Wessex Garages has halved its Abarth representation through a development which has seen its Bristol Kia operation expanded to include a specialist used operation.

The group has opened the Kia used showroom in the space previously occupied by its Abarth franchise on Feeder Road, Bristol, meaning that its entire retail operation for the Italian performance brand is now located on Penarth Road, Cardiff.

Wessex’s Abarth operation in Bristol had been operated by the group since 2010.

Last September Wessex added the Renault and Dacia brands to its portfolio as part of a £500,000 investment in Newport and the development of a £5 million Cribbs Causeway Nissan operation.

Referring to the changes at its Bristol Kia site, dealership general manager Mark Hayward said: “We are thrilled to announce that from now onwards our Feeder Road showroom will be an exclusive Kia dealership.

“We have redesigned our second showroom at the dealership and this will now be our specialist Kia approved used car showroom. The other showroom at the site will purely be for brand new models. 

 “It will be the place to go for a Kia model in the South West as we have a large and varied selection of new and approved used Kias in stock and can offer expert knowledge on the brand.”

He added: “Our large range of Kia approved used cars are hand-picked according to stringent requirements. All are less than 18 months old and have covered less than 18,000 miles.”