Toyota Camry, Audi’s electric future pivots & Nissan CEO gives dire warning The
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00:00Bonjour, je suis Sean, et bienvenue sur le podcast Car Expert.
00:03Cette semaine, James est de retour. Comment vas-tu ?
00:05Je vais bien, j'ai probablement l'air d'un petit chien, mais je me sens bien, merci.
00:08Heureusement que tu n'as pas l'air d'un petit chien, c'est important pour ceux qui écoutent à la maison.
00:12Cette semaine, nous avons pour la première fois Max Davies, journaliste de Marketplace.
00:16Bienvenue, Max.
00:17Merci, c'est très excitant d'être ici. Je sais que c'est un événement très prestigieux, donc ça devrait être bien.
00:22Wow, tu as parlé de ce podcast à toi-même, beaucoup plus que tu devrais.
00:27Mais non, j'espère que les spectateurs vont t'aimer.
00:29Si tu as regardé le tout, ou si tu n'as pas regardé, écoute pour Max, laisse un commentaire,
00:33dis-nous ce que tu penses de lui. Il s'assoit là-bas, donc c'est très facile de l'accueillir.
00:36Il peut aussi être gentil.
00:37Soyez gentil, s'il vous plaît.
00:40Aujourd'hui, nous parlons de l'avenir de l'Audi en Australie,
00:43de Nissan's dire warning to the new car market,
00:46et nous allons parler de la caméra Toyota un peu plus tard,
00:48mais commençons par parler des top stories sur le site carexpert.com.au.
00:53Le Peugeot 508 n'est plus en Australie.
00:55La dernière voiture stationnée de l'équipe Peugeot Australienne a été appelée en réponse
00:59à des changements dans les préférences du consommateur, dit Peugeot Australien.
01:02Cela suit la cancellation du 508 dans le marché américain.
01:05A la fin août, Peugeot a vendu seulement 53 508 en Australie,
01:09un nombre qui a été en déclin depuis son piquet à 240 unités en 2021.
01:14La nouvelle Peugeot arrive chaud sur les épaules de sa soeur,
01:16la marque Citroën, qui a mis le bouton sur la C5X dans les dernières semaines,
01:19qui a conduit à l'annonce que Citroën quitterait l'Australie.
01:21La vie de l'ex-CEO de Nissan, Carlos Ghosn, qui est un fugitif,
01:24a d'une certaine façon réussi à s'améliorer,
01:25avec le High Court britannique Virgin Islands
01:27envoyant un remboursement de 32 millions d'USD
01:30et un renouvelage de son bateau.
01:32Il est allégé que l'un des 32 millions d'USD
01:34a été obtenu par un fonds réservé de Nissan CEO
01:36à travers une chaîne d'intermédiaires,
01:38y compris Nissan Middle East,
01:40vers différentes entités contrôlées par Mr. Ghosn,
01:42y compris son fils, une entreprise de Californie, Shogun Investments.
01:46Un spokesperson de Nissan a dit que Nissan continuera de faire des efforts
01:49pour rendre à Carlos Ghosn responsable de ses erreurs.
01:52Et Mazda-USA est en train d'envoyer un remboursement
01:54après un propriétaire d'un nouveau CX-50
01:56a déclaré que le véhicule avait un défaut important.
01:58Le propriétaire de Mazda-Pennsylvanie, Joshua Meltzer,
02:01a demandé 5 millions d'USD
02:03après que sa fille a été forcée de s'échapper du véhicule
02:05lorsqu'il a roulé vers l'arrière et dans un arbre.
02:07La caractéristique au centre de l'affaire
02:08est l'alerte Mazda-Dash sur l'entrée d'un véhicule
02:10qui instruit le pilote à dépresser la pédale de frein
02:13pour commencer le véhicule.
02:14Une phrase commune entre les fabricants automobiles,
02:16Mr Meltzer's daughter allegedly misunderstood,
02:19instead pressing the starter button,
02:21then pressing the brake
02:22and shifting the vehicle into drive.
02:23The car then proceeded to roll backwards
02:25with no engine running,
02:27meaning the brakes and steering did not operate.
02:29And Mr Meltzer's daughter,
02:30fearing for her life,
02:31was forced to jump out of the vehicle
02:32before it hit a gutter and a tree.
02:34The owner is suing for compensation
02:36but also alleges the owners of Mazda's
02:38fitted with push-button starts since 2017
02:40have been overpaying for their vehicles
02:42with the defect leading to diminished values.
02:45OK.
02:47Now, look, I'm just here to report these news articles.
02:50Come on!
02:52Have you guys ever had that problem
02:54where you get in there and go,
02:55oh, I don't know what the press the brake pedal
02:57to start the car means?
02:58No.
03:00I know you guys.
03:01It's a very unique thing.
03:02I mean, pretty much every car these days
03:04has got the push-button start.
03:05So, I mean,
03:06the claim that people have been overpaying
03:08for their Mazdas and it's diminishing value
03:10is one thing.
03:11But then just completely misunderstanding
03:14how to use it is just something
03:15I've never even heard of before.
