Update: I finally found a sunny day when I could manage to get both the wheel and the car to the dealer during opening hours.
The issue has been fixed: the four central bolts were too long, preventing the release mechanism from pulling back far enough to release the little ball bearings and fit over the steering column. An angle grinder was applied and the bolts were "adjusted" - now fits no problem. Can't quite believe that it was supplied like this.. but there you go!
