Hyundai I30 2014 News

A successful Nurburgring 24 hour trial and new RM16 concept point the way to possible 2017 launch of hot Hyundai N brand.

Production of locally-made vehicles hit a 61-year low last year as new-car sales experienced their biggest slowdown since the Global Financial Crisis in 2009 and the natural disasters of 2011 -- as Australians treated themselves to a record number of imports, SUVs and luxury cars. Official figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries show 1,113,224 new cars were reported as sold in 2014 -- down 2 per cent compared with the previous year’s record 1,136,227 deliveries.Eight of the Top 10 brands were down -- only Hyundai and Subaru posted gains -- as most luxury marques posted significant sales increases. “The prices of luxury cars have come down … and they have a wider array of vehicles in different segments, so they’re starting to drift down into areas where they weren’t historically,” said the chief executive of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, Tony Weber. “Australia is now in its 23rd year of economic growth … it makes a a difference to people’s standard of living and that’s reflected in the car fleet,” said Mr Weber. It was the seventh time in the past eight years Australians have bought more than 1 million cars in a calendar year, and the third year in a row it has topped the 1.1 million mark. However record-low interest rates and car affordability at a 38-year high were not enough to drive sales growth for the mainstream brands -- even though the strong Australian dollar wound back prices of popular models by 20 years. The Toyota Corolla -- starting at $19,990 plus on-road costs, the same price it was in 1994 -- was Australia’s top-selling car for the second year in a row ahead of the Mazda3 as sales of our historical favourites, the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon, hit a new rock bottom.Just 100,468 locally-made Holdens, Fords and Toyotas were sold in 2014; the last time the tally was this low was in 1953 when 99,133 vehicles were made in Australia.Just 100,468 locally-made Holdens, Fords and Toyotas were sold in 2014; the last time the tally was this low was in 1953 when 99,133 vehicles were made in Australia, according to a historical Manufacturing Industries report prepared by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.The same report shows, at its peak, the Australian car manufacturing industry produced 473,045 vehicles in 1976. Between 1968 and 1985 the annual average number of vehicles produced locally exceeded 400,000.  However, the Australian car manufacturing industry has been in free fall since the most recent peak of 344,000 vehicles were produced locally just seven years ago, in 2007. In 1960, more than 90 per cent of cars sold in Australia were made locally. In 2005, locally made vehicles accounted for one in four (25 per cent) of all new cars sold. In 2014, less than one in 10 cars (or 9 per cent) was built locally. Falcon sales fell to a shockingly low 6349 deliveries in 2014, less than one-third of the Falcon’s first full year in production on the same Broadmeadows assembly line in 1960 when 26,499 cars were made. The Ford Falcon, last the top-seller in 1995, is now well outside the Top 20, overtaken by the likes of the Volkswagen Golf and a raft of other imports. Ford as a brand had a shocker, posting its worst sales in more than 23 years (as far as digital records go back ) and the 10th year in a row in decline. The Holden Commodore posted its second lowest result on record (30,203 deliveries) but still managed to finish in fifth place even though it has been in a sales slide for the past six months in a row and Holden posted its lowest result in 21 years. Sales of the Holden Cruze, which is made alongside the Commodore at the Holden factory in Elizabeth, are barely half their peak of 33,784 deliveries in 2011. The locally-made Toyota Camry also found market conditions tough, with sales down 11 per cent to 22,044 deliveries -- despite drive-away deals at $26,990, about $8000 off the full retail price -- although it has remained Australia’s best selling medium-size sedan for 21 years. Despite the factory slowdowns Australia’s three remaining car manufacturers say they will keep their factories open until their planned shutdown dates: October 2016 for Ford and late 2017 for Holden and Toyota. Toyota is in the final stages of upgrading its Altona factory to introduce the updated Camry by the middle of this