Ford’s new importer, Inchcape, increased aftersales capacity by one and a half times with the Laagri dealership

Ford has thoroughly updated its model range in Europe in recent years, creating strong preconditions for growth across all our markets, including Estonia. A modern dealership and a capable aftersales network are key factors in this,” confirmed Viktor Szamosi, Head of European Sales Regions at Ford Motor Company, who visited the new Laagri dealership this week.

Yannis Rossonis, Managing Director of Inchcape Estonia, noted that Ford has one of the largest vehicle fleets in Estonia and that expanding aftersales capacity is a strategic foundation for Ford’s further development.

“The new spacious and modern Ford dealership creates the conditions for significant growth in sales and service volumes and marks a new stage for the Ford brand in the Estonian market. While Ford’s model range underwent a comprehensive renewal last year, Inchcape is also upgrading Ford’s representation in Estonia this year. The goal for the coming years is to increase Ford’s market share and expand its presence across Estonia in cooperation with partners,” said Yannis Rossonis.

According to Rossonis, the focus is on a strong balance between quality, equipment level, and price, a wide color selection, and a growing portfolio of affordable passenger cars. Commercial vehicles also play an important role — a segment in which Ford consistently ranks among the TOP 3 in Estonia.

“Both segments have already proven themselves in Europe. Ford Pro has been Europe’s best-selling commercial vehicle brand for ten consecutive years, and the Ford Puma has been the best-selling passenger car in the United Kingdom for several years in a row — the UK being one of Europe’s largest markets,” Rossonis commented. “We aim to support our customers in purchasing new Ford vehicles, but we also welcome existing Ford owners — nearly 40,000 in Estonia — who are looking for reliable servicing, high quality, and a great customer experience,” Rossonis added.

Of the Laagri dealership’s 4,000 m² building, 1,100 m² is dedicated to sales areas, 1,000 m² to the repair workshop, and 1,300 m² to the body shop. The building is equipped with solar panels, which cover a large share of its energy needs during summer months.

The new body shop, together with its paint laboratory and spray booths, enables servicing up to 250 vehicles per month, representing approximately a 60% increase in throughput. Work processes meet modern standards: the ventilation solution keeps the paint lab, painting area, and the entire body shop odor-free; dedicated paint booths can be used in parallel or kept at a constant temperature for drying; vehicles are moved between booths using a roller system.

The repair workshop has been designed with Ford’s strong position in the commercial vehicle segment in mind. Higher ceilings allow easier servicing of larger vehicles, and working conditions are improved by separating the car wash from work areas with a double wall, significantly reducing noise levels in the workshop. Of the water used in the wash, 80% is treated and reused, for example for pre-soaking.

“An odor-free body shop, significantly reduced noise in the repair workshop, and more spacious areas for servicing commercial vehicles take both our working conditions and customer service to a new level — increased capacity allows us to shorten waiting times and perform maintenance and servicing faster,” noted Siim Tael, Head of Transformation and Aftersales at Inchcape Motors.

“Our aftersales strength lies in strict adherence to manufacturer requirements and the implementation of the latest work methods. In addition, we use state-of-the-art tools and technologies and always keep pace with automakers’ technological innovations and developments,” added Siim Tael.

Inchcape Motors became Ford’s official importer in March 2024, and since October last year it has also been Ford’s sole official dealer in Estonia.