/

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Second, shared vehicle ownership will shift the emphasis to service over product. If the consumer is buying a mobility service rather than a fixed asset (i.e. vehicle) they will be more willing to transact online and have less need for physical visits to dealerships. OEMs are now experimenting with different ownership models and becoming involved in carsharing.

For example, BMW and Daimler are investing in a platform designed to compete with Uber and Lyft, which will also offer carpooling, parking, trip planning and charging services for electric cars in big cities. Other examples are Toyota investing in Uber, GM in Lyft, and locally in Australia Hyundai teaming up with Carnextdoor.

OEMs have traditionally been product-centric businesses, building inventory in their factories, and then pressuring the sales function to shift this inventory. This mindset is changing but probably lagging behind consumers. The new mobility perspective is that consumers don’t want cars or other transport devices that tie them down – they want mobility and they value the service, including the convenience of digital interaction with the service provider. Of course, people will still want cars and some people will still want to own vehicles outright, but the point is that the consumer will judge value more by the service.

Third, augmented reality (AR) has the potential to equalise the digital and real-life experiences of a vehicle. Just to be clear, a technical understanding of AR is, as they say, above my pay grade. In simple terms, AR adds to reality, projecting information on top of what you’re already seeing. Virtual reality (VR) replaces reality, taking you somewhere else; and these technologies are now overlapping.

AR and VR applications are being explored and adopted in a range of different ways as the automotive players seek a competitive advantage. Many new cars are now using AR features, with head up display projecting data such as speed, lane guidance, and direction onto windscreens. AR is also being used for instructions and product guides to replace those long and complex manuals.

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The rubber hits the road when consumer experiences such as virtual showrooms, product customisation, 360° vehicle exploration and digital test drives become so close to reality that they are as good as the real thing. We’re probably not there yet, but these powerful technologies are still developing and are yet to make their impact fully felt with the consumer.

LOOKING FORWARD Automotive retailing has improved over the past several years. Our data indicates that consumers feel more positive than negative about dealership visits, and that they recognise the customer experience is improving. Both OEMs and dealerships have incorporated a lot of digital interaction, aiming to meet consumer preferences and create a seamless omnichannel experience. However, there are still many pain points in the customer journey. Buying a car can be a grind, with time-consuming research and difficult to understand pricing and financing.

Add to this three emerging forces that are transforming the landscape: •

Innovative automotive players normalising online purchasing,

•

Shared ownership shifting the emphasis to valuing service, and

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The potential of AR and VR to replace physical interaction.

Whoever adapts with these unpredictable forces and aligns with the evolving consumer will reap the rewards. I think you get the picture. Who dares wins.

Jerry Berowne, FF2.

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Gumtree Media Connecting brands to life’s full circle Gumtree is a place where life changes happen. Moving out. Getting married. Having a family. Upsizing your home, and your car.

WHY GUMTREE NOW

Just as life moves on, so do the things we own – making space for renewal. And that’s an exciting place for brands.

As 90% of Aussie sellers[1] consider replacing their pre-loved item with new. It’s also where consumers are most open to brand messages, new options and change.

With over 2.8 million live listings and 7 million users each month[2], across hundreds of categories, including cars and vehicles, parts and accessories, home and garden, and business services. Gumtree Media connects brands to life’s full circle.

7+ Million

65%

2.8+ Million

29 minutes

250,000+

12.3+ Million

Monthly users

of Gumtree users visit weekly

on-site browsing on average

new connections daily

Active listings

Daily searches

Source: [3] Gumtree Internal Data, 2020 & Gumtree Media Survey, 2020

Introducing Gumtree Labs. Inspired by insight. Driven by innovation.

SOURCE: *Nielsen Digital Content Ratings, Nov 2020 | Gumtree 2020 Media Survey | Internal Gumtree Data 2020

Gumtree Labs is our new think-tank innovation agency, aimed at delivering customer-centric solutions that meaningfully benefit both our brand partners and audience.

We help brands create deeper connections with their customers across our network, building on the strong foundations of CarsGuide Labs, and now reaching more than 1 in 3 Australians.

Our content solutions don’t interrupt – they engage – creating opportunities for advertisers far beyond the banner. Providing real value, utility and most importantly, results.

Get started now: GumtreeMedia@gumtree.com.au 18

Source: [1] Gumtree Second Hand Economy Report, August 2020, [2] Nielsen Digital Content Ratings, Nov 2020

The circular economy is the future, and Gumtree is, and always has been, an important part of its growth.

Born out of the sustainability movement, the circular economy rethinks the way we use products and services for the benefit of society, the environment and business.

2021 Report snapshot

Aussies cashing in

The value of trading pre-loved, unwanted or unused items in Australia is worth over

What are the most common items Aussies are selling?

$48 billion,

Clothing, Shoes & Accessories

44%

and has grown 4% year-on-year

Home Décor & Furniture 28%

Savvy Aussies are pocketing approx

$5,300 per household from their unwanted items

Electronics Goods

26%

On average, 85% of Aussies have

Books

26%

Games & Toys

26%

21 items which are pre-loved, unwanted, or unused per household, that they could sell. (Up from 19 in 2020)

Circular Economy powering consumer spending

2-in-3

Aussies are selling via online marketplaces with the direct intent to replace it with something new.

of sellers are likely to consider replacing the item they are selling with a new item.

