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Barnetts Motor Group has opened Scotland’s first Volvo showroom conforming to the Swedish brand’s new Scandinavian-inspired corporate identity.

The dealership at Dundee’s Waterfront has been refurbished to the new Volvo Retail Experience (VRE) showroom style, which allocates 40% of the space for a ‘living room’ with Scandinavian designed furniture, lowered ceiling, wifi and Swedish coffee and cakes, while the remaining 60% is in ‘street’ style to display the new car range.

The business is showing customers a time lapse video of its construction via its Facebook page, together with a video explaining the VRE concept.

A spokesman for the company said the new showroom continues the long tradition of innovation and class-leading service which began when founder Bob Barnett began selling Volvos in the city’s Seagate in 1965.

His son Paul, the current chairman of Barnetts Motor Group, said: “We’re very proud to be investing in the city once again through both this new showroom and the continued employment and training of more than 150 staff.

“It’s part of a £1m investment in the site turning the multi-franchise site at Riverside Drive, Dundee, into a state-of-the-art showcase for the future of car retailing. Further plans for this year include a customer handover centre utilising hi-tech 3D projection mapping as well as a car photography studio.

“I’ve grown up alongside the Volvo brand, it’s very close to my heart as well as being a key part of the business.

"I’m really excited about how in our Volvo 50th anniversary year the new showroom improves the total customer experience in so many ways and can’t wait to hear directly from our customers what they think of it.”