Hello and welcome to Overdrive a program that considers all aspects of cars and transport. I’m David Brown
The times each story appears in the program are noted (mm:ss)
News
- Local distributor of new cars sets up used car network
- Great Wall embraces electrification
- New Nissan Qashqai gets five-star safety rating
Features
We test the Haval Jolion small SUV from Great Wall Motors
I also caught up with Bob Holden (winner of the Bathurst race in a mini in 1966). He soon turns 90
We spoke about his last race- in 2019 when he was 87 years old you will be staggered by his performance.
Local distributor of new cars sets up used car network.
Inchcape the Australian distributor of Subaru, Peugeot and Citroen new cars has established bravoauto in this market.
First introduced in late 2021 by Inchcape in the United Kingdom, bravoauto is a global automotive brand which sells used cars, with additional value-added benefits.
The key benefits are:
- Seven days love it or swap it – If a customer is not happy with their car, they can exchange it within the first seven days!
- Six months/8,000km warranty – although this valid only for vehicles up to 10 years or 160,000km whichever occurs first, We’re offering our customers additional peace of mind with a six months/8,000km warranty*.
- 12 months free roadside assistance – This exceptional level of cover is supplied with every used car as standard and provides added peace of mind with complimentary home and roadside recovery.
- 150-point safety check – Customers who buy a car from bravoauto can have complete confidence that their vehicle has undergone a comprehensive 150-point safety check prior to sale, with our qualified technicians ensuring it’s in tip-top condition.
- Haggle-free pricing – Each vehicle is competitively and fairly priced, and we offer complete transparency to our customers; the price they see is the price they’ll pay.
- Flexible test drive and delivery options – Customers can choose how they wish to test drive their vehicle, with the bravoauto team curating an experience specific to their preferences, including the option for overnight test drives. When it comes to delivery, we can organise it at the customer’s preferred location or one of our sites, and for a fee we can even organise interstate delivery.
- Finance – Inchcape Financial Services is also expanding to introduce bravoauto Financial Services. At bravoauto, we’re not just committed to finding the perfect car for our customers, we’re also committed to ensuring their finance experience is just as rewarding, flexible and hassle-free.
They will have a strong on-line presence and they have opened their first physical location in Penrith NSW. Other locations that are scheduled to get a dealership include Pakenham, Victoria Narellan, New South Wales and Bundoora, Victoria.
Great Wall embraces electrification- Overdrive
Great Wall motors has announced that they will launch more than 50 New Energy Vehicles by 2025, a number of which are already in advanced stages of design and development or already on sale in the Chinese domestic market.
The models will cover hybrid, Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) and full EV.
Great Wall Motors is a vehicle manufacturer that focuses on Utes and SUVs. In Australia they sell three models: The Haval Jolion small SUV, the Haval H6 medium SUV and the Great Wall ute. Currently they have two percent of new car sales this year but their 24% increase in sales compared to 2021 is way ahead of the overall market that is still .6% behind last year’s figure.
They say that they will also complete their first zero-carbon emission factory in 2023 and they are already testing their first hydrogen vehicles.
One of their brands, Ora, is dedicated to electric vehicles and has produced some small sedans which have not yet made it to our market.
Another brand name they have is Wey and they have announced two models. The Coffee 1 will be a plug in Hybrid that, they say, will have a range of 150 km on electric power before you have to start using the petrol engine, while the Coffee 2 will be a more compact version.
Mr Harry Meng – GWM’s Head of European Markets, said “This year’s slogan ‘Revolution is On’ embodies much of what GWM also stands for: Premium vehicles that enable a new, self-determined lifestyle with intelligent technology.”
Further emphasizing GWM’s focus on sustainability, Mr Meng also stated “In 2023, we will complete our first zero-carbon emission factory. By 2025, we will launch more than 50 new energy models. Currently, we are already testing our first hydrogen vehicles, powered by fuel cells.”
“We are also supporting the use of renewable and clean energy wherever possible by introducing solar charging stations to the markets. In addition, we are reusing and recycling residual heat and energy and taking advantage of recycled water.”
“We are looking not only for economic benefits but also to make a sustainable future for our employees and customers. Because climate change is something we all must work to stop. Together.” said Mr Meng
New Nissan Qashqai gets five-star safety rating- Overdrive
The soon to be released new Nissan Qashqai has received a five-star rating from the ANCAP crash testing proram
The five-star rating applies to all petrol variants.
The Small SUV achieved five-star scores in each of the four key areas of ANCAP assessment. One of the most impressive scores of 97% was in the Safety Assist pillar. This is an area that tests the vehicle’s ability to detect potential dangers and warn the driver or intervene in the driving process.
Full points were scored for its active lane support, AEB Junction and Backover capabilities. AEB Pedestrian and Cyclist performance was also strong.
A high score was also achieved in assessment of the Qashqai’s speed assistance system, which helps the driver to stay at or below the appropriate speed.
In the more traditional areas of minimising harm if a crash does occur, maximum points were also awarded for the Qashqai’s ability to protect the driver in the destructive side impact and oblique pole tests. Adequate performance was recorded for the chest of the driver in the frontal offset and full width frontal tests, and Marginal performance noted in the full width test for the chest of the adult female dummy seated in the second row.
High scores were awarded for the Qashqai’s protection of child occupants, with an overall Child Occupant Protection score of 93%.
The five-star rating will apply to Qashqai ST, ST+, ST-L and Ti models.
Nissan said that the ST marks the entry point to the Qashqai range, and arrives fitted with a centre far-side airbag for occupant-to-occupant protection, a rear camera, rear parking sensors, Predictive Forward Collision Warning with Forward Emergency Braking (Junction/Pedestrian/Cyclist), Lane Departure Warning with Intelligent Lane Intervention, Intelligent Blind Spot Intervention, Traffic Sign Recognition, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert with AEB, Intelligent Cruise Control and High Beam Assist. Blind Spot Warning, Intelligent Driver Alert, a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System and Rear Seat Alert complete the comprehensive safety offering.
Qashqai ST+ models add an Around View monitor with Moving Object Detection, while the ST-L introduces Nissan’s advanced ProPILOT semi-autonomous driving and safety aids, along with Front Parking Sensors and Adaptive Driving Beam headlights.
Finally, the flagship Ti model adds Intelligent Park Assist including side-parking sensors and includes a 10.8-inch Head Up Display, allowing the driver to monitor their speed, navigation directions and the prevailing speed limit without taking their eyes from their road.