Audi will open three new showrooms and service centres by the end of this year as part of an EUR80m restructuring of its dealer network in Ireland.
This will begin with the launch of Audi Waterford on Friday, following a spend of EUR6m, the Irish Times reported. The showroom will create up to 30 jobs over the next two years.
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This will be followed by the official opening next month of Audi North Dublin, a EUR10m facility. This will be the largest Audi showroom, sales and service centre in Ireland and also result in up to 30 jobs being created.
Audi also plans to open a new facility in Naas. This is under construction and involves a spend of about EUR2m. It will create between 10 and 15 jobs and open before the end of this year.
Additional openings are planned next year for Dublin, Cork and Athlone.
Audi has sold more than 3,400 units in Ireland this year, more than its total sales figure for 2011, the paper reported.
Andrew Doyle, managing director of Audi Ireland, said the growth reflected strong demand for A6 and A4 models.
Of the EUR80m being spent, about 85% is coming from the dealers and the balance from Audi, the paper noted.
Doyle said the carmaker was confident of achieving a return for Audi and its dealers.
“Yes, it’s a big investment. We will have eight operators in 11 locations and each has their own sustainable business plan. The numbers stack up and have been stress-tested.”
