Australian Car Advice | News Blog

Well I’m sure by now we have all seen the pinky-wiggling ad campaign taking a stab at men’s ego’s in what is ironically a message against speeding. Odd perhaps considering the ‘maneuvers’ these guys are performing would place them still well below the speed limit. Realistically it is an ad condemning reckless driving and is aimed literally below the belt in a misguided presumption of why ‘hooning’ occurs.

It seems to me, after viewing the video, a more appropriate ad slogan would have been “keep it on the track”. Considering entire sports have been created based on the events depicted in the ad - sports which are enjoyed by both men and women - more due care should have been made not to associate the reckless activities of these driver’s with a sport which requires a high degree of skill and dedication.

It was a severely misguided campaign manager who presumed that women were the cause of reckless driving. Even more misguided to think the old lady sitting on the bench was not just as likely, if not more, to drive through the pedestrian crossing without giving way. Perhaps a teenage girl on her phone would have made more sense than a young male so totally absorbed with his mid-80s car that he forgets to stop at the crossing - ironic considering it was an attractive woman crossing at the time, by my calculations he should have done a burnout.

Perhaps most dangerous of all is the message they have unknowingly conveyed with the blue VL drifting (term used loosely). The scene ends with a passenger making said pinky gesture. Unfortunately among young adolescent males this does not mean, “Gosh! That was irresponsible!” A more accurate translation would be, “Here, try it again around this corner, but this time give it more throttle”.

I fail to see the factor which deters drivers from this behaviour. Perhaps encouraging the use of open race tracks would help drivers realise there is a much easier and safer way to enjoy their car’s.

Video

George Skentzos

Free?…Free?…Surely not, there’s no such thing as a free lunch - as the saying goes.

Dodge Caliber

Alas, Dodge would like you to think otherwise. Dodge today announced that all new Dodge vehicles sold will come with free comprehensive insurance for two years.

The free insurance claim is open to all drivers - no matter what age - as long as they have a valid driver’s license. The excess will be marked at $450 and the underwriter will be QBE Insurance. According to Dodge, this could save some drivers up to $1800 per year.

Dodge Nitro

Announced at today’s Dodge Nitro launch, free insurance will begin immediately after the Dodge Nitro arrives at dealerships. Free insurance will be available on the Dodge Caliber (tested earlier in the year) and across the entire Dodge range closer to the end of the year, including the soon to be Avenger.

Dodge Avenger

Our invitation to the Dodge Nitro launch was lost in the mail - err…or so we were told - so we’ll have further information on the vehicle, along with a road test as information comes to hand.

We must be the only car site which hasn’t covered the split of Damiler from Chrysler, it wasn’t so much that we couldn’t be bothered, but it was more due to the endless rumours and unconfirmed reports. Nonetheless, its all official now, Daimler Chrysler is no more, its now just, Damiler .. and Chrysler.

One of the biggest brands effected by this split is Mercedes Benz (Daimler). In the last decade Mercedes has suffered from a flagging image and some serious quality issues. Some blamed the quality problems on Chrysler’s part, others saw cost cutting being the major issue.

Merc’s arch nemesis, BMW, also tried their hand with a merger (Rover) and after wasting billions on the company (which went out of business recently), BMW finally sold it’s share in 2000 and decided to go solo. A path which has led BMW to overtake Mercedes in many respects.

It appears that Mercedes executives are now starting to feel the same way.

“There are no acquisition targets I can recognise that could strengthen Mercedes,” Daimler Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche told German Sunday newspaper Welt am Sonntag.

In an efficient cost cutting world, the major benefits of merging a brand such as Mercedes with another manufacturer is generally to reduce costs and share platforms, nonetheless, the Chrysler merger has only disparaged Mercedes’ image.

“We are at the top of the industry with the Mercedes car brand - any integration of another brand would tend to drag us down … There is nothing to win from it either for the (Mercedes) brand or for the profitability,” Zetsche said in another Sunday paper, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung.

What will this mean for Mercedes-Benz? Time will tell. Arguably the worlds most recognized (and first) car manufacturer, the Mercedes brand can do with a kick start and this boost of self confidence may be just what it needs.

