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
Erad de Lange is a man of few words. As Dealer Principal and owner of Caledon Toyota since 2007, he is a busy man, though. The dealership is buzzing – all day, every day.
As a rich farming district, Caledon is Toyota country and it shows in the scale of the dealership, which sells a car just about every working day.
“When you walk into Caledon Toyota, you can expect to be greeted by a team of highly trained, motivated individuals all working towards the common goals of the company and dedicated to providing you with personal service excellence and efficiency,” De Lange says.
From the company’s premises at 30 Prince Alfred Rd in Caledon, the capital of the Overberg (located 110 km east of Cape Town and 70 km from Somerset West on the N2), the dealership serves the whole area – the towns of Caledon, Villiersdorp, Riviersonderend, Kleinmond and Greyton – with a staff of 38, including the panel shop.
Caledon Toyota offers the full range of new Toyota vehicles – passenger cars, SUVs and, of course, South Africa’s top-selling vehicle, the Hilux in all its shapes and forms – in its showroom as well as the Automark Certified pre-owned floor. More than just supplying trusted, reliable vehicles to tackle any situation, Caledon Toyota offers its customers unparalleled safety and performance by using genuine Toyota parts to ensure that ”once you put yourself in a Toyota, you know that you are home”.
Every month the workshop services about 350 vehicles.
To serve such a large and diverse customer base, all members of staff are encouraged to be creative and give innovative input, including intelligent risk taking. In doing so, Caledon Toyota recognises mistakes may occur, but service will be better as a result.
“The customer is the ultimate judge of our products and services, not management.”
Caledon Toyota is no stranger to achieving top results, having won a number of prizes over the years, including in 2019 for the highest level of proficiency for both new vehicle sales and Automark. The prize was a wonderful trip to Mauritius.
The dealership’s success, De Lange believes, is because, “We pride ourselves on our ability to make and meet commitments and pay attention to detail.”
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.
Advertisement
Advertisement
You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do.
Henry Ford
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.
One of the latest Chinese automotive brands to establish itself in South Africa, GAC Motor, is benefitting from the expertise of well-known motor groups in the country, like the BB Motor Group.
Stellantis has announced the expansion of its multi-franchise dealer network with the addition of the Fiat and Jeep brands to the existing Westvaal Motor Group dealership in Klerksdorp in North West Province.