91%

Who is most likely to save items from landfill Gen X

90%

Millennials Gen Z

89% 78%

86%

of Australians have saved items from ending up in landfill by selling them through the circular economy in the last 12 months.

Downloadthe thefull fullreport. report Download http://bit.ly/CircularEconomyReport2021 http://bit.ly/CircularEconomyReport2021

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senecs eht dniheB

Small hatch comparison

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Shot in late 2020 for an early 2021 publish, our small hatch comparison test takes three of the best-equipped models in Australia including the Suzuki Swift, Kia Rio, and Toyota Yaris, and pitches them head-to-head to see if one objectively pulls ahead.

The interesting thing about this test was that each car has a distinctly different personality, despite playing in the exact same space. We tested them against the backdrop of both curvy national park roads as well as the confines of the city to allow each of them a chance to shine.

Did we decide on a victor?

You’ll have to read the review or watch it on YouTube to find out.

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State of Electric Vehicles

2020 highlights In 2019, EV sales increased by

EV sales accounted for

200% 0.6% with 6,718 EVs sold, petrol/diesel vehicle sales fell by 7.8%

of new sales in Australia in 2019

56%

3,226

of surveyed consumers would now consider purchasing an electric vehicle as their next car

EVs sold in the first half of 2020

68% 68%

of consumers want governments to provide more public charging infrastructure

66% 24

of consumers want government subsidies to reduce the cost of installing home charging equipment

of consumers want government subsidies to reduce the cost of buying an EV

82%

of consumers identify public fast charging as “important” Source: State of Electric vehicles report, Electric Vehicle Council, August 2020

EV GUIDE PLAYLIST Together in Electric Dreams - Phil Oakey & Giorgio Moroder Solar Power - Lorde She’s Electric - Oasis Your Power - Billie Eilish Are Friends Electric - Tubeway Army

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The expansion of the EV Guide Have you checked out CarsGuide’s new EVGuide yet? If not, it seems Australia’s booming enthusiasm for electrified vehicles will lead you there sooner rather than later.

EVGuide joins our existing consumer segment-focused site sections that now include FamilyGuide, TradieGuide, AdventureGuide, and UrbanGuide.

Catering to all things hybrid, electric and fuel cell-equipped; EVGuide is being led by CarsGuide’s rising star Tom White, who eats and breathes the future of automotive propulsion.

Like the above, EVGuide will be reflected in CarsGuide Car of the Year awards later in 2021, where we’ll announce the first Electrified Car of the Year.

Along with the most important electrified vehicle news and specifically tailored reviews we’ve also invested heavily in busting the numerous myths surrounding the electrified car world by publishing dozens of consumer interest-driven advice pieces.

Since launch, we’ve seen an exponential surge in audience engagement across EVGuide and we’re excited to see where it goes from here.

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Malcolm Flynn Editor, CarsGuide

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Crafting Reviews

by Marcus Craft

Preparation for a vehicle review is a matter of necessity every time and, by design, it’s different for every vehicle.

The lion’s share of my time is spent testing and reviewing off-road vehicles so my preparation for a review will likely differ considerably to that of someone who only drives and reviews vehicles in an urban setting.

My preparation process involves mapping out appropriate on- and off-road driving routes (taking into account fuel stops, weather-affected terrain, etc) and the estimated times those routes will take to complete; organising and packing gear (vehicle-recovery equipment, fully stocked first-aid kit, a tyre-repair kit, an air compressor, tools, spares and more) to suit the specific test and route planned; devising a back-up plan in case weather negatively impacts the day’s planned driving route; as well as ensuring communication tools (handheld radios, a sat phone or the equivalent) are in good working condition; and much more.

But the preparation phase also involves comprehensive research into a vehicle’s specifications, including familiarising myself with new or revised driver-assist technology onboard the new vehicle; as well as changes in vehicle design, engineering, or materials used, or even changes to dimensions that may alter the new vehicle’s driving characteristics compared to its previous iteration.

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1 car – 4 guides

How one car can feature across multiple of our guides Remember how Cinderella’s shoes would only fit her feet? This is far from the case with CarsGuide and our array of consumer segment-focused site sections which now include FamilyGuide, TradieGuide, AdventureGuide, UrbanGuide, and EVGuide. These are all supported by ExpertGuide, which is typically where you’ll find our initial coverage of a new model.

Given how often new cars span a spectrum of buyer appeal, we commonly find ourselves covering the same car across multiple site sections to cater to specific segment requirements.

Isuzu D-Max 2021

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An excellent example of this is the hugely popular light commercial ute segment, with the current crop tending to suit the core professional user better than ever, while doing the same on weekend adventures and general family use. There’s also no shortage of them spending 9-5 in urban areas, with some clear winners and losers when it comes to tight parking situations and slow-speed driving manners.

One recent example of this spectrum is our coverage of the new Isuzu D-Max, where we covered the entire range in great detail from launch in ExpertGuide, before focusing on its off-road credentials in AdventureGuide, then put it through its paces with a tonne in the tray for TradieGuide, before subjecting it to the rigours of ferrying kids for FamilyGuide.

Watch this space for a future UrbanGuide test.

So that’s all bar EVGuide covered, then, and we’ll be at the head of the queue when the first hybrid or electric ute appears on the Australian market.

We also prioritised the most popular D-Max variants sprinkled across the guides where appropriate, so it’s fair to say we’ve got a number of different D-Max perspectives covered, and we apply the same treatment to all models where appropriate.