Its a hard game to win when you started out as a cheap and cheerful manufacturer. Toyota gave up trying to sell Luxury cars with a Toyota badge and opted out for Lexus, Hyundai is thinking the same thing, nonetheless, Hyundai’s image has greatly improved over the last few years.

A recent research conducted by AutoPacific, a leading US automotive industry research house, reported that Hyundai had the largest opinion improvement of nine major car brands.

Hyundai came out first for image improvement, other key winners included:

• Hyundai up 32%
• Toyota up 23%
• Honda up 19%
• GM up 17%
• Nissan up 13%

The survey concentrated on if buyer’s opinion of a manufacturer had changed in the last year.

“The surprise — or not so surprising — winner of the most improved manufacturer was Hyundai. Comments about the performance of Hyundai gave the brand credit for substantially improved styling, newly-found high durability/quality/reliability, a strong value message and a great warranty program. Positive comments outweighed negative comments by about four to one.” AutoPacific Spoksman

Continues negative remarks about Korean cars are still present in the Australian motor industry even today (even on this site), but although we appreciate Hyundai’s efforts, there is always one rotten apple that ruins the lot, and that comes in the form of Daewoo.

Either way, it is time we take Hyundai for what it really is, a quality brand which has proved it self as a major competitor against the Japanese.

“These impressive results are the latest of a number of such offshore recognitions of Hyundai’s rapid rise to the top levels of quality and appeal and they are being mirrored in Australia.” Hyundai Motor Australia’s director of sales and marketing, Kevin McCann, said

The question now remains if Hyundai will launch their own Luxury brand to compete with Lexus, despite the image improvement, it would be highly unlikely that many Australians would be willing to pay in the high 70s and 80s for a Hyundai badge, regardless of quality.

This is the car that will most likely put Hyundai on the luxury map.

It seems that the auto industry’s (except for Holden’s Wheels magazine) constant negative reporting about Holden’s latest Korean made “aussie” car, the Holden Epica, has scared a few potential buyers.

Lets be honest, we are not Epica’s biggest fans. Nonetheless, we have asked Holden to give us the Epica for a road test, and once it arrives in the CarAdvice garage, you can bet we will give it a thorough run through.

However, it seems that despite all the public campaigning by Holden to remind us all that Epica will not be like its brother, the 2 star barina, there is still a great deal of resistance to the Epica.

So what can you do when no one wants to buy your car? Of course you can start by offering all private customers the option of bringing the Epica back if they are not satisfied! In essence, a Money Back Guarantee, but read on, because this is no ordinary money back guarantee.

This is the first time an Australian manufacturer has offered such a deal on a model. Of course, just like the Epica being “aussie” the deal has some very small fine print.

Customers wishing to return the Epica must first purchase ANOTHER vehicle! And the Epica must be returned within 30 days or 1500kms – whichever comes first. Obvious other conditions include that you do not damage the car in any way, but usual wear and tear is acceptable.

“This offer is a unique and differentiated marketing tool to launch the new nameplate in this highly competitive mid-size sedan segment.

We believe Epica stacks up incredibly well against the opposition for specification, value and fuel economy. Adding the money back offer into the mix will be a further attractive incentive for private customers considering this car.” GM Holden Executive Director Sales, Marketing and Aftersales, Alan Batey,

The above statement is a little bit of a marketing ploy. Firstly, as mentioned, customers will need to purchase another vehicle prior to bringing the epica back to Holden dealers.

Lets think about that for a few minutes, put yourself into the shoes of a prospective Holden Epica owner, The Epica starts at around $25,000, so if you were unsatisfied with the Epica, you would need to first find approximately another $25,000 to buy ANOTHER car, before you can return the Epica.

Not exactly a scenario likely to happen often? You just have to read Holden’s terms & conditions to realize that the Money Back Guarantee on the Epica is a bit of a joke:

The Customer must provide proof of purchase of a new (not used) motor vehicle of equal or greater value than that appearing on the original final purchase invoice for the Vehicle (Epica)

Thank you Holden for bringing about quite possibility the most shameless (and useless) promotional campaign to sell another Korean sourced vehicle.