year, two-thirds of which will be exported to the Middle East until the closure. Toyota was the market leader for a record 12th year in a row – ahead of Mazda -- and 18 years in total. But it wasn’t all good news for the Japanese giant; Toyota sales were down for the third year in a row, to 203,498 deliveries, a significant drop from its peak of 238,983 new cars in 2008.Toyota says it will bounce back in 2015 with 10 new models over the next 12 months, including updates to the Camry, Prius and an all-new HiLux. Hyundai eclipsed the 100,000 mark for the first time and Mercedes-Benz came within 1000 sales of bumping off Honda and making it into the Top 10. Indeed, at least three brands -- Jeep, Kia and Mercedes-Benz -- came close to pushing into the Top 10 sellers list. NSW was the only state or territory to post a sales gain in a down market (up 1.5 per cent) and accounted for almost a third of the nation’s new vehicle sales (356,174). Utility vehicles continued to climb the sales ladder, boosted by mining and building sectors and the arrival of more car-like workhorses that serve as family cars on weekends.The Toyota HiLux was Australia’s top-selling pick-up for the 36th year in a row, although the Ford Ranger closed the gap to second place in the ute class ahead of the Mitsubishi Triton.The Toyota HiLux was Australia’s top-selling pick-up for the 36th year in a row, although the Ford Ranger closed the gap to second place in the ute class ahead of the Mitsubishi Triton. All three vehicles made it into the Top 10.Australia’s favourite SUV is a city-friendly faux-wheel-drive called the Mazda CX-5, which signifies another change in buyer tastes: we no longer need heavy duty four-wheel-drives to enjoy the great outdoors. SUV sales hit an all-time high in 2014 and for the first time accounted for more than 30 per cent of the new-car market. “The increase in SUV purchases is a reflection of the versatility these vehicles provide and the increasing range available in the market,” said Mr Weber. Last year Australians bought 100,000 fewer passenger cars than they did in the peak year of 2007 -- and yet over the same period SUV sales have grown by more than 150,000 vehicles. Eight years ago passenger cars accounted for more than 60 per cent of the market; over the past two years they have slipped below 50 per cent. Industry experts believe the shift towards SUVs will continue in 2015 and forecast a similar sales result of 1.1 million vehicles. Mazda and Toyota have just announced price adjustments ahead of the Free Trade Agreement with Japan which comes into force on January 15, 2015. However, rather than discount prices, both car makers have indicated they will add equipment. The removal of the 5 per cent tariff will not equate to a 5 per cent reduction in the RRP; the 5 per cent cut applies to the landed cost of the car and will typically translate to a $500 saving -- or $500 of extra equipment -- on a $20,000 car, according to industry insiders. Cars sourced from South Korea landed have also been exempt from a 5 per cent tariff from December 15, 2014 -- but Holden (which sources most models from South Korea), Hyundai and Kia are yet to announce FTA-related price cuts or equipment changes. Top 10 cars in 2014Toyota Corolla 43,735 -- up 0.5 per centMazda3 43,313 -- up 2.9 per centToyota HiLux 38,126 -- down 4.5 per centHyundai i30 31,505 -- up 3.0 per centHolden Commodore 30,203 -- up 8.8 per centFord Ranger 26,619 -- up 22.3 per centMitsubishi Triton 24,256 -- down 1.0 per centToyota Camry -- 22,044 down 11.3 per centMazda CX-5 21,571 -- up 7.2 per centVolkswagen Golf 19,545 -- up 10.6 per cent Top 10 brands in 2014Toyota 203,501 -- down 5.2 per centHolden 106,092 -- down 5.3 per centMazda 100,704 -- down 2.4 per centHyundai 100,011 -- up 3.1 per centFord 79,703 -- down 8.6 per centMitsubishi 68,637 -- down 4.0 per centNissan 66,025 -- down 14.0 per centVolkswagen 54,801 -- down 0.2 per centSubaru 40,502 -- up 0.8 per centHonda 32,998 -- down 15.9 per cent WinnersAlfa Romeo -- up 5.3 per centAston Martin -- up 8.1 per centAudi -- up 20.1 per centBentley -- up 11.6 per centBMW -- up 10.7 per centCitroen -- up 10.8 per centFerrari -- up 6.6 per centFiat -- up 49.4 per centHyundai -- up 3.1 per centIsuzu -- up 63 per centJaguar -- up 5.6 per centJeep -- up 37.2 per centLand Rover -- up 21.0 per centLexus -- up 1.2 per centMaserati -- up 199 per centMercedes-Benz -- up 15.8 per centMini -- up 1.4 per centPorsche -- up 47.6 per centRenault -- up 42.7 per