Malcolm Flynn, Editor, CarsGuide

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Positive dealer feedback speaks volumes Richard Dicello The past twelve months have been exceptionally busy for the Planning and Development team of the Autotrader Group. At the heart of our work this year has been the goal of building a platform to help dealers reduce their marketing spend. A big task, but an important one!

Ahead of its launch, we spent over a year refining and polishing the platform - meeting with dealers to gather and implement their feedback. We also leveraged the might and expertise of the savvy Global Motoring team at the eBay Classifieds Group (now the part of the Adevinta Group). For perspective, the combined eCG brands have 2.19m dealer listings, with 448 million visitors accessing our motors sites around the world. Some astonishing statistics.

Feedback from dealers is critical to the platform’s success. Since its launch I have spent countless hours on the road, meeting with dealers and asking for Traction

their feedback. To date, that feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

One of the most encouraging things I’ve heard is that dealers feel we are closing the gap on Carsales. All are happy that we can offer them an alternate sales tool. One dealer told me they feel like “there is now a Woolworths and a Coles in town”. That’s certainly positive and pleasing to hear and such feedback is supported by our growing audience numbers, with a lot of dealers now “leaning in”.

Dealers have also told me that our platform’s subscription model helps them better forecast their costs and that our fees are on-point and only a fraction of others in the marketplace. Another win!

One benefit that really appears to resonate is the strategy to withhold listings from platforms other than the Autotrader Group for a select period.

Only if the car is not receiving a good run rate of leads can be listed elsewhere.

It is the ultimate test for our platform and an area in which we are excelling.

Dealers are ecstatic that they have a chance to sell at a fraction of the cost and leverage a bigger ‘open’ platform helping to deliver more valuable walk-ins.

All very pleasing and reassuring feedback that certainly indicates we are on the right track. Though Autotrader Group is naturally still developing as a platform, I am excited by the possibilities of where we can progress to in the future.

I look forward to sharing more updates with you as we continue on our Autotrader Group journey.

Richard Dicello.

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Autotrader Group in the News

THE joining together of CarsGuide and Autotrader with Gumtree in June last year will now see the businesses introduce a new joint proposition operating under a single Autotrader Group umbrella with a single touchpoint to the group by dealers.

Since the purchase, Gumtree, CarsGuide and Autotrader have been canvassing dealers as they developed what they believe will be a strong new competitor within the online car classifieds market.

The move is the most significant yet taken in the decades-long desire by the nation’s dealers to even up the competitive balance between classified websites.

Under new plans revealed today, Gumtree Cars, Autotrader and CarsGuide will continue to operate as separate web entities from a public point of view. But they will now form a joint dealer proposition called Autotrader Group.

At the same time, the various classified advertising offers formerly made to dealers across the three sites will now, for dealers using Autotrader Group, become a subscription-only advertising model.

Alternative models such as pay-per-view were dropped because budgeting for that model by dealers was difficult to predict; potentially leading to bill shock.

The changes will mean that rather than dealing with multiple advertising methods (pay-per-view and subscription), different billing systems and two field sales teams, dealers will have just one touchpoint and pay on just one invoice from the Group.

The company says that it will continue to operate an ‘open platform’ where the dealers selling a car in an online listing are identified up front. This is a fundamental difference with Carsales which operates a ‘blind lead’ where the buyer does not know the identity of a dealer selling a car until the dealer makes contact.

The new subscription model will have three packages called Economy, Essential and Elevated.

Within each of these three levels are package tiers where a dealer can buy a number of car slots depending on how many cars the dealer wants to list in a month.

A dealer with 100 used cars in stock would most likely choose a 100-car package.

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One feature of the package is that it can be topped up on the fly, within the same month. Each time a car is sold in a given month, the dealer can relist another replacement car at no additional cost (within the same month). A dealership theoretically selling all its used cars in a month could replenish all 100 listings all within the subscription price.

The Economy package is a basic listings package of the dealer’s online listings displayed in the manner the dealership chooses.

The medium Essential package brings in additional features and functions including videos, financing leads and the display of more information from the seller.

The Elevated level offers such things as priority top ups and an in-depth integration to a dealer’s own advertising space linking back directly to their social media pages.

Autotrader Group dealer sales director Richard Dicello told GoAutoNews Premium: “Autotrader Group now delivers a unique and powerful ecosystem that leverages CarsGuide’s editorial leadership, Gumtree Car’s large and vibrant shopping audience with Autotrader’s sophisticated automotive buying tools for a combined proposition that creates both efficiency for dealers and transparency for customers.”

He said the Autotrader Group’s purpose is to “shake up the market and offer a genuine alternative for dealers to receive quality sales leads”.

“Think of Autotrader Group as an ecosystem.

Autotrader Group is the trade brand that we bring to market for our dealers.

“The ecosystem will still consist of the three consumer offerings in the market; CarsGuide which is the leading editorial site in the country at the moment and we will obviously continue with Autotrader which brings the sophisticated automotive buying tools and the like.

“Then obviously Gumtree as a whole will continue to do what they do, which is bringing seven million Aussies to the site every month. So Gumtree Cars represents a significant part of that ecosystem.

“So we will still have those brands in the market, but the dealer will only see one source of connection with Autotrader Group and one source of lead from us as an organisation.”

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“They’ll have one dedicated account manager, they’ll receive one source of connections and leads from the Autotrader Group. They’ll receive one invoice at the end of the month and one source of reporting as well.

