FPV hangs tough

John Mellor’s 

GoAuto News 

Aug 15, 2012 Australia’s No.1 Automotive Industry Journal No. 643 70,000 Readers Weekly 

 

 

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FPV hangs tough 

Ford muscle-car unit to stick with Falcon-based V8 models amid uncertain future 

By BYRON MATHIOUDAKIS 

FORD Performance Vehicles (FPV) 

will stick to its guns with a Falcon-based 

range of sedans and utes, precluding 

the possible return of a Territory-based 

SUV or smaller four-cylinder models 

such as a Focus-derived hot hatch in the 

foreseeable future. 

However, the company – 

which is a 51/49 per cent joint 

venture between Prodrive 

and Ford Australia – will not 

comment on specifi c future 

product or activity, including 

whether it is working on a 

replacement for the existing 

Falcon range of vehicles beyond 2016. 

FPV would also not reveal whether 

it plans to develop faster versions of 

Ford’s latest-generation EcoBoost 

engine – either the current four-cylinder 

or the V6 yet to come here – that are 

expected to be the heart of Ford’s next 

generation of family cars. 

“I am in no position to say – you will 

have to ask Ford,” FPV managing director 

Bryan Mears told GoAuto this week in 

his fi rst interview since the company 

went through another restructure at the 

end of May, with general manager Rod 

Barrett among the casualties. 

Mr Mears is striving to keep 

customers interested in a brand 

that has gone through its share of 

peaks and troughs since forming 

10 years ago this month. 

“While the market has changed 

and a lot of Australians are saying 

they don’t want to buy a big rearwheel-drive 

vehicle, there’s still 

a part of the market that says: ‘Hey! We 

really want this sort of car’,” he said. 

“So if we didn’t produce this type 

of vehicle, if we didn’t keep renewing 

ourselves and developing vehicles that 

people want, then obviously we would 

be out of business.” 

Mr Mears said FPV is concentrating 

Bryan Mears 

on making the best performance car in 

Australia’s history and cannot afford 

to digress into niches that may not be 

benefi cial for the brand. 

“The Territory (in 2008) demonstrated 

to us that people were not prepared to 

buy a homegrown high-performance 

SUV,” he told us. 

“Those people lucky enough to have 

one will know how good they are, but I 

don’t think we’ll do anything there, to 

be honest. The development of products 

in the future is dependent on what we 

do with this vehicle (Falcon).” 

Though FPV traditionally does not 

release sales fi gures or projections, Mr 

Mears said the short-term goal is to crack 

the 2000 annual sales mark, though it is 

considerably short of that goal. 

Continued next page 

INSIDE 

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GoAuto News 

FPV hangs tough 

Continued from previous page 

“In terms of the numbers going 

through the business, it is less than the 

previous year, which was less than the 

year before that,” said Mr Mears. 

“I’d like to take a bigger market 

share. I’m disappointed that we’re not 

selling as many of these vehicles that 

the investment warrants. 

“Having said that, the last couple of 

months have been stunning. I’m very 

happy with the results. 


GoAuto News 

PUBLISHER: John Mellor 

EDITOR: Terry Martin 

MANAGING EDITOR: Ron Hammerton 

JOURNALISTS: Haitham Razagui, Mike Costello, 

Byron Mathioudakis, James Stanford 

PRODUCTION: Luc Britten, Ian James 

SUB-EDITOR: David Hassall 

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Tim Nicholson 

Produced by GoAutoMedia: Ph: (03) 9598 6477 

newsroom@mellor.net 

ADVERTISE: Steve Butcher 

Ph: 0419 562 110 ads@mellor.net 

SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com 

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automotive dealerships. 

“I’d certainly like more. We don’t 

talk about numbers, but in the order 

of about 2000 units a year is not a bad 

starting point. 

“We’re getting back to the numbers 

that is counter to the trends in the 

marketplace. So what we’re doing in 

the market is we’re getting back to 

the running rates that I’m much more 

comfortable with. 

“You know all the factors affecting 

people’s confi dence. There’s a lot of 

that in the mix. So if a lot more people 

have a lot more confi dence in the 

marketplace or what’s happening in the 

Australian economy and all of those 

things, people will come in. I do think 

there is a pent-up demand.” 

Mr Mears described the latest 

cutbacks at FPV’s Campbellfi eld 

headquarters just north of Melbourne 

– which is believed to have made 

around 12 staff members redundant 

– as necessary to address “a major 

structural problem”. 

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE 

Aussie GT’s fi nest hour – next page 

Talk to us today. sales@auto-it.com.au | 03 9349 3062 


Aug 15, 2012 Page 2 

FPV admits ‘Panther’ 

program is overdue 



has admitted that its new ‘RSPEC’ 

chassis tune program – known 

internally as ‘Panther’ – delivers the 

driving experience that the current V8 

model range should have received on 

release two years ago. 

FPV managing director Bryan Mears 

said timing and resource constraints 

made it impossible to launch the 

optimal chassis tune with the ‘Miami’ 

V8 engine program – a $36 million 

redevelopment of the US-designed 

5.0-litre supercharged Coyote V8 – 

when it introduced the FG-series GT 

range in 2010. 

Since then, FPV is understood 

to have spent about $4 million 

improving the suspension and 

drivetrain for a measurably 

more responsive and “hardcore” 

experience. 

“It’s where we wanted to be when 

we released the Miami, but for 

several reasons couldn’t achieve it 

at the time,” said Mr Mears at this 

week’s launch of the limited-edition 

GT RSPEC sedan. 

Among the RSPEC changes are 

stiffer engine and transmission 

mounts (to cut driveline movement 

under load and improve ride quality), 

higher rear spring rates, retuned 

dampers front and rear, reinforced 

rear lower control arms, stiffer front 

upper control arms and a larger rear 

anti-roll bar. 

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE


GoAuto News 

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Aussie GT’s fi nest hour 

Limited-run race-spec 

model billed as FPV’s 

best-handling GT ever 



has released a track-focused GT limited 

edition, introducing a launch control 

function for the fi rst time along with a 

host of suspension modifi cations, but 

no performance or brake upgrades. 

Dubbed RSPEC (for Racetrack 

Specifi cation) and priced from $76,990, 

production will be limited to 350 sedans 

boasting a paint and stripe package 

reminiscent of Ford’s iconic Mustang 

of the late 1960s. 

In stark contrast to the new entry-level 

Holden Special Vehicles ClubSport 

models announced just last week, the 

RSPEC will sit at the upper end of 

FPV’s V8 range of FG Falcon-derived 

performance sedans, plugging the gap 

between the $70,790 GT on which it is 

based and the $82,090 GT-P/$82,490 

GT-E luxury fl agship versions. 

It is powered by the locally built 

all-alloy ‘Miami’ Boss 335 5.0-litre 

supercharged V8 petrol engine 

introduced two years ago, which 

continues to deliver 335kW of power 

and 570Nm of torque to the rear wheels 

via a six-speed manual or six-speed ZF 

automatic gearbox. 

The new launch control system – 

enabled from ignition – helps optimise 

torque delivery for “smooth, consistent 

launch on typical road surfaces”, 

according the chief engineer of FPV 

parent Prodrive Australia, Bernie Quinn. 

To that end, stiffer transmission mounts 

have also been fi tted to reduce powertrain 

and driveline movement under load, as 

well as improve ride quality. 

The rear suspension gains higher 

spring rates, retuned dampers, 

reinforced lower control arms and a 

thicker anti-roll bar, while the front end 

also receives the modifi ed dampers, as 

well as stiffer upper control arm bushes 

and upper strut mounts. 

For improved cornering and traction 

capabilities, the RSPEC also adopts 

new nine-inch rear wheels shod with 

the 275/35 R19 Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 

GT tyres fi rst seen on the 125 GT Black 

cars of last year, along with a revised 

toe setting on the rear wheel alignment 

 

 

 

 

 

Aug 15, 2012 Page 3 

for better turn-in response. 

“From the outset with the GT RSPEC, 

we wanted more agile handling with 

better traction, and so the suspension 

had to be considered holistically, unlike 

the aftermarket, where you might bolt 

on a set of wider tyres and hope for the 

best,” said Mr Quinn. 

“The new car thus received a 

signifi cant number of component 

changes to develop this totally 

integrated package.” 

Visual inspiration came from the 

1969 Boss Mustang, with the RSPEC 

brandishing a variation of the American 

Pony Car’s ‘C’ stripe featuring a ‘335’ 

label within it. 


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GoAuto News 

Base ClubSport, Maloo 

make comeback as HSV 

launches MY12.5 series 

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HSV pumps up the value 

By RON HAMMERTON 

HOLDEN Special Vehicles (HSV) has 

cut the price of entry to its sports sedan 

range by more than $6000 with the 

reintroduction of the base ClubSport 

after an absence of six years. 

The new ClubSport – part of a midyear 

‘model-year 12.5’ range rev-up to 

mark HSV’s imminent 25th anniversary 

– has been introduced at a driveaway 

price of $64,990, compared with a list 

price of $67,990 for the previous entry 

sedan from Holden’s hot shop, the 

ClubSport R8. 

By the time dealer delivery and 

statutory charges were added to the 

previous ClubSport R8, the price was 

closer to $72,000. 

As well, HSV has reintroduced the 

PRICING: 

Maloo $58,990* 

Maloo R8 $68,500 

ClubSport $64,990* 

ClubSport R8 $71,500 

ClubSport R8 Tourer $72,500 

Senator Signature $86,990 

Grange $88,990 

* Driveaway pricing 

base Maloo ute below the Maloo R8, 

hitting showrooms at a driveaway price 

of $58,990, compared with the previous 

entry price of $64,990 for the Maloo R8 

(plus on-road costs). 

The moves by HSV came just days 

before rival Ford Performance Vehicles 

(FPV) revealed its GT RSPEC in 

Melbourne this week. 

Apart from a couple of special 

limited editions, the latest ClubSport 

is the fi rst HSV model to carry that 

nameplate without the ‘R8’ tag since 

July 2006, when the VE Commodore 

was introduced, along with the E Series 

HSV-enhanced variants. 

The new-look ClubSport and Maloo 

both come armed with the 317kW 6.2 

LS3 Gen 4 V8, along with a choice 

of six-speed manual or six-speed 

automatic transmissions. 

As well, standard equipment includes 

Aug 15, 2012 Page 4 

20-inch Pentagon wheels, sport touring 

suspension, ‘competition mode’ ESC, 

four-piston brakes, satellite navigation and 

rear-park assist with reversing camera. 

The ClubSport R8 and Maloo R8 

have been retained in the range, but 

elevated with the addition of the more 

powerful 325kW version of the 6.2-litre 

LS3 V8 from the Grange. 

As well, the R8 variants get the Bi- 

Modal exhaust, forged alloy wheels 

(8.5-inch wide front, 9.5-inch rear) and 

HSV leather upholstery. 

Price rises accompany the upgrade 

for the R8 variants, with ClubSport R8 

sedan rising to $71,500 (plus on-roads), 

the ClubSport R8 Sports Tourer wagon 

going from $68,990 to $72,500, and 

Maloo R8 increasing to $68,500. 


Walkin’ the talk on Cruze – next page


GoAuto News 


Walkin’ the talk on Cruze 

Latest WP conversion kit 

turns up wick on 1.4-litre 

local small car to 180kW 

By HAITHAM RAZAGUI 

AUSTRALIAN hot-shop Walkinshaw 

Performance (WP) has turned up the wick 

on the Holden Cruze’s standard 1.4-litre 

turbo-petrol engine to 180kW and 

310Nm, creating a true-blue hot hatch. 

Those engine output fi gures put 

the WP Cruze up there among hothatch 

royalty, with just a handful of 

kilowatts separating it from biggerengined 

production models such as 

the Volkswagen Scirocco R, Renault 

Megane RS250, Ford Focus ST and 

Subaru Impreza WRX. 

The aftermarket conversion of the 

Cruze fi lls the void left by the absence 

of an offi cial hot Holden small car from 

WP’s sister company, Holden Special 

Vehicles (HSV). 

HSV looked at building such a 

model to replace the Astra VXR that it 

previously imported from Vauxhall, but 

opted instead to develop the car by its 

arms-length subsidiary WP, which has 

no offi cial ties with Holden. 

Aug 15, 2012 Page 5 

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WP achieved the high specifi c power 

output of 129kW per litre by bolting on 

an upgraded turbo and exhaust manifold 

linked to an upgraded stainless-steel 

exhaust system bolted to the back of 

the catalytic converter, along with the 

necessary engine management tweaks. 

The performance boost was 

engineered with the help of tuning house 

HPF and, according to HPF owner Rob 

Vickery, has been achieved with a linear 

power curve that does not reduce the 

standard Cruze’s driveability. 

“Upgrading to a bigger turbo sounds 

like a simple way to get big horsepower, 

but in a front-wheel-drive, without the 

right engineering behind it, you could 

easily make it unmanageable and 

unfriendly,” he said. 

Harnessing the extra performance 

– representing an 80 per cent power 

increase and 50 per cent torque boost 

over the 103kW/200Nm donor car – is 

revamped suspension including front 

and rear sway bars, uprated Bilstein 

dampers and lowered Irmscher springs. 


If you’re not afraid to get your hands dirty, jack up an engine or 

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GoAuto News 

GrandTiger claws out 

China’s ZX Auto ute set 

for October debut in WA 

as national rollout looms 


AUSTRALIA will get another Chinese 

vehicle brand in October when ZX 

Auto begins selling its GrandTiger ute 

in Western Australia ahead of a national 

rollout about April next year. 

Independent importer Chinese 

Automotive Distributors (CAD) has 

told GoAuto that about 180 GrandTiger 

one-tonners will be shipped to Perth 

in the last quarter of this year as a 

toe-in-the-water exercise to bed down 

sales and marketing plans ahead of the 

national launch. 

A direct competitor for Great Wall’s 

V240/V200 ute range, the GrandTiger 

will be sold in cab-chassis and dual-cab 

ute styles with a choice of 4x2 and 4x4 

drivetrains. 

The only engine available initially 

will be a Mitsubishi-sourced 93kW 

2.4-litre petrol four-cylinder – the same 

petrol engine as used by Great Wall in 

its V240 ute range – matched with a 

fi ve-speed manual gearbox. 

A Toyota-based 2.5-litre turbo-diesel 

is due in the GrandTiger in Australia 

about April next year, when the whole 

range will go national through a 

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dealership network that will also carry 

the Chinese-sourced Geely passengercar 

range that will kick off with the EC7 

small car about the same time. 

CAD director Rod Gailey said some 

east-coast dealers had expressed the 

view that they would rather launch with 

the complete ZX Auto ute range, with 

both petrol and diesel engines. 

“We will have the diesel ready to be 

launched at the end of the fi rst quarter 

or the start of the second quarter next 

year,” he said. 

“Some of the feedback from the 

dealers is that they say they like the 

petrol and they want to run with it, but 

the strength is in the diesel. 

“They would rather wait until the 

Aug 15, 2012 Page 6 

diesel comes, if it is not too far away, 

rather than do a launch A and a launch 

B. And I think that makes sense. 

“In the meantime, it gives us time to 

test the vehicle in the market (in WA). 

“We are testing the price, the vehicle, 

consumer reaction to the marketing 

programs, to see how well it succeeds.” 

A fl eet of 20 GrandTigers are already 

running around WA as part of a product 

quality evaluation program and to test 

modifi cations made by Melbournebased 

Prodrive Engineering – a sister 

company to Ford Performance Vehicles 

and the Ford Performance Racing V8 

Supercar team. 


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GoAuto News 

Trade negotiators are well 

aware of local car industry 

issues with FTAs: Combet 

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Aug 15, 2012 Page 7 

Minister promises fair trade 

By IAN PORTER 

FEDERAL industry minister Greg 

Combet has moved to reassure the 

domestic car and parts industries that 

Australia will not be tricked or taken 

down when it signs new free trade 

agreements with Asian countries. 

He said the fear within the local 

industry that Australia’s trade 

negotiators did not place enough value 

on the domestic car industry and were 

willing to grant greater automotive 

concessions than they received were “a 

big generalisation”. 

However, he also warned the industry 

that the federal government was not 

going to take any action to shield the 

Australian manufacturing sector, which 

employs almost one million people, 

from the ravages of the strong Australian 

dollar, indicating that the government 

was not going to take action over the 

string of factory closures that have been 

eroding the country’s manufacturing 

capacity. 

Speaking exclusively to GoAuto, Mr 

Combet said he had raised the plight 

of the Australian car industry and 

manufacturing generally with trade 

minister Craig Emerson. 

Mr Combet said he was well aware of 

the “unfortunate” experience with the 

Thailand free trade agreement, which 

immediately reduced tariffs on Thai 

products coming to Australia to zero but 

gave Thailand some years to reduce its 

tariffs on Australian vehicles. 

No sooner had the deal been signed 

than Thailand slapped a massive excise 

duty – not a tariff – on vehicles with 

engines over three litres. 

Thailand now exports more than 

100,000 vehicles a year to Australia, 

compared to only a trickle – at best – 

sent from here to Thailand. 

A speech last Friday to the Federation 

of Automotive Products Manufacturers’ 

national conference by the deputy 

secretary general of the Thailand Board 

of Trade, Duangjai Asawachintachit, 

did little to ease the pain. 

“Not many people in Australia realise 

that we had excise laws in place before 

the free trade agreement was signed,” 

she said. “We just adjusted the rates.” 

