2013 Nissan Sentra
Source: nissannews.com
Friday, August 31, 2012
Nissan: INFOGRAPHIC: The Cost for a Road Trip from DC to LA and Back
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Source: nissannews.com
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Source: nissannews.com
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Nissan: Moscow Auto Salon: A Tier Above
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Source: nissannews.com
MOSCOW, Russia – The Moscow International Automobile Salon reflects the nation's rising economic fortunes and the importance global carmakers place on success here, with booths underscoring the rapid ascension of the Russian show to the tops of the global ranks.
Nissan's Francois Bancon, deputy division general manager for Nissan Motor and a keen industry observer and commentator, looks at how the Moscow event is evolving and what to expect ahead.
Moscow International Automobile Salon
This environment tells you the story of the Moscow auto salon: a very high-quality execution. The LED display, the way they communicate the brand with some tagline, with some entertainment and some quality execution, tell you that this show is becoming a Tier 1 show, comparable with Geneva, Frankfurt, Tokyo or any other big place in the world. On top of this, in this professional environment, all the cars in the world are here and available.
Nissan Juke
We are close to the Juke, and this is not by chance. This is our No.1 selling car in this country, and I selected this car as background for the Moscow motor show because it tells what Russia is about. People love high-personality products, they love creative products, they are ready to disrupt any category, and this is good. The whole show is about this.
Compared to the previous year, or two to three years ago, you are in a very, very creative environment. Of course, there are not so many dedicated products for Russia – not yet, but the level is rising and signs of high-personality signature are visible all around the place.
Lada X-Ray
This is a sign. Lada is more than 40% of the market share in a very entry-price segment in this country. They used to make mainstream products, to use an elegant word, and they did this car, which is a sign reflecting the overall mindset and behavior in this country. They are going to jump into modernity, making a very good execution.
The X-Ray is a very good crossover, compact execution. There is nothing new in the concept; we have Juke, we have Qashqai – we were the pioneer for this. But the fact that a company such as Lada can express its brand personality through its product is a sign this market is growing up.
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Source: nissannews.com
Nissan: Engineering for Russia
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Source: nissannews.com
MOSCOW, Russia – Russian consumer preferences, road and weather conditions, as well as rising standards of living are all factoring into Nissan's country-specific design and engineering of vehicles for the country.
Global Chief Marketability Engineer Jerry Hardcastle detailed at the Moscow International Automobile Salon how Nissan is designing, making and selling vehicles for the growing market, looking at the new Nissan Almera, Juke NISMO, and the X-TRAIL.
Nissan Almera
The Almera is an extremely important car for us, because it's the first car we've designed and developed specifically for the Russian market. That's given us a number of challenges, the first being the unique characteristics we need to deal with.
Most of it's captured by the environment – extremely harsh winters and then very hot summers. Then, the other is the roads. They are a consequence of the environment, because of the change of temperature and the ice, snow and treatment, the roads become very broken and are very rough. Also, customers here in Russia quite often visit their dacha, their holiday home, and the roads from the main highways to the homes are extremely rough and unprepared.
With that in mind we designed and developed this car to meet that requirement. We've increased the strength of the suspension, particularly the stubby bar and the stiffness of the rear beam. We've added underfloor protection, so there's sheet steel underneath the engine. We've also put sheets of steel to protect the pipe work and some cables under the car. The wash tank is 5 liters of water because there is so much dirt and we need to keep the screen clean and be able to refresh it. The trunk lid – you don't want to be closing it when it's dirty with your hands on the outside, so we have a pull-down handle. These are some characteristics that we've put into the car, specifically for this market.
Juke NISMO
This is the Juke NISMO, final design version, its motor show debut away from Le Mans. This is an important car for the Russian market because Juke is now an important car in the market; it's outselling other Nissans currently, and clearly the Russian customers like it.
Going back to road conditions, one reason for it as a B Segment car is this has got quite a high ground clearance. If you look at the front of the car, you can see how much clearance. This is important because Russians tend to park over high curbstones and things like that. The car has been extremely popular – they like the design, but we want to bring the NISMO brand, Nissan Motorsport, into Europe.
