Home »
Posts filed under sales
Posted by Alex Bale
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Now, we all know that Opel was taking a massive risk by launching the new Adam. A rival to the likes of the Fiat 500, Mini and Citroen DS3, it tries to take Opel into a funky premium hatchback market that's a tough nut to crack. Tougher still when you're set to lose $1.5-billion in Europe in 2012 and you need a big hit to drag up both your image and your bottom line.But it seems to be working.Opel says it currently has a healthy order bank of 20,000 for the new Adam, and that for a car that was only launched to the public in October. Pretty good, and the hope (of both Opel accountants and watching industry analysts) will be that all of those 20,000 orders comes with a healthy profit margin. What makes the Mini and 500 so profitable to their makers is not just the premium level price tag, but the fact that people spend extra on speccing their cars up. Opel claims that the Adam has 61,000 different exterior styling variations, and 82,000 interior ones, so there's plenty of scope for customers to start dipping into a long and lucrative options list."Whoever orders an Adam today, can be pretty much certain that he hasn't seen an identical one. Almost every Adam is one of a kind," Thomas Sedran, interim Opel CEO Opel, said in a statement.To be frank, we all doubted Opel's ability to appeal to the Generation Y, iPhone-loving, hip-kids generation, given that it's generally best known for making solid, but somewhat staid, family saloons, hatches and MPVs. But the initial success of the Adam might just be the first sign that Opel's long-awaited move upmarket could actually be working.
Posted by Alex Bale
Sheehy Motors Carlow has been officially presented with the 2012 Volkswagen Service Quality award. This is a prestigious award that has an entry list of 6,300 Volkswagen Retail business partners from 27 countries. Whilst PJ O’Neill, Service Manager at Sheehy Motors attended the 2012 Gala Awards Event in Dresden, Germany in September 2012, January 14th saw the official handing over the actual award and certificate to the staff at Sheehy Motors, Carlow.
Alan Bateson, Volkswagen Head of Aftersales commented, “The name of Volkswagen must not only be synonymous with outstanding vehicles, but also with top all-round service. Shawn, PJ and the team at Sheehy Motors Carlow work tirelessly to ensure all Customers are completely satisfied each and every time they visit their business. This is further displayed by their standing in the 2013 Volkswagen Service Quality Awards Table where they have occupied a top 3 position throughout the qualification period. Final results for the 2013 Awards will be known by March this year.”
Shawn Carson, Dealer Principal at Sheehy Motors Carlow said, “We are very honoured to receive such a prestigious award.Shawn paid tribute to the loyal and dedicated staff who consistently delivers exceptional levels of customer care and satisfaction.
“We would like to thank all our customers both past and present for their loyalty and support over the years. We believe if we continue to provide value for money and excellent customer service the Volkswagen brand will grow even further.”
Posted by Alex Bale
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
It has become one of the biggest grudge matches in the motor industry, but the race to be the globe's biggest selling car maker has gone once again to Toyota, which takes back the top spot it lost back in 2011. In 2012, Toyota managed to shift a massive 9.75-million vehicles, a rise of almost one quarter from a year ago. That puts Toyota ahead of General Motors, which posted a 2.9% rise in sales to 9.28-million vehicles, while Volkswagen sold 9.07-million, a rise of 11% on 2011. Interestingly, while GM and VW's sales are spread across a multiplicity of brands including Opel, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda and more, sales of Toyota branded cars made up a whopping 8.7-million of that number, with Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino truck sales making up the balance.
Posted by Alex Bale
Consumers bought a new Ford Fiesta every two minutes on average last year, making it the best-selling small car in Europe, according to automotive data intelligence provider JATO Dynamics.
Ford last year sold 953,174 cars in the 30 European markets monitored by JATO, including 306,405 Fiestas. Ford recently announced that during 2012 more than 1.4 million Ford vehicles were sold across all of the 51 European markets in which it operates.
The Fiesta also was the best-selling B-segment car (sub-compact) globally for the first nine months of 2012, with more than 560,000 Fiestas sold worldwide, according to the latest Polk new vehicle registration data.
“The Fiesta had a fantastic 2012, both in Europe and across the world,” said Roelant de Waard, vice president, Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford of Europe. “This iconic car has come to define what customers desire from a small car – style, quality, efficiency and great technology.”
Ford has sold more than 15 million Fiestas worldwide since the vehicle first went into production in 1976. The Fiesta now has been the top-selling small car in Europe for three out of the past four years. During that period, more than 1.7 million Fiestas have been sold in Europe and 2.1 million globally.
The U.K. was the most successful European market for Fiesta in 2012, with 109,250 vehicles registered according to Ford figures. Across Europe, Frozen White proved the most popular paint colour among Fiesta customers.