So these are big, big changes for the dealers.”

Mr Dicello said that operating under the one umbrella would make the Autotrader Group offering more competitive and that dealers would be able to more readily assess the results the three sites were generating for them.

Mr Dicello said that previously each brand was operating separately.

“The dealers were receiving an invoice from Autotrader and they were receiving an invoice from Gumtree Cars. We had two field teams in the market, two account managers and two sets of reporting. So a significant change.”

“When you consider CarsGuide, Autotraders and Gumtree Cars on their own it is difficult to compete.

But when you combine the three, and you look at the combined unique audience, and the offering that we’re talking about now, I think we now come a lot closer to Carsales and we start to build a strong, viable proposition.

Mr Dicello said the decision to move across to the subscription model on all sites followed benchmarking and discussions with a wide range of industry stakeholders.

“We used a lot of data, we did a lot of studies, both consumer and trade, and we spoke extensively with dealers and in particular we wanted to understand what sort of model they would like us to bring to market.

“We talked a little bit about the pay-per-lead model.

We discussed the Autotrader pay-per-view model and we discussed Gumtree Car’s subscription model.

“When we spoke to the dealers it was pretty clear; there was a unanimous choice.

“We all agree that the pay-per-lead model is not conducive to a working partnership. At the end of the day, one person wins and the other partner tends to lose. Off the back of that, subscription became the only choice for us.”

The feedback from dealers across the country was that under pay-per-lead it is very hard for dealers to control their costs.

“First and foremost, subscriptions allow the dealer transparency. It’s easier to understand. There’s no bill shock. So they can start to budget. And in effect, they can start to budget up to 12 months within a small variance in terms of the cost per month.

“And ultimately, we believe that the subscription model will give greater efficiency and transparency over the billing schedule and a strong understanding of the return on investment as well.

“In terms of the feedback, the dealers were unanimous in making sure that is what they wanted. So that’s one of the big changes.

“One of the benefits of our offering is that we will continue with an open platform; so creating great transparency for the consumer which is a really important part of this journey.

“In turn, when they’re ready to connect with a dealer, they know who the dealer is, they can do a bit of research on the dealer and they know everything they need to know about the inventory that the dealer has to offer.”

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“When we look at the metrics across all the sites, when you consider the amount of traffic that CarsGuide is generating for Autotrader buy-a-car leads – and Autotrader will continue to invest in that brand as well – when you look at Gumtree in terms of the traffic that it generates through the automotive and the cars category it is a significant audience and we are providing significant value to dealers.”

Asked if it was difficult to measure the value of the open platform because dealers were notoriously poor at tracking the source of walk-ins, Mr Dicello said: “We generate leads as emails and phone connections but, being an open site, we generate additional value that is sometimes difficult to attribute.

“Those are the URL clicks, the map reveals and of course, the walk-ins. And we all know, we’ve been in the industry long enough that the best source of connection or lead to a dealer is a walk-in. They close walk-ins disproportionately higher than they close an email or a phone lead. In fact, at times double.

“So that’s the big part of the offering that we think we’ll be able to work really closely with the dealers and get them to understand the full value proposition that we’re bringing to market, particularly under one brand.”

Mr Dicello said that Autotrader Group was working closely with some dealers to develop ways of tracking the success of the open platform model.

“We are encouraged with work we are doing with a couple of groups around the country that are quite savvy and happy to work with us and run some trials.

“They’re starting to get some insights and learnings around the power of the open platform and they’re starting to really embrace it, because, of course, the walk-ins are so powerful.

“We’ve done our consumer research of recent times and the experience that a customer gets when they walk into the dealership is telling particularly if the salesperson gets it right, and the chance of them getting the business from that customer is upwards of 80 per cent,” Mr Dicello said.

By John Mellor

Q1 2021

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Introducing Beth McMullen Beth McMullen is one of the faces of CarsGuide Lab’s innovative content projects, whether it’s a virtual ride-along, a range walk-through or a lifestyle-focused road trip.

An accomplished stage actor and presenter, Beth views vehicles through the eyes of their potential buyers, highlighting key features and technologies in an entertaining, engaging and entirely relatable way.

Cars, she says, are more than just products. they’re a way to unlock a new lifestyle, new adventures and new experiences, and she loves taking the CarsGuide audience along for the ride.

FIND OUT MORE

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IT’S TIME FOR A CHANGE.

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WHAT’S STOPPING YOU? 3.6 million monthly unique audience.1

Reach an average of 1.8 million2 people who haven’t visited Carsales in that month.

Low Monthly Subscription Fee You asked, we listened.

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One Account Manager Always know who you are talking to.

One Bill No reconciling across multiple platforms.

One Report Get all your info in one place, no back and forth across the three platforms.

SOURCE: 1. Nielsen Digital Content Planning, January 2021, P2+, Digital (C/M), text, Gumtree Cars, Autotrader, CarsGuide, total de-duplicated unique audience. 2. Nielsen Digital Content Planning, January 2021, P10+, Digital (C/M), text, CR- Gumtree Cars CAMS automotive websites vs Carsales.com.au, duplication, unique audience

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IT’S TIME TO START SEEING OTHER PEOPLE

The Autotrader Group has created a unique and powerful ecosystem that leverages CarsGuide’s editorial leadership, Gumtree’s large and vibrant shopping audience with Autotrader’s sophisticated automotive buying tools.

Where car buyers go to research.

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Features and tools to help deliver ready-to-buy auto intenders.

