Kia makes its mark on capital

A new Kia dealership in Wellington has drawn inspiration from overseas to offer “nothing like our customers have experienced before”.

The opening of Johnston Ebbett Kia Wellington marks the first time Kia has been represented in the centre of the capital.

Located in Taranaki Street, the dealership is in a two-storey building and has been designed like a New York-style loft apartment.

The inner-city site has undercover display for 25 vehicles and provides a number of customer-oriented features, such as a modern lounge with coffee/refreshments and Wi-Fi.

It also has a modern service facility with nine bays and can cater for the servicing of electric vehicles. 

David Johnston, managing director of Johnston Ebbett, says: “It’s more like the sort of dealership you’d find overseas and is nothing like our customers have experienced before – they like it and we’ve been told it looks more like a New York loft building when they come inside.

“It’s really cool and suits the Kia brand and the inner-city type of business that we are operating.”

The dealership is the fourth Kia outlet to open in the region and the second by Johnson Ebbett, which opened a showroom in Porirua late last year. The other businesses are Brendan Foot Kia in Lower Hutt and HMC Kapiti Kia in Paraparaumu. 

Johnston says opening a Kia dealership in Wellington in partnership with the Ebbett Group reflects the marque’s confidence in its future.

“Kia is on point right now. We’ve been delighted with the way it has performed in Porirua since we opened and it is just going to get better from here.”

Todd McDonald, managing director of Kia Motors New Zealand, says expanding into the capital makes it “easier for buyers in the central city to access our great product and the ability to have their vehicles serviced locally”.