Ford is currently launching the new Fiesta in Europe – which is coming to dealerships now – the new model is redesigned inside and out and offers the 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine – the 2012 “International Engine of the Year”. An ECOnetic Technology version powered by a 1.6-litre Duratorq TDCi diesel engine achieves 87 g/km CO2.**
The new Fiesta also offers MyKey, a Ford-exclusive technology that allows parents to encourage safer driving and limit their teenager’s exposure to risk at the wheel. Ford also has equipped new Fiesta with Ford SYNC, a voice-activated in-car connectivity system, and SYNC Emergency Assistance, which directly connects vehicle occupants to local emergency services operators after an accident.
In addition, Fiesta offers Active City Stop, which can help avoid or mitigate low-speed collisions.
“The new Fiesta has some big shoes to fill in 2013 but is perfectly equipped to do so,” said de Waard. “Being acclaimed as Europe’s best-loved small car in 2012 is a great achievement and we thank all of our customers who continue to put their faith in the Fiesta.”
Posted by Alex Bale
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
It's the Detroit Motor Show next week, and you can expect to be seeing all sorts of gorgeous machinery that we just can't have on this side of the Atlantic over the next few days.
Chief amongst them will be this; the Hyundai HCD-14 concept car, which Hyundai is teasing us with this blacked-out image of. It's a preview of the replacement for Hyundai's Genesis saloon, a US-only model that combines a rear-drive chassis with a 4.6-litre V8 engine and BMW-rivalling interior and dynamics. What a shame we don't get them here...
No word yet on drivetrains or anything else, but the Not Wanted Here sticker could be peeled off at some stage. Hyundai in Europe is keen to grab some of the US's premium halo models for itself and there's a faint chance that this big, sexy saloon could make it to this side of the water at some stage in its lifetime. Here's hoping.
Meanwhile, Hyundai's growth in the UK market looks to be stalling, not because of any problems with the cars or the sales network, but because the UK head office can't get enough cars to meet demand. According to Autocar magazine this morning, extra demand from the US, China and Asia has Hyundai's Korean and European factories working flat out and there's just not enough capacity in the system to make cars to expand sales in the UK. There are more than a few European car makers who'd love to have that problem...
Posted by Alex Bale
Sunday, January 6, 2013
We used to build Beetles (on Dublin's Naas Road), now we’re buying its successors in droves.
Volkswagen was the best-selling car brand in Ireland in 2012, the first time that the brand has achieved this in its history in Ireland. Volkswagen finished in first place ahead of Toyota in second place and Ford in third place. According to figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) Volkswagen registered 10,073 new cars in 2012 (12.67% market share) ahead of Toyota’s 9,998 (12.58% market share) and Ford with 8,592 (10.81% market share).
“We are delighted to be now, officially, the number one car brand in Ireland,” said Volkswagen Passenger Cars Deputy Brand Director John Donegan. “This is an outstanding result in what were tough market conditions in 2012. Given that this result was achieved even before the new Golf had arrived shows that Irish customers are navigating to the Volkswagen range for its quality, strong residual values and our strong retail offers.”
This was a sentiment echoed by Volkswagen Group Ireland Managing Director Simon Elliott. “We are very proud to be the best-selling car brand for 2012 and it is an indication of just how shrewd the Irish buyer is when it comes to choosing cars that they are increasingly putting their trust in Volkswagen.”
Volkswagen has also just released its all-new Golf on to Irish forecourts, starting at €19,995 and there is an array of offers available to Volkswagen customers for 2013.
Customers who order their new Volkswagen before the end of January 2013 will benefit from a whole host of extras on their new car. There will be three years of Free Servicing*, so you don’t need to worry about the cost of keeping your Volkswagen in tip-top condition. There is the security of three years of Roadside Assistance to keep you moving in the event of a mishap and with 3,000km of Free Fuel*, with the superb fuel economy on offer in the Volkswagen range, it could be months before you put your hand in your pocket for that either. With the added assurance of a three year warranty, Volkswagen ownership in 2013 is going to be as pain-free as one could wish for.
Acquiring your new Volkswagen is easier thanks to hugely competitive finance rates from Volkswagen Bank, which has lent in excess of €120m to Irish customers and is very much Open for Business. With a 3.9% APR available on Hire Purchase as well as attractive PCP (Personal Contact Plan) rates available from just €119 per month, it has never been easier to get into a new Volkswagen.
Volkswagen Open Week starts January 5th in all Volkswagen Retailers. Customers are invited to see the entire Volkswagen range including the new Golf.
Posted by Alex Bale
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
FIAT Group Automobiles Ireland has announced its revised pricing for 2013 despite the lack of clarity from the government regarding VRT, road tax and number plate revisions in the run up to the announcement of those measures in Budget 2013.
In the light of such uncertainty, FIAT has chosen to extensively streamline its range, focusing on the most popular derivatives, which in turn facilitates low and fluid stock levels. The FIAT Panda range, for example, has the same number of versions available as in 2012 despite welcoming the new normally-aspirated, 65hp TwinAir and 4X4 Climbing models to the range for 2013.
