MERCEDES-BENZ of Carlisle has opened its all-new state-of-the-art retail outlet – creating some 15 jobs in the process.
It is the first car dealership on Kingmoor Park – Cumbria’s only Enterprise Zone – and will provide several other firsts for the region’s motorists.
More than twice the size of its previous home at Rosehill, the 4.5-acre site significantly increases the retailer’s sales and aftersales capability. Around 15 new staff are being recruited as a result of the expansion.
The 12-car showroom is the first of its kind to feature the brand’s interactive experience technology that includes vehicle configurators and video walls. Also making its debut in Cumbria is smart, with a dedicated sales area within the showroom, which features a café bar where customers can relax with a hot drink or continue with their work while their vehicle is being serviced.
Another first for the county is the drive-in, drive-out servicing facility that lets customers enter service reception in their car without being exposed to the elements. The aftersales operation also includes a five-bay cosmetic repair centre with a drive-in paint oven and diamond-cut alloy wheel machine for refurbishment work.
Barry Crooks, Mercedes-Benz of Carlisle’s head of business, said: ‘The new site is a world apart from our previous home, which we had completely outgrown, and is bigger and better in absolutely every respect.
‘Our showroom is now much more befitting of the brand we represent, while the 18-bay workshop will be better able to meet the demands of our customers when it comes to servicing and MOTs.’
He added: ‘Outside, our approved used car display has risen from 40 to 90 cars to offer more choice than ever before, and on-site parking has increased almost fourfold to 32 spaces, which I know will delight our customers.’
The dealership has also been equipped with a host of electric vehicle charging points in preparation for the wave of new electric models being launched under the Mercedes-Benz EQ brand.
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