Driving green could take you into the red
Car makers and their franchised dealer networks are facing a dilemma; they want to sell “green” cars that help the planet and reduce co2 emissions but in reality are still failing to appeal successfully to the majority of the car buying public and are thus still some way from getting buyers to consider them in any great numbers.
I wouldn’t presume to know the overall affect that dirty cars have on the environment and whilst I think most of us appreciate that something must be done, the products on offer should be far superior and more desirable than they are at present if the average beleaguered car driver is to respond favourably.
It seems that the car driver is clobbered from every angle, whether it be an increase in prices or (more…)
Kia exceeding expectations
In the past here on MTI we have tended not to do too many car reviews. This was mainly because we thought the web was awash with them and our contributors preferred to voice their opinion about what they saw as other more pressing matters. Despite this the reviews we have done have all proved popular so we know there is an appetite for them.
At a recent editorial meeting it was decided that we should carry out more car reviews but with a difference. We would not use the approach of a somewhat cynical motoring journalist and certainly not from that of an equally cynical car retiling professional. What we wanted to do was take normal cars that most people might end up driving and review them from the perspective of a real owner and driver. (more…)
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Q couldn’t make it up!
We always scratch our heads when we don’t receive good service, OK we probably don’t we just get upset, but for the purposes of this article we scratch our heads. A situation which happens far too regularly and doesn’t seem to go away maybe illustrates why getting the service part right is so vital.
Here’s the story, see if it sounds familiar; a customer who just happens to have a few quid decides he wants to change his 4wd. He currently drives an X5 and quite fancies another one although he is pretty open minded for suggestions on alternatives. He goes on-line to do a spot of research and now his wife is involved they decide they could consider the Audi Q7. Obviously this is something we would encourage as it’s always good to see 2 heavyweights up against each other – may the best man win. (more…)
Order takers stand aside – it’s time to get back to selling cars
As September approaches dealers are scratching their heads thinking about how to encourage sales, which have been affected by various events. Last year the scrappage scheme was in full flow and was being marketed very well by the government and for many dealers it basically led to a procession of what we in the trade call ‘hands up ‘ customers coming into the showrooms and signing on the dotted line.
The volumes achieved therefore masked the underlying situation which was bound to happen once scrappage ended i.e. we are still in the middle of a period of economic uncertainty and, with factories around the world having reduced production and losing staff, it’s made buying a new car and having it delivered in a reasonable timeframe almost impossible in some cases.
Dealers are telling us that taking the scrappage scenario out of the equation the order bank is not disastrous for the remainder of 2010, however because of the extended lead times – sometimes as long as 6 months – September has just not “happened” so far. (more…)
Will VW say adiós to Seat?
How much has changed at Seat in the last 60 years? Not a great deal it appears since its humble beginnings. A tie-up between the Spanish government and Fiat saw Spain’s first car manufacturer take off. By re-badging the Fiat 600 and later the Panda, Seat struck a chord with cheap and affordable motoring and by 1967 Fiat increased its shareholding from 6% to 36%.
Production hit an all-time high with 282,000 cars rolling out of its Barcelona plant whilst the 70’s saw Seat branch out with the launch of Lancia’s Beta Coupe and HPE a-la Seat.
However, by the early 80’s Seat needed more investment but it seemed Fiat wasn’t prepared to budge and talks to try and seek the capital needed to keep it afloat began. Fiat eventually withdrew and without its Italian backer Seat desperately tried to forge on. (more…)
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Best of MTI
A sales team’s no good with 11 defenders
Many of the car dealers we speak with are becoming increasingly worried about the experience given to customers in showrooms. Believe it or not, as the profile of salesperson has evolved businesses are struggling to attract what we would call …
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Car dealerships and the high cost of apathetic sales people
Oh dear, hot on the heels of our story the other day about the car dealer who hit back (literally) and the customer who carried out a dirty protest at the dealership comes the following tale of woe from an …
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The car dealer who hit back
As you may be aware we have been bringing examples of bad dealers and their equally bad service but to balance it we need examples of bad buyers and this one may just fit the bill. Running your own business …
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Car dealership customer service stinks!
Firstly those with a sensitive disposition should probably stop reading at the end of this first paragraph because what I am about to recount has a particularly unpleasant denouement but is definitely a tale that needs to be told.
Before I …
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Featured
Autotrader v Autotrader – what’s in a name?
In April last year you might recall we published an article entitled “When is autotrader not autotrader?” in which we wrote concerning the unusual web diversion from autotrader.com to allapprovedcars.com and latterly carmony.co.uk and it turned out a number …
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Four thousand reasons not to buy the wrong car
On Motor Trade Insider, as regular readers will have noticed, we have a firm belief in what some may regard as a utopian vision; car buyers buying the right car at the right price from the right dealer. The other …
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If you drive one of these then you’re…
Stereotype – a commonly held public belief about specific social groups, or types of individuals
The world is filled with clichés and stereotypes and the world of motor cars and their drivers is, of course, no exception. In an attempt to …
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Car insurance and the recently passed driver
As a young driver it can be difficult securing cheap car insurance. To help with this we have created a guide which may help you with the process. If you’re a teenage driver who has just passed …
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