Vfacts January 2020

[Franco Cozzo]

Note that it's a lot harder to sell $32K Focus and Corolla when you have $35K XR6 Falcon and SV6 Commodore.

Which is why we're seeing ridiculous pricing of small commuters because there is no local competition.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Note that it's a lot harder to sell $32K Focus and Corolla when you have $35K XR6 Falcon and SV6 Commodore.

Which is why we're seeing ridiculous pricing of small commuters because there is no local competition.

Funny about that hey.......

[kevino]

Or Altona built Camry on special at $27990 drive away

[Dr Smith]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

At 38K that's a base model RWD Territory! And cars were supposed to get cheaper when we no longer had an industry because of something something...

Yes, very annoying, local manufacturers had to price their cars so we would buy them and keep the factories running, this forced the importers to price accordingly to compete, either by being cheaper to be considered or offer better value...now no local industry and as you said we don't get cheaper cars.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by Dr Smith

Yes, very annoying, local manufacturers had to price their cars so we would buy them and keep the factories running, this forced the importers to price accordingly to compete, either by being cheaper to be considered or offer better value...now no local industry and as you said we don't get cheaper cars.

This argument would hold water if Australia sold cars that were popular.
Prices naturally increase year on year. There are still $20k small cars available. No one was buying Australian cars so it's not like they were keeping people from buying imports, regardless of price.
Base models aren't that popular so people are prepared to pay $30k for these cars.
$35k Australian cars wasn't exactly sustainable. These prices only started appearing once the industry was already destined for closure.

[GTMOND]

I think you will find the 1.5 ecoboost in the LZ focus on, is a four banger not three. The wife has a 2016 LZ and it's been solid. Only 51k but faultless, and friggen good on juice and I find it goes pretty good for what it is. Sure as hell blows the doors off my daughters Kia Rio, not that that says much.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by GTMOND

I think you will find the 1.5 ecoboost in the LZ focus on, is a four banger not three. The wife has a 2016 LZ and it's been solid. Only 51k but faultless, and friggen good on juice and I find it goes pretty good for what it is. Sure as hell blows the doors off my daughters Kia Rio, not that that says much.

Correct LZ had the 1-4 1.5 EB

The new SA Focus 1.5 I-3 Ecoboost is a new engine series called Dragon

[Dr Smith]

Originally Posted by prydey

This argument would hold water if Australia sold cars that were popular.
Prices naturally increase year on year. There are still $20k small cars available. No one was buying Australian cars so it's not like they were keeping people from buying imports, regardless of price.
Base models aren't that popular so people are prepared to pay $30k for these cars.
$35k Australian cars wasn't exactly sustainable. These prices only started appearing once the industry was already destined for closure.

Maybe however the pricing of Falcon, Commodore, Camry and Territory meant the three locals had to price their imported range around these and thus had an effect on the other importers with their ranges as well.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by prydey

This argument would hold water if Australia sold cars that were popular.
Prices naturally increase year on year. There are still $20k small cars available. No one was buying Australian cars so it's not like they were keeping people from buying imports, regardless of price.
Base models aren't that popular so people are prepared to pay $30k for these cars.
$35k Australian cars wasn't exactly sustainable. These prices only started appearing once the industry was already destined for closure.

Also wonder if the price reflects the longer warranties which are offered with cars these days. I reckon ultimately new car buyers are paying for their repairs and replacement in the long run.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Also wonder if the price reflects the longer warranties which are offered with cars these days. I reckon ultimately new car buyers are paying for their repairs and replacement in the long run.

no doubt. the list of standard features now is quite long also on many cars circa $35k plus. The feature list of $35k aussie cars was quite short. as good as the cars were to drive, they were relatively bare at that price point. To get one with fruit you had to pay substantially more.

[russellw]

The grahical stats for January are now available in the Tech Portal.

[DFB FGXR6]

Mazda's sales decline I find it quite interesting. Despite many private buyers choosing mid spec models, the 3's higher entry price has sent consumers into the arms of Kia and Hyundai at the low $20k range. Mazda have always said they have a high level of more profitable private customers, however with Australians not prioritizing a new car at the moment, companies like Mazda are going to be hurt the most without fleet/rental/government sales to soak up excess volume. It would seem that Mazda's focus on styling and driving dynamics over the last 15 years wasn't the main reason they have sold so well, a cheap entry point to lure customers into showrooms played a big part of their success.

https://www.caradvice.com.au/825057/...-sale-decline/

[GCRXR6]