03:16I mean, to call it a defect,
03:17to take it to court and call it a defect
03:19is quite a bold claim.
03:20And I think even prior to push-button starts,
03:23you had to either put your foot on the brake
03:25or put the clutch all the way in
03:26to even start a key ignition vehicle, right?
03:28Absolutely.
03:29And on top of that,
03:30why would you shift it into drive
03:31if you can't hear the engine running?
03:33Like, and on top of that,
03:34it starts rolling back,
03:35so your immediate thing is not to keep your foot
03:37on the brake and instead to open the door
03:38and jump out.
03:39Like, a reasonable person,
03:42and that's, I think, something that
03:43a term that would be tossed around
03:45in a court of law,
03:46would probably not think
03:48that that's the immediate thing to do.
03:50Now, I hope she's okay
03:51and I hope the car's repairable,
03:52but, yeah, Mr. Meltzer, I think,
03:56might not have the strongest case.
03:59And I think Mazda's lawyers
04:00will be pretty quick to point out
04:02any holes in that story.
04:03Yes, well, look,
04:04if you have ever had issues
04:06where your Mazda rolled backwards into a tree
04:07because you didn't start it properly,
04:09write to us, podcast.carexpert.com.au.
04:12But let's dive into today.
04:13We're going to talk about Audi.
04:15Now, Max, last week,
04:16you went on an Audi drive day.
04:18Now, just to sort of preface that a little bit,
04:20this is the kind of thing that, like,
04:21customers can actually go and do themselves,
04:23isn't it?
04:23Yeah, it is.
04:24So customers can pay some fee
04:26to basically be involved with Audi.
04:29And they get out their team of driving instructors,
04:31their professional drivers,
04:34so they know what they're doing.
04:35And basically, the customers go out,
04:36they get to experience Audi's, you know,
04:38performance RS cars
04:40under the guidance of the instructors
04:41and basically see what everything's all about.
04:43You know, they do some defensive driving,
04:44they go around on a track,
04:46things like that.
04:47So what were you doing?
04:48This was at Sydney Motorsport Park,
04:50I think you did it, wasn't it?
04:51Yeah, so our one with Media in particular
04:53was at Sydney Motorsport Park.
04:55And they had, like I said,
04:58most of the RS models out there.
04:59But they sort of split the day up into two sessions
05:02where the first was very focused on defensive driving,
05:04you know, speeding up to a speed,
05:05slamming on the brakes,
05:07letting the ABS do its work,
05:08then doing a slalom through the cones
05:10as fast as you can to understand
05:11how the car sort of handles in quick turns
05:13and all that sort of stuff.
05:14And then throwing the RS6 wagon around
05:17on a wet skid pan.
05:18What a horrible day.
05:20It's very strenuous and difficult
05:22and all that sort of stuff,
05:24but great fun.
05:25And then the second session was very much track focused,
05:28so doing laps in RS3s and RS5s,
05:31following the instructors around
05:32and they give coaching over a radio,
05:35watch what you're doing and then,
05:37yeah, slowly build up the speed
05:38as your confidence grows
05:40and, yeah, that's pretty much what they want to do
05:42and show off what their cars are capable of.
05:44Now, an important thing,
05:46and I don't want to gloss over this,
05:47this is very, very important.
05:49Now, there was a time trial
05:52that took place during the event, wasn't there?
05:54There was, yes.
05:56So, yeah, the wet skid pan at Sydney Motorsport Park,
05:58they had it wet and they set up a motocarna course.
06:01So, laid out some cones for really tight and twisty,
06:03it was about 30 seconds to get from one to start
06:05to the finish going around the course.
06:07And to make it challenging,
06:08they gave us the most powerful car they had,
06:10so the RS e-tron GT,
06:12which, you know, it's a less than three seconds,
06:15zero to a hundred car,
06:15so it's just ridiculously powerful.
06:17And at the stopwatch out,
06:19timing everyone doing it as well.
06:21And as it turned out, I managed to get the fastest time.
06:23And not just the fastest time,
06:24by like two seconds, the fastest time, wasn't it?
06:27Well, at the end of the day, yes,
06:30but there was a time penalty applied to second place.
06:32Okay.
06:32But I was still ahead by a tenth, so.
06:34And there you go, ladies and gentlemen,
06:36Max Davies, the fastest automotive journalist
06:38at the Audi drive day in Sydney Motorsport Park last week.
06:40That's pretty impressive.
06:41And now the owner of a key ring for an Audi R8.
06:44Oh, I mean, that's not an Audi R8,
06:46but the key ring for it.
06:47Yes.
06:48Look, you've got to start somewhere, right?
06:50He's only new in the industry.
06:52James, you've done these sort of drive days before, haven't you?
06:54What are they actually like, like for,
06:57I guess, from a perspective of you guys
06:59driving these cars normally on the road
07:01to actually go and belt them on a track?
07:02Yeah, so I guess like for Max,
07:04it's obviously a really cool experience
07:05to drive cars that quick around a track
07:08where you're less bullied by speed limits and police.
