Is Nissan Becoming Cool?

South Africa’s leading source of news and information on all aspects of the motor industry Issue 13 | 24 November 2011 www.autolive.co.za FUTURE SHOCK! Is Nissan Becoming Cool? Full Story on Page 2 The General’s All the NAAMSA Mini’s quirky Coop The Bantam legend amazing recovery stats page 6 page 8 page 11 page 19 Subscribe for free @ www.autolive.co.za Page 2 Editor Stuart Johnston [email protected] Nissan’s Quiet Revolution General Manager Roger Houghton The Launch of the Nissan Juke in mid-October has had customer’s rattling the doors of [email protected] Nissan dealerships all over the country. One Gauteng-based dealer told AutoLive that Sales he was amazed at the response to the little cross-over, saying he couldn’t get enough of Bruno Lupini them, and that he reckoned he could sell twice his allocation if only he could get the stock. [email protected] Address Suite 106B, MISA Centre We’ve also heard strong rumours that selling 457 units despite only having had AL: What about those looks. They 12 Fir Street, Northcliff Nissan will be re-entering the motor- the car on sale for the last two weeks of are quite controversial. Johannesburg, 2195 sport fray in a big way in 2012, probably the month. At this stage I’d say our pre- JK: Hmm, Not for me, personally. in the off-road championship. These fac- dictions are spot on. I like the looks a lot. It is unusual, and Tel tors indicate that Nissan are targeting AL: What makes Juke such a again, people aren’t that used to seeing +27 (0)11 431 0796 the youth market once again, realising winner? B-segment cross-overs. that while cars like Tiidas and Livinas JK: It’s totally new, it’s innovative, AL: What has dealer feedback been Fax are all very well for solid sensible citi- challenges the conventional. When like? +27 (0)86 505 8957 zens and fleet owners, there is nothing something which is so unique also deliv- JK: They can’t get enough of Website like building brand awareness amongst ers on expectations of performance and them, literally. I just wish we could get the youth and thus winning brand fans drivability, then you know you are onto more because we’d sell them, I have www.autolive.co.za for life. a good wicket. no doubt. © 2011 WCM Media CC Ironically, just a few weeks before AL: Styling-wise it makes a very the funky new Nissan launch, AutoLive strong statement. Can we expect more Production had criticised Nissan for presenting a of this type of car from Nissan in 2012? Marketing Support Services “boring” passenger car line-up for sale Something that’s definitely not boring? +27 (0)12 346 2168 here in South Africa. So, does this mean JK: The point I’d like to make is [email protected] there is a quiet revolution taