Amazing ACS is a desert stormer reprised

Singer’s homage to famous Porsche rally raid machine is just as monstrous.

Homage to history …. the Singer ACS takes inspiration from Porsche’s incredible 959 (below), a Group B rally machine that made huge imprint in the Paris-Dakar rallies in the 1980s.

PICTURE this: A Porsche 911 with extensive off-road modifications and a highly-tuned engine banging out mammoth horsepower, capable of surviving in the toughest terrain.

The brand did exactly that back in the 1980s, when creating the berserk 959, a car originally developed as a Group B world rally championship car – which, when that was kyboshed, proved particularly useful in hard-out long-distance desert racing ‘raids’, particularly the Paris-Dakar in the days when it was actually that. The 959 subsequently also rendered in a limited-run road car form and is now a highly-prized collectible. 

Now California-based Singer has revealed its latest creations: a pair of all-terrain models offering a 2021 interpretation of the famous factory model. 

The Singer ACS (which stands for All-terrain Competition Study) consists of a pair of rally-prepped machines that take inspiration from the 959 as well as the 911 SC/RS that Porsche also rallied. 

Commissioned by one of Singer’s long-term clients, ACS has been co-developed in the United Kingdom by Richard Tuthill, whose operation specialises in motorsport and rally preparation for classic Porsches.

Last year, Tuthill Porsche constructed the car that won the 2019 East African Safari Classic - a 5000km event that runs through Kenya and Tanzania. Back in the 1980s, Tuthill partnered with Prodrive to develop the original World Rally-prepped 911 SC/RS. 

Two cars have been built: the first, white car seen today is adapted for “high-speed desert rallying” while a second, lower-slung, car is designed for tarmac rallying.

Both remind that, while is Singer is often touted as a restoration specialist, it really often goes well beyond that role and reaches well into total re-engineering. 

The ACS cars are exemplars of that. AS is almost always the case qwith Singers, the starting point is a 1990 964-generation 911, which is reskinned in a carbon fibre body.

However, as the wild looks suggest, these are unique to the ACS and are designed for two main purposes, says British website AutoExpress, which has gained access to the project.

The on-line edition says the body rework takes into account the increased cooling demands required in harsh off-road environments. It allow easy access to important mechanical components which may need to be examined during service stops. As a result, the entire front and rear sections both open up like huge clamshells. 

The panels wrap around an extensively reinforced monocoque, and one which accommodates a significantly raised ride height. Bumpers front and rear are simple bars, which enable even greater approach and departure angles.

Tough rally-spec suspension is then attached to the bulked-up chassis. Twin dampers - each five-way adjustable - are mounted at all four corners, in order to control the shocks endured by the new long-travel suspension. Contact to the ground is through chunky BF-Goodrich all-terrain tyres, wrapped around 8x16” forged aluminium wheels. Brakes discs are steel, and are gripped by four piston calipers all round.

Porsche’s ‘Metzger’ flat six remains Singer’s start point for the engine, but its configuration here is new. Capacity is 3.6-litres, but it’s boosted by a pair of intercooler-fed turbochargers. Total power can be adjusted based on the demands of the specific rally, but the new unit offers at least 355kW and 569Nm of torque. 

Drive is sent to all four wheels via front, centre and rear limited slip differentials, and a five-speed sequential dog-box, which allows the driver to shift up without lifting the throttle. The gears can be operated through either an extended gear lever on the transmission tunnel, or by steering wheel-mounted paddles.

Other modifications to the standard Singer formula include a long range fuel tank and two full size spare wheels. 

Inside, the ACS sports a much more contemporary appearance than Singer’s retro-inspired road cars, Auto Express says.

Accessed through shorter doors (a result of the significantly reinforced sill area) the cabin reveals a pared-back dashboard, constructed from carbon fibre. This houses a digital instrument panel in front of the driver, and a huge GPS race navigation system ahead of the passenger. 

 Many of the controls are housed on a unique steering wheel, while a huge hydraulic handbrake stands taller than the extended gear lever. Safety is provided by unique seats, harnesses and a roll cage - all certified by motorsport’s governing body, the FIA. Both driver and passenger benefit from their own in-built drinks system.

Price? No-one’s gone into that and likely as not, you’ll never know. Just settle on “a lot … and then some.”

New car market hammered in coronavirus condition

The new vehicle industry took a big hit in 2020, registrations falling almost by a quarter.

Toyota’s RAV4 was the top-selling passenger model for the year.

NEW passenger and light commercial registrations for 2020 were down 22.7 percent on the 2019 tally, a publication specialising in industry news is reporting.

That means overall registrations dropped a massive 35,121 units to 119,620 for the year, says Autotalk.co.nz, citing data it has sourced from New Zealand Transport Agency. 

Report author Richard Edwards says this translates into a sobering impact for distributors and their dealers.

“Assuming an average of $3000 in margin, finance and insurance commissions and accessory sales per vehicle, those figures represent in excess of $100 million in turnover lost to the dealer segment of the trade alone for the year.”

The report has posted ahead of official notification from the Motor Industry Association, which generally posts monthly and annual outcomes on behalf of new vehicle distributors.

Autotalk.co.nz’s  report https://autotalk.co.nz/news/new-market-down-23-for-2020 says passenger registrations were down 23.3 percent for the year to 80,860 units, while commercial registrations fell 22.7 percent to around 39,000 units.

Toyota topped the passenger car segment with 12,795 registrations, followed by Kia on 7985, Mitsubishi on 6479, Mazda on 6289 and Suzuki on 5935.

The most popular passenger car last year was the Toyota RAV4 with 5350 registrations, followed by two Kias, the Sportage (2916) and Seltos (2611).

The Toyota Corolla, a previous pace-setter in previous years, was next with 2570; presumably a victim of the rental car business having collapsed when New Zealand was hit by the global coronavirus crisis.

In commercials, Ford was the top brand on 9124 vehicles, followed by Toyota on 8004 units, Mitsubishi on 3842, Holden – which ceased existence on December 31 - on 2533 and Nissan on 2376.

The Ford Ranger was the top commercial model for the year, and top vehicle overall, with a count of 7986 vehicles. The Toyota Hilux placed second, with 5808 units, followed by the Mitsubishi Triton (3694), Holden Colorado (2495) and Nissan Navara (2376).

The annual tallies arrived once December registration data was delivered; that showed 5572 vehicles being registered, a 31.75 percent drop on the same month in 2019. The Toyota RAV4 was the month’s top passenger model, with 387 registrations, and the Ranger the top commercial, and top-selling single model, with 662 units registered.

TNZ still market leader, but Covid hurt

The swift curtailment of rental car business, where it dominated, certainly affected the country’s biggest seller of new cars and light commercial vehicles.

MARKET leader Toyota New Zealand has acknowledged a tough coronavirus-smashed 2020 market condition delivered a sobering 31 percent fall in annual volume, though it sees increased private consumer interest during this period as a positive.

 In comment today, the Palmerston North-centred distributor says the depleted return was mostly due to the impacts of the international coronavirus calamity on both rental fleet sales due to the immediate halt of international tourism through the closure of borders, and the local economy.

TNZ has not shared exactly how many car and light and commercial vehicle registrations it achieved in 2020 and that figure might not come out until a full data set of registrations is released by Government’s Land Transport agency next week.

However a 31 percent fall is likely the lowest it has achieved in years – though not a market position-altering knockout, in that the make maintained market leadership for a 32nd consecutive year.

It says it achieved an 18.1 percent share of all new passenger and commercial registrations in 2020; which it says represents a 1.9 percent drop on the 2019 tally. 

Last year TNZ claimed 31026 passenger and light commercial registrations.
 
A positive from the year is greater engagement with private buyers – an aspiration that TNZ has chased since the introduction of its ‘Drive Happy’ retail process in 2018 - which fuelled a rise in new vehicle sales, particularly hybrids, toward the end of 2020. That factor meant that, were lost rental volume to be excluded, TNZ’s market share had improved by 2.4 percent.

Chief Executive Officer Neeraj Lala sees that as being a great result.

His office says TNZ private market share was up 2.6 percent compared to 2019 at the end of November.TNZ says the product range it offers now delivers more to appeal to private buyers.
 
“Toyota has made a real effort over the past few years to inject fun back into the range which is resonating with our customers.”

