Porsche’s showroom plan angers Brossard car dealers

Taschereau Blvd. car dealers are up in arms about a zoning change that would allow car sales at nearby Dix 30.

Porsche Canada wants to show and sell its vehicles at a “city showroom,” which would be a first for its brand in North America. The space will be about showcasing the brand in new and innovative ways — without offering the usual maintenance, new car delivery and storage services of a dealership, according to John Cappella, network development director for Porsche Cars Canada.

Brossard is in the process of changing zoning to allow car sales at the sprawling South Shore mall, owned by Carbonleo and Oxford Properties. The city is studying the input made by 13 people who showed up at a public consultation meeting Oct. 7, said Brossard spokesman Alain Gauthier. He said he did not know when the zoning change would be adopted.

Only the Porsche boutique is on the table for the moment, said Olivier Gagnon, spokesperson for Dix 30. The space will be about 1,900 square feet and display only two cars, he said. The proposed zoning allows for spaces of less than 300 square metres, or about 3,200 square feet. The space is more of a brand environment than a store, he said, pointing to similar showrooms operated by Tesla at Yorkdale in suburban Toronto and in the U. S. The U. S. showrooms have come under fire in many states by dealerships opposed to direct sales by an automaker. In the Porsche case at Dix 30, the space will be operated by an existing Porsche dealer, Groupe Lauzon, Cappella wrote in an email.

Denis Dessureault, executive vice- president of the Montreal Automobile Dealers Corporation, said he understands the concerns of the auto dealers on Taschereau Blvd., about 30 of whom are trying to stop the zoning change. They’ve invested millions in their premises, he said, and have myriad bylaws with which to comply. Now, they fear they will have to open extensions at Dix 30 in order to compete in a new retail environment as more dealers may flock to the well- travelled mall, Dessureault said.

“The way consumers shop for vehicles continues to evolve,” Capella wrote. “Convenience and brand experience are becoming more and more important,” he said, adding the showroom ” will bring the Porsche brand into the heart of one of Canada’s premier shopping and entertainment districts.”

There is currently no Porsche dealership on the South Shore.