Getting a sharp deal on a near-new “demonstrator” car could soon become more difficult. The automotive industry is about to tighten its sales reporting practices, which will likely lead to fewer so-called “demonstrator” models sold at heavily discounted prices...
Pressure is mounting on luxury car brands to boost their warranties to five years or more, now that nine of the Top 10 brands offer extended coverage as standard. In particular the decision by car giants Toyota and Volkswagen to increase their warranties from three to five years from January 1, 2019 has made it increasingly difficult for their respective luxury affiliates Lexus and Audi to hold out...
New-car buyers hit the brakes for the first time in four years in 2018 as falling housing prices, rising living costs, and tighter finance regulations put a dent in sales. According to official figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries released today, the 2018 tally of 1,153,111 was down 3.0 per cent compared to the record 1,189,116 set in 2017...
Holden and Ford have wound back the clock more than half a century, posting their lowest sales since 1961 and 1966 respectively, according to official figures for 2018 released today by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries...
Ford fans have a big reason to cheer in the New Year. In 2018 Ford outsold Holden for the first time in 21 years – since 1997 – which was also the last time Ford led the entire new-car market (at the time the end of a three-year winning streak)...
The Toyota HiLux ute has shattered its previous sales record after posting the highest annual tally of any vehicle for the past decade. Preliminary figures for 2018 show the Toyota HiLux eclipsed 50,000 sales for the first time ever – overtaking the peak of 47,093 set in 2017 and the previous high of 42,956 set in 2008...
The end of the calendar year and the start of a new one is a good time to buy a new car because dealers are trying to clear old stock. But the bargains are likely to be sharper this time around because new-car sales are on track to hit the brakes for the ninth month in a row, dealers are overstocked, and the forecast for next year is gloomy...
New vehicle registrations last month shrunk by 7.4 per cent compared to the equivalent month in 2017, for eight consecutive months of declining sales. UPDATE: An earlier version of this story wasn't displaying below the 'brands' section. The issue has been rectified, and all the data is officially there! Enjoy...
Hyundai has reinforced the need for new emissions regulations in Australia, suggesting the industry is eagerly waiting for a 'line in the sand' from the Federal Government on the issue. Speaking with CarAdvice at the launch of the Hyundai Ioniq in Brisbane, Scott Nargar, manager of future mobility and government relations at Hyundai Australia, highlighted the importance of certainty surrounding emissions Down Under...
A new SEA Electric factory will be built in Morwell, Victoria, set to employ 500 workers manufacturing pure-electric vans and buses on a 20,000 square-metre site. Although initial production capacity will be 2400 vehicles each year, the Victorian Government – which is helping fund the new factory as part of its $266 million LaTrobe Valley Support Package, designed to aid the transition from coal-reliant employment in the region – says the facility will be fully scalable, with headroom to double that output when required...
The decision to halt production on two of Holden's most important models comes as new boss Dave Buttner, a respected industry veteran with more than 30 years under his belt, works to reverse the company's sales slide. VFACTS figures up to the end of September show Holden registrations are down by nearly 17,000 vehicles compared to the same period in 2017, with the bulk of that – almost 10,000 cars – being the new Commodore...
Australia's automotive industry has received a boost this week, with Federal Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, Karen Andrews, announcing a $5 million investment to help graduate engineers kick-start their careers. While local manufacturing is no more, numerous vehicle manufacturers and other firms rely on Australian workers for automotive engineering, research and development, along with design...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack today announced the establishment of a new Office for Future Transport Technologies, launched through a $9.7 million investment...
Declining luxury car sales are linked to the cooling house market across Australia's major cities according to Audi's local arm, with the big three German carmakers seeing a notable dip in market share over the last few months. Audi’s sales in August were a down a significant 25.8 per cent on last year, BMW was down 12.2 per cent, and Mercedes-Benz was down 11...
New vehicle sales in Australia dropped 1.5 per cent on the same month in 2017, with new registrations totalling 95,221 units. Queensland, Tasmania and Victoria all recorded increases, while the rest of the nation – led by a 9.7 per cent drop for the Northern Territory – was down. Coming on the back of a July in which sales dipped 7...
The head of Honda's local arm says that whatever the brand might look to take leadership on in the Australian market, electrification won't be at the top of the list. Speaking with CarAdvice, Honda Australia boss Stephen Collins touched on a two-fold problem: the business case for hybrids isn't compelling, and, for now, full-electric models seem to be on the 'look but don't touch' list for our region...
General Motors (GM) has reinforced its commitment to Holden and Australia, with Mark Reuss, ex-Holden managing director and current vice president at GM, describing Australia as a "worthwhile place to do business". Speaking after announcing an extra $28 million in Holden funding and 150 new jobs in autonomous and electric vehicle development Down Under, Reuss said it's "really tough to win here", but stressed the fact General Motors is along for the ride...
General Motors (GM) has announced plans to make Holden a hub for engineering autonomous technology and electric vehicles, pouring an additional $28 million into local research and development, and promising 150 new engineering and design jobs. That takes the annual spend on research and design for Holden beyond $120 million, an increase of around 30 per cent, and will push the local design and engineering team to around 500 employees...
Holden has announced plans to cut around 60 jobs from its sales staff, amid a restructure of its sales and administration departments. The company has confirmed the employees were mainly be based at headquarters in Port Melbourne, and the cuts won't eat into its local design and engineering team...
A new Committee on Electric Vehicles has been formed in the Australian Senate, with the goal of lending "much needed momentum and leadership" to the push for electric cars Down Under. Headed by Tim Storer, Independent Senator for South Australia, the committee will explore the "economic, environmental and social benefits" widespread adoption of electric vehicles could offer for Australia...
