Somerset-based Mercedes-Benz vans operators can now benefit from quicker turnaround times on van servicing and repairs as well as MOT tests thanks to a new £1m workshop in Taunton.
The new site is located at the edge of Taunton’s Crown Industrial Estate and means that operators no longer need to go to the nearby Toneway retail dealership, where vans were previously maintained and repaired alongside Mercedes-Benz cars.
It also complements Mercedes-Benz South West’s new light commercial vehicle centre in Exeter and its established van service centres in Plymouth and Truro.
The new centre incorporates six bays with ramps – one of which has a 6.5-tonne capacity – as well as an MOT lane for testing vehicles in the Class 4, 5 and 7 categories. It’s also home to a fully equipped Mercedes-Benz Service 24h Sprinter used to provide free, round-the-clock emergency roadside assistance for operators taking out Mercedes-Benz vans MobiloVan cover.
The facility is open from 8am until 6pm weekdays and until 1pm on Saturdays, and the opening hours could be extended to reflect continued growth of the van aftersales business; the dealer said it’s seen an explosion in demand for van-related warranty work, servicing and MOT tests as a result of the rapid expansion of the home delivery sector.
Mercedes-Benz South West’s Taunton general manager Martin Green said: “Whereas not so long ago we were selling between £1,500 and £2,000 worth of commercial vehicle labour hours a month, today the figure is approaching £10,000. That’s a five-fold increase which has necessitated some significant investments to ensure that we continue to meet, and indeed exceed, our customers’ expectations.”
