Nine auto brands up their prices

Nine automotive brands have announced price increases this month as local waiting lists grow due to tightening global supply chains and China’s zero-COVID policy.

Haval, Hyundai, Ferrari, Rolls-Royce, SsangYong and Volvo have all upped prices for selected models from May, with hikes ranging between a few hundred dollars and almost $38,000.

But Mazda and Mitsubishi have both lifted prices across the board to varying degrees and Volkswagen (Passenger) will jack up its sticker prices for most models for the third time in nine months from June 1.

Blaming inflation and higher production costs, the German brand will increase prices among seven of its nine passenger car and SUV model lines from next month, by between $500 and $3600.

The exceptions are the facelifted VW Polo hatch and the facelifted VW Tiguan Allspace seven-seat SUV, both of which received hefty price rises in March before first deliveries this month.

The facelifted VW T-Roc small SUV range, including the first T-Roc R performance variant that will arrive in August, are also exempt from Volkswagen’s June 2022 price increase.

And the new VW Golf R hatch and wagon and new VW Tiguan R performance SUV, higher prices for which were announced in January, are also excluded following their release in April.

The biggest jump belong to the VW Touareg, with the premium large SUV going up in price by between $3000-$3600, while VW Tiguan pricing is up by between $1200-$1700 and all Passat sticker prices go up by $1700.

Despite being subjected to a less than subtle price hike just a few months ago, Volkswagen’s flagship Arteon passenger line will become another $1900-$2500 dearer.

The ever-popular VW Golf isn’t immune either; prices for the iconic small-car range will rise by between $1500-$1900, while the Polo-based T-Cross compact SUV has fared better, going up by a maximum of $900.

In the temporary absence of the entry-level 110TSI variant, the latest price increase means the cheapest Volkswagen Golf – the 110TSI Life – now costs $1700 more at $36,990 plus on-road costs, or about $41,500 drive-away.

Over at the Japanese brands, prices are up marginally for the entirety of Mazda’s model line-up – from the compact Mazda2 all the way to the BT-50 ute and CX-9 large SUV.

Mitsubishi has implemented a similar strategy with prices for most models, with variants going up an even $500. Only the soon to be axed Express van breaks this mould with asking prices rising by between $548-$1550.

Back in Europe, all of Volvo’s purely internal combustion models bar the S60 and V60 have risen by $1500, while the XC60 Recharge Plug-in Hybrid has gone up $2637. The rest of Volvo’s electrified line-up has been left untouched.

In terms of model-specific price increases, Hyundai has slapped an extra $500 onto the bottom line of its i20 N, i30 N and Kona N ranges, while Haval has added another $1000 to the starting price of its box-fresh H6 Hybrid.

The entire SsangYong Korando line-up has suffered a similar fate to the Chinese brand.

As for more upmarket products, Rolls-Royce has upped the prices of the Ghost sedan (+$16,650), Phantom sedan (+$13,400) and Cullinan SUV, representing a range-wide price hike following the axing of the two-door Wraith and Dawn in Australia.

The Cullinan V12 and its spruced-up Black Badge sibling easily boast the biggest price increases of any model in this report, each rising by more than $33,000.

Specifically, the Cullinan V12 has gone up $33,150, while the flashier Black Badge has risen by a mammoth $37,900.

Ferrari has got in on the action too, bumping up the price of its inbound 296 GTB an extra $16,500 before the all-new supercar, let alone any of its derivatives, has even landed on Aussie soil.

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