Mr Combet said that input on FTAs 

from the parts industry had helped in 

recent months. 


More reports – page 18-21 

Greg Combet 

AFTERMARKET PLEA 

AUTOMOTIVE accessory makers 

have criticised the federal government 

for excluding them from the latest $35 

million co-investment scheme, saying 

Canberra only wanted to know about 

the $11 billion aftermarket industry 

when it spruiked employment and 

export fi gures. 

Australian Automotive Aftermarket 

Association (AAAA) executive 

director Stuart Charity said Australian 

aftermarket manufacturers were not 

eligible for any support under federal 

government programs designed to 

promote innovation, green initiatives 

and export opportunities in the 

automotive industry. 

“It seems that if you don’t sell 

your Australian-manufactured car 

parts to a multinational car company, 

the Australian government does not 

consider your business to be part of 

the automotive industry,” he said. 


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GoAuto News 

Suzuki sexes up ‘SX4’ 

S-Cross concept bound 

for Paris set to preview 

new compact crossover 

By MIKE COSTELLO 

SUZUKI has revealed a pair of teaser 

images previewing a new compact 

crossover concept called the S-Cross, 

ahead of its fi rst public appearance at 

the Paris motor show on September 27. 

The company describes the C-segment 

SUV as a model that embodies 

“emotion, quality and aerodynamics ... 

with distinctive dynamic lines that start 

on the front bumper, sweep across the 

doors, and continue to the rear”. 

It is not clear at this stage whether the 

fi ve-door hatch is a replacement for the 

current SX4 tall-boy crossover that has 

been on sale in Australia since 2007, or 

a larger standalone model. 

A single digital image of the car points 

toward a curvaceous nose design, with 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

bulbous wheelarches, large rectangular 

grille, pronounced bumper vents and eyecatching 

LED daytime running strips. 

An accompanying sketch gives an idea 

of the side-on design, with the bonnet 

curves complemented by a high windowline, 

pronounced side slash along both 

doors and unusual triangular C-pillar. 

The images suggest a sportier and 

lower-slung design than the Japanese 

company’s current fl eet of SUVs and 

crossovers, perhaps in response to the 

success of edgy C-segment vehicles 

like the Nissan Juke. 

Suzuki promises “detailed 

information” about the S-Cross will 

emerge when the covers are removed 


Aug 15, 2012 Page 8 

at the Paris show. 

This week’s announcement comes 

less than a month after an unidentifi ed 

Suzuki crossover was snapped by spy 

photographers undergoing testing in Spain 

while wearing heavy body camoufl age. 

Even through the heavy body cladding, 

it is clear from the rounded nose design 

and compact dimensions that the test 

vehicle is a prototype version of the car 

to be displayed at the Paris show. 

The S-Cross will be the second SUV 

concept displayed by Suzuki this year, 

following the rugged Indian-designed XA 

Alpha from the Delhi show in January. 



GoAuto News 

Marriott Hotel & Resort, Surfers Paradise QLD 

Wednesday 5 – Friday 7 September 2012 

Register online at www.aadaconvention.com.au 


F-Type wait almost over 

Jaguar prepares to reveal 

all-new sportscar in fi nal 

form at Paris motor show 


JAGUAR will unveil its productionready 

F-Type roadster at the Paris 

motor show on September 27, giving 

the world its fi rst undisguised look 

at the long-awaited aluminium twoseater 

before it goes on sale in Europe 

around mid-2013. 

The British prestige marque has also 

announced the fi rst engine details for 

the sportscar – a spiritual successor to 

the famed E-Type of the 1960s that has 

been 12 years in the making – revealing 

the rear-drive soft-top will be powered 

by a trio of supercharged six- and eightcylinder 

petrol engines. 

Entry versions will be available 

with a newly developed 3.0-litre 

F-Type prototype 

The Australian Automobile Dealers Association presents the 

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DEALER CONVENTION 

Aug 15, 2012 Page 9 

PROFITABILITYFIRST 

YOUR ALLIED INDUSTRY SUPPORTING PARTNERS 

supercharged V6 engine in two 

different states of tune, producing 

either 250kW or 280kW of power. 

Jaguar has also announced a fl agship 

version, to be powered by the existing 

supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engine that 

produces 380kW in the XF, XK and XJ. 

According to Britain’s Autocar, 

Jaguar is expecting a 0-100km/h sprint 

time of less than fi ve seconds for the 

fl agship variant, with a top speed of 

around 300km/h. 

All engines will receive a fuel-saving 

idle-stop system as standard. 

As GoAuto reported in April, the 

F-Type is slated to appear in Jaguar 

Australia showrooms within months of 

the global launch next year as a rival for 

the likes of the Porsche Boxster, BMW 

Z4 and Mercedes-Benz SLK. 

A hard-top version is expected to 

emerge as early as 2014, as previewed 

by the C-X16 hybrid coupe concept 

shown at the Frankfurt motor show in 

September last year. 

The production reveal will be 

the culmination of a dozen years of 

intermittent development, with Jaguar 

fi rst fl oating the idea of returning to the 

two-seater sportscar fold way back in 

2000 at the Detroit motor show with the 

original F-Type concept car. 

Jaguar Cars global brand director 

Adrian Hallmark said the Paris 

unveiling would be a “truly signifi cant 

day in Jaguar’s history”, marking the 

company’s return to the sportscar market 

that it “originally helped to create”. 


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GoAuto News 

New operation working 

to secure sub-$20K Fiat 

500, more RHD models 

With more than 2,500 

dealerships already 

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left behind. 

more info > 

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Fiat ‘guaranteed to grow’ 


A FIAT 500 priced from less than 

$20,000 – at least $3000 lower than 

at present – is a top priority for Fiat 

Chrysler Group Australia. 

The factory-owned outfi t believes it 

has more scope to expand the range than 

previous Fiat and Alfa Romeo distributor 

Ateco Automotive, which offi cially 

handed over the keys on May 1. 

Fiat Chrysler Group Australia managing 

director Clyde Campbell said expansion 

of sporty premium marque Alfa Romeo 

will take longer in the absence 

of new products, but likens the 

Alfa brand to Jeep in that it has 

strong heritage and qualities that 

just need bringing to life with the 

right vehicles and marketing. 

Despite Mr Campbell’s 

rallying of right-hand-drive 

markets to secure production of 

more right-hook products, there is little 

progress on the development of a RHD 

version of Fiat’s Chinese-built Dodge 

Dart-based Viaggio sedan. 

Mike Manley, the global president and 

CEO of Jeep and COO of Fiat-Chrysler 

Asia-Pacifi c, told GoAuto he sees “much 

Clyde Campbell 

bigger potential” with the Alfa Giulietta, 

from which the Dart/Viaggio platform 

originates, and “would want the guys to 

focus on that fi rst”. 

However, he said there is “potential 

for us to take (Viaggio) to many 

markets” after its Chinese launch in 

September or October. 

In the meantime, Mr 

Campbell told us he is looking 

at the right-hand-drive Fiats 

sold in the UK and was working 

out “how much of what they are 

doing can I replicate here”. 

“They’ve got Punto, Grande 

Punto, Panda, a much bigger 

range on 500 than we’ve got, they’ve 

got Doblo – there are a number of Fiat 

variants we don’t have but are being 

produced in right-hand drive,” he said. 

With the well-received retro-styled Fiat 

500 already established in the Australian 

market but sales constrained by premium 

Aug 15, 2012 Page 10 

500 TwinAir 

pricing, Mr Campbell said bringing the 

‘Bambino’ down to a more affordable level 

could lead to “some serious volumes”. 

Without including the hotted-up, even 

pricier Abarth line-up, the Australian 

Fiat 500 range is limited to the hatch 

and convertible in just one variant, both 

powered by the 0.8-litre two-cylinder 

TwinAir petrol engine and priced from 

$22,990 and $25,990 respectively (plus 

on-road costs). 

Sales of the 500 are up 9.9 per cent 

to the end of July, with 210 non-Abarth 

models fi nding homes, but Mr Campbell 

believes he can do better and “would 

love to have” a sub-$20,000 Fiat 500. 

“I look at what is available in righthand 

drive in the UK and there are 

variants I could actually buy (retail) 

and sell them here under 20 grand,” he 

said, pointing to the £9660 ($A14,329) 

1.2-litre Pop variant. 

Continued next page 

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Fiat ‘guaranteed to grow’ 

Continued from previous page 

“When I use that language to my boss 

he gets pretty angry so I say, ‘Well, if you 

don’t sell them to me cheap enough, I will’. 

“We don’t have a sticker price that 

will make people drop their drawers 

and say ‘wow’, but we are being quite 

creative in how we can get benefi ts in at 

the price point. 

“People are attracted to the car, (but) 

we need to broaden the range.” 