It also credits wider availability of hybrid powertrains across more models, the next recipient being the new Highlander out soon, though TNZ acknowledged recently in might yet maintain a pure V6 in that family, thus backtracking on an earlier vow to deliver the big SUV in petrol-electric form alone.

Hybrid drivetrains, despite battery involvement, are not considered to qualify as electric systems as they lack facility for external power replenishment yet they still offer a positive in modest respite in emissions and economy. Five Toyota models configure with hybrid. Toyota has one car that holds electric vehicle status, this being the Prius Prime, which has plug-in replenishment capability but also runs a petrol engine. Toyota has a full electric car under development and premium offshoot Lexus will deliver a battery-compelled edition of its NX compact crossover to NZ this year. 

As is, TNZ’s volume of hybrids is vastly greater than the combined sales of all pure electric vehicles available in NZ and Lala says demand remains strong.  

In the year to the end of December, hybrids accounted for 59 percent of Toyota passenger cars sold. SUV hybrid sales were the same ratio within the soft-roader category.

The big seller is the RAV4 Hybrid; of the 5346 RAV4s sold during the year, 3830 were hybrids. The next shipment of 574 vehicles is already sold. 

However, like many industry performers, the demand has outstripped ability to supply. Constrained production lines and delays in provision of vital components are hitting all major car makers, Toyota included.

TNZ presently has more than 5700 customer orders waiting to be filled and most are hybrid models.
 
“If there is a challenge with hybrid sales it is securing enough supply for New Zealand, as there is a global demand for hybrid cars and SUVs, despite the economic impact of COVID-19,” Lala says.

In other news, TNZ has appointed a long-time senior management figure, Steve Prangnell, to general manager of new vehicle sales.
 

Big power play from Volvo this year

Diesel is departing and battery-influenced drivetrains are the future for the Swedish premium make here in 2021; including their first fully electric car.

The XC40 Recharge is the first Volvo electric for New Zealand.

WITHIN eight months Volvo here will release the first of a family of cars on which its future depends and have farewelled a fuel type that presently accounts for 50 percent of sales of a core popular sports utility.

The newcomer is – obviously – the make’s first full electric model, a version of the XC40 compact crossover.

Already available in its priority right-hand-drive market, the United Kingdom, but likely to come here around August-September, the XC40 Recharge packs 300kW from two motors that will power all four wheels.  

A 78kWh battery that can charge to 80 percent on a fast charger in 40 minutes is expected to deliver 350-400kms in the real world. 

The model is the only fully electric Volvo set to be available here this year, but assuredly the Geely-owned Swedish brand’s local range is in for a series of shock treatments as the distributor comes up to speed with the make’s global electrification strategy.

Volvo Cars was the first established car maker to commit to all-out electrification and is the only brand to offer a plug-in hybrid variant on every model in its line-up.

By 2025 the company aims to have sold one million electrified cars and it will launch five fully electric models between 2021 and 2025.

For New Zealand, this means additional mild hybrids and plug-in hybrids with the make’s latest efficiency-oriented battery-supported petrol engines are to roll in. Some would already be here, had not it been for delays in stock delivery caused by Covid-19.

Anyway, as Volvo NZ increases this battery push, it will also decrease its count of vehicles that are wholly fossil fuel-reliant; the ultimate aim being to expunge these entirely in favour of powertrains that will feature some form of electrification.

First to depart will be diesel models; all going to plan, says Volvo New Zealand boss Coby Duggan, combustion ignition powertrains will be removed from all Volvo models offered in NZ from as early as mid-2021, replaced by MY2022 mild hybrid petrols.

 It’s a determination the brand acknowledges carries some risk locally, because diesel has been a popular choice, not least in its largest sports utility, the XC90.

In 2020, half of all examples of this seven-seater sold were with diesel. That powertrain choice also offers in the next-size down XC60 and the V90 Crosscountry wagon. Diesel has never offered in the XC40.

However, the XC90 is by far the strongest diesel performer. Volvo NZ is confident it can achieve consumer swing away from the black stuff, however, and has already started this hearts and minds campaign by introducing an XC90 petrol in the same spec, and for the same money, as the XC90 diesel that has been doing well.

“Once we can offer MY2022 mild hybrid XC60 and XC90 (we will no longer offer any diesel in the range. That’s quite a significant shift for us. 

“I’m relaxed about phasing it out in XC60 product as it is has not accounted for much there but it’s different with XC90, as it has generated quite a lot of volume. This year, it has given us, in round terms, around 50 percent of XC90 volume.”

He wonders if a lot of that interest comes down diesel being at an entry level price point. The new petrol tests this.

“What we’ve started doing now is to introduce a T6 petrol at the same price point, and thus create a petrol entry point we have not had before. It’s a way for use to test whether the loyalty to diesel has been about torque, and economy and towing and all the things Kiwis say they love about diesels or whether the price point is also a key contributor.”

Volvo’s ultimate plan, at least until it can create more fully electric models, is to increasingly proliferate the hybrid powertrains it has in readiness that supersede those it has offered in the past.

The mild-hybrid technology pairs a turbocharged petrol engine to a 48-volt battery and an integrated starter-generator (ISG) unit – a compact electric motor replacing a car's traditional starter motor and alternator – to both sharpen engine response at low speeds thanks to a boost from the electrical system, while also, crucially, improving fuel economy. 

Volvo has struggled to build enough mild hybrid, PHEV and full electric cars in 2020

The battery is then recharged through regenerative braking, which recuperates energy 'lost' under deceleration, and not requiring the system to be externally recharged via a plug. 

The ISG also allows for quicker activation of the start-stop system when taking off from a standstill.

Above that option will be a range of improved plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains – also badged under the Recharge sub-brand that identifies full electrics – which pair a turbo petrol engine with a larger lithium-ion battery pack and a more powerful electric motor, enabling them to drive on electric power alone for distances up to 50km.

Volvo already offers a plug-in hybrid option on the S60 and V60, plus the XC90 Recharge, but additional PHEV options at different price points and performance levels are anticipated for introduction, the next arriving being a PHEV XC40. Whereas the other PHEV cars have a T8 designation, this one will be a T5.

“The XC40 plug-in will be here in the first half of the year, with a 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine with an electric motor, and that will complete the plug-in hybrid lineup.

“The mild hybrid lineup will start to come in the second part of the year, as Model Year 2022 cars, with the 48 volt system. This will be in the 60s and 90s models but not in the 40s until the following model year.”

“The tricky thing for us has been around timing,” Duggan says. “It has taken longer than I personally expected for this technology to get to this part of the world.”

Is this entirely due to Covid-19? There’s no doubt coronavirus has hurt the entire car industry and Volvo hasn’t been immune by any means in 2020.

Says Duggan: “Supply and meeting demand has been incredibly difficult for everyone in every industry, but the plug-in product has been the most difficult for us to lay hands on and it’s likely that will continue into 2021.”

 What also hurts NZ is its size and geographic location – we’re very much at the far end of the supply chain – our modest volume requirement and that other markets in which emissions regulations are more rigorously enforced, and where penalties and rewards apply, have been given higher priority.

“We’re hoping that as production capacity ramps up again we can secure as many (vehicles) as we need … at the moment the only thing that will hold us back in respect to plug-in volumes in particular is ability to supply; the demand is there.”

Volvo Sweden’s electric motivation has also been reinforced by the factory announcing that it will invest around $NZ110 million to set up its own in-house manufacturing of motors for electric cars. 

This programme will see it equip its existing powertrain plant in Skovde, Sweden, to assemble and eventually manufacture e-motors before the middle of the decade.

While other car companies rely on outsourcing parts for electric powertrains, Volvo will follow in the footsteps of Tesla by bringing at least some of these operations in-house.

The new chapter of change for Volvo here also affects its management. Duggan is leaving the brand on January 15, to start a new role with Toyota New Zealand that’ll keep him in Auckland; a return to a familiar territory as he has held a previous role with Lexus. His replacement is Ben Montgomery, who has been with Volvo briefly previously and has subsequently held roles with Renault, Jaguar and Land Rover.

2020 new vehicle market set to be down 20 percent?

The global drop in new vehicle production during 2020 has been sobering – and is bound to affect NZ’s registrations count for the year.

Covid-19’s impact on car production was unavoidable in 2020.

ABSOLUTE clarity about the state of the New Zealand new car market in 2020 might be weeks away from resolution, but first indications about how the industry fared globally are sobering reading.