07:12For us, it actually, for the rest of us
07:14who have maybe done it for a little bit longer,
07:17we drive these cars on road
07:18and being able to actually really test their capabilities,
07:21particularly for this high-end European performance stuff
07:23that are very capable of driving at 200 k's an hour
07:25on an autobahn without much trouble.
07:28It gives you a proper opportunity
07:29to really test their limits
07:31and the capabilities of these cars.
07:33And it's obviously a stack of fun for any petrolhead
07:35who loves to get behind the wheel.
07:37But also a really good educational piece
07:40on what some of these cars
07:42that people might just drive five minutes to work to and from
07:45on a 40-kilometre-an-hour road,
07:47seeing what they're actually capable of on a racetrack,
07:49where you can have some real fun
07:50and also just learn to hone your own skills as a driver.
07:52So there are so many things
07:54that race drivers have to consider
07:55that can really benefit you in everyday driving.
07:58And I think that it's really important
08:00that people actually learn
08:01how to control a vehicle at the limit,
08:03because then it might actually make you
08:04a bit more conservative or a bit smarter
08:06in everyday stuff,
08:07where you might get a little bit complacent.
08:09Now, Audi aren't the only ones that do this.
08:11I think Porsche do one, I think BMW.
08:13There's a whole bunch of them.
08:14Mercedes does them as well.
08:16There's a bevy of brands that do these kinds of things.
08:18And it's only increasing these days
08:20as we get more performance sub-brands and stuff like that.
08:24And I think it's a really great way to get,
08:26it's not just specific to each brand,
08:28that once they get the resources and the cars in place,
08:32that people can actually go out and have these experiences
08:34and not only make some fun memories,
08:36but also learn something along the way.
08:38So, look, not exactly the cheapest thing to go,
08:41the cheapest day out,
08:42but I think probably from a safety perspective
08:43and a fun perspective, well worth every penny.
08:46Now, look, before we move on from Audi,
08:48the big reason why they had you up in Sydney
08:50was because they were talking about
08:51the future of Audi in Australia.
08:53Now, and I'm going to quote this directly from Audi's website,
08:57and then hopefully you can explain a little bit more.
08:59They said, in a statement that still exists
09:02on the global website,
09:03is from 2026 onwards,
09:04Audi will only introduce fully electric models to the market.
09:07This also includes the gradual phasing out
09:09of production vehicles with combustion engines by 2033.
09:13That's not necessarily entirely true anymore, is it?
09:17Well, I'm sure it's still sort of underlying their intentions,
09:20but the sort of message they were getting across in Sydney
09:23was that, yes, they want to sort of shift that sort of direction,
09:26but for the next couple of years,
09:29the focus is very much on hybrids
09:31and plug-in hybrids in particular,
09:33and sort of expanding the model range
09:35to not only be internal combustion,
09:37but also add plug-in hybrid versions to that as well.
09:41And there's a couple of new electric cars
09:43coming from Audi in the next couple of years as well,
09:47but they're very much in the process
09:49of updating their whole model range
09:51just to sort of steer everything more in that direction.
09:54And, I mean, there's more than 20 updates and new models
09:59and all that sort of stuff coming next year alone,
10:01all in preparation for that.
10:03And there are a few EVs and FEBs in there as well.
10:05Now, obviously, Audi's most popular vehicles for years,
10:08I think, have been diesel SUVs in Australia.
10:12Is that still sticking around now?
10:14I think this has obviously been driven by customer feedback.
10:17Are they still keeping these sort of diesel models
10:19and these really popular SUV models in Australia for a while?
10:22Look, they haven't ruled it out.
10:24The main thing they said is that they'll continue to sell diesel cars
10:28so long as people sort of show that they want them.
10:30Because, yeah, like you say, they have been popular.
10:32And in a lot of cases as well, they can be more efficient
10:35and, I guess, greener, for lack of a better term,
10:38than petrol combustion engines as well.
10:41But the big thing is that customers have to show
10:44that they want diesels from Audi
10:47and then they'll continue to sell them in that sort of way.
10:49And, I mean, as we proved on the YouTube channel a couple of years ago,
10:52Alborz drove a Q5 diesel from Adelaide to Sydney
10:56on a single tank of fuel
10:56and probably could have kept going
10:58if he stopped driving at 70 km an hour the whole way like he did.
11:01But, James, as our resident Volkswagen owner,
11:03I guess, what does this sort of mean for the wider Volkswagen Group?
11:06Are they shifting their priorities a little bit?
11:08Is that what the sense is coming out?
11:10Yeah, it seems to be that not just Volkswagen Group
11:12but a lot of brands across the board
11:13have sort of adjusted the goalposts a little bit
11:16with the change in buyer preferences lately.
11:19I think when it comes to the Volkswagen Group and Audi in particular,
11:22I think each of the brands have a slightly different strategy,
11:25particularly once you look at Audi and Porsche being on the premium end.
11:28They're a little bit more autonomous in their operations.
