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John Mellor’s
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Mar 21, 2012 Australia’s No.1 Automotive Industry Journal No. 622 70,000 Readers Weekly
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MG rides again
Shanghai Auto confi rms it is on the lookout for an MG distributor in Australia
By RON HAMMERTON
VENERABLE British brand MG is
set to ride again in Australia, this time
propelled by China’s biggest motor
manufacturer, Shanghai Automotive
Industry Corporation (SAIC).
Negotiations are underway with
prospective local distributors for the
Chinese-made range of sporty passenger
sedans and hatchbacks – in light, small
and medium classes – with a mid-sized
SUV and a hybrid car likely to be added
within a couple of years.
MG’s return to Australia after an
absence of seven years – and counting
– was confi rmed to GoAuto by SAIC
Motor representatives last week in
Melbourne where they formally revealed
plans to enter the local market with the
company’s Maxus-brand range of V80
vans in the fourth quarter of this year.
However, timing for the launch of
the new-look MG range in Australia
remains up in the air, dependent on the
speed with which a distributor is locked
in and how quickly it can put down
the necessary foundations, including a
dealer network.
GoAuto understands that a distributor
has been pencilled in for the job, but
at least one other still has its hand up.
The comment by SAIC executives that
a distributor was still to be appointed
suggests it is not yet a done deal.
The Maxus van distribution is being
handled by Sydney-based importer
WMC Group, which said in its press
release announcing the deal that it
had no agreement in place for SAIC
passenger cars “at this stage”.
State-owned SAIC and its jointventure
partners General Motors and
Volkswagen pumped out about 3.6
million vehicles in China last year,
with most sold on the Chinese domestic
market under brands such as Chevrolet,
Buick, Volkswagen, Skoda, Iveco,
Baojun, Yuejin and Wuling.
Maxus, MG and another of SAIC’s
Chinese domestic brands Roewe
MG5 (front) ) with MG3 and MG6 (above) e)
(Rover) all have their origins in Britain
where SAIC and its merger partner
Nanjing Automobile bought up the
remnants of the dying UK companies
MG Rover and LDV (Leyland DAF
Vehicles) between 2005 and 2010.
SAIC maintains a strong design and
engineering presence at the traditional
home of MG, in Longbridge, near
Birmingham, where – since 2011 – it
also has assembled cars from Chinesemade
CKD (completely knocked down)
packs of parts for the European market.
MG Motor UK has been selling the
Cruze-sized MG6 sedan and fi ve-door
liftback range since mid-2011 – a
year after it debuted in China – and
is planning to add the new MG3 light
hatchback and just-revealed VW Golfsized
MG5 next year.
Continued next page
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John Mellor’s
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MG rides again
Continued from previous page
The British-engineered MG6
impressed pundits when it turned in
a four-star crash test performance in
the European New Car Assessment
Program (ENCAP) last year, dispelling
the impression that Chinese cars
struggle to meet western standards.
Because MG vehicles are already
engineered for right-hand drive
and European safety and emissions
standards from the beginning, they
should be relatively painless to
homologate under Australian Design
Rules (ADRs), unlike many other
Chinese-based models fi nding their
way to Australia.
As GoAuto reported in January, SAIC
has started its MG rollout in South
Africa and New Zealand, with the latter
already getting a batch of MG6 dealer
demonstrators and test cars.
The latest addition to the MG range is
the MG5 which was shown to Chinese
John Mellor’s
GoAuto News
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EDITOR: Terry Martin
MANAGING EDITOR: Marton Pettendy
JOURNALISTS: Ron Hammerton, Haitham Razagui
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Switching dealer systems
can seem scary at fi rst.
But the benefi ts are enjoyed long
after the fear is forgotten.
journalists last week ahead of its expected
public unveiling at the Beijing motor show
in April – a year after it was shown in
concept form at the 2011 Shanghai show.
The MG5 reportedly is built on the same
platform as the Roewe 350 small sedan,
but contrary to some reports it is not an
old Rover hand-me-down, but a fresh
development launched in China in 2010.
The Chinese version of the MG5
is set to be launched with a normally
aspirated 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol
engine, but a 117kW turbocharged fourcylinder
that is in the pipeline is the
most likely export powerplant.
According to Autocar in the UK,
SAIC’s British engineers are working on a
new range of small and large four-cylinder
engines to replace the current Rover-based
units, along with a hybrid powertrain.
As well, says Autocar, a Land
Rover Freelander-sized SUV is under
development for release within a couple
of years.
However, there is no sign yet of a
rumoured open-top sportscar to follow
in the wheel tracks of MG’s legendary
Talk to us today. sales@auto-it.com.au | 03 9349 3062
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Mar 21, 2012 Page 2
sportscars, such as the MGTC, MGA
and MGB.
The most recent MG sportscar was the
MG TF, which had a chequered history,
plagued by company bankruptcy and
quality problems.
It was rescued by Nanjing Automobile
when the Chinese company took over
MG Rover in 2005, ahead of its merger
with SAIC in 2007.
MG TFs are still on sale in the UK,
although they are only built in batches at
Longbridge when suffi cient orders are
received. It is unlikely to be included in
any revival plan for Australia.
Vehicles destined for Australia are
likely to come direct from China, from
SAIC’s Nanjing factory.
There is no suggestion that Roewe
– a brand invented by SAIC when it
could not use the Rover name held by
BMW at the time – will follow MG to
Australia, as it is earmarked to remain a
Chinese domestic luxury range.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
Here comes SAIC – next page
MG5

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Mar 21, 2012 Page 3
Offi cial: Here comes SAIC
Chinese auto giant set for
Aussie launch late in year
with big Maxus van range
By RON HAMMERTON
A SEVEN-MODEL van range will
herald the Australian debut of China’s
biggest motor manufacturer, Shanghai
Automotive Industry Corporation
(SAIC), in the last quarter of this year.
The giant state-owned company
confi rmed the plan to export its range of
Maxus V80 vans to Australia via Sydneybased
Chinese commercial vehicle
specialist WMC Group last week at the
Melbourne International Truck, Trailer &
Equipment Show, where WMC showed
two of the vans in long-wheelbase and
short-wheelbase cargo formats.
The front-drive vans – all powered by
European-designed Euro 4-compliant VM
Motori 100kW turbo-diesel engines – will
comprise three cargo variants and four
passenger models, in two roof heights.
They will go head-to-head with the
Hyundai iLoad, Toyota HiAce, Ford
Transit and European models from the
likes of Renault, Iveco and Volkswagen.
The arrival of SAIC in Australia
with its Maxus range was exclusively
revealed by GoAuto ahead of the
show, triggering calls to WMC from
six would-be dealers across Australia
looking to handle the product, even
before it had been offi cially confi rmed.
In China, SAIC Motor has joint
ventures with General Motors and
Volkswagen, producing 3.8 million cars
and trucks last year, virtually all for the
domestic Chinese market.
It also makes vehicles under its own
brands – MG, Roewe and Maxus – with
MG and Maxus leading the company’s
fl edgling export push.
After buying up MG Rover in 2005,
SAIC purchased the rights to the
Maxus van range from the ailing former
Leyland company in 2009.
The WMC import agreement so far
concerns only the Maxus van range,
and GoAuto understands SAIC has
been talking with another potential
importer about handling the Chinesemade
MG line-up, which has already
been introduced into the UK and New
Zealand markets via the mid-sized MG6.
SAIC executives fl ew into Melbourne
for the announcement by WMG Group
managing director Jason Pecotic, who
said the UK-engineered Maxus vans
Maxus
would offer more creature comforts as
standard than established players, along
with a “strong European feel”.
“The Maxus vehicles will also come
with a high level of standard features
which are not available or are options on
other brands, which supports the high level
of build quality, design and positioning of
the Maxus product,” he said.
Alloy wheels, reverse parking sensors,
dual front airbags, dual sliding doors and
rear barn doors on cargo models, dualzone
air-conditioning, LED headlights and
an electric door-activated entry step on
passenger van models will all be standard.
As well, some models will have tyre
pressure monitoring and a reversing
camera.
The 2.5-litre VM Motori commonrail
turbocharged four-cylinder engine
develops 100kW of power and 330Nm
of torque, and will be mated with either
a fi ve-speed manual gearbox or optional
Allison automatic transmission. Fuel
consumption is said to be 7.7 litres per
100km on the Chinese test cycle.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
WMC secures JAC vans – next page
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John Mellor’s
GoAuto News
Chinese vehicle importer
abandons Joylong plan in
favour of new JAC vans
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WMC secures JAC vans
By RON HAMMERTON
CHINESE vehicle importer WMC
Group has walked away from a plan to
import Joylong minibuses into Australia
after another of its Chinese partners,
JAC, made it a better offer.
Instead, WMC will distribute two
new JAC vans, the large Mercedes-
Benz Sprinter-style Sunray and smaller
front-drive Refi ne that will compete
with the likes of the Hyundai iLoad and
Toyota HiAce, within 12 months – or a
little earlier if right-hand-drive versions
can be brought on stream sooner.
The Joylong vehicles were to have
been distributed in parallel with
WMC’s Chinese-made Higer buses
Sunray
across Australia and New Zealand, but
WMC managing director Jason Pecotic
revealed at the Melbourne truck and
trailer show last week that his company
was in the process of divesting itself of
the Joylong arrangement.
He said JAC – Jianghuai Automobile
Company – had not been impressed
with the proposal to sell the Joylong
van through the Higer network, which
in most cases will share the same
dealerships as JAC’s commercial
vehicles that make their Australian
debut with light-duty trucks in June.
Instead, JAC offered to fast-track
the right-hand-drive versions of its
own van range, sending a research
and development team to Australia to
benchmark best-selling vans here while
Mar 21, 2012 Page 4
Refi ne
working in China on the RHD model.
Mr Pecotic said JAC offered a broader
range of vans, with greater versatility.
He said WMC would avoid confl ict
with its other range of vans – the Maxus
range from China’s biggest vehicle-maker
SAIC – by selling them through a different
dealer network, with separate showrooms.
The Maxus rollout in Australia by
WMC later this year was also announced
at last week’s show (see previous page).
The Joylong van – made by a tiny
Chinese van specialist – is rebadged
as a Higer in China, and was to have
been sold through the Australian and
New Zealand Higer dealerships to
supplement the bigger Higer bus range.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

