BYD's UK launch plan has entered a key phase with the opening of a flagship showroom in the heart of Mayfair - the likes of which are usually reserved for the most prestigious brands around.
The Chinese EV specialist's new flagship site is a former JLR boutique on Berkeley Street. A Rolls-Royce dealer is opposite, there are Ferrari and Bentley showrooms on the same road and McLaren, Aston Martin and Porsche are among the other luxury brands with flagship retail spaces nearby.
BYD Mayfair is operated by Stratstone, itself owned by Pendragon - one of the UK's largest car retail groups, with more than 160 dealerships.
Asked how newcomer BYD which sells three models in the UK, priced between around £26,000 and £49,000 - merits a presence in such close proximity to these revered marques and a position in the Stratstone portfolio, Kim Costello, Pendragon's chief marketing officer, told Autocar "it was a no-brainer" to open a Mayfair outlet.
Denne historien er fra November 01, 2023-utgaven av Autocar UK.
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Denne historien er fra November 01, 2023-utgaven av Autocar UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
THE DRAMATIC ITALIAN THAT MARKED THE END OF AN ERA
When the Huracán bowed out, the curtain fell forever on Lambo's V10
HOW EV MAKERS CAN WIN THE RACE TO 5.0MPKWH
Manufacturers are honing every detail to close in on big efficiency goal
MASERATI MC20
We bid a sad farewell to a handsome supercar that was easy to live with
The quickening
Instant acceleration is part of the appeal of an EV, but is it all getting a bit much for unwary and inexperienced drivers? JOHN EVANS investigates
Inside track
Watching an F1 race with live access to engineers and telemetry is the stuff of dreams for racing fans. ALEX WOLSTENHOLME makes a day of it
WHOLE IN ONE
The Volkswagen Golf has been all things to all motorists for half a century. At the wheel of a classic Mk1, VICKY PARROTT charts the eight-generation history of one of the world's most successful cars
DACIA DUSTER
Mk3 model gains digital tech, ADAS, slicker looks... Is this mission creep?
MAZDA CX-80 PHEV
Another look at Mazda's hefty SUV, this time in plug-in hybrid form
VAUXHALL GRANDLAND ELECTRIC
Newcomer looks to ease the average family SUV driver into EV motoring
BMW X3 20 XDRIVE
Fourth generation of brand's best-seller arrives with base petrol engine
