Nissan gives thanks amidst phenomenal 2018 sales
AFTER a phenomenal 2018, resurgent Nissan celebrated the start of the new year by throwing a Thanksgiving dinner for the media and reaffirming the brand’s position as one of the true enduring leaders in the global automotive industry.
High demand for Nissan’s core models were key to the company’s record year. The Nissan Navara was the high-scoring point guard for the company’s explosive shotmaking, as the acclaimed pickup contributed 46.2 percent of sales in the Philippines.
The new Nissan Terra midsize SUV also delivered, as the muchawaited seven-seater already contributed 11.9 percent of sales locally after its launch last May. Other models likewise performed well last year—the Nissan Urvan and Almera contributing 19.5 and 17.5 percent, respectively.
Nissan grew 40 percent from last year after selling 34,952 units in 2018, giving the company an 8.7 percent market share. Nissan made history by being the only brand to post double-digit growth after higher excise taxes, rising inflation, and increasing fuel prices affected the Philippine economy last year. This feat is made even more impressive considering that total industry sales went down.
Nissan’s other 2018 highlights include the much-anticipated debut of the Terra, the company’s belated entry into the midsize SUV category. Underscoring the emergence of the Philippines as the medium-size SUV capital of the region, Nissan held the Terra’s launch in this market, which was also the first in the world to receive the seven-seater, Nissan Intelligent Mobility-equipped configuration.
In the Philippine International Motor Show last October 2018, the long-awaited 370Z NISMO was unveiled as the newest addition to its motorsports lineup. Along with Nissan Intelligent Mobilityequipped vehicles featured special edition models Nissan Terra S and Navara Warrior X, as well as the iconic Nissan LEAF, the world’s bestselling electric vehicle (EV).
In line with Nissan’s vision to bring safe, smart and sustainable mobility to more people, the head of Nissan’s global EV business unit Nicholas Thomas said in the 6th Philippine EV Summit that automakers, governments, and other stakeholders are key in creating the right environment to enable customers to switch to electric vehicles.
Nissan Philippines President and Managing Director Ramesh Narasimhan mentioned during the thanksgiving event that the company made history from executing the basics of focusing on product, process, and people. He also said that “to change the game, we have to stick to our fundamentals. With what we have achieved last year, we can now look forward to dreaming bigger for 2019.”
Ultimately, Nissan wanted to make history and they did. As NPI President Ramesh Narasimhan succinctly put it, “It’s only the beginning.”