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Class action law firm investigates Hino over 860k vehicles sold with tampered data

Class action law firm investigates Hino over 860k vehicles sold with tampered data

An Australian class action law firm is taking on a subsidiary of Toyota over concerns that the carmaker faked data so that it could receive tax breaks from the government.

Bannister Law announced on Monday that it is investigating Hino Motor Sales Australia, which manufactures trucks and buses sold around the globe and is an affiliate of Toyota.

Hino has sold an estimated 860,000 vehicles with the promise of having low exhaust emissions and good fuel economy when the data had actually been faked.

Bannister Law said it was trying to see if Hino had breached the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 and the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989 and is considering launching a class action.

It comes just a few days after revelations from earlier this month that Hino Motors had falsified emissions data on some engines going back almost 20 years.

The truck-maker said an engine data falsification scandal had started as far back as 2004 and not in 2016 as previously admitted.

Globally, it’s understood there are 26 different engine types impacted by the tampered data, and 860,000 vehicles have been caught up in the scandal altogether. At least 39,000 Hino vehicles have been sold in Australia from 2012 to 2021, but it is unclear if all or just some of them were falsely represented to customers.

Hino had to recall 47,000 vehicles made between April 2017 and March this year over the data scandal. An additional 20,900 will be recalled in the near future.

Bannister Law is calling for all Australians who owned or leased a Hino vehicle at any point between 2004 and 2021 to register in an online form.

It is so far unclear which truck models were impacted by the scandal.

Just three days ago, to US law firm, Lieff Cabraser, started a class action against Hino over the same concerns.

“Lieff Cabraser is investigating reports that Hino Motors and majority Hino owner Toyota Motor Corporation (the Japanese parent of Toyota North America) have publicly admitted to intentionally cheating on their bus and truck vehicles’ emissions,” the legal company stated.

The case has been brought to the Southern District of Florida and the firm confirmed it was seeking more than $5 million in damages.

In March this year, Hino announced it had discovered widespread tampering evidence dating back to September 2016 and engaged an independent committee to investigate.

But in early August, that committee came back with a damning report that found the malpractice stretched back as far as 2004.

Investigators stated in their findings: “Hino cannot escape the determination that it made a false report.”

It was also discovered that a tax reprieve was a key motivator behind the malpractice.

Hino “aimed to achieve the fuel consumption standards in order to be eligible for tax preferential treatment but failed to achieve its goal, and thus, it engaged in misconduct by intentionally adjusting the calibration values ​​of the fuel flowmeter in order to meet the specification values ​​required. for application,” the report also stated.

Data was also falsified by measuring “the idling fuel flow quantity before the fuel flow quantity was stabilized and engaged in misconduct by intentionally selecting advantageous fuel consumption data”.

The findings, led by committee chairman Kazuo Sakakibara, claimed employees were not offered “psychological safety” and were “unable to change” due to the company’s past successes.

Representatives at Hino said the scandal was brought on by an “environment where engineers did not feel able to challenge superiors”.

Hino’s president Satoshi Ogiso apologized to reporters after the report’s bombshell findings, claiming the company’s management took its responsibilities and public image seriously.

Mr Ogiso said he received a message from Toyota president Akio Toyoda, who reeled at the scandal, accusing Hino of betraying the trust of company stakeholders.

In a statement, Hino said it “deeply apologizes for any inconvenience caused to its customers, shareholders, investors and other stakeholders”.

“Hino is currently investigating the impact of these matters on its earnings and will disclose any updates as appropriate in a timely manner,” it added.

News.com.au has contacted Hino for comment.

Bannister Law won the recent class action against Toyota for DPF issues and also won cases against Volkswagen and Audi. It is currently conducting a class action against Mitsubishi.

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2022 Audi A3 Sportback review

2022 Audi A3 Sportback review

When you picture an Audi you might imagine a high-priced luxury SUV such as the $150,000 Audi Q8 or a ferocious performance car like the circa-$250,000 Audi RS6 Avant, but the Audi A3 is a much more accessible machine.

