We've asked some of the biggest players in the UK car industry on their thoughts from 2017 and what they expect from the year ahead.
What was the biggest challenge of 2017?
Alex Smith - Managing director, Nissan GB
"Volumes are down across the industry and consumer confidence has taken a knock so we’re now having to work much harder for every sales and aftersales opportunity."
Andy Barratt - Chairman, Ford of Britain
"Matching our new vehicle range and supply to where customers and legislators are heading."
Andy Palmer - Chief executive, Aston Martin
"To go from 3600 [cars per year] to 5000-plus has been a real challenge and it’s a credit to everybody working here."
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Excuses, excuses.....
What's put me off buying a new car is the disgraceful price rises in recent months. Every new model launch, or sometimes even just a light refresh, is accompanied by a huge price hike over the previous model now......as well as regular, frequent increments.
I also refuse to be suckered into a misleading finance deals either - i.e. "look at this low monthly figure" whilst hiding the not one, but two, lump sums to be paid before and after the monthly payments are finished, and the ridiculously high bottom-line list price!
That's why less people are buying new cars now you greedy, any excuse (such as BREXIT) blaming, car manufacturers!
The future is coming......?!
As the Century unfolds Cars are going to change radically,obvious you say, well, yes, less moving parts, no repairing just replacing, Cars will be the new ‘White goods’ so no really choice other than White, your choice of interior and what of new tech?, will there be new tech needed..?, all these factioids point to less People needed to produce a Car to produce parts,Car makers are going to have find a unique USP to get the sales, also, the knock on effect is there might be no need say in fifty years for Garages to have mechanics, maybe Cars will be fixed remotely...?, you know, your Car will be connected and any updates or detected faults will be fixed without needing to go in and waste time sitting waiting drinking aweful Coffee or Tea!, no Car makers better start thinking....
Nissan inspires most confidence
Nissan are looking forward and seem to acknowledge that there is major disruption just around the corner. EV battery costs are dropping so fast that this must make a major impact in the next few years.
Unfortunately some others, notably JLR, are looking backwards a bit too much. I hope they don’t repeat mistakes from the history of the UK Motor industry in the 1960s and 70s - i.e. complacently refusing to adapt to new threats. The SMMT seem to have a similar position of inertia. That could be damaging.