John Mellor’s
GoAuto News
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Toyota’s ‘fi rm intention’
Australian hopes high for
Altona production to roll
on into next 2016 Camry
By RON HAMMERTON
TOYOTA Australia says it has “a fi rm
intention” to build cars at its Australian
manufacturing plant in Victoria beyond
2016, when the current Camry is up for
renewal.
Although the company has not
specifi cally said it will build the nextgeneration
Camry at the plant, Toyota
Australia insiders told GoAuto that
work had already started on planning
for the next Camry to be built there.
The commitment from Japan’s biggest
car manufacturer – which would secure
the plant until about 2021 – eases fears
that it might reconsider its commitment
to Australian manufacturing in the face
of strong headwinds, including a rampant
Australian dollar that has savaged its
exports, and local cost of manufacturing.
Rival Holden is on the brink
of announcing its own long-term
commitment to Australian car building,
putting the fi nal touches to a coinvestment
deal with the Australian and
South Australian governments.
Only Ford Australia, which has
Camry
TRP PCW 0009
factories at Geelong and Campbellfi eld
in Victoria, has yet to signal the future
of its local manufacturing presence,
which remains clouded beyond 2016
when the current Falcon and Territory
are due for replacement.
The latest commitment from Toyota
– made by executive director of sales
and marketing Matthew Callachor
at last week’s Camry Hybrid launch
in Tasmania – comes after months
of turmoil at Toyota’s Altona plant,
fi rst from industrial action over a new
enterprise bargaining agreement that
dragged on for months last year, and
then Toyota’s decision to slash more
than 300 jobs at the plant – 10 per cent
of the workforce – earlier this year after
2012 production forecasts were slashed
from about 120,000 units to 95,000,
mainly due to a drop in exports to the
Middle East.
As the company wrangled over
wages and conditions with unions last
year, Toyota Australia president Max
Yasuda warned that unless Toyota’s
local car-building operations could
Mar 21, 2012 Page 5
Altona production
be internationally competitive, the
local operation could miss out on the
investment needed to introduce new
models into Altona in future.
But last week Mr Callachor appeared
to dispel those fears when he said:
“Planning for the next generation of cars
is well underway and, as is normal for
any Toyota affi liate, we will develop the
business case to secure the next model.
“Our fi rm intention is to build cars
beyond 2016.”
The new $300 million four-cylinder
engine plant now nearing completion
at Altona is one of the keys to future
manufacturing by Toyota in Australia,
as such an investment is only made for
a minimum of two model cycles, or in
Camry terms, about 10 years.
Said Mr Callachor: “Securing the
engine plant investment also put
Toyota Australia in a strategically
stronger position to attract new-model
investments from our parent company.”
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
Putting a price on 86 – next page
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John Mellor’s
GoAuto News
Putting a price on 86
Sub-$40K start price not
locked in for Toyota 86
as buyers rush to dealers
By RON HAMMERTON
TOYOTA Australia is awaiting vehicle
costings from Japan to see if it can pull
the price of the most anticipated new
Toyota car in a generation, the 86 sports
coupe, under $40,000 when it lands in
showrooms in June.
Company executives say they would
love to see the entry-level version of the
boxer-engine 2+2 sportscar priced in
the $30,000-$40,000 range, but they are
fearful it might edge above that once
the pricing data lands on their desks.
Australian car fans are already
approaching dealers with orders for
the car without knowing the fi nal price,
drawn by glowing reports of the reardrive
coupe’s pure driving intent.
The 147kW coupe has been developed
jointly by Toyota and Subaru, with the
latter’s own version, the BRZ, also due
in Australia around June or July.
Toyota Australia executive director of
sales and marketing Matthew Callachor
told GoAuto at last week’s Camry
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Hybrid media launch in Tasmania that
the company could not be certain of
achieving a sub-$40,000 price for 86.
“We haven’t even discussed
pricing with TMC (Toyota Motor
Corporation),” he said.
“My problem is that I would love to
have it under $40,000, but I don’t know if
it’s feasibly realistic to get it under that.”
“We have no information on costing
for the vehicle, and so on that basis I
could not even start to speculate.”
Mr Callachor said global orders for the
new car had been phenomenal, adding
further pressures on the new model.
He said Australian buyers were already
arriving in dealerships and asking to be
placed in the queue for 86, sight unseen.
“They are coming into dealerships
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Mar 21, 2012 Page 6
and saying ‘if it (86) is under $60,000,
we want one’,” he said.
Talk of a sub-$35,000 starting price
for the 86 has been rife since speculation
surfaced at the 2011 Geneva motor
show that Toyota’s Australian target
price for 86 would be “early $30,000s”.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
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John Mellor’s
GoAuto News
LCT relief in sight
Gillard government mulls
overhaul to controversial
luxury car tax, says FCAI
By IAN PORTER
THE federal government is considering
the relevance of the luxury car tax (LCT),
which the Australian motor industry says
is penalising buyers of more vehicles
that cannot be considered luxurious
under the original meaning of the tax.
Prime minister Julia Gillard recently
signalled that the tax would be
considered for withdrawal once the
federal budget moves into surplus, the
‘Cars of Tomorrow’ conference was
told in Melbourne last week.
She gave the indication in a recent
meeting with car industry chiefs
in Canberra, according to the chief
executive of the Federal Chamber of
Automotive Industries, Ian Chalmers.
“There is a glimmer of hope,” Mr
Chalmers told the conference. “In a
meeting with FCAI president Bob
Graziano and myself, the prime minister
conceded that the industry did have a
case in arguing against the tax.
“But she said the industry would
have to wait until there was a budget
surplus.”
Federal treasurer Wayne Swan has long
signalled his intention to present a budget
surplus in 2012-13, but there was no
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specifi c indication from the PM that the
tax would be killed in the next budget.
Mr Chalmers said more and more cars
that are considered everyday vehicles
were being caught by the tax, the threshold
for which is now set at around $57,000.
“Perversely, additional customer
demands for safety and other features
has pushed the price of many cars
above the luxury car tax threshold,” he
said, adding that it was not traditional
luxury car brands like Mercedes-Benz
or BMW that were most affected.
“You may be surprised to learn that,
here in Australia, the brand with the most
cars falling over the LCT threshold is not
Jaguar, Mercedes or Porsche – it’s Toyota.
“The luxury car tax, famously
described at the Tax Forum last year by
former treasury secretary Ken Henry as
Now micro fi ltered to some of the world’s leading new car manufacturer
requirements when fi lling new vehicle engines for the very fi rst time.
IT’S MORE THAN JUST OIL. IT’S LIQUID ENGINEERING.
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Mar 21, 2012 Page 7
Toyota LandCruiser
‘truly absurd’, is an outrageous impost
on the introduction of advanced safety
and environmental features into the
Australian car market.
“With a threshold of only $55,000, the
LCT is nothing more than a misdirected
revenue-raising exercise, which
transfers hard-earned dollars from the
pockets of many ordinary Australian
families into the government’s coffers,
with no discernible benefi t other than to
bolster the budget bottom line.”
Mr Chalmers also railed, albeit
discretely, against the unevenness of
automotive trade barriers around the
world, which he said was working
against the local car-makers.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
Call for greener drivers – next page

John Mellor’s
GoAuto News
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Call for greener drivers
Local new-vehicle CO2
emissions rate is falling,
but not fast enough: NTC
By MARTON PETTENDY
AUSTRALIA’S new-vehicle consumers
will need to make ‘greener purchasing
decisions’ if the country is to meet its
overall carbon emissions target, says the
National Transport Commission (NTC).
The average CO2 emissions from all
new passenger and light commercial
vehicles sold in Australia last year
fell from 212.6 grams per kilometre
to 206.6g/km, according to the NTC’s
Carbon Dioxide Emissions from New
Australian Light Vehicles 2011 report.
Released at the ‘Cars of Tomorrow’
conference in Melbourne last week, the
third annual NTC report found that the
average emissions from new passenger
cars sold in Australia last year were
198g/km – almost 50 per cent more than
Europe’s equivalent fi gure of 136.1g/km.
Combined with light commercial
vehicles (245g/km), the Australian fl eet
average fell by 2.8 per cent to 206.6g/
km, while the average CO2 emissions of
Australian-made light vehicles was 230g/
km last year – 6.9 per cent down on 2010.
It also found that of the 15
manufacturers that produced 93 per
cent of the new light vehicles sold in
Australia last year, Suzuki had the
lowest average corporate emissions
(161g/km), Nissan emitted the most
(226g/km) and that although there were
more ‘green’ vehicles available in 2011,
they were not among the best-sellers.
However, while Suzuki Australia
recorded an average of 161g/km
across its mostly small-car fl eet, Fiat is
Europe’s ‘greenest’ brand at 118.2g/km
and even Audi – a performance-luxury
brand that ranks as the 20th ‘cleanest’
car-maker in Europe – betters Suzuki
Australia with 146g/km.
NTC commissioner Frank Muller
said new cars will need a 10-fold
improvement in carbon emissions if
transport is to play its part in meeting
the federal government’s target of
reducing overall CO2 emissions by 80
per cent by 2050.
Mar 21, 2012 Page 8
“If Australians had made greener
purchasing decisions in 2011, carbon
emissions from new cars and light
commercial vehicles could have been
cut by over a third,” said Mr Muller.
“During 2011 there has been a 2.8 per
cent improvement in carbon emitted
from new vehicles, with a number of
manufacturers working to make their
vehicles greener.
“Industry, consumers and
governments all have an important role
to play in helping Australia reduce its
emissions.
“There is a tremendous opportunity to
build on this progress by continuing to
look at ways to encourage Australians
to make greener car choices.”
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
Gender on EV agenda – page 27
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John Mellor’s
GoAuto News
Diesel debut for CX-5
Mazda’s muscular, frugal
‘SkyActiv-D’ engine/auto
combo bolsters new SUV
By MIKE COSTELLO
HOT on the heels of the release of
the new CX-5 petrol range last month,
Mazda Australia has launched the
diesel-powered line-up, which it expects
to account for 30 per cent of total sales
of the Japanese brand’s all-important
new-generation compact SUV.
Like its petrol siblings, the new
diesel range features a full suite of new
SkyActiv engine, chassis and body
technologies aimed at improving power,
economy, safety and vehicle dynamics.
The oil-burning engine – an all-new
turbocharged, direct-injection 2.2-litre
four-cylinder – is available only in
mid-spec all-wheel-drive Maxx Sport
and fl agship AWD Grand Touring
variants, priced from $39,040 and
$46,200 respectively.
PRICING:
Maxx $27,800
Maxx (a) $29,800
Maxx AWD (a) $32,300
Maxx Sport (a) $33,540
Maxx Sport AWD (a) $36,040
Maxx Sport AWD Diesel (a) $39,040
Grand Touring AWD (a) $43,200
Grand Touring AWD Diesel (a) $46,200
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Mar 21, 2012 Page 9
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This makes the diesel $3000
more expensive than equivalent
113kW/198Nm petrol versions.
There are no front-drive diesel
variants available for now.
The ‘SkyActiv-D’ engine produces
129kW of power at 4500rpm and a
thumping 420Nm of torque at 2000rpm,
resulting in a 0-100km/h sprint time of
9.4 seconds – the same as the quickest
petrol variant.
The oil-burning powertrain is matched
exclusively with the newly designed
SkyActiv-Drive six-speed automatic
transmission with manual mode.
The direct-drive torque converter unit
features a full-range lock-up clutch for all
six gears that Mazda claims makes it more
frugal than a CVT and gives it less jerky
starts than a dual-clutch transmission
such as the Volkswagen DSG.
The self-shifter is also compatible with
you’re gonna need a KÄRCHER ®
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From full drive through car, truck or bus washers to sweepers, scrubbers, spray extractors, vacuums &
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the car-maker’s fuel-saving idle-stop
system that restarts the engine in a claimed
world-fastest time of 0.4 seconds.
Fuel economy is subsequently a strong
point, with Mazda claiming fi gures of
5.7 litres per 100km, equating to carbon
emissions of 149g/km and placing it right
at the pointy end of its market segment.
These fi gures compare favourably
with its larger manual-only CX-7
diesel predecessor, which recorded
fi gures of 127kW/400Nm, 7.6L/100km
and 202g/km.
The CX-5 stacks up well against key
diesel rivals including the Nissan X-Trail
six-speed auto (110kW/320Nm and
7.2L/100km), six-speed manual-only
Subaru Forester (108kW/350Nm and
6.0L/100km) and Volkswagen Tiguan
seven-speed DSG (103kW/320Nm and
6.2L/100km).
Continued next page
Ride On Scrubber
Spray Extraction Unit
Wet & Dry Vacuum
KAR105AOAUTO