Gut feeling from within the industry here is that there’ll be no surprise should the year-total new car and light vehicle registrations count come to around 117,000 units, so around 20 percent down on the 2019 tally and the lowest annual count since 2013.

That kind of decline would be slightly greater than those predicted for the world’s three largest car markets – the United States, China and Germany.

But all has yet to be clear. New Zealand industry participants are awaiting one more set of figures, the registrations count for December, before they can achieve a total picture of the year’s trends and activity. 

As is always the case, this data doesn’t come easily - simply because the Government department involved in the accrual process, Land Transport, closes down over Christmas and New Year.

It is likely that provisional counts might be availed on January 5, but unlikely that full counts will be availed before January 11 – a much slower turnout than for any other month of the year, when normal business conditions apply.

That won’t inhibit individual brands from calculating their own in-house data – they, of course, know exactly how many cars they have retailed at any given time – but does make the achievement of a big picture view much more challenging, as competing brands are quite naturally loath to share.

Even so, the global picture is starting to take shape and it might well provide a pointer as to how the NZ scenario will shape up. 

In which case: Don’t expect an easy ride. The impression that NZ has done okay, simply because we experienced an unexpected surge in new vehicle purchasing activity in the months immediately following the easing of national lockdown conditions from April, does not mean that the market is set to show a decent result.

The big problem, evidenced especially within the final quarter of the year, has been one that should be pretty obvious to anyone who has been visiting new car franchises these past few months. The decreasing count of vehicles on display – and the increasingly obvious amount of unfilled display space -speaks volumes about how constrained supply has become.

Fact is, the vehicles that were bought during that sales rush were all easy pickings, being by and large, examples held in the national stockpile.

What’s become more challenging is achieving replacements for those units – Covid’s interference with not only car-making but component provision and then supply networks has been dramatic. Plants might still be making vehicles, but the rate of production has slowed and, often, so too the processes.

Coronavirus has given the world’s car makers a really rough ride in 2020; according to one report just out from an analyst based in the United Kingdom, all signs are that global car sales were down by $612 billion in 2020 and the entire market appears to be down by 10 percent. 

Data presented by StockApps.com, based on collations by a specialist, Statista, confirm what has long been accepted fact – that the Covid-19 pandemic hit the industry hard, causing supply chain disruptions, factory closures, and huge sales and revenue drops. 

StockApps picks the downsizing trend is set to continue this year and next, pointing out that even before the pandemic, the world’s car makers were already coping with a downshift in global demand.

In 2019 global passenger car sales revenues amounted to $US2.29 trillion. Small SUVs sales, as the largest revenue stream, generated almost 30 percent of that value or $US647 billion.  

Large SUVs and large cars segments followed with $US362bn and $US275bn in revenue, respectively.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a huge hit, with total car sales revenues falling by almost 20 percent year-over-year to $US1.85trn in 2020.

Statista says its data suggests revenues in the large cars segment are expected to drop by 25 percent year-on-year, to $233bn.

Large SUV sales are set to witness a 24 percent cut, with revenues falling to $US275bn in 2020. Small SUVs follow with a 20 percent drop and $525bn in revenue. 

Analysed by carmakers, Toyota represented the market leader with a 10.6 percent global market share in 2020. Volkswagen ranked second with a 7.4 percent market share. Nissan, Ford, and Hyundai follow, with 6.6, 6.2 and 5.6 percent shares respectively. 

Statistics show the downsizing trend is set to continue in 2021, with global passenger car sales revenues falling to $US1.65trn. In 2022, this figure is expected to decrease by another six percent to $US1.55trn.

Statista data also revealed that all of the leading car markets are expected to witness a two-digit revenue drop this year.

As the largest market globally, the car sales revenue in the United States is forecast to fall by almost 18 percent year-on-year to $US507bn. This figure is expected to plunge to $US385bn in the next two years, nearly 40 percent less than in 2019. 

China, the second-largest market globally, achieved $US452bn in revenue in 2020, an 18 percent fall year-over-year. By 2022, total car sales revenues in China are set to drop to $US405bn.

As the third-largest market, Japan witnessed an almost 19 percent year-on-year drop when comparing 2020 and 2019 data sets, with passenger car sales revenues falling to $US92bn in 2020. Germany follows with $US86.5bn in revenue, 17 percent less than in 2019. 

In all, the three leading markets have likely lost $US231.5bn in car sales revenues in 2020 due to the Covid-19 crisis.  

Palisade order book open, no price yet

Hyundai NZ clarifies that the new SUV will price above the Sante Fe, which raises prospect of it breaching the $100k barrier.

FIVE hundred dollars down will secure an order for the largest sports utility yet produced in right hand drive by a South Korean car maker. 

Hyundai New Zealand’s order book for the new Palisade, a sports utility wagon based on the same underpinning as the Sante Fe but physically larger in all pertinent dimensions, has recently opened.

The Auckland-based distributor has made clear it is going for a full house provision and also indicated that the potential of it undercutting the Sante Fe on price won’t occur.

That scenario was raised in a recent MotoringNZ story, which pointed out that if Palisade entered NZ costing as much as it does in Australia, it would be cheaper than the smaller SUV – by up to $15,000 when comparing the respective flagships.

Hyundai NZ says that conjecture is off the mark.

“Australia pricing … (is) not indicative of NZ pricing. As our new flagship SUV Palisade sits above the Santa Fe and pricing will also reflect that,” brand spokeswoman Kimberly Waters said.

She added that Palisade pricing will come out in January “when the vehicles start arriving in dealership (s).” 

Palisade also sits above the Sante Fe in Australia’s pricing structure.

MotoringNZ’s story, posted on December 11 said that across the water, Palisade will sell for the equivalent of $NZ63,850 in entry form and $NZ79,800 in a flagship trim, those recommended retails precluding on-road costs. It also pointed out that the top-end Sante Fe, the Limited, is a $89,990 ask in NZ.

If Palisade is sitting above the Sante Fe Limited, as Waters suggests, then it could conceivably price up to and even beyond $100,000 – an uncharted territory for South Korean SUV product offered here.

The page dedicated to Palisade on HNZ’s website indicates we’ll see it as Australia does - with the choice of a 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel and a 3.8-litre V6 petrol, in rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive formats and with two different occupant count arrangements.

There’s an eight-seater that shows with two separate seats up front then two bench seat rows behind and a seven-seater that provides with a bench in the very back and otherwise has captains’ chairs.

New Zealand and Australia might well become the only right-hand-drive markets for the car, which was originally made for North America and the Middle East, which is also left-hand-drive. It was re-engineered into RHD after Australia petitioned for it to be reconfigured.

Australia’s media speak of it being quite a different experience to the Sante FE, describing it as being a more laidback drive and evidencing as being designed to to appeal to families who need a large SUV but don't want a heavy-duty off-roader – or need to tow heavy loads.  

The specification encompasses a full suite of advanced safety technology including radar cruise control with stop-start, lane-keeping assistance, rear cross-traffic alert, and blind zone warning with intervention if a driver is about to cut across someone in an adjacent lane.

The flagship – which presumably cannot be called Highlander, as it is in Australia, due to Toyota already having dibs on that name - gains a digital dash that displays images from the blind zone cameras.

Tyre pressure monitors and a digital speed display are standard, however Palisade does not yet have speed sign recognition. Instead, the speed warnings rely on the navigation data.

There’s no ANCAP safety rating yet for the Hyundai Palisade, but it’s unclear if it will achieve a four, or five-star rating with the lack of a centre airbag, deemed a new requirement by some manufacturers to achieve top safety marks.

Palisade’s 2.2-litre turbo diesel four-cylinder is the older Hyundai design, as used by the previous Sante Fe, rather than the updated alloy block engine that the new Sante Fe has gone to. The engines have similar outputs – 247kW in Palisade, 148kW in Sante Fe, torque of 440Nm in either - but the new design is said to feel perkier. The Palisade also pairs its engine to a conventional eight speed auto (and on-demand all-wheel-drive), whereas the new Sante Ge has moved to an eight-speed twin-clutch auto.

Palisade’s alternate V6 is a 3.8-litre, creating 217kW and 355Nm, whereas Santa Fe runs a 3.5-litre V6 good for 200kW/331Nm. 

Hyundai says the Palisade’s V6 uses 10.7 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres, which is just 0.2L.100km worse that the Santa Fe’s claimed optimal. The diesel’s economy suffers in the Palisade – Hyundai cites 7.3L/100km for the larger unit, against 6.1L/100km in a Santa Fe. 