To put this into perspective, imagine going out and buying an expensive LCD TV with a money back guarantee and coming home unsatisfied, only to go back to the shop and be told that you must first purchase ANOTHER LCD TV in order to get your money back on the original TV, sound logical? Didn’t think so.

If you want to take advantage of this “money back guarantee” deal, make sure you have roughly $60,000 saved up, this will fund you enough to purchase the Epica and quickly purchase another vehicles afterwards if your not satisfied.

Alternatively, before being sucked in by this ridiculous offer, you can give the Toyota Corolla, the Mazda 3, the Ford Focus, the Honda Civic, Mitsubishi Lancer, and other cars in the same class a good thorough run before you put your name down for the Epica thinking you can bring it back; because lets be honest, Holden knows your not going to bring it back.

You can find pricing and specifications for the Holden Epica here.

We recently wrote an article asking our readers if they would fork out their hard earned cash for a Toyota TRD Aurion, the poll sitting on the sidebar so far reflects a 44% response of “No Way” to our question with 27% undecided and 29% really keen.

It seems that Toyota has a lot of work to do to establish the TRD brand in Australia to the same status as HSV and FPV (of thats even possible). However given Toyota’s somewhat unlimited marketing budget, they have began their crusade as of today.

Senior executive director sales and marketing David Buttner said the upcoming supercharged TRD Aurion will compete directly against premium performance models from Europe and Japan.

Mr Buttner has been comparing the Aurion to cars which, in reality the TRD Aurion will only match in comfort and refinement. He has compared the TRD Aurion with the like of Alfa Romeo’s 159, Volkswagen Golf R32 and the mighty Subaru Liberty GT spec.B.

“There is a range of vehicles priced from $50,000 to $60,000 that have reshaped the performance-enhanced market in recent years. This is where the sales growth has occurred over the past 10 years - and this is where we are positioning the TRD Aurion,” he said.

Mr Buttner agrees the TRD philosophy is rather different from the “muscle car” ideology of HSV & FPV.

“TRD stands for an optimal blend of performance, refinement, handling and Toyota’s traditional quality, durability and reliability. TRD is a bold innovation for Toyota. It adds individual character and enhanced performance to the outstanding integrity offered by all Toyota vehicles.”

The problem with the statement above is relatively clear to any car enthusiast, Toyota have started the entire package on an inferior platform, much like the TMR 380, supercharging a Front-Wheel-Drive is never going to produce a true sports car.

There have been many heated arguments on CarAdvice regarding this issue, but we feel that at the end of the day, with the exception of very few Sports cars (e.g. the Honda Integra) a Front Wheel Drive setup is not beneficial for a car as big as the TRD Aurion (or the 380).

The TRD Aurion’s supercharged 3.5-litre V6 engine is expected to put out at least 235kW which is roughly 15 per cent higher than the standard engine’s 204kW (running on 98 RON).

As was mentioned earlier, comparing this power output to the likes of the standard SS Commodore and the XR6T/XR8 shows the Aurion running a little short.

“The TRD Aurion will provide a balanced driving experience for a sophisticated market, integrating its power with dynamic cornering ability, precise steering response and impressive stopping performance,

It will distinguish itself by delivering its ample reserves of all-around performance in a way that is enjoyable and relaxing to drive all day, every day,” he said.

It is clear now that Toyota is not targeting the Aurion at the car enthusiasts, rather those who are a little to embarrassed to find themselves in a STi Liberty or HSV but still want to stand out a little from the crowd.

The Toyota TRD Aurion is expected in showrooms in August, with the second model TRD vehicle (the HiLux) set for release late this year. The TRD HiLux is Based on a 4WD Double Cab, it will feature a supercharged 4.0-litre V6 engine that Toyota claims will lift power greatly over the standard engine’s 175kW.

Toyota has gone mad. If you’ve been on this site long enough, you would have noticed that we tend to run a fair few ads for the Toyota Aurion, this isn’t really our choice, we simply source out our ad space to Google who then sell it of to the highest bidder. Whilst I am eagerly awaiting the new Aurion, I have to say that the amount of money Toyota is going to spend on marketing for the Aurion, is going to be gigantic.

