ATL has copped the dealership for world-leading motor vehicle brands Volkswagen (VW) and Audi with plans to invest over US$13 million establishing two contemporary showrooms and state-of-the-art service centres.

ATL Autohaus, the new company formed to provide sales and service for the two German brands, will now join ATL Motors, agents for Honda, for a complete auto supply house under the umbrella ATL Automotive Ltd.

Issa Transport Group represented both VW and Audi from their South Camp Road office before the recent takeover by ATL.

In Kingston, Audi and VW vehicles will be sold and serviced from a spanking new 7,000-square foot showroom to be constructed on Oxford Road.

Honda, the original automobile line carried by ATL, will remain on Hagley Park Road.

At MoBay, the brands are to be displayed in separate spaces in a 8,000-square foot showroom, making it the first full-service dealership in the second city.

A full build-out of the project will take approximately two years, however servicing of the German brands will commence at Oxford Road next month.

“We will begin servicing of all existing Audi and VW vehicles by the middle of March,” ATL Group deputy chairman Adam Stewart told Auto Wednesday.

An upbeat Stewart sees huge possibilities for local acceptance of the brands, given a renewed marketing thrust and repositioning from the manufacturers.

Audi is a wholly-owned subsidiary of VW.

Audi, with its cutting-edge innovations, sees itself as number one in the premium market in seven years, surpassing the iconic Mercedes and BMW brands.

VW already challenges as the world’s leading auto seller holding down number one spots in Europe and South America.

Stewart, in the meantime, insists that despite concerns about prohibitive pricing of the European brands the vehicles will be competitive with comparable models on the local market.

ATL’s multi-million-dollar investment is expected to see VW strongly challenge for market share in the middle-income bracket while Audi positions itself as a viable option in the local premium auto market.

A full range of Audi and VW vehicles, including the newly introduced Amarok pickup, is expected to drive interest and sales of the brands.

The Amarok, debuting successfully at the recent Dakar rally in South America, holds great promise for VW in the mid-size pickup category.

With its sights set on taking a chunk of the luxury pickup segment, as well as the wooing the ‘workhorse, no frills’ market, VW has offered three style choices in the Amarok model range.

This VW debutante pickup is up to the task, and chock-full of comfort features normally associated with SUVs while still offering rugged haulage and towing capabilities.

Meanwhile, of special interest in the Audi prestige line-up are the R8, with its racing pedigree, and the Q5, which is expected to give stiff competition to existing premium crossovers currently being sold locally.