A vibrant marketplace connecting dealers with buyers.

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SAY GOODBYE TO TYRE KICKERS

1

Kelley Blue Book Price Advisor

2

Google ratings

3

AutoRecord

4

5 Traction

- Helping set consumer pricing expectations

- Providing information on your reputation

- Helping to giving consumers confidence to buy

Business details - Reducing enquiries requesting location information and facilitating walk-ins

CarsGuide Editorial - Helping take consumers from research to purchase

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WE’RE A BIG DEAL WITH DEALERS

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Listing with these combined platforms has accelerated our stock turn and reduced our inventory marketing costs.

Autotrader Group creates efficiency for dealers and transparency for our customers.”

Jamie Moyle, Digital Manager,

Cockburn Central Motors

By moving cars faster, we’re getting even more value as we’re often selling far more cars than the listing package we’re on.”

Chris Rowbottam, Corporate Accountant/Data Analyst,

Regent Motors Pty Ltd

I put my cars on Autotrader, CarsGuide and Gumtree for two weeks. Most of the time I get enough enquiries to sell the cars.

If I don’t, then I put them on other platforms.

I’ve shrunk my marketing budget by 25%.”

Michael Cairns, Manager,

All Car Wholesale

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WHY WE’RE SMARTER

K now exactly what your bill will be each month Fee certainty with subscription fee structure.

Buyers connect with you however they want

MS, phone, email and S walk-in leads.

Make your dealership standout from the competitors

No more ‘where are you’ leads More transparency with business location information, opening hours, address and contact details.

Monitor metrics from three sites in one location Autotrader Group makes management and reporting easy with Dealer Central, a single platform where you can control all of your listings with the click of a button.

Multiple locations to promote your dealership with photos, web address and location.

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TAKE THE AUTOTRADER GROUP FOR A TEST DRIVE

Using the Autotrader Group Platform exclusively for the first two weeks of your inventory’s digital journey could potentially reduce your total third-party spend.

Why pay per lead when you can pay as little as $26 per car? See pages 12-13 for full pricing table.

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PACKED WITH SMART FEATURES Where your stock will be displayed

Economy

Essential

Elevated

Fortnightly

Weekly

2x Weekly

Up to 40 photos

Up to 40 photos

Up to 40 photos

Platform

Gumtree, Autotrader and CarsGuide Search results page visibility Bump up Larger ad format 3 Images in search results page Priority Top Ad with broader radius Vehicle page visibility Photos Link to website ‘More from this seller’ feature Video1 Own the ad space on your vehicle page2 Dealership branding Dealer Page3 Link to website on Dealer Page ‘Book a service’ button on Dealer Page No 3rd party ads on Dealer Page Social media: Facebook and Twitter Social media: YouTube and Instagram Dealer financing Financing leads Tools & reporting Call tracking4 Kelley Blue Book Price Advisor4 AutoRecord4 1 Web-only (not on CarsGuide or Autotrader apps) and only for DS feed dealers 2 Web-only (not on Autotrader and CarsGuide apps) 3 Not on Autotrader app 4 Where available

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Gumtree Cars

Autotrader

CarsGuide

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AND EVEN SMARTER SELLING TOOLS

Dealer Central was designed with the dealer in mind; it’s your efficient, simple and smart solution to manage your vehicles on Autotrader Group.

Inventory: View and manage all your listings on one easy dashboard.

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Performance Data: Access real-time performance data at a glance.

Add Vehicles: Create effective vehicle listings fast.

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It’s Time for a Change / Autotrader Group

HERE’S WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT US

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Leads from these platforms are always higher quality.

These customers know all of our details, most of the time they’ve done their research, and are ready to buy.”

Tom Kennedy, Dealer Principal,

Motorama Group

If only every customer could be a walk-in.

We convert around 85% of our walk-ins.

So it’s critical we have platforms in our marketing mix that deliver us walk-ins. Now we have three, with the convenience of one account.”

Grant Barnier, Owner,

Newcastle Regional Auto Wholesalers

The best thing is they show all your business details, so we don’t get any leads asking us where we are.”

Albert Wong, Director/Owner,

Pride & Joy Motors

FIND OUT MORE

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senecs eht dniheB

Small SUV

Our small SUV comparison tests are an example of how we can provide maximum value to our in-market viewers and readers.

Generally shot over a period of two or three days, they are also valuable for our journalists, allowing them to get down to the granular details on what separates key segment rivals.

In our early 2021 small SUV test, we compared a newcomer, the Kia Stonic, against a long-running favourite, the Mazda CX-3, and for good measure lined both up against the Hyundai Kona to see whether it’s worth going slightly bigger for the same money.

