New Suzuki franchise launches in Port Alfred
Suzuki dealer principal Steven van der Merwe aims to propel his dealership’s share of the car sales market in the region to new heights following the launch of the franchise in Port Alfred on March 12.
Van der Merwe, who operates as Lens Auto Suzuki Port Alfred in Bathurst Road, undertook a major upgrade of the building as he eyed a chance at transitioning to the Suzuki franchise. He ran the Lens Auto Car Sales dealership from November 2022.
Present at the launch were representatives from Suzuki Johannesburg head office, local Suzuki staff and major banking institutions such as Wesbank, Absa and Standard Bank.
Van der Merwe told guests that quality, variety, price and features had attracted him to the Suzuki franchise opportunity.
“We have just about every Suzuki model. There is something for everyone. Japanese quality is something many South Africans love and we have the right prices for car buyers,” he said.
“We have a five-year/ 20,000km warranty on our cars.”
Van der Merwe said his vision was always to partner with Suzuki after starting the dealership at the same time as Tyremart, that is situated adjacent to his car sales operation, in November 2022.
“We went in head first to set up the tyre store and built this place as a used car facility and started looking for opportunities. Suzuki has a tough selection process; it’s been a journey and I am looking forward to working many years
with the company,” he said.
Suzuki Johannesburg representative, Ryno Matthysen, said they were extremely satisfied with the work put in to get the new franchise going.
“From Suzuki SA, we are proud to be associated with you [Steven] and the team and just want to congratulate you on the facility and work you put in.”
Matthysen said Suzuki is an international worldwide brand that has made its mark in SA since 2008.
“Suzuki in SA had humble beginnings and to witness how it has become a household name in a short time is phenomenal.”
Matthysen said Suzuki Port Alfred was its 105th dealership in SA and one of the fastestgrowing in the country. In terms of sales, Suzuki Auto SA finished January 2024 on a record 5,235 units and had 17 different models available.
“Customers are very price sensitive and we feel we have the winning recipe.
“I take my hat off to Steven and the team, the amount of the stock he is holding for his
opening is phenomenal, and we are optimistic to see him penetrate the market in Port Alfred and outlying areas. We are confident it’s going to go well for Steven and the team.”
The pint-sized four-wheel drive Jimny is one of Suzuki’s best-selling products and Matthysen is confident that the vehicle will sell well in the region with its off-road terrain.
Suzuki Auto has recently launched a five-door Jimny to cater for a wider audience of customers. Matthysen said Jimny would suit perfectly the Port Alfred lifestyle for both retired individuals and those who enjoyed the outdoors.
Van der Merwe believes Suzuki is the brand that serves Port Alfred the best.
“I am super excited it’s been a lot of hard work. We have now got the actual dealership up and running within a month and it’s been six weeks of hard work. We have five cars sold since our signs went up last week so we are looking forward to great things,” Van der Merwe said.