Palisade’s size doesn’t reflect in it being brawnier for towing – quite the opposite, in fact. Towing is capped at 2200kg, whereas new Santa Fe can tow 2500kg. The other eight-seaters in it might be compared with are heavy duty off-roaders, the Toyota Land Cruiser 200-Series being the obvious rival, and it can haul 3500kg.

The exterior is to Hyundai’s current design language, but clearly distinctly different to the latest Sante FE look and reminding of larger American SUVs, according to Australian website CarAdvice.

The entry car runs on 18-inch wheels, the high-end car on 20-inch wheels for the Highlander, together with bi-LED headlights and tail-lights.

Inside, buyers get a choice of black leather with metallic-look trim and a knit headliner in the Palisade, while the high-end model - which, for sake of clarity, we’ll call Highlander - gets burgundy or beige Nappa leather with beech wood-look trim and a suede headliner.

A 10.25-inch infotainment screen featuring satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability, and multi-connection Bluetooth, which runs through a 12-speaker Infinity premium audio system, is a common fixture.

Due to the expansive cabin, the Palisade also offers 'Driver Talk', which allows the driver to speak to second- and third-row occupants through the car's audio system. The system also has a 'Quiet Mode' which mutes the rear speakers, and sets the front speakers to a low maximum volume.

Front occupants get wireless smartphone charging in the centre console, while second-row passengers have access to USB ports.

As well as three ISOFIX child seat restraints, the Palisade also features four top tether child seat anchor points in the seven-seat Highlander, and five anchor points in eight-seat configuration (all variants). The second-row of seats features one-touch folding to help with third-row loading.

Front occupants get to enjoy heated and ventilated power seats, while the driver gains a 7.0-inch LCD digital instrument cluster. The 10.25-inch, all-digital instrument cluster offered in overseas markets doesn’t feature in right-hand-drive, but a head-up display goes into the flagship.

On the Highlander, a blind-spot view monitor shows a live feed of the Palisade's left and right blind-spot zones within the instrument cluster when the indicator is engaged, as well as a surround view monitor with guidance provides a 360-degree birds-eye view when parking.

A dual-panel power sunroof and hands-free power tailgate are also standard on the more expensive model.

Hyundai subordinate brand Kia also has a model based off the Palisade, however it insists there are no plans to produce that model, called the Telluride, in right hand drive.

Tesla update turns horn sounds into farts

It uses the external speaker to project noise at other motorists and pedestrians

TESLA cars have been able to create fart sounds inside the cabin for some time – now they can share that ‘talent’ with the wider public.

The facility to fart at other drivers and pedestrians as its horn arrives with providing a new ‘Boombox’ feature that can broadcast custom audio.

 If the sound of the expulsion of intestinal gas doesn’t captivate, it can also make lots of other sounds - a baaing goat, applause, ‘La Cucaracha’ and a number of others; even someone speaking posh.

The facility to broadcast alternate noises in lieu of normal honking sounds car horns usually make rolled out with a number of other updates as part of Tesla’s firmware 2020.48.26 update, though it’ll only work if the speakers are fitted, which occurs during assembly.  

US media have reported that Tesla cars manufactured after September 1, 2019, have the speaker built in. 

The sound menu is basically endless, because in addition to the pre-loaded standard sounds, Tesla allows you to upload up to five custom sounds into the system.

The broadcast mechanism is an enhanced version of the external speaker mounted toward the front of the car that is normally used to emit a humming sound to alert pedestrians that a vehicle is nearby.

Most EVs emits a low frequency sound at low speeds, but Tesla is the first automaker to apply extracurricular noises to this piece, reports America’s Autoblog website.

It says  Tesla began to install these speakers on its cars at some point in 2019, so you’ll need a newer Tesla to take advantage of this update. 

The site says Tesla owners will be able to activate their noises of choice by simply pressing the horn once they set it up in the car’s infotainment system.

It understands rhe cars make these noises via the horn press when the vehicle is at a standstill, but will sound the traditional horn when moving, for safety’s sake. After all, as Autoblog notes, “farting at a semi-truck moving into your lane on the highway probably won’t do much of anything.”

However, anybody on the side of the road or walking along near a stopped Tesla will be subject to whatever whimsy the driver decides to cook up.

Autoblog notes that America’s federal and state regulations surrounding horn use in passenger cars are “shockingly light” for a safety feature.

“There’s no federal requirement for a horn or horn sound, though the placement of the horn button is regulated — it must be designated with a clear symbol/marking if it’s not activated by pressing the steering wheel.”

Also included in the latest updates are improvements to the driving visualizer, cabin preconditioning when unplugged, Supercharger display enhancements and new games. The new games include The Battle of Polytopia, Cat Quest and Solitaire.

The Beetle – it all began 75 years ago

Volkswagen is celebrating the birth of a global icon.

SEVENTY-five years ago yesterday, a Christmas automotive miracle occurred.

Well, okay, in picking December 27, 1945, as the day when the original shape Beetle was born, Volkswagen is obviously navigating delicately around a turbulent prior period in history.

Like, the birth of the brand itself: Volkswagen is German for ‘people’s car’ and was coined by … well, never mind that.

Even though the history of the car – and, indeed Wolfsburg, the home town of the mighty VW Group that has risen to become Europe’s biggest car making operation – can be traced back to certain political determinations during the 1930s, fact is there were few Beetles made before 1945 under National Socialism and none left Germany.

We’re talking about a day in history that started this wee rear-engined budget car on a post World War II adventure drive that would take it around the world into the hearts of millions.

So, the story goes thus: At the end of 1945, the factory and the car faced a grim future.

Although the car was developed before World War II, only 630 units (then called Kdf-Wagens) were built during the conflict as the factory shifted its attention to the war effort. It was consequently bombed by Allied air forces several times during 1944.

When peace returned, it would have been much easier to level the factory, scrap the Beetle – or ‘Type 1’ as it was then being called - and do something else with the site.

That's almost what happened, but the British government — which controlled the zone Wolfsburg was in after the war — desperately needed vehicles for its personnel to get around.

After examining an early Beetle, officials ordered a batch of 20,000 cars from the factory in August 1945, and they doubled that number several weeks later.

Initially, the goal was to produce 1000 cars a month, meaning filling the order should have taken over three years. It likely wasn't lost on officials that the sizable order would keep workers in a job until at least 1948.

That production even got under way was down to the talent of the British officers put in charge of the programme, Major Ivan Hirst.

It was his farsightedness and talent for improvisation that made it possible to start automobile production in the years of rationing under conditions dominated by shortages, VW says.

“With his enthusiasm for technology and cars, his purposefulness and distinct attitude, he succeeded in transforming a former armaments plant into a civilian industrial company in an impressively short space of time,” the brand says.

Launching production was challenging; raw materials and fuel were difficult to come by, and finding ways to house and feed the workers was a logistical nightmare.

Despite the hurdles, Volkswagen launched series production of the Type 1 two days after Christmas in 1945, and it built a total of 55 cars before December 31.

Cars were largely assembled by hand, so the factory didn't reach the 1000-cars-per-month goal until early 1946. At the time, exceeding that number wasn't possible due to the aforementioned shortages, but production increased significantly as the situation improved.

Introducing the Beetle to the United States in 1949 dramatically increased its popularity, and it helped turn the model into an icon.

Wolfsburg wasn't the only factory that built the Beetle; production also took place in several other German plants, including one in Ingolstadt (Audi’s home town), plus overseas - in New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa, among other countries.

All told, 21,529,464 units were built during a 56-year run, a figure that's nothing short of exceptional when bearing in mind that the first one looked an awful lot like the last one. Volkswagen made thousands of changes to the car, but it never altered the basic design or tweaked the mechanical layout.

Juke recall gives new meaning to sticker shock

Don’t worry, it seems only the neighbours are upset by this issue.

COULD it legitimately be called a jack-up? 

A recall action for the latest Nissan Juke, that seems not to have impact on examples shipped to New Zealand, is certainly something out of the ordinary.

It seems the car has become subject to a precautionary check-over action across the Tasman because the jack that comes with the car does not comply with Australian safety standards.

The problem isn’t with the device itself – it’s in perfect condition to undertake the job of lifting the vehicle off the ground to change tyres. 

It’s all down to it not having a label that passes muster with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

It says the jacks do not comply with Australian safety standards due to the omission of a correct instruction label. Not having this could potentially cause an accident if a vehicle is not jacked correctly by the operator.

