Triton brings the challenge to competitors
The bakkie war has intensified with the local launch of Mitsubishi’s next-generation Triton, an evolution in the iconic bakkie’s 46-year legacy.
- Product News
- 21 November 2024
Finding the perfect spot was difficult, but I believe our new dealership’s unique location will greatly benefit our customers and give us more than enough room to manoeuvre.
So says Wynand Hugo, Dealer Principal and co-owner of Malmesbury Suzuki, which has just opened its doors in this Swartland town in the Western Cape.
“Business properties fit for a new vehicle dealership are limited in Malmesbury, but we found an old factory right next to the N7 main road that suits our needs perfectly. It might not be in the centre of town like other dealerships, but its location close to the N7 makes it highly visible and accessible.
“Our official grand opening will be soon, but we already have close to a month’s sales behind us. We are extremely happy with the acceptance of the brand in this part of the world. Malmesbury Suzuki will cover the Swartland region, which includes a number of surrounding smaller towns,” Wynand tells Dealerfloor.
Malmesbury Suzuki is part of the Hugo & Hugo holding company operated by Wynand and his brother Ernest, who is the DP at their award-winning Suzuki dealership in Vredenburg up the west coast. Suzuki Vredenburg won the Rural Dealer of The Year award last year from Suzuki.
The car business is in the brothers’ blood with their father and grandfather opening a Toyota dealership back in 1974 in Vredenburg. Before opening the new Suzuki dealership in Malmesbury, Wynand was the Sales Manager at Suzuki Vredenburg.
Asked if being DP is a challenge, Wynand says that at Vredenburg he also shared a lot of the responsibilities in the running of the business with his brother. We are close and speak regularly to one another, which might increase now with the new business close to 100 kilometres away from home.
“I travel between Vredenburg and Malmesbury every day. Two of our staff members relocated to Malmesbury with the rest of the workforce for the new dealership coming from the local community,” Wynand tells us.
“As mentioned before, our products and the new dealership have been popular in Malmesbury from the outset. Our used cars section is fully functional with trade-ins and some stock we brought from Vredenburg.
The fact that we have two dealerships also assist us to provide more options with more stock, both new and used, that we can swop between us to assist customers. Our product range is value for money second to none,” says Wynand.
The bakkie war has intensified with the local launch of Mitsubishi’s next-generation Triton, an evolution in the iconic bakkie’s 46-year legacy.
Unlike in the past, when dealerships primarily waited for customers to come to them, we now take a more proactive approach, bringing our vehicles directly to places where people gather, allowing them to experience the product first-hand, including offering test drives,” says Gerrie van der Kaay, Dealer Principal at Supergroup Dealerships Jetour Midrand.
JAC Motors added ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) to its X200 2.8L TDI 1.5-tonne single-cab, enhancing safety for both the crew and cargo. This latest upgrade complements the ABS-equipped X200 1.3-tonne double-cab targeted at organisations with labour-intensive crews.
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If you are not taking care of your customer, your competitor will.
Bob Hooey
Unlike in the past, when dealerships primarily waited for customers to come to them, we now take a more proactive approach, bringing our vehicles directly to places where people gather, allowing them to experience the product first-hand, including offering test drives,” says Gerrie van der Kaay, Dealer Principal at Supergroup Dealerships Jetour Midrand.
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