11:31So you'll see that in terms of what Volkswagen is more openly saying
11:34about their electrification journey will be specific to the mainstream brands
11:38and then Porsche and Audi will sort of have their own stories there.
11:40And you look at Audi in particular,
11:43that has a major presence in markets like China,
11:45which is a major EV market,
11:46but they've also had to adjust their projections
11:49based on where they're operating.
11:51And so, you know, looking at this statement,
11:53even if it still rings true,
11:54when they say they'll only introduce fully electric models,
11:56I'm assuming it means that all of their all new models will be EV.
12:01And then, you know, they've got still 12 months
12:03to introduce their next generation of combustion engine and hybrid vehicles
12:06that will likely last them for 7 to 10 years,
12:09given how long life cycles can be.
12:11So they can still probably hit that.
12:13And then, you know, by 2023, so say turn of the decade,
12:17they might start killing combustion engine versions
12:20of some of their core models.
12:21That still gives them a pretty long time frame,
12:23given we're not even at 2025 yet.
12:25So...
12:26Demand, we're seeing demand for EV slow down in Australia.
12:29We're seeing that in VFAX charts every month,
12:31and hybrid and plug-in hybrid demand seems to be soaring.
12:35Are Audi looking at this going forward going,
12:37hmm, maybe hybrid, we can actually cash in on this?
12:39Is that sort of where they're at at the moment?
12:41Yeah, I think that's definitely a big focus.
12:43And a big thing for them as well is looking at their model range
12:46and being able to offer a bunch of different powertrains
12:48within one particular model.
12:50So you can take one of the Q SUVs, for instance,
12:54and it'll have an internal combustion engine,
12:56a diesel engine, a FEV, and maybe even an EV,
12:59all within the same thing.
13:00So customers can buy the same model,
13:02but then choose from a bunch of different engines
13:05and powertrains, but still get the same car, basically.
13:08And on the note of, you know, the wider VW group in general,
13:13Audi has been working with Porsche
13:14to develop some new platforms.
13:16They've got a brand new electric car platform
13:18and a brand new combustion car platform as well.
13:21And a couple of new cars on those platforms
13:23are coming next year as well.
13:26So yeah, it's very much for them about offering the variety
13:29within the range,
13:31but also it's still keeping to what customers want to buy.
13:33All right, and I guess the important question
13:35for the enthusiasts out there, or the petrolheads,
13:38the M5 has turned into an elephant,
13:40the C63 has become a hippopotamus.
13:42What's happening with the RS6?
13:44Are we still going to have a fast performance wagon from Audi
13:46or is it going very heavy and very EV as well?
13:50From what they said, they are going to keep selling
13:52their wagon Avant models,
13:54which is really good news for everybody.
13:56Whether it will have a V8 remains to be seen.
14:00They haven't said that they're immediately just going to
14:02wipe them off the board completely,
14:04but it's probably more likely than not
14:06that they are going to shift to some sort of hybrid setup,
14:09or at least more hybrid than, you know,
14:11the typical mild hybrid that they've got at the moment
14:13in a lot of their other cars.
14:15And that's, I mean, that's going to be the case
14:17across the board as well.
14:18But the example they used was going from V10s in their,
14:22you know, older A6s and that sort of stuff,
14:25and, you know, shifting the twin turbo V8s
14:28in a lot of the things they have now,
14:29and then going all electric for the e-tron GT.
14:31So, what they're trying to say is they're capable of it.
14:35Whether they can keep the, you know, the cool V8s
14:38and five cylinders around for as long as possible is,
14:40you know, another thing that sort of time will tell.
14:43But hopefully they can keep them around for a bit longer.
14:46Yes, well, the V10 is sadly dead.
14:48The R8 is no more, which is a shame
14:49because that was one of the best sounding cars on sale.
14:52So, look, let us know, what do you think?
14:55Would you buy a petrol, a diesel or a plug-in hybrid Audi?
14:59What is your preference?
14:59Leave a comment, let us know.
15:01Nissan, the boss of Nissan,
15:02the head of Nissan Australia, Andrew Humberstone,
15:06issued a bit of an interesting warning
15:08to the new car market in Australia saying,
15:11basically, the way that it's going is not sustainable
15:14with the amount of brands that are coming to this country.
15:16He cited that the USA have between 40 and 53,
15:19depending on who you ask,
15:21and they can manage,
15:22given that the new car market there is massive
15:24and they've got, what, 360 million people in that country
15:28as opposed to 27 million,
15:30and that Australia is on track to have over 100 brands on sale
15:33in Australia in the next five years.
15:35Now, I would have thought that more choice is better,
15:39but the head of Nissan Australia seems to think otherwise.
15:42Where do you guys,
15:43and you guys talk to people in the market,
15:45and you're talking to other OEMs and dealers,
15:48where do you guys think about this?
15:49Well, I'm often on the record saying I'm an advocate for choice,
15:52and I think it's important that, you know,
15:54these new brands coming into market,
15:57whatever role their product serves to the consumer is one thing,
16:00but it also encourages stiffer competition.