Prices start at about $52,000 drive-away for the base 35 TFSI Sportback variant and rise to about $60,000 for the 40 TFSI version we tested.

It has flamboyant 18-inch alloy wheels, LED lighting and S-Line sporty styling pack.

Inside, owners are treated to leather appointed seats, a fully digital dash with a crisp, high-res sat nav display and ambient cabin lighting.

Manually adjustable seats and no radar cruise control are a let-down.

ITEMFEELS VERY FAMILY

Audi is part of the giant Volkswagen Group that builds vehicles across a range of brands including VW, Skoda and Bentley, and many of its cars share their underpinnings with a wide range of vehicles.

The A3 is built on the same platform as the Volkswagen Golf, Skoda Octavia, Audi Q3 SUV and the soon to arrive Cupra Formentor.

They all share many components including engines, transmissions and digital screens.

Audi has applied its own styling and finesse to the A3 to make it feel and look different, but the end result is a VW Golf from another dimension.

IT GOES

The base example scores a 1.5-liter turbocharged petrol engine that makes 110kW and 250Nm. The 40 variant we had gets a bigger 2.0-liter unit making 140kW and 320Nm and adds all-wheel drive traction instead of front-wheel drive.

The extra power and grip drops the 0-100km/h time from 8.4 seconds to seven seconds flat.

Audi claims the 40 TFSI will drink 6.7L/100km, which isn’t too shabby for a small car with a bit of grunt.

If this all sounds too pedestrian for you then the S3 is the go. It uses a powerful 2.0-liter turbocharged petrol engine making 228kW and 400Nm to deliver a 0-100km/h sprint time of just 4.8 seconds. A-soon-to-arrive Audi RS3 turns the dial all the way up.

IT’LL MAKE YOU SMILE

The A3 Sportback shows why those who love to drive chose a hatchback or sedan over an SUV.

Its lower ride height and weight make the A3 more composed on the road.

Firmish suspension, all-paw grip and light and fast steering make for an entertaining drive on a back country road.

It feels brisk off the mark and zippy in traffic and has no problems bounding up steep hills or overtaking on the highway.

The dual-clutch auto can take a minute to decide what it wants to do when you put your foot down so be aware when attempting to punch through tight gaps at intersections.

YOU’VE GOT OPTIONS

The Audi A3’s price is enticing, but when you look deeper you might find you’ll need to tick a few boxes to get the car you really want.

Metallic paint will set you back $1250, 18-inch Audi Sport alloy wheels add a further $500 and a premium Bang and Olufsen is another $1500.

If you want electronically adjustable and heated front seats, radar cruise control, a head-up display that projects vital information onto the windscreen and sharp looking aluminum interior inserts you’ll need to pony up an extra $4500.

If a hatchback isn’t for you, then you can have the A3 in a sedan body shape that adds about $2000 to the price of the 40 TFSI.

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Hyundai, Kia and Toyota new-car stocks improving

Hyundai, Kia and Toyota new-car stocks improving

After months of stock shortages and surging new-car prices, there was some good news for buyers today, as some of the biggest brands appear to be getting on top of supply issues.

More than 84,400 new cars found a home in July, a slight increase on the Covid-19 lockdown affected month the previous year.

Hyundai, Kia, Toyota and Mitsubishi all showed strong growth in July compared to the previous year, as stocks of popular models improved.

Utes and family-focused SUVs were the strongest performers last months.

The Toyota HiLux ute was the best selling vehicle in the country with 6441 examples finding a new home. It was followed by the Ford Ranger, which found just 2934 buyers. Ranger sales are expected to skyrocket in the coming months, though, as a new model has just landed in showrooms.

Family-focused SUVs filled the next places on the sales chart.

Toyota’s RAV4 (2437), Mazda’s CX-5 (2346) and Hyundai’s Tucson (2186) rounded out the top 5.

Sales of the Kia Sportage were up more than 200 per cent for the month and the Hyundai Tucson grew more than 72 per cent on the back of improved supply.

