"Car buying hasn't changed much in 50 years… until now"

The opening of Hyundai's Rockar showroom could signal a shift in the way we buy cars to a new online model

Opinion - Hyundai Rockar showroom

Bluewater shopping mall in Kent: it’s not usually the sort of place I tend to spend too much time in – for me shopping is one of the things the Internet was invented for. But I popped down there this week to see Hyundai’s new Rockar showroom, just along from M&S and right next door to a Body Shop that’s more interested in face creams than car repairs.

Actually, showroom is probably the wrong word – this is a retail experience as far removed from the traditional out-of-town dealer as you can imagine. There are no salespeople, just ‘angels’ for whom commission would be a dirty word, while large touchscreens and giant video walls replace pot plants and daunting desks. You can even take a test drive or get your car serviced, all while popping to John Lewis or going to the cinema.

Best new car deals 2014

Sure, cars in shopping centres are nothing new, but this is a permanent addition to Bluewater’s retailer roster, signed up with a 10-year lease. Apparently it’s an expensive place to sell cars – somebody whispered to me that the space costs four times that of a usual showroom – but Rockar’s haggle-free deals are still a fair few quid below Hyundai’s list prices, which, when bolted in to the manufacturer’s low-rate finance deals, start to look pretty attractive.

You don’t even have to visit Bluewater to buy – you can do the whole deal online through Rockar’s rather fancy website. It’ll be interesting to see whether other dealers follow that online model. So will this new way of buying work? Only time will tell, but one thing we know for sure is that as much as we all love our cars, buying them is far from the best bit. That’s why I’m so excited by this new venture – it’s about time car buying changed.

Would you be happy to buy a new car online without ever visiting a dealership? Let us know on Twitter, on Facebook or in the comments section below...

Editor-in-chief

Steve Fowler has been editor-in-chief of Auto Express since 2011 and is responsible for all editorial content across the website and magazine. He has previously edited What Car?, Autocar and What Hi-Fi? and has been writing about cars for the best part of 30 years. 

Most Popular

‘Forget leasing a car, a cut-price van should be your next everyday vehicle’
Opinion - Fiat Scudo
Opinion

‘Forget leasing a car, a cut-price van should be your next everyday vehicle’

With some huge savings to be had, Mike Rutherford thinks a van could be the perfect vehicle
3 Dec 2023
New Renault 5: price, specs, launch and on sale dates
Renault 5 EV concept at 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed
News

New Renault 5: price, specs, launch and on sale dates

Renault’s reborn Renault 5 will start from €25,000 in Europe, suggesting a circa-£30k price in the UK. It's due on sale in the summer of 2024. Here's …
1 Dec 2023
Deal of the Day: Spacious Skoda Superb is a peerless estate for £223 a month
Skoda Superb Estate - front tracking
News

Deal of the Day: Spacious Skoda Superb is a peerless estate for £223 a month

The Superb is one of our favourite estates and our Deal of the Day for Monday 4 December
4 Dec 2023