The group already owns the Ford and Chery dealerships in Phalaborwa and Chery in Tzaneen in the north-eastern part of Limpopo, in a family business that has been going for 30 years in the region. The new additions to the group will be known as LDV Tzaneen and LDV Phalaborwa.

“We are very excited about LDV, and we will eventually have two LDV dealerships, one in Phalaborwa and the other in Tzaneen,” Morné Simpson, owner and director tells Dealerfloor.

“Currently, we use temporary space available at or close to our other existing dealerships in both towns to accommodate LDV while we are preparing new full-on dealerships for the Chinese brand. We have also put up large signs to signal the arrival of the new brand in this region,” he says.

“I am impressed with the interest customers from different walks of life have shown in the LDV brand. Our bakkie demo models have drawn a lot of attention to the brand, and the company’s history, price position and first-class warranties find favour with potential buyers.

“Our customer bases in Phalaborwa and Tzaneen vary from a more mining and industrial orientated in the former to a more agricultural one in Tzaneen. At this stage, we are busy lining up our first fleet customer at one of the mines in the region, who is interested in a number of bakkies.

“I can see that the entry-level double cabs and the high-end models will be extremely popular based on the current interest shown,” Morné tells us.

“The performance of the 2-litre turbodiesel engines used in the LDV bakkies is on par or superior to that of the established brand competitors, and specification and equipment levels are also class leading. The price and the back-up play an important role for potential customers to consider the brand,” he says.

He tells us that they are preparing new dealerships in both towns, and currently the LDVs will have their own display area with some functions shared with the other brands until everything is in place. “I have high hopes for LDV as the bakkie range has a wide variety of models and covers a broad price spectrum.

“We are also looking forward to the arrival of the rest of the LDV range. The D90 SUV will be on showroom floors soon and the panel vans will afford as an opportunity to sell more entry-level vehicles for commercial applications,” Morné says.

“We have established our business over 30 years, and I am part of the second-generation doing business here. Adding more brands and also more affordable brands is imperative for the survival of the vehicle retail trade in South Africa today.

“Giving customers options and choices, together with excellent customers service, is the way forward,” Morné concludes.