Car importers cuting specs to maintain prices?

mike65

Interesting story in the Sunday Turbine today which suggests that importers are going to start scarificing features that other markets get as standard in an effort to keep prices from rising
when the "Block Exemption" agreement runs out and pre-tax
prices here jump. The article reckons it'll be sophisticated safety items that'll get dropped first as ppl wont tend to notice the lack of a stabilisation device whereas leccy windows will be missed...

Mike.

Borzoi

But it's always been the case here that cars have a more basic spec than say, the UK. And extras are incredibly expensive.

It's been more obvious on top end cars like the Mercs and BMWs. And in many cases the top models in a range have been unobtainable - particularly larger engined models

Ba$tard

Borzoi is correct.

Always the same, the UK spec is normally worth about 1000-1500 higher in value than the Eire spec. Yet another reason to go import as new from Europe..... Any they make more mean margin from any other car-selling state in Europe (bar Finland + Iceland)

.....Yet another reason to leave Ireland

P.D. want the gov. to get inflation down to 2%....they can dream !

Seth Brundle

Any they make more mean margin from any other car-selling state in Europe (bar Finland + Iceland)

Are you saying that cars sold here have a huge margin? Thats incorrect as we have one of the lowest pre-tax prices in the EU

Hyzepher

Originally posted by kbannon
Are you saying that cars sold here have a huge margin? Thats incorrect as we have one of the lowest pre-tax prices in the EU

Yes, but pre tax price for what? If we are getting a lower spec'd car then you would expect the price to be lower - but is it low enough? I would say that in Ireland the profit made on cars is just as high, if not higher, then other EU countries. You'd be damned sure that motor dealers would demand a fair deal from their manufacturers.

Hyzepher

Seth Brundle

Well AFAIK BMW Ireland are soon to be controlled by BMW GErmany and any cars coming here will be of the same spec as in the UK (where they will be imported from).
However, (can't say if its the same for other manufacturers but) BMW have/are going to level the pre-tax price of cars across the Euro Zone and any price difference then is purely tax based.

Chimaera

I believe Mercedes are planning to harmonise pre-tax prices within the Euro zone as well.

mike65

I think thats the road all manufacturers are going to go down then it'll be even clearer how much more we're all paying for what.

As for the curent specs, sure the levels here tend to be lower but the gap is not nearly as big as it once was.

Mike.