Confident Kia dealer to score new showroom
Manawatu Kia is preparing to build a new state-of-the-art showroom as it predicts good times ahead despite car sales for the industry as a whole battling headwinds.
The Palmerston North-based dealer, which is also known as Brent Boddy Prestige, plans to demolish its existing showroom and have its replacement open before winter 2020.
Dealer principal Darren Henderson says the investment is “a reflection of our confidence in the future of Kia as a brand”.
“We were instrumental in helping the Kia Sportage take off when the current model was introduced – we doubled our sales in just one year,” he says. “The Kia line-up is even stronger now … It’s a very exciting time to be involved with the Kia brand.
“Kia is doing incredibly well in the marketplace and from what we can see on the horizon, there are some amazing new models still to come.
“We are looking to leverage off Kia’s growth and offer customers an exceptional experience with our new dealership facility.”
The new showroom, pictured above, will feature a high ceiling and space for up to 12 new vehicles to be displayed, along with customer-oriented features, such as a modern lounge with coffee/refreshments and Wi-Fi.
“It will be very eye-catching visually, with an industrial tech aspect to the design – and situated on a corner site it, the new building will be very prominent from the street and we will also retain the excellent parking at the front,” adds Henderson.
During the demolition and building process, the new car sales team will be based at a temporary site nearby. For existing customers, the existing service centre remains in place, although the layout will be updated to make it more efficient, housing six bays and a separate service area for electric vehicles.
Todd McDonald, managing director of Kia Motors New Zealand, says the Manawatu dealership team have been a key part in helping the brand increase its car market share many years in succession.
“The whole Manawatu Kia team is customer-oriented first with the business owners being directly involved with existing and potential customers,” he says. “The design of the new dealership reflects this philosophy and we’re excited for Kia customers in the region.”