Affected vehicles were sold between 20 May 2020 and 2 September 2020. Nissan Australia is contacting owners to organise inspection and repair of the defect. 

As for New Zealand? Well, we take the same stock as Australia, but there has been no word from Nissan New Zealand – whose new boss in still stuck in Australia, due to coronavirus travel restrictions – and, from a quick check with a local dealer, the consternation raised across the Tasman has not been felt here. ‘All news to me’ was the local comment, with thought no action is required here.

C8 Corvette’s design and engineering story told

Fascinating YouTube video series a must for rev-heads

JUST because it’s still the best part of a year away from touching New Zealand soil doesn’t mean it’s too early to bone up on the C8 Corvette’s background.

To assist with that, Chevrolet has helpfully created a series of backgrounder videos about the car that, by being mid-engined, represents the biggest shift in the nameplate's decades-long history.

"Revolution: The Mid-Engine Corvette Development Story" is a two-part documentary hosted on YouTube.

Chevrolet has just released the first piece, which focuses on the Corvette's interior and exterior design.

It’s a fascinating insight for car fans, regardless of how close your interest in America’s best-known sports car.

Plenty of involvement from the people who took the model into mid-engined territory for the first time.

The roster of stylists who appear in it includes Tom Peters, the former exterior design director of General Motors’ Performance Car Studio, Brett Golliff, Chevrolet's design and trim manager, Vlad Kapitonov, the Corvette's lead exterior designer, and Kirk Bennion, the model's exterior design manager.

Development work quietly started in 2011, but the idea of putting the engine behind the passenger compartment isn't new, and Chevrolet has experimented with this configuration many times since the 1960s. One 1973 prototype was even powered by a twin-rotor Wankel engine. Putting a rotary engine into the gen-eight car wasn’t considered.

Peters, Golliff, and others explained inspiration the latest car’s shape came from fighter jets and racing cars, among other sources. Jets are quick and purpose-driven, so the design team naturally looked at what members of the US Air Force fly as they sketched the car's finer details, like vents. Racing has been an official part of the Corvette's history since Chevrolet entered five cars in the 1956 edition of the 24 Hours of Sebring.

The series doesn’t give insight into what car might follow the C8, but has given a few hints about the processes that could apply from this point, with Peters commenting: “I'm here to tell you that it's just the tip of the iceberg. Just imagine where it can go from this point. This is just the beginning."

SsangYong files for bankruptcy, continues trading

National distributor Great Lake Motors assures Kiwis it’s ‘business as usual.’

SOUTH KOREAN recreational vehicle specialist SsangYong Motor has secured protection under South Korea’s bankruptcy administration process after it failed to repay creditors a loan worth roughly $NZ76,000,000.

The company has been given three months to work through its affairs, in hope that it will be bought during that time, and will continue to operate normally during that period, says Andrew Bayliss, general manager for the New Zealand distributor, Great Lake Motor Distributors.

Insofar as the brand’s affairs in NZ are concerned, it is business as usual, he says.

He is also confident the situation will end well, asserting “there is a buyer in the wings” for the make.

“We expect that deal to go ahead.

“For New Zealand it is business as usual. As it is in other markets. We are still getting product, we are still getting cars produced. We have got cars being despatched today, in fact.

“For New Zealand, we do not anticipate any interruption.”

Mr Bayliss disputes the brand has filed for bankruptcy, though this has been reported globally. The Korean administration process is, however, similar to the American Chapter 11 administration processes which is used to assist a business restructure often prior to a sale.

Entering into receivership in South Korea means SsangYong has volunteered to be dramatically restructured, according to a report on the website of Forbes magazine. 

It said all of SsangYong Motor’s assets have been frozen under the receivership programme, which protect it from action over its outstanding debts and receivables.

A report on the website of British weekly motoring publication Autoexpress cites SsangYong as claiming it has delayed the repayment due to worsening business conditions globally, and having failed to come to an agreement to extend repayment deadlines with foreign lenders has applied for receivership. 

“The company plans to resolve the current liquidity issue early before the rehabilitation procedures are commenced by applying for Autonomous Restructuring Support,” read a statement.

Autonomous Restructuring Support gives the brand a further three months to agree resolutions with creditors before court action. 

Indian automotive giant Mahindra and Mahindra has owned a 70 percent stake in SsangYong since 2011, and currently owns 75 percent of the business. It has been looking to sell on the brand.

The make, South Korea’s fourth largest car maker, has sustained 15 straight losing quarters. Its main creditor is the Korea Development Bank (KDB), though foreign financial institutions are also owed money. 

SsangYong sales globally for 2020 are around20 percent down on 2019. 

A SsangYong spokesperson in South Korea said: “We very much regret this situation which is the result of the difficulties being experienced from the worldwide COVID-19 situation, and the concern caused to our partners and stakeholders, especially our employees, sales networks and financial institutions.  

“We are making every effort to transform the situation, and to build a more robust and competitive company for the future.”

Great Lake Motors has held SsangYong distribution rights in NZ since 2010. GWM is run by Taupo father and son Rick and Deon Cooper. Models represented in this market include the Rexton, Tivoli and Korando SUVs and the Rhino utility.

Tiguan update: Prepare to say R

VW’s medium SUV is about to undergo a mid-life update, but the four versions arriving in March aren’t the biggest surprise.

FOUR mainstream models in March - an exciting and fresh-to-type new hotshot flagship toward the end of the year. 

That’s the gameplan laid out by Volkswagen New Zealand in respect to the 2021 five-seater Tiguan, a mid-life update introducing four years after this generation went on sale. 

The first-time option of a high-performance model introduces with the flagship Tiguan R (above), which delivers a 2.0-litre turbo petrol four-cylinder engine producing 235kW and 420Nm and zero to 100kmh in 4.9 seconds and an electronically-limited top speed of 250kmh.

Astute VW fans will pick this variant is packing the same engine that features in the Golf R, whose latest version – based on the gen eight hatchback – will likely land in NZ around the same time as the fastest-ever Tiguan.

As with the Golf, the ‘Titan Tig’s’ power is sent to an all-wheel drive system through a seven-speed 'DSG' dual-clutch transmission.

The model’s R-Performance Torque Vectoring system can vary the torque split between the front and rear axles as well as the two rear wheels, like Audi's Sport Differential.

The hero model also wears 21-inch alloy wheels, has 18-inch brakes and a 10mm reduced ride height and features a barking Akrapovic exhaust system.

Further details, including pricing, won’t reveal until much closer to release, but VW New Zealand has expressed excitement about the car’s potential. 

“We think this model will do very well,” marketing and communications executive Shannon Pentecost said.

“For the first time VW will have an impressive R performance range including Golf, Tiguan and Touareg all destined for NZ toward the end of 2021.”

VW NZ’s confirmation of intent to land the R-spec model comes in the wake of it announcing details, including pricing, the four mainstream petrol Tiguans it will have in dealerships from March, these in two trim levels and with or without all-wheel-drive.

The front-drive choices, with a 110kW/250Nm 1.4-litre turbocharged engine, are the $46,900 TSI Life entry-level and next-step up $55,900 TSI R-Line.

Those preferring all-wheel-drive have the choice of a $59,990 TSI Style and $68,900 TSI R-Line. These run with a 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder, putting out 132kW/320Nm in the Style and 162kW/350Nm in the higher-end variant.

The latter also steps up on the suspension department, with inclusion of the Adaptive Chassis Control system with its electronically controlled dampers to go with its sportier styling. Both four-wheel-drive editions have drive modes. 

The new models are identified by their adoption of VW’s new frontal appearance, notably the chiselled headlights and wide grille that brings it into line with the newest family members. 

They also deliver higher content than the current cars. All models arrive with automated emergency braking, pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and parking assist, plus hill-descent control.

The interior again features a 10.25-inch digital instrument display and an 8-inch high-resolution touchscreen- standard throughout the range save in the top-spec AWD, with has a 9.2-inch screen - a new steering wheel design with new touch controls, as well as some trim changes and new charging ports, including USB-C. VW’s new MIB3 infotainment system also features. 

It’s not yet clear if any NZ-bound Tiguan variants will feature the new Travel Assist feature, which offers a degree of automated driving, though it requires a driver to keep contact with the steering wheel – even if with a light touch - when it is active and uses touch detection to ensure that happens.