16:02And I think, while some of Mr Humberstone's comments
16:06might have been accurate,
16:07I think that brands like Nissan have been able to,
16:10you know, with the impending emissions regulations coming in next year,
16:14it's become very apparent that a lot of these brands
16:16have gotten a little bit complacent with introducing new technologies.
16:19Now, part of it is probably they're at the whim of head office
16:22who is refusing to give you, you know,
16:24something as simple as Euro 6 drivetrains
16:27because it doesn't, it's not mandated here
16:29and therefore you're not getting it.
16:30But in other words, you know,
16:32worrying about costs and whatever
16:34and being able to sort of charge whatever you want
16:36based on market,
16:38I think this is what is having to change that.
16:41So, you know, a lot of these new brands
16:43might not stick the same way that a Nissan or a Ford
16:46or a Toyota have in the last few decades alone.
16:49But I think what's important is,
16:51and we've seen this with even like BYD
16:53and a number of the new brands that have come in
16:55in the last couple of years already,
16:57is that they're keeping the big boys honest.
17:00And I think that's really important too,
17:02is that, yes, we might see some brands leave.
17:04Look at Citroën.
17:06Citroën left after 100 years of operations
17:08and it's very sad to see companies like that go
17:11when they have a really loyal following
17:12and a really extensive portfolio of vehicles
17:14that they're leaving behind.
17:16But, you know, in terms of consumer law,
17:17people are protected in terms of,
17:19the manufacturers need to support them for a period of time.
17:21Like Holden's been gone forever and they're...
17:23Holden owners will say otherwise on that one.
17:25Yeah, that's true, but in theory,
17:27they're meant to be supported for a period of time.
17:29Otherwise, you can take legal action.
17:30So it's not like they just get pack up, shop,
17:32and you basically have a bit of junk
17:33that once it breaks, you send it to the scrap yard.
17:36But, yeah, I agree that it will be a challenge
17:40for a lot of the big players
17:41or the legacy manufacturers in market.
17:43There are a lot of brands that are struggling at the moment.
17:44I know a lot of dealer networks
17:46that are struggling at the moment,
17:47depending on which brands they're trying to sell.
17:49But I also think that this could be
17:51a really great opportunity for car makers like Nissan
17:53to say, you know what, this is what's coming in,
17:55and speak to their head offices and say,
17:57you need to give us what the market demands.
18:00Otherwise, you're going to lose a major outlet.
18:03Because Australia is a very important market still
18:05for a lot of these brands,
18:06despite the fact that we're a drop in the water
18:09compared to somewhere like Europe or North America.
18:11So it's an interesting take on it, I guess,
18:14and there's sort of for's and against.
18:16Yes, it is interesting, given that, you know,
18:18they've just shown off the new Patrol,
18:19which we won't get for, let's say, three years.
18:22It'll be three years before it's here.
18:25They've just announced their new electric car,
18:29which is miles behind everybody else's electric car.
18:32The thing is, China are coming.
18:35I'm just going to list off some of the brands
18:36that are going to arrive here in the very near future.
18:39And I'm probably butchering
18:40all of the pronunciations of these.
18:43Aon, GAC, JAC, Jeku, LeapMotor, Xpeng and Zika.
18:49Now, I wasn't around when Nissan came into Australia.
18:52I'm sure people thought it was a funny name
18:54the first time they heard it.
18:56Whether it's as funny sounding as these,
18:58whether these will just become part of everyday culture,
19:01I don't know, but, I mean,
19:02if you are looking at buying a new car,
19:04and especially if your budget's tight,
19:05like a lot of people's budgets are tight,
19:07these guys are going to come in
19:08and offer some incredible value with incredible technology.
19:12The thing is, are Aussies actually going to move over to this?
19:15What do you guys think?
19:17Are they going to be good enough
19:19to entice people out of Toyotas and Fords?
19:21Max, what do you reckon?
19:22I think it's going to be a cost thing, primarily.
19:25People want a new car,
19:26but people don't want to spend a huge amount of money
19:28on a brand new car.
19:30With some of the other brands
19:31that we've seen coming in from China as well,
19:33like MG and BYD in particular,
19:35their latest products are massive improvements
19:38on how they started originally.
19:41And things like the new BYD C-Line 6,
19:43I'm seeing that all the time now,
19:45and that only launched a few months ago.
19:47So I think it's not impossible for people to shift over.
19:51And those brands, now that they've had a few years
19:52to sort of test the waters and see how things are going,
19:55they're definitely getting their foot in the door very firmly.
19:59With some of these other brands,
20:00we've seen XPeng, the expensive joke, coming out before,
20:04hoping their new cars aren't expensive
20:06and all that sort of stuff.
20:07And if that's sort of where they're starting,
20:09it's not the best foot, I would say,
20:12in terms of the Australian market,
20:13but the quality of their cars will definitely
20:17be the deciding factor.
20:18If they can produce a good car at a competitive price,
20:20then people will make the jump.
20:22And look, the quality of the workmanship
20:24coming out of China is improving.
