Prelim March 2013 sales figures

[Rodge]

New Kuga2 looks like a winner and its fuel efficient too. I hope Ford can get a good supply of these as I reckon they'll be in HOT demand.

[R-Design]

Originally Posted by Wretched

It is now up to Ford and Holden to convince the market why they should be buying Falcon and Commodore over anything else (including other products in their range).

After all it is their product that they are trying to sell, their product they have developed and researched (one hopes) to suit a market. If they are happy selling at the numbers they are currently then who are we to argue?

You've got to spend money to make money. Ford Australia proved it with BA & Territory at launch, even Ford US has turned the corner base on a product lead recovery. The problem is that Falcon/Territory is an orphan within the Ford empire and as such is running on vapour. I have no doubt the Australian engineers can build a world class RWD large car platform, they just need to be given the resources to do so. At least to its credit GM gave Holden the opportunity with Zeta, it doesn't look like Detroit will give Ford AU the same chance.

[MrZ]

Originally Posted by Mad_Pom

Ford

Ford Escape 4 - Run Out? Replaced by Kuga
Ford Falcon 831
Ford Falcon Ute 353
Ford Fiesta 602 - Face lift soon ?
Ford Focus 1,557 - Volume limited ?
Ford Kuga 96 - Waiting for new model in May/June ?
Ford Mondeo 99 - Genk only restarted on 22nd Jan - how long before we have stock?
Ford Ranger 4X2 374
Ford Ranger 4X4 1,311 - Volume limited?
Ford Territory 1,059
Ford Transit 109
Ford Transit Bus 9
Ford Transit Heavy 30

Mondeo is obsolete - the new model is out overseas so I'm guessing they are running out stock.

[Joe5619]

Originally Posted by MrZ

Mondeo is obsolete - the new model is out overseas so I'm guessing they are running out stock.

Wrong... New Mondeo is out NOWHERE in the world. It is just the US with Fusion, but no Europe countries have new Mondeo yet.


Falcon & Territory numbers are a concern. Brand Falcon is broken beyond repair IMO. A name change is required from 2016 if we are lucky enough to still be manufacturing a large sedan car.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Lol... Lets call it the Taurus!!

Falcon is dead... Mitsubishi were selling 800 units in their dieing days.

[Brazen]

Originally Posted by Joe5619

Wrong... New Mondeo is out NOWHERE in the world. It is just the US with Fusion, but no Europe countries have new Mondeo yet.


Falcon & Territory numbers are a concern. Brand Falcon is broken beyond repair IMO. A name change is required from 2016 if we are lucky enough to still be manufacturing a large sedan car.

Personally I think the only thing saving it is the name Falcon.

[MrZ]

Originally Posted by Joe5619

Wrong... New Mondeo is out NOWHERE in the world. It is just the US with Fusion, but no Europe countries have new Mondeo yet.

I saw them everywhere in the US. The factory in Europe is probably switching over production, which explains the low sales figure. It's the same story here with the Commodore which is low because they're switching to VF. Besides, who is going to buy a new Mondeo now that the new one is around the corner?

[Joe5619]

Originally Posted by MrZ

I saw them everywhere in the US. The factory in Europe is probably switching over production, which explains the low sales figure. It's the same story here with the Commodore which is low because they're switching to VF. Besides, who is going to buy a new Mondeo now that the new one is around the corner?

And we don’t get a US Fusion here in Australia, we get a Europe Mondeo. Is it still 12 or so months away from being on sale in Europe (it has been held up in Europe for some reason), so don’t expect it here until the end of 2014 at the earliest.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by DASH GT

Falcon is dead... Mitsubishi were selling 800 units in their dieing days.

don't confuse local production with model production. FoA isn't at MMA levels just yet, but lets not let the facts get in the way shall we.

the market is also very different.

[MrZ]

Originally Posted by prydey

don't confuse local production with model production. FoA isn't at MMA levels just yet, but lets not let the facts get in the way shall we.

the market is also very different.

The difference is that Ford Australia actually designed the Falcon so they have to recoup all of the development costs. Mitsubishi just built overseas-designed models, so they had no costs to recoup. They could survive at much lower volumes than Ford.

[Rodge]

Originally Posted by DASH GT

Lol... Lets call it the Taurus!!

Only reason Falcon isn't dead yet is because of Territory sales... Mitsubishi were selling 800 units in their dieing days.

Fixed that for ya

[Brazen]

None of this would really matter if they were sending 20,000 Falcons a year to the Middle East, 20,000 to the US and another 5,000 to Europe. Just niche premium RWD sales in other markets.

[Resurrection]

Sad days indeed for Falcon fans........

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Brazen

None of this would really matter if they were sending 20,000 Falcons a year to the Middle East, 20,000 to the US and another 5,000 to Europe. Just niche premium RWD sales in other markets.

Dollar crushing exports: Holden

Toyota Australia exports head towards 70K

Just doesn't seem fair.......

[Brazen]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Dollar crushing exports: Holden

Toyota Australia exports head towards 70K

Just doesn't seem fair.......

At least premium sales are a bit more immune to currency flucatuations but I get your point.

We cant win!

There needs to be action on the dollar or some kind of tariff protection - but that aint ever gonna happen.

[naddis01]

When was the last time Holden was so low in the charts?

[Brazen]

Originally Posted by naddis01

When was the last time Holden was so low in the charts?

Probably never

[Brazen]

The VF will help Falcon, the large car segment is only a two horse race - I think advertising and interest in the new Commodore will help Falcon by associaton.