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FIND OUT MORE

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The one-stop shop for auto-intenders INDEPENDENT EDITORIAL Reviews Tow tests Advice articles Comparison tests Battlecards Trip and Trail

PANORAMAS 3D Video magazine Editorial Bespoke

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Besp oke

ntent o c ed d n Bra

DEALERSHIP AMPLIFICATION On-car decals ‘The Word’ book of reviews

Guide

OFF NETWORK AMPLIFICATION Facebook REACH Instagram REACH Youtube REACH DisplayPlus

spo n s ors h i ps

3D SCANS Showrooms Individual cars Ownership

torial i d E ent d n pe e Ind

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GUIDE SPONSORSHIPS Tradie Guide Family Guide Adventure Guide Urban Guide Luxury Guide

3D s can s

Off n lificatio Amp ork tw Ne

BRANDED CONTENT Movers and Shakers Range walk-through Tradie Life Road Trips Product Demo's Interviews: Designers & Engineers Virtual Ride Alongs

Dealers h i p A mp l i f ica t i on

MINI BRAND GUIDES & MINI BRAND MAGAZINES Without video With video BESPOKE Branded banners Full custom brand publishing Other

as oram Pan Traction

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FOUR WAYS TO AMPLIFY OUR CONTENT ON AND OFF-NETWORK.

https:/ youtu.be/-8RFe2OCJJo htp:/carsguide.c ltra.com/previ w/48a389a7#overides.deviceInfo.deviceType=Phone REACH FACEBOOK

Trusted CarsGuide reviews packaged into an immersive brand experience and targeted at first party auto-intenders on Facebook.

Off-network auto-intender targeting Off-network auto-intender engagement Drive brand consideration Immersive/Interactive 2 weeks to market

REACH DISPLAY PLUS

DisplayPlus uses interactive ad units to package our trusted reviews into immersive display that targets first party auto-intenders on and off network.

Off-network auto-intender targeting Off-network auto-intender engagement Drive brand consideration Immersive/Interactive 2 weeks to market

https:/ youtu.be/skP9E0PVdjg https:/ youtu.be/zwJ0FWt7YUU REACH CAROUSEL

Convert any advice article or review into an immersive brand experience native to Instagram, targeted at first party auto-intenders.

Off-network auto-intender targeting Off-network auto-intender engagement Drive brand consideration Immersive/Interactive 1 week to market

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REACH VIDEO

Give first party auto-intenders the messages you want them to know from trusted CarsGuide reviews, in a 15” pre-roll format on SWM BVOD or YouTube.

Off-network auto-intender targeting Drive brand consideration 2 weeks to market

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Discovering French luxury in Australia In one of CarsGuide Lab’s most up market branded content projects, we took the Peugeot 3008 to breathtakingly beautiful Robertson to pick truffles. Reminding buyers they can unlock a little French luxury in their lives.

FIND OUT MORE

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REACH case study Hyundai Palisade Days live:

20

Impressions:

230,117

REACH

115,134

Average content engagement:

42.43%

Clicked through to the review:

2.2%

Average dwell time in review:

6mins 14secs

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article from

magazine

This article originally appeared in Marketing Magazine: www.marketingmag.com.au

Case study: how investigation and analysis delivered an experiential first for Mitsubishi Motors This case study explores how Mitsubishi Motors partnered with CarsGuide Labs and Wavemaker to create an online experiential road trip to simultaneously engage its current and future customer base. The initiative was particularly timely in 2020 with many dealerships around Australia closed for extended periods due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Campaign: Virtual Road Trips Client: Mitsubishi Motors Agency: CarsGuide Labs in partnership with Wavemaker Background Mitsubishi Motors is a top-five automotive car brand in Australia with 200 dealerships located around the country. When the global pandemic broke out in 2020, Mitsubishi was faced with the challenge of maintaining its retail sales volume and contact with its customer base in the face of several lockdowns. With dealerships, particularly those in Victoria, closed for extensive periods, Mitsubishi Motors turned to digital content to create an always on touchpoint with its future and current customer base.

Objective The key objective was to create digital content that engaged a broad audience in an experiential way in the same manner that a Mitsubishi retailer would. Another key metric was organic traffic with the Mitsubishi team keen to grow brand awareness while in-person events were difficult to coordinate.

To achieve this result, Mitsubishi’s Media Agency Wavemaker worked with CarsGuide Labs to formulate a digital content proposal. CarsGuide Labs harnessed top Google trends to analyse what search terms consumers were engaging with.

Following this analysis, it was shown that search volumes for ‘road trips’ was at an all-time high with CarsGuide Labs finding that average road trip searches had increased by 104 percent year on year and key searches like ‘The Ultimate Australian Road Trip’ saw an increase of 529 percent in June 2020. This formed the basis for the content theme allowing CarsGuide Labs, Wavemaker and Mitsubishi to then develop the channel delivery.

Strategy Wavemaker and Mitsubishi made the decision early on to host the content hub on the CarsGuide website with amplification across social media channels.

The reasoning behind using the CarsGuide website as the central content hub was Traction

that it was capable of hosting a data rich webpage ensuring a longer dwell time for visitors and a true digital experience as per Mitsubishi’s objectives. CarsGuide Labs also ensured that pictures, video, map graphics and a 3D visualisation of the vehicle on location were included within the brief to create multiple engagement points for visitors.

Speaking about the concept behind the activation Tim Flattery, Head of CarsGuide Labs, said: “There was a period when search engines rewarded online experiences for being light weight, easy to load and with minimal rich content elements on the page. However, as the technology has evolved so too has our ability to create engaging digital experiences that cause the audience to dwell and absorb the content that is available to them.”

Flattery added that the inclusion of 3D visualisation technology has been hugely successful, particularly in the automotive and travel industry where being able to visualise something is key to building people’s excitement.

In particular, this campaign set out to target a broader audience and so looked at ways to make the content more pertinent and relatable. After a year that included flooding, bushfires and COVID-19, there was a need to support businesses outside of major cities in Australia.

With that in mind, the project team made the decision to include regional businesses in the recommended road trip journey enabling the campaign to shine a light on the plight of businesses in country NSW and encourages Aussies to get out and explore their own backyard.