Whereas the TwinAir Turbo commands a premium of around €1,000 (depending on the model) compared to the 1.2 69hp engine, the new TwinAir 65hp is only an additional €500, a small price to pay to cut CO2 emissions from 120g/km to just 99g/km which could be further offset by a potential reduction in road tax. Quite what the total saving to the consumer will be for opting for the new TwinAir 65hp we will have to wait until December to learn, however.
The FIAT 500 range is reduced from 11 derivatives to just four, with renewed emphasis on the low CO2-emission TwinAir engines, while the entry level price of the hardtop has been reduced by €400 to €12,495 compared to 2012. The 500C Cabrio now starts at €15,495, a price reduction of almost €1,000, while the entry-point for the award-winning FIAT 500 TwinAir is reduced from €16,745 to €13,495, a massive reduction of €3,250!
FIAT Punto range is reduced from eight derivatives to just three with reconfigured pricing to better suit Irish market conditions. The entry point for the five-door FIAT Punto, for example, has been reduced from €15,295 to just €13,495, a remarkable saving of €1,800! The TwinAir 85hp model is also reduced by €1,800 - from €16,295 to just €14,495 - and that despite the addition of two extra doors. With a price difference of just €1,000 compared to the 1.2 69hp it is expected to be a cornerstone model in 2013, particularly when its low CO2 emissions (98g/km, compared to 1.2's 120g/km) and improved performance are taken into consideration.
The price of the five-door FIAT Punto diesel remains unchanged despite significant technological upgrades to its 1.3-litre MultiJet engine. It now employs new efficiency technologies (Intelligent Alternator and Intelligent Flow) to reduce its CO2 emissions to a mere 90g/km while power increases from 75hp to 85hp for improved driver satisfaction. Priced at €15,495, FIAT Punto diesel will be one of the most competitive superminis on the market in Ireland in 2013.
Announcing pricing for 2013, Managing Director of FIAT Group Automobiles Ireland, Adrian C. Walsh, commented: "Despite the lack of clarity from the government regarding VRT, road tax and number plate revisions due in 2013, we believe that no matter what the 2013 Budget throws at us in December, FIAT will be ready with some of the most technologically advanced, environmentally sound and great-value vehicles on the market today."
Posted by Alex Bale
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Jaguar Land Rover Ireland has announced the expansion of its retail networks with the appointment of three new Land Rover dealers and an additional new Jaguar dealer.
In Dublin, HB Dennis has been appointed as a Land Rover Authorised Dealer for Sales and Aftersales. Based in Airside Motor Park, Swords, Co. Dublin, HB Dennis is owned and operated by the Joe Duffy Motor Group. A well-established car retail business in Dublin, the Joe Duffy Motor Group prides itself on delivering complete customer satisfaction. Commenting on the recent appointment, Gavin Hydes, Managing Director of the Joe Duffy Motor Group said: “We are delighted to have acquired the Land Rover business in North Dublin and look forward to welcoming Land Rover customers old and new to our showrooms in Airside”.
In Kildare, existing Land Rover Authorised Repairer, N. Conlan & Sons of Rathangan has extended its remit to Land Rover Authorised Sales Dealer. Appointed as a Land Rover Authorised Repairer in 2010, N. Conlan & Sons will build on their experience and expertise with the Land Rover brand and will bring their excellent reputation for customer satisfaction to the growing number of Land Rover drivers in the Kildare area. Established in 1965, N. Conlan & Sons is a family-run business. Raymond Conlan, Managing Director commented, “This is a very positive move for us and we are very pleased to be developing our Land Rover business to meet the growing demands of our customers here in Kildare”.
The appointment of Lyons of Limerick as both Jaguar and Land Rover Authorised Dealer for Sales and Aftersales completes the current expansion of Jaguar Land Rover Ireland’s retail networks. Based on the Ballysimon Road, Lyons of Limerick will bring their many years of experience in customer service to Jaguar and Land Rover customers in the Limerick area. Speaking at the announcement, Ken Lyons, Dealer Principal, said, “We are delighted to take on the Jaguar and Land Rover franchises at Lyons of Limerick. Jaguar Land Rover, a company that is renowned for creating cars that are innovative, exciting and always original, is an excellent addition to our business. We will offer our Jaguar and Land Rover customers an unrivalled experience in terms of quality product and quality service”.
Commenting on the new dealer appointments, Gerard O’Farrell, Managing Director, Jaguar Land Rover Ireland said, “We welcome HB Dennis, N.Conlan & Sons and Lyons of Limerick to our dealer networks and are confident they will bring their expertise in customer service to all of our Jaguar and Land Rover customers in their respective regions. Jaguar and Land Rover Ireland has achieved significant growth in 2012 with combined sales of 1,113 vehicles upto the end of October – an increase of 63.2% versus the same period last year. The increased demand for both Jaguar and Land Rover demonstrates the unique desirability and strength of our products”.