Motorsports is just taking off in Europe, there's a huge interest in it, we've got great interest in Signatech, our driver Roman Ustinov, the G-drive sponsorship. It's all starting to build a story about motorsport, and here we have a car that's got some of that flavor, some of that design, and we really think this car can appeal to a younger, sportier driver, and we've got really good hopes for it.
X-TRAIL
This is a really important car for the Russian market, particularly because it's built in Russia in our St. Petersburg plant. When we open a plant anywhere around the world, then we want to ensure that we deliver a car with Nissan's quality guarantee. This car is on sale, we're measuring the quality in the market, and we can categorically say the quality is matching that of Nissan cars built anywhere else, whether it's in the U.K., Japan or the U.S., any country in the world.
That's really important for the market, and Russian customers appreciate that. They're now buying this car as a Nissan car, but also as a local car. And as we're producing the car, we're increasing local content, so some components in the car around me are now made by Russian suppliers to the Russian plant. That's guaranteeing quality and also improving the economics of the car, giving employment to Russians, and making the cars even more acceptable in the market.
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Source: nissannews.com
Nissan: Nissan Production, Sales and Export Results for July 2012
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Source: nissannews.com
YOKOHAMA, Japan – Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. today announced its production, sales and export figures for July 2012.
1. Production
Nissan's global production in July increased 5.1% year-on-year to 408,309 units, marking an all-time record for the month of July.
Production in Japan decreased 7.8% year-on-year to 103,107 units, mainly due to decreased demand for Note, which is nearing the end of its model life.
Production outside of Japan increased 10.2% year-on-year to 305,202 units, marking an all-time record for the month of July.
In the U.S., production rose 21.5% year-on-year to 46,434 units, mainly due to increased demand for the new Infiniti JX and Nissan Frontier truck.
In Mexico, production increased 60.3% year-on-year to 53,247 units, mainly due to increased demand for Versa and Sentra.
In the U.K., production increased 6.3% year-on-year to 35,235 units, mainly due to increased demand for Qashqai and Juke.
In Spain, production decreased 14.2% year-on-year to 13,507 units.
In China, production decreased 3.2% year-on-year to 107,754 units.
Production in other regions increased 8.5% year-on-year to 49,025 units, mainly due to increased demand for Sunny in India and Almera in Thailand.
2. Sales
Global sales increased 9.5% year-on-year to 415,043 units, marking an all-time record for the month of July.
Including mini-vehicles, Nissan sold 59,936 units in Japan, up 14.6% year-on-year.
In Japan, vehicle registrations in July increased 7.3% year-on-year to 44,874 units, mainly due to increased demand for Serena and the new NV350 Caravan.
Mini-vehicle sales in Japan increased 43.7% year-on-year to 15,062 units, marking an all-time record for the month of July. The strong sales result is mainly due to increased demand for Moco and Roox, which qualify for the government subsidy program for environmentally-friendly vehicles.
Sales outside of Japan increased 8.7% year-on-year to 355,107 units, marking an all-time record for the month of July.
Sales in the U.S. increased 16.2% year-on-year to 98,341 units, mainly due to increased demand for the new Altima, Versa, Rogue, Infiniti G and the new Infiniti JX.
In Europe, sales decreased 3.2% year-on-year to 53,323 units, despite increased demand for Juke as well as increased sales in Russia.
In China, sales decreased 2.0% year-on-year to 98,086 units.
Sales in other regions increased 29.2% year-on-year to 80,761 units, mainly due to increased demand in Brazil, India, Thailand and Indonesia.
3. Japan Exports
Nissan's exports in July decreased 10.3% year-on-year to 62,073 units.
Exports to North America decreased 6.3% year-on-year to 37,490 units.
Exports to Europe decreased 23.5% year-on-year to 7,790 units.
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Source: nissannews.com
Nissan: Nissan Awards Education Grants to Local Schools in Mississippi
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Source: nissannews.com
CANTON, Miss. - Nissan North America, in conjunction with BankPlus, recently awarded educational grants totaling more than $77,000 to local schools in Mississippi. More than 100 teachers and administrators from Madison County and Canton public school districts were recognized at a special awards reception held Aug. 27 at the Nissan vehicle assembly plant in Canton, Miss. The program, administered by the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson, distributed 68 grants supporting classroom projects that will be conducted during the 2012-2013 school year in the two districts.
