RECENTLY Volvo Cambodia officially opened its new showroom in the capital, on Monivong Boulevard.

Nestled next to the high flying iconic monument, the Vattanac Capital Tower and facing one of the busiest roads in the Kingdom, Volvo’s choice to place their state-of-the-art showroom in this position is testament to the potential value of the market in the Kingdom. HGB Group are masters of seeing opportunity in the market and serve as the sole importer of Volvo cars in Cambodia.

Also evident when entering the showroom is the luxury market position that Volvo wishes to continue occupying given that they have spared no expense.

he showroom is not only state-of-the-art but it is one of a kind in Cambodia. Spread over two floors, visiting the showroom is not just a shopping trip it really is an experience. Customers are encouraged to spend time in the custom built, air conditioned, elegant and spacious surrounds.

They can walk 360 degrees around each vehicle and specialist staff will help them to discover all the features the Volvo range has to offer.

The Post visited the Volvo showroom to meet Serdar Sengul, general manager at Volvo Cambodia, and Oliver Cahalan, HGB Group marketing director, to talk about the new showroom and Volvos step in to Cambodia.

Walking in to the calm of the showroom from the hustle and bustle outside, Cahalan explained, “We have a basic concept within the showroom. We have the showroom floor or ‘the street’, and then we have our ‘living room’ area”.

“The street is where we put the cars” explained Sengul, he went on, “the living room is welcoming and comfortable, with warm lighting and plants, the Scandinavian inspired design is to make the area warm and inviting”.

Within the building, moving between the two spaces is seamless. When entering ‘the street’ section of the showroom, customers are greeted by a bright and airy showroom floor, several beautiful models of vehicle are present on the floor, there are swatches of various fabrics and leathers that are available for interiors of Volvo vehicles, there are also a variety of wheels to choose from.

This is the vehicle side of things, but Volvo seeks to bring an experience to their customers, not just a vehicle.

When entering the ‘living room’, guests to the showroom will be offered tea or coffee in the showroom bar area. Engaging with customers in easy, comfortable surrounds is a crucial part of the concept for the team at Volvo Cambodia and HGB. Sengul says, “everything here is focused on the customer, we want the customer to feel comfortable and at home”.

One of the most futuristic elements of the Volvo showroom is the Virtual Reality (VR) experience that allows customers to experience vehicles in different colours and different interiors without having to commit to them too early.

This takes the guesswork out of imagining what the vehicle will look like. It allows the customer to experience new looks at the click of a button. The Post took time to use the system and was thoroughly impressed with the technology and the ability customers will now have.

Within their new showroom Volvo also houses their after sales service garage, one of the first garages in Cambodia to come with air conditioning and in addition “infrastructure wise we are the only garage that is ready for hybrid vehicles when they arrive”, said Sengul.

Upstairs there are offices for staff currently working at the showroom, but there is also plenty of desk space for new employees or visiting employees from abroad,

Sengul made clear that Volvo is “ready for expansion, we have the space when we need it.”

Volvo Cambodia is already on track to match the regional benchmark with the XC90 SUV model selling out in the first week it was available.

This shows Cambodian drivers still harbour a penchant for big cars, the XC90 is the biggest vehicle in the Volvo range. Volvo is awaiting a new shipment of the XC90 model that will arrive shortly.

Sales are strong across their range however, and Volvo expects demand to grow as Cambodian customers recognise the unique value proposition that owning a Volvo represents.

Other models of Volvo that customers will find at the showroom are the two SUV options the XC40 and XC60, as well as their luxury and sporty sedan, the S90.

These are luxury vehicles and as such Volvo have engineered and designed them with efficiency, style and elegance in mind. Volvo has never strayed from their roots though. Volvos remain the safest cars in the world, but now they are also elegant, sporty, stylish, and luxurious to boot.

For your chance to experience the Volvo showroom and view Volvos newest vehicles, head down to the end of Street 102, on the corner with Monivong Boulevard during business hours.