Execution The first road trip was rolled out in December 2020 with the second published in February 2021 providing longevity, and ensuring each piece of content wasn’t compete against the other for search traffic.

Both were amplified with strategic paid media via Wavemaker and Mitsubishi was able to maintain an always on approach to customer outreach. This was of crucial importance to Mitsubishi who were keen to stand out as many automotive brands competed for their share of voice online in an attempt to replicate the normal inperson outreach undertaken by both the brand and its dealerships.

Speaking about the initiative, Karen Bradley, senior manager of marketing at Mitsubishi Motors Australia, said: “Customers still want to see and experience

their next car. When the lockdowns were announced across Australia, we couldn’t deliver this experience for customers. The automotive market was confronted with a sharp decline in leads and sales. We were seeking a new and inventive way to offer our customers the driving experience they expect when they visit any Mitsubishi showroom, but this time online.

“The CarsGuide Labs virtual drive routes offer both current owners and prospects the ability to take a virtual test drive to an aspirational destination here in Australia.

At that time, they helped us to maintain an important presence in the market when it was difficult to test drive a vehicle.

“There has been a v-shaped recovery for Mitsubishi Motors and the industry, and we’re in a strong position to capitalise upon these gains as the content continues to receive positive customer feedback and generate enquiries for dealers.”

Results Overall, the campaign delivered above average dwell times for readers who were required to spend 21 minutes absorbing the text, videos graphics and 3D virtual scan elements of the initiative. The Pajero Sport road trip on the South Coast was the best performing with users having an average dwell time of 9 minutes and 33 seconds.

Users were also drawn to the 3D scans with the interior tour of the Eclipse Cross proving the most popular receiving 7,157 views from 5,543 unique users.

Speaking about these results Wavemaker CEO, Peter Vogel, said: “This initiative shows is that there is a genuine appetite for engaging content. In fact, based on the interest in the virtual road trips story we were able to develop complimenting content series including a competition on social media for followers to win their own weekend away. It was the research and analysis into search trends that enabled us to focus on the core content theme for the integrated experience.”

“In an age of information overload, it can be a fight for cut through,” added Flattery.

“What the Mitsubishi road trip has proven is that there is still a strong appetite to experience things online. People are increasingly digitally literate and technology like 3D virtual scans enables us to deliver genuine online experiences that go some way to breaching the gap between virtual and reality. There is no substitute for real world experience, but equally there is no excuse for sub-par online experiences that don’t maximise the technology we have available.”

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YouTube snapshot Q1 2021. Top performing videos and statistics.

Toyota Camry 2021 Review

1:40

121.9k

3.6k

Average view duration

Total views

Total watch time (mins)

4:38

72.8k

5.6k

Average view duration

Total views

Total watch time (mins)

Haval H6 2021 Review

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Hyundai Tucson Highlander vs Toyota RAV4

4:22

69.9k

5.3k

Average view duration

Total views

Total watch time (mins)

Subscriptions

+11.9k – Total subs now 179k

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Most searched makes & models - used.

Most searched makes & models - editorial.

1. Holden Commodore

1. Isuzu D-Max

2. Toyota HiLux

2. Toyota LandCruiser Prado

3. Toyota LandCruiser

3. MG3

4. Toyota Corolla

4. Toyota HiLux

5. Ford Falcon

5. Toyota LandCruiser

6. Toyota LandCruiser Prado

6. Mitsubishi Outlander

7. Mazda3

7. MG ZS

8. Ford Ranger

8. Nissan Patrol

9. Toyota RAV4

9. Ford Everest

10. Hyundai i30

10. Toyota RAV4

Most searched makes - used.

Most searched makes - editorial.

1. Toyota

1. Toyota

2. Ford

2. Ford

3. Holden

3. Hyundai

4. Mazda

4. Mazda

5. Nissan

5. Kia

6. Mitsubishi

6. Mitsubishi

7. Hyundai

7. Nissan

8. Volkswagen

8. Mercedes-Benz

9. Subaru

9. Volkswagen

10. Honda

10. Subaru

Source: Google Analytics - carsguide.com.au and Autotrader.com.au

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Ranking by bodystyle CarsGuide and Autotrader classifieds Top 10 most searched car types for sale.

Top 10 Sedans

Top 10 Hatches

1. Holden Commodore

1. Toyota Corolla

2. Toyota Corolla

2. Mazda3

3. Ford Falcon

3. Hyundai i30

4. Mazda3

4. Volkswagen Golf

5. Toyota Camry

5. Honda Civic

6. Mitsubishi Lancer

6. Toyota Yaris

7. Holden Cruze

7. Kia Cerato

8. Honda Civic

8. Mazda2

9. Mazda6

9. Subaru Impreza

10. Kia Cerato

10. Ford Focus

Top 10 SUVs

Top 10 Utes

1. Toyota RAV4

1. Toyota HiLux

2. Toyota LandCruiser Prado

2. Ford Falcon

3. Toyota LandCruiser

3. Holden Commodore

4. Nissan X-Trail

4. Ford Ranger

5. Mazda CX-5

5. Toyota LandCruiser

6. Honda CR-V 6

6. Mitsubishi Triton

7. Mitsubishi Outlander

7. Isuzu D-Max

8. Holden Captiva

8. Mazda BT-50

9. Hyundai Tucson

9. Nissan Navara

10. Toyota Kluger

10. Holden Colorado

SOURCE: Google Analytics - carsguide.com.au and Autotrader.com.au

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CarsGuide reviews The car reviews that attracted the most views.