John Mellor’s
GoAuto News
Diesel debut for CX-5
Continued from previous page
Braked towing capacity is a claimed
1800kg (750kg unbraked).
Mazda says this engine meets Euro 4
emissions regulations without having to
use an expensive nitrogen-oxide aftertreatment
system, courtesy of its superlow
14.0:1 compression ratio – said to
be the world’s lowest in a passenger
diesel – and two-stage turbocharger.
As well as helping effi ciency, Mazda
claims the two-stage turbo improves
torque delivery throughout the rev
range and speeds up responsiveness,
banishing turbo lag.
A further benefi t of the ultra-low
compression ratio is a saving in weight
because it puts less pressure and strain on
engine components, opening the door to
lightweight materials such as an aluminium
block and lighter pistons and crankshaft.
Despite this, diesel CX-5 variants still
weigh 94kg more than equivalent-spec
AWD petrol models, with kerb weights
of 1637kg for the Maxx Sport and
1687kg for the Grand Touring.
Standard safety equipment includes
electronic stability control, ABS
brakes with brake assist and brakeforce
distribution, hill-start assist, an
emergency stop signal, six airbags
(dual front, side and curtain) and antiwhiplash
front-seat head restraints.
The fl agship Grand Touring also
offers Mazda-fi rst lane-departure
warning, blind-spot monitoring and
high-beam control systems as part of
the $1990 Tech Pack.
Standard features on both Maxx
Sport and Grand Touring models
include metallic/mica paint, dual-zone
climate-control, Bluetooth phone and
audio streaming, USB connectivity,
Tom Tom satellite-navigation with 5.8inch
touchscreen, rain-sensing wipers,
cruise control, automatic headlights,
push-button start and leather-wrapped
gearknob, handbrake and (multifunction)
steering wheel.
The extra $7000 outlay on the Grand
Touring additionally nets leather seats
with eight-way power adjustment, keyless
entry, slide and tilt electric glass sunroof,
adaptive bi-Xenon headlights, a premium
nine-speaker 231-Watt Bose sound
system, front and rear parking sensors,
and auto-dimming interior mirror.
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Mar 21, 2012 Page 10
As part of the SkyActiv chassis
hardware, the suspension and steering is
new for the CX-5, being lighter, stiffer and
more precise than in previous Mazdas.
MacPherson struts are used at the
front and a multilink design sits in the
back, while electro-mechanical rackand-pinion
steering adjusts feedback
according to speed and conditions. The
turning circle is 11.2 metres.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
For drive impressions, go to
GoAuto.com.au from this afternoon
Where smart people buy and sell cars.

John Mellor’s
GoAuto News
Amarok SUV on hold
No VW ute-based SUV in
current program, but next
generation could offer one
By BYRON MATHIOUDAKIS in SPAIN
VOLKSWAGEN will not introduce an
Amarok-based seven-seat SUV to rival
the rugged Ranger-based SUV that Ford
Australia is believed to be developing –
at least not in the near future.
Speaking to GoAuto at the international
launch of single-cab and ZF eight-speed
automatic versions of the Amarok near
Malaga in Spain last week, project
development engineer Karsten Wohler
revealed there is no wagon program in
the pipeline at this point.
“We are not pursuing such a vehicle,”
he said. “And there are no plans to do so.”
With more engine and commercial
vehicle variants of the Amarok on the
way to expand the Amarok’s global
reach, it appears the German giant
does not have the time or resources to
forge into yet more new territory with a
seven-seater SUV derivative.
However, another senior Volkswagen
AG source did not rule out a Toyota
Prado-style wagon based on the Amarok
A Daimler Brand
29223
one-tonne pick-up, since planning
for the current model’s successor has
already begun in earnest and Wolfsburg
product gurus were now investigating
“all possibilities”, including an offroad
oriented passenger wagon to
complement the more luxurious
Touareg.
While the Amarok is a trailblazer
for Europe’s largest car-maker in the
burgeoning one-tonne pick-up market, an
SUV version would represent its fi rst direct
competitor for models like the T6 Rangerbased
SUV and a conceptually similar
wagon version of Holden’s upcoming
Colorado, as well as Mitsubishi’s Triton-
Service Advisor.
Marshalls Motors Cnr Church & Meehan Streets, Parramatta NSW 2150 Tel: (02) 9897 1777 DL26331
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Mar 21, 2012 Page 11
based Challenger and Nissan’s Navarabased
Pathfi nder, which will be replaced
by a more road-friendly model riding on a
car-like unitary chassis next year.
The next-generation Amarok ute
might have to be on sale sooner rather
than later due to the vast amount of
work needed for the current pick-up
to meet the more stringent Euro 6
emissions requirements due in place by
2016, which could necessitate the use
of lighter materials and more effi cient
diesel and petrol engines.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
Amarok autocue – page 13
Marshalls Motors is one of Australia’s largest independent Mercedes-Benz dealerships.
An opportunity has become available for a dynamic Customer Service Advisor to join
our team, working alongside a young team of professionals, in a modern working
environment.
You will utilise your professionalism, have a dynamic and energetic approach, with a focus
on delivering exceptional customer service.
Therefore, excellent presentation and communication skills are a must for this role,
together with good time management to work in this fast paced environment. A current
NSW driver’s licence together with a good driving record is essential.
An attractive remuneration package and on-going training will be offered to the right
candidate.
If you would like to join a dynamic, hard working team, then we look forward to hearing
from you.
Interested applicants should forward a copy of their resume, including covering letter, to:
Service Manager - Marshalls Motors
Email : hr@marshalls.com.au
Fax : 9637 8669 or
PO Box 220
Parramatta NSW 2124

Career Opportunities
Peugeot Automobiles Australia
Driving your future forward
www.simedarbymotors.com.au/careers
Sime Darby - with career
opportunities as diverse as
the companies we represent.
Joining the Sime Darby group of companies means you are part of a global group that employs more than 120,000 people
in over 20 countries.
In Australia you’ll be part of an organisation of 200 people representing the sought after brands of Peugeot or Ssangyong
as the national importer, or Corefleet providing the mining industry’s needs for quality rental vehicles.
Peugeot Automobiles Australia is responsible for the importation of Peugeot vehicles and genuine spare parts, sales,
marketing, distribution and technical training/support of the Peugeot brand across Australia.
Our Marketing and Customer Services & Fixed Operations teams are seeking talented individuals to join us in our
Sydney office.
National Service Manager
(Job Code: 4286)
We are seeking an experienced National Service Manager to maximise the growth of the Peugeot service business and
manage our Technical & Fixed Operations Service team. Reporting to the National Customer Services & Fixed Operations
Manager, the role will oversee the dealer network at a national level to ensure quality service delivery and increased
customer retention to the brand. This includes developing and implementing short-term and long-term service strategies,
enhance service standards, increase profitability by maximising parts sales and service, and proactively identify, support
and manage technical issues/cases highlighted by the dealers.
The ideal candidate will have five or more years experience within the automotive industry in an aftersales and/or service
supervisory role, proven ability to increase service standards in the dealer network, be customer-oriented, have exceptional
interpersonal and communication skills and ability to inspire and motivate a team to excel.
Product Manager
(Job Code: 3904)
As the Product Manager you will have the opportunity to support the National Marketing Manager in the development
of Peugeot’s overall product vision and be instrumental in the strategy and planning required to fulfill that vision.
You will devise all product release schedules, actively drive the product management cause internally and ensure that
future products augment and enhance the brand’s local positioning. You will work closely with our principal to forecast
product and pricing trends within the industry and to ensure that our product strategies are closely aligned with the current
and future expectations of our customers. You will be expected to act in the capacity of a subject matter expert
in the areas of product packaging, pricing and trend analysis.
The ideal candidate will have a successful track record in marketing and product management and be looking for an
opportunity to work in a creative environment. You will be technically and analytically minded, inherently passionate
about the automotive industry, possess strong problem solving capabilities, exceptional communication skills and be
committed to improving the customer experience.
For more information about these roles, and to apply, visit the below website and search for the relevant Job Code.

John Mellor’s
GoAuto News
Amarok autocue
URGENT VACANCIES
sydney . canberra . brisbane
We have urgent positions to fi ll for New and Used -
Sales Managers and Sales Staff across ACT, NSW & QLD
Sales Managers & Assistant Managers
• Strong management skills • Proven track record of success
• Impeccable communication, presentation and negotiation skills
Mark Palmay
• A ‘can-do’ attitude and a disciplined commitment to process
and performance.
Sales Consultants
• Highly-disciplined and motivated sales professional
• Customer-focused with strong negotiation skills
• Proven sales history track record
• Excellent organisational and communication skills –
Ron Grant
both verbal and written.
If you have these qualities, please apply in confi dence to Mark Palmay on 0406 996 894
for ACT/NSW positions or to Ron Grant on 0435 741 002 for QLD positions.
www.automotivestaff.com.au
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Mar 21, 2012 Page 13
VW ute’s eight-speed automatic sets a new benchmark for the ‘working class’
By BYRON MATHIOUDAKIS in SPAIN
AN AUTOMATIC transmission will
fi nally fi nd its way to an expanded
Volkswagen Amarok range from July
along with more power, lower fuel
consumption and greater towing capacity.
In Germany the €2500 automatic
premium on an Amarok is equivalent to
more than $3000, suggesting the auto’s
appeal will be limited from the outset
– although Australian prices will not
be announced until closer to the local
launch date.
Furthermore, GoAuto understands
the automatic will initially only be
available on the top-of-the-line 4x4
Dual Cab model in Highline (currently
$52,990 for the six-speed manual) and
Ultimate ($56,990 manual) variants,
though according to one Volkswagen
spokesman the transmission will spread
down the range “in due course”.
Brandishing a ZF-supplied eightspeed
auto gearbox with Sport and
manual modes, the Argentinean-built
utility is the fi rst vehicle of its type
with such a high number of gear ratios,
beating the newer Ford T6 Ranger and
Mazda BT-50 twins’ formerly classleading
six-speed alternative.
The Amarok auto’s arrival will also
coincide with an upgrade of the top-line
2.0-litre four-cylinder bi-turbo diesel
engine’s performance, from 120kW to
132kW (still produced at 4000rpm).
While the manual’s torque output of
400Nm from 1500-2000rpm stays the same
(meaning the variant remains as TDI400),
the automatic version will deliver 420Nm
at 1750rpm, suggesting Volkswagen will
call the self-shifting variant the TDI420.
It has a braked towing capacity of
3200kg (up from 2800kg in the TDI400
manual), will hit 179km/h in seventh
gear and still achieve combined fuel
consumption of 7.6 litres per 100
kilometres and CO2 emissions of 199
grams per kilometre – compared with
the TDI400 4x4 manual’s respective
7.9L/100km and 209g/km – in its most
frugal state of tune.
The improved effi ciency is a result
of idle-stop technology, included in the
BlueMotion Technologies package,
which also includes regenerative braking
and low-rolling-resistance tyres.
Continued next page

