Porsche Centre Edmonton recently showed off its new store in west Edmonton. The grand opening was also an opportunity for Porsche faithful to see, feel and touch the new Macan SUV. Such affairs draw a good crowd and this was no exception as I rubbed shoulders with a number of well-known Edmontonians.
The new building is shared with the Jaguar-Land Rover folks. The showroom isn’t huge but much bigger than before. And perhaps that’s because the space isn’t essential to customers (I will tell you why in a moment). The service area is clean, spacious and bright – a much roomier place than in the previous location.
The rest of the building is well designed and welcoming, whether someone comes in for service, parts or put down their money for a new Porsche.
My invitation indicated a couple of important people from Porsche Canada headquarters back east would be here. I wasn't expecting one of them to be Alexander Pollich, Porsche Canada's president and CEO.
Being at the grand opening was important not only to show the local dealer how important they are, Pollich said, but also to interact with owners of these legendary vehicles.
Pollich has been with the company for 14 years, working his way up the corporate ladder. He was very interested in taking the top dog position in Canada and settling in with his wife and two teenagers. He calls our land "a great country" and since coming here in August of last year the family has become well immersed in our culture even to the point that his son plays hockey.
He and I talked a little about Germany and when I pulled out an old Porsche tour sticker from my wallet he smiled knowing I'd been through the Stuttgart 911 factory. Because Pollich was there to meet loyal customers I didn't keep him too long but spent enough time finding out how important customer service is to the corporation.
"Providing the best customer service is key. We know Porsche customers are diligent in doing research before buying" he told me.
As a result, Porsche customers rarely buy off the showroom floor so almost all vehicles are factory orders. Hence the need for minimal showroom space. Pollich told me Porsche has production flexibility to accommodate those who seek certain personal touches in their cars. But he was quick to qualify the comment by adding it does sometime depend on the model line.
Upbeat and glowing with optimism, Pollich has every reason to be positive. Sales of the large Panamera sedan were up 23 per cent in April. May was a very good month for the venerable 911 sports car with sales better than the previous month. The large Cayenne SUV also sold better in May and recorded huge sales across Canada last year.
As for the Macan, 104 of them were sold across the country during the month of May, shortly after it was introduced. So is it any wonder Pollich foresees very strong sales for the smaller Macan?
I took time to touch, feel and smell the different models of Macan on display. It has a clamshell hood which sets it apart from other SUVs and of course a level of quality and workmanship quite above similar type vehicles.
"It's a great car, it's really a sports car with all the sports car ingredients” Pollich said with a big grin on his face.
In fact, early reviews from European and North American journalists wax positive about the Macan. Reports describe it as very much a sports car. If my mother ever wins the 6/49 the Macan might be a new daily driver in my life. Keep buying those lottery tickets Mom.
