Audi goes west

AUDI Australia’s $150 million retail rev up continued this week with the opening of a new $9 million Audi ‘Terminal’ in Parramatta, in Sydney’s western suburban heartland.

It is the second such modern dealership opened by Sydney prestige car dealer Ian Pagent and son Nick. The first, at Five Dock, in Sydney’s inner west, was opened in early 2008 at a cost of $12 million.

Since then, Audi and its dealers have also opened several other new or refurbished dealerships in Audi’s corporate ‘terminal’ theme, including the flagship $50 million ‘Lighthouse’ building that houses Audi Centre Sydney and Audi Australia’s corporate headquarters in South Dowling St, just south of the Sydney CBD.

Audi also this week opened a new ‘airport hangar’ dealership in Cairns.

Among others to open in the past year are the $11 million Audi Brighton and $2 million Audi Berwick dealerships in Victoria, plus refurbished facilities in Newcastle and Launceston.

Left: Audi Australia managing director Uwe Hagen.

Former Audi Australia managing director Joerg Hofmann committed the importer and its dealers to spend $150 million to upgrade the retail network to handle the company’s sales expansion to 15,000 units by 2015 and deliver the network goal of best-in-class customer satisfaction.

So far, the spend has been about $85 million since the start of 2008, on projects publicised by the company.

Construction of the Audi Centre Parramatta facility, in the Church St ‘auto alley’, began in September 2009, and was completed in nine months.

Audi Australia’s new managing director, Mr Uwe Hagen, said the new 40 car showroom was a clear reflection of the strength of the Audi brand in Australia.

“Our brand is growing steadily and sustainably in Australia,” he said.

“With their considerable investment in this new facility, it is clear that Ian and Nick Pagent have a lot of faith in the Audi brand to continue our successful run here.

“I applaud their commitment to Audi and their vision in investing in the future of the brand.

“It is important that such a great brand, with exciting and emotional new products can be represented around the country in suitably premium and impressive facilities, like the new Audi Centre Parramatta.”

Audi says the the unique canted and perforated, honeycombed aluminium facade of the building reinforces the sophistication and understated design elegance of the Audi brand.

It also points to the brand’s long history of aluminium expertise practiced in both the construction of its vehicles, and through the use of lightweight technologies and materials to reduce fuel consumption.