You may not have heard a starting gun, but early May triggers a sprint to June 30th as manufacturers and dealers aim to break the tape on financial year targets.
Here, WhichCar brings you a comprehensive guide to all the key EOFY offers being offered across May and June.
Make sure you always check the terms and conditions of deals. Most offers are restricted to private buyers and are based on vehicles being ordered, and often delivered, by 30th June. (Where driveaway deals are detailed, they are based on a Sydney, NSW, postcode, and may vary.)
ALFA ROMEO Alfa’s Ross sales event focuses on the Giulietta hatchback. There’s a $29,900 driveaway deal specifically for the Super manual (normally $29,000 before on-road costs are added), while three years of complimentary servicing is offered across the range.
BMW The German luxury brand’s EOFY deals are headlined “Let’s talks numbers”, and encouraging buyers to contact their preferred dealer to discuss a deal. BMW Sydney, for example, is reducing recommended driveaway prices by the amount equal to that model’s GST. Its only exceptions in the range are the M2, M4 GTS, M4 DTM, and just-released 5 Series.
FIAT The 500 series models are being offered with special driveaway deals till 30th June as part of the Festival of Fiat. The 500X SUV range is available from $25,000 with no more to pay (for a Pop manual), while the retro-inspired 500 city car is offered from $19,000 driveaway. The sportier Abarth 595 variants are also give driveaway specials. There’s also three years of free scheduled servicing and a zero per cent PA comparison rate thrown into the mix.
FORD Variable deals are being run across the Focus small car, Escape SUV, Everest seven-seater SUV and Ranger ute. The Focus Trend and Sport variants are both being offered with a free auto upgrade and reduced driveaway pricing – $24,490 and $27,990, respectively. There are savings of between $750 and $2500 for Escape variants, with the latter available on the Ambiente FWD petro auto. The Everest’s Trend RWD, Trend AWD and range-topping Titanium each get a $1000 saving. And there’s a free auto upgrade for the 4×4 XLS and XLT dual-cab versions of the Ranger.
HOLDEN Holden’s Step Up campaign features three years of free scheduled servicing for a raft of models, while there are also special driveaway deals. The Spark’s $13,990 starting driveaway point effectively removes most on-road costs. The Astra R variant – manual or auto – doesn’t necessarily save huge amounts with its driveaway deals, though an extended warranty increases peace of mind ownership from three to five years. There’s a much better DA deal for the Captiva LTZ SUV – $35,990 versus an RRP of $40,490 – while the Colorado LTZ 4×4 Crew Cab is $49,990 DA with a free auto upgrade.
HONDA Honda Australia traditionally prefers to offer extra incentives based around ownership rather than reduced prices, and it’s a similar scenario for 2017. Free 5-year roadside assistance, extended warranty (5yrs/140,000km rather than standard 3yrs/100,000km), free registration and free CTP are offered on the Odyssey people-mover, Accord large car, and VTi auto and VTi-L auto versions of the City light sedan. The roadside assistance and extended warranty offer is also applied to the MY16 Civic sedan as well as the VTi-S auto Civic sedan.
ISUZU UTE There are driveaway deals being offered on selected variants of Isuzu Ute’s two models, the D-Max ute and MU-X SUV.
JAGUAR British brand is offering savings equal to GST on its XE and XF sedans, and F-Pace SUV.
JEEP For starters, Jeep’s Freedom Days EOFY campaign is presenting a 1.9% PA comparison rate across its entire range. That’s then supplemented by some strong driveaway deals for its Renegade compact SUV (from $26,000 DA), Cherokee mid-sized SUV (from $34,000 DA), and flagship Grand Cherokee (from $48,500 DA).
KIA There are differing incentives covering most of the Korean brand’s local line-up. There are driveaway offers for the Rio city car, Cerato small car, Soul SUV, and just-launched, single-spec Picanto micro car – the latter adding a financial offer. There’s an even lower PA comparison rate for the Optima medium car – 1.7% – while all trim grades of the Sportage mid-sized SUV gain a $1000 factory-bonus deduction, and the Si Limited variant of the company’s bigger SUV, the Sorento, is given extra features worth $3000 and comprising leather-appointed seats, 18-inch wheels, wood-look steering wheel and ‘Limited’ badging. All deals are currently valid only until 31st May, though have the potential to be extended.
