Bold brand presence in Botany

DESIGN BUILD FROM GROUND UP FOR NEW HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP

Anew Hyundai dealership will open next to New Zealand’s largest and newest Mercedes- Benz dealership, in Botany next month.

The neighbouring operations will both be operated by the Armstrong Motor Group, in one of the fastest- growing suburbs of Auckland.

Group managing director Rick Armstrong said the new dealership site in Ti Rakau Drive would be one of the most researched and technologically advanced in the country.

“We now have two exceptional franchises for the site that complement each other really well, and it will create a new automotive centre that East Auckland has lacked up until now.”

The 11,000sq msite would boast almost 5500sq mof floor space, and each brand would have separate facilities.

Mercedes- Benz New Zealand research had identified Botany as one of the fastest- growing areas Auckland- based car dealer Rick Armstrong at the new Armstrong Prestige branch in Botany. in the country, and the Ti Rakau Drive site was on one of the nation’s busiest roads.

The new dealership would occupy almost twice the area of the Armstrong Motor Group’s large Mercedes dealership in Christchurch.

Work had begun identifying the site, planning and building the dealerships about two years ago.

“It is a design build from the ground up, which is unusual today because of the shortage of suitable land,” said Armstrong.

“There won’t be a dealership like it in the country.”

There would be the latest technology available in the dealership workshops, which would be set up with electric vehicle charging stations and other facilities for electric and conventional vehicles.

Armstrong said his group was investing in the new facilities to take advantage of the strong market for new vehicles.

“New Zealanders are realising it is sensible and relatively easy to buy a new car now versus a used import,” he told

The new car market was fiercely competitive, and buyers were benefiting from ultra- sharp pricing. In addition, new car buyers were experiencing the rapid advancement of technology on new vehicles.

“The acceleration of technology in new cars provides an incentive for people to buy new,” he said.

They were safer than older imports, came with manufacturer warranties, and often came with service agreements.

The Armstrong Motor Group began operating in Christchurch in 1993, and now represented 19 brands over 13 locations across New Zealand.

It moved into the Auckland market about three and a half years ago, taking over Auckland Toyota dealerships in three locations, all of which had been successful.

Armstrong said while the Toyota dealership was bigger than those at Botany, it operated over three separate sites.

“We expect Mercedes- Benz to be open in Botany in early June, with Hyundai following shortly after,” he said.

“The new dealership has been a huge undertaking and I am delighted the new state- of- the- art facility is nearly complete.”

The new Hyundai dealership would trade as East Auckland Hyundai.

“Hyundai was looking for representation in the area, and we think that as a brand it has a bright future,” said Armstrong.

It was well- established, a leader in electric vehicles and provided a good mix for the company with a quality volume and luxury brand.

“Now having Hyundai, a quality high- volume brand with a wide range of vehicles, it will complement Mercedes- Benz, and is a perfect fit for us,” he said.