Toyota Australia rules out switch to fixed prices for new cars – again

“We’ve made very strong commitments as recently as last week again, that (a fixed-price business model) for Toyota in Australia and for our dealers is not a plan,” said the sales and marketing boss of Toyota Australia, Sean Hanley.

“We speak about (the fixed-price business model) because you’ve got to, because it’s happening in the Australian market with some brands right now,” said Mr Hanley.

“But … we have made it very clear to (Toyota dealers) we’re not planning (a switch to fixed prices).”

When asked why Toyota has fixed prices in New Zealand, the high-ranking executive said: “New Zealand is a totally different market. It has a big used-car market, a big imported used-car market … so it’s not an apples for apples comparison at all.”

In September last year, an exclusive Drive poll among the Top 12 car brands in Australia – which sell 80 per cent of new motor vehicles locally – unanimously ruled out the switch to fixed prices for new cars.