The system uses radar cruise control and lane keeping assistance technology and takes into account local speed limit information, town boundary signs, junctions and roundabouts, and will adjust the vehicle’s speed accordingly.

VW believes this is a safer avenue than actual hands-off autonomy, saying: “Touch detection is a great deal more reliable than steering angle-based systems even on long and very flat stretches of road.”

Also subject of conjecture in respect to right-hand drive availability is another body style option – a sleeker coupe-SUV profile.

So far this fastback shape is only available to Volkswagen’s China line-up, where it is badged as the Tiguan X.

Golf tees off in three hatch models

VW has announced pricing and details of the new Golf, landing in March

GOLF TSI will front with 1.4-litre petrol in two trim levels.

MIGHT one of the world’s most famous hatchbacks be immune to the general consumer shift away from orthodox road cars in favour of crossovers and sports utilities?

Volkswagen New Zealand seems to be suggesting that could be the case for the next generation of its Golf; they say pre-registrations of interest in next year’s new car has been strong.

Greg Leet, general manager of Volkswagen passenger vehicles, says there has been a lot of customer interest in the gen eight, whose introduction has been delayed by coronavirus.

The distributor has today confirmed a car once touted as a 2020 introduction will be on sale in March, three hatch formats - mainstream $37,990 TSi Life and $47,990 TSi R-Line plus the  $61,490 GTI – preceding another, the four-wheel-drive Golf R flagship. That’s coming toward the end of year. 

Not on the consignment list for New Zealand is the GTI Clubsport, the replacement for the Golf TCR, which runs the gen eight GTI’s EA888 engine, but in a peppier evo four tune that puts it above the TCR. The gen eight GTI, meantime, makes 180kW and 370Nm.

 The TSi cars adopt a 110kW/250Nm 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol, married to an eight-speed auto. The Life is on 17-inch rims,  the R-Line takes 18s. The GTI also runs on 18s, but has 19s as a $1750 option.

Golf GTI will land with mainstream models

VW impresses the new-generation car will be the most technically advanced Golf to date – with a full suite of advanced safety features as standard across the range, packaged as IQ driver assistance. This includes city and highway speed autonomous emergency braking (AEB), intersection AEB, radar cruise control and blind zone warning. The Life misses out on rear cross-traffic alert, has a slightly lower grade of adaptive cruise control and doesn’t have park assist.

A digital instrument cluster and a large infotainment screen is standard, as well as wireless Apple Car Play and wireless Android Auto – and fast-charging USB-C ports. All but the base car have factory sat nav.

The direct shift automatics are shift-by-wire so have a smaller toggle to select forward and reverse, creating more space in the centre console.

Although Golf also presents as a wagon, only the hatch has been discussed for NZ and while the range of powertrains spans diesel and an electric-assisted plug-in hybrid, these have not been mentioned. The fully electric e-Golf has been retired because VW now makes the ID line of electric cars, though these are not set to reach NZ until at least the end of 2022.

Golf R will land toward the end of 2021.

In sickness or in health – what’s the impact of Covid on car distributors?

Look around many new car dealerships and it seems clear some are running short of stock. So how hard hit are distributors?

TEN days ago Toyota New Zealand’s chief executive acknowledged the effects of Covid-19, closed borders and delayed shipping and logistics into NZ are “severely” impacting on all operational areas of his business. 

Which means? Specifically, said Neeraj Lala, availability of most new popular Toyota models is impacted. Many popular models are subject to waiting lists, with potential for delays to continue into the middle of next year.

This was not news to MotoringNZ. From mid-year, we’ve been reporting the emergent issues stemming from Covid-19, notably that the big unexpected run in new car sales had severely depleted the national stockpile.

Toyota’s bold admission raised a question: Would the market leader’s bold and frank attitude encourage others to lend insight into their own situations?

Turns out they needed some encouragement. Last Thursday this writer contacted a slew of brands distributors – not all, but mainly the higher-profile players - as well the national body representing the new vehicle performers, the Motor Industry Association, to gauge their mood. The specific questions were: “What is the situation for your brand(s); what policies are in place and what message can you send your customers?”

Some provided in-depth responses. Some said they would not comment. Several did not respond at all. 

First, those who were happy to offer insight: 

Audi New Zealand, general manager Dean Sheed: 

“The issue is threefold.

First, local demand post Covid is stronger than anyone anticipated and what is arriving was ordered and forecasted four months ago – hence we are running down local (dealer and importer stock).

“ Also, factories can’t ramp up instantly – it takes time and the shipping takes six to eight weeks. We forecast a more balanced situation in March, 2021. 

“Also, though this has less impact, shipping is not back to 100 percent capacity. The shipping companies are not sailing all ships yet, hence capacity constrained. 

“Our messaging to customers is simple. ‘Don’t expect the dealer network to have the perfect car for you in the feature level you desire in stock. You may need to compromise if you want it today and are not planned.’ 

“We have launched a “new car” all dealer stock search locator on our website to assist with consumers finding a car – not due to this situation but for a better customer experience – in addition to the usual “used car” locator. https://search.audi.co.nz/new

“Many premium customers still like to order their specific car to their specification. That’s business as usual for us.”

Ford New Zealand, managing director Simon Rutherford: 

“At Ford we have seen higher than anticipated levels of demand across our range – especially on Ranger, Everest, all-new Puma and Escape as evidenced by increased shares of those segments.  

“Our dealers are at historically low levels of stock and our supply chain is more under strain from COVID demand recovery and sales across multiple markets than COVID supply chain issues specifically although they are a factor when you have a 4-6 month lead time(dependent on source) from order to arrival in market. 

“We would love to have more stock on the ground right now to support our customers and minimise the order to delivery time for our customers – they are having to wait longer than we would like.

“Thankfully, we have good supply “on the water” and are getting the support we need to gain additional production capacity/allocation where needed from our various plants around the world ranging across the US, Germany, Spain, Romania, Turkey and Thailand.

“We have strong order-banks going into January and on vehicles lines such as Puma where supply is tight (only 13 unregistered in market today) we are only allocating future arrival vehicles to dealers on the basis of a signed customer order.
“We have seen further disruption at the port which is a further factor impacting delivery of vehicles already built. The COVID challenges are far from over as we anticipate further disruption with supply chain capacities being squeezed by markets competing for capacity, supplier capacity ramp up challenges and distribution capacity hampering the movement of parts globally to support production and service operations. Container shortages, air freight capacity and port disruption are not new but they become more pronounced when demand is in recovery. 

“We have been working closely with our dealers to support customers with loan cars if their vehicle is off road to ensure they are kept mobile over the holidays and have placed additional loan cars at dealers.

“We track and publish vehicle ETA’s to our dealers and provide our customers with their order details so they know they have an allocated unit on the way.  

“At Ford we’re here to help so we encourage our customers to keep in touch and we’ve got their back – we thank them for their patience and understanding.” 

Mitsubishi Motors NZ, chief operating officer Daniel Cook: 

“There are two major factors influencing our new vehicle stock levels, supply and demand.

“On the supply side, we are experiencing only minor supply shortages out of the Mitsubishi factories, due to the impact on global supply chains. 

“There is also a challenge getting vehicles onto boats, and offloaded in a timely fashion due to the severe congestion at ports globally as general consumer demand resumes. This is being accentuated by the Christmas retail period in NZ.  

“Overall, our stock levels are lower than normal, however we are still receiving good deliveries, and in December alone we will have over 1500 units land, which is much more than a month’s supply. 

 “Most customers are presently waiting a month for their choice of vehicle and seem understanding of the shipping issues facing all importers.”

In respect to demand?

“Right now, we are experiencing unprecedented customer demand for our vehicles. Over the past two months (October and November) our retail sales have increased significantly on 2019, and are now limited only by our ability to supply everything our customers want.

 “Our brand is doing exceptionally well this year, due to our great value offerings, relatively strong stock levels and introduction of new models like Eclipse Cross and Express van. We are strongly growing market-share, peaking at 11 percent last month.

“I expect stock will remain tight over the next six months as our growth continues.”

Subaru New Zealand, managing director  Wallis Dumper

“We have been running a just in time process for decades that has fostered strong customer service and expectations plus naturally held residual values.

“ Covid19 had potential to be devastating. It did have an immediate impact and ‘just in time’ potentially became ‘just too many’. Like everyone else, we predicted the market would slow or even stop due to Covid.