centRolls-Royce -- up 143 per centSkoda -- up 8.4 per centSubaru -- up 0.8 per cent LosersFord -- down 8.6 per centGreat Wall -- down 56.8 per centHolden -- down 5.3 per centHonda -- down 15.9 per centKia -- down 6.0 per centLamborghini -- down 42.6 per centLotus -- down 14.1 per centMazda -- down 2.4 per centMitsubishi -- down 4.0 per centNissan -- down 14.0 per centPeugeot -- down 0.4 per centSuzuki -- down 21.1 per centToyota -- down 5.2 per centVolkswagen -- down 0.2 per centVolvo -- down 9.3 per cent Australia versus the world: a generation of decline1960: 284,992 of 310,519 = 91.7 per cent locally made cars2005: 248,912 of 988,269 = 25 per cent locally made cars2006: 201,623 of 962,666 = 20.9 per cent locally made cars2007: 200,485 of 1,049,982 = 19 per cent locally made cars2008: 171,432 of 1,012,164 = 16.9 per cent locally made cars2009: 147,680 of 937,328 = 15.7 per cent locally made cars2010: 146,314 of 1,035,574 = 14.1 per cent locally made cars2011: 141,939 of 1,008,437 = 14.0 per cent locally made cars2012: 139,796 of 1,112,032 = 12.5 per cent locally made cars2013: 118,510 of 1,136,227 = 10.4 per cent locally made cars2014:  100,468 of 1,113,224 = 9.0 per cent locally made cars Source: Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries

There are plenty of deals on wheels in the race to the end of the year.The two best-selling cars in Australia -- the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3 -- are in a neck-and-neck race to become Number One for the year.The Corolla leads the year-to-date tally and Toyota as a brand is trying to eclipse 200,000 sales for the 10th time -- as market leader for a record 12th year in a row.The reigning champion Corolla overtook the Mazda3 in the year-to-date tally in July by just 21 sales -- but the pair have swapped the monthly lead three times in the past four months.The Mazda3 landed the most recent punch, outselling the Corolla in November and closing the gap to top spot and now either brand could win for the year. In decades of Ford versus Holden rivalry the finish was never this close.Even if these two cars are not on your shopping list this is still good news because their discounting has dragged other brands into the battle, giving buyers more bargaining power than usual.December and January customarily make for sharp buying because dealers are trying to clear 2014-built stock.But the tight battle at the top of the charts has increased the pressure in the biggest segment of the market. Here are the best deals we found this week, in order of each car’s popularity on the 2014 sales charts.Toyota CorollaThe discounts are hard to find online but they’re available at the dealer if you go in with a reasonable target price rather than a made-up one.Toyota is trying to walk customers up to the Ascent Sport ($23,990 drive-away for manual and $25,990 drive-away for auto) but the best deal is still on the most affordable model.Aim for $21,990 drive-away for the Corolla Ascent hatch or $22,740 drive-away for the sedan. Both come with seven airbags but the sedan gets a standard rear-view camera and parking sensors.Mazda3Mazda is being discreet with its discounting and dealers will try to upsell you to the dearer models. Once again, the cheapest models are the best buying. The website says "free on-roads", which effectively means you can take the RRP and turn that into a drive-away price. Aim for $19,990 drive-away for a manual and $21,990 drive-away for an automatic.Hyundai i30The Hyundai i30 hatch comes with a $1000 EFTPOS card, but you can turn that into a $1000 discount. Aim for $19,990 drive-away for a manual or $22,540 drive-away for an auto -- if you don’t take the spending card. There’s also a finance offer: no deposit or repayments until 2016, but be sure to check the interest rate.Holden CruzeThe Australian-made Holden Cruze is struggling, sales are down, and it is on track to go out of production at least one year before the Commodore (when Holden will import the new generation Cruze). Which is why Holden has an epic deal: $19,990 drive-away with automatic transmission plus a five-year warranty. The only catch: metallic paint is $550, the dearest of the mainstream brands.Vokswagen GolfThe German brand wants to overtake Toyota for global sales leadership by 2018 and is dropping Golf prices the world over. At $22,990 drive-away for the manual and $24,990 drive-away for the automatic it is about $4000 off the full RRP. But the best buying is the Jetta sedan (an updated model is due early next year). The price is an unbelievable $19,990 drive-away for a manual and $22,990 drive-away for an auto, about $7000 off the full RRP.Ford FocusThe Ford Focus Ambiente sedan and hatch have been trimmed to a super-sharp $18,490 drive-away for a manual or just $19,990 drive-away for an auto -- once you take up the $1000 discount or “cash back” offer funded by Ford.Nissan PulsarThe Nissan Pulsar is the sharpest buying in the small car class: $18,476 drive-away for a manual or just $19,476 drive-away for an automatic if you ask politely. There is just one catch: Nissan wasn’t very good at clearing stock this time last year, so these deals are on 2013-built cars.Even though they’ve been sitting around for at least a year, the dealer will prep them so they’re as good as new and the three three-year warranty starts the day you take delivery. But it’ll be marked down slightly at resale time because you’re trading in a 2013 model, not a 2014.Mitsubishi LancerGiven that the Lancer is one of the oldest cars in the class (it has been with us in this guise for seven years) its discounting could be a little sharper than this: $18,990 drive-away for a manual and $21,490 drive-away for an auto -- once a $1000 cash back is taken into account.Hyundai ElantraRecently given a freshen up the Elantra can be had for the same money as the Hyundai i30 hatch: aim for $19,990 drive-away for a manual or $22,540 drive-away for an auto if you don’t take the $1000 spending card. Not the sharpest deal around but not the worst.Kia CeratoLast but certainly not least, the Kia Cerato is among the sharpest deals out there, especially when you consider the market-leading seven year warranty: $19,990 drive-away for a manual or an automatic (yes, same price for both), about $4000 off.

New-car sales have slowed for nine out of the past 10 months as Australian-made cars fall out of favour and we embrace luxury cars.Australians are falling out of love with locally-made cars faster than expected, putting increased pressure on the industry to make it all the way to the end of 2017 before Ford, Holden and Toyota factories shut down.Official sales figures for October show that sales of Australian-made cars have tanked and we are buying imported and luxury cars in greater numbers than ever before.The Ford Falcon, once our top seller, hit a new record low of just 396 deliveries in October as the new-car market slowed for the ninth time in 10 months, figures released at midday Thursday are expected to show.The new Commodore has also hit the skids, with sales down by a staggering 33 per cent, which dragged Holden’s tally across the range down by 28 per cent in the same month that company boss Gerry Dorizas left Holden suddenly after a little more than six months in the job.VIDEO: Holden says it's here to stay RELATED: Holden boss makes sudden exit MORE: Govt must boost funds to stop early shut downs Even the bulletproof Toyota Camry is off the boil, with sales down by 15 per cent compared with the same month last year.The Ford Falcon and Toyota Camry are due to receive updates in the next few months and a dip in sales is usually offset by heavy discounting. But both cars have failed to attract buyers as they once did.Despite record low interest rates and car affordability at a 38-year high, official sales figures for October show the market is down by 1.5 per cent compared with the same month last year, with 91,236 deliveries, although we are still on track to buy more than 1 million vehicles in 2014.Private buyers kept their hands in their pockets (sales down 3.9 per cent), as did business fleets (down 2.0 per cent). Only government (up 2.2 per cent) and rental fleets (up 18 per cent) showed growth in October, the latter injecting new cars into the system ahead of the summer holidays.The Toyota Corolla has stretched its lead over the new Mazda3 as Australia’s favourite car for 2014, although the pair is separated by fewer than 1000 sales year-to-date.This means if you’re in the market for a new Corolla or Mazda3 in the next two months you will likely get an even sharper deal as each tries to secure the top-seller title.In other upsets, South Korean car maker Hyundai was the second best-selling brand for the first time ever, ahead of Holden and behind Toyota. Hyundai Australia has been led by CEO John Elsworth, a former Holden executive for 22 years, since 2012.Meanwhile German luxury brand Mercedes-Benz made it into the Top 10 for only the second time ever (the first time