Inverness car showroom gets £500,000 ‘state-of-the-art’ upgrade

The owner of five Inverness car dealerships has unveiled its latest showroom upgrade following a £500,000 investment.

Dicksons of Inverness has enhanced its Kia showroom at Telford Retail Park.

The “state-of-the-art” dealership has also created seven new jobs with the creation of the Highlands’ first “digital concept store”.

The upgrade is expected to contribute to Dicksons’ five-year forecast of employing 100 staff and doubling turnover to £100 million.

New showroom

Dicksons managing director Fraser Bryce said a lot of hard work has gone into the vision for the new facility.

Mr Bryce said: “It’s the first time that our customers will have had the opportunity to utilise the high-tech capabilities of showcase.

“Customers can virtually create the car of their dreams using the amazing technology available.

“There is also the overall engaging and immersive experience, viewing cars in a gallery-type setting in a relaxing and warm environment.

“Our Carzar showroom marked a significant departure from what used to be the accepted car sales floor look, both in its layout and approach.

“Now the Kia showroom has taken the aesthetic element to another level.”

Dicksons Kia showroom upgrade

The new upgraded workshop has taken almost a year to complete and offers a first-of-its-kind experience in the Highlands.

The innovative Kia “showcase” configuration system allows dealers to show customers accurate renditions of vehicles without a physical car in the workshop.

Customers will be able to rotate the car and view it from every angle, open the doors and explore the inside as well as add accessories.

Showcase also serves as a video library to help explain some of the more detailed in-vehicle technologies.

The customer zone will offer a “warm, minimalistic, and natural ambiance” while the display room showcases a “futuristic and sleek” design.

Dicksons owns five dealerships across the Highland capital, including its £1m affordable second hand car showroom Carzar.

It also has its own parts franchise and services around 15,000 vehicles annually.

Its five showrooms, Kia, MG, Nissan, Suzuki and Carzar, are all on Carsegate Road.

Mr Bryce and four other directors also completed a management buy-out last year, with the company now employing more than 80 people across 30 different roles.