Mr Campbell explained that Ateco 

had brought in quite a highly specifi ed 

500 because its business model 

focused on profi tability within a fi nite 

distribution agreement timeframe. 

“When it becomes a subsidiary 

operation (as with Fiat-Chrysler), our 

view is literally forever so we can take 

strategic avenues instead of tactical,” he 

said. 

Although it is still early days for the 

new Fiat-Alfa distributor, Mr Campbell 

is confi dent, saying: “We are certainly 

guaranteed to grow.” 

This view was echoed by new local 

Fiat and Alfa Romeo brand chief Bob 

Moorcroft, who said the local operation 

“has no choice but to grow it”. 

Mr Campbell said the company is 

now undergoing a positioning review, 

with the aim of adjusting both pricing 

and content across the Fiat and Alfa 

Romeo line-up. 

“Maybe there are other variants and 

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trim levels that will allow us to reach 

certain price points and things like 

that,” he said. 

Existing Fiat products including 

the Punto small car and Linea sedan 

are believed to be on the agenda for 

Australia, with Fiat Chrysler Australia 

corporate affairs director Lenore 

Fletcher commenting: “If it’s got a 

steering wheel on the right-hand side, 

we’ll look at it.” 

Ms Fletcher singled out the 500L 

wagon unveiled at the Geneva show in 

March and the still-secret ‘500X’ SUV 

glimpsed at a media preview in Italy 

last month as models that will come 

under close scrutiny. 

In coming years there will be a 

product bonanza from Alfa Romeo, 

with exciting products such as the 

mid-engined 4C sportscar due in 2014, 

a new Spider co-developed with the 

Aug 15, 2012 Page 11 

next-generation Mazda MX-5 arriving 

in 2015 and the 159-replacing Giulia 

sedan slated for a 2014 launch. 

Mr Campbell likened the current Alfa 

line-up, which is limited to the MiTo 

light hatch and Giulietta small car, to a 

dormant brand. 

“There is going to be some really 

great product coming out of Alfa going 

forward and it’s going to be quite a big 

brand for us,” he said. “It’s just going to 

take a while for us to get there. 

“The reason we’re so excited about 

Alfa is its latent brand qualities that are 

similar to Jeep. 

“It has signifi cant heritage and it 

resonates (with people) so it just needs 

to be brought to life. Once that kicks in, 

we’ll need to ensure supply.” 


More reports – page 13 

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GoAuto News 

Jeep ute tip 

Wrangler-bred ute, Fiat/Ram-based pick-up on agenda 


JEEP looks increasingly likely to offer 

a ute version of its next-generation 

Wrangler, which is set to hit the market 

in 2014 or 2015. 

And parent company Fiat-Chrysler is 

also considering a separate and smaller 

Toyota HiLux rival based on combined 

know-how from van specialist Fiat 

Professional and US truck brand Ram. 

Given the current Wrangler is priced 

from $32,000 (plus ORCs), a ute version 

would provide Australian tradies, 

weekend warriors and enthusiasts with 

a more affordable alternative to the 

similarly rugged and iconic Land Rover 

Defender (single-cab from $48,190) 

or Toyota 70 Series LandCruiser (cabchassis 

from $58,540). 

Speaking to Australian journalists 

last week about the likelihood of 

right-hand-drive Ram trucks reaching 

production, global Jeep brand president 

and CEO Mike Manley – on his fi rst 

visit to Australia – indicated that a Jeep 

ute was more likely. 

“Everything Jeep makes comes in 

right-hand drive, so when I think about 

the future, a right-hand-drive Jeep pick-up 

could probably have more potential than 

the Ram we understand today,” he said. 

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Hinting at a potential HiLux 

competitor that would be sold under 

the Fiat Professional or Ram brands 

depending on market, Mr Manley said 

Fiat-Chrysler is working on “very 

versatile” next-generation commercial 

vehicle platforms. 

“I can see an opportunity in the 

future for a pick-up on a platform that 

has enough global volume to be able 

to say we can have a global pick-up 

in this segment – left-hand drive and 

right-hand drive – because we’ve got a 

platform versatile enough to make it – 

and I’m not talking about a Wrangler.” 

While a HiLux rival could be 

several years away, Mr Manley said a 

decision on the Wrangler ute – which 

was previewed by the 2005 Gladiator 

concept – would be made in “the short- 

to medium-term future”. 

“We are now thinking of when it 

would be viable to offer a pick-up 

(version) of the Wrangler and it would 

probably be next generation ... in three 

years, maybe four,” he said. 


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Aug 15, 2012 Page 13 

All-new baby Jeep SUV 

will be no softie: Manley 


JEEP’S promised baby SUV will be 

fi t for the Australian Outback – if not 

the Rubicon Trail – when it arrives in 

2015, despite sharing its underpinnings 

with an Italian commuter car. 

The sub-Patriot B-segment Jeep will 

count among its rivals the Skoda Yeti, 

Subaru XV and Holden’s upcoming 

Trax, but the American SUV specialist 

is promising a rugged variant with 

class-leading off-road ability. 

In an interview with Australian 

journalists last week, global Jeep brand 

president and CEO Mike Manley said 

there would be at least one variant that 

would meet Jeep’s traditional ‘Trail 

Rated’ standard. 

“The Jeep brand in terms of its equity 

around the world is too precious for us 

to weaken it with a product that is not 

a Jeep,” he said. “There has to be one 

version that is Trail Rated, absolutely. 

“If we can’t make it a Jeep, we won’t 

make it – that is the rule.” 

Jeep’s Trail Rated certifi cation 

system is based on a vehicle’s traction, 

ground clearance, manoeuvrability, 

wheel articulation and water-fording 

abilities. 

As an entrant to a rapidly growing 

segment, the new sub-compact SUV 

is likely to become Jeep’s biggest 

seller globally. 


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Model remix for Santa Fe 

No V6 or 2WD for now 

as Hyundai prepares to 

launch redesigned SUV 


HYUNDAI will buck the trend in the 

family SUV market by launching its 

third-generation Santa Fe in Australia 

next month without a price-leading 

two-wheel-drive variant. 

The company has also revealed that 

its new large SUV will be powered 

exclusively by a pair of four-cylinder 

powertrains, with the newly developed 

3.3-litre petrol V6 only a slight chance 

to join the range further down the track. 

It is the fi rst time in fi ve years the 

company will not be able to offer a 2WD 

Santa Fe, with all 3.5-litre petrol V6 

versions of the soon-to-be-superseded 

model sold exclusively in front-drive 

confi guration, priced from $36,990 plus 

on-road costs. 

Key seven-seat rivals such as the 

Ford Territory, Toyota Kluger and 

Holden Captiva 7 all come with the 

option of two-wheel drive, cutting 

both showroom costs and fuel bills for 

buyers not requiring off-road capability. 

Aug 15, 2012 Page 14 

Kia confi rms 2.2 diesel, 3.5 V6 for upgraded Sorento as 2.4 petrol ‘powers up’ 


KIA has confi rmed its updated Sorento 

seven-seat SUV will continue with the 

current model’s 2.2-litre diesel and 

3.5-litre V6 petrol engines when it 

launches in Australia in October. 

But GoAuto understands that the 

South Korean car-maker has given 

itself the option of reinstating the 

2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, 

which was dropped from the Australian 

Hyundai Motor Company Australia 

director of marketing Oliver Mann 

told GoAuto that front-drive was not 

available from the Korean factory that 

supplies this market, but would be 

reconsidered in future. 

“It’s not planned at the moment; it’s 

not actually been on the table to us,” 

he said. “If it were, it is something we 

would look at. For us the path is clear.” 

Mr Mann said the current front-drive 

variant accounted for just fi ve per cent of 

Santa Fe sales compared to 95 per cent for 

the AWD, which is powered exclusively 

by the more in-demand 2.2-litre turbodiesel 

engine (from $37,990). 

He said the lack of a front-drive 

option would also free up more room 

for the smaller ix35 range in Hyundai’s 

SUV portfolio, with the company 

Sorento line-up in April. 

Documents viewed by GoAuto show 

the four-cylinder petrol Sorento’s 

power output has increased 13kW to 

recently expanding the range to include 

a higher-specifi ed Elite two-wheeldrive 

variant alongside the existing 

Active entry model ($26,990). 

The new-generation Santa Fe will be 

sold exclusively with seven seats (as 

per the current model), but in a marked 

departure will come exclusively with a 

pair of four-cylinder petrol and diesel 

engines. 

Unlike the current model, which kicks 

off with the 3.5-litre petrol V6 engine, the 

new generation will open with a 2.4-litre 

petrol – a 141kW version of the directinjection 

unit fi tted to the i45 sedan with 

148kW/250Nm – matched to six-speed 

manual and automatic transmissions. 


