EDITION 131 (2012/03/26)

News and Views

NISSAN SOUTH AFRICA, MARCH 2012

Saturday was the end of the Nissan financial year and also the end of a very exciting first quarter. We achieved more than 10% market share during the first two months of the quarter and of course the new year, which bodes well for the balance of this year.  With an extraordinary level of activities during the month of March, we expect to achieve another great vehicle sales month.  In fact, it is expected that more than 10 dealers achieved the 100 unit challenge.

Nissan globally is growing from strength to strength as can be seen in the following results.

NISSAN GLOBAL PRODUCTION, SALES AND EXPORT RESULTS FOR FEBRUARY

Production

Nissan's global production in February increased 28.6% year-on-year to 450 174 units, marking an all-time record for a single month.
Production in Japan increased 19.6% year-on-year to 111 786 units, mainly due to increased exports of Rogue and Juke, and increased demand for Note, which qualifies for the government subsidy program for environmentally-friendly vehicles.
Production outside of Japan increased 31.8% year-on-year to 338 388 units, marking an all-time record for a single month.  In the US, production increased 14.9% year-on-year to 53 117 units, mainly due to increased demand for Altima.  In Mexico, production increased 34.5% year-on-year to 61 011 units, due to increased demand for the new Versa and March.
In the UK, production increased 15.0% year-on-year to 45 872 units, mainly due to increased demand for Juke and Qashqai.  In Spain, production increased 6.2% year-on-year to 13 644 units, mainly due to increased demand for Navara.
In China, production increased 70.1% year-on-year to 116 039 units, marking an all-time record for the month of February. This is due to increased demand for Teana, Sunny, Tiida and Qashqai, and also because operating days were reduced February last year because of the Chinese new year holidays. These holidays fell in January in 2012.
Production in other regions increased 10.4% year-on-year to 48 705 units, mainly due to increased demand for the new Sunny in India and the new Almera in Thailand.

Sales

Global sales increased 24.5% year-on-year to 443 209 units, marking an all-time record for the month of February. Including mini-vehicles, Nissan sold 72 115 units in Japan, up 19.4% year-on-year.
In Japan, vehicle registrations in February increased 25.9% year-on-year to 55 675 units, mainly due to increased demand for Serena, Note and Cube, which qualify for the government subsidy program for environmentally-friendly vehicles.  Mini-vehicle sales in Japan increased 1.7% year-on-year to 16 440 units.
Sales outside of Japan increased 25.5% year-on-year to 371 094 units, marking an all-time record for the month of February.  Sales in the US increased 15.5% year-on-year to 106 731 units, due to strong sales of Altima and Rogue.  In Europe, sales increased 5.5% year-on-year to 56 733 units, due to favourable sales in Russia and increased demand for Juke.
In China, sales increased 56.7% year-on-year to 107 855 units, marking an all-time record for the month of February. This is due to increased demand for Tiida, Sunny and Teana, and also because operating days were reduced February last year because of the Chinese new year holidays. These holidays fell in January in 2012.  Sales in other regions increased 24.1% year-on-year to 73,371 units, mainly due to increased demand in Brazil, Thailand, India and Indonesia.

Exports

Nissan's exports in February increased 20.0% year-on-year to 65 031 units.  Exports to North America increased 29.3% year-on-year to 43 666 units, mainly due to increased demand for Rogue.  Exports to Europe decreased 5.8% year-on-year to 6,001 units.

 
MARKETING NEWS

Nissan National Half Marathon - Wellington
 

This popular race will again be co sponsored by Nissan SA and Droomers Nissan will showcase vehicles and man a watering point. Our friendly sales staff will be available to answer all your Nissan questions. Details of the event are as follows:
 
Date: 25/26 August 2012
Venue: Diemersfontein wine & country estate, Wellington, WP S 33 39 33.7 | E 19 00 15.8
Terrain: Fynbos | Rocky | Vineyard's
Elevation: 341m | Ascent: 2900m (ultra) 1850m (75km)
Participants: 1800+
Features: Single tracks | Dams | Old Cape-Epic Routes
Registration: Fri 24/08 14:00-21:00 & Sat 25/08 06h30 - 16h00 & Sun 26/08 06h30 - 08h30
 
This event takes place on farm roads and jeep tracks heading away from Diemersfontein, through the vineyards and farms of Wellington, crossing the Bainskloof Pass road and heading towards Groenberg Mountain. The well-balanced, fast route is jam-packed with beautiful views, fynbos, historic farmsteads, stream crossings and vineyard settings, passing many of the local award-winning cellars. Expect fast flowing single track, technically within reach of everyone.
 
