Motor Mall has welcomed three new marques to its Queen’s Road multi-franchise stable with the addition of Fiat, Abarth and Alfa Romeo.
The company already has the Jeep franchise, another of the Fiat Group’s dozen brands, which also include the likes of Chrysler, Dodge, Ferrari, Fiat Professional, Lancia, Maserati and Ram Trucks.
The Jacksons Group – which has franchises in Guernsey, the Isle of Man and the Isle of Wight in addition to the Jacksons and Motor Mall operations in Jersey – represents the four Fiat Group franchises in some of the other jurisdictions.
Motor Mall general manager Neil Wiseman, who took up the post in July last year, said that the three manufacturers would be a valuable addition to the selection available, particularly with the Jaguar Land Rover and Volvo brands moving to Jacksons in the Airport Road upon the completion of their new dedicated showrooms later this year.
Prior to moving to Jersey, Neil was a general manager for 12 years running other multi-franchise sites, for Cambria Automobiles plc and Chapelhouse Motor Group, before running a large Ford franchise selling 3,000-plus cars and vans a year in South London.
‘There is nothing like Motor Mall in the UK. You get three or four franchises in one location or building but Motor Mall is a unique set-up,’ Neil explained.
‘The culture of the motor trade in the UK has evolved massively over the last decade or so, becoming far more professional and transparent. I have been working to help bring these practices to Motor Mall. I have tried to improve relationships with manufacturers and customers,’ he added.
Innovations introduced include CitNOW technology, which enables personalised sales and workshop video presentations to be created and sent to customers.
‘The short films can be sent to a customer who has expressed an interest in a particular car offering additional information, while after the initial inspection a service technician will send a video showing and explaining what work needs to be done,’ Neil said.
‘The latter has already been introduced at Jacksons but has been offered in the UK for several years. It helps with customer care and to build trust. They don’t have to take our word for what work needs to be done – they can see for themselves in a 90-second video,’ he added.
Neil said he was pleased that Motor Mall had taken on the three new franchises, with the likelihood of at least another one to follow.
He commented: ‘With JLR and Volvo moving out later this year we were delighted to have been offered these franchises by the Fiat Group due to our already representing Jeep and the wider Jacksons Group selling Fiat, Abarth and Alfa Romeo.
‘The Fiat products are well known in the Island, while there has not been an official Alfa Romeo dealer for some time. The company has a lot of new vehicles, with the Stelvio and Giulia being next generation products and more mainstream for the prestige market.
‘The Stelvio has received very good press, including on Top Gear recently, and is an SUV that isn’t huge but a nice size for the Island with that bit of Italian style. It is desirable and a little bit different.
‘The new Giulia saloon ranges from a 200-hp to the super 500-hp Giulia Quadrifoglio that has a 0–60 mph time of 3.7 seconds. It is a very attractive car with a sporting pedigree. With Jaguar Land Rover leaving it gives us a halo product that stands out.’
Neil said that after the JLR and Volvo franchises moved out of Motor Mall there was likely to be some internal remodelling at the Queen’s Road showroom. ‘Fiat is a great fun brand, as is Abarth, and it gives us a real sports car and convertible, something that is lacking in most of our line-ups. We have soft-tops but not a pure convertible or sports car like the Abarth or Fiat Spider,’ he said.
Planning for the arrival of the new franchises included recruiting a salesperson, Chris Poole, who had worked in a Fiat and Abarth franchise in the UK previously, and a technician with Fiat experience. Fiat has been providing additional training.
Initially demonstrators available are the Alfa Romeo Stelvio and Giulia, the Abarth 595 and the Fiat 500, 500X and 500L, with more to follow over the next few weeks.
‘Fiat, Abarth and Alfa offer something different to our customers. Fiat and Abarth are fun and exciting brands with a younger vibe that may appeal to a different customer, which is good for us, as we aim to provide a one-stop shop,’ said Neil.
‘If a customer comes in looking for an SUV, for example, we can show them a range of vehicles from different manufacturers rather than having to pigeon-hole them into the closest car we have in one particular franchise.
‘We want to help customers find the vehicle that is right for them, not just try and sell them what we want them to buy. I want my sales staff to be approachable and have the time to talk to customers, find out what they want and need from their car and help them to make the right decision.’
One thing that Neil has noticed about car buyers in Jersey is their lack of inhibition when it comes to colour choice.
‘The UK is very much grey and silver and most people conform but since I have been in Jersey it has been refreshing to see people ordering the reds and brighter colours. With Fiat 500s available in bright pinks and peppermint green they are perfect for that freedom of expression,’ he concluded.
- To promote the arrival of the Fiat, Abarth and Alfa Romeo franchises, Motor Mall and the Jersey Evening Post have combined to offer readers the chance to win a Fiat 500 for 12 months. The entry form, plus full terms and conditions, was published in the JEP on Monday 16 April and back copies of the newspaper are available from the JEP reception at Five Oaks.