LEXUS The Japanese luxury marque has four specific offers for the EOFY period, with driveaway specials for Luxury trim-grade versions of the CT200h hybrid hatch, IS200t petrol turbo medium car, RC200t petrol turbo coupe, and RX200t petrol turbo SUV.
LAND ROVER As with sister brand Jaguar, Land Rover is advertising a Main Event offer that deducts the GST equivalent from the Manufacturer’s List Price (MLP). The deal applies to the entry-level Land Rover and Range Rover models – respectively the Discovery Sport and Evoque.
LDV The now-Chinese-owned LDV brand is having an EOFY ‘Celebration’ campaign offering its G10 (2016 build) diesel van for the same price of the manual-transmission version – a saving of $2500. (The driveaway price is $28,990.)
MASERATI If you’ve always dreamed of driving a trident-badged car, for a limited time Maserati is offering demonstrator models of the GranTurismo coupe and GranCabrio convertible for the new-car driveaway price minus the notorious luxury car tax (LCT).
MAZDA Until June 30, 2016 builds of the 2 city car are being offered with slightly reduced on-road costs, the 3 small car range comes with 12 months free CTP and rego, as well as free stamp duty. The 6 medium car gets an undisclosed ‘EOFY bonus’ (Mazda likes to encourage buyers to get in touch with its dealers.)
MITSUBISHI Something a bit different from Mitsubishi. Selected variants of the Lancer, ASX, Outlander, Pajero Sport and Triton reward buyers with an EFTPOS card worth between $1000 and $2000. Buyers can either wait about six weeks for their loaded EFTPOS card or trade it in instantly for the same-value reduction off the driveaway price.
NISSAN An EOFY special combining a 2.9% comparison rate and driveaway deals is being offered on ST (base model) trim grades of the Juke baby SUV, Qashqai mid-sized SUV, and Pathfinder large SUV. For ABN buyers, Nissan is throwing in fitted accessories worth $6000 on the Navara STX dual-cab ute.
RENAULT The Megane and Koleos are both offered with free on-roads for 2016-plate models, with the small car starting from $22,500 driveaway and the SUV from $30,000 driveaway.
SKODA VW’s Czech brand is promoting a 2.5% comparison rate until 30 June for all models (2016-plate) – though only for buyers signing up for a Skoda finance plan.
SUBARU There’s up to five years, unlimited kilometres warranty being offered on Subaru models, as well as other offers – though the popular brand is inviting prospects to contact dealers for more details.
SUZUKI There are driveaway specials for specific variants of the (outgoing) Swift, Baleno, Vitara, S-Cross Turbo and Grand Vitara. The latter also scores a free auto upgrade.
TOYOTA Driveaway deals covering multiple models. Some Camry and Aurion variants are also offered with a 0% comparison rate, while a number of HiLux models are available with free on-road costs plus upgrades such as alloy wheels.
VOLKSWAGEN Specific variants of various VW models are being offered with special driveaway pricing until 30 June, including the Golf (runout after arrival of 7.5 generation), Jetta, Polo, Passat Alltrack and Touareg. Commercial vehicles are also in the mix, and include a five-year/unlimited kms warranty for those signing up to finance plans. The Amarok Core 4×4 Dual Cab TDI400 manual ute also comes with a free upgrade to the 8-speed auto.
VOLVO Swedish brand’s medium and large SUVs, the XC60 and XC90, are being offered with three years/45,000km scheduled servicing, two years extended warranty (to five years), and a year’s free registration and CTP as part of EOFY.
The Colorado ute-based Holden Trailblazer is Holden’s seven-seat, family-friendly off-roader, and is about to get the ‘Z71’ treatment.
400 models of the Special Edition Trialblazer Z71 will go on sale in Australia in June this year, adding a long list of styling enhancements to the top-spec Traiblazer LTZ.
