EDITION 141 (2012/06/04)

News and Views

MAY NEW VEHICLE SALES

The May domestic market was very respectable showing growth of 21,3% vs. April 2012 and a 20% increase on May 2011. The NSA volume of 3,814 units was 17,6% up on April and a very healthy 32,1% up on May last year. The resultant 9,1% market share is 0,8 share points up year on year.  Year to date 2012 Nissan is showing a 40,4% growth in a market growing by 6,8% - a fantastic showing for the first five months of the year.

Nissan dealers retailed 3 003 units resulting in an 8% market share. Nissan’s  month on month increase of 14% was a bit behind the dealer TIV market growth of 21,1%, however  the 36,7% May year on year and 41,8% year to date growth are way ahead of the dealer market, which is growing at 9,3% and double that of all of the other major players.

NP200 set a new record with sales of 1 852 units and Micra sales of 418 units is a step in the right direction. NP300 Hardbody showed some sales promise with 553 units on the back of some strong fleet business and all other models contributed decently to ensure our “third largest brand” position year to date.

NISSAN POWER FOR A QUARTER OF LE MANS 24 HOURS FIELD

Nissan will be the dominant force at this year's Le Mans 24 Hours, with a quarter of all entries running on Nismo-tuned Nissan power.
Spearheading Nissan's dominant entry to the famous endurance race, on June 16 and 17, will be the hugely innovative, experimental Nissan DeltaWing, which aims to change the face of motor racing by completing the Le Mans 24 Hours using half the fuel and half the tyre material of a conventional LMP racer.
Leading the charge in the LMP2 class, in which Nismo-produced Nissan units power more than half of the competing cars, are Nissan's partner teams, Signatech Nissan and Greaves Motorsport.
Paul Willcox, Senior Vice President, Nissan in Europe, said: "This year's Le Mans 24 Hours will be our biggest yet and the Nissan DeltaWing shows the direction we are looking to take with motor sport technology in the future. We are already dominant in LMP2, where teams know that we can help them win, while the DeltaWing project is the kind of experiment in design and technology that only a company as forward-thinking and bold as Nissan could get behind.
"As a test bed for future road car and motor sport innovations, there is no greater, more publicly-scrutinised laboratory than the Le Mans 24 Hours for the experiment that DeltaWing represents, but the concept will prove that the technology for a vastly more efficient future is viable now, whether the car finishes the race or not."

 

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

Nissan NAVARA

The intrepid Charley Boorman, who teamed up with Ewan McGregor on the popular Long Way Round and Long Way Down series, will be travelling throughout South Africa on a motorbike as part of a new TV series called Extreme Frontiers South Africa.  An adventure of this magnitude requires strong support and it doesn’t get much stronger than Navara and Pathfinder.  These vehicles will be following Charley and Russ Malkin (producer of Long Way Round and Long Way Down) during the six-week journey which kicks off in Cape Town on June 8 and ends in Joburg on July 21.

You can follow these adventurers on both the Nissan Navara Tough City website and Facebook page where videos, comments and photos will be posted.

Be sure to check all the details out @ http://www.toughcity.co.za/, follow us on https://www.facebook.com/NissanNavaraSA and http://twitter.com/#!/NissanNavaraSA to receive regular updates on their progress.

The Greenest Event

World Environment Day is on June 5 and Servest will be hosting the Greenest Conference at the Sandton Sun Hotel.  Topics that will be discussed are: managing the planet, energy, water, biodiversity, waste and how to integrate key learnings into your business.

Nissan Winter Classic

South Africa’s equestrian and show jumping fraternities are gearing up for the eagerly-anticipated Nissan Winter Classic 2012, which will take place in KwaZulu-Natal at the Durban Shongweni Club from June 14 to 17.  The Nissan-sponsored event forms part of the countrywide Nissan Riders Series competition, in which the rider who accumulates the most points over the series stands the chance to win a Nissan Juke.  Once again we will be showcasing some of our finest vehicles at the test drive station located next to the main arena. There will also be a variety of stalls for you to browse through.  For more information, please visit www.nissan.co.za

Nissan X-Trail “Live the X-Life” Competition

To leverage our activities, which include our mountain bike sponsorships, we are running an X-Trail test drive campaign via a competition called “Live the X-Life “.  Our focus is to drive show room traffic and we are anticipating in excess of 500 test drives.  The competition started on June 2 at our first Nissan Trailseeker Mountain Bike race for 2012, with the prize-giving being held at our final MTB race on November 3.

 

Live the X-Life – Eco Outdoor Adventure and Travel Expo

The “Live the X-Life” branded X-Trail will be showcased at the Eco Outdoor Adventure and Travel Expo from June 8 to 10 at the Waterfall Equestrian Estate, cnr Woodmead and Maxwell Drives. The expo offers a variety of exciting activities such as: a 4x4 course, Harley Davidson demo rides, DStv screens for rugby enthusiasts and food stalls. Socialised dogs on leads are welcome to enjoy the day with their owners. Bring along your family and friends and visit us at the Thule and Rack and Road Stand.

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

AFTERSALES NEWS

Accessories

NSA approved Little Logbook Company as a supplier last week.  During the coming week we will be sending you the part number for the device.  This is a tool for fleet management and SARS fuel claim submissions.  For more information please look at their website at www.littlelogbook.co.za . 

Parts pricing

Dealers are reminded that a very special price has been loaded on the SAP system for the engine of the N16S Almera 1.8 4-door Sedan from February 2012.  This engine (part number 101028M150 - Engine Assembly Bare) is retailing for only R 13 588.66 (incl VAT).  There are only a few left and orders will be treated on a first-come, first-served basis as long as stocks last.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini last Tuesday suspended production after an earthquake killed at least 10 people in northern Italy where their factories are located.  The three luxury sports car makers said their factories were not damaged in the quake but they had sent their 5 000 workers home.  Production resumed on Wednesday.  A 5.8-magnitude earthquake hit the province of Modena and was followed by an aftershock of 5.6 magnitude  Maserati is based in the city of Modena, while Ferrari is located 18 km southwest in Maranello. Lamborghini is headquartered in Sant'Agata Bolognese, 20 km east of Modena.  The quake was felt throughout northern Italy, including the financial capital Milan, where some buildings and schools were evacuated, and as far south as Tuscany and Umbria.
New-car sales in Germany contracted by around 7% in May.  Light vehicle sales in France declined 17% with fewer sales days last month than in the previous May.  Elections and holidays also affected sales.
The South African president of Audi of America, Johan de Nysschen, 52, is to step down after nearly 20 years with the brand, mostly in South Africa.
Don’t forget to look out for some exciting Campaign Boosters coming out shortly.