"This critical funding will support teachers and administrators who have designed dynamic projects to enhance the overall learning experience in their classrooms," said Dan Bednarzyk, vice president of manufacturing, Canton. "Certainly, the most important investment we can make is in the education of our young people. These students represent the hope and future of our community and our country, and we, at Nissan, are excited to be able to play a small role in equipping them with the tools they need to be successful in life."
Nissan and BankPlus joined the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson in 2007 to create an annual education grant program supporting grades K-12 in Madison County and Canton public school districts of central Mississippi. Any teacher, counselor, librarian, principal, or other school personnel who works directly with students can apply for a grant.
Grant awards range from $500 to $1,500 and support innovative teaching and learning in conjunction with state-mandated curricula. Over the past six years, Nissan has distributed more than $350,000 in grants to Canton and Madison County schools.
About BankPlus
BankPlus, with total assets of more than $2 billion, has over 60 banking offices in 33 Mississippi communities. In addition to its Belzoni Main Office, other BankPlus offices are located in Bentonia, Brandon, Byram, Canton, Clinton, D'Iberville, Durant, Flora, Flowood, Gluckstadt, Hernando, Holly Bluff, Horn Lake, Isola, Jackson, Lexington, Madison, Meridian, Newton, Olive Branch, Pearl, Picayune, Pickens, Poplarville, Quitman, Ridgeland, Shubuta, Southaven, Stonewall, Tchula, Waynesboro and Yazoo City. For additional information on BankPlus, please visit www.BankPlus.net.
About Canton Vehicle Assembly Plant
Nissan's Canton vehicle assembly plant employs approximately 4,350 employees and covers 4.2 million square feet. The models produced at the plant include the Nissan Altima, Titan, Armada, and NV passenger and utility vans. In the fall of 2012, production of the Nissan Frontier, Xterra and Sentra will begin in Canton.
About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year in 2010, 2011, and 2012 by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.InfinitiUSA.com.
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Contact Information:
Justin P. Saia
Nissan North America, Inc.
Corporate Communications
615-725-3061
Justin.Saia@nissan-usa.com
Source: nissannews.com
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Nissan: Nissan at the Moscow International Motor Show
Soaring sales are shaping ambitious expansion plans and, headed by new Nissan Almera, leading to more new models to be engineered and built locally
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Source: nissannews.com
This release contains: 1 Related Document, 1 Photo
Launch of new Nissan Almera
- Engineered specifically for the Russian market
- Exceptionally roomy, aspirational yet affordable
- Timeless design with premium features
Nissan in Russia
- Sales increased by 75 percent in 2011
- Nissan is the leading Japanese automotive brand with 5.5 per cent of market
- Further increase of sales in 2012
- Target to claim 10 per cent of overall market within four years
Business news from Nissan
- Dramatically increased production footprint
- Next generation Qashqai production to start in St Petersburg for local market
- By 2015, up to 80 percent of Nissan vehicles sold in Russia will be locally built
MOSCOW, Russia - With a significant new model - engineered and built in Russia for Russia - and ambitious plans for the future, Nissan's presence at the 16th Moscow International Auto Salon underlines the company's major commitment to this important region.
Russia is one of Nissan's key global markets. It's the company's most important market in Europe and its fifth largest globally. Nissan is the largest Japanese brand in Russia, claiming a 5.5 per cent share of an overall market that's growing year on year.
Last year, 2011, saw sales rise a remarkable 75 per cent over 2010, while an expanding manufacturing footprint saw St Petersburg running at near full capacity. The plant is currently working around the clock to satisfy demand while further expansion of the facility will come in 2014 when the top-selling Qashqai crossover will join Teana, X-TRAIL and Murano on the production lines.
At Togliatti, meanwhile, the Renault-Nissan Alliance and AvtoVAZ have inaugurated a new production line with a potential capacity of 350,000 units.