“The Trailblazer Z71 special edition adds stand-out styling to our adventure-ready, family-friendly 4×4 SUV, showing customers they really can have it all,” said Sean Poppitt, Holden’s Director – Communications.
Mechanically, the Z71 will remain the same as existing Trailblazer models with its all-wheel drive system and 2.8-litre turbo diesel engine, but buyers will be paying a $1000 premium for the SUV’s fresh new looks.
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On the exterior, it’s all about a blacked-out visual treatment with the Z71 sporting black 18-inch alloy wheels, body side and belt line mouldings, mirrors, door handles and gloss-black b-pillars. Z71 nomenclature will appear on the hood, head rest and floor mats.
Inside, the rear-view camera and infotainment system with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto will feature, with the addition of heated front leather seats.
It’ll be available in four colours; Summit White, Absolute Red and, for an extra $550 premium, two prestige choices in Satin Steel Grey and Mineral Black.
“With its impressive performance on and off roads as well as its connectivity and active safety technology, Trailblazer has already proved itself a well-equipped performer and now with new black wheels and black styling features it can do it all with an even greater presence on the roads,” said Poppitt.
AUDI’s look-at-me drop-top Spyder version of the ballistic R8 has arrived on red dirt, priced from $388,500 before on-road costs and finally bringing a return to topless fun for the V10-powered Audi flagship.
Customers wanting a 318km/h breeze in their hair are being asked for an extra $33,884 on top of the equivalent R8 Coupe, which arrived last year.
The mid-engined naturally aspirated V10 uses a dual injection system and 5.2 litres of displacement to produce 397kW of power and 540Nm of torque, compared to the discontinued model’s 386kW and 530Nm. Its fuel efficiency figures have also improved, with Audi claiming 11.7L/100km, bettering its previous 13.3L/100km figure.
It’s faster, too, springing to 100km/h from a standstill in just 3.6 seconds (previously 3.8 seconds) and reaching a top speed of 318km/h.
Other features include its lightweight cloth hood that uses electro-hydraulics to open and close the roof in 20 seconds at up to speeds of 50km/h. Inside, Audi’s virtual cockpit is featured with a 12.3-inch instrument display which includes driving dynamics information, map data and more, while the Bang & Olufsen Sound System offers an “excellent audio experience” thanks to loudspeakers on the seat’s headrest.
For now, Audi supercar fans will not be offered the Spyder in V10 plus form, with the Coupe retaining rights to the full-fat 449kW output in top-spec form at a $389,616 price tag.
Compared with the mechanically similar Lamborghini Huracan Spyder, the Audi offers a significant saving. Opting for the most potent LP610-4 will strip $470,800 from your account, while the rear-drive LP580-2 version still requires an investment of $429,000.
RANGE Rover’s next-gen Evoque has been spotted undergoing testing on public roads in Germany, but its heavy front-end camouflage and Frankenstein ripped-and-riveted body is keeping any juicy details a secret for now.
What little can be gleaned from the disguised car is that the new version appears to have a wider track, as indicated by the bolt-on rear wheel arch extensions, but sources suggest the wheelbase remains the same.
The shots also appear to show a boosted rear ride height, and the presence of a tow bar implies that this workhorse is responsible for testing rear suspension and transmission.
One small mystery regards a heavily modified fuel filler flap – or perhaps charging socket – that suggests the engineers are working on significant changes here as well. If the new Evoque borrows a platform or mechanicals from sister brand Jaguar and the F-Pace, electrified versions similar to the E-Pace or forthcoming I-Pace are a possibility.
It is likely the car maker will offer the latest engines in its arsenal including new engines from the Ingenium family, while a combination of two- and four-wheel drive transmissions will also transpire, mirroring the existing range.
Australians will have full access to VW’s Golf R Wagon as of January 2018, the company confirmed in a recent pricing announcement.
Volkswagen Australia also announced that 300 examples each of the R Wolfsburg Edition hatch and wagon will be available this year, with pricing slightly higher than regular models.
