MG - Low volume sales figures

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Thu 5 Nov 2020 16:17
MG - Low volume sales figures - _
ManufacturerOctober Year To Date
Alfa Romeo

1,675?

Mitsubishi

7,989?

MG

16,128?

Fiat

17,361?

Dacia

17,686?

Suzuki

17,755?

Mazda

20,344?

Honda

24,565?

Looking at the sales figures for the lower volume makes, How long will Alfa Romeo last with those sort of annual sales.

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Thu 5 Nov 2020 16:34
MG - Low volume sales figures - Ethan Edwards

Depends on Alfa's costs to produce the cars. If they are super cheap...but probably not. Suzuki had their best ever year last year sold 50k . In any event one of those 17,755 is stuck at Grimsby we are waiting for our new Ignis Hybrid. Hope you are doing OK ORB.

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Thu 5 Nov 2020 16:41
MG - Low volume sales figures - _

Depends on Alfa's costs to produce the cars. If they are super cheap...but probably not. Suzuki had their best ever year last year sold 50k . In any event one of those 17,755 is stuck at Grimsby we are waiting for our new Ignis Hybrid. Hope you are doing OK ORB.

ORB is fine Did about 6 kms walking with the dog today, (The dog probably did about 8 rushing back and forth), then youngrovergirl took her for another 2 kms..

Enloy the ignis when you get it, Aussie Ed has one.

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Thu 5 Nov 2020 17:55
MG - Low volume sales figures - badbusdriver

Re Alfa, there is an imminent new compact SUV on its way (the Tonale), that should certainly help, assuming it isn’t rubbish!. The Giulia has also been face lifted with the infotainment system receiving much needed improvement (though still lagging behind the Germans). Doubtful that these changes will make a huge difference to overall sales figures, but should help.

As for MG, I’ve mentioned this before, but going by what I’ve seen, having a local (well respected) dealer makes a huge difference. The family run dealer local to me (who also does Suzuki and Kia) took on MG earlier this year, and despite the lockdown, there are now a lot of MG’s (mainly the ZS) in the area.

Ethan, I’ll look forward to hearing your thoughts on the new Ignis hybrid (auto I’m assuming?), it still annoys that we came so close to getting one of them rather than the automated manual. In fairness, it isn’t as bad as i feared it might, so far(!), but I’d take a CVT any day of the week given the option.

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Thu 5 Nov 2020 18:40
MG - Low volume sales figures - Ethan Edwards

Cheers Bbd. Will do. Yes it's the SZ5 auto. We used to own one of the early 2017 ones. Automated manual was something I was happy they've changed along with improved suspension.

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Thu 5 Nov 2020 18:03
MG - Low volume sales figures - veloceman
Why don’t Alfa sell more cars?
Probably down to limited model range and steep pricing.
Only Giulia and Stelvio remain as truly competitive cars.
The Giulietta is on its final run with the Sprint having lots of toys thrown at it.
Dealers can range from awful to competent. Quite a few established dealers have ditched the brand. My nearest dealer is handy at 10 miles away next is Arnold Clarke in Leeds - enough said.

I am in my second Giulia. The first a 200bhp petrol Super had a few problems all down to low battery.
Replacement battery solves this.

I got a new Veloce in March which after 6000 miles has been faultless.
It came with 5 years warranty/breakdown cover and I got 3 years servicing for £349.
The car is fantastic and a true rival for 3 series, A4 and C Class also. Quick, comfortable and brilliant handling.

I got a great deal with almost £10k off the list price which put it at £31k. Much more realistic.
No matter how good it is no one will pay more for an Alfa than a BMW or Audi.

Other big fail is that just metallic paint takes the list price over £40k which means road tax is £465 a year which is madness.

It’s a shame as the Giulia is truly a good car without any of the usual Alfa traits. Even the Giulietta has proven reliable.

