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THE AUSTRALIAN VEHICLE DEALER’S NEWS SOURCE JULY 2020 .COM.AU COVER: TEAMWORK DRIVES MASERATI AFTERSALES MANAGER ADRIANO GIORGI P. 6 HOW PEOPLE WANT TO BUY CARS POST COVID-19 P. 7 DEALER SOLUTIONS LAUNCH AUTORADAR PLATFORM P.14 HELLO THERE, ROBERT BARRY: EDITOR AUTOTALK Alliances will protect mass-market manufacturing ore than ever in the new normal In May, Mercedes-Benz called time on That Navara badged Triton is looking post COVID-19, alliances between the X-Class Ute which was built alongside pretty likely I reckon. Mcar manufacturers will be critical the Nissan Navara and the Renault Meanwhile, a light commercial and EV to ensure that mass-market production Alaskan at Nissan manufacturing plants in alliance between Ford and Volkswagen, can continue. Barcelona, Spain and Cordoba, Argentina. means the next Amarok will be Alliances do have their ups and downs Despite huge marketing efforts the Benz developed and built entirely by the Blue as we’ve recently seen with Renault- 1-tonner never took off. Oval on a new Ranger platform. Ford will Nissan-Mitsubishi in what is now a new Following the introduction of the also develop vans for the two brands. post-Carlos Ghosn era. Renault-supplied Mitsubishi Express van Volkswagen will supply the EV chassis Before Ghosn became the chief executive to the Australian market, it is not unlikely from its 100% electric I.D family to Ford officer of both Renault and Nissan in May that a future Navara, Triton and Alaskan so it can develop and market vehicles 2005, the first person to lead two Fortune might sit on the same platform much like for Europe which will sit underneath its 500 Global companies simultaneously, he the new Mazda BT-50 and Isuzu D-Max. flagship EV, the Mustang Mach-E. was known as “Le Cost Cutter” at Renault Mitsubishi has previous form in “badge But the big daddy alliance of them all and the Keiretsu Killer at Nissan. engineered” cars and utes. The Fiat will be the forthcoming 50/50 merger There is no doubt Ghosn had an ego Fullback pick-up marketed in the UK and between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) which may have led to his downfall. Europe is essentially a rebranded Triton. and Groupe PSA (Peugeot, Citroen, DS, History tells us he was offered the top job Let’s also not forget the past Vauxhall, Opel). at the ailing Ford Motor Company in 2006 collaborations between Mitsubishi The potential savings the merged but turned it down because he wanted and Peugeot/Citroen which saw the entities are going to be able to make to be both CEO and chairperson. Bill Ford Mitsubishi Outlander, ASX and i-Miev through the rationalisation of platforms, Jr was not about to relinquish the chair, morph into the Peugeot 4007, Citroen engines, transmissions, electric and and still hasn’t. C-Crosser, Peugeot 4008, Citroen C4 electronic architecture as well as staff and Anyway, digression aside, the Alliance Aircross, Peugeot Ion and Citroen C-Zero. manufacturing plants will be enormous. recently announced a leader-follower The Alliance says the new leader-follower There will be pain for many as the strategy which will be applied to 50% scheme is expected to deliver model company’s transition post-merger but for of its new models in development by investment reductions of up to 40% for the consumer there will be added value 2025. Standardisation will be pushed vehicles fully under the scheme. and greater efficiency. further from platforms to upper bodies, Each company will focus on its core and in each product segment the leader Enjoy your reading this month. regions with the aim to be among the company will develop and engineer a most competitive and to serve as a vehicle for all three brands with support reference point for the others. from the follower companies. Nissan will be the reference point for The Alliance says it will continue to build China, North America and Japan; Renault on product sharing in light commercial in Europe, Russia, South America and vehicles but its commercial partnership North Africa; and Mitsubishi Motors in with Daimler AG has come to an end. ASEAN and Oceania. 