When those 300 R wagons sell out, no more will be available until the regular wagon arrives next year.
Unfortunately, Australia still cops a power decrease compared to Euro-spec models, which come equipped with 228kW. This has, in the past, been blamed on Australia’s hot climate.
In the Wolfsburg Edition, new Golf R owners can expect 19-inch Pretoria alloys, Oryx White Pearl, Lapiz Blue Metallic, and Deep Black Pearl effect paint finishes, chrome roof rails, and Nappa leather upholstery inside.
A Wolfsburg R hatch will set new owners back $57,990, while a wagon is an extra $2K at $59,990. Both come with 7-speed DSG.
There’s also the optional ($1300) Driver Assistance Pack, which includes lane assist, rear traffic alert, and dynamic light assist among others.
All Golf R buyers will have the option of adding the $1900 panoramic sunroof.
YOU know it’s bad. You know you shouldn’t be furtively glancing down at your phone while you’re stopped at the lights – or even worse, while you’re in motion – but you Just. Can’t. Stop. Looking. At. Your. Damn. Phone.
Nissan reckons it has the answer, and it’s a freaking Faraday cage in a Nissan Juke.
A Farawhat? If you weren’t paying attention in high school physics you may not be familiar with the term, but more studious types will know that a Faraday cage is a fairly old invention that blocks electromagnetic fields – the same fields that mobile phones use to communicate with cellular towers, and thus other phones and the Internet.
But Nissan’s concept, an initiative of Nissan UK that’s been dubbed ‘Signal Shield’, means you can quickly render your phone completely incommunicado with the outside world by popping it into a steel mesh-lined armrest and closing the lid.
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Need to urgently make a call? Have you pulled over and put your handbrake on like the responsible motorist that you are? Then just lift the lid and take your phone out.
Signal Shield is a concept for now, but is intended to draw attention to the road safety issue of distracted driving. According to a 2015 survey by the Transport Accident Commission, Some 90 percent of Aussies recognise the issue as a major problem on our roads, yet around 60 percent admit to using phones while driving.
And in the UK, the number of drivers surveyed by the RAC who admitted handling their phone while driving has increased from just eight percent in 2014, to 31 percent in 2016.
BY NOW, any car nut that knows their salt will be able to tell you that the monstrous McLaren 720S has 537kW up its sleeve, can crack the benchmark 100km/h in 2.9 seconds and won’t stop until the speedo needle is hovering over 341km/h.
So here are 7.2 fast facts to keep under your hat, should you need to silence the resident car geek this weekend.
2- With 390mm carbon-ceramic brake discs at the front and 380mm versions on the rear axle, combined with air-braking aerodynamics, the 720S can scrub 100km/h to zero a tenth of a second faster than the time it took to get there. By the time a Mini John Cooper Works has dashed from standstill to 100km/h, the McLaren has been there and back again.
3- For the price of one McLaren 720S, you could also be the proud owner of 37 Suzuki Celerios. Now that might not sound very appealing but if you could somehow combine the Suzuki powertrains you would have a handy 1850kW on your hands – more than three times the McLaren output.
5- At maximum speed, the McLaren would cover 5.7 kilometres every minute and its rear wheels would be spinning at more than 2500rpm.
6- It may have the latest carbonfibre construction and the company’s Monocage II at its core, but with a kerb weight of 1419kg, the 720S can’t match the father of all road-going McLarens: the 1138kg McLaren F1. Sure, the 720S has truck loads more power but it can’t equal the F1’s 408km/h top speed.
7.2 When it was finally revealed, the 720S name had been one of McLaren’s worst kept secrets, but the car maker claimed it had deliberately buried a clue in its publicity campaign in the build-up. In each of the six hype releases there was a numerical reference from one to six. 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 x 5 x 6 equals 720. Yeah right McLaren. As if anyone got that.
Kia has only just rolled the first examples of its next-generation Picanto into local showrooms, but plans are already afoot to turn up the heat on the Korean brand’s likeable compact.