John Mellor’s
GoAuto News
Amarok autocue
Continued from previous page
Also helping economy is the greater
spread of transmission ratios between
fi rst and top gear – with the latter
geared as an overdrive with reduced
engine speed for less noise intrusion
into the cabin as well as increased
effi ciency.
Conversely, fi rst gear is primarily
suitable for off-road or towing work.
The entry-level 90kW/340Nm singleturbo
diesel (TDI340) version of the
2.0-litre TDI will remain, as will the
recently released 2.0-litre four-cylinder
turbo-petrol unit delivering 118kW and
300Nm known as the TSI300.
As an entry-level variant, the twoseater
single cab due to arrive mid-year
is to be positioned as the no-nonsense
workhorse of the Amarok range.
At 2205mm, it offers an extra 650mm
of cargo tray length on the same
wheelbase and vehicle footprint as the
dual cab, and cab chassis versions of
both body shapes will be available.
The German manufacturer says the
single cab’s interior is slightly larger
than that of its direct competitors
for improved comfort and storage
capability behind the seats.
In rear-drive guise, the Amarok
single cab manual can manage fuel
consumption and CO2 emissions as low
as 7.2L/100km and 189g/km. There are
also selectable 4x4 and permanent 4x4
options across the range and eventually
even these basic Amarok models are
expected to adopt the auto as well.
According to one Wolfsburg engineer,
Car Leather
Italian car leather
DESIGN
YOUR OWN
SEATS
a conventional torque-converter
automatic transmission was chosen
over the company’s famous DSG dualclutch
system due to its greater lowspeed
response and resistance to slip.
The latter was also deemed less suitable
for off-road applications.
On the road, the Amarok TDI420
automatic in up-spec Ultimate Dual Cab
guise is nothing short of an eye-opener
for this sort of vehicle, offering smooth
and intuitive gear changes pretty much
across the whole driving spectrum.
Driving a pick-up with eight speeds
is slightly surreal, considering that only
very recently luxury brands like Jaguar
switched to this many ratios.
Over some of south-eastern Spain’s
hillier terrain the new 132kW/420Nm
2.0-litre bi-turbo four-cylinder unit did
keep busy switching from gear to gear,
but the response times certainly made
the automatic Amarok more pleasurable
to drive than the already civilised
manual version.
Thoughts like ‘this feels more like a
Pantera
Command Centre
Complete replacement
rear view mirror which
includes: Reversing
Camera, Inbuilt GPS,
Handsfree Bluetooth and
MP3 Player.
ADR
COMPLIANCE
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Mar 21, 2012 Page 14
well-sorted SUV than a separate chassis
pick-up truck’ came to mind when the
mountain roads became a bit twistier.
Yes, the steering is on the light side,
and the feedback from the helm is a
tad muted, but we are just being picky
because the Volkswagen feels as good to
drive as any other competitor, including
the impressive Ranger.
As proven on the warm, dry roads
leading down the mountain towards
Marbella on the Costa del Sol, this
commercial vehicle’s handling, grip
and poise are class-leading for this
segment.
Hardtop
Canopies
The most stylish looking
Nissan Navara Hardtop
Canopy on the market.
3YR/100,000
WARRANTY
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
More reports – page 16
www.alphalineauto.com.au or 1300 726 837

CHRYSLER AUSTRALIA
Career Opportunities
As the local distributor for the iconic Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge brands, Chrysler Australia is undergoing a signifi cant transformation and
set to change the landscape of the automotive industry. With inspirational models like the 2011 ‘4x4 of the Year’ Jeep Grand Cherokee
creating increased demand and sales, Chrysler Australia is looking to expand their operations. The following exciting opportunities are
now available for the right people to jump on board and join our dynamic team.
AREA SALES MANAGER – WA & SA
Based in our Perth offi ce and working with Chryslers exciting product range you will be responsible for maximising vehicle and parts sales for
the region. Using your impressive and professional sales techniques combined with company initiatives.
Reporting to the Regional Manager, key responsibilities include:
• Thorough dealer visits, assisting dealers in achieving their targets and ensuring business plans are in place to reach goals;
• Assisting with dealer sales and marketing promotions within their PMA;
• Monitoring V-Facts fi gures in regards to PMA share, targets and market segment trends;
• Weekly/monthly sales report and dealer communication for the region;
• Ensure dealers’ participation in training courses and auto shows;
• Manage stock levels and coordinate stock ordering;
• Working with local VPC;
• Prepare and develop dealer Parts marketing initiatives to achieve the set objectives; and
• Overseeing of distribution of product information and other sales materials.
Skills and experience required:
• Automotive industry experience in the retail/wholesale sector;
• Sound knowledge of the overall dealership operations with the ability to build rapport with key stakeholders;
• Excellent oral and written skills; and
• Self-motivated with a proven history of utmost customer service.
SALES COORDINATOR – Queensland
Chrysler Australia is seeking an experienced and highly motivated Sales Coordinator/Stock Controller to join the Queensland region team.
Based just outside the Brisbane CBD, this offi ce is a satellite to the head offi ce in Melbourne, and therefore this role is integral to the general
smooth operation of the northern region business. In addition to the key responsibilities outlined below, this person would also be expected to
be responsible for general administration to ensure the smooth running of the offi ce.
Reporting to the Regional Manager, the key responsibilities include:
• Ordering and allocation of vehicle stock to the Chrysler Jeep Dodge dealer network;
• Liaising and communicating with transport companies, vehicle processing centre, other suppliers and internal departments;
• Assisting with organising events and shows:
• Budget tracking and reporting as required;
• Daily/monthly/weekly reports;
• Purchase order creation and processing;
• Assisting with creating Powerpoint presentations; and
• Organising meetings as required.
Skills and experience required:
• Strong administration skills;
• Excellent customer relations and interpersonal skills;
• Organised with attention to detail;
• Knowledge of SAP/Vehicle Management System/HPIMS/CINON would be an advantage;
• An understanding of the motor industry is preferable;
• Experience with MS Offi ce Suite; and
• Manual drivers licence required.
These positions require highly-committed professionals who can work well within a team, have excellent communication skills, sound time
management and strong customer focus. If you have drive, ability and a desire to be part of the successful Chrysler team, then don’t hold back,
we would like to hear from you!
Please apply confi dentially to Mietta Gibson via email: Mietta.gibson@chrysler.com by Thursday 29th March 2012.

John Mellor’s
GoAuto News
VW’s MQB era
New platform to underpin up to 40 models by 2018
By BYRON MATHIOUDAKIS
VOLKSWAGEN’S vaunted new
MQB transverse-engine platform
architecture will underpin as many as
four million vehicles a year by 2018
and encompass up to 40 different
models within the VW Group.
Senior engineer and VW board member
Ulrich Hackenberg, the father of the MQB
– which translates in English to Modular
Transverse Matrix – told the Australian
media at the recent Geneva motor show
that the platform would bring massive
economies of scale and profi tability
potential to the German car-maker.
Dr Hackenberg said the initial
investment in money and time has been
much greater than usual because of the
different needs of each of the four marques
using it – Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda and
Seat – but that the expected dividends will
VW GROUP SET TO EXPAND FURTHER
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ultimately more than compensate.
“The fi rst amount of money to invest
is higher because you have to think
through all the segments and think
through all the brands,” he said.
“You have to create a very intensive
collaboration with all the brands
because all the brands have different
demands coming from the market, so
we have to collect that and create a
system that can fi t all their demands.
“MQB cost more money to develop,
but then if you buy all the parts and then
have the total car and then maybe have 40
or more cars based on this system then it’s
much less expensive and we saved maybe
20 per cent on material costs.
“We will save time now for all the
cars that are coming.
“For the fi rst cars, we needed a little bit
more time because we had to think of more
things than you have to with a single car.”
Work commenced on MQB
during 2007 after Dr Hackenberg
helped develop and implement the
philosophically similar MLB (Modular
Longitudinal Matrix) system that has
underpinned every Audi since 2006
apart from the Q7 SUV and R8 supercar.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
Call 1300 807 177
Au Audi A3
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Mar 21, 2012 Page 16
VW sets big, green goals
on back of record profi ts
By MARTON PETTENDY
VOLKSWAGEN Group has posted
a record operating profi t for 2011 and
says it will do the same this year on
the back of another 40 additional, new
or upgraded models, including nextgeneration
volume-sellers in the new
Audi A3 and VW Golf.
Not content with its aim to be the
world’s biggest car-maker by 2018,
the Volkswagen Group now also says
it wants to be the ‘greenest’, investing
a staggering €62.4 billion ($A77.9b)
to reduce the average CO2 emissions
of its European model range to less
than 120g/km by 2015.
VW has pledged to reduce its new
vehicle fl eet’s CO2 emissions by 30 per
cent between 2006 and 2015 – falling
short of Mazda’s, which calls for the
same corporate-average CO2 cut but
in two fewer years, between 2008 and
2015 – and to make every new model
10 to 15 per cent more effi cient than
the generation it replaces.
Europe’s largest car-maker said it
would spend well over two-thirds of
the investment – plus an additional
€14b ($A17.5b) in China – directly or
indirectly on more effi cient vehicles,
powertrains and technologies, as
well as environmentally friendlier
production at its plants.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
VW chairman Martin Winterkorn

John Mellor’s
GoAuto News
GET IN SHAPE
FOR BUYING AND SELLING
AUDIT • TAX • ADVISORY
1300 138 991
bdo.com.au
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Distinctively different – it’s how we see you
Mar 21, 2012 Page 17
SLK hardens its image with new natural-breathing 5.5-litre Mercedes-AMG V8
By JAMES STANFORD
MERCEDES-BENZ has introduced
a blistering new AMG V8 to its latestgeneration
SLK roadster arsenal,
backed up by a hefty $24,360 price cut.
The muscular new SLK55 AMG now
starts from $155,000, which is line ball
with the C63 AMG Coupe, indicating
a determination to shift more of the
sportiest SLK.
As the fourth version of the thirdgeneration
SLK to arrive in Australia,
it follows the four-cylinder SLK200
($82,900) and SLK250 ($91,900),
as well as the V6-powered SLK350
($118,900).
Most signifi cantly, however, it is the
fi rst model to debut Mercedes-AMG’s
new M152 V8 engine, which – unlike
the twin-turbo V8 that powers other
AMGs – is naturally aspirated.
Although the 5.5-litre V8 lacks the
SLK55 storms in
performance of the most potent AMG
powerplant, and is much smaller than
the German powerhouse’s previous
6.2-litre V8, it still manages to generate
310kW and 540Nm.
This is up on the previous SLK55’s
older 5.4-litre V8, which made 265kW
and 510Nm, and enables the new
SLK55 to storm to 100km/h in just
4.6 seconds. Like most AMG and
Mercedes-Benz models, this SLK is
electronically limited to 250km/h.
Remarkably, AMG has managed to
record an offi cial fuel consumption
rating of just 8.5 litres per 100km –
about the same as a Camry – and CO2
emissions of 197 grams per kilometre.
Incredibly, the offi cial fuel economy
of the new SLK-AMG’s 5.5-litre V8
is also just 0.2L/100km higher than
the new SLK350, which is 2.0 litres
smaller, has two fewer cylinders and
generates 85kW less power.
Elements contributing to this fi gure
include the lightweight nature of the
engine, which tips the scales at only
187kg, as well as a series of fuel-saving
measures including displacement-ondemand
technology.
Mercedes says this system is ‘Formula
One inspired’ although it is hardly
new, with General Motors offering the
technology since the 1980s and fi tting
it to the Holden Commodore’s 6.0-litre
V8, and Chrysler doing the same to its
5.7-litre V8.
Continued next page
THINKING OF BUYING OR SELLING YOUR DEALERSHIP?
It will be one of the most signifi cant transactions you will
undertake in your business career. So, make sure you are in
total control, and your transaction is at a fair market value.
After decades of helping dealerships buy and sell their
businesses, BDO has developed a ‘Workout’ checklist that can
help to get your dealership into shape, and avoid the pitfalls of
buying and selling.
Visit bdo.com.au/buysell to check out our checklists and see
whether you are in good shape for buying or selling.

