Kia

Kia has the power to impress in Hamilton

Kia not only has the Power To Surprise, but also the Power To Impress, as demonstrated by the opening of a new showpiece dealership in Hamilton.

The new Waikato Kia showroom and facilities in the Te Rapa business park has taken a leaf from the design DNA of its cars, with an ultra modern style that is intended to stand out from the crowd.

“It is visually very striking and that’s what we wanted to achieve,” says Waikato Kia owner and Dealer Principal Mark Gothorp.

“We have used lots of glass and high-tech surfaces throughout the building to create a bold and dynamic image – even the floor in our service area has a high gloss surface that you might expect to see in a Ferrari showroom.

“I’ve been with Kia for seven years and it has grown enormously over that time, providing me with the confidence to invest in creating a much higher profile in Hamilton. This new dealership is a reflection of the vibrancy not only of the Kia brand, but also our business, and it will take us well into the future.”

Mr Gothorp says he was looking for a special location and found it with the greenfields site in the fast-growing Te Rapa business park, on the corner of The Boulevard and Kahu Crescent, near The Base shopping centre, where the red and silver corporate livery can also be seen by the thousands of motorists using the SH 1 / Waikato Expressway behind it.

The new Waikato Kia site houses the largest exclusive Kia showroom in the Kia network in New Zealand and has been built with future growth in mind, with additional land available to accommodate any expansion. Compared to the previous premises in Frankton, the new dealership is 30% bigger, with space for more new cars in its European tiled showroom and even more space for used vehicles on the enlarged exterior display yard.

In spite of its modern appearance, Mr Gothorp describes the new premises as “very welcoming” and says the customer lounge is designed to be like an exclusive café, where customers can relax with a barrista-style coffee, while waiting for a vehicle purchase to be completed or while their vehicle is being serviced.

The showroom adheres to the latest Kia Motors corporate design guide for new dealerships, with its clean lines, striking colour scheme and light and spacious interior, which is further enhanced by the vaulted ceiling. Among its sophisticated features is a high-tech lighting system that automatically dims and even turns off lights on bright days and increases the light when it’s dull.

“It’s been a significant investment and gives us the ability to continue growing with the Kia brand for the foreseeable future,” adds Mr Gothorp.

The new Waikato Kia dealership is the latest in a series of developments and upgrades that have taken place in the Kia network in the past 18 months. This includes 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.

“It’s a very impressive facility, right up there with the best international standards and will deliver the enhanced Kia experience our customers in the Waikato region deserve,” says Todd McDonald, General Manager of Kia Motors New Zealand.

“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 a recent survey. Our after-sales service has been ranked in the top two for Kia distributors worldwide for the past two years. That experience has now gone up another level for Kia owners in Hamilton.”