“We were wrong in that assumption. The impact was not as bad as envisaged after the initial lockdown was over.

 “But then the world impacts started to hit us via factory allocation shortages - so we have endured massive impact by other larger scale markets influence on the Japan factory supply.

“We have had months with not enough cars but now the good news is our new model launches in 2021 have been supported by a Subaru Corporation allocation promise. 

“Based on this allocation all we can do is plan accordingly and maximise any opportunity to secure any extra stock that might become available.

“We are optimistic that we will get what the factory have promised us thus our hope is to launch the new models, like our completely new Outback, successfully and be able to deliver what customers order.

“We will strive to hold our position as the No.11 distributor in the world for Subaru. Despite all the impacts Subaru in New Zealand with only five million Kiwis is still selling more Subarus than countries like the UK with 60 million.

“My guess is that there will be various model shortages from time to time in 2021 as a result of our scale which is simply not able to influence things like a downturn in massive scale markets impact on the factory production.

 “We even launched our hybrids e-Boxer models in the middle of the year despite lockdowns. We are fortunate that we go into 2021 with all models being of the  21MY model designation so that’s XV and Forester and Impreza and WRX, already arriving for 2021. 

“It is all looking okay and reality is that I think other brands might start copying our business model of having customers forward order their brand new vehicle in the specific model choice knowing its  … actually brand new fresh off the factory floor.

“Then we will start planning for 2022 as my guess is there will be more exciting All Wheel Drive Subaru models on the way and we will make sure we get a solid factory allocation for our loyal Kiwi customers and strive to keep all those Kiwis in our business and Subaru dealers nationwide employed too.”

Volkswagen NZ, general manager Greg Leet.

“The Volkswagen brand, like other vehicle manufactures, is experiencing supply constraints due to the impact of Covid-19 in Europe.

“Thankfully it is a very different situation here in NZ.

“We have been fortunate that the timing has coincided with the run out of the Golf and the launch of the all-new Golf 8 (expected to land in February). The same situation with Tiguan, as we run down the current model with the arrival of the new facelift in February.  

“Our German colleagues have managed the situation well and as a consequence we have picked up production of other models from other markets effected with further lockdown measures.  

“Supply matching demand is key to our brand, we have seen a re-set of the industry in 2020 with stocks in such short supply and I would predict manufacturers will focus heavily on this moving forward.  

“We are very thankful to our loyal Volkswagen customers who have been understanding of the stock limitations. 2021 is very looking very positive with new stock arriving and we are seeing a big appetite for these new models, with a large number of customers pre-registering their interest.

Motor Industry Association, chief executive David Crawford:

“Stock arriving now was ordered three to seven months ago.

 “Factors affecting supply are that markets are stronger now than when the vehicles were ordered, so demand has exceeded supply; that the source markets are still experiencing partial shut down at some factories (this disruption is reoccurring when outbreaks of Covid-19 occur in source markets) and that shipping capacity has been constrained, timeliness disrupted and so on. 

“I would expect to see this pattern continue until the vaccine takes hold and Covid-19 comes under control. It may take to the end of 2021 to settle down properly. 

“None of this is a surprise, apart from stronger NZ demand for cars. We predicted the current hiccups in supply back in April. 

“Stronger demand has come from the $4 billion Kiwis usually spend on overseas’ travel each year instead going on cars, bikes, boats, caravans, home renovations and so on.

Hyundai New Zealand offered a single sentence response: “Certain models have been affected at certain times due to the global ramification of COVID, thus reducing production supply, however we have had and continue to have a steady supply of stock coming in.”

BMW NZ, Mercedes Benz NZ and Kia Motors NZ declined opportunity to take part. Ateco NZ (Alfa Romeo, Fiat Chrysler, Jeep, RAM, Maserati), Mazda NZ and Volvo Cars NZ did not respond.

E-Class update brings more smarts

The facelifted line arrives next month, with an enticing AMG sedan continuing as pack leader.

REST assured, it’s still endowed with ample horsepower and athleticism, still among the fastest sports sedans on the market.

So, when Mercedes-AMG attests that the biggest change arriving with the mid-life update for the E 63 AMG super-sedan is ‘enhanced everyday comfort’, you needn’t worry: A less edgy ride quality is the only outcome. Otherwise it’s still very much on pole as a performance icon.

The new $239,900 edition, above, heads up a revised E-Class lineup that includes five other derivatives, all with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol in various states of tune.

These range from the E200 sedan and Coupe with 145kW/320Nm that respectively set you back $106,600 and $108,500, the 220kW/400Nm E350 in $137,900 Coupe and $149,000 Cabriolet formats, plus the E 300e sedan, in which the engine pairs with electric assist. The (155 kW/350 Nm) engine is supplemented by a plug-in electric motor (90 kW/440 Nm) via the same nine-speed auto as in all the other variants. Total system output is 235 kW/700Nm. With the onboard battery topped up using the standard Type 2 charging cable, a combined cycle fuel economy figure of 2.2 litres per 100 km (ADR) is possible, Mercedes Benz NZ claims. This is a $146,100 car.

It’s a strong lineup, but Benz buyer trend tends to gravitate toward the strongest performer, so the arrival of AMG’s foil for the BMW M5 that has also recently revised will be eagerly anticipated, not least because Benz has made clear that the high-performance products it has now will certainly be the last to run this 4.0-litre twin turbo V8.

The New Zealand distributor isn’t wasting the opportunity to see this car out in style; as with the previous generation, it has opted only for the more powerful S trim of the E63, and only in a sedan body.

Power for the AMG S remains unchanged at 450kW/850Nm, sent through a nine-speed multi-clutch automatic transmission and all-wheel drive system.

The updated car is identified by it achieving a larger centre air intake on the front bumper, an AMG grille with vertical louvres and reshaped LED headlights. A wind-splitter and new, more functional air intakes up front add styling and also “significantly reduce lift” at the front of the car, according to Mercedes-AMG.

The standard 20-inch wheels are wider on the front of the revised E63 S, accommodated by wheel arches measuring 27mm wider than the outgoing model.

A revised rear bumper and diffuser, tail light and tailpipe trim design refreshes the rear end.

New colour offerings including graphite grey metallic, high-tech silver metallic and brilliant blue magno are available for the exterior of the 2021 Mercedes-AMG E63 S.

Inside, the AMG-specific Nappa leather-upholstered sports seats receive integrated head restraints, with the dashboard and door trim sections also finished in grey Nappa leather.

Across all updated E-Class models is Mercedes-Benz’s MBUX infotainment system, which features on dual 12.25-inch screens, with one acting as the instrument cluster and the other as the infotainment control.

The MBUX interface comes equipped with advanced voice control Mercedes claims can understand “nearly all sentences” related to infotainment and vehicle operation.

Each model in the range is equipped with a new, comprehensively digitalised generation of steering wheel, integrating an array of controllers – plus, for the first time in a Mercedes-Benz, “hands-on detection” is enabled via sensor mats integrated into the steering wheel rim.

Another new feature is MBUX Interior Assistant, which is standard on the E63 and optionally available on other models (excluding Cabriolets) as part of an innovation package. This allows actuation of some cabin functions by intuitively detecting hand movements from either the driver or passenger using a camera in the overhead console. For example, a hand gesture toward the centre touchscreen can change the media display or highlight individual elements. Or, a reading lamp can be switched on by extending a hand towards the interior mirror.

An Augmented Reality display is able to be specified for the first time; it’s a feature of the Vision Package and Innovation Package, again optional on all but the E63. Augmented Reality intuitively overlays navigational signals and key driving assistance information directly onto a forward camera view displayed on the central navigation screen.

Alfa updates Giulia, Stelvio

Less choice and admission prices rise, but tech also improves

 ALFISITI considering a Giulia sedan and Stelvio sports utility will be less stressed about decision-making from now on, with arrival of a mid-life facelift allowing the distributor to slim down each model line.

The lines now each present with just two choices of engine, both petrols, a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder making 206kW and 400Nm and a 2.9-litre V6, with two turbos, that creates 375kW/600Nm.

Common derivative names also span the two families; so the base car in each is now a Veloce Carbon, while the flagships continue with the Quadrifoglio nameplate.

With the previous $69,990 Giulia Super and $79,990 Veloce having been dropped, the entry ticket to Giulia driving starts at $89,990. In Stelvio, the Diesel ($77,990), Petrol ($74,990), and Ti ($94,990) have all been removed from consideration. So the least expensive model is now a $99,990 choice.

