Thursday, 14 November 2013                                                                                                                                                                                                    Saab Automobile Parts has rebranded as Orio in a move which sees it aim to broaden its business outside of the Saab marque. The Swedish state-owned aftersales business emerged after the collapse of Saab and operates 10 subsidiaries across Europe and the US. “The overall strategy, besides investing even more in serving Saab owners, is to widen the company’s customer base, parts product portfolio and offer logistics services as well as other services,” said Lennart Ståhl, CEO of Orio AB. “Of course we will continue to deliver Saab Genuine parts to all our customers and we are in the process of developing our offer of product widening towards new markets and customers.” Saab genuine parts will remain the core business of the rebranded operation but it plans to diversify into logistics, what it terms “technology services” and a wider parts portfolio….

Owners of ageing Lexus and Porsche models are more likely to use a franchised workshop for servicing than an independent garage, according to research by Warranty Direct. The  analysis of more than 70,000 policies shows more than a fifth (22%) of motorists with 3-10 year old cars still use main dealer workshops, despite independents often offering lower charges. The study found that 58% owners of Lexus models aged up to 10 years old still use franchised dealers for services, while 54% of Porsche owners choose to do the same. Mercedes-Benz also rated highly in the survey with 49% of owners opting to use franchised dealers. In contrast just 10% of Fiat owners and 11% of Vauxhall owners do the same. “Our research shows that drivers do value and trust the work of the franchised network over the independent sector – if manufacturers simply re-engage…

BCA’s 2013 Used Car Market Report shows that used car sales hit 7.1 million units in 2012, outpacing new car sales by climbing 6.4% and returning to pre-recession levels. The report also reveals that the used car market reached a record value of £38.1 billion in 2012. outperforming the total new car market value by £5.8 billion. In particular sales of younger used cars (0-2 years) increased significantly, rising by 18.6% to 762,000 and reversing a three year trend of falling volumes in this age bracket. Authored by Professor Peter Cooke ,University of Buckingham Business School, Centre for Automotive Management, , the report says that lower inflation, lower fuel costs, rising employment and a more stable economy helped restore car buyers’ confidence somewhat in 2012. However, the long-term impact of the fall in new car sales during and immediately following the recession can still be seen,…

In 2012 Citizens Advice received more than 80,000 used car buying complaints, 73% of which were about faulty cars. To help address the problem, Trading Standards Institute (TSI) and Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) have teamed up to theme this year’s National Consumer Week (NCW) around buying a used car with the slogan ‘check it or regret it.’ Throughout November, TSI, CAB and participating organizations are going to hold a series of local events and media campaigns designed to enhance consumer awareness when it comes to buying used cars. The aim is to highlight ways consumers can check the condition of a car prior to purchase, hopefully avoiding future problems. In the pre-publicity TSI say that the key campaign message is: Buying a used car? Is it safe? Is it legal? Is it what it seems? Check it or regret it. TSI is advising consumers…

Auction giant BCA’s 2013 Used Car Market Report shows that used car sales hit 7.1 million units in 2012, outpacing new car sales by climbing 6.4% and returning to pre-recession levels. The report also reveals that the used car market reached a record high in terms of value in 2012, at £38.1 billion, outperforming the total new car market value by £5.8 billion. In particular sales of younger used cars (0-2 years) increased significantly, rising by 18.6% to 762,000 and reversing a three year trend of falling volumes in this age sector. Authored by Professor Peter Cooke of the Centre for Automotive Management, University of Buckingham Business School, the report says that lower inflation, lower fuel costs, rising employment and a more stable economy helped restore car buyers’ confidence somewhat in 2012. However, the long-term impact of the fall in new car sales during…

The final print edition of Auto Trader will be published in June, nearly four decades after the motoring weekly first hit the streets of London. Its owner, Trader Media Group, confirmed on Tuesday that the flagship title will exist online only following a souvenir edition next month featuring classic cars from the past 36 years. Another four titles owned by Trader Media Group – Top Marques, Truck and Plant, Van Trader and Farm Trader – will also close their print editions as part of the move to digital. Once considered as the go to guide for second hand car buyers or sellers, sales of Auto Trader have plummeted from a peak of 368,000 in January 2000 to 27,000 last month. Classified advertising has followed readers online, with visits to the Auto Trader website soaring to more than 11 million readers a month. The final print…

Used cars and aftersales performance are the key to trading profitably over the coming year, according to Mike Jones, executive chairman of ASE, the specialist dealer business management company. “Conditions may be tough and competition fierce but opportunities to trade profitably remain…2012 is undoubtedly looking like a tough year for motor retailers. For the majority of brands dealers are faced with a declining vehicle parc and lower vehicle sales expectations,…“This means dealers will have to improve their retention of used car customers and keep new car customers longer in order to improve service department performance,” he said in the January issue of Motor Trader In Jones’ opinion the improvements need to be made in customer service in order to remain competitive “Used vehicle sales will be a major area of focus in 2012 as dealers look to older cars to plug the profitability gap…

The first of Kia’s new global standard Red Cube showrooms has opened on a four acre Arnold Clark site in Northwich, Cheshire. Simon Hetherington, dealer development director at Kia Motors (UK), said: “This is a dramatic new look for Kia across the globe and i am proud that the UK has one of the first new showrooms to open in Europe.” “We do not expect all of our dealers to invest in such buildings, but many of the elements contained in Red Cube can already be found in about one third of our 170 UK dealerships and by the end of this year almost all of our dealers will have adopted our new brand identity.” Hetherington said he expected up to six major showrooms in the UK over the coming year. The Arnold Clark Northwich showroom took 16 weeks to build and is the…