Having been boosted by scrappage scheme sales in Europe, Japanese manufacturer Suzuki wants to see a similar scheme implemented in Australia.
Suzuki Australia manager Tony Devers has been monitoring the results from countries that have introduced a scrappage scheme and states he “cannot fathom” why the idea of introducing similar incentives has met with such resistance Down Under.
He commented that in New Zealand, safety experts have hailed the success of a trial scheme that has seen a number of older vehicles which lack modern safety benefits being taken off the road – as well as cleaner emission standards.
Though it did not go into technicalities, the manufacturer did say that a similar scheme in Australia would be more widely welcomed if it is attached to the green credentials of the purchased car – in other words, the greener the car, the bigger the discount. The European standard of 130g/km of CO2 has been outlined as the standard bearer for green cars.
The call from Suzuki comes shortly after its introduction of the small, five-door Alto, which is priced around $13,000 in Australia. It is powered by a 1.0litre, three-cylinder engine which emits a mere 113g/km of CO2 and has a fuel consumption rate of 49mpg.