Hopefully the tie up with the PSA group will sort things out.
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Thu 5 Nov 2020 18:42
MG - Low volume sales figures - Ethan Edwards

Hi ORB I took ours out lunchtime. Bit noisy here after dark and he's not keen on fireworks. Glad your doing well.

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Thu 5 Nov 2020 18:48
MG - Low volume sales figures - _

Hi ORB I took ours out lunchtime. Bit noisy here after dark and he's not keen on fireworks. Glad your doing well.

Blodwen is as mad as a hatter. LOVES the fireworks !!

Personally avoiding everyone for a while. I am well, but not risking anything....

Edited by _ORB_ on 05/11/2020 at 18:50

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Thu 5 Nov 2020 20:26
MG - Low volume sales figures - Steveieb
I know a salesman who accepted a position at the Alfa dealership. At the time he acknowledged that he had taken on the toughest job in motor sales after an easy job at BMW.
He told me the biggest problem was overcoming the m****** reliability record , but once the customer had been persuaded to actually enter the showroom, no easy job, he then did his sales pitch acknowledging the reliabilty reputation and counteracting this by saying the dealers had the best technicians in town who could fettle the car back to perfect health.
Didn't work though he was back at BMW for an easy life within months !
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Thu 5 Nov 2020 20:50
MG - Low volume sales figures - badbusdriver
I know a salesman who accepted a position at the Alfa dealership. At the time he acknowledged that he had taken on the toughest job in motor sales after an easy job at BMW. He told me the biggest problem was overcoming the m****** reliability record , but once the customer had been persuaded to actually enter the showroom, no easy job, he then did his sales pitch acknowledging the reliabilty reputation and counteracting this by saying the dealers had the best technicians in town who could fettle the car back to perfect health. Didn't work though he was back at BMW for an easy life within months !

Could have been worse, imagine trying to sell Infiniti’s to badge obsessed UK buyers!. From what I read, the customer service was second to none, wasn’t enough though.

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Fri 6 Nov 2020 09:14
MG - Low volume sales figures - Falkirk Bairn

Infiniti - they seemed to think they could build a brand and establish a UK network by trying sell V6 3.7 litre petrol cars in the UK at premium prices in a market dominated by diesel cars in the early 2000s.

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Fri 6 Nov 2020 09:36
MG - Low volume sales figures - badbusdriver

Infiniti - they seemed to think they could build a brand and establish a UK network by trying sell V6 3.7 litre petrol cars in the UK at premium prices in a market dominated by diesel cars in the early 2000s.

Yes, the range wasn’t really suited to the UK market. Having said that, they did have a couple of hybrids on the go, plus the (Qashqai based) Q30.

In Car Magazine, they briefly had a Q30 as a long term test car, but it was taken off them due to the highly critical comments about the car!.

But I’d certainly consider an Infiniti at the right price if it suited what I was after, something a bit different (and ‘not German’!).

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Fri 6 Nov 2020 09:48
MG - Low volume sales figures - daveyjp

Except Inifiniti are generally based on Mercedes vehicles. The Q30 is built on the A class platform.

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Fri 6 Nov 2020 10:15
MG - Low volume sales figures - Falkirk Bairn

>>The Q30 is built on the A class platform

Renault engine, French electrics - what could possibly go wrong?

However, even if the Q30 had been a success could Infiniti exist on 1 car when the rest of the range, were at best, slow sellers. The Q50 sold in diesel form but it was a rattly MB diesel that only sold with an MB badge on the bonnet.

Japanese cars broke into the UK in 1960s

More reliable than established makes, higher trade-in values of the buyer's car & a radio as standard. That's how to do it!

Edited by Falkirk Bairn on 06/11/2020 at 10:18

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Fri 6 Nov 2020 19:36
MG - Low volume sales figures - daveyK_UK
Alfa will be a niche brand when they join PSA ; I wonder if they will ditch DS as a Alfa rival?

Or will the re badge Alfa’s as DS models?

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