Toyota says that come the 5th of November (Sunday), they are going ballistic with TV/Radio/Paper/Street Signs/ Web ads for the Aurion prior to its launch later in the year. The main aim and focus of the new ads is to let everyone know that “the game has changed“.

The TV commercial devised by Saatchi & Saatchi, will feature during Toyota’s flagship sponsored program 60 Minutes on the Nine Network. Other networks will run 60-second versions, also from Sunday night. Dominating the TVC is a posse of helicopters patrolling above city streets at night - enacting a modern version of the game Spotlight.

The helicopters and their spotlights zero-in on all those cars that can’t avoid the light - those that haven’t changed with the times (you can bet these are Commodores and Falcons). They are eliminated from the game because they are found to be too cumbersome, use too much fuel or lack dynamic abilities - unlike the Aurion that “conquers” the city and wins the game.

Toyota Australia divisional manager sales and marketing Matthew Callachor said the TVC highlights the fact that Aurion has the most power and best fuel economy among naturally aspirated Australian six-cylinder cars.

“The Australian large-car market has been much the same for more than 40 years - dominated by just two players,” Mr Callachor said.

“We’re letting the market know that, with Aurion, there’s a new player in the game - and that the game has changed. No longer are Aussie large-car buyers limited to the cars their dad bought or what won at Bathurst.

“It’s no longer enough just to have brute force. You have to have both power and economy; you have to have performance and control. In addition, safety, reliability and the environment really matter in today’s world.

“Aurion was designed and engineered to deliver on the unique demands of Australian large-car buyers - and it’s built here in Australia. It’s the modern alternative to the traditional Aussie six-cylinder car and we think it will appeal to the 80 per cent of potential business and private buyers in this large market segment.”

Shooting the 90-second TVC involved five helicopters plus a camera helicopter, five 35mm cameras placed strategically around the city, a crew of 153, more than 100 extras and two directors. Some scenes involving helicopter footage were computer-generated.

Toyota somehow managed to convinced 269 building owners in the Wellington CBD to leave their lights on for the five nights to create the stunning city-and-bay skyline seen in the TVC - a scene not dissimilar to Manhattan. Mr Callachor said the marketing campaign and “the game has changed” theme were based on research with large-six owners and intending purchasers.

The new TVC was heralded by two 15-second “introductory” TVCs that aired from last Sunday (29 October). This ended a series of teaser ads that have played over the past nine months - possibly the longest pre-campaign in Australia’s automotive history.

Mr Callachor said the Aurion campaign is comprehensive and includes a “media first” - full wraparounds of selected newspapers from 5 November. Saatchi & Saatchi executive creative director David Nobay said it was clear from day one that this was going to be a special launch.

“The communication is ultimately only as powerful as the promise - and with the new Aurion we had one hell of a promise,” Mr Nobay said.

“Our confidence in the new Aurion has been translated to a very bold campaign. The campaign is a powerful demonstration of single-minded integration, too, with a myriad of touch points all banging home the message with equal confidence.

“Using an unsigned (so far!) Aussie band from Bondi called Sound Casino to create our theme was a great accent on our idea - pure Aussie talent, but so much fresher than the usual ‘car-ad rock’ fare.”

If your really keen to know, details of the media campaign are outlined below

TV

• 3 x teaser TVC (February-October 2006)
• 2 x 15-second “introduction” TVC (from 29 October)
• 90-second launch TVC, 60 Minutes (5 November)
• 60-second launch TVC on all networks (two weeks, from 5 November)
• 2 x 30-second TVC (ongoing)
• 3 x 15-second TVC (ongoing)

Print

• Wraps of selected newspapers and sports sections of major newspapers throughout Australia
• Ownership of official magazine of Australian International Motor Show
• Comprehensive schedule

Street signage

• “Live” billboard - real car used in front of billboard, Sydney Airport
• Signs pointing to Australian International Motor Show
• “Landmark” outdoor billboard sites

Online

• Banner ads using the Spotlight creative
• Microsite - aurionV6.com.au