By FY2015, it is expected that up to eight out of ten Nissan products sold in Russia will be locally built and within the next 3-4 years the company aims to account for 10 per cent of the total new vehicle market.
Such is the diversity of the Russian market that the region is one of the few areas in the world which will sell not just Nissan and Infiniti models, but also the Datsun brand, the return of which was announced in March this year. Two initial Datsun models are due to come on stream in 2014.
"There can be little doubt that Russia is a hugely important strategic market for us. Our sales have enjoyed a massive rise and our production capacity in the country has increased greatly. To ensure that we continue to grow our sales in line with our expectations, we have a number of strategic business and new model plans in place," said François Goupil de Bouillé, Managing Director, Nissan Russia.
"We will start the process with the launch of the new Nissan Almera at the Moscow International Auto Salon. This brand new model, created exclusively for Russia, marks the first time we have been able to compete in the mainstream market, the fastest growing segment here.
"The car was engineered to meet the specific requirements of Russian road and climate conditions. Unlike some of its rivals, built to handle more gentle conditions, the new Almera has been designed to withstand the worst weather Russia can throw at it.
"Our ambitions in Russia will only be achieved by respecting the unique demands of the market. The high levels of design and engineering that have gone into the development of our new car is proof of our commitment," he added.
Although the new Nissan Almera will take much of the spotlight at the show, the Nissan stand will also be packed with models and technology that display the innovation and excitement for which the company's products have become renowned.
As the leader of the growing crossover segment in Russia, Nissan has chosen the Moscow Show to highlight the latest developments in the Juke range.
The stand will show three exciting new derivatives of the dramaticaly-styled Juke, led by the world debut of a special version created to mark Nissan's collaboration with the global youth entertainment business - Ministry of Sound. This will be joined by the potent Juke Nismo, featuring performance enhancements inspired by Nissan's racing arm; and the ultimate performance model, the Juke-R, a hand-built thrill seeker that looks like a Juke but goes like a GT-R.
The stand will also host examples of the latest versions of other models from the extensive Nissan range, including Murano, Teana and X-TRAIL, all built in St Petersburg, as well as Qashqai and Qashqai +2, Pathfinder, Navara, Patrol and Tiida.
A special focus will be placed on the dramatic Nissan GT-R supercar and Nissan's unique GT Academy racing program which is taking computer gamers and turning them into genuine race winners capable of taking real-world championship titles.
"We have ambitious plans for Russia and the launch of the new Almera, along with vastly increased investment in our production facilities here show that we mean business. These are exciting times for Nissan and for our customers in Russia," said François Goupil de Bouillé.
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Source: nissannews.com
Nissan: On the Road to No. 1 in Russia
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Source: nissannews.com
MOSCOW, Russia – The Moscow International Motor Show kicked off Wednesday, and Nissan Executive Vice President Andy Palmer says the carmaker's top European market, Russia, and its manufacturing base have never been more important.
Media Center: We're at the Moscow International Auto Salon and standing before the new Almera. Russia is such a big market for Nissan now and the Almera is part of expectations ahead. Put in perspective what's coming for Russia in the near term.
EVP Palmer: First, let me reiterate how important Russia is. Obviously, everyone knows it's part of the so-called BRIICs – Brazil, Russia, India – Indonesia – and China. It's obviously part of the big-growth economies, but we consider Russia to be part of Europe, and for Nissan Russia is already our biggest market. Globally, for Nissan it's already our fifth biggest market and we've just started. The penetration of motor cars per 1,000 people in Russia is only 250 – of 1,000 people, only 250 own a motor car. If we look at the United States that's about 800. If we look at Europe that's about 600, so the potential for growth, times the size of the population, means there's an enormous potential here.
So far Nissan has an excellent brand image, mainly because we've entered with vehicles like the Teana, X-Trail, Qashqai, Patrol and Murano. We've created this aura around the brand. Our mantra is "Innovation and Excitement for Everyone." 'For everyone' means we obviously needed an entry car.