Australia’s love of big four-wheel drives and utes continued with the Toyota LandCruiser (2146), Isuzu D-Max (1930) and Mitsubishi Triton (1879) all making the top 10.

The Toyota Corolla (1982) was the only hatchback or sedan to make the bestsellers list, showing the monumental change in Australia’s buying habits in the past 10 years

The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief, Tony Weber, doesn’t think the market is out of the woods yet.

“Vehicle and component manufacturing operations remain affected by plant shutdowns caused by Covid-19. Logistics, including shipping, remain unpredictable,” said Mr Weber.

“While small growth on the same month in 2021 is encouraging, we do not expect the supply of vehicles to Australia to stabilize in the near future.”

“Once again Australia is following the global trend of demand for new vehicles exceeding supply,” he said.

European brands such as Volkswagen and Skoda have been particularly hit hard, with sales down about 40 per cent for the year. Luxury marques such as Lexus and Mercedes-Benz are also struggling.

Mitsubishi Australia boss Shaun Westcott said the supply and semiconductor unpredictability wouldn’t end any time soon.

“The world is in a very unpredictable phase at the moment, which extends beyond semiconductor supply and these things will resolve themselves eventually. But we are talking about three, four or five years,” said Mr Westcott.

He also said that the increased prevalence of electric cars and plug-in hybrids, which require three to four times more semiconductors than petrol cars, was crunching supply even more.

“Every car maker has supply chain issues – a five or six month backlog. So not only is there the backlog to recover, there is also a surge in demand as more EVs and PHEVs are built,” he said.

“There is a catch-up game that is going to take a number of years to play out here.”

Tesla is showing how outside factors are affecting its supply. In the past three months the American electric car maker has sold about 200 vehicles after shipments from its Shanghai factory dried up due to Covid-19 closures.

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2023 Volkswagen Amarok details revealed

2023 Volkswagen Amarok details revealed

Volkswagen has drawn up battle plans to make the new Amarok the must-have ute of 2023.

Based on the new Ford Ranger, the new Amarok represents a significant leap beyond the previous model.

It shares core underpinnings and diesel engines with the Ranger, as well as new safety features including auto emergency braking, active cruise control and blind-spot monitoring.

Volkswagen’s best-selling model is also likely to share the Ford’s 3.0-liter V6 turbo diesel engine, a motor that sends 184kW and 600Nm to all four wheels through a 10-speed automatic transmission.

But it won’t get the 292kW/283Nm petrol V6 exclusively offered in Ford’s Ranger Raptor.

Ford elected not to offer the Australian Ranger with a 2.3-litre turbo petrol engine found in some Amarok models, one that delivers 222kW and 452Nm of performance.

But the cars are not identical.

VW’s machine wears butch styling shaped by a Melbourne-based design team.

It has the same core interior as the Ranger, though high-end Amarok models have fancier 10-way electric seat adjustment than the Ranger’s eight-way chairs.

And Volkswagen’s 12-inch digital dashboard display is larger than the 8-inch readouts fitted as standard to the Ranger.

Top-grade Amarok variants ride on 21-inch wheels that are significantly larger than the 18-inch rims of a Ranger Wildtrak, which could return more car-like precision from a steering wheel shared with VW’s passenger cars.

VW says the new machine, built in South Africa as opposed to the Thailand-sourced Ranger, benefits from shorter and more frequent shipping routes than the older model, which came from Argentina.

That “ensures steadier supply”, according to Volkswagen.

But it will also mean the Amarok is subject to a 5 per cent vehicle import tariff that does not apply to the Thai-built Ranger, a factor likely to make the VW more expensive than its Blue Oval cousin.

VW will reveal prices for the Amarok closer to its official debut in the first quarter of 2023.

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Business

2022 Mazda CX-5 GT SP new car review

2022 Mazda CX-5 GT SP new car review

The Mazda CX-5 is an Aussie favorite – even if it isn’t the newest kid on the block. We tested the mildly updated model to see how it stacks up.