‘Young Gun’ debut – page 27 

141kW, suggesting the engine has 

adopted the Optima sedan’s direct fuel 

injection technology. 

In addition, rather than being a frontdrive 

entry-level variant, it appears 

the new 2.4 will also be available with 

all-wheel drive, meaning Kia could 

choose to introduce it as a premium 

engine choice. 


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US Accord breaks cover 

Honda uncovers all-new 

Accord but no launch in 

Australia until mid-2013 


THE new ninth-generation Honda 

Accord has been revealed in images 

released in the United States, where the 

mid-size sedan and coupe range will go 

on sale in the third quarter of this year. 

The Thai-built version for Australia is 

expected to look much the same when 

the sedan arrives in local showrooms in 

the middle of 2013, but this market again 

will miss out on the coupe that will be 

built only in left-hand drive in the US. 

In Australia, the American-designed 

Accord will also be sold alongside the 

Japanese-built Accord Euro that is also 

expected to get a total makeover within 

the next year. 

So far this year, Accord sales in 

Australia are down more than 80 per 

cent due to the devastating Thai fl oods 

that crippled production for months. 

By contrast, sales of the Japanese- 

built Accord Euro are up by more than 

80 per cent, as Honda and its dealers put 

their sales and marketing efforts into 

the only Accord available to them. 

Honda Australia corporate spokesman 

Lindsay Smalley told GoAuto that 

although the 2013 Accord powertrain 

line-up for Australia had not been 

confi rmed, it was expected to remain 

much the same as the current 2.4-litre 

four-cylinder and 3.5-litre V6 petrol 

engine range. 

But as GoAuto reported in April, a 

hybrid variant is expected to follow, 

probably in 2014. 

Mr Smalley said some small changes 

could be expected to the Accord design 

for the Asian market, in line with 

previous models such as the Civic, but 

the major sheetmetal would remain the 

same as the American version. 

Aug 15, 2012 Page 16 

The new Accord was teased in concept 

coupe form at the Detroit motor show in 

January, and the production version is 

largely faithful to that design, except for 

some grille and trim differences. 

The sedan design is largely 

evolutionary, with a prominent chrome 

grille surround and slimmer headlights. 

Honda says the Accord is shorter than 

before, contributing to a sportier driving 

character and easier parking. 

“An expansive greenhouse and 

generous rear seating area provide 

excellent levels of visibility and comfort 

for the driver and all passengers,” the 

company said. 

American Honda product planning 

vice-president Vicki Poponi indicated 

the Accord had been designed inside out. 


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GoAuto News 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Audi lets new RS5 loose 

Revised super-coupe hits 

town with sharper pricing 

and tech, design overhaul 


AUDI Australia already holds 50 

pre-orders for its revised RS5 supercoupe, 

which was offi cially launched 

last week with a range of cosmetic 

and performance enhancements and a 

starting price $13,900 lower than the 

model it replaces. 

The updated model is now priced from 

$161,400 plus on-road costs, allowing it 

to better match direct rivals such as the 

$155,000 BMW M3 coupe ($162,300 for 

the automatic) and $154,800 Mercedes- 

Benz C63 AMG coupe. 

The RS5’s arrival in Australia 

completes the facelifted A5 range that 

was launched here in February and 

went on sale in April. 

The addition of the new fl agship 

variant expands the A5 line-up to a 

staggering 21 variants, encompassing 

coupe, cabriolet and sedan body styles. 

Headlining the list of changes are a 

more effi cient electromechanical power 

steering system, a honed version of the 

existing seven-speed S-tronic dualclutch 

transmission, and a handful of 

minor styling changes along the same 

lines as the rest of the updated A5 range. 

Claimed to give the car a more 

athletic and muscular road stance, these 

cosmetic tweaks include a new bevelled 

single-frame honeycomb grille, sharper 

bonnet edges, sleeker and more wedgeshaped 

bi-Xenon headlights fl anked 

by LED daytime running strips, new- 

Aug 15, 2012 Page 17 

colour LED tail-lights, a tweaked rear 

bumper and new oval-shaped exhaust 

outlets at either side of the rear end. 

Completing the fresh look are newdesign 

19-inch forged aluminium wheels 

with 265/35-series tyres as standard. 

The mighty 4.2-litre direct-injection 

V8 engine at the heart of the RS5 is 

unchanged, however, and produces 

the same 331kW of power at a high 

8250rpm and 430Nm of torque between 

4000 and 6000rpm. 

Still, Audi claims to have shaved onetenth 

of a second from the 0-100km/h 

sprint time, down to 4.5 seconds, 

courtesy of tweaks to the S-tronic dualclutch 

transmission. 



GoAuto News 


Aug 15, 2012 Page 18 

DAIR workers end dispute 

Car-makers keep rolling 

after all parties agree on 

redundancy payout deal 


A DISPUTE that threatened to bring car 

production to a halt at GM Holden and 

Ford this week is over, with workers at 

vehicle component manufacturer DAIR 

Industries voting on Sunday night 

to accept a compromise on capped 

redundancy payouts thrashed out at Fair 

Work Australia in Melbourne. 

Workers had been picketing the 

Dandenong factory in Victoria over the 

issue since last Wednesday, slashing 

production of components 

such as rear bumper 

assemblies, foot brakes, 

clutch mechanisms, hood 

hinges, parking brakes and car jacks. 

But in negotiations last weekend, 

the company and unions agreed to a 

redundancy payout cap of 104 weeks 

for long-serving workers – a deal later 

ratifi ed by workers. 

DAIR production resumed on 

Monday morning, but car manufacturers 

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were still juggling production schedules 

to cover parts shortages. 

Ford Australia public affairs 

director Sinead Phipps said one 

example of parts in short supply was 

the third-row seat runners for the 

seven-seat Territory. 

“We will be able to produce a full 

day’s schedule today and 

tomorrow (Monday and 

Tuesday), but we are just 

having to juggle the models 

being produced,” she said. 

The dispute over redundancy payouts 

refl ects the nervousness of the 140 

workers at DAIR Industries – and 

across the component manufacturing 

sector in general – over job security. 

Hundreds of jobs have already 

been slashed as local car-makers 

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Holden Cruze production 

cut production and struggle against 

competition generated by the high 

Aussie dollar. 

Two parts-makers, APV Automotive 

Components and CMI Industries, have 

in recent weeks announced the closure 

of factories, which will cost more than 

200 workers their jobs. 

DAIR, which has been in business 

since the 1960s, was acquired last year 

by another parts-maker, Autodom Ltd, 

which reported a $647,922 loss on 

revenues of $46.8 million in 2011. 

The dispute over redundancies 

stemmed from that takeover, with DAIR 

workers refusing to accept a revised 

agreement over capped redundancies in 

line with Autodom policy. 


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GoAuto News 


Weber to take FCAI reins 

New chief executive for 

FCAI chosen from large 

number of top applicants 

By TERRY MARTIN 

THE Australian automotive industry’s 

peak body, the Federal Chamber of 

Automotive Industries (FCAI), has 

appointed Tony Weber as its chief 

executive. 

A senior Canberra bureaucrat with 

strong links to the department of 

industry and innovation, which is 

central to Australian motor vehicle 

manufacturing, Mr Weber will take up 

the position on September 10. 

His appointment follows a threemonth 

search for a new CEO that was 

instituted when Ian Chalmers resigned 

suddenly in May for personal reasons. 

Mr Chalmers had been in the position 

for only eight months after being 

recruited over a similar timeframe to 

replace Andrew McKellar, who left 

the FCAI in May last year to head up 

the Australian Automobile Association 

(AAA). 

Mr Weber is acting head of the 

innovation division of the federal 

department of industry, innovation, 

science, research and tertiary education 

(DIISRTE). 

He has held a number of senior 

positions in this department and in 

various others in Canberra, and has 

been a member of several key taskforces 

including the Productivity Commission. 

Mr Weber has worked alongside 

government ministers, including 

industry, innovation, climate change 

and energy effi ciency minister Greg 

Combet, and former industry and 

innovation minister Kim Carr. 

He was also a key fi gure in a survey 

and subsequent report of Australian 

motor vehicle producers produced in 

2000 by the automotive group of the 

federal department of industry, science 

and resources. 

FCAI executive offi cer Paula 

Matthewson told GoAuto that “there 

was strong interest in the position with 

Aug 15, 2012 Page 19 

Tony Weber 

in excess of 75 high-calibre candidates 

responding to the advertisement”. 

“Members of the FCAI board worked 

with (recruitment fi rm) Courland 

International to identify and interview 

a shortlist of candidates who possessed 

the wide range of skills necessary 

to fulfi l the duties of this important 

position,” she said. 

FCAI chairman Bob Graziano, who 

is also president and CEO of Ford 

Australia, said: “We are delighted 

Tony has decided to join the FCAI 

team to continue the chamber’s work in 

building constructive and productive 

relationships with governments, 

industry and other stakeholders.” 