20:26And you just look at what Tesla used to be
20:28when we got the American versions
20:29and to what we get now out of the Chinese versions,
20:32it is improving.
20:33The new MGs are well above what they were
20:37of the first generation.
20:38So let us know, what would you guys do?
20:41Would you be flocking to one of these new brands
20:42or are you just going to keep buying a RAV4?
20:44Leave a comment and let us know.
20:46And are you looking for a deal on a brand new car?
20:49If so, have you heard of Help Me Car Expert?
20:52All you need to do is go to Google,
20:53type in Help Me Car Expert,
20:55or scan the QR code on your screen.
20:56It will take you to the Car Expert website,
20:59it's not just me or Sean doing the video stuff.
21:02We're like a big company, 60 full-time employees.
21:05And on our website, you're going to find news, reviews,
21:07and also our CarChooser tool.
21:09If you're unsure which car you want,
21:11all you do is enter in all of your requirements.
21:13It'll spit out a stack of options.
21:15You can read the reviews, watch the videos,
21:17and then we can even put you in touch
21:18with one of our friendly dealers.
21:20Now, when you think of a car, like Australia's favourite car,
21:22Toyota Camry is the first thing that comes to mind, right?
21:25And there's finally a new one, which is the crazy part.
21:27It has been a long time coming.
21:29There are people who were told
21:30it could be four years before you get one,
21:32and then there were people who went in to buy one and said,
21:34not a chance, you can't order one.
21:35But now there's finally a new one.
21:37It looks fantastic,
21:39and it is actually here, live, in the flesh,
21:42and we drove it.
21:43Now, let's just dive straight into it.
21:45Not a whole lot has changed from the last one, has it?
21:49Not really, no.
21:50It's still a sedan, it's still a Toyota.
21:53I mean, the big thing, it looks great.
21:55Like, it's such a big improvement on how it looked before,
21:57and it wasn't a terrible-looking car to start with.
21:59But the biggest thing as well is
22:02how efficient that hybrid drivetrain is now.
22:05Like, I think, like, on the first time we had it,
22:08like, drove it back from, like, it was an hour's drive
22:10out from the east of Victoria, somewhere back to Melbourne,
22:13and it was in the three-litre per 100-kilometre range.
22:16Like, it was ridiculous.
22:19So that's one thing.
22:20And then just sort of refining how it drives as well.
22:22And sitting behind the wheel in that,
22:24like, it's such a nice setup,
22:25and it feels so nice to be behind it.
22:27It's a similar thing to the C-HR as well.
22:29They look similar, they sort of feel similar
22:31behind the wheel on the inside and that sort of stuff.
22:33And it's definitely a good direction that they're moving in.
22:35So, engine, fundamentally the same,
22:38still 2.5-litre four-cylinder.
22:40But combined with the electric motor,
22:41puts out 170 kilowatts.
22:44All through the front wheels, mind you.
22:46Unfortunately, we don't get the all-wheel drive model.
22:48They can have an all-wheel drive model overseas,
22:49which we don't get here, do we?
22:51Yeah, a lot of Japanese and Korean products
22:54often offer an all-wheel drive option
22:56in their domestic markets as well as North America,
22:58where there might be snow and that kind of thing.
23:01Australians still do love the snow,
23:03and they pay through the nose for it
23:04if you go to some of the ski fields down here.
23:06But yeah, unfortunately, we don't get that option.
23:09But really for the Toyota system,
23:12particularly the hybrid ones,
23:13it really just involves a small electric motor
23:16on the rear axle that activates when you have slip.
23:19I don't know how much help
23:21that's going to be in some scenarios.
23:22And, you know, we tested that RAV4 hybrid
23:24on the off-road course a few years ago,
23:27and it wasn't great from memory.
23:29So I guess, you know, the option would be nice,
23:32especially given the volume that Toyota does here.
23:35It would be nice to see a little bit more diversification
23:37in terms of the offerings beyond the SUVs
23:39having an all-wheel drive option
23:41or multiple different drivetrain options
23:42for consumers to choose from.
23:44But I guess there's a very distinct market
23:47for the Camry here.
23:49They're often, you know, drivers...
23:52Rideshare. Rideshare is the word you're looking for.
23:54Taxis. I didn't want to pigeonhole anybody,
23:56but, you know, that is the fundamental
23:59customer base these days.
24:00You don't see a whole lot of families doing that.
24:02And that's really why that top-grade SL
24:05is the sole kind of private car offering,
24:07because that's probably the spec
24:09that anyone that buys it privately will be.
24:11You'll get a wonderful car if you do that,
24:13because this new design inside and out
24:15is very, very premium.
24:16Toyota sort of has this funny thing
24:18where there's a subsection of its product line-up
24:20that is kind of that baby Lexus vibe.
24:22And I feel like this new Camry is really playing into that.
24:25So having not driven it myself,
24:27unfortunately, I have to book it in again
24:28so I can drive it myself.
24:30But from all reports, it seems very, very impressive.
24:34Now, it does start at 40 grand
24:36or shade under 40 grand for the base model.
24:40That is a lot.
