ATL Autohaus opens ultra-modern showroom

Christopher Serju, Sunday Gleaner Writer

ATL Autohaus recently hosted the official opening of its VW showroom and Audi terminal, located at 3 Oxford Road, New Kingston.

The pomp and pageantry at the opening ceremony are in keeping with the global standards established by Audi and which the local dealers went to great expense to achieve and are committed to maintain.

Brian Stevenson, director of automotive development at ATL Automotive. summed it up this way: "The whole thing is that Audi is progressive. It's sporty, it's sophisticated, and there are other things that when you work with Audi, you've got to make sure you address.

"One of the things that Audi prides itself in is 'Vorsprung durch Technik' or progress through technology, which means Audi is applying the best in cutting-edge technologies to everything that they do.

"Audi has designed the whole building so that it epitomises what Audi stands for and when you step into it, you have to feel like you are in Audi world. You've got to feel sporty, sophisticated and progressive. You got to feel all those things."

Everything associated with or placed inside the building is sophisticated and functional, contributing to the overall aim of producing the impact of technology in motion. From the placement of the cars, which seem to hurtle towards you upon entering, everything has been purpose-built and placed.

Stevenson explained: "They determined the finishes - the tiling had to be a certain colour. It's got to be a certain tile. You cannot just get any tile and put on the floor, and with Audi, it's non-shine, matte tile, because they want you to focus on the car and not what's under the car."

Jamaica now joins an elite group of 400 such dealerships across the globe, all built to the same exacting standard. It is in the first 10 per cent of dealers in Latin American and the Caribbean region to actually build this type of facility terminal.

GLOBAL STANDARDISATION

This global standardisation is in keeping with Audi's commitment to deliver the same high-quality products and services under the same circumstances, throughout the world.

So when Audi started talking with ATL in 2009, they made it clear they would not bastardise the brand and the local dealers would have to be correct in every detail, as determined by Audi. In order to demonstrate its seriousness, ATL had to commit to building the facility if it wanted the franchise.

Four years and US$13 million later, Audi is impressed, but along with the hefty price tag came a serious investment time and headaches for ATL executives, but for local automotive consumers, it was well worth the wait and money.

As Stevenson told Automotives: "What we bring to Jamaica is what every Jamaican deserves. They are spending hard-earned money and need to be given the same options and the same treatment, whether in the States or Europe … making their motor shopping experience an enjoyable one".