KIA UK AND ROADSIDE (GARAGES) CELEBRATE 20 YEARS TOGETHER

Roadside (Garages) Limited, Coleraine, is this month celebrating its 20th anniversary as an official Kia franchise, making the establishment one of the longest-standing Kia franchises in Northern Ireland, and in the UK.

In a journey which has spanned four decades total, the family-owned business has spent half of its time as part of Kia’s nationwide dealer network – and the partnership has seen both Roadside and Kia go from strength to strength.

Back in 2003, when the partnership was first established, Finding Nemo and Love Actually were hitting the silver-screen for the first time, and the tones of Will Young’s ‘Leave Right Now’ were echoing over radios all throughout the UK. The Nokia 3200 was the latest in high-tech telecommunications, further reflecting just how far the world has developed since the partnership between the brand and dealership formed.

From December 2003 and beyond, Roadside has stocked the latest-and-greatest of Kia’s product range, such as the first-generation Kia Sportage, the Kia Magentis, and the first-generation Kia Picanto city car. 20 years has seen Kia undergo a transformation, the likes of which had arguably never been seen before, now offering some of the most high-tech and impressive vehicles on the market, inducing the ever impressive, and multi award-winning range of fully electric vehicles.

David Boyd, Dealer Principal at Roadside (Garages), commented: “We've proudly worn the Kia badge for two decades, and in that time have seen and driven sales of five generations of Kia’s best-selling Sportage, and have applauded shared multiple major awards, not only for the outstanding model range, but also for the excellent customer service  As a dealership, we have enjoyed many accolades over the years which have been achieved due to our partnership with Kia, including being named top dealership in Northern Ireland just last week, in 2023’s Reputation Report. It is our customers who are the driving force behind our success. They're not just customers; they're part of the extended Roadside family and we wouldn't have it any other way."

Roadside has seen other franchises come-and-go over the past two decades, as well as experienced three major showroom refurbishments, however Kia has been a constant throughout all of this. As the brand continues to move towards being a global leader in sustainable mobility, with the launch of seven EVs in the UK by 2027, Roadside (Garages) Coleraine will continue to be an integral part of Kia UK’s nationwide dealer network.