The opening of Wessex Kia, Feeder Road, Bristol sees a real commitment to the company’s target of 5% market share by 2010, says David Allington, head of network development, Kia Motors UK.

Wessex Kia is the largest Kia dealership in Europe. The showroom has space for 40 cars, with the forecourt able to house another 50, both new and used. The site offers full sales, service, parts and MoT facilities, and currently has 18 staff.

“We expect 550 new sales this year but feel the site is quite capable of between 800 and 1,000 new car sales a year,” says Allington.

“Today we look for a facility to have a minimum of five years’ potential, but Wessex Kia has a 10 year potential. This is the second Kia site operated by Wessex Garages, who already have an excellent reputation in the area, so we are building on a know investment.”

Wessex Garages has had a Nissan franchise for more than 20 years, and is also supported by Citroën and Renault.