A MERE car dealership has picked up a top national prize.

FJ Chalke & Vale Motors, on Salisbury Street, has won the Customer Experience Award for the fifth consecutive year.

Up against 189 fellow garages, the team collected the honour at Kia’s annual National Dealer Conference at the ACC in Liverpool.

It comes as the manufacturer becomes the country’s third bestselling brand for electrified vehicles, with 45% of their 107,765 new cars sold in 2023 fulfilling the criteria.

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Paul Philpott, president and CEO of Kia UK, said: “Recognising our dealers for their exceptional commitment to our customers has once again led to record sales in 2023.

“This is thanks to their quality of service and stellar representation of the Kia brand.

“We are immensely proud of our dealer partnerships and together we have and will overcome challenges through continuous innovation.

“Almost one in two vehicles sold is an electrified model and this will be our first full sales year for the EV9 [its new SUV].

“Nevertheless, we will continue to build upon our reputation as leaders in electrification and with the strength and quality of our dealer partners I’m certain this is possible.”