F&I Management & Training

Wright’s Mazda in Norwich has been named best dealership in the UK for customer satisfaction for the second year running by Mazda’s European president.
The award is in recognition of the time, money and effort invested by a dealership to ensure it provides the best customer service in both sales and aftersales.
Russell Wythe, dealer principal of Wright’s Mazda, told AM: “One of the key reasons we have good customer service is because of a stable base of staff. We have one of the lowest turnovers in our area and probably nationwide. People see the same faces each time, and of course are greeted in a friendly environment.”

DATED: 22.11.07

FEED: AM

Hendy Group has secured a deal with LDV to sell commercial vehicles through three of its dealerships in the south west.
Hendy outlets in Exeter, Yeovil and Roach near St Austell will be adding new LDV vans sales, service and parts operations. The group has also gained a VANfit franchise, an all-makes CV parts business which is supported by LDV and Multipart.
The group said the venture fitted its plans for expansion in the commercial vehicle sector. Andy Stevenson, director, said the LDV franchise marked the start of the group’s new focus on the commercial market.
“This is a great complement to our current commercial business and we are already seeing tremendous interest from fleet and municipal operators. We have been strong for some time in terms of Iveco Truck and Ford van sales throughout the south and south west,” he said.
Hendy expects the three sites to sell a total of 500 new and used LDVs a year.
The appointment of three new sales points for LDV follows the van manufacturer’s recent investment of £6 million on its Maxus production line.

DATED: 22.11.07

FEED: AM

Honda's new Head of SalesHonda (UK) announces the appointment of Janice Kennedy as Head of Sales - Cars, Honda (UK) from 1 December, 2007. Janice currently works as Regional Operations Manager - North, Honda (UK). "Janice brings a wealth of experience from both a dealer and manufacturer perspective," said Bernard Bradley, General Manager - Cars. "She played an integral role in Honda's sales success during the first half of this year and in her new position will ensure this success is continued through the remainder of 2007 and beyond."

DATED: 22.11.07

FEED: AW

The Pentagon Group has announced significant expansion plans on the back of record results during the first nine months of the year.
The dealer group is set to invest £5m in two new sites in Sheffield, which will open in 2008, and replace its existing Savile Street site.
A new Chevrolet dealership will open in Barnsely in January next year and Pentagon is also planning on relocating its Vauxhall business in Mansfield to a new site that will also incorporate Chevrolet.

DATED: 22.11.07

FEED: MT

Car dealers must respond more effectively to the challenges of the digital age or risk losing customers, according to Kevin Gaskell, group chief executive of EurotaxGlass’s.
Four out of five delegates at EurotaxGlass’s conference for dealers this month – “The Internet – gaining the competitive advantage” – admitted the growth of the internet had rapidly eroded customer loyalty to particular vehicle brands and their dealerships.

“The internet enables customers to research products and services before they meet a sales executive so it is essential that dealers communicate their key sales messages online in front of their target audience during the research phase,” said Gaskell.

DATED: 22.11.07

FEED: MT

Porsche presented its first hybrid prototype at the LA Auto Show last week.
The Cayenne Hybrid prototype contains a Full-Parallel-Hybrid System, which will achieve a fuel economy of more than 30 mpg as well as lower emissions.

The system features an electric motor and clutch integrated within the drivetrain.

DATED: 22.11.07

FEED: MT

The race to acquire Land Rover and Jaguar is believed to have narrowed to two contenders.
One Equity, a finance group led by the former Ford chief executive Jacques Nasser, and the Indian carmaker Tata are now the preferred bidders, according to the Times newspaper.

An offer from Mahindra & Mahindra remains on the table but Ford is believed to be focussing on the other two bids, which are thought to be worth up to £1bn, and fairly similar in their content.

DATED: 20.11.07

FEED: MT

Initial sales for the Mazda2 supermini have smashed the brand’s sales predictions.
Since the showroom launch on 8 September buyers have snapped up 1,600 units of the second generation model, 150 per cent of the target objective, Mazda UK claimed.

Mazda UK’s Fleet & Remarketing director James Hopkins said that high expectations for the Mazda2 had been greatly exceeded.
“Our order take is very strong and the future looks very rosy for this car,” he added.
Hopkins also revealed that any hopes Mazda had of building a fleet presence for the Mazda2 had been postponed because at present every model was required for a retail customer.
The brand is now focusing on its best-selling fleet model the new Mazda6, the launch of which next month will coincide with a programme to improve the efficiency of dealer fleet departments.

DATED: 20.11.07

FEED: MT

Fiat’s new version of the Cinquecento has been named Car of the Year by European motoring journalists. The 500 city car beat the Mazda 2 and Ford Mondeo into second and third place, respectively.

The last time Fiat won this award was with its Panda city car in 2004, but that was by a very small margin of just one point. This year the 500 beat more than 40 other cars by a considerable margin.

DATED: 19.11.07

FEED: MT

MG dealers hoping to get the reborn TF sportscar into their showrooms before the end of the year must now wait until February.
MG, owned by Chinese carmaker Nanjing Automotive has confirmed that damage in transit of Chinese-made components is one reason for the delay, along with testing new parts and a wish not to launch the convertible car in winter.

“We were looking to put the car out in late autumn, now production will begin at the end of this month,” said a spokeswoman.

DATED: 19.11.07

FEED: MT

BMW is clamping down on dealers selling vehicles direct to online resellers not authorised by the brand who are then advertising new models at hugely discounted rates.
“It's destroying the retail market,” said BMW UK managing director Jim O'Donnell.
“This year has been the worst experience we have ever had.”

BMW said internet retailers have advertised new cars from the 3 Series range at discounts of more than £4,000, and buyers have been asking franchised dealers to match these prices.

DATED: 19.11.07

FEED: MT

The former head of Volkswagen’s workers’ council went on trial last week for allegations that have tainted the manufacturer since a scandal within the company was revealed in 2005.
Klaus Volkert could face up to ten years in prison if found guilty of the 48 counts of incitement to embezzlement with which he is charged.

The ex-labour chief is charged with receiving €2.5m (£1.8m) in illegal payments from VW for himself and his Brazilian girlfriend.

DATED: 19.11.07

FEED: MT