Source: Google Analytics - carsguide.com.au

1 Ford Ranger 2021 review: Wildtrak X

2

3

MG3 2020 review

Toyota RAV4 hybrid 2021 review: Cruiser

4

5

MG ZS 2020 review

Kia Seltos 2021 review: Sport+

6. Toyota HiLux 2021 review: SR5 Double Cab cab chassis GVM test

14. Toyota Prado 2021 review: GXL off-road test

7. Honda HR-V 2021 review: RS

15. LandCruiser 79 Series GXL dual-cab 4WD 2018 off-road review

8. Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 2021 review: GSR

16. GWM Ute 2021 review: Great Wall Cannon

9. Mitsubishi Triton 2021 review: GLS

17. Toyota C-HR Hybrid 2020 review: Koba

10. LDV T60 2020 review: Luxe off-road

18. Kia Stonic 2021 review

11. 80 Series LandCruiser: Used Review 1990-1998

19. Hyundai Palisade 2021 review

12. Ford Everest 2020 review: Sport 4x4

20. Toyota Prado 2021 review: GXL

13. Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series 2021 review: Sahara

adventureguide

tradieguide

familyguide

expertguide

urbanguide

Source: Google Analytics - carsguide.com.au

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CarsGuide news SOURCE: Google Analytics - carsguide.com.au

The car news articles that attracted the most views.

1 Forget Ford Falcon XR8 and Holden Commodore SS, here are the patrol cars you might not be aware the police are driving in 2021 2

3

4

5

Huge twist in Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, GR HiLux and GR Fortuner story?

More Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series details reported! Bad news if you’re waiting for the hybrid, but good news if you want a GR Sport reports 6. The best new cars coming to Australia in 2021 7. Hyundai ute’s diesel engine would dominate HiLux and Ranger: All-new dual-cab could be crowned Australia’s most powerful ute!

8. Holden’s secret super ute project! Thumping 550Nm HSV SportsCat was ready to launch against the Ford Ranger Raptor and Toyota HiLux 9. Best electric cars arriving in 2021 10. Future police cars to be designed and built in Australia with hydrogen power 11. 2022 Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series leaked! Twinturbo V6 petrol engine confirmed for new off-road icon alongside other key details 12. 2022 Ford Ranger: What we know so far about the new Toyota HiLux rival and Volkswagen Amarok twin, including engines and timing 13. Lookout LandCruiser! Hyundai Palisade already luring customers from Toyota’s iconic off-roader - before proper Korean LC300 rival arrives

Best SUVs arriving in 2021

Three reasons you shouldn’t rush into buying a Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series: The key areas the 300 Series will have it beat

14. 2022 Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series delayed? Why you might have to wait longer for the new off-road icon: report 15. Ford Australia can’t afford the new 2022 Ranger ute to be a failure 16. Rust in pieces: From the last Holden Colorado to the Hyundai Veloster, here are eight cars that were permanently retired in 2020 17. Could Kia’s HiLux-rivalling ute and a LandCruiser-like SUV be enough for it to take down Toyota?

18. The wait is almost over! This is when Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series pricing, spec, and diesel engine detail will drop 19. Subaru Brumby reborn? Subaru ute could return as a Toyota HiLux twin!

20. Who will be left to buy the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series? V8 frenzy continues

Source: Google Analytics - carsguide.com.au

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CarsGuide Quarterly stats summary Content created and published in Q1

49 342

155 31

Videos News stories

^ 16%

Reviews Advice articles

^ 19%

Sessions in editorial are up 16%

Editorial page views are up 19%

Traffic by device 2. Desktop

3. Tablet

71%

24%

5%

SOURCE: Google Analytics - carsguide.com.au

1. Mobile

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Traffic increase quarter on quarter by state New South Wales

Victoria

17.09%

23.66%

Share of national traffic 31.98%

Queensland

Share of national traffic 25.88%

Western Australia

17.62%

16.55%

Share of national traffic 20.78%

South Australia

Share of national traffic 10.63%

Australian Capital Territory

23.73%

13.95%

Share of national traffic 7.92%

Tasmania

Northern Territory

27.83%

Share of national traffic 1.19%

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Share of national traffic 1.43%

10.22%

Share of national traffic 0.19%

Q1 2021

65

Major launches Popularity of launches this quarter.

Top 10 views 1. GWM Ute 2021 review: Great Wall Cannon dual-cab 4x4 pick-up test 2. Audi Q5 2021 review - Does the revamped and facelifted Mercedes GLC rival deserve your attention?

3. Kia Stonic 2021 review – Will the hot new baby SUV ruffle a few feathers?

4. Subaru Outback 2021 review - New-generation rugged wagon is more SUV than ever!

5. Kia Carnival 2021 review – Why most families should choose it over any SUV 6. Honda Civic Type R 2021 review: Is this revised hot hatch even better than a Mercedes A45?

7. Skoda Scala 2021 review: Is this new small hatch smarter than a Kia Cerato?

8. Hyundai Kona 2021 review - Does the revised small SUV’s changed formula make it a winner?

9. Skoda Kamiq Monte Carlo 2021 review - Is the sportier small SUV a Toyota and Mazda beater?

10. Mercedes E-Class 2021 review: E300 sedan - Is the facelifted luxury sedan a worthy rival to the BMW 5 Series?

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