Local suspension calibration work has already been carried out on the Picanto’s performance-oriented variant, with the turbocharged Picanto GT having undergone Kia Australia’s localisation process alongside the regular Picanto range earlier this year.
Though yet to be officially confirmed by Kia’s local office, the Picanto GT is so far destined for sale in Europe and Korea. Wheels understands the local business case for the Picanto GT is already well advanced.
A gain of 11kW may not sound like terribly much, but that amounts to a 17 percent increase in peak power. The 50Nm uplift in torque is significant any way you cut it, and equates to a huge 41 percent surge in twisting force.
There’s a question mark over transmissions, though. In Europe, the 1.0-litre turbo “T-GDI” engine will be mated exclusively to a five-speed manual gearbox, but the Morning Turbo (the Korean version of the Picanto GT) pairs that powerplant with a four-speed automatic. Whether one or both will come to Australia isn’t presently clear.
Kia Australia has been burned in the past with manual-only performance cars, with sales of the now-departed ProCeed GT being stymied by the absence of an automatic transmission option. Australians love automatics these days, even those shopping for hot hatches.
It’s not just about that turbo triple either. There’s plenty of visual aggression to help woo buyers as well, with the Picanto GT boasting pumped-up bumper and sideskirt plastics, low-mounted foglamps, big alloys, projector headlamps and twin chrome exhaust pipes.
Handling is already helped along by the stiffer bodyshell and segment-first brake torque vectoring that equips all third-gen Picantos, but expect more dynamic gloss courtesy of performance-tuned suspension settings.
Kia could soon boast Australia’s cheapest performance car in the form of the Picanto GT, and we can expect to hear more about specific pricing and specifications towards the end of 2017.
THE 2017 Honda CR-V will add an optional third row of seats and switch its petrol engine over to a turbocharged 1.5-litre unit as part of a generational leap for the mid-size SUV.
Due on sale here in July, the engine will produce 140kW and 240Nm – significantly more power and torque than the current 114kW/190Nm 2.0-litre, and a slight improvement on the 140kW/222Nm 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine used in higher-priced CR-V models.
However, CR-Vs using the 1.5-litre four-pot will dump the SUV’s traditional five-speed torque converter – and potentially the six-speed manual – for a continuously variable transmission. Honda’s terrific and torquey 1.6-litre turbo diesel engine fitted with the nine-speed automatic also didn’t get a mention.
The jump to a seven-seat capacity, via a 40mm longer wheelbase than the car it replaces, is a big change for the fifth-generation Honda CR-V, which is built on an all-new scalable platform shared with the Civic small hatch and sedan range. It features MacPherson struts up front and an independent multi-link system down the rear, all using low-friction dampers.
Honda claims both FWD and AWD models use tubular front and solid rear stabiliser bars that promote quick turn-in and flatter cornering, vastly improving the CR-V’s handling when compared with the one it replaces.
“For Australia, the Honda CR-V will be a significant player in the medium SUV segment,” Honda Australia director Stephen Collins said.
“As well as the VTEC turbo engine line-up across the range, family buyers will also appreciate the versatility afforded by being able to choose between five- or seven-seat models.”
Some rivals such as the Nissan X-Trail and the Mitsubishi Outlander both offer seven-seat options in their line-up as an alternative to just five seats.
The seventh (and-a-half) edition of the Volkswagen Golf GTI has a price for Australian buyers, starting from $41,490 with a manual gearbox.
You’ll be paying a bit extra, as usual, for a DSG ‘box, with those staring at $43,990.
This means buyers will have to fork out an extra couple of hundred dollars over the Mk7, though a few extra kilowatts and some Golf goodies make it a reasonable starting point.
On top of that, the GTI can be optioned with a Driver Assistance package, which adds $1600 to the price as well as adaptive cruise control, lane assist, park assist and dynamic light assist among the other usual additions.
Finally, a $3900 luxury pack adds a sunroof, leather upholstery and heated seats.
Available in mid-August, the new GTI 7.5 will likely remain the benchmark hot-hatch for its competitors to measure against, regardless of whether they can out-do it or not.