was in May this year), ahead of mainstream brands Jeep and Kia.Luxury vehicles now account for approximately 10 per cent of Australia’s new-car sales; the global average is 7 per cent.Top 10 cars in OctoberToyota Corolla 3819 down 1.1 per centToyota HiLux 3228 up 1.7 per centMazda3 2928 down 19 per centHyundai i30 2475 up 4.0 per centFord Ranger 2405 up 18 per centHolden Commodore 2210 down 33 per centToyota Camry 1908 down 15.2 per centMitsubishi Triton 1787 down 2.6 per centVolkswagen Golf 1755 down 10.8 per centMazda CX-5 1594 up 3.5 per centTop 10 brands in OctoberToyota 17,382 down 4.1 per centHyundai 8401 up 3.3 per centHolden 7542 down 28.4 per centMazda 6880 down 13.6 per centFord 6337 down 15.3 per centNissan 5759 up 8.9 per centMitsubishi 5115 up 0.9 per centVolkswagen 4764 down 3.0 per centSubaru 4003 up 40.0 per centMercedes-Benz 3150 up 39.3 per centSource: Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, VFACTS. Percentage change compared to the same month last year.

The small-car segment has plenty of options - the players are frugal yet safe and well-appointed. Here are the best buys under $16K.

Just 21 cars separate Toyota Corolla and Mazda3 in the 2014 new-car sales race.New-car bargains are set to continue as sales slowed for the sixth month in a row and dealers remain overstocked.Affordability may be at a 38-year-high and prices already at 20-year lows, but new-car deliveries are down by 2.1 per cent in the first seven months of this year (to 649,818 deliveries) compared to the same period last year.Figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries show new-car sales dipped by 0.4 per cent in July compared with the same month last year, with 89,867 vehicles finding new homes.Experts say the downturn could be a "hangover" from last year’s all-time record, with 1,136,227 vehicles reported as sold.Industry insiders believe the official data has been distorted because a number of big brands declared cars as sold last year even though they hadn’t actually been delivered to customers.At least one company, Nissan, has admitted it is delivering more new cars this year than what it is reporting to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, so that it can balance its books. Mitsubishi and Honda are believed to be doing the same."If you look at (the official sales figures) it may look like we’re falling behind, but the truth is we’re clearing stuff that was already counted," Nissan Australia boss Richard Emery told industry journal GoAuto."So the (official sales figures) you’ve been seeing from us is understated compared to what we’ve actually been putting across the (kerb)." One source who asked to remain anonymous told News Corp Australia: "The industry has digested most of the cars declared as sold last year, even though they were still in dealer stock, so you will start to see the reported sales numbers pick up later in the year."With the Australian dollar likely to strengthen later in the year, according to economists, and with interest rates remaining at record lows, sharp deals are expected to continue across most makes and models.At the top of the sales charts the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3 are in a tighter battle than the Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore ever were.The last time the Ford Falcon outsold Holden Commodore in a month, in September 2003, it was by just 48 sales (7409 versus 7361).The Toyota Corolla -- last year’s top seller -- has taken the lead in the new-car sales race for the first time in 2014, just 21 cars ahead of the arch rival Mazda3.The Mazda3 was Australia’s favourite car for two of the past three years and ended the Holden Commodore’s 15-year winning streak in 2011.Official sales figures for July show the Corolla was the top selling car for the fifth month in a row, but it is the first time it has topped the year-to-date tally after the Mazda3 posted an unusually high number of "demonstrator" deliveries at the start of the year.However, only four of the Top 10 brands posted sales gains, and Holden’s 10th month in a row of sales surges came to an end, posting an 11 per cent drop in July compared with the same month last year.The Holden Commodore has also posted its first monthly sales decline for the first time since the new model went on sale a year ago. But at least there was a silver lining for Holden: it had three cars in the Top 10.As a sign of the changing times, in the luxury segment Mercedes-Benz’s AMG division has