Sonic Lands Buick and GMC Franchises in Ala., Kia in Calif.

Sonic Automotive Inc., the nation's third-largest dealership group, has been awarded three new franchises -- Buick, GMC and Kia, Automotive News reported.

The Buick and GMC franchises are located in Montgomery, Ala., and the Kia franchise is near San Francisco in Colma, Calif.

The publicly held retailer is installing the new brands in existing real estate in markets where it already has established a presence, Sonic President Scott Smith said in a statement.

“The ability to utilize existing real estate assets and the strong management team in both these markets will allow us to quickly integrate these new franchises into our operation with very little incremental investment,” said Smith.

Sonic already sells other import brands where it's adding the Kia franchise. It also operates Chevrolet and Cadillac stores in Montgomery, Ala.