Vertu Expands Geely Presence In North East With Durham Dealership
Award-winning automotive retailer Vertu has opened the doors to a second new Geely Auto dealership in the North East, introducing the fast-growing manufacturer to customers in Durham.
The launch of Vertu Geely Durham as the fifth Geely dealership in Vertu’s nationwide dealer network follows hot on the heels of the brand arriving in Teesside at Vertu’s site off Concorde Road.
As with the Teesside dealership, Geely will sit alongside BMW and MINI as part of a multi-franchise operation, providing customers with a full range of new and used vehicles from all three brands, alongside comprehensive aftersales support.
Whilst Geely sales will initially operate from a temporary showroom, the dealership will now undergo an extensive redevelopment programme in the coming months to create a new-look retail environment which will be revealed in the Spring.
Since opening its first dealership in the UK less than twelve months ago, Geely has made its mark on the sales charts and hit a landmark in September with more than 5,000 new cars registered in a single month for the first time.
That performance was driven in part by the introduction of the new Geely EX2, the all-electric city car which is the third Geely model offered in the UK alongside the EX5 and Starray EM-I Super Hybrid SUVs.
The EX2 starts from under £21,000 and offers a range of up to 214 miles.
The addition of a fifth Geely dealership to the Vertu network comes shortly after it was named as Retailer of the Year at the Autotrader Retailer Awards for a second successive year.
John Curry, General Manager of Vertu Geely Durham, said: “As the brand continues to show impressive growth in the UK, we are pleased to have the opportunity to introduce customers from across Durham and the surrounding area to the ever-expanding Geely range.
“Over the coming months, we will be making significant changes at the site to create a new retail environment for customers, and we look forward to welcoming them along to explore everything that Geely has to offer.”
Robert Forrester, Chief Executive of Vertu, said: “Following the successful launch of Vertu Geely Teesside, we’re delighted expand our relationship with the brand through the opening of our second dealership in the North East.
“The addition of Durham strengthens our growing relationship with Geely as it continues to expands its presence in the UK, and we are confident that the mix of innovation, technology and value for money offered by the current model line-up will be popular with customers.”