outsold Holden Special Vehicles so far this year; figures show HSV sold 1056 cars to June (with the supercharged HSV GTS accounting for almost half of the brand’s sales) compared with 1208 AMG Mercedes-Benz cars.Top 10 cars in July 2014Toyota Corolla 3800 -- down 3.7 per centMazda3 3421 -- down 1.2 per centToyota HiLux 3140 -- up 5.6 per centHolden Commodore 2469 -- down 12.7 per centHyundai i30 2434 -- up 6.3 per centFord Ranger 2023 -- up 13.5 per centMazda CX-5 1895 -- up 15.7 per centToyota Camry 1806 -- down 12.4 per centHolden Cruze 1747 -- down 29.2 per centHolden Colorado 1443 -- down 14.8 per centTop 10 brands in July 2014Toyota 16,486 down 5.4 per centHolden 8990 down 11.3 per centHyundai 8351 up 4.3 per centMazda 8048 down 5.6 per centFord 6210 down 7.8 per centNissan 5451 up 7.5 per centMitsubishi 5042 down 10.4 per centVolkswagen 3991 up 0.6 per centSubaru 3121 up 0.6 per centHonda 2708 down 1.4 per centSource: Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, percentage change compared with the same month last year.

Ute sales boom to new record in June but not everyone was a winner.

THE Holden Commodore has made a surprising recovery in the March sales race with a staggering 85 per cent sales increase compared with the same month the prior year -- narrowly missing a place on the podium as the nation’s fourth most popular car.Official figures released today show it was the Commodore’s third-best monthly sales tally since the new VF model went on sale 10 months ago, as the Holden brand overall posted a 19 per cent sales surge -- the strongest growth of any Top 10 brand and the seventh month in a row it has outpaced the market.However, the sharp percentage increases are largely due to the Commodore posting its second-lowest monthly result ever in March last year (1606 sales). The Commodore’s tally for March this year of 2967 sales is still down compared with the 2012 figure of about 3200 deliveries.But the Commodore’s old arch rival, the Ford Falcon, continued to rank well outside the Top 10, with just 641 deliveries. The Cruze small car that is built alongside the Commodore had a tough run, with sales down 30 per cent on the same month last year -- about half the sales rate as the same month just two years ago.March is the typically the second-biggest month for new-car sales as the Japanese brands have a surge in the lead-up to the end of the Japanese financial year, which closed on March 31. The sharp discounting prompts also the non-Japanese brands to compete.Last year’s top-selling car, the Toyota Corolla, led the March sales race -- but the Mazda3 small car, which was the market leader in January and February, still leads the year-to-date tally. The third-placed Toyota HiLux ute again squeezed the Commodore off the podium in March. But the Commodore still managed to outsell the popular Hyundai i30, Ford Ranger ute and Toyota Camry sedan.The Commodore also proved more popular than the updated Mazda CX-5 and Toyota RAV4 SUVs, which ranked just inside the Top 10 sellers list for March. The official figures show the new-car market is beginning to make a recovery after a downturn in January and February. Sales in March were down by just 0.1 per cent, to 97,267 deliveries, while sales in the first three months combined are down by 2.4 per cent.But the downturn has been exaggerated by Nissan, Honda and Mitsubishi, which have all posted massive sales slowdowns for the first three months of this year, likely because their dealer networks are still clearing cars that were declared as sold in 2013.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling

You are, of course, welcome. What is it you say? Kia ora? On the other hand New Zealand’s much vaunted practice of mass importing used cars - so-called grey imports - is a custom best kept east of the Tasman.In view of the response to last week’s column, this is an issue worth clarifying. When New Zealanders had the most wretched fleet of vehicles outside the third world, getting about in Anglias and Zephyrs, grey imports were a means of making motoring affordable.New Zealand’s automotive conditions are not ours. Here, where according to Roy Morgan the average worker earns 26.3 per cent more than the equivalent Kiwi, new car ownership has never been more affordable.Our government imposes tariffs and luxury vehicle tax, yet cars - even prestige cars - sell at a record rate. In the most popular segment, you can get a Hyundai i30, Mazda3 or Ford Focus for less than $21,000 with full