What we've created here is the entry car, specifically for Russia. Why? Because there are some specific needs. We needed a big car, we needed a very competitive price, we needed something that was capable of dealing with the road conditions. We needed 160 mm of clearance. We needed something capable of dealing with the weather here. We've got special corrosion-resistant chrome, we've got 2 mm of steel underneath the compartment of the car to protect from stones. So, we've completely re-engineered the car to meet with Russian customer needs.
Media Center: Localization is a big part of the message and that includes producing cars here in Russia. Nissan is investing substantially. Can you tell us what that rollout will entail.
EVP: This is a game-changer in this market. This is a car that's going to compete with the Polo sedan, which is a B Segment car. Look at this car: It's at least C Segment in size, and if I open the backdoor, it's cavernous. It has the leg room of a D Segment Teana, so the only way you can possibly hope to create that means your cost base has to be right. And, the only way your cost base is going to be right is with heavy localization.
The advantage Nissan has with its collaboration with AvtoVAZ opens up a wide capability in terms of the supply base, but also allows us to manufacture this car on the new production line at Togliatti, and that's basically how we managed to engineer what's really a game-changer. It's a C-D Segment car at a B Segment price, basically thanks to heavy localization, thanks to the collaboration with AvtoVAZ.
Media Center: Earlier this year Datsun announced plans for Russia, including production at Togliatti. How large a market could Russia become for Datsun?
EVP: At least a third of the volume from the Nissan Motor Co. could come from Datsun. In the mid-term one could anticipate around about 100,000 units from the two Datsun cars we're launching in 2014. We're aiming for about 10% market share, which means about 400,000 cars.
If you think about it, we're today tracking at around 180,000 units this year. This car alone is going conservatively to add another 70,000, Datsun 100,000, and then new cars are coming. We can really take a very significant slice of this market. The very clear intention is immediately to be the Japanese No.1, and we basically achieve that. The next step is to be Asian No.1 – beat Hyundai and Kia. That's definitely within our sites now, and beyond that, why not be the biggest foreign brand? We've got the assets, we've got the car, and we've got the collaboration with AvtoVAZ. We can do it.
Media Center: A lot of positive economic news lately for Russia. Crystal balling, where is Russia five years from now?
EVP Palmer: There's no doubt in my mind that Russia will become the biggest European market, and I don't think that's very far away – right around the corner – 2013 or 2014, particularly with the difficulties that Europe is experiencing. It's a big market and will continue to accelerate.
Just think about the size of the population and that 250 of every 1,000 own a car, and they aspire to be the same as the America – 800 cars for every 1,000 people. The potential here is explosive. This may not be a market as large as China, but it's pretty darn close.
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Source: nissannews.com
Nissan: Nissan Donates LEAF Vehicles, Charging Stations to MTSU
Automaker, University to promote applications and use of electric vehicles
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Source: nissannews.com
This release contains: 1 Related Document, 2 Photos
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Nissan North America Inc. announced Tuesday it has donated two Nissan LEAF cars and three charging stations to Middle Tennessee State University to promote the use of electric-vehicle technology.
MTSU officials said the Nissan LEAF cars will be added to the University’s motor pool and the charging stations will be made available for use by students, faculty, staff and visitors to the Murfreesboro campus.
"As Nissan and MTSU are two of the largest employers in Rutherford County, our future and success are, in many ways, intertwined," University President Sidney A. McPhee said. "This is a significant expansion in the relationship we have enjoyed with Nissan.
"It is another step in building a stronger partnership between our two organizations. We look forward to learning more about Nissan’s innovations in electric-vehicle technology by putting these vehicles to work for our University."
Nissan’s Rutherford County plant in Smyrna, one of its three production plants in the United States, opened in June 1983. The vehicle assembly plant has an annual production capacity of 550,000 vehicles and represents a capital investment of $2.5 billion.
Nissan will produce the LEAF in Smyrna by the end of the year and plans to open a new plant there this fall to produce lithium-ion batteries – the first facility of its kind in the U.S.