VALUE

The Mazda CX-5 range kicks off at about $36,000 drive-away and rises to close to $60,000.

Buyers can choose between front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive and there are three engines available: two petrol – one turbocharged and one not – and a diesel unit.

We are testing the GT SP grade, the second rung from the top of the CX-5 ladder, with a 2.5-liter turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive priced at about $56,000 drive-away.

It’s an expensive ride, costing about the same as a top-shelf Toyota RAV4 Hybrid but cheaper than a turbo petrol Volkswagen Tiguan.

What you get is one of the best looking family SUVs on the road with LED head and tail lights, a rear spoiler and a sunroof.

A 10.25-inch digital screen is controlled via a rotary dial and is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A Bose stereo, wireless device charging pad, Bluetooth connectivity and in-built sat-nav enhance the experience.

Mazda covers its vehicles with an industry standard five-year/unlimited km warranty and its capped price servicing program is reasonable at $1875 over five years.

COMFORT

The CX-5 Akera’s interior is a lush space with supple leather upholstery and soft touch surfaces throughout.

Heated supportive seats are electronically adjustable providing stellar forward vision, plus an adjustable steering wheel means there is a comfortable set-up for all shapes and sizes.

There are easy to use aircon controls in the center dash and other vital infotainment and safety features have steering wheel mounted buttons.

The rotary dial controls for the infotainment screen allows you to keep your eyes focused on the road compared to a touchscreen but it’s more time consuming and fiddly to use.

The dash is a mix of analog dials and a small low-res digital information screen, which feels subpar compared to full digital instrument displays found in rivals.

There’s a lack of usb points, only two in the front and none in the second row, but a wireless device charging pad wins back some points.

The boot is small compared to rivals, but more than enough to fit the weekly shop or several overnight bags. A hands-free powered tailgate makes for easy access.

Well sorted suspension irons out road imperfections and it’s extremely quiet on the road compared to Mazdas of the past.

SAFETY

Mazda doesn’t skimp on safety.

The CX-5 will automatically brake if it detects a potential collision with a car.

An array of sensors will let you know if a car is in your blind spot and sound the alarm if a vehicle approaches from the side as you reverse.

Multiple safety systems work in unison to make sure you stay centered in your lane, even automatically tugging the steering wheel to direct you back into place if it catches you wandering.

DRIVING

The turbo petrol engine is a cracker.

It delivers smooth acceleration with ample grunt for effortless overtaking and bounding up steep hills.

This is matched to a six-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive grip that provides confidence in the wet and gets the power to ground with no wheel slip.

Soft suspension makes for a comfortable ride, but the trade-off is a little bit of lean through corners.

The CX-5 is a great highway cruiser, providing a comfortable oasis on longer drives.

Fuel use is a concern.

Mazda quotes 8.2L/100km but you’ll most likely see a number north of 10 if you spend most of your time around town. Luckily the CX-5 only requires cheaper unleaded petrol.

ALTERNATIVES

Volkswagen Tiguan 162TSI Elegance, from $60,500 drive-away

Cracking engine with plenty of tech features, but expensive.

Toyota RAV4 Edge Hybrid, about $57,500 drive away

Not as sporty but hybrid power brings super low fuel use. Cheaper, too.

Kia Sportage GT-Line petrol, about $54,000 drive-away

Well equipped and cheaper than rivals, dual clutch auto would be tough to live with.

VERDICT

Good looking, great driving SUV with a premium feel that shows why it’s been a top seller for years, but thirsty and needs a tech infusion.

four stars

MAZDA CX-5 GT SP AWD VITALS

PRICE About $56,000 drive away

ENGINE 2.5-litre turbocharged petrol, 170kW/420Nm

WARRANTY/SERVICING five year/unlimited km, $1875 over five yearsrs

SAFETY 6 airbags, auto emergency braking, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, driver attention warning

THIRST 8.2L/100km

SPARE space saver

LUGGAGE 438L

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