I also wonder if the low sales figures are a reflection of the quality of cars today. Let's face it, back in the 70's and 80's a 10 year old car was ….ahhh... worn out? Unless treated with extreme OCD, they looked rather shabby. Most 10 year old cars today look pretty good, and are in reasonable mechanical order. A hell of a lot of owners, no doubt, are holding on to them longer.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Mazda's sales decline I find it quite interesting. Despite many private buyers choosing mid spec models, the 3's higher entry price has sent consumers into the arms of Kia and Hyundai at the low $20k range. Mazda have always said they have a high level of more profitable private customers, however with Australians not prioritizing a new car at the moment, companies like Mazda are going to be hurt the most without fleet/rental/government sales to soak up excess volume. It would seem that Mazda's focus on styling and driving dynamics over the last 15 years wasn't the main reason they have sold so well, a cheap entry point to lure customers into showrooms played a big part of their success.

https://www.caradvice.com.au/825057/...-sale-decline/

Maybe it's simply a case of the latest styling of the 3 isn't liked as much.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Mazda's sales decline I find it quite interesting. Despite many private buyers choosing mid spec models, the 3's higher entry price has sent consumers into the arms of Kia and Hyundai at the low $20k range. Mazda have always said they have a high level of more profitable private customers, however with Australians not prioritizing a new car at the moment, companies like Mazda are going to be hurt the most without fleet/rental/government sales to soak up excess volume. It would seem that Mazda's focus on styling and driving dynamics over the last 15 years wasn't the main reason they have sold so well, a cheap entry point to lure customers into showrooms played a big part of their success.

https://www.caradvice.com.au/825057/...-sale-decline/

Mazda is absolutely shocking with their last two Mazda 3 and 6 models, they've gone from being a fun responsive commuter to dull and isolating the driver from everything with poor throttle response and a steering wheel that you can't feel anything through.

I've driven and worked on all the Mazda 323/3 models from the last of the 323 through to the previous model 3 and it was a massive step backwards, might as well as buy a Corolla because the point of difference is gone.

[XR Martin]

Mazda don't do fleet/government pricing or rental sales.
Majority is private buyers. If their sales are dropping its because consumer confidence is low.
It probably proves the fleet sales is propping up most of the other makes.

[Eurotrash]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Mazda's sales decline I find it quite interesting. Despite many private buyers choosing mid spec models, the 3's higher entry price has sent consumers into the arms of Kia and Hyundai at the low $20k range. Mazda have always said they have a high level of more profitable private customers, however with Australians not prioritizing a new car at the moment, companies like Mazda are going to be hurt the most without fleet/rental/government sales to soak up excess volume. It would seem that Mazda's focus on styling and driving dynamics over the last 15 years wasn't the main reason they have sold so well, a cheap entry point to lure customers into showrooms played a big part of their success.

https://www.caradvice.com.au/825057/...-sale-decline/

Something like 60% of Mazda 2 sales were made up of the base Neo spec. Mazda Australia have now wiped out the base model 'Neo' and mid level 'Maxx' and replaced them both with the Mazda 2 'G15 Pure' spec and now the base model 'G15 Pure' starts from around $21,000 on the road. Considering the previous entry price with on roads was around $ 18,000 for a Mazda 2 Neo auto, that's a bit of step up. And Mazda have done the same with the Mazda 3.

Not to mention, Mazda have now priorities style over functionality. Try getting into a new Mazda 3, 6, MX5 and even a CX3 and CX9. If you're not flexible and the front seats aren't too far forward, you're going to pump your head on the roof every time. Blind spots in the Mazda 3 hatch are horrendous and apart from the CX5, Mazda's are not practical.

I work for a dealer group that also includes a Mazda dealer and let me tell you, they are suffering!! A dealership that consistently sold 120-140 units month in, month out, did 86 units in December and 82 units in January. The months before that, they were doing 90 - 100 units. And it's interesting since the new reporting of sales commenced from January 2020, they've put on 78 Demonstrators in January and another 32 Demonstrators in February, so far. Before January 2020, their demo count was under 40 units. With every demo the dealer puts on, they get a kick back form Mazda Australia and it doesn't matter how many demo's they put on. They're also under pressure from Mazda Australia to sell BT50's. They've had to accept BT50's that were built in June last year from Mazda Australia, because they're just not selling. CX8's are in the same boat because they're only available in diesel. Release them with a petrol option, like they are in Japan and Mazda Australia would sell a lot more of them. The Mazda 6 is just too expensive these days, it's as simple as that.

At least with Ford, they are capped with the amount of Demo's they can put on. Each dealership has a demo count for each quarter - Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4. Each quarter of the year has a different demo count, exceed that demo count and the dealership won't receive any kickback from Ford on the extra demos that dealership has put on, which is why you won't see Ford Australia put on 4,000 Foci's in a single month (Holden = Astra).

Our dealer group also has Hyundai and Kia, just to name a few more. Again, Demo's from these two brands can be astronomically high when compared to how many 'raw' sales that they actually do. Fleet sales for Hyundai and Kia account for roughly 60% of their sales within out dealer network, with Kia, it's a lot higher. Nearly all Sorento's were receive off the boats out at Port Adelaide, are for SAPOL = SA Police Force.

[Eurotrash]

Originally Posted by XR Martin

Mazda don't do fleet/government pricing or rental sales.
Majority is private buyers. If their sales are dropping its because consumer confidence is low.
It probably proves the fleet sales is propping up most of the other makes.

Yes they do, they just don't do them in high numbers like Mitsubishi, Hyundai and Kia do.

Just ask SA Netball and the SANFL just to name a few. Not high numbers, but their change over rate it high. Mazda don't do rental sales in SA, but they have their fingers in other pies.

Their private buyers rate is high, more than Hyundai, Kia and Mitsubishi, but the majority of their buyers 'were' base spec model buyers. Start to exclude those buyers and force them to start paying more for their entry level models and they start to look elsewhere - see Hyundai and Kia. Kia will be a Top 4 selling brand in no time. When times are tough, but people still want to buy a new car at a price they want to pay, then steps in brands like Kia. Also put in brands like MG, yep a crazy statement, but MG is a brand to lookout for. They won't challenge the top 10 anytime soon, but given the right backing and product from the distributor and you'll have the next Kia on your hands.

[Sprintey]

Thanks for that Eurotrash.
We looked for a new manual when the kids were learning, and a base Neo 3 I saw on runout under 18K, thought that was very good value for money. Oh well.
(Saved money and kids learned manual in V8)

[Dr Smith]

Originally Posted by Eurotrash

Something like 60% of Mazda 2 sales were made up of the base Neo spec. Mazda Australia have now wiped out the base model 'Neo' and mid level 'Maxx' and replaced them both with the Mazda 2 'G15 Pure' spec and now the base model 'G15 Pure' starts from around $21,000 on the road. Considering the previous entry price with on roads was around $ 18,000 for a Mazda 2 Neo auto, that's a bit of step up. And Mazda have done the same with the Mazda 3.

Not to mention, Mazda have now priorities style over functionality. Try getting into a new Mazda 3, 6, MX5 and even a CX3 and CX9. If you're not flexible and the front seats aren't too far forward, you're going to pump your head on the roof every time. Blind spots in the Mazda 3 hatch are horrendous and apart from the CX5, Mazda's are not practical.

I work for a dealer group that also includes a Mazda dealer and let me tell you, they are suffering!! A dealership that consistently sold 120-140 units month in, month out, did 86 units in December and 82 units in January. The months before that, they were doing 90 - 100 units. And it's interesting since the new reporting of sales commenced from January 2020, they've put on 78 Demonstrators in January and another 32 Demonstrators in February, so far. Before January 2020, their demo count was under 40 units. With every demo the dealer puts on, they get a kick back form Mazda Australia and it doesn't matter how many demo's they put on. They're also under pressure from Mazda Australia to sell BT50's. They've had to accept BT50's that were built in June last year from Mazda Australia, because they're just not selling. CX8's are in the same boat because they're only available in diesel. Release them with a petrol option, like they are in Japan and Mazda Australia would sell a lot more of them. The Mazda 6 is just too expensive these days, it's as simple as that.

At least with Ford, they are capped with the amount of Demo's they can put on. Each dealership has a demo count for each quarter - Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4. Each quarter of the year has a different demo count, exceed that demo count and the dealership won't receive any kickback from Ford on the extra demos that dealership has put on, which is why you won't see Ford Australia put on 4,000 Foci's in a single month (Holden = Astra).

Our dealer group also has Hyundai and Kia, just to name a few more. Again, Demo's from these two brands can be astronomically high when compared to how many 'raw' sales that they actually do. Fleet sales for Hyundai and Kia account for roughly 60% of their sales within out dealer network, with Kia, it's a lot higher. Nearly all Sorento's were receive off the boats out at Port Adelaide, are for SAPOL = SA Police Force.

Very interesting..so if it were possible to find out and exclude all demo registrations made by of all brands what would Vfacts look like?