Tucson could be considered a "guinea pig," but only if Honda didn't know what it was doing.

But that isn't the case, said Tom Matte, general manager of the new Honda dealership that opened last week on Palo Verde just north of Irvington.

"This is a concept that will work," Matte said. "Honda is generally pretty conservative about things, but this is a calculated risk that we know is going to work. Honda did its homework."

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The homework surrounds this new 29,000-square-foot building, dominant with silver paint, red trim and the familiar Honda red wing symbol looming large over the front entrance.

This dealership is not new, per se - this replaces the old dealership on South Alvernon - but it is a different layout and a different approach.

"This is a more relaxed environment, for the customer and for the associates," Matte said during a press preview and tour of the facility Tuesday. "This is a new marketing concept by Honda. It's trying to increase customer satisfaction, and we've always been committed to that. It wants to show the customers that they're important to the company; it's not just 'let's sell them a bike and have a nice day.' We're going to have more product than other dealers have, we'll have a bigger color selection. If you're into Hondas, we will be (a one-stop shop)."

The building is three times larger than the old Alvernon site and is comprehensive in that it stocks every model that Honda produces in dirt bikes, ATVs, personal watercraft, scooters, street bikes and even power equipment - and most of the parts needed for those.

The facility is called a Tier 5 Powerhouse dealership, and it is the first of five such dealerships to open nationally. Tucson was selected as a site for the dealership because of its sales success - it's rated No. 1 in the district (Arizona, southern Nevada and New Mexico) and 36th nationally among all Honda dealerships in overall sales volume.

"Honda went to everyone and said, 'show us your resume,' and we did and that's how Tucson got this facility," Matte said. The goal is to sell 2,000 vehicles in the first year in the facility, up about 50 percent from its 1,300 vehicles in the past year.

The building has a concierge area in the front lobby, surrounded by "lifestyle portals" that feature information and models for each type of vehicle. There is a service area, a waiting area, a 10,000-square-foot parts area, a display area for every Honda vehicle model, plus a comprehensive apparel and accessories area. The site also has a short dirt demonstration track, where customers can test drive vehicles before buying.

The facility will be open Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

David Woodburn may be contacted at dwoodburn@azbiz.com or (520) 295-4239.