24:41I remember when Camry started in the 20s.
24:43So it's gone up quite a lot.
24:44But like you said, the interior is a lot better.
24:46It is also hybrid only.
24:48And this is part of Toyota's push
24:49to basically eradicate petrol diesel-only models.
24:53They just want to get everything to hybrid.
24:56Do you think that's going to hamper sales at all?
24:58Or do you guys think that they're, you know,
25:00the water books are already full?
25:01I don't think so.
25:02I think even before it technically went hybrid only,
25:05only the very, very base Camry was petrol-only
25:09for quite some time.
25:10And I think Toyota's been fairly open
25:12in saying that it's sales split between petrol
25:15and hybrid models where there is an option
25:17overwhelmingly going to hybrid.
25:18And you think about ride-share operators, for example.
25:21They're doing many, many hours behind the wheel,
25:24particularly in built-up city areas.
25:26You know, I think of whenever you're getting an Uber
25:29or something in a densely populated city centre,
25:33that's the worst place to be having
25:35just a solely petrol-engined car
25:37that's probably just going to be sitting there idling.
25:39It can just sit there in electric mode
25:40or with the engine off.
25:41And they're saving so much money on running costs.
25:44And, you know, we often talk about the premium
25:48that electrified models command
25:50over their equivalent combustion counterparts.
25:52And when you're doing the usual average
25:53of 10,000 to 15,000 kilometres a year,
25:55it might take you a little while.
25:56I reckon these guys make it up in their,
25:59you know, for ride-share operators,
26:00they'd make up the difference quite quickly,
26:02given the savings and how efficient this new one is.
26:05Now, it has grown a little bit.
26:06It's a little bit longer than it used to be.
26:09Backseat legroom is fantastic,
26:11which I guess is probably the key for a ride-share vehicle.
26:15Yeah, I guess that's my final question,
26:17is how many of these do you think you're going to go to private
26:20and how many are you going to go to like this,
26:21I guess, let's call it fleet, for lack of a better term,
26:23but ride-share, taxis, things like that?
26:26It definitely has a place in that sort of fleet market.
26:31I think that is going to be the dominating sort of segment
26:33that we see it in now as well.
26:35But in that top spec as well,
26:37that's definitely going to be popular for the private buyers.
26:40But I think even if people are wanting sort of like a sedan
26:44from a brand that they trust more or less,
26:48even the bottom specs are going to be a good choice
26:53for that sort of thing.
26:53Even if it is a little bit more on the expensive end,
26:56it's still quite a good car for the money that you're paying.
26:59I guess it is.
27:01In terms of sedans that are sold in Australia,
27:03it is the last of the dinosaurs, isn't it?
27:05Because Falcon's gone, Commodore's gone,
27:09Orion has long gone, the Mitsubishis are gone.
27:12So if you want to keep the sedan alive in Australia,
27:15buy a Toyota Camry.
27:17Not that Toyota need the money, but you know,
27:19if you like sedans,
27:20it's probably your best, most affordable option these days.
27:23Overall, pretty good car.
27:24We do have a full written review on the website.
27:26I'll put a link in the show notes
27:27and also a link to the YouTube video that Paul's done
27:30if you want to watch that.
27:31But that brings us towards the end of the podcast.
27:34We're not quite there yet because it's Max's first time
27:37and he has a pick of the week.
27:38So Max, what is your pick of the week, mate?
27:41I think everyone has picks of the week, but...
27:43Well, it's your first one, yes.
27:45No, my pick for this first one is going to be Daniel Ricciardo.
27:49Unfortunately, career met pretty much is over at this point.
27:53Formula 1 career, let's specify.
27:56No, racing career could definitely continue on,
27:58you know, whether it's NASCAR, supercars, IndyCar,
28:00even though I think he said he's scared of IndyCars,
28:02like the ovals or something like that.
28:04Well, 380 odd kilometres an hour on a,
28:07in basically a Formula 1 car with a wall that far away from you
28:10would be pretty scary, I imagine.
28:12Yeah, it'd be very daunting.
28:13But yeah, I mean, you know, watching, you know,
28:16for the best part of the last 10 years,
28:17like he definitely made the sport a lot more exciting,
28:19particularly 2017, 2018, you know,
28:21all the dive bombs late on the brakes, all that sort of stuff.
28:24It was just exciting to watch and, you know,
28:26there's sort of an endearing quality to his sort of struggles
28:29at McLaren and then more recently at Alpha Tyre
28:32and then V-Carb.
28:34Yes.
28:36That's a whole other bucket of fish.
28:38But yeah, no, there's definitely a quality to that,
28:40to sort of watch him, you know, try and get there
28:42and obviously didn't quite come through in the end
28:44and the whole Red Bull family is another thing
28:46to get involved with.
28:48But yeah, my pick of the week is the unfortunate end
28:51of his Formula 1 career.
28:53Yes, well, we do know Daniel watches the podcast,
28:55so mate, we hope you're doing okay.
28:57Worst case, he'd become a wine baron with his,
29:00was it, what's his wine called?
