Phoenix Car Company has opened a newly-built dealership in Glasgow to house Kia and Suzuki franchises.

The 13-site dealer group already has Kia and Suzuki dealerships in Paisley, south of Glasgow – the new showroom means Phoenix now represents the brands in north Glasgow too.

John McGuire, Phoenix managing director, said it was a “very good territory” for the brands.

“The products we have for both ranges are well-aligned to the market place in the area,” he added.

He expects to sell 750 units in the first 12 months: 250 new Kia vehicles, 250 new Suzuki vehicles and 250 used cars.

“This is significantly less than at the Paisley sites, where we sell more than double that in new cars, but we want to walk before we can run,” said McGuire.

The dealership, which will add around £10m to Phoenix’s £141m turnover, has recruited 12 people, which McGuire expects to rise to 40 staff over the next three years.

“We’re running staff lean at the moment. And the site is adjacent to our Honda dealership so there are some economies of scale,” he said.

McGuire added that costs were kept down on the building.
Phoenix is offering a free pair of walking boots to anyone buying a car from the new showroom, to promote using a car carefully and being eco-friendly.

McGuire is also planning to expand this promotion to the rest of the group.