John Mellor’s
GoAuto News
SLK55 storms in
Continued from previous page
With AMG’s cylinder-deactivation
system, cylinders two, three, fi ve and
eight shut down when the engine is not
being worked hard. It can operate at any
stage between 800rpm to 3600rpm when
the engine is operating in relaxed Comfort
mode, but switches off when the driver
selects more sporting modes.
AMG has also employed an idle-stop
system to drive down the fuel economy
fi gure by killing the engine when the
vehicle comes to a halt. Similarly, this
system comes on automatically in the
standard C mode, but not in other modes
and can also be manually switched off.
The company has retained its
traditional seven-speed torque-converter
automatic transmission, which can be
operated by steering wheel-mounted
paddles. There is no
manual option.
AMG has fi tted the
car’s exhaust with fl aps
that control the fl ow of
gases for a more emotive
sound when the throttle is opened wide.
The suspension is altered for a sportier
set-up with stiffer dampers and spring
rates combining with stiffer stabilisers
and more pronounced negative camber
on the rear axle.
An even fi rmer suspension tune is
also available as part of the $8825 AMG
Handling Package, which also includes
PRICING:
SLK200 BE (a) $82,900
SLK250 BE (a) $91,900
SLK350 BE (a) $118,900
SLK55 AMG (a) $155,000
It’s business.
It’s personal.
No two ways about it: we love this industry. And we
love our work, because we get to work with people
who eat, sleep and breathe cars – just like we do.
At Deloitte Motor Industry Services, you’ll not only
find the deep expertise of Australasia’s most seasoned
group of motor industry advisors, in our six partners
and sixty staff, you’ll also find a team of kindred spirits
as fired up about your opportunities as you.
a more aggressive rear differential
for better drive out of corners, front
composite brake discs and a three-spoke
AMG Performance steering wheel.
The SLK55 features a Torque Vectoring
Brake for the rear axle,
a system that brakes an
inside wheel for optimum
cornering.
Like other SLKs, this
one also runs the Direct
Steer steering system, which reduces
the degree of steering input required
to change the direction of the vehicle
at lower speeds, though this system
has been tuned specially for the AMG
model.
The AMG SLK shares the same
bodywork as other SLK models, which
have taken on a more masculine look
Visit us at www.eprofitfocus.com
or call us on Tel: +61 (0) 2 9322 3889.
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As a one-stop shop for compliance and advisory services to dealers,
distributors and manufacturers, we combine unrivalled Australia-wide
industry connectivity with the experience and passion to continually
improve the impact of our business – and turbocharge the performance
of yours.
When you love the industry you serve as much as its people do, it makes
business a personal pleasure.
Mar 21, 2012 Page 18
compared to the more rounded appearance
of the previous model, which was deemed
too soft by Mercedes designers.
But the obligatory AMG bodykit
and other more subtle exterior design
upgrades enable it to be distinguished
from lesser models.
Changes include a different front
grille, lower bumper and larger air
intakes, unique headlight surrounds,
AMG daytime LED running lights
and special tail-lights, along with quad
exhausts with chrome outlet surrounds
either side of a lower rear diffuser, which
Mercedes admits is purely cosmetic at
speeds allowed on Australian roads.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
DRIVE IMPRESSIONS: CLICK HERE
C63 AMG Black magic – next page

John Mellor’s
GoAuto News
C63 AMG Black magic
GoAuto hits Melbourne’s
F1 track in the ab-fab and
sold-out Benz C63 Black
By JAMES STANFORD
THERE is no need to save your pennies
for the C63 AMG Coupe Black Series that
made its debut at the Australian Grand
Prix last weekend because Mercedes-
Benz Australia has sold all 32 examples it
managed to secure from the factory.
And even though the company is in
the fi nal stages of securing another 10
to 12 examples of the rampaging coupe,
they all have names against them as
well at a hefty $245,000.
Five-time world motorcycle
champion Mick Doohan drove the
track-sharpened machine in a crowdpleasing
speed comparison around
Albert Park, fi nishing in the same time
as a V8 Supercar and Formula One racer
thanks to a considerable head start.
GoAuto hit the track in the same car
earlier in the week for an unforgettable
blast that verifi ed the hype surrounding
the car, confi rming that those who put
their money down are in for a treat.
The Black Series is a limited-edition
version of the regular AMG C63
Coupe, with more focused performance
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elements, increased output and styling
upgrades.
There have been three previous
Black models and the fi rst to come
to Australia was the CLK63 Black of
2008, followed by the SL65 Black the
following year.
The C63 Black is a very different, and
much angrier, animal.
It runs the same basic 6.2-litre
naturally aspirated V8, but AMG
engineers raided the parts cupboard
belonging to its SLS supercar, taking
its special conrods, forged pistons,
crankshaft and superior ECU.
These components shaved 4kg
off the engine’s weight, but more
importantly lifted the performance
to an incredible 380kW and 620Nm
of torque – a considerable boost of
44kW and 20Nm.
The power is fed through an AMG
Speedshift seven-speed automatic
that uses a wet clutch and forgoes a
traditional torque convertor in order to
shift faster than the standard auto.
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Mar 21, 2012 Page 19
AMG says there is enough punch
to blast from 0-100km/h in just 4.2
seconds and easily hit its 300km/h
electronically limited top speed.
The Black Series car also features a
track-special rear differential with a 40
per cent locking feature to ensure the
best possible drive out of the turns.
The tight differential and extremely
powerful engine combine to make this
a tail-happy monster that you want to
drive in an environment with plenty
of run-off, something that is in short
supply at Albert Park.
Even with the stability control
running in the second of three stages,
the Black C63 struggled to pull out of
the bends without triggering throttlestifl
ing traction control.
It really has so much power – and
such an aggressive diff – that the front
wheels must essentially be pointing
completely straight ahead before it will
set its power free.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

John Mellor’s
GoAuto News
458 from $590K
First deliveries of Ferrari
458 Spider due mid-year
as long local queue forms
By MIKE COSTELLO
FERRARI’S Australian importer
has announced a $590,000 starting
price for the 458 Spider, ahead of the
commencement of local deliveries in
the middle of this year.
Billed as the world’s fi rst mid-engined
supercar with a folding hard-top roof, the
Spider is a successor to the open-roofed
F430 and will command a premium
of $63,050 over the 458 Italia coupe
($526,950) upon which it is based.
Australian orders are coming thick
and fast – approximately the fi rst
18 months of allocation are already
spoken for, according to the Italian
marque’s Australian importer European
Automotive Imports (EAI).
Full local details were revealed last
week at a private showing of the car
ahead of its public debut at the Australian
Formula One Grand Prix, where it
led a parade of Ferraris both old and
new as part of the Italian brand’s 60th
anniversary celebrations in Australia.
The headline act is a patented
lightweight aluminium roof that is
A Daimler Brand
Sales Star Wanted.
claimed to weigh 25kg less than a
similar fabric soft-top and folds into a
small compartment mounted ahead of
the engine bay.
Said to be almost a decade in
development – we saw preliminary
computer-generated design imagery
dating back to 2004 – the roof can fully
open or close in a rapid 14 seconds
and tucks away neatly enough to not
impinge on the car’s aerodynamics.
When folded, the roof takes up just 100
litres of space – a fraction of the space
taken up by similar folding hard-tops
– thanks to its clever two-piece design,
while a rear bench behind the two front
seats can even house a golf bag.
The two-piece roof design
incorporates fi xed twin rear buttresses,
which act as roll-bars and bookend the
electrically operated glass wind blocker
that is said to keep the cabin quiet
enough to allow normal conversation
levels with the top down at 200km/h.
The drop-top design gives rise to
slightly different rear styling from the
Italia, too, including smaller and squarer
rear and side windows and a more
aggressive engine cover replete with
cooling grilles and a redesigned intake.
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Mar 21, 2012 Page 20
New Car Sales Consultant – Campbelltown, NSW
Macarthur Automotive is currently seeking an experienced Sales Consultant
to join its new car department at their Mercedes-Benz dealership in
Campbelltown, South West Sydney. Days of work are Monday – Friday, and
every second Saturday. A current full Driver’s Licence is essential.
This is an unique career opportunity to join a successful company and
vehicle brand, and a passion for Mercedes-Benz combined with knowledge of
the prestige vehicle industry will be highly regarded.
To apply, please send your resumé and covering letter to leigh.anderson@
macarthurautomotive.com.au or
fax (02) 4629 8899. Applications
treated with strictest confi dence.
13 Blaxland Serviceway, Campbelltown, NSW. Tel: 02 4629 8888. www.mbmacarthur.com.au
The rear wind stop can also be
lowered with the roof up, giving the
driver a better chance to absorb the
sound of the screaming 4.5-litre V8
engine shared with the Italia.
The direct-injection fi re-breather
produces maximum power of 419kW
at a sky-high 9000rpm, along with
peak torque of 540Nm at 6000rpm,
and includes the fuel-saving HELE
technologies fi rst introduced here on the
California as standard.
This system combines an idle-stop
system with ‘intelligent’ control of
the engine fans, fuel pump and airconditioning
compressor, plus a more
adaptive version of the seven-speed
dual-clutch automated manual paddleshift
transmission.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
FERRARI ENZO SUCCESSOR SET TO
EMERGE THIS YEAR: CLICK HERE

