Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has invested £2 million in a flagship brand centre, run by Snows Group.

The Southampton showroom displays new Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Jeep models, creating 25 new jobs on the site.

Stephen Snow, Snows’ group chairman, said: “FCA has linked up with Snows, as a trusted, customer-focused automotive retailer, to create a £2 million flagship brand centre for some of the most iconic motor brands in the world.

“Feedback from customers has been highly positive and we anticipate the FCA brand centre becoming a go-to destination for discerning motorists looking for the ‘wow factor’.

“Purchasing a new vehicle should be a pleasure and the new showroom environment has the senses tingling.”

Reaching out to the compact SUV sector in the region, the brand centre is to stock the next-generation Jeep Compass, rivalling models such as Land Rover Discovery Sport and Audi Q3.

Snows Group operates 45 dealerships covering 19 brands from 28 locations across nine counties in the South of England.

Its most recent openings include a Suzuki site in Basingstoke and a Fiat and Abarth dealership in the Isle of White. It also acquired the Chichester-based Portfield car retail group in a deal which sees the business add Citroen, Mazda and Peugeot franchises in Chichester with plans to develop a Toyota franchise for the site too.