9:22 am, September 21, 2021
Close Motor Company has become the latest dealer group to sign up with SsangYong as the South Korean brand continues to hoover up former Mitsubishi partners.
The dealer group says SsangYong ‘ticked all the boxes’ as it looked for new partnerships following Mitsubishi’s decision to withdraw from the UK
It has already opened its first SsangYong dealership – in Peterborough – with plans in place to expand over the coming months.
The site currently has an eight car showroom and state-of-the-art facilities for customers.
There is a comfortable hospitality area, complimentary refreshments and free Wi-Fi.
In addition, there is a large external forecourt and full aftersales centre, offering a servicing, MOT and repairs.
On display there is an award-winning and stylish model line-up, which includes the brands flagship Rexton, a new facelifted Musso pick-up truck, the crossover Korando and Tivoli compact SUV.
A comprehensive range of accessories is also available for those wanting to add a personal touch to their vehicle.
Simon Close, managing director of Close Motor Company, says the dealer group is always looking to grow by taking on ‘like-minded partners’.
He told Car Dealer: ‘Since the announcement of Mitsubishi’s withdrawal we’ve been looking for like-minded partners that we can grow our market share and brand with locally but making the customer centric to this.
‘We are really looking forward to the journey with SsangYong and many successful years together.
‘The current products are great but the future ones look even better.
‘We consider ourselves to have been really lucky to have been appointed with Suzuki at our Corby site along with Isuzu and now SsangYong at Peterborough.
‘We’re an ambitious business that wants continued growth with like-minded brand partners. It’s more than just selling or servicing a car for us – it’s a way of life and a passion.
‘We’d expect some of our 10,000 loyal database to move across from Mitsubishi to SsangYong as well as our other new partners brands but we also hope that we can attract new customers to our business.’
The announcement comes after PJ Nicholls also added SsangYong to its portfolio last month.
The likes of Palmers Motor Group and Station Garage have also signed up with the firm in recent times.
Kevin Griffin, managing director at SsangYong Motor UK, added: ‘We are delighted to welcome Close Motor Company to our franchise.
‘The group has done a fantastic job to create a business that perfectly reflects the true values and the merits of our brand and product range.
‘Close has exceptional experience in 4x4s and SUVs – with the latest Musso now on sale, the timing couldn’t have been better.’