2 Australia JULY 2020 THE KEY TO QUALITY LIES IN CONSISTENT EXECUTION McGrath Subaru Liverpool dealer principal Greg Hook says that staff retention and a relentless focus on customer service and satisfaction are keys to running a multi award-winning dealership. arlier this year the McGrath Subaru “Subaru is a unique marque where most Dealership in Liverpool NSW enjoyed of our models are all-wheel-drive, that Eanother successful evening at the sets us aside from most other marques in 2019 Subaru Retailer of the year Awards. the market today,” Hook says Dealer principal Greg Hook again took “It gives us the opportunity to create a home for the team, the Sydney Retailer uniquely positive experience from our of the Year award for the fourth time in first contact point all the way through five years. their ownership cycle which results in a lot of our sales coming from our repeat Hook was also awarded the National customer base and referral business.” GREG HOOK Quality Retailer of the year award as well MCGRATH SUBARU DEALER “We commissioned our Liverpool PRINCIPAL as re-stamping his membership into the showroom specifically for the Subaru 1000 Club for the sixth year running. brand, our staff and customers love the He joined only five other dealerships In 2019 McGrath Subaru Liverpool was also atmosphere which it creates and we have bestowed the surprise honour of selling throughout Australia who sold more been very honoured to have so many of the one millionth Subaru sold in Australia. than 1000 new Subarus in 2019. Subaru Australia and Subaru Japan senior He attributes the dealership’s ongoing management visit us,” he says. “From a simple handover, it became success to the retention of its 40-strong Subaru began operations in Australia in something that the [one millionth] long-serving staff that make up the 1973, the brand reached 100,000 sales in customer says she will remember for life. whole dealership and their dedication 1987 and became exclusively all-wheel- Attention to the smallest details in making and focus on customer experience and drive in 1998 until they introduced the BRZ the day a success was a hallmark of every satisfaction. into the model line-up. team member involved and showed a JULY 2020 Australia 3 commitment to quality that shines through At the time both the customer and In recognition of the importance of the in every customer interaction.” Subaru dealership staff were unaware of the millionth car sold in Australia all were Australia says. significance of the transaction, salesperson honoured that Subaru Corporation Pola Abdula delivered the Forester to Jennie chairman Yasuyuki Yoshinaga Hook says being the dealership to deliver in the normal manner, going through the presented the keys of the Forester to the one millionth Subaru vehicle in dealership’s usual process of explaining all Jennie and her family. They were also Australia was a very happy and unexpected the cars features and benefits. gifted a 10-day trip to Japan, including event because it could have happened Tokyo and Kyoto for all the family. to any of the more than 120 dealers To mark the occasion after the car was Colin Christie says the Australian throughout Australia. delivered, McGrath Subaru invited Jennie, husband Phillip, daughter Jessica and distributor was honoured that chairman “We were having a very good month son Thomas back to the dealership for an Yoshinaga made time in his schedule and when Subaru Australia notified us official handover ceremony. to come to the special dealership we were the selling dealer of the one ceremony. Subaru Australia managing director Colin millionth Subaru in Australia we were all Christie, new vehicle manager Bill Psomos “It went over incredibly well, Jennie and over the moon,” he says. and salesperson Pola Abdula welcomed the her family were all quite overwhelmed The car in question was a Subaru Forester Truong family back to the dealership for the by all of the special attention and the 2.5i-S purchased by Jennie Truong of ceremony along with dealership staff and amazing gift of a trip to Japan for the Fairfield East, NSW. Subaru Australia Sydney team members. whole family,” “For me seeing Jennie and her family so happy and hosting the Subaru chairman was a huge honour. “I had previously met Mr Yoshinaga in his role as Subaru Corporation’s managing director when he presented me with both the National Retailer of the Year as well as the Sydney Retailer of the Year awards in 2016. “It’s not often if ever that you have Subaru royalty visiting your dealership.” Hook says that he and the whole McGrath Subaru team are looking forward to achieving even greater results for them and their customers in the coming years. “Safety and achievement are in our DNA,” he says. 4 Australia JULY 2020 Support these GREAT sponsors! AutoTalk Magazine and autotalk.com.au are published by Auto Media Group 8/152 Quay Street, Limited. P.O. Box 10 50 10, Auckland City, NZ 1030. EDITOR – AUTOTALK AUSTRALIA Robert Barry +64 21 530 902 [email protected] ASSISTANT EDITOR Geoff Dobson +64 21 881 823 [email protected] MANAGING EDITOR Richard Edwards +64 21 556 655 [email protected] BUSINESS MANAGER Dale Stevenson +64 21 446 214 [email protected] GROUP GENERAL MANAGER Deborah Baxter +64 27 530 5016 [email protected] PUBLISHER / CHAIR ADTORQUE Vern Whitehead +64 21 831 153 [email protected] EDGE DELIVERING YOUR MARKETING SOLUTIONS Auto Media Group Limited makes every endeavour to ensure information contained in this publication is accurate, however we are not liable for any losses or issues resulting from its use.