It's a brand with star quality and now Mercedes-Benz of Norwich has a brand new star-quality showroom.

The dealership, part of Robinsons Motor Group, has moved into new purpose-built, hi-tech, hi-spec premises in Barker Street, Norwich, just round the corner from its previous Heigham Street site. And it is fitting the motor group, which has had the franchise for 46 years, should open the new premises in the year Mercedes-Benz is 125 years old.

Mark Allman, general manager of Mercedes-Benz of Norwich, said: 'Robinsons Motor Group is a great company to work for, Mercedes-Benz is the best brand in the world and now having the best dealership is the icing on the cake.'

The multi-million pound premises are more than twice the size of the former showroom with a spacious 15-car showroom, an interior new and used car handover area, upstairs and downstairs lounges with WiFi for customers and a 15-bay workshop for servicing and repairs, MOTs, wheel alignment and tyre-fitting.

It's a big step forward from the former Mercedes showroom in Heigham Street which could display seven cars and shared workshop facilities with Robinsons' Volkswagen and Skoda franchises. Now, for the first time, the Mercedes side of the business has its own dedicated service bays.

The long showroom has sections for the full Mercedes-Benz range of new cars, AMG and high-performance models and Smart cars.

Mercedes-Benz of Norwich is the biggest site within Robinsons Motor Group and sells about 400 new and 400 used cars a year. It also has about 50 approved used Mercedes cars in stock, including the latest range of demonstrators, and can source cars from five other franchised dealers in East Anglia and direct from Mercedes-Benz.

'The most important thing for us is the customer experience,' said Mr Allman. 'We set out to create a lot more customer-friendly and relaxed environment.'

As well as having the lounges where customers can wait while their cars are being worked on if they want, the dealership runs a courtesy service to take customers into the city to shop or work.

The new premises, on the site of a former factory making plastic products, took nearly two years to complete from acquiring the site. In fact the shell of the old factory was incorporated and expanded as part of the development and brought in line with Mercedes-Benz's stringent specifications. The premises, like the Mercedes range, also feature a host of energy-saving features including light sensors in the offices.

The showroom has just opened but will be officially launched with an event for customers on Wednesday, June 15.

Telephone Mercedes-Benz of Norwich on 01603 751000, log on to www.robinsonsmotorgroup.co.uk or visit the new showroom in Barker Street, Norwich.