John Mellor’s
GoAuto News
Gallardo sticker shock
Savings of up to $47K on
Gallardo now available as
Lambo repositions range
By MARTON PETTENDY
LAMBORGHINI has effectively
slashed up to $47,204 from the price
of its Gallardo supercar in Australia
by making E-Gear automatic versions
of all variants the same price as the
equivalent manual model.
Effective from this month, both the
six-speed manual and E-Gear auto
versions of its entry-level Gallardo
LP550-2 coupe are now priced at
$409,500 plus on-road costs.
That is $10,500 or 2.6 per cent more
than before for the manual and some
$16,704 or 3.9 per cent less than before for
the auto, which previously commanded a
price premium of some $27,204.
Although base Gallardo pricing
therefore returns to the high side of
$400,000 (after the new entry-level
LP550-2 rear-drive coupe lowered the
House of the Raging Bull’s admission
PRICING:
Coupe
LP550-2 $409,500
LP550-2 E-Gear (a) $409,500
LP550-2 Balboni $489,000
LP560-4 $455,000
LP560-4 E-Gear (a) $455,000
LP570-4 Superleggera (a) $541,500
Spyder
LP560-4 $502,000
LP560-4 E-Gear (a) $502,000
price to $399,000 in 2010), pricing for
the limited-edition Gallardo LP550-2
Balboni coupe remains unchanged at
$489,000 plus ORCs.
All-wheel-drive versions of the
Gallardo (which run a more powerful
414kW version of the LP550-2’s
407kW 5.2-litre V10) have come in for
bigger cuts, with the entry-level LP560-
4 manual coupe now priced at $455,000
plus ORCs – some $20,000 or 4.2 per
cent less than before.
The same price now also applies to
the E-Gear auto version of the LP560-4,
representing a massive $47,204 or 9.4
per cent reduction, while the lighterweight
419kW LP570-4 Superleggera
E-Gear coupe is now priced from
$541,500 (down $1000).
The all-AWD Gallardo LP560-4
Spyder convertible line-up now starts
at $502,000 plus ORCs – down from
$515,000 – following a $13,000 (2.5
per cent) price cut for the manual and a
big $40,204 saving for E-Gear buyers.
Pricing for Lamborghini’s new
Murcielago-replacing 515kW 6.5-litre
V12-powered Aventador LP700-4
coupe fl agship – a convertible concept
version of which, dubbed the Aventador
J, was revealed at the Geneva motor
SUZUKI MOTORCYCLE FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITIES
Are you a motor trader looking for the opportunity to expand?
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Mar 21, 2012 Page 21
show earlier this month – remains
unchanged at $754,600 plus ORCs.
This month’s repositioning of the
Gallardo – the Sant’Agata Bolognese
brand’s most successful model ever –
follows lacklustre sales for Lamborghini
in Australia last year, when just 32 of the
Italian supercars were sold – down 28.9
per cent on the 45 purchased in 2010.
Last year Lamborghini coupe sales
fell from 35 to 25 (down 28.6 per cent),
while convertible sales slumped by 30
per cent – from 10 to seven.
While the Aventador J show car was
said to be a one-off for Geneva, overseas
reports insist a second-generation
Gallardo is in the offi ng for next year,
when Lamborghini’s original ‘compact’
two-door notches up a decade in
production. Lamborghini has sold more
than 12,000 Gallardos since 2003.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
LP560-4
CITROEN TEASES NEW ‘DS9’ FLAGSHIP
AHEAD OF BEIJING SHOW: CLICK HERE
Suzuki Australia Pty. Limited, ABN 57 001 828 164
Well, Suzuki Australia currently has several exciting opportunities available for the right people to operate their own Suzuki motorcycle
franchise. Opportunities exist in Ballarat – VIC, Coffs Harbour – NSW, Mandurah – WA and Wagga Wagga – NSW for Suzuki Motorcycle & ATV
franchises. Servicing a wide area, the Dealership will be required to stock, represent and service a comprehensive range of Suzuki’s cutting
edge Motorcycles and ATV’s.
If you have a genuine desire, experience and the drive to develop a modern, well-presented Motorcycle & ATV Franchise and you think you have
what it takes to be successful in this exciting industry, please forward your expression of interest via email to: franchise@suzuki.com.au

John Mellor’s
GoAuto News
Two-door 3 boost
Value and base prices on
rise with BMW’s fresh 3
Series coupe, convertible
By MARTON PETTENDY
BMW Group Australia has announced
an upgraded 3 Series Coupe and
Convertible line-up that brings with it a
$3000 price increase at the bottom end
of both two-door ranges.
However, BMW says the 2012 twodoor
3 Series family, which follows the
release of the redesigned
sixth-generation 3 Series
sedan last month, more than
compensates for this with
specifi cation additions worth
at least $3970.
Continuing to open the 3
Series Coupe range is the
320d turbo-diesel manual,
which is claimed to bring
$4210 of extra value at
$69,500 plus on-road costs
– $3000 more than before but still $900
less than Audi’s cheapest A5 Coupe, the
2.0 TFSI auto (from $70,400), and $400
less than Mercedes-Benz’s equivalent
C250 CDI Coupe auto (from $69,900).
USED CAR SALES CONSULTANT
Oldfield Holden is seeking an ambitious and motivated Used Car Sales Consultant for their Holden operation in Capalaba. Oldfield
is a family owned company that has for many years been awarded the Holden Grand Masters award and are currently selling over
100 vehicles per month. This role will see you utilizing your superior sales and negotiating skills to sell to our new and existing
customers. You will express professional customer service skills, have a proven capacity to work as part of a passionate team and
your attention to detail will be second to none.
If you are looking to join a successful franchised operation with strong family values/culture along with very stable staff, and you are
highly motivated to succeed, then this is the position for you.
Please send your resume to the Use Car Manager: lees@oldfieldholden.com.au or telephone on 3245 2200.
Your enquiries will be treated with the strictest of confidence. Remuneration will be attractive and will be commensurate with
experience including superannuation, bonuses and a company supplied vehicle.
SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com
BMW’s 160kW 125i hot hatch promises VW Golf GTI-beating performance
By HAITHAM RAZAGUI
BMW has announced the addition
of a more powerful 125i variant
to its 1 Series hatch line-up, fi tted
with the brand’s 2.0-litre N20 turbopetrol
engine and additional standard
equipment to top the range at $45,700
plus on-road costs.
The 125i is available from March
production and 1 Series customers can
also now spruce up their purchase with
PRICING:
Coupe
320d $69,500
325i $80,850
330d (a) $97,600
335i M Sport $108,600
Convertible
320d $82,500
325i $94,600
330d (a) $110,700
335i M Sport $121,600
The revised 320d Convertible is
also $3000 pricier at $82,500, but is
claimed to offer more than $4200 in
extra standard equipment, including
17-inch Star Spoke alloy wheels, the
Comfort Access system,
adaptive headlights, High
Beam Assist and satellitenavigation.
In addition, all 3 Series
Coupes and Convertibles –
which enter production for
Australia this month before
arriving here by May – now
come standard with adaptive
bi-Xenon headlights and
LED light elements.
Pricing for the mid-range 325i Coupe
and Convertible remains unchanged
at $80,850 and $94,600 respectively,
with both six-cylinder manual models
gaining a claimed $7280 of extra value,
the M Sport package, now offered on
all variants except the entry-level 116i
and priced at $5385.
The Bavarian luxury brand claims the
new engine, which produces 160kW
Mar 21, 2012 Page 22
including 18-inch light-alloy wheels,
adaptive headlights, High Beam Assist,
higher-spec navigation and anti-dazzle
exterior mirrors.
The six-cylinder diesel 330d,
meantime, now costs $97,600 as a coupe
and $110,700 in convertible form. That
is up $2000 for both models, with a
claimed $3970 worth of extra standard
fare including 18-inch light-alloy wheels,
adaptive headlights, Harman Kardon
sound, anti-dazzle exterior mirrors and
the ‘Professional’ navigation.
BMW is yet to reveal similar
upgrades for its two-door M3 models,
but pricing for the top-of-the-line 335i
M Sport reduces by more than $5000,
with the coupe now priced from
$108,600 and the convertible now
from $121,600.
at 5000rpm and develops 310Nm of
torque from 1350rpm, provides the 1
Series with hot-hatch performance and
class-leading fuel consumption.
Compared with the popular
Volkswagen Golf GTI, which costs
$5210 less than the BMW in fi ve-door
form, the 125i produces 5kW more
power and 30Nm more torque.
FULL STORY, PRICING: CLICK HERE
www.oldfieldholden.com.au
07 3245 2200
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
OLDFIELD
HOLDEN
No.1 Motor Dealer in the Redlands
No.1 Grand Masters Dealer 2007,
2008, 2009 & 2010
No.1 Holden Retail Salesperson
Nationally 2007, 2008, 2009 & 2010

John Mellor’s
GoAuto News
S16 moves up
Proton axes cheapest models as fresh micro arrives
By MARTON PETTENDY
PROTON Cars Australia has announced
a facelifted S16 line-up that will start at
$13,990 driveaway following the axing of
the entry-level 1.3-litre version formerly
billed as Australia’s cheapest sedan.
Marking a small but calculated move
upmarket in the face of an infl ux of
new Chinese city-car competitors, the
Malaysian brand has now announced
pricing for a facelifted ‘FLX’ S16
range that will open a rejuvenated 2012
Proton model range from May.
Australia’s most affordable new car
at $11,990 driveaway before Chery
launched its J1 hatch at $10,990
driveaway last February, the 1.3-litre
S16 G has now been discontinued – and
will not be replaced – as has Proton’s
even cheaper 1.2-litre Savvy hatch
(previously $12,990 driveaway).
Unlike the S16 it replaces, the
upgraded light sedan will come standard
with potentially life-saving electronic
stability control technology, as well
as ABS brakes, electronic brake-force
distribution, twin front airbags and front
seatbelt pretensioners across the range.
However, in contrast with all-new
light sedans such as the Holden Barina,
Kia Rio and Hyundai Accent, the S16
continues to go without side or curtain
airbags, and only has drum rear brakes.
Apart from an extensive front and rear
cosmetic facelift that lifts its exterior
design considerably, the 2012 S16 GX
also receives an upgraded version of
Proton’s 1.6-litre Campro four-cylinder
petrol engine, matched for the fi rst time
with a continuously variable transmission.
The CVT auto adds $2000 to the
price of both the S16 GX sedan and
the ‘premium’ GXR grade, which costs
$15,990 driveaway as a manual.
Compared to the previous ‘IAFM’
engine, which continues to produce
82kW and 148Nm in the 2012 Gen.2
hatch and Persona sedan models, the
upgraded ‘IAFM+’ engine delivers
slightly less power at 80kW (at 5750
instead of 6500rpm) but slightly more
torque at 150Nm (at the same 4000rpm).
FULL STORY, PRICING: CLICK HERE
DEALER PRINCIPAL
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Mar 21, 2012 Page 23
Mahindra XUV500 SUV
and Genio ute due soon
By MARTON PETTENDY
MAHINDRA will launch not one
but two all-new models here in June,
including the Genio ute and the
XUV500 crossover – the fi rst sevenseat
SUV to be sold by the Indian giant
in Australia.
Arriving two months later than
expected following its sell-out success
in India, Mahindra’s fi rst global
SUV will be a diesel-only – and, at
least initially, manual-only – affair
in Australia, where pricing of the
Mitsubishi Outlander-size wagon
should start at under $30,000.
Mahindra’s fi rst monocoque-chassis
SUV – and its fi rst SUV in Australia
since the utilitarian Bushranger and
Stockman were discontinued almost
two decades ago – will arrive here
with just one four-cylinder turbodiesel
engine offering matched to a
six-speed manual.
A volume-selling automatic is
expected to arrive next March –
believed to be a six-speed unit
developed by Australia’s Drivetrain
Systems International of Albury,
like the transmission used in the
SsangYong Korando SUV.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
XUV500
City fringe – Sydney • Growth and development focussed • Multi-franchise, new and used
Our client is a large, successful and growing dealership, representing a range of brands. They pride themselves on delivering an
excellent customer experience, resulting in high customer retention and referrals. They are currently seeking a Dealer Principal
to grow one of their dealerships based near the Sydney CBD.
Managing a dynamic Sales and Service team (around 100 staff), you will be a motivator, coach and innovator. Reporting to the
Directors, you will have full support from the head of ce functions. You could be a GSM looking for a step into a GM/DP role
or an experienced GM looking for a new and exciting challenge.
To be successful in this role you will have solid industry experience in a volume brand. You are customer focussed, have a sense
of urgency, understand the value of your team and take pride in ensuring your dealership is outperforming your competitors.
If you would like to be a part of this dynamic and progressive Group, apply via Astute HR Consulting Pty Limited by emailing
Deborah Cartwright at: dc@astutehrconsulting.com.au

