Whether it's from the www, the latest motor show or the back doors of a carmaker near you, Carsales Network Confidential features the good oil other sources either won't publish, don't care about or don't know. Heard an automotive rumour or new model tip? Then let us know here
>> Mitsubishi's buoyant but Pajero's on the nose
This week's launch of the Lancer 'Don't call it Ten' (or perhaps, 'X doesn't mark the spot') Evolution saw the crew at Mitsubishi Oz in a particularly upbeat mood... And not just because the all-wheel drive rocket itself is an absolute peach...
No, in addition to launching the latest must-have hotshoe sporty, Mitsubishi was coming off its best month in living memory (okay that's a slight exaggeration). In fact, the Australian arm of the company's 8336 units in June placed it second only to Japan in global volume. In front of North America and China, said boss, Rob McEniry.
Last month saw almost 2700 Lancers shifted and all but one of the maker's models are performing significantly ahead of their respective market segments. It seems there's little chance that Mitsubishi will suffer the end of local production downturn that beset Nissan when it exited the local marketplace in the early 1990s.
Alas it's not all good news, however. Once of the company's stalwarts, and a model shortly to celebrate its 25th Anniversary, the Pajero is seriously on the nose. Indeed in a segment that's 18.5 per cent up, Mitsubishi's 'big' 4x4 is down almost 17 per cent YTD.
"I don't think we've given it a good enough whack on the backside, to be honest," McEniry said in answer to CNC's question regarding the Pajero's parlous sales.
McEniry contends that part of the problem is the car's classification. Though it sits in the medium SUV segment, says the Mitsu boss, it's one of only two 'true' four-wheel drives.
"I think -- and I'm not just saying it because of my position -- it's best in that class, for what it's designed to do. There really are only two players in that segment, serious players of any consequence in terms of volume, and that's Prado and Pajero. I don't think we've done enough in targeting Pajero with the car that we should've.
McEniry denies the 'fourbee' was not changed enough at its last update.
"Some [customers] don't see enough change until they actually get in the vehicle and drive it and then they can see the change."
McEniry says the maker will leverage the loyalty to the 4x4 in its advertising.
"You get that very traditional group [of customers] and all they want in Pajero, because they love Pajeros... You would have seen we've started to get a little more serious even now with some of the testimonial advertising we're doing -- to link in with the 25 year anniversary of Pajero. You'll see a lot more effort from us to move that on."
McEniry doesn't believe the 'LandCruiser' factor gives the Prado a free kick, but acknowledges Toyota has plenty of money to spend in the segment.
"It is difficult for a company our size, with our small coin pouch, to compete with the 150-odd billion dollar cash position [of Toyota].
"If you look at their sales, they hit the fleets very, very hard -- whether it's mining, or rural, or whatever and we don't do that. If you actually segment them [fleet sales] out, we're doing okay, but we see an opportunity. And we're getting quite a lot of enquiry from mines and mining support groups, etc, for [our vehicles]...
McEniry says Mitsubishi will also seek to leverage the growing loyalty to its Triton one-tonner with a body-on-frame SUV based on the light commercial.
In terms of size, CNC believes the vehicle (the name of which is still to be confirmed) will sit somewhere twixt Outlander and Pajero. No softroader, however, the vehicle should therefore have similar accommodation to Toyota's Kluger, but potentially better offroad ability. It should arrive Down Under before the middle of 2009.
CNC asked the Mitsu boss if he is concerned the LCV underpinnings of the new vehicle will scare off private buyers. Would for instance, safety concerns (in terms of the perception of the crashworthiness of body-on-frame vehicles) be addressed in the vehicles design?
Said McEniry: "I'll answer it two ways: one, you'll have to wait until we present the vehicle to you, because I don't want to give away too much; secondly, safety is a key platform for Mitsubishi... I think we've demonstrated that with Lancer, although not everyone gave us the credit for it..."
>> One word. Six letters. Sounds like Verada
Speaking of Lancer, we were going to run a competition this week for the best original suggestion of what Mitsubishi will name its upcoming 2.4-litre luxo version of the Lancer (more here).
Were... Until our own nomenclature nut; our own flouncing factoid; our own dancing database; or own mincing master of minutiae, Kenny G, took out first prize before we'd even organised it.
