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- Product News
- 21 November 2024
The well-known Westvaal Motor Group opened its new dealership complex in Polokwane recently, making it one of the biggest in the Limpopo province.
On the new 28 000 m2 premises you will find the only Stellantis dealership in Limpopo and probably the largest one in the country. Add to that a large Isuzu LCV and SUV dealership, an Isuzu Truck Centre and a used car dealership, giving Westvaal a massive footprint in the province.
“We are proud of our new dealership, which offers customers a one-stop facility across a broad spectrum that includes a 4x4 track. In the near future, customers will be able to put vehicles through their paces here,” says Johann Steyn, Dealer Principal on the passenger side for Stellantis and Isuzu LCV/SUV, while Peter Adams takes charge on the truck side.
“In total, we have 8 000 m2 under roof of which 6 000 m2 is for passenger vehicles and 2 000 m2 for trucks. We have a total area of around 14 000 m2 under paving and cement,” Johann tells Dealerfloor.
“We have consolidated four different divisions of the dealership, which were spread out across the city centre and industrial area, into one new modern facility on the R101 as you enter Polokwane. We still have one used vehicle dealership left at one of the previous premises because of its strategic positioning close to various other similar dealerships,” he says.
He tells us the brand-new dealership allows for up to 20 new vehicles on the showroom floor at the Stellantis side and between 30 and 40 used vehicles on the used car showroom floor. The Isuzu showroom can also accommodate a large number of bakkies as is the case on truck side where they display single cab Isuzus with trucks being part of the commercial offering.
“Our customers will enjoy the new dealership as it is modern, safe and spacious with a coffee shop offering a free cup of coffee for customers who bring their vehicles in for a service. The design of the dealership also allows for a broad view of the stock yard that is under roof. This allows customers to see a larger number of vehicles close by to compare different models and colours for instance,” Johann says.
He ays they have a borehole at the new premises to complement water usage and that they recycle all the grey water for use in the washing bay. “We take sustainability seriously and not only the recycling water but also the recycling of materials used at the dealership. At a later stage, we will instal some solar power to assist with the lower electricity demand, but generators are used as the equipment such as the lifts draw a lot of power.”
Asked about the customer base, Johann says one of the largest economic drivers in their area of operations is the agricultural sector, as well as some mining and light industries and private businesses. It is also the capital of Limpopo province, but government sales do not really play a significant role in sales but rather in servicing.
“We are looking forward to the introduction of the new Peugeot Landtrek bakkies which will in future be built locally in the Eastern Cape. Our different product offerings supplement each other well, and from a price perspective the Peugeot Landtrek and Isuzu bakkies cater to different customers.
With Isuzu, the Isuzu trucks, the Stellantis brands (Peugeot, Citroën, Fiat, Jeep and Opel) and our large used vehicle offering, we can cater to a large variety of tastes in different price categories,” Johann tells Dealerfloor.
Johann, who has been with the Westvaal Group for 20 years except for a period of three years, says as a large Isuzu dealership, they regularly feature under the top achievers for the brand over the year and they are looking forward to taking all the brands represented at the new facility to the top.
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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