Jarvis Toyota’s huge new vehicle dealership to open on Brighton Rd, Somerton Park

Car giant Jarvis is opening a franchise at Somerton Park – doubling the size of its South Rd site, which will close to make room for the North-South project. See the fly-through.

Jarvis Group will open a new multimillion-dollar Toyota dealership in Somerton Park next month, doubling the size of its existing site on South Rd, which has been acquired by the state government to make room for the final stage of the North-South Corridor road project.

The new facility is being developed on close to 1.2ha of land on the corner of Brighton Rd and Wilton Ave, and will feature new and used car showrooms, an expanded service centre and an automatic car wash imported from the United States.

Jarvis Group owner Richard Collins said more than $30m was being invested into construction and fit-out of the new facility, with the first stage due to open on December 11, when the doors to the South Rd dealership close for the last time after more than 20 years of trade.

The Jarvis Toyota dealership is being built on the corner of Brighton Rd and Wilton Ave in Somerton Park. Picture: Supplied by Jarvis Group

An artist’s impression of the new Jarvis Toyota dealership being built at Somerton Park. Picture: Supplied by Jarvis Group

A second stage, including the main showroom, will be completed and open for business by May next year, with all 80 staff currently employed at the company’s South Rd location transitioning to the new facility.

“It’s double the size (of the South Rd site), and that was needed because that business was growing so much that it was getting too small for us,” he said.

“We will service in excess of 70 cars a day based on our current numbers – that’s a lot of cars – and our order intake and inquiry rate is very strong.

Construction of the Jarvis Toyota dealership being built on Brighton Rd in Somerton Park. Picture: Supplied by Jarvis Group

“The move is a blessing in disguise. We’ve got a lot of confidence in the future with the Toyota product which is coming, and the other one, which is a big one, is a lot of confidence in the future of South Australia.

“I really believe this is the time now for businesses to invest.”

Since taking over the Jarvis business in 1984, Mr Collins has grown it from a single showroom in Trinity Gardens to a network of nine dealerships – including Ford, Subaru, Toyota and Skoda-branded sites – employing 300 staff.

And further expansion is on the horizon, with a tenth location earmarked for the corner of Grand Junction and Main North roads in Gepps Cross, directly opposite the company’s existing Jarvis Ford used car site.

“We’re building a big Ford dealership and Subaru dealership out there,” Mr Collins said.

“We hope to start turning soil by the end of March next year, and we’re hoping that will be completed by Christmas 2024.”