Waylands joins Kia network with Reading Evans Halshaw dealership acquisition

Waylands Automotive has joined the Kia Motor UK franchised network with the acquisition of Pendragon's Evans Halshaw car dealership in Reading.

The Thames Valley-based car retail group, which was had operated exclusively with Volvo Car UK at locations in Reading, Oxford, Swindon and Newbury, has officially moved into the facility and is now preparing apply new Waylands Kia signage.

Waylands' former Evans Halshaw Kia business is located off just off the A33, to the south of Reading town centre.

Waylands’ chief executive, John O’Hanlon, said: “Reading Kia is our fifth opening, but first Kia dealership. Since starting the company in 2017, it has been our teams’ passion to dedicate ourselves to the customer experience and putting them at the heart of our business.

"We aim to take this same methodology into our new Kia business and are encouraged that Kia shares the same ideals and standards.

"We think this makes Waylands and Kia a natural pairing that will benefit both brands and customers alike.”

Founded in 2017, family-owned and operated Waylands was started by Ridgeway Group founder, O’Hanlon, and featured in an AM Magazine dealer profile in September 2019.

The group is an AM Awards winner, having claimed the title of Best Dealer Group (upto 10 sites) at the AM Awards 2020.

With the acquisition of Kia Reading, Waylands said in a statement issued this afternoon (February 23) that it is now "looking forward to extending its outstanding customer service to new and existing Kia owners", adding that it was the business's intention to also secure jobs for the existing staff and adding the prospect of more new roles in the future.

Among the latest Kia brand offers set to be offered by Waylands at its new franchised site is the ‘Go Hybrid’ event.

It offers car buyers a 'Kia Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) Grant' of £2,500 off the purchase price of PHEV variants of the Niro, XCeed, Ceed Sportswagon, and the all-new Sorento.