29:03DR3. DR3, that's the one.
29:05St Hugo or something like that. Yes, something like that.
29:06Yes, I got a bottle from somewhere on an event.
29:09I haven't tried it yet, so I don't know if it's any good.
29:11Yeah, I've got one as well. I'm not going to open it.
29:12Yeah, right.
29:14Maybe we'll get one if we do a live wine tasting
29:16on the podcast. That'd be pretty good.
29:18All right, James, what's your pick this week, mate?
29:20Mine's a little bit different.
29:21I'm not just getting on the Instagrams
29:22and, you know, trying to find some silly person
29:25doing burnouts in a Fisher-Price Jimny or something.
29:27No, I had a really fun automotive experience
29:30that sort of tied in with my personal life last week.
29:33I got to ride in a classic MG Roadster,
29:35which was really fun.
29:37One of my best friends got married last week.
29:39I think it's called the Cybuster.
29:40No, not that one. It's the predecessor to that.
29:43Oh, right.
29:45But yeah, one of my best mates got married
29:46and I got the really great honour of being his best man.
29:50And instead of being driven in a limo,
29:51he drove me in his dad's classic MG,
29:54which is a lovely green over tan.
29:55And we had a really fun drive to the wedding venue.
29:59And it was just, you know,
30:00our friendship actually has been very car obsessed
30:03for a really long time.
30:04We used to go on drives together
30:06and we've both owned or driven many cars along the way.
30:09And yeah, it's just really fun how, you know,
30:12cars can be such an integral part of our lives
30:15in many different ways.
30:16And yeah, it was just something really special
30:18that sort of tied different worlds of mine together.
30:21So shout out to Jack. It was a good day.
30:23Isn't it funny, like even like the least car people,
30:26when they have their wedding day,
30:27will go out of their way to get a great car for their wedding?
30:30Absolutely.
30:30Isn't that funny?
30:31Yeah, well, I was actually at another wedding the previous week
30:34and the groom turned up in a 458
30:35and then the bridesmaids and the groomsmen
30:37turned up in like classic Bentleys and Rolls Royces.
30:40It was quite a juxtaposition, but no, very, very cool.
30:44So it's always nice to see how people get around that kind of stuff,
30:47whether it's just for the image or just for the experience.
30:50It can make a special day super special.
30:53Yeah, absolutely.
30:54One of the universal languages, I think, is cars.
30:57Mine is off Instagram and it is of a race car.
31:00Changing places today.
31:01Yes, just for today.
31:03I don't know who's done it,
31:04but someone has put a V8 supercar on a dyno
31:08and then filmed the exhaust up very close
31:10as it runs through all six gears,
31:12spitting flames,
31:14bellowing for that five litre V8 that used to be in it.
31:17And I'm just going to play an audio clip now
31:18because it's unbelievable.
31:26But look, that brings us to the end this week.
31:27Any final thoughts before we do wrap it up?
31:29It's actually nice to not have a million events to go to this week or next.
31:34I'm actually keen to sit down.
31:36Next week, we'll be able to talk about the Corvette event
31:39that I was at last week.
31:40Some fun experiences there
31:43and some interesting things to come out of GMSV.
31:47Beyond that, we were meant to have ID4 and ID5 pricing.
31:50We still don't have it, which is a shame.
31:52The car's only been out in Europe for half a decade now.
31:57Apparently, it's soon.
31:58It's soon.
31:58But it was soon last time as well.
32:00Yes, I'm sure it was.
32:01I hope we get those details soon
32:04because I know a lot of people are asking about it.
32:06We've got a very interesting period coming up this fourth quarter of 2024.
32:11There's a lot of launches coming, a lot of electrified stuff.
32:15I think with the emissions regulations coming in next year,
32:18this will be the starting point of brands getting behind
32:23their new product portfolios and rolling out some stuff.
32:25Audi has gotten the announcements out early.
32:27Nissan did the same thing.
32:29Aria is finally coming, but in 12 months' time, which is a shame.
32:32So, plenty to look forward to still.
32:35But yes, I'm looking forward to a slightly less hectic work week.
32:40Thank goodness for that.
32:41Just a quiet week in the office.
32:42Well, Max, thank you for coming along, taking the time out of your day.
32:45I think you did a great job, personally.
32:47James, what do you think?
32:48I think it was great.
32:49A bit of fun. Why not?
32:51Leave a comment, let us know.
32:52Should we get Max back on again?
32:53He's got plenty more things he can talk about.
32:56If you like him, he will come back by popular demand.
32:59I'm sure I can think of something.
33:00All right, boys, well, thank you very much for taking the time out of your day.
33:02Thank you, all of you, for listening and watching.
33:05If you haven't already, subscribe to the YouTube channel,
33:07follow along whatever listening audio platform you're on,
33:10and leave a comment, let us know how much you enjoyed the podcast
33:13and what we should talk about going forward.
33:15We're opening up the floor to you guys for suggestions for future topics,
33:21future ideas, future segments we want to hear from you.
33:23Leave a comment, let us know.
33:24But until next time, goodbye.