New Renault/Dacia dealership in Cambridge, moved to a site that no one can easily get too.

TMW THOUGHTS

The old Renault/Dacia dealership in Cambridge was situated on an extremely busy main road, which had massive frontal views and was accessible via a number of entrances, however, the new dealership has moved along the road, which has a one way system, and is off the main road, and so inaccessible it is a joke, that site was used for servicing and repairs, and was always busy and packed, so how do you get a car sales area into that same area, we went by last week, and there was people driving in, and driving straight out as there was nowhere to park - I fear that the Renault/Dacia dealership in Cambridge will now become a poor effort and lose a lot of sales.

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• UK’s newest Renault and Dacia dealer opens in Cambridge
• 13^th new Renault Group partner to join franchise in last 12 months
• Renault Group sales continue to grow ahead of market growth
• New dealership offers a one-stop shop to customers

One of the largest independent car retailers in East Anglia has opened the UK’s newest Renault and Dacia franchise in Cambridge.

John Banks Group has spent four months transforming the former Wests of Cambridge site into a state-of-the-art showroom to become the 13^th new Renault Group partner to join the franchise in the last 12 months.

The family-owned company, which celebrated its 40^th anniversary last year, is already renowned for delivering outstanding customer service at its Honda and Suzuki dealerships in Cambridge, Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds.

Managing Director Mark Banks said: “We are very excited to have secured Renault and Dacia and we’re confident it will be a successful new partnership. There are some exciting new vehicles in the range and new products to come, which is one of the reasons we took the franchises.  

“Our new showroom has been completely refurbished and this is the first time in 11 years that Renault sales, after sales and parts are all in one place in Cambridge, so it’s a great one-stop shop for our customers. Everyone I have spoken to has been really impressed with the new look of the showroom, and the new features we’ve introduced as part of the Renault Store concept have already proved extremely popular.”

The new state-of-the-art showroom is one of the first in the country to offer the Renault Store retail concept, which is divided into zones, making it easier for the customer to see what they want. Interactive displays and the chance to use the tablets provided also help improve the customer experience.

Welcoming the new dealership, Darren Payne, Sales Director, Renault Group UK, said: “We are delighted to have a successful and well-established dealership like John Banks Group join the Renault Group UK network and strengthen our presence in East Anglia with their fantastic new showroom. 

“Expanding our dealer network is a key part of our GO5+ strategy for sustainable growth. This is an exciting time for Renault Group in the UK with our sales this year again growing significantly ahead of the market growth as our outstanding range of Renault and Dacia vehicles continues to find favour with many new customers to both brands.

“Our growth is set to continue as we enter new market segments with terrific new models like the all-new Renault Kadjar crossover plus the addition of exciting new franchises like John Banks in East Anglia which will secure the delivery of our ambitious but achievable growth objectives.”

Prominently located in Swann’s Road, John Banks Cambridge is staffed by an experienced team who have worked with Renault and Dacia for a number of years.

It’s not just the showroom that has been revamped. A brand-new service centre means the dealership can also offer the highest standards of aftersales care and vehicle maintenance through its workshop equipped with the latest Renault and Dacia diagnostic equipment and led by manufacturer-trained master technicians.

Renault Group sales – comprising of Renault cars, vans and Dacia – were up 15.2 per cent to 62,476 vehicles in the first six months of 2015 according to the latest SMMT figures. Of that total, Renault car sales for the first six months of this year represented 36,840 vehicles (up 14.9 per cent), Renault van sales stood at 11,169 (up 21.4 per cent) and Dacia 14,465 vehicles (up 11.5 per cent).