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GoAuto News 

Fresh government aid to 

help parts-makers better 

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$35m parts sector boost 


EMBATTLED Australian automotive 

parts-makers last week received the 

green light to apply for slice of a $35 

million government assistance package 

designed to help local manufacturers 

compete against overseas suppliers 

and diversify into products for other 

industries. 

The announcement came last 

Wednesday as a delegation from the 

Thailand Board of Investment visited 

Australia to hold free seminars for 

parts-makers to promote manufacturing 

in Thailand, where labour rates are as 

little as $1.12 an hour. 

The car component industry is 

fi ghting for survival due to plunging 

sales of locally produced cars, the high 

Australian dollar and competition from 

overseas manufacturers, conditions 

that have contributed to the demise 

of two Victorian parts manufacturers 

– APV Automotive Components 

and CMI Industries – in the past two 

weeks, costing more than 200 workers 

their jobs. 

Funded jointly by the federal and 

Victorian governments, the new 

Automotive New Markets Initiative 

was foreshadowed by prime minister 

Julia Gillard in March as part of the 

$5.4 billion New Car Plan to support 

the automotive industry. 

The scheme was thrown open for 

public comment until June, but was 

last week locked in by federal industry 

and innovation minister Greg Combet 

on the eve of the annual conference of 

the Federation of Automotive Products 

Manufacturers (FAPM) in Victoria. 

“This demonstrates the strong 

commitment of our three governments 

to securing the long-term sustainability 

of automotive manufacturing in 

Australia,” he said in a joint media 

statement with industry ministers from 

Victoria and South Australia. 

“The automotive industry faces 

challenges as a result of the high value 

of the Australian dollar and changes in 

consumer demand. 

“The Automotive New Markets 

Initiative will help automotive 

component manufacturers to improve 

their competitiveness and break into 

the global supply chains which are an 

increasingly important feature of the 

car-making industry.” 

Aug 15, 2012 Page 20 

Holden production 

The program is split into three 

elements – the Automotive New Markets 

Program, Business Capability Support 

Program and Automotive Envoys and 

Automotive Supplier Advocate. 

Most of the money – $30 million over 

four years – will go to the new markets 

program, providing fi nancial assistance 

to automotive fi rms to diversify their 

business by securing new customers 

and developing new products. 

Successful applicants will need 

to contribute one dollar for every 

government dollar for their development 

program, with co-contribution grants 

ranging from $50,000 to $1 million. 

The Business Capability Support 

Program will fund a capability 

development organisation to help auto 

fi rms to “develop new capabilities, 

improve productivity and build on their 

current strengths in new ways”. 


Combet calls for calm – next page 

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GoAuto News 

Combet calls for calm 

Minister pledges support 

for auto sector but warns 

of destructive gloom talk 

By IAN PORTER 

FEDERAL industry minister Greg 

Combet has delivered an upbeat 

message to the beleaguered automotive 

components industry, pledging the 

government’s strong continuing 

support, but simultaneously warning 

that support would never include a 

return to tariff protection. 

Mr Combet stressed that the Labor 

government was determined to retain 

the automotive industry and its ability 

to conceive, develop and manufacture 

whole vehicles. 

He also gave an undertaking that the 

$5 billion that had been provided under 

the New Car Plan will not be further 

diminished. 

Addressing the annual conference of 

the Federation of Automotive Products 

Manufacturers (FAPM) last week, the 

minister also fi red a shot across the 

bows of people criticising the industry 

and speculating about its future after the 

announcement by Ford Australia that it 

planned to further trim its workforce in 

line with shrinking production volumes. 

“I don’t want to hear … criticism of 

the industry and the suggestion that the 

executives in the industry aren’t up to it 

or the major motor vehicle manufacturers 

don’t know what they are doing,” he said. 

“I don’t want to hear people talking 

the industry down, talking Ford down 

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as an unfortunate by-product of the 

announcement made last week. 

“There is nothing more certain than if 

you start talking the industry down, start 

talking the company down, start talking 

the capacity down, start ridiculing the 

executives, it becomes a self-fulfi lling 

situation. 

“We have to speak with confi dence 

about the future of the industry and 

make these things work.” 

And that also held for the Liberal- 

National Party Coalition in Canberra. 

“There is a debate about the effi cacy 

and economic effi ciency of the New 

Car Plan and the various funding 

programs,” he said. 

“I would ask you to see past the 

politics. I don’t think any government 

in Canberra really should seriously 

posit that we don’t proceed with these 

programs of engagement and support 

with this industry. 

“However, the opposition has made a 

number of comments that create some 

uncertainty about that. I think that is 

DEALER TO DEALER ONLINE AUCTION 


Aug 15, 2012 Page 21 

Greg Combet 

extremely unproductive.” 

Mr Combet discarded his prepared 

text and, instead, recounted his 

experience in industrial relations 

as a means of establishing that he 

understood the adjustment the car parts 

industry had been going through for the 

past two decades or more. 

Drawing on his history as a senior 

leader in the Labor movement and head 

of the ACTU, Mr Combet indicated his 

solidarity with the industry, frequently 

using the term “we” when talking about 

the problems facing the industry and the 

challenges ahead. 

“We have been on a pretty signifi cant 

journey over the past 25 years and I 

acknowledge, for the parts industry, 

what a tough time it has been,” he said. 

Mr Combet said his predecessor Kim 

Carr had drawn up a policy that took 

account of the new economic conditions 

but also plotted a way forward for the 

industry. 


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GoAuto News 

Pollution tests 

Cleaning solvent could come back to haunt Holden 


HOUSES near Holden’s Elizabeth car 

factory in South Australia are being 

checked for traces of pollution from a toxic 

industrial solvent that has contaminated 

ground water under the plant after leaking 

into the soil decades ago. 

Traces of gas produced by the chemical 

trichloroethene (TCE) – a cleaning and 

degreasing solvent commonly used in 

the 1960s and 1970s – have been found 

two metres underground near the houses 

by environmental consultants hired by 

Holden, prompting checks to see if the 

gas is leaking into the atmosphere. 

More than 90 residents in an area next 

to the Holden property have been asked 

for permission for testing equipment to 

be left on the properties for a few days 

to check for traces of the gas in the 

crawl space under their houses. 

The checks are being made in 

consultation with the South Australian 

Environmental Protection Authority 

(EPA), which has been kept informed of 

research into the TCE pollution issue since 

it was discovered in an environmental 

audit of Holden’s factory in early 2011. 

Back then, the EPA said the danger to 

residents was low, but advised nearby 

residents to stop using bore water. 

Holden says the TCE could have 

come from any one of a number of 

industrial concerns in the area, but says 

it is undertaking the checks as part of 

its commitment to the local community. 

TCE was regularly used to clean parts 

and machinery for many years – and 

is even said to be used to decaffeinate 

coffee – but was discontinued due to 

health issues, mostly minor problems 

such as respiratory irritation and 

dizziness, although scientists warned 

of potential for more serious problems 

such as elevated chances of certain 

cancers and lower fertility in men. 


 

 

 

SERVICE ADVISOR – Canberra 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IDEAL REQUIREMENTS: 

 

 


Aug 15, 2012 Page 22 

Car companies check 

social media protocols 


MOTOR companies are checking 

their social media protocols after the 

Australian Competition and Consumer 

Commission (ACCC) warned that 

large companies could face court 

action under vilifi cation or consumer 

protection laws if offensive or false 

comments on pages such as Facebook 

were not removed within 24 hours. 

The warning by the ACCC came just 

days after the Advertising Standards 

Bureau ruled that social media pages 

such as Facebook were a form of 

advertising and therefore bound by the 

same rules governing content. 

A quick scan of such Facebook forums 

this week turned up several comments 

that might breach the advertising 

code, including one describing a TV 

advertisement by the car company as 

“the gayest video ever”. 

Ford Australia, which famously 

highlighted Facebook in its television 

commercials for its diesel Territory 

SUV by fi lming an engineer setting out 

to visit all her Facebook friends on one 

tank of fuel, is one company that is reexamining 

its social media controls. 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(02) 

 

matt_simpson@leaseplan.com.au


GoAuto InBrief 

Road Runners 

VW introduces cut-price Caddy, Transporter editions 


VOLKSWAGEN Australia has slashed 

the price of entry to its commercial 

vehicle range with the introduction of 

limited-edition ‘Runner’ versions of 

both the Caddy and Transporter. 

Only 200 examples of the Caddy 

Runner are available while the Transporter 

Runner is limited to 350 units. 

Both are pitched as more utilitarian 

than the current entry variants on which 

they are based, featuring special hardwearing 

‘Runner’ interior trim “equipped 

to withstand the rigours of daily deliveries 

of courier drivers in Germany”. 

