As the fight over compensation and details between GM Holden and its dealers continues over the ditch, Kiwi dealers have remained relatively quiet.
It's been widely reported that Holden dealers on this side of the ditch were better performers than those in Australia, underlined by the ZB Commodore's standing as the country's best-selling sedan for a number of months. But, now Holden boss Kristian Aquilina has confirmed it.
Read more: Holden accused of ‘bullying’ over payouts by Aussie car dealers
Aquilina recently appeared in an interview on Australian ABC TV's The Business Show, where he spoke of the brand's rocky road and how things were rosier in New Zealand than Australia — stating that the compensation rates that Kiwi dealerships received in the wake of the brand's departure differed compared to dealers in Australia.
"When it comes to looking at the New Zealand business, it’s just a fact that they were a far more profitable network of dealers, and as such their [compensation] amount is different," he said.
"Last year a [Australian] Holden dealer made a loss of $600 per car for every new Holden they sold, which isn’t great. Our [compensation] offer to them is $1500 [per car]."
GM Holden and a group representing embattled Australian dealers held a two-day mediation session last week, which resulted in a stalemate.
Read more: Holden responds to frustrated dealers, defends its compensation package
The dealer representatives claimed after the mediation that no staff from General Motors headquarters were present, with some accusing GM Holden of employing “bullying tactics” to get its way.
"GMH [General Motors Holden] has backed dealers into a corner and has shown a complete unwillingness to accept the magnitude of the losses that dealers are facing as a consequence of GMH mismanaging their brand," they added, in an official statement.