For those not paying attention, the abovementioned Mr McEniry revealed Mitsubishi will give the upcoming, upmarket Lancer its own identity for marketing purposes. He revealed it would not be an alphanumeric designation, but a name of six letters.
The fact he added "And it's not the one you're all thinking of" ruled out Verada and Galant in our minds. And the older members of staff thought Lancer by Lancer might be hard to explain to the youngies...
So what do we reckon it is? Our money (specifically Mr Gratton's) is on Mitsubishi's Japanese market name for the Lancer sedan, Fortis... Remember, you read it here first! (Unless of course, we're wrong -- in which case you read it at GoAuto!)
>> Blue and Green can never be seen?
This week, the Carsales Network attended the presentation of CSIRO's 'Fuel for Thought', a manifesto explaining that we must all do our bit to reduce CO2 emissions... And that we can help ourselves in the process by using less fossil fuel -- or any other type of fuel that produces CO2 as a by-product of combustion.
All very laudable and we're fully onboard with it, but... Who hosted this important media orgy? Why, Holden, of course...
We don't want to bash either of our two local manufacturers, but Holden's green credentials are yet to be validated and this is as important an issue for Ford to support as it is for Holden.
Indeed, in some respects, Ford, with its e-Gas Falcon and the improved engine efficiency of the FG models (even in petrol form) is further along a green path than Holden. So why was the Blue Team conspicuous by its absence?
>> Sportwagon: late or not?
Debate is raging in the CN Confidential mosh pit with regard to whether Holden's Sportwagon is late or not... Holden is adamant the car is on schedule, however, a straw poll around the motoring press corp seems to indicate that everyone expected the car in the first quarter of 2008, if not earlier.
The difference may have been the 'hard' and 'stretch' targets giving to Holden's production teams. It seems likely the Sportwagon has hit the official target date for launch, but has missed its 'best case' window.
Either way it seems that the mid-year debut of the wagon will have affected the timetable for any facelift for the VE range. While some pundits had slightly tweaked VE models debuting at October's Australian International Motor Show, that now seems highly unlikely.
Indeed, the changes to be made to the VEs seem set to be under the skin. Just as HSV ushered in its changeover to new higher horsepower V8s without bodywork changes, so it now seems likely Holden will institute rolling powertrain changes (such as the arrival of Active Fuel Management cylinder-deactivation-equipped V8s) to its cooking models.
>> No extra-luxo Caprice
A new body-in-white will be required if Holden is to up-spec its Caprice LWB flagship to incorporate the airliner-style reclining rear seats that are fitted to the Chinese (Buick) and Korean (Daewoo) variants of the car.
The S-Class-esque recliners have been on the wish list of factions within Holden for some time. However, Holden execs have confirmed to CNC that their adoption would require local certification of a new bodyshell.
As that would include crash certification, and the expected volumes the variant would generate are small (mainly hire cars), the features will not be offered locally -- at least in this model generation.
>> At last, a Lotus that can't break down
Acronyms and contractions power the car industry -- ESP, ACD, VTEC and so on... And then there's the brands themselves -- BMW, Saab and Fiat (Fix it again Tony)...
Now, our favourite acronymic carmaker, Lotus (Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious), has finally put its name on a vehicle that can't breakdown. Well, not in terms of an engine failure anyway...
Lotus Cars UK has joined forces with the Royal Air Force (RAF) Bobsleigh Team to hone and tune one of its competition sleds. The result, after 70-plus hours of engineering time, is a state of the art sled and the basis for perhaps one of the most contrived press releases we've received in some time.
Cop this lot... "For Lotus it was an ideal opportunity to demonstrate its state-of-the-art engineering skills. Mike Kimberley, Chief Executive for Group Lotus is very enthusiastic about the association: 'When the RAF Bobsleigh Team approached us, we were immediately grabbed by the very clear association between our high performing, exciting and high technology sports cars, advanced RAF aerospace engineering and the extreme sport of Bobsleigh.'
The sled, handsome that it is, with its "colour scheme change from its RAF blue to the traditional green and gold of Lotus" apparently carried Biggles, Algy, Bertie and the rest of the RAF team to a fighting third overall in the Inter-Services Ice Championships for 2008, held near the heart of the Hun stronghold at the Innsbruck/Igls Olympic Bobsleigh track in Austria.
Hmmm... That would be third... Behind the Army, Navy and...
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