Priced from just $29,990 driveaway, 

the diesel-powered Transporter Runner 

substantially undercuts key rivals in the 

medium-size van segment including the 

Hyundai iLoad ($34,490) and Toyota 

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HiAce ($36,990), both of which require 

extra for on-road costs, widening the 

price gap even further. 

The sharp starting price represents a 

signifi cant reduction over the standard 

Transporter TDI 250, which retails for 

$36,740 plus ORCs. 

The smaller Caddy Runner, 

meanwhile, is priced from just $19,990 

driveaway compared to the TSI 160 

variant on which it is based that retails 

for $21,990 plus ORCs. 

The driveaway price compares 

favourably to the rival Citroen 

Berlingo (from $19,990), Renault 

Kangoo ($24,490) and Holden Combo 

($21,280), all of which require on-road 

costs to be added. 



Aug 15, 2012 Page 23 

GoAuto’s latest car review www.GoAuto.com.au 

Honda Civic VTi-S hatch 

NISSAN FINANCE OFFER 

NISSAN Australia has decided to 

repeat its successful 1.0 per cent fi nance 

offer of July with a similar campaign on 

selected models until the end of August. 

While the comparison interest rate 

does not match stablemate Renault’s 

current zero per cent fi nance rate offer 

or Holden’s 0.5 per cent, Nissan is 

offering terms out to 60 months under 

its new ‘All for 1%’ campaign. Holden 

and Renault offers have a 36-month 

maximum term. 


OZ TOYOTA RECALL 

TOYOTA Australia has issued a 

recall campaign on almost 20,000 of 

its Australian-built Camry, Camry 

Hybrid and Aurion sedans over a 

potential fuel leak. 


M-CLASS MAT ISSUE 

MERCEDES-BENZ Australia is trying 

to establish how many of the accessory 

fl oor mats that sparked an overseas 

recall on current-generation M-Class 

SUVs have been sold in Australia before 

deciding whether to take action. 


STOP PRESS 

GREAT WALL, CHERY ASBESTOS ALERT: 

CLICK CL CLIC ICK HERE HE HERE RE 

HONDA is fi nally on a level playing fi eld with its small-car hatchback 

rivals thanks to much keener pricing for the latest Civic hatch, which 

has a completely redesigned body and interior. Built in Britain and 

pitched directly against the popular Mazda3, Volkswagen Golf and 

Ford Focus, the fi ve-door Civic has a tough job ahead if it is to meet 

Honda’s lofty sales targets, but like the related sedan launched 

earlier this year, there are obvious and welcome improvements to 

the breed. However, a few anomalies remain in what is a fun but 

fl awed small-car package. 



GoAuto Market Insight 

HiLux hunts Mazda3 as 

Corolla bides its time in 

quest for top-car crown 


THE quest to fi nd ‘Australia’s Next 

Top Model’ in the motor industry is 

hotting up this year, with a resurgent 

Toyota HiLux utility now within 1600 

units of the Mazda3 small car after 

seven months of trading. 

That leaves fi ve months for more 

twists and turns in the marketplace, 

but on current form the HiLux is well 

placed to become the fi rst Toyota model 

in memory and the fi rst ute to claim the 

coveted title. 

Toyota recorded 3044 sales for 

HiLux 4x4 last month (up 49 per cent), 

and together with a modest 1119 4x2 

versions was more than 800 units clear 

of the Mazda3 (on 3355) as the nation’s 

number-one vehicle in July – its fourth 

successive month as the clear top model 

and its third in a row above 4000 units. 

Year to date, HiLux has racked up 

23,575 sales and is closing in on the 

Mazda3, which to the end of July had 

accumulated 25,168 new registrations 

to lead the fi eld after taking the crown 

from the Holden Commodore last year. 

With Commodore off the pace in 

2012, Corolla is in third place with 

22,011 sales YTD (up 20.4 per cent) 

and has a current-model run-out and 

fully redesigned new series still to 

come, raising the prospect of two 

Toyota models on the dais come 

December 31. 

GoAuto Market Insight – brought 

to you by Dealer Solutions 

This would be a signifi cant 

achievement for the Japanese auto 

giant, for although it has dominated as 

Australia’s biggest-selling brand since 

2003 and ruled the roost in a variety 

of market segments, Toyota has never 

capped it off with the number-one 

model in the land. 

Nine years ago, when Toyota won 

back market leadership from the Aussie 

lion brand, Holden was selling twice as 

many Commodores as Toyota’s topselling 

Camry (86,553 to 38,540). 

Despite massive declines since then, 

Commodore continued to lord over all 

other models, big and small, until last 

year’s 11.6 per cent fall to a new lowwater 

mark of 40,617 units ended its 

15-year reign and reduced it to second 

place behind the Mazda3 (41,429). 

It was a stunning result for Mazda, 


Dealer 

Solutions 

Means Performance. 

The heat is on Australia’s Top Models 2006-2012 YTD 

Average monthly sales 

6000 

5000 

4000 

3000 

2000 

1000 

0 

Holden Commodore 

Toyota Corolla Toyota HiLux Mazda3 

Aug 15, 2012 Page 24 

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 YTD 

NNote t : FFord 

dFF 

alco l n th thiird diin 

22006 

006 with ith 353 3532 avg mthl thly 

sales l 

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the nation’s top full-line importer, 

which had consistently shifted more 

than 32,000 units of its acclaimed small 

car since the mid-2000s before upping 

the ante to 39,000 in 2010. 

What made it remarkable was that the 

Mazda3 never looked to be a fi rm topmodel 

prospect before last year, having 

never before outsold Corolla and only 

once beating HiLux, way back in 2005. 

Without the setbacks from last year’s 

Thai fl ood disaster, HiLux, which 

fi nished third on 36,124 (just 37 units 

ahead of Corolla), would surely have 

threatened for fi rst or second place 

overall and would not have sunk to just 

over 1000 units in January this year, 

leaving it almost 3000 sales in arrears 

of the Mazda3 after only the fi rst stanza. 


Sour Source: ce: VFAC VFACTS TS 

1300 66 11 33 

www.dealersolutions.com.au


GoAuto Green 

Green issues in the auto world 

GoAuto o GGreen 

reen is brought 

to you by by y Better 

Place 

Hy 5 from $122,900 

Niche role for BMW’s 

fi rst hybrid but sales to 

rise via 3 Series model 


BMW Australia has announced that its 

fi rst hybrid vehicle, the 5 Series-based 

ActiveHybrid 5, will be priced from 

$122,900 when it lands in showrooms 

in October. 

Revealed ahead of the model’s 

Australian debut at the GreenZone 

Drive low-emission vehicle 

promotional event on Queensland’s 

Gold Coast last week, the price 

represents a $7300 premium over the 

closely related $115,600 535i. 

The petrol-electric BMW – the 

fi rst of three hybrid models from the 

Munich car-maker to be launched in 

Australia between now and the fi rst 

quarter of 2013 – is $1000 dearer than 

the most expensive of three hybrid 

Lexus GS450h variants, the $121,900 

Sports Luxury, and $23,000 upstream 

of the forthcoming Infi niti M35h GT 

($99,900). 

The company expects to shift only 

about 20 of the hybrid units in Australia 

this year, saying it will be only a niche 

model in the middle of the 5 Series range. 

BMW Australia head of public 

relations and corporate communications 

Piers Scott told GoAuto that the 

company expected its 3 Series hybrid, 

the ActiveHybrid 3, to be its biggestselling 

petrol-electric model once it 

arrived late in the year. 

He said the ActiveHybrid 3 would 

become the fl agship 3 Series model, not 

only offering thrifty fuel economy but 

the best performance – a factor that was 

expected to draw plenty of attention. 

BMW claims the ActiveHybrid 3 

can accelerate from zero to 100km/h in 

just 5.5 seconds, making it the quickest 

mass-produced hybrid sedan to date. 

The ActiveHybrid 5’s 0-100km/h 

sprint is said to take 5.9 seconds, 

which is faster than the BMW 535i (6.1 

seconds) but not as fast as the dieselpowered 

535d (5.5 seconds). 

Compared with its main rivals to 

date, the ActiveHybrid 5 completes the 

sprint in the same time as the Lexus 

GS450h, but is slightly behind the 

Infi niti M35h’s 5.5 seconds. 

Despite its green credentials and 

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Call our dedicated fl eet team today for more information, 

or visit www.betterplace.com.au 

If you have any queries, please contact Sarah Cox on (03) 8679 0800 

or email your query to fl eetsales@betterplace.com.au 


Aug 15, 2012 Page 25 

premium price, BMW’s mid-size 

hybrid is not the most effi cient 5 

Series model, being outpointed by 

diesel variants such as the diesel 520d 

(4.9L/100km) and six-cylinder 535d 

(6.1L/100km) 

The ActiveHybrid 5 fuel economy 

depends on which wheel and tyre 

package the buyer chooses, with 

low-rolling-resistance tyres yielding 

6.4L/100km, while the wider, softer 

tyres designed for higher performance 

deliver 7.0L/100km. Carbon dioxide 

emissions range from 149 grams per 

kilometre to 163g/km. 

