A MOTORS group with ambitions to expand across Yorkshire has opened a newly built £900,000 showroom in Bradford and is creating up to ten new jobs.

The new Vantage Kia Bradford dealership on Canal Road is open seven days a week.

It is the second Bradford outlet for Vantage Motor Group, a North Yorkshire-based company with 26 dealerships across the North and Midlands, which operates a local Honda franchise

Mark Robinson, managing director, who founded the business in harrogate in 2003, said: “We are excited about the opening of Vantage Kia Bradford, which is our second dealership to open in the city and which further underlines our ambition of being recognised as a Yorkshire-based national force in the motor industry.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to further our relationship with the Kia brand in a superb growing market and we look forward to offering an excellent customer experience, as well as creating jobs for local people.”

The new dealership is expected to sell 750 new and used cars a year. It is Vantage’s fifth West Yorkshire dealership to open in 18 months as the company looks to increase its local market penetration.

Vantage Motor Group has seen turnover to the end of 2015 increase to more than £200 million for the first time from £174 million in the previous year.

Like-for-like sales increased by £23.3 million and acquisitions added £15.9 million to total sales.

The group’s 26 dealerships sell car brands including Mazda, Toyota, Kia, Citroen, Honda, Hyundai, Skoda and Lexus.

An acquisitive car dealership group headquartered in North Yorkshire has driven sales past the £200m mark for the first time in its 13-year history as it continues along a rapid growth trajectory.

Mark Robinson founded Meridian Motor Group in 2003 with three Toyota centres all located within Yorkshire.

Now trading as Vantage Motor Group, the company operates 25 dealerships across the North and Midlands, offering eight marques including Toyota, Hyundai, Citroen, Lexus, Honda, Kia and Skoda.

In the year to 31 December 2015, turnover at the business increased from £170.1m to £209.3m, with like-for-like sales up by £23.3m and acquisitions adding £15.9m to the total.

Turnover at Vantage has risen from £59m in 2011 and the business was recognised in last year’s Sunday Times Top Track 250, which ranks the UK’s private mid-market growth companies with the biggest sales.

Vantage, which made a pre-tax profit of £1m in 2015, invested £11.9m in new centres during the year and pumped £3.9m into its existing operations.

Writing in the company’s annual report, Vantage’s directors said they were confident of meeting expectations for 2016 after a strong start to the year.