[Brazen]

Well some positive news for the industry - Toyota exported 7383 Camrys last month (basically double the volume of the biggest selling car in Australia in March).

Hopefully something comes from the gulf states free trade agreement plans to give Toyota Australia some breathing space.

http://www.caradvice.com.au/223592/t...al-production/

By Daniel DeGasperi | April 04th, 2013

Toyota Australia has released export figures for its locally built Toyota Camry and Toyota Aurion models, showing that 70 per cent of its Australian made range have been exported so far this year.

While local Camry and Aurion sales have totalled 5027 for the first three months of 2013, over the same period 69,762 vehicles were exported – including 7383 in March alone. A single month all-time high has been set for this financial year in August 2012, with 8470 Toyotas leaving our shores.

Toyota says that 97 per cent of exports go to the Middle Eastern region, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Remaining export markets include New Zealand, Yemen and the South Pacific Islands.

Toyota Motor Corporation Australia (TMCA) executive vice president and chief operating officer David Butner has used the export figures announcement to renew calls for the Australian government to reach a free-trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

[FPV GTHO]

Originally Posted by MrZ

The difference is that Ford Australia actually designed the Falcon so they have to recoup all of the development costs. Mitsubishi just built overseas-designed models, so they had no costs to recoup. They could survive at much lower volumes than Ford.

Mitsubishi spent several hundred million on 380, I think around $600m, doing local durability testing, plant reconfiguration and anything else that visually separated it from the Galant.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by FPV GTHO

Mitsubishi spent several hundred million on 380, I think around $600m, doing local durability testing, plant reconfiguration and anything else that visually separated it from the Galant.

And Mitsubishi weren't prepared to put any more money into it.

[MrZ]

"Toyota says that 97 per cent of exports go to the Middle Eastern region, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Remaining export markets include New Zealand, Yemen and the South Pacific Islands."

Someone should tell whoever wrote that that Yemen is also in the Middle East!

[Brazen]

Originally Posted by jpd80

And Mitsubishi weren't prepared to put any more money into it.

They installed very expensive presses for the 380 which could potentially make anything in the Mitsubishi stable, the rumour was that Pajero would eventually produced here. The Adelaide plant also had the best paint shop out of the Mitsubishi factories.

When it closed, all the gear was mostly sold to Chinese car makers.

[BroadyFord]

Re Toyota, I can't figure out how they can profitably export cars with where the dollar is at.

They must be losing poo loads!

[stevz]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Well, considering that Ford recently downsized production, I'd say that it is better able to cope
with the situation than Holden who must be devastated at the moment.

I don't see why Holden would be 'devastated' at all. The VE which has been around for 7 years is on its last legs and just about to be replaced. Nobody in their right mind would buy one now when VF is just around the corner. Cruze is also being replaced with a revised version.
If sales remain at these levels after VF is released, then perhaps alarm bells may start ringing at Holden.

[MrZ]

Mazda3 is far from being the oldest car in the segment. The Lancer and Corolla sedan are both from 2007, now 6 years old.

[FNQracing]

I know alot of people will disagree with me here, but I reckon the TAXI industry is the anti-ad for Falcon - every single Taxi I get into stinks of puke and groans like an old codger getting out of bed. Seeing that practically all Taxis are Falcons, that's most peoples experience of a Falcon. Seriously, after getting out of a stinking cab, would you want to own a Falcon?

[MrZ]

Originally Posted by FNQracing

I know alot of people will disagree with me here, but I reckon the TAXI industry is the anti-ad for Falcon - every single Taxi I get into stinks of puke and groans like an old codger getting out of bed. Seeing that practically all Taxis are Falcons, that's most peoples experience of a Falcon. Seriously, after getting out of a stinking cab, would you want to own a Falcon?

Falcons have been used as taxis for decades, so why is the slump only recent?

[flooded one]

Originally Posted by FNQracing

I know alot of people will disagree with me here, but I reckon the TAXI industry is the anti-ad for Falcon - every single Taxi I get into stinks of puke and groans like an old codger getting out of bed. Seeing that practically all Taxis are Falcons, that's most peoples experience of a Falcon. Seriously, after getting out of a stinking cab, would you want to own a Falcon?

that's usally the smelly drivers fault. I was down in Melbourne over easter and both taxis I caught down the driver bloody stunk. the FG I was in was a rather nice car even if the taxi smelt of mcdonalds. the old BA/BF fairlane taxi I thought was a pusbucket that had over 600,000kms on it and crecked. that's just where and tear from it being missed treated. the fact it had over 600,000kms on it is a testament too the cars reliability. if anything Melbourne would be supporting falcons. come up here in qld and you'll find most of our taxis are camrys and prius'. I was rather shocked too see the amount of falcons and commodores getting around Melbourne. it was like being in queensland over 5 years ago. I never seen a territory as a taxi to I went too melbourne

[jpd80]

Some answers from the Holden side:

Holden is having similar supply issues.

VE and JH Cruze are in runout, with the factory only running at about half rate.

Colorado affected by industrial action in Thailand, meaning everything in the pipeline has been pushed back by 1 to 3 months.

The new sales order system (SOM) has been creating absolute chaos since it's introduction in February. None of the different systems within Holden are communicating, causing vehicles to be not built up, not invoiced to dealers, being delivered to the wrong dealerships, sometimes on the other side of the country.

And it's only going to get worse with Caprice, Ute and most variants of Commodore being out of production. Only SV6 Sedan and Sportwagon are being built. The factory closes down for 2 weeks shortly in preparation for VF.