Kia

Tauranga Kia relocate to brand new, purpose-built facility

A new multi-million dollar Kia dealership has been built in Mt Maunganui on the back of strong brand growth and ten years of commitment from Tauranga Motor Company.

In moving over the bridge from its old site near Tauranga city centre, the new home of Kia in the Bay of Plenty boasts more than twice as much space – growing from 3,000m² to 7,500m²  – and more amenities for customers, which is making the purchase of a brand new Kia an easier and more pleasurable experience.

The impressive building has been designed to be highly visible on the corner of Hewletts Road and Maru Street, with the showroom pushed right out to the front of the site, echoing international trends.

“It’s a magnificent location and the way the dealership has been designed gives us the ability to show off our new Kia vehicles at their very best,” says Managing Director, Mark Jury.

The new dealership is the result of continued growth in the Kia brand, matched by an increase in the population of the Bay of Plenty and represents the company’s confidence in the future. Three out of the last four months have seen record sales at Tauranga Kia as the brand resonates with new vehicle buyers across the region.

The customer-friendly design includes better access into the site and more room for vehicle turning, together with customer car park spaces that are wider than normal. That theme flows through into the showroom, where extra-high ceilings and bright, light surfaces amplify the feeling of spaciousness. It’s not an illusion, because there is now space to display over 30 new vehicles inside – three times as many as before.

“That’s very important, because we want people to feel like they can easily walk around and browse the vehicles in a comfortable and welcoming environment,” says Mr Jury, adding that there are also two customer seating areas, with coffee and tea facilities and Wi-Fi available for customers while they are getting their vehicles serviced.

The service centre is contained under one roof instead of spread across several sites and incorporates a large grooming area. The servicing equipment is state-of the-art, including a drive-over brake and wheel alignment testing system that saves time.

Looking further ahead, the dealership has also been designed to accommodate an increase in demand for electric vehicles, including the provision of heavy-duty power facilities for rapid battery charging. This is an important aspect as Kia looks to expand its electrified options in the future following the incredible success of the Niro EV in this market. The technology to support these future vehicle requirements will be vital.

“We have experienced enormous growth in sales of Kia and we are not anticipating that growth slowing up any time soon – especially when the Kia range has been completely refreshed this year and more new models are being added in the coming months,” adds Mr Jury.

Todd McDonald, Managing Director of Kia Motors New Zealand is full of praise for the Tauranga Kia dealership team and says they have been highly instrumental in helping the brand to achieve record growth.

“They have built a strong relationship with their customers, which is illustrated by the high number of buyers who return to buy another Kia,” he says.

“TMC is one of the fastest growing and consistently high performing Kia dealers in NZ and the opening of this exceptional new dealership enables them to deliver an even better customer experience and provides a platform on which to build stronger growth in the future.”