factory warranty, capped-price servicing and legal recourse in the event of failure.You have some surety of retained value. Most incoming cars are tyred and tuned for local conditions. What would you get with a grey import of uncertain history flogged by a dealer who is not accountable to the brand whose wares fill his forecourt? Next to none of the above.Many missives I’ve received boast of New Zealand’s six-monthly certificate of road worthiness. None grasp its necessity. D’you reckon it might have something to do with the NZ vehicle fleet being the oldest of any Westernised country? Here there are more than 60 brands to keep competition acute and standards of quality and equipment high.Market pressure does not exist on this scale or concentration elsewhere. New Zealand needed used imports for the very reasons Australia does not. Yet the Productivity Commission blithely advocates a practice that will diminish the quality of cars on the road, erode security of ownership and destroy Australian-owned businesses.At issue is not importers of specialist vehicles who do niche numbers for enthusiasts. It’s countless grey Corollas. Even the basic specification of factory-imported. Despite 54,000 New Zealanders leaving for Australia in 2012 alone, economists tell us the joint’s experiencing an upturn. Great.A country whose fairest city is destroyed by natural disaster deserves all good fortune. I don’t occupy an economist’s lofty perch. If I did, I wouldn’t be blind to a post grey import Australia in which tens of thousands of substandard cars blight the streets - nor to unemployment figures swelled by tens of thousands “liberated” from jobs in car retail.New Zealand, by all means send us your best and brightest. And Russell Crowe if you must. But hold your counsel on this issue. As anyone using their grey matter can see, the scenario for used imports is all black for Australia.

The top-two sellers will be driving the competition; an all-new Mazda3 is around the corner and Toyota will introduce an all-new Corolla sedan to sell alongside last year's champion.Good supply of the two all-new top-selling models means that everyone else in the small-car class -- representing almost a quarter of all new vehicles sold -- will have to sharpen their pencils or risk becoming old stock.To that end, the Mitsubishi Lancer will be in runout for most of the year, while Suzuki will also be pushing hard to clear the decks of its popular Alto city car, ahead of the new model which has grown in size.The locally-made Holden Cruze will also find the going particularly tough against the newer models; Holden has already admitted it loses money on each one it builds and can't limbo much lower on price.Volkswagen will likely maintain its promotional pricing on the Golf every other month as the German factory ramps up production, while Hyundai also has its revised i30 hatch and Elantra sedan twins to take to market."There's never been a better time to buy a new car," said Toyota Australia executive director Tony Cramb, intentionally repeating an old industry cliché.Low interest rates and improved consumer confidence have helped drive sales, he said.Several runout models -- particularly the Nissan Navara and Mitsubishi Triton utes, both of which were Top 10 finishers -- have prompted unprecedented discounts.The new-car market dipped by up to 3 per cent from August to November 2013 in the wake of the Rudd Government's proposed changes to Fringe Benefits Tax rules on company cars, but the industry expects a full recovery in 2014 after December's modest rise of 1.4 per cent.The industry has forecast an increase from last year's record of 1,136,227 new-car sales, to 1,145,000 in 2014.However, Mr Cramb said new-car sales in 2013 would have been higher if not for changes to Fringe Benefits Tax rules proposed by the former Labor Government."The FBT announcement made by the former government definitely slowed down business sales … there are many companies still just making their way back to normal purchases," said Mr Cramb.He said it took the market "a lot longer than we had anticipated" to recover form the botched plan that would have quadrupled the tax on company cars."Companies have extended leases, delayed purchasing decisions, and rather than coming back once … the new Government made it clear they were going to implement previous Government's policies, there was a skepticism in the market among the big fleet companies."This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling