Mitsubishi Motors North America is gearing up for the official grand opening of its first U.S. "gallery" dealership facility in Antioch, Tenn., in partnership with City Auto Mitsubishi.
It unveiled the Mitsubishi Motors/City Auto signage at the new location: 4230 Century Farms Terrace, Suite 106, Antioch. The facility will incorporate retail, office and entertainment options.
“From the outset, we wanted to create a high-touch, low-pressure way for shoppers to discover our brand and to learn more about what we stand for, the philosophy behind our engineering, and the vehicles we sell,” said Mark Chaffin, president and CEO of the brand's U.S. operation.
“City Auto's team is as excited as we are about what this Gallery facility could mean for their business, and how it will support the Mitsubishi Motors brand in the greater Nashville market."
The concept is similar to locations luxury brands have opened in recent years to showcase their offerings, including Lincoln and Mercedes.
While consumers can't buy vehicles at the Mitsubishi gallery, they can learn about the brand, browse City Auto’s inventory, and even start the paperwork process using the company’s online ClickShop. They can then head to City Auto’s main store 20 minutes away to complete the sale.
"This is an entirely new way for a mass-market car company to differentiate itself from the competition, just one more way Mitsubishi Motors is breaking the mold of what shoppers think buying a new car should look and feel like,” Chaffin said.
The dealership will provide brand specialists for the gallery who are knowledgeable about the vehicles and their technology, as well as the brand’s history.
The gallery concept, which was announced last year, is part of the automaker’s Momentum 2030 business plan, which it says is defined by four key points: a path to electrification, to a renewed and expanded product lineup, to a modernized retail sales model and to network expansion and sales growth.