There are a few late model used imports that I see on the roads quite frequently, that were never sold new here, but they seem to be more popular than the alternative models that our main new car dealer networks decided to bring in brand new.
Ones that leap out at me are:
Mazda MPV 8-seater import. these seem to be much more popular than the related Mazda CX-7 SUV.
Honda Euro Accord wagon. seem to be almost as many of these around as the sedans now.
Nissan V6 Skyline sedan and Stagea wagon - seem to be just as many of these around as Maximas?
Nissan 7 and 8 seaters generally.
What other Japanese cars are there, that NZers clearly want, that the new car dealers SHOULD be bringing in, in your opinion, but they don't?
carstauranga001,
Sep 12, 4:05am
If the cars you are quoting were sold here new they would be 50-60K vehicles. The market at that level is already crowded for our market and population size. However, in the sub 20K price range which these vehicles sell in the market is much larger. What you are seeing is stuff that works well in the used market but would sell in too small a volume new to warrant importation.
gazzat22,
Sep 12, 4:06am
What about Toyota,a few years ago stopped Corona station Wagons ,look at all the caldina ,s that came in ,much better than the Camry.
tamarillo,
Sep 12, 4:10am
Mazda mpv? Kiwis simply don't buy new Mpv things. A few importers have tried, and failed. Honda Accord wagon was sold new here. Recall that Honda refuse to heavily discount to fleet and rentals so they really didn't sell many. We have some of the widest choice of new cars available, often we get cars Aussie doesn't. I think the cars you discuss are ok as cheap old imports but not as new cars. And many of these weird jap cars were never made for export in the first place so weren't available anywhere else.
mr_bond,
Sep 12, 4:11am
I'm not a big car guy, but have wondered for years why Camaros and Mustangs don't get shipped this way new. Surely our demographic and love of Commodore/Falcon would make it a no brainer. And since the Monaro has stopped they would be cutting into much of their market.
Obviously they're going to do it now, but still years of missed sales that have ended up with Subaru, BMW or Nissan.
tamarillo,
Sep 12, 4:13am
Caldina was jap domestic market only, not available for export new. Not engineered to pass overseas testing.
tamarillo,
Sep 12, 4:15am
Steering wheel in wrong place. Only with new mustang are they making them with steering wheels in proper place.
kazbanz,
Sep 12, 4:16am
HU?
andy61,
Sep 12, 4:29am
The Corona Station wagons (same shape as Caldinas,just a different grille, around 1995ish) were sold in NZ by Toyota Nz as a new car, Tamarillo explain how these were sold here if they werent engineered to pass oversea testing.
gazzat22,
Sep 12, 4:31am
Well they obviously passed testing to be landed here How?
kazbanz,
Sep 12, 4:40am
Richard--Heres reality for ya. NZ is a pimple on the backside of the world. With 4.5million people we have less people in our country than a lot of CITIES overseas have. That makes buying a range of new cars pretty hard.
phillip.weston,
Sep 12, 4:56am
He's talking about the 2000's shape Caldina. Technically, the later model Caldina was sold new in NZ - just under the Avensis name which it has in the UK. The first generation Avensis carried on with the T chassis code the Celica/Corona/Carina and Caldina use.
biddy6,
Sep 12, 5:11am
Hey Phillip Weston, were are you these days, dont hear much of you on these boards.
franc123,
Sep 12, 5:52am
Took a long long time for the Yanks to get interested in producing RHD, not nearly enough volume in it, but technological development and production techniques are reducing the cost and difficulty of producing cars in both configurations. There was of course a desire to not cut into the sales of the more hoonish Aussie offerings but even if these didn't exist, Mustang and Camaro would aways be niche market products here, they would never be as cheap as in their homeland.
tamarillo,
Sep 12, 6:27am
Testing for a new car is hugely expensive process trying to get enough crash test stars to woo buyers. As an old import it hasn't had to undergo that and the buyer isn't anywhere near as fussy. Trying to sell a car with only 2 or 3 stars new in Europe etc just wouldn't work. I'm not saying the caldina has only 2 or 3 stars I'm just answering your question. For whatever reason Toyota only sold them in Japan. So it didn't have to go through European or us testing, so it wouldn't have been a seller here . Note it's not listed in the ancap listing. There's imports less than 7 yrs old with only 2 airbags in for goodness sake.
richardmayes,
Sep 12, 9:01am
Makes sense.
I still believe that the demise of the Falcodores will leave a real void that big RWD Nissans and Toyotas could fill, for all those self professed "driving enthusiast" type people who would never accept a large FWD V6. There are also a LOT of Jap V6s bought by companies for their middle managers in NZ, and companies where there's a real pecking order around how many cylinders company cars at each level are allowed to have.
2sheddies,
Sep 12, 9:23am
On the left is the proper place in an American car.
bashfulbro,
Sep 12, 10:07am
Toyota Vanguard, awesome, same as a Rav 4, has an option of 3.5litre V6, or 2.4 litre. 4 cyl. cheaper than the RAV 4 .
captaink,
Sep 13, 4:52am
It's not the Dealers that decide the model mix it's the distributors with a modicum of input from the dealer Network. With such a tiny overall market they have to pick and choose what they think would sell best in NZ. I remember years ago pleading along with other Toyota dealers for Toyota to add Hilux Surf's and higher grade coaches (LiteAce, Hiace custom) but they said NZ'ers were utilitarian buyers and all Hiluxs needed to be as basic as possible. They even had them built as four speeds to 'keep costs down', we used to charge $1000 to supply and refit the 5th gear. As Kaz says , we are not a market with any clout at all. There are single dealerships in the States for example that sell more new Toyotas in a year from one dealership than are sold in the whole of NZ
brapbrap8,
Jul 2, 11:25am
The new Subaru Legacy is larger, and aimed exactly at Falcon and Commodore buyers, and is a very nice driver.
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