Kia Ramps up Dealer Network in New Zealand

Kia Ramps up Dealer Network in New Zealand

Key changes in the New Zealand dealer network are being made to boost the growth of the design-led brand.

As Kia looks to build further momentum, a number of changes will take place with dealers in key parts of the country.

They include completely new dealerships in south-east Auckland, Nelson and Queenstown and major upgrades to dealers on Auckland’s North Shore, Invercargill and in Dunedin, with several others in the planning stages.

“We have been working behind the scenes to develop key areas of our dealer network for some time and a number of these are now falling into place,” says Todd McDonald, General Manager of Kia Motors New Zealand.

“The focus is on how to deliver a better customer experience, not just when the vehicle is purchased, but across the whole ownership experience, particularly with service and support. The Kia Motors dealer network is recognised as among the best for customer experience in the country, with more satisfied owners than any other car brand according to the Canstar Blue 2013 vehicle survey. We aren’t sitting on our laurels – we are determined to make it even better.”

Mr McDonald says it is important to ensure the dealer network is in superb shape with the current programme of new model replacement taking place, including the Cerato range, which is in the middle of renewal, a brand new Carens already here, the Sorento updated last year and upgrades to several other models coming in the next 12 months.

Among the biggest changes in the Kia dealer network is the establishment of Botany Kia in Te Irirangi Drive, between Botany Town Centre and Manukau City to serve the eastern and southern parts of Auckland. It replaces the current dealership in Highbrook Drive. The new Botany Kia dealer will be part of the Andrew Sims Group, one of the most recognised vehicle dealership businesses throughout the country.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Harbour Bridge, the Giltrap Kia dealership in Wairau Road, Glenfield is undergoing a significant internal and external re-development that will see it the premises re-brand to emerge in the global Kia Motors corporate standards.

A new solus Kia dealer has also been announced for Nelson, where the brand has been without representation since the closure of AR Page 18 months ago. The new Nelson Kia showroom is being established in Haven Road by the Colonial Motor Group and will be up and running in a few months.

Similarly, a new Kia dealer is to open in Queenstown, where the company has previously only had a service representative. The new Queenstown Kia showroom and service facility is being built on Gorge Road and will be part of the Winger Motor Group, which also represents Kia in central Auckland at its Great South Road, Greenlane premises.

Two other Kia dealers in the deep south have also just completed major rebuilding and refurbishments projects. Dunedin Kia, also known as Carbase, has built a brand new corner-site showroom in Kaikorai Valley Road in the distinctive new red and grey corporate livery. While down in Invercargill, Southland Kia has now completed a major refurbishment and re-branding exercise, which has created one of the city’s stand-out automotive showrooms.

ENDS

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