In the fuel effi ciency stakes, the BMW 

is pipped by the Lexus hybrid, which 

gets 6.3L/100km on the combined test 

cycle since it was updated earlier this 

year. Offi cial CO2 emissions for the 

Lexus are 145g/km. 

The Infi niti M35h returns fi gures of 

6.9L/100km and 159g/km. 


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GoAuto Personnel 

GoAuto Personnel – brought 

to you by Motor Staff 

If you have any car industry personnel 

announcements, please email them to 

Terry Martin at tmartin@mellor.net 


EX-GM MARKETING CHIEF RETURNS TO DETROIT WITH FORD’S AD AGENCY 


FORMER General Motors vicepresident 

of sales, service and 

marketing, Mark LaNeve, has joined 

the Ford Motor Company’s global 

advertising agency Team Detroit. 

Reporting to the CEO of ‘Global 

Team Ford’ Satish Korde and based 

at Team Detroit headquarters in 

Dearborn, Michigan, Mr LaNeve will 

lead the strategy and overall operations 

for the Ford and Lincoln businesses 

worldwide at the fi rm, which is part of 

the giant UK-based WPP media group. 

“Ford is an iconic brand with 

outstanding leadership, great products 

and an even better future,” Mr 

LaNeve said. “With several options 

for returning to the industry I love, 

returning home to Detroit to be part of 

the Ford team through WPP was simply 

an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.” 

Mr LaNeve was most recently 

executive vice-president and chief 

Australia’s No.1 

marketing offi cer at 

Allstate Insurance 

Company, having 

worked there for 

almost three years 

after leaving GM in 

October 2009. 

As well as many 

Mark LaNeve 

years’ experience in 

senior executive roles at GM, including 

general manager for Cadillac and 

GM North America vice-president 

of marketing and advertising, Mr 

LaNeve spent four years (1997-2001) 

as president and CEO of Volvo Cars of 

North America. 

Mr Korde said the company had 

restructured its business over the past 

year and that “the time is right to bring 

in a new operational leader who will 

help take us to the next level”. 

“Mark is not only a great industry 

veteran, he’s a seasoned marketing and 

automotive executive with a strong 

Aug 15, 2012 Page 26 

background in retail, luxury and also 

the service industry, bringing a diverse 

amount of operational experience to 

this role,” he said. 

Former Holden chairman Alan Batey 

currently presides over GM’s sales and 

marketing in the US, following his 

appointment in May as US sales and 

service vice-president and, in recent 

weeks, his stepping in as acting global 

marketing boss after the unexpected 

departure of Joel Ewanick. 

While a replacement for Mr Ewanick 

is still to be announced, a Bloomberg 

report last week quoted sources who said 

the marketing chief’s sudden departure 

was in part due to not properly disclosing 

the full cost of the circa-$600 million 

sponsorship deal for Chevrolet with 

British soccer club Manchester United. 

He was also reportedly disciplined by 

GM CEO Dan Akerson after a public 

profanity at a conference in Cannes, 

France, in June. 

MACDONALD HEADS AUSTRALIAN OFFICE OF DRIVE SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS 


VEHICLE leasing systems fi rm Drive 

Software Solutions has announced the 

appointment of Nigel MacDonald as 

country manager for Australia, based 

in a newly established offi ce in Sydney. 

In a statement, the company said Mr 

MacDonald has 30 years’ experience 

in delivering international IT systems 

into large public sector organisations, 

international enterprises and the 

automotive industry. 

He was previously chief executive of 

healthcare technology systems house 

HET Software, and has prior experience 

with Kalamazoo Business Systems, 

Groupe Bull, FCS Computer Systems, 

Recruitment Specialist Anne Taylor George Hennessy Mara Nogarotto 

salesservicepartsadmin 

– Established 1992 – 

1300 666 562 

Sheridan Systems and Sodexo. 

Headquartered in the UK, Drive 

Software Solutions is a privately 

owned software company that focuses 

on fl eet vehicle management, contract 

management and leasing solutions. 

The company says it has seen an 

increase in demand in the Australian 

market due to “the increasing diversity 

of vehicle lease contracts, which 

have evolved to serve a changing 

employment and tax landscape”. This 

is particularly due to the increased 

popularity of novated leasing. 

Les Land 

Angela Pirrone 

Doug Tame 

Nigel 

MacDonald 

Drive’s managing 

director Andrew 

Burns said Mr 

MacDonald is “highly 

experienced and 

has exactly the skill 

set needed to lead a 

business like Drive 

Australia”. 

“As someone who 

has a track record of leading a successful 

IT businesses in Australia, Nigel’s role as 

country manager will be about building 

the on-the-ground infrastructure that 

existing customers and new clients need 

to deliver the maximum benefi t to their 

businesses,” he said. 

SEEKING 

QUALITY STAFF? 

www.motorstaff.com.au 

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GoAuto New Car Diary 

LAUNCH 

AUG 

FPV GT RSPEC 

Hyundai Veloster Turbo 

Infi niti FX ► 

Infi niti M 

Mitsubishi ASX, Lancer MY13 

Nissan Almera 

Opel Astra, GTC 

Opel Corsa ► 

Opel Insignia 

Proton Preve 

Renault Megane RS265 

GoAuto New Car Diary – brought 

to you by carsales.com.au 


Aug 15, 2012 Page 27 

VW Infi niti Australia will launch has given its Australian the green range light to at the most end 

powerful of the month, version headlined of Volkswagen’s by the sleek adventurously- three-door 

‘coupe’, styled FX the crossover Scirocco R. SUV. Powered The Nissan-owned 

by a 195kW. 

Citroen’s luxury brand’s Audi A3 rival competitor to the BMW will X5 be an will all-turbo kick off 

line-up from $83,900 in Australia, plus on-road starting with costs a for 115kW/240Nm 

the 3.7-litre 

1.6-litre V6, climbing petrol engine to $114,900 – codenamed for the THP fl agship 115 and S 

shared Premium ‘coupe’, V8 petrol. the Scirocco R. Powered. 

Opel will join the growing list of car-makers 

offering their wares in Australia this month, 

kicking off its three-model range with the Corsa 

light car. Best known as the basis for previousgeneration 

Holden Barina models, the Corsa 

will take it up to the likes of the Volkswagen Polo 

priced from $16,490 plus on-road costs. 

FULL NEW CAR DIARY: CLICK HERE 

Matte paint takes mainstream route as ‘Young Gun’ debuts on hot Hyundai Veloster 


HYUNDAI is the latest car-maker to offer 

a special matte paint colour on one of its 

Australian models, but like your favourite 

old shirt, it needs to be washed with care. 

Typically the province of luxury 

brands like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, 

Audi and Jaguar, the Korean company 

offers the non-gloss grey hue – dubbed 

Young Gun – on its quirky new Veloster 

SR Turbo as a $1000 option. 

The asking price makes the eyecatching 

paint cheaper than most 

equivalent offerings from more 

premium marques. 

Mercedes-Benz, for instance, offers 

a matte black paint called Designo 

Magno Night Black on its C-Class 

coupe for $7300, and it must be bought 

in conjunction with the Edition 1 styling 

package that can cost up to $6100. 

Hyundai has also revealed it will 

introduce a second, darker matte grey 

colour option to the Veloster Turbo 

later this year. 

The unique appearance of the Young 

Gun fi nish comes from the fact that it 

refl ects only 20 per cent of the light that 

hits it, compared with up to 80 per cent 

for glossier paints. 

But the company warns that with 

the head-turning looks comes extra 

responsibility, giving prospective 

buyers special instructions on how to 

keep their car clean and a warning to 

stay away from automated car washes. 

Hyundai urges owners to hand-wash 

the paint with a mild detergent or soapy 

water only, and to shelve polishes, waxes 

and harsher detergents like dishwashing 

liquids and those used in car washes. 

This is because the matte fi nish 

does not have the traditional clear coat 

applied to cars, although the company 

says there is a special sealant that 

provides a modicum of protection. 

Hyundai Motor Co Australia senior 

manager of PR and events Ben Hershman 

told GoAuto that the company was 

“delighted that the media is recognising 

Hyundai is taking a leadership position 

in offering an exciting matte paint option 

on the new Veloster SR Turbo”. 

Mr Hershman said it was unclear if the 

unusual paint scheme would be extended 

to other members of the range, such as the 

forthcoming extended SR performance 

sub-brand to be featured in concept form 

at the Australian International Motor 

Show in Sydney this October. 


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