The UK's Biggest Renault/Dacia dealership has been opened in Renfrewshire, by Arnold Clark.

• Arnold Clark Hillington is the biggest Renault and Dacia dealership in the UK
• State-of-the-art dealership covers 15,823 sq ft and includes a 23-car showroom and a new and used car display of 400 vehicles
• Opening strengthens 40-year partnership and enhances Renault Group UK’s GO5+ plan for sustainable growth
• Arnold Clark now has 20 Renault dealerships nationwide
• New franchise adjoins Arnold Clark’s purpose-built, 90,000 sq ft brand new headquarters

Arnold Clark, Europe’s largest independently owned automotive retail group, has opened the biggest dealership in the entire Renault Group UK dealer network.

The flagship Hillington franchise adjoins Arnold Clark’s brand-new, 90,000 sq ft Renfrewshire headquarters located on Hillington Industrial Park, and the group’s decision to complement its new home with the UK’s most impressive Renault dealership strengthens its longstanding relationship with Renault Group UK.

Measuring 15,823 sq ft and incorporating a 23-car showroom that features the new Renault Store concept with interactive car configurator and iPad-equipped ‘Brand Bar’, the Hillington dealership will deliver an unprecedented Arnold Clark Renault experience.

Arnold Clark’s previous East Lane Paisley and Pollokshaws Road dealerships are consolidated into the new dealership, offering private and business customers vastly enhanced facilities that are complemented with already established sales and after sales teams. Selling in the region of 1,200 new vehicles a year, the Hillington dealership is also a designated Renaultsport Specialist and Pro+ Specialist – offering high-performance Renault enthusiasts and fleet buyers a level of service that is tailored to their requirements.

Additional customer benefits include an extensive new and used car display of up to 400 vehicles, 11-bay workshop with the latest diagnostic equipment, EV charging points and both static and automated car wash facilities. Once complete, the 11-acre Arnold Clark headquarters will also provide visitors with an onsite café and outdoor seating area.

Arnold Clark has represented Renault for over 40 years – the group choosing the brand as its first foreign car franchise in 1974. The cutting-edge Hillington dealership takes the group’s nationwide Renault dealerships to 20 and reaffirms Arnold Clark’s status as the UK’s biggest privately-owned Renault retail partner.

The opening of the Hillington site comes at a very exciting time for Renault and Arnold Clark. Renault Group UK is enjoying strong growth in vehicle sales and the rapid expansion of its dealer network, the latter a key part of its GO5+ strategy to increase market share and brand opinion, while 2014 was the most successful year for Arnold Clark in the 60 years it has been trading – the group registering a 12.3 per cent increase in turnover.

Arnold Clark has also recently completed a striking rebrand and the build of its headquarters will see it bring its marketing, finance and digital product development divisions under one roof for the first time. The group’s directors will be based at Hillington and the new high-tech HQ will house 500 personnel in a contemporary setting that also pays homage to the group’s heritage.

David Munton, Renault Franchise Director, Arnold Clark, said: “Our history with Renault together with our desire to improve the facilities of our existing franchises in the area made it a logical decision to incorporate a brand new dealership into our Hillington development.

“Our experiences of working with Renault Group have been excellent and we’ve enjoyed a great deal of success with the brand. Its cars are very popular with our customers, the Clio and Megane previously being the best-selling new vehicles in Scotland, and this year alone we expect to sell in the region of 18,000 vehicles across our Renault franchises.”

Munton added: “The Renault Group brands are very important to Arnold Clark and their increasing popularity presents us with the opportunity to establish further dealerships in areas where we can improve our group’s presence.”

Darren Payne, Sales Director, Renault Group UK said: “We’re delighted that such an important investor as Arnold Clark has underlined its confidence in Renault and Dacia by not only establishing a new franchise, but also making it the largest of its kind in the UK and acknowledging its importance by incorporating it into its flagship facility.

“The Hillington franchise is the latest addition to our fast-growing dealer network and its development by one of the country’s top privately-owned automotive retail groups is a clear indication of how appealing our franchise is. We very much look forward to continuing our successful partnership with Arnold Clark and with investors like them onboard, we are in the best possible position to achieve our plans for sustainable growth set out in our GO5+ strategy.”

The latest Renault and Dacia sales figures illustrate the attraction of the brands to Arnold Clark and the ever-expanding list of other high-profile dealer groups who are choosing to represent them. Renault Group UK sales for November YTD – comprising Renault cars, vans and Dacia vehicles – were up 15.8 per cent on the same period in 2014 to 115,176 vehicles, significantly outpacing the UK car and van market, which rose by 7.3 per cent. Renault car sales represented 69,615 vehicles (up 13.8 per cent YTD), Renault van sales were 21,312 (up 33.6 per cent YTD, more than double that of the UK van market growth of 15.7 per cent YTD) and Dacia car sales represented 24,225 vehicles (up 8.3 per cent YTD).