Business View Caribbean | Feb 2019

“Our dealership business is divided into sales, service, and parts,” Peter explains. “Sales of new and used vehicles make up the majority of our revenue; service and parts make up the bal- ance. ICR is less than 10 percent. We’ve got a large fleet of cars and SUVs for rent. We’re just coming back from the August floods and the September storm now, so we’re building our fleet back up as more and more tourists come back to the BVI.” The storm to which Peter refers is Hurricane Irma which devastated the British Virgin Is- lands in September 2017, and destroyed In- ternational Motors’ original facility in Road Town on the island of Tortola. “A couple of years before that, we were fortunate enough to purchase the ongoing business of a competitor which was located at Fish Bay. Our intention always was to relocate from Road Town to Fish Bay as space was very limited in Road Town, but we were dragging our feet on the move because International Motors had been in Road Town for 49 years and it was hard to make the The Vitara is part of a long and successful line of versatile Suzuki products that have become favorites across the Caribbean. The Vitara’s roots can be traced back to the rugged open-topped SJ (Small Jeep) models of the early 1970s, which proved hugely popular as both leisure and working vehicles. Currently available in the Caribbean with a 1.6-litre petrol engine, five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission, 2-wheel Drive or ALLGRIP intelligent 4-wheel Drive, the Vitara carries the SUV concept further . . . but without losing the fun element that has been a staple part of its character. The aim with the new Vitara was to make the driving experience as close as possible to that of the sporty Suzuki Swift, while maintaining the practicality of an SUV. Its sprightly performance is matched with agile and nimble handling, clinging to the road when you step up the pace. The raised driving position and light steering make it well-suited to driving around town but, if you order the optional ALLGRIP 4-wheel Drive and feel like heading to the hills for a little gentle off-roading, then you will definitely find that fun. With the new Vitara, Suzuki have encouraged you to ‘Make it Yours’ with a huge range of personalization options. These include contrast roof, Urban or Rugged styling packs and Interior options for colour coded trims. The Suzuki Vitara is available in 2WD and ALLGRIP 4WD across the Caribbean! Find your nearest dealer on www.suzukicaribbean.com. 38