Martin said the Nissan LEAF is 100 percent electric and available in all states. Its features include:
Kevin Martin, director of Nissan Parts Quality Engineering, said the MTSU donation "builds on the long-standing relationship between Nissan and MTSU, and it points to our mutual passion for quality—both in engineering and in education. "
"We hope that the innovation behind the Nissan LEAF inspires MTSU students interested in advanced technology," Martin said.
- Nissan developed many of the interior fabrics from recycled materials (such as plastic water bottles).
- LED headlights (use about half the energy of traditional headlights).
- The available solar-panel spoiler converts sunlight to energy, charging the 12V accessory battery and powering accessories like the interior lights and entertainment system.
- Inside the city, the Nissan LEAF gets the equivalent of 106 miles per gallon, can reach a top speed of about 90mph and has an estimated range of up to 100 miles on a full charge.
The automaker also donated a Titan pickup truck to the University, Martin said.
Headquartered in Franklin, Tenn., NNA coordinates all operations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico including automotive styling, consumer, and corporate financing and engineering. About 370 of Nissan’s employees are MTSU graduates, company officials said.
Nissan first came to the United States to sell vehicles in 1958 and began importing and making Datsun vehicles in the United States under the Nissan Motor Manufacturing Corporation (NMMC), name in 1983.
In 1990, Nissan North America Inc. (NNA), was created to coordinate all of Nissan's various activities in North America to enhance the design, development, manufacturing, and marketing of Nissan vehicles. In 1998, the two organizations merged operations under the Nissan North America, Inc., name.
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Source: nissannews.com
Nissan: Threebond Nissan Technical College GT-R Takes Maiden Win
Super Taikyu Series Round 4 Race Report
August 25-26, Okayama International Circuit
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Source: nissannews.com
August 25-26, Okayama International Circuit
This release contains: 1 Related Document, 2 Photos
Okayama prefecture, Japan – Round 4 of the Super Taikyu Series took place at Okayama International Circuit over the weekend. Contesting the GT3 class, the #24 Threebond Nissan Technical College GT-R (Tomonobu Fujii/GAMISAN/Katsumasa Chiyo) scored its first victory of the season.
On the opening lap of Sunday's race, a multi-car crash occurred, taking out the ST3-class #5 OKABE JIDOSHA Makers Z34 (Daisuke Imamura/Mitsunori Atake/Tsuyoshi Shirai).
Once the Safety Car period had ended and the race resumed, starting driver Fujii in the #24 GT-R pushed the pace, and in an instant increased his lead. With almost a third of the three-hour race completed, second stint driver GAMISAN took over. During the second stint as well, the gap over second place increased, and within that hour had grown to over one minute. After 62 laps, third stint driver Chiyo took over. During the final stage of the race, with oil scattered all over the track and having to pass groups of slower moving cars which were one lap behind, Chiyo was unable to increase the lead as in the opening stage of the race. However, the driver who also competes in a GT3-spec GT-R in SUPER GT, calmly steered the car to the checked flag. It was the first championship victory for #24 GT-R in three races since its debut.
In the ST1 class, the #3 ENDLESS ADVAN 380RS-C (Kyosuke Mineo/Yukinori Taniguchi/Shinichi Takagi), which had used up one of two mandatory pit stops during the Safety Car period right after the start of the race, increased its lead over second place in the second half of the race. However, during the final stint, the car suffered electrical problems and had to make an urgent and unscheduled pit stop. The repair work took a considerable amount of time, but despite the delay, the #3 ENDLESS ADVAN 380RS-C still managed to seal third place.
In the ST3 Class, the #35 asset Techno Z33 (Kazuhiro Koizumi/Hiroki Yoshida/Makoto Hotta) started fifth in class after qualifying and crossed the finish line third for their first appearance on the victory stand this season. The car that sidestepped the #35 Z machine for a come-from-behind second-place finish was the #15 Okade Jidosha DIXCEL Team Tetsuya Z34 (Masaaki Nagashima/Tetsu Tanaka/Tetsuya Tanaka), which had qualified sixth. Additionally, the #63 Rire Racing & Leyjun Z33 (OSAMU/Katsunori Ikeya/Katsuyoshi Tanaka) made a spot appearance in the race, finishing sixth in class.
In every race, the #24 GT-R uses student mechanics as part of its team staff. On this occasion, roughly 50 students, from Nissan Motor Technical College Yokohama and its sister school Nissan Motor Technical College Kyoto, took part in the race weekend's activities. In the practice sessions on Friday, the #24 GT-R collided with another vehicle, resulting in damage to the car, but the professional and student mechanics were able to cooperate and make repairs. There was also electrical trouble on qualifying day, but the drivers were able to brush that aside, and with spirited driving, take pole position for the first time. The following day they achieved their first victory, much to the joy of the students on hand.
Tomonobu Fujii (GT3-class race winner)
"The project started this year, and ever since Coach Kondo announced our goal to win at that press conference, I've wanted to somehow take victory, and as soon as possible. I am very glad that so many students came to give their support at this race, and that we were able to win thanks to all of their help - and also that I was able to achieve the first victory in the FIA GT3-spec GT-R in Super Taikyu."
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Source: nissannews.com
Nissan: Take Note: Nissan's New Hatchback Begins Production
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Source: nissannews.com
KANDA-MACHI, Fukuoka prefecture, Japan - Nissan marked the start of Japan production of the all-new Note compact at a ceremony in Kyushu on Tuesday, ahead of the hatchback's imminent sales debut.
Manufacturing of the new Note shifts to the state-of-the-art Nissan Motor Kyushu plant in southern Japan, helping the automaker maintain a pledge to build 1 million vehicles annually in its home market, said Chief Operating Officer Toshiyuki Shiga.
"Nissan Motor Kyushu is a strategically important plant for Nissan," Shiga said.
"If Nissan in Kyushu improves cost competitiveness even more, I'm sure Nissan Motor Kyushu will become stronger as a Nissan global manufacturing plant."
The new hatchback features a downsized, supercharged engine and is around 40 percent more economical than the current Note, achieving one of the highest mileage figures ever for a vehicle made by Nissan.
The car goes on sale nationwide on September 3 and is expected to become Nissan's best-selling model in Japan with a monthly sales target of 10,000 deliveries and a starting price of just under 1.25 million yen ($15,800).
"This Note has very strong potential with very attractive fuel consumption - it's an attractive product," Shiga added. "I'm expecting the Note to be always top-ranked among our domestic sales."
European and North American versions of the model are also in the pipeline, with Nissan's Kyushu operations a template for the new Note's global ambitions.
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Source: nissannews.com
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Nissan: Dealing with It
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Source: nissannews.com
MOSCOW, Russia - Euro-crisis concerns may prevail elsewhere, but in St. Petersburg and Moscow a consumer buzz is apparent as disposable incomes grow and are indeed being disposed.
At a Genser Nissan dealership in the nation's capital, the differing fortunes are on display, as the facility is Europe's largest in terms of space and sells 400 new cars a month. The dealership's top models are crossovers, but Moscow Car-center Director Andrey Terlyukevich says the purchases are often second cars and a doubling in overall volume should be expected.
Many foreign car firms such as Nissan are raising Russian production capacity in the $1.9 trillion economy, expected to see 4.5% growth this year. The Moscow International Motor Show this week will likely underscore how important the nation already is to the auto industry and the growing bets on its future.
The vast nation and relatively vibrant economy joined the World Trade Organization this month after a near 20-year quest, the 156th nation in the multilateral forum. As part of WTO entry, Russia will reduce trade tariffs and is seen shifting its economic engines from energy production and commodities to manufacturing and services. For carmakers, that means a drop in Russian import tariffs on automobiles from the current 30% to 25% near-term, and a reduction to 15% by decade's end. For the light commercial vehicle sector, in particular, the cuts are expected to be significant.
The World Bank estimates WTO entry will add 3.3 percentage points of growth to Russian GDP, but not everyone is convinced that a seat at the trade table will be as significant as China's joining in 2001. Nonetheless, the advantages for Russian consumers in terms of product choice and cost are expected to be tangible, with dealerships such as Genser's in Moscow open more than 12 hours a day to welcome them.
Dan Sloan, Editor in Chief
Global Media Center
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Source: nissannews.com
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