The Wellington Tourism & Wine Route of the Western Cape in South Africa is today a major tourist attraction. Nestling at the foot of the Groenberg, the historic town of Wellington lies in a picturesque valley on the banks of the Kromme River with the majestic Hawequa Mountains standing guard on its eastern border. Wellington, in the heart of the Boland and rich in cultural, religious and educational history, is an unsurpassed area to enjoy the winelands and scenery of the Western Cape in South Africa
 
The beauty of the area is best viewed either by foot, horse, bicycle or by car to take in the scenery of nature, fynbos, wine, olives and the historical buildings to name but a few. The pass up to Bain's Kloof winds through pine tree plantations, to the summit where on a clear day you can see a vast area, consisting of the Swartland to the left, home of the extensive wheat fields, the Cape Flats and Cape Town to the right, and the sun glimmering on the sea.
 
Diemersfontein is known for its beauty, informal elegance, and grace - an idyllic country destination only 45 minutes' drive from Cape Town and is situated near the Cape's famous Wine Routes. We warmly invite you to share with us the tranquil spirit of Diemersfontein - whether you are conferencing here, marrying here, staying for a few days of leisure (or even permanently) - or taking some of it home in a bottle!
 
We will also have a 5km kiddies ride in the venue so bring along your kids to the event, they will have a ball!
 

For more information, please visit www.advendurance.co.za

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Cities all over Europe will be invited to embrace electric driving and encourage their communities to support Nissan’s campaign – ‘The Big Turn On’ – in a bid to win 30 quick chargers from Nissan. The quick chargers are part of a wider initiative from Nissan to get one million consumers switched on to electric driving, in just 100 days. The basis of ‘The Big Turn On’ campaign is to engage the public and support their cities’ bid to win a new electric driving infrastructure from Nissan.  ‘Turning on’ is as easy as a ‘click’ - consumers can pledge their commitment to EV by clicking the ‘turn on’ button via The Big Turn On website (www.thebigturnon.com), via social media channels or by signing up for a Nissan LEAF test drive.
Nissan has established a new company, Renault Japon, to import and sell Renault vehicles in Japan, effective April 2.  The new company will continue the same business operations currently performed by the Renault business division (now called Renault Japon) of Nissan Trading Co.  Renault delegated the import and sale of Renault vehicles in Japan to Nissan Trading Co in 2006. Since then, Renault Japon has streamlined the business, resulting in increased sales of Renault vehicles from 2010 onward. To further strengthen the business, Renault Japon will be spun off as a subsidiary of Nissan Motor Co.  This decision is based on the need to establish a management system that can make swift marketing decisions which help increase Renault sales and enhance Renault-Nissan Alliance synergy with Nissan’s sales strategy.
Nissan has won the Contribution Prize of the Ichimura Prizes in Industry hosted by the New Technology Development Foundation for the development of the one-motor two-clutch parallel full-hybrid system.  The Ichimura Prizes in Industry, which is in its 44th year, is given annually to an excellent technology developer or an excellent group of technology developers who contributed to or achieved development in the industrial field. The award is given to outstanding technologies in various business fields in Japan. Nissan is the only automotive manufacturer awarded a prize this year.
The foundation recognised Nissan’s one-motor two-clutch parallel full-hybrid system due to its lightweight system and simple structure. The system was developed for passenger vehicles, yet it achieves compact-car-level fuel-efficiency while enabling acceleration performance and drivability equivalent to a vehicle equipped with a V8 engine. This hybrid system is available in the Infiniti M and Nissan Fuga models.