The Quadrifoglio Giulia holds the same $139,990 sticker as it predecessor while the Stelvio flagship costs $5000 more.

Both cars have modest exterior styling revisions and the biggest common point of difference in their cabins is a new infotainment interface paired to an 8.8-inch touchscreen.

 Giulia picks up lane keep assist, blind spot assist, autonomous emergency braking and radar cruise control.

Yaris subject to two recalls

Seatbelt issue, hybrid drivetrain fault affects hundreds of cars.

TWO unrelated recalls within a week have befallen a recently-released Toyota model that was in the running for the country’s top motoring award. 

Subject to the actions is the latest Yaris, in a hatchback form that was under consideration for New Zealand Car of the Year 2020, an award that subsequently went to the Mercedes EQC, and an elevated crossover version, called Yaris Cross, that has just followed it into the showroom. 

A recall notified today requires replacement of rear centre seatbelts in 392 examples of the Yaris Cross.

This follows an action notified two days ago that dedicates to the Yaris hatch and Yaris Cross with a mild hybrid drivetrain and centres on a transmission issue that might cause affected cars to stop suddenly. 

The latter action involves some 513 cars. 

Both faults require dealership repair but the latter is particularly time consuming.

The brand has identified that the remedy requires a repair estimated to take nine hours’ workshop time, because it entails removing the engine in order to reach the affected component, an input damper within the transmission.

The fault raises as a potential for abnormal slippage of the transaxle damper when the driver accelerates rapidly. If this occurs, the vehicle’s warning lights will turn on and there is potential for the hybrid system to enter a ‘fail safe’ mode, Toyota says, that curtails the electric involvement.  

The affected models were manufactured from October 2019 to September 2020. A remedy has been implemented on models manufactured since.

Stinger update arrives

No more kapow, some extra kit and a $5000 price increase with either engine.

A SINGLE turbo four-cylinder GT Line and a fuller-blooded GT Sport with the headline twin-turbo V6 now comprise the choice of Stinger sedans offered by Kia NZ.

The range’s reduction from three models to just two, with a previous EX Turbo version being dropped, comes with an update that leaves the entry engine unaltered and the V6 achieving slightly more power – but no extra torque – and otherwise introduces some content updates, styling revisions and the sting of $5000 price increases for each.

The GT Line model, with the 182kW/353Nm 2.0-litre, now costs $64,990 while the GT Sport has become a $74,990 opportunity. The 3.3-litre engine now produces 274kW – 2kW more than previously – and continues to generate 510Nm.

Each engine marries to an eight-speed automatic.

The GT Sport achieves new standard bi-model exhaust and limited slip differential, a fresh wheel design and Nappa leather.

Both cars update to a 10.25-inch central touchscreen, featuring a refined interface and improved reverse camera.

Common to both are an eight-way adjustable electric driver’s seat, heated and cooled front seats, a sunroof, a 15-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, and mood lighting.

The safety suite enhances to include safe exit warning, semi-autonomous highway driving assist (a combo of radar cruise and lane-keep assist working in unison), cyclist detection, rear occupant alert, and blind-spot view monitor (beaming an image from the wing mirror onto the primary infotainment screen).

Subaru NZ limbers up for next Outback

New platform, new equipment – probably not the new turbo engine.

CHRISTMAS is coming in late February for Subaru, this being when it will launch the next generation of a sales stalwart, the Outback.

An announcement today about the car’s release timing doesn’t spoil any element of surprise in respect to the kind of car we’re getting.

Subaru’s habit of releasing this model in North America well ahead of other markets continued with the sixth-generation line.  

The latest high-riding station wagon has been on sale Stateside for more than 12 months, with the world getting its first look when it was revealed at the 2019 Detroit motor show.

The recipe is highly familiar: A high-riding wagon powered by a flat-four petrol engine, married to a constantly variable transmission and always driving all four wheels, with styling that is very derivative of the outgoing car’s look, though the body is slightly larger and roomier and the car bases on a new underpinning, the Subaru Global Platform (SGP) that debuted with the latest Impreza.

Subaru NZ’s managing director Wallis Dumper says the car has benefitted from continuous innovation, “which has resulted in the biggest, safest, most luxurious and technologically advanced Outback ever.”

“It’s safe to say this new generation Outback has undergone a serious transformation. Our rugged All-Wheel Drive adventurer is already our most popular Subaru and we are excited to unlock further potential in this completely new Outback.”

The big question is respect to the technology will be in respect to what’s under the bonnet.

What’s still to be clarified is whether there’s potential for our line-up to include the turbo petrol engine offered in North America as an alternate to the 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated petrol four-cylinder that carries over for another term, but with refinements.

Chances are … no. The car’s other significant right-hand-drive market, Australia, has confirmed today that all its variants will be powered by the naturally-aspirated unit.

Outputs likely to mirror those of the North American-market, 2.5-litre Outback, which develops 135kW of power and 238Nm of torque, so 6kW and 3Nm more than the current engine provisions. The turbo, meantime, is a 193kW/360Nm offer.

The car has an uprated towing capacity of 2000kg – an increase of 25 percent over the current model – and also delivers a 11.6-inch infotainment touchscreen, alongside nappa leather-accented seat trim. 

Safety and technology is almost expected to be a feature of the new model, including the latest generation of the company's 'EyeSight' driver assist system, and the driver monitoring system as per the Forester. 

Other available technologies are expected to include forward and reverse autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist and a 360-degree camera.

The model adopts as standard the updated X-Mode selectable terrain response system that has featured in the current Outback X. This combines driver-selectable drive modes for terrain and weather management with differential locks and hill descent control to simplify and improve capability on non-optimal driving surfaces.

Octavia onslaught with wagon, conventional engines

Skoda New Zealand has finally been able to shared its proposal for a sales stalwart.

WAGON versions will take the load of expectation hefted by the new Octavia medium car in this market. 

Skoda New Zealand has today announced three load-all variants – Combis in Skoda-speak - all with conventional powerplants.

In addition to not offering thought about the potential for another liftback – though it’s understood this version could still show, but as an indent-order car - it has steered clear of mentioning when or if it might secure the hybrid editions – topped by one with plug-in recharging - that are now claiming the spotlight overseas.

The New Zealand line starts with a $47,990 110kW 1.4-litre eight-speed entry Style model and progresses to a new RS that, at $57,990 is slightly cheaper than the equivalent in the previous range, whose stock has been exhausted for some months. The new RS runs a 180kW 2.0-litre and seven-speed transmission and, like the Style, is front-drive.

These are coming in March – about three months later than the timing local general manager Rodney Gillard had hoped to achieve and a timeline that is still fluid, due to the uncertainty about coronavirus impact on production and shipping.   

When speaking about the car immediately in the wake of its international debut, back in April, Gillard had voiced optimism of an end-of-2020 entry.

Those variants will be followed at some point in the second quarter by a four-wheel-drive Scout also with the 2.0-litre and with 15mm additional ground clearance and beefed styling cues. 

Octavia has been the brand’s biggest volume model internationally and has good history here, being the car that re-introduced Kiwis to Skoda in its new-generation (meaning, VW-owned) format.

This latest car, the fourth in its generation, is based on the MQB Evo platform that’s also used by the rest of VW Group’s latest compacts. 

It remains a generously-sized vehicle. Being 19mm longer than its forebear ensures this Octavia accounts for a 4689mm space in a car park. The wheelbase has remained unchanged at 2686 mm. It’s also 15mm wider, at 1829mm. 

Skoda cites it having markedly more interior space than the current model, giving a cargo volume of 600 litres before the rear seats are lowered. 

The new gen delivers big improvements is driving assistance technology. New systems include Collision Avoidance Assist, Turn Assist, Exit Warning and Local Traffic Warning, among other features.  

 The interior is also more advanced technologically, but Skoda here might be going light on this as well.

The announcement today talks of even a head up display being optional and it is not clear if the 10.25-inch Virtual Cockpit digital instrument panel that avails overseas as an alternate to an orthodox display will feature.

The plug-in hybrid will doubtless be asked about; it achieves a 150kW output from pairing the 1.4 petrol engine with an electric motor and 13 kWh battery. All that, and an EV driving range of up to 60km in the WLTP cycle. If that’s not good enough, there’s also the new Octavia RS iV plug-in hybrid which offers 180kW and a similar EV driving range.