John Mellor’s
GoAuto News
Holden NASCAR watch
Next Commodore tipped
for export as 2014 Chevy
SS for road and racetrack
By MARTON PETTENDY
THE internet is abuzz with speculation
that Holden’s homegrown Commodore
will soon make a triumphant return to
North American showrooms – and to
NASCAR ovals around the US.
Respected US auto websites and
enthusiast blogs went into overdrive
last week when Chevrolet announced it
will replace its Impala NASCAR Sprint
Cup Series racecar for the 2013 season
with an all-new model and nameplate,
a production version of which will also
be revealed within 12 months.
“Chevrolet announced today that
for the 2013 season, Team Chevy will
be racing a vehicle based on a new
nameplate to the brand’s line-up,” said
General Motors on March 13.
“Taking advantage of the new
NASCAR rules, which allow
manufacturers to display more of their
brand identity in their racecars, the new
Chevrolet racecar will closely resemble
the production version. Both cars will
G8 pace car
BARTONS
200 TINGAL ROAD WYNNUM
BARTONS
200 TINGAL ROAD WYNNUM
be unveiled in the coming year.”
The announcement rules out
Chevrolet going NASCAR racing
alongside Toyota’s Camry, Ford’s
Fusion and the Dodge Charger with a
version of its mid-size Malibu, which
has just gone on sale in the US before
arriving here early next year, or a
smaller sedan based on GM’s double
World Touring Car Championship
winner, the Cruze.
Released in 2005, Chevrolet’s
outgoing Impala is based on a 20-yearold
GM platform but claimed fi ve
manufacturers’ titles and 70 wins in
the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series since
2007, when it replaced the large Monte
Carlo coupe.
So, unless Chevrolet has a secret
new model or it plans simply to rename
the Impala’s replacement – which
will be based on the same front-wheel
drive Epsilon platform that underpins
Cadillac’s new XTS large sedan and is
due on sale in the US early next year
– Holden’s homegrown Commodore
appears to be in line for a renewed US
export program and the basis of Chev’s
BUY BETTER BUY BARTONS
bartonsholden.com.au
SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com
Mar 21, 2012 Page 24
Pontiac G8
next NASCAR.
“We are keeping the wraps on the
new car for now and will continue
to prepare for next season by testing
camoufl aged vehicles,” said Chevrolet
Performance Vehicles and Motorsports
vice-president Jim Campbell.
“We know that Chevrolet fans are
eager to see the new racecar and we
hope that the prospect of being able to
own one just like it will make the wait a
little more bearable.
“The Impala has been a critical part
of Chevrolet’s success in the NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series and we are confi dent
the new racecar will allow us to remain
the most successful name in NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series history.”
Exports of Holden’s last Commodorebased
US model, the Pontiac G8, ended
when GM axed the Pontiac brand in
2009 as part of GM’s bankruptcy,
after which then-CEO Fritz Henderson
kyboshed product chief Bob Lutz’s
hopes of releasing a Chevrolet-badged
version of the Commodore SS.
FINANCE & INSURANCE MANAGER
Bartons Holden and Mitsubishi is seeking the service of an experienced Finance and Insurance Manager to
join their growing business.
Bartons are a family owned business who have now been in operation for over 66 years. With a very strong family based culture that breeds success, they
are seeking applicants who possess the qualities of loyalty, strong disciplines, honesty and vision to assist the growth of the Bartons Business. The successful
applicant will need to have an exceptionally high record of customer satisfaction and understand that customer retention is an important facet of Bartons.
Bartons are regarded within the Finance/Insurance Industry with both St George and Allianz as progressive and industry leading. The dealership has a very
strong culture of introductions ensuring the successful candidate will be entering a business that supports strongly this department within the dealership. Potential
applicants are encouraged to seek references from both St George and Allianz as to the quality of the position being offered. This is a rare opening and one that
has not occurred for over 7 years.
A very attractive remuneration package will be offered to the successful candidate commensurate with experience. If you do not have experience in this position or
very similar within the automotive industry, you need not apply.
All potential candidates should apply in con dence to the Dealer Principal Mark Beitz by email at
markb@bartonsbayside.com.au or on mobile 0417 755 037 along with a covering resume.
Holden.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

John Mellor’s
GoAuto InBrief
Kia sat-nav
Korean brand launches fi rst integrated nav system
By MARTON PETTENDY
KIA has released its fi rst satellitenavigation
system in Australia, where it
is now available in the compact Sportage
and mid-size Sorento crossovers, and
will arrive in the fast-growing Korean
brand’s fl agship Optima medium sedan
by mid-year.
Like the Continental-branded sat-nav
unit that is standard in parent company
Hyundai’s closely related i45 Premium
sedan, Kia’s LG system adds $990
to the price of the top-shelf Optima
Platinum, which will now cost $37,980
plus on-road costs.
It also brings the price of the
Sportage Platinum AWD petrol auto to
$37,710 ($40,710 for the diesel auto),
and the Sorento Platinum AWD diesel
auto to $50,180.
However, while it can also be had in
mid-range SLi versions of the Sportage
FOR SALE
Multi-Franchise
NSW Regional
Dealership
An opportunity to acquire a
pro table automotive dealership on
the picturesque South Coast.
• Revenue approx $10m.
• Two strong franchises with growth options.
• Consistent positive earnings performance.
• Sale or Lease premises optional.
• Experienced management.
• Well-established systems.
• Room for expansion in this Regional centre.
• Quality lifestyle in a stable area.
• Would suit rst time DP.
Interested parties can call
in strict con dence.
Terry Carver, phone: (02) 9247 4544,
mobile: 0408 460 413
email: tcarver@plazacorp.com.au
Plaza Corporate Services Pty Ltd
Suite 305, 3 Spring St, Sydney, NSW 2000
and Sorento for an extra $1500, the
system will not be available in entrylevel
Si versions of the Sportage,
Sorento or Optima.
Kia Motors Australia’s fully
integrated GPS navigation system,
which features an LG head unit and
mapping by Navteq, was developed
specifi cally for the Australian market
over the past 12 months.
KMAu spokesman Kevin Hepworth
said the company could have “gone
with an off-the-shelf unit sooner”, but
was determined to “provide the best
operating systems for our customers”.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
LATEST RECALLS:
► MASERATI GRANTURISMO
► MERCEDES-BENZ VITO, VIANO
► HYUNDAI SANTA FE, TOYOTA RAV4
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Mar 21, 2012 Page 25
Editorial Production
Assistant (Cadet)
JOHN Mellor’s GoAutoMedia is seeking
the services of a full-time Editorial
Production Assistant (cadet journalist)
at its Melbourne-based (Sandringham)
Newsroom for a wide range of tasks
including the publishing of articles and
images online, image sourcing and the
regular preparation and updating of
various GoAuto online services plus
other editorial administrative duties.
This junior position is an
opportunity to get started in a thriving
automotive newsroom, playing a
vital support role in producing one of
Australia’s most respected consumer
websites, GoAuto.com.au, as well
as Australia’s leading automotive
industry publication, GoAutoNews.
Knowledge of the numerous car
makes and models on the Australian
market (past and present) is essential,
as are computer, word processing and
spreadsheet skills.
Familiarity with image editing
software such as Adobe Photoshop
will be highly regarded (training will
be provided).
This varied and interesting role offers
opportunities for career expansion into
specifi c areas such as graphic design
or journalism and would suit a hardworking
young auto enthusiast looking
to enter the publishing industry.
To apply, please send your resume
with a covering letter to Dr Sally Mellor
via email: sally@mellor.net.
No phone enquiries will be accepted.
GoAuto’s latest car review www.GoAuto.com.au
Peugeot 508 Allure sedan
WHEN we fi rst got behind the wheel of the Peugeot 508 range at the
local launch in July last year, we found it to be a monumental step up
from its 407 successor. But sometimes a quick test can be deceptive,
so we decided to spend a week behind the wheel of a mid-range
Allure 2.0-litre HDi sedan to see if this big Pug really deserves its
place at the pointy end of the premium mid-size segment.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE

John Mellor’s
GoAuto Market Insight
Fourth consecutive win
for Lexus in annual US
customer service survey
By HAITHAM RAZAGUI
LEXUS has again topped the charts in
JD Power and Associates’ annual US
Customer Service Index (CSI) Study,
its fourth consecutive year in pole
position and 15th time at the top, this
time scoring 861 out of 1000.
The score means the Japanese brand
maintains a 26-point gap over the luxury
segment average, putting it ahead of
other above-average brands Cadillac
(852 points), Jaguar (849), Hondaowned
Acura (838) and Porsche (836).
As GoAuto has reported, Lexus
customers in Australia were also
shown to be the most satisfi ed, the
brand winning a gong in the recent Roy
Morgan Customer Satisfaction Awards.
JD Power also recently ranked Lexus as
the most dependable vehicle brand in the
US, although its customer retention rating
slipped six percentage points between
2011 and 2012, meaning it dropped from
joint-third position to ninth.
The organisation uses fi ve measures to
calculate customer service satisfaction,
comprising (in order of importance)
service quality, service initiation, the
service advisor, the servicing facility
and vehicle pick-up.
Lexus performed well in the areas of
service quality, service initiation and
servicing facility.
British off-road brand Land Rover
occupied the bottom of the table with
GoAuto Market Insight – brought
to you by Dealer Solutions
Counting on CSI
796 points, a signifi cant fall from grace
compared with 2010 when it missed a
place in the above-average rankings by
just seven points.
Porsche’s result of 836 points placed
it just inside the above-average camp
this year, representing a turnaround for
the German brand, which occupied the
bottom three in 2010 and missed the
segment average score by fi ve points in
2011, placing it level with BMW.
In fact, Porsche was the only Teutonic
brand to achieve an above-average
score this year, with Audi, BMW and
Mercedes-Benz alongside other low
achievers in Infi niti, Lincoln and Volvo.
However, Audi was the most
improved luxury brand, its score rising
34 points to 826.
Among mainstream brands, Mini
ranked highest for the second year running
with 809 points against a segment average
of 778, performing well in terms of service
quality, service advisor, servicing facility
and vehicle pick-up.
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Dealer
Solutions
Means Performance.
Mar 21, 2012 Page 26
2012 JD Power US Customer Service Index (CSI) - Luxury brands*
900
850
800
750
700
* CSI based on 1000-point scale, Saab is included in study but not ranked due to small sample size
Lexus Cadillac Jaguar Acura Porsche
Make your models the focus
A picture says a thousand words.
On-site Photography
Focus on sales. Contact Dealer Solutions today.
Segment average
Audi Mercedes-
Benz
Sour Source: ce: JD Power
and Ass Associa ociates tes
Infi niti BMW Lincoln Volvo Land
Rover
Suzuki, which came last in 2010
and 2011, shared joint second-last
place with Smart this year on 740
points, due to a fall in satisfaction for
Dodge customers, who gave it a score
of 739.
JD Power’s data shows customers
who use dealer service facilities to be
on average 38 points more satisfi ed
with their experience than those who
use an independent service centre, and
that the number of surveyed customers
using their dealer increased from 74 per
cent in 2011 to 79 per cent this year.
Levels of satisfaction are shown to
be generally higher with maintenance
visits than for repair work – the
former being less expensive and
time-consuming – and 72 per cent of
customers said their last dealer visit
was for maintenance rather than repair,
up from 63 per cent in 2011, suggesting
an increase in reliability.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
1300 66 11 33
www.dealersolutions.com.au

John Mellor’s
GoAuto Green
By IAN PORTER
THE success of electric cars and
alternate-fuelled vehicles does not rest
with car-makers, governments or the
geeks of the world; it’s in the hands of
women, particularly those with children,
according to Australian car industry
senior statesman John Conomos.
He believes that if the industry and
governments want to raise the current
poor take-up of vehicles using alternate
energy sources, they need to focus their
education efforts on the ladies of the
world.
Speaking at the ‘Cars of Tomorrow’
conference in Melbourne last week,
Mr Conomos also said there was no
way that the car-makers would be able
to produce enough electric and other
alternate-energy vehicles to meet the
expected surge in demand
when energy prices spike in
2017.
Mr Conomos, who was
executive chairman of Toyota
Australia and a director on
the Japanese company’s main
board of directors when Toyota
launched its hybrid program,
said the purchase price of a hybrid was
a major deterrent.
“The high cost of the cars has also
been weighing heavily, even in the
minds of fl eets,” he said.
“The $10,000 premium for a hybrid
over a conventional car cannot be
justifi ed in economic terms of ‘will
it get payback within the nine or 12
Green issues in the auto world
Gender on EV agenda
Sales success of EVs and
other green cars relies on
female support: Conomos
John Conomos
DEALERSHIP
OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD
months that I own the car’.”
But he said preconceptions and
general ignorance were equally large
factors behind the “very low uptake”,
especially among women.
“‘Am I going to electrocute my
children because the vehicle has got
500 volts? Will it blow up if I go into
the water? What’s going to happen if I
forget to unplug it? Will I pull
the house down if the cord is
still attached to the car?’
“These perceptions are very
real and a deterrent,” he said.
And he stressed that the
women of the world – wives
and mothers in particular –
have the power to make or
break a car purchasing deal between
their husbands and a dealership.
“Ladies have the power of veto.
Ladies have the power to say to the
guy who has done a year’s research
on the car, ‘I’m not going to buy this
particular EV or this hybrid’.
“He does the study, reads the
magazines, does the test drive, walks
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Mar 21, 2012 Page 27
his partner into the showroom and she
suddenly says, ‘I don’t like it because
of all these reasons’, the preconceptions
in her own mind about these factors.
“I think education, particularly
devoted to ladies with families, will be
an important factor in changing buying
demand and buying pattern of people
with EVs,” he said.
He also suggested that just simply
getting more EVs and other non-petrol
vehicles onto the roads would help to
diminish the prejudices and uncertainty
now retarding sales of alternate-fuel
vehicles.
“If we get some traction and proof
with vehicles on the road, then I think
the prejudices will gradually diminish,
not just in the minds of the fl eet
customer, but in the minds of the allimportant
private customer.”
This sentiment was backed up by
another member of the panel, Simon
Washington from the Queensland
University of Technology.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
DON’T LEAVE IT TO CHANCE – BE THE FIRST TO KNOW.
BDO has a number of automotive dealership opportunities
coming soon. We invite you to register your interest so
that you can be considered for future opportunities as they
approach. Register at bdo.com.au/dealeropportunities
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bdo.com.au

John Mellor’s
GoAuto Personnel
By TERRY MARTIN
VOLVO Car Australia has named
family-owned Annlyn Motors in Penrith,
NSW, as its 2011 Dealer of the Year.
The main DOTY award and other
category winners were presented at
a special event at the Auckland War
Memorial Museum in New Zealand
last week, coinciding with the stopover
for the international Volvo Ocean Race.
Dignitaries at the event included
Volvo Car Corporation senior vicepresident
and chief fi nancial offi cer
Jan Gurander, Volvo Car Australia
managing director Matt Braid and
Volvo Cars ambassador and Australian
athletics champion Matt Shirvington.
Annlyn Motors dealer principal
GoAuto Personnel – brought
to you by Motor Staff
John Dunn described the long-serving
Volvo dealership’s second overall
DOTY award – it previously won in
2004 – and its naming as the Swedish
brand’s 2011 Aftersales DOTY as “a
bit of a shock, really”.
“To achieve such a prestigious award
doesn’t come easily and requires hard
work and commitment from the entire
team,” he said.
SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com
PENRITH’S ANNLYN MOTORS NAMED 2011 VOLVO DEALER OF THE YEAR
Australia’s No.1
Mar 21, 2012 Page 28
“We have a fantastic team at Annlyn
Motors that understand the principles
of the business, and are enthusiastic
about the Volvo brand.
“It’s all about the customers – repeat
business and word-of-mouth referrals are
the cornerstone of our business. It’s why
we try so hard to ensure every customer
has a great purchase experience.”
Other winners announced on the night
included Allan McKay Autos from
Moss Vale, NSW, picking up awards
for the Highest PMA Market Share and
Volvo Car Insurance categories, while
Bilia Volvo in Hawthorn, Victoria, took
out the Highest Retail Volume award.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
HOLDEN, CUMMINS AND DELOITTE AMONG EMPLOYERS OF CHOICE FOR WOMEN
By TERRY MARTIN
GM HOLDEN, Cummins and Deloitte
are among 125 Australian organisations
to receive a 2012 Employer of
Choice for Women citation,
awarded last week by the
federal government’s Equal
Opportunity for Women in the
Workplace Agency (EOWA).
Holden was one of fi ve
manufacturers to qualify
for a citation – the others
were GlaxoSmithKline
Australia, PepsiCo Australia Group
and petroleum companies BP and Shell
– while the Melbourne-based South
Pacifi c division of global diesel engine
powerhouse Cummins Inc, Cummins
South Pacifi c, was recognised in the
‘other services’ division.
Deloitte received its citation in the
‘professional, scientifi c and technical
services’ category.
Recruitment Specialist Anne Taylor George Hennessy Mara Nogarotto
sales•service•parts•admin
– Established 1992 –
1300 666 562
Holden Engineering’s
Melanie Pollock
Les Land
Left to right: Matt Braid,
John Dunn, Jan Gurander
EOWA director Helen Conway
said the total of 125 citations was the
highest the agency had awarded over
the past fi ve years, despite
increasingly stringent
assessment criteria.
“The leaders of the
organisations on this
list recognise there is a
competitive advantage to
be obtained by employing a
diverse workforce,”
Ms Conway said.
“They are attracting
women into non-traditional
roles where there are skills
shortages, reaping the rewards
of increased retention rates,
and realising the benefi ts of
fl exible work practices.”
Running since 2001,
the EOWA Employer of Choice for
Women citation program is designed
Sharon Hunter
Cummins Sth Pacifi c
director Vicki Pafumi
Doug Tame
to acknowledge organisations that
recognise and advance women in the
workplace.
The assessment criteria cover a range
of workplace issues including “pay
equity, women in executive management,
fl exibility, sex-based harassment and
career development training”.
The citation also requires the
organisation’s CEO “to be the driving
force behind the culture which
supports the advancement
of female employees”.
Deloitte has been
outstanding in receiving a
citation every year since the
program’s inception and
winning an EOWA award
in 2008 for the ‘Leading
Organisation for the
Advancement of Women’.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
SEEKING
QUALITY STAFF?
www.motorstaff.com.au
“Our Recruitment Specialists take the stress out of hiring the Best People for your business”

GoAuto New Car Diary
LAUNCH
MAR
John Mellor’s
Honda Civic sedan redesign
Jeep Wrangler upgrade
Mazda CX-5 diesel ►
Mini Coupe and Roadster
Nissan MY12 GT-R upgrade
Skoda Yeti 112TSI variant ►
Toyota Camry Hybrid redesign
Toyota Prius C
Toyota Prius hatch upgrade ►
GoAuto New Car Diary – brought
to you by carsales.com.au
SUBSCRIBE FREE: www.GoAutoMedia.com
Mar 21, 2012 Page 29
Mazda Australia will this week release SkyActiv
diesel-powered variants of the new CX-5 compact
SUV, promising class-leading fuel effi ciency.
Skoda will add a mid-range AWD variant to its Yeti
compact SUV range, powered by a 112kW petrol
engine and priced around $30,000.
The facelifted Prius will gain no mechanical
changes but will be subject to cosmetic upgrades
and more standard features.
FULL NEW CAR DIARY: CLICK HERE
Fresh tease for all-new Altima as Nissan Australia considers production options
By RON HAMMERTON
NISSAN Australia is tossing up
between the United States, Thailand
and – possibly – Japan as the production
source for its Maxima replacement, the
2013 Altima.
The mid-size Camry competitor –
now the subject of three teaser videos
ahead of its global debut at the New
York motor show next month – is not
due in Australia before the second
half of 2013, and Nissan is said to be
using the time to nail down the best
production option.
The new fi fth-generation Altima is
likely to go into production fi rst in the
US – its biggest market, where the
current Altima was the second-bestselling
passenger car behind Toyota’s
Camry last year.
The Altima currently is built at
Nissan’s Smyrna (Tennessee) and Canton
(Mississippi) plants in the US, along
with the Kanda plant at Fukuoka, on the
southern Japanese island of Kyushu.
The related Maxima is assembled
Congratulations
LiveMarket Dealers!
LiveMarket dealers have a stock turn 26%
greater and have an average age in stock
22 days lower* than their competitors.
in at least eight countries, including
Thailand, which was the source of
Maxima stock bound for Australia
until late last year when a combination
of Thai fl oods disruption and demand
from within south-east Asia forced
Nissan Australia to resume Japanese
imports of its biggest sedan about three
months ago.
Nissan Australia general manager Jeff
Fisher told GoAuto that the Nissan’s
new “medium-to-large sedan” would
not just be built in the US, opening up
alternatives for Australian sourcing,
which he said had not been decided.
“That’s a decision they will make closer
to the time, depending on the dollar,
depending on the logistics, depending on
freight costs and things,” he said.
“Although we have a free-trade
agreement with the US, the same as we
do with Thailand, logistics and freight
costs would likely be higher bringing
it from the US, but there are other
advantages in doing that (US sourcing)
as well.
“So it is a swings-and-roundabouts
study that they will do.”
The Altima will be launched in
Australia with the support of a multimillion-dollar
assault on the 2013 V8
Supercar championship by Melbournebased
Kelly Racing, which is preparing
the racecar powered by a Nissan
Motorsport-prepared 5.6-litre V8 from
the American-made Titan pick-up and
US Pathfi nder.
Nissan Australia managing director
Dan Thompson told GoAuto in January
that his company was looking at
sourcing US-built vehicles, including
the next-generation Pathfi nder that was
unveiled at the Detroit motor show.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
Get ahead of the competition.
Register now for a free online
demo or call 1300 041 177.
* Statistics based on LiveMarket dealer performance versus carsales network non-LiveMarket dealer performance as at February 2012
TM