Toyota open week

Michael Debono Ltd open their new Toyota showroom complex in Zebbug this week.

The new facility has taken 18 months to complete and is constructed almost entirely out of steel and glass, representing a modern, revolutionary design in Malta.

In addition to the enormous 12-car showroom, it incorporates two levels of underground vehicle storage, an expanded parts department and refurbished service operation.

The external open area has been expanded to provide ample parking for up to 40 customers, with an additional space for the display of used cars and demonstrators.

The new showroom has been designed to Toyota specifications and provides a spacious, exciting environment for customers, whether sales or after-sales clients, as all are welcomed into the relaxing reception lounge in the centre of the showroom.

With the opening of the new showroom, Toyota are introducing a new way of operating their car dealerships, known as the Toyota Retail Concept. This is a marked change from the conventional way of operating in that it puts the customer firmly in control of the new vehicle purchase.

All the products and information you need to consider your purchase are readily available on display in a comfortable, relaxed area without the need for, or perceived pressure from, a sales consultant.

Michael Debono Ltd will not be exhibiting at the Motor Fair at Naxxar, due to open on Wednesday, but are instead staging their own open week, which runs from Tuesday to Sunday.

The complete range of Toyota vehicles will be on display with some special prices during the show week. There is also a special Lm50 off your first year's insurance on cars ordered during the week.

The star of the show is the new Toyota Auris, which is being launched to the media tomorrow and goes on sale the day after. The new Auris replaces the world's best selling car, the Corolla, and provides an inside-out design to this new family hatchback (see report in Motoring supplement).

Focusing on driver and passenger comfort, the Auris maximises interior space and refinement in addition to the traditional Toyota virtues of quality and reliability.

Another attraction that will certainly draw the crowds is the appearance of the 2007 Toyota Panasonic Racing Formula 1 car. Well, not exactly! It is in fact one of the only two works full-size replicas, similar in detail to the car that Ralf Schumacher scored points with in last weekend's Australian Grand Prix.

You will also have the chance to experience driving a real Formula 1 car by testing your skill in the full size simulator. Michael Debono Ltd are offering prizes each day for the fastest lap time recorded in the simulator, so this is the chance for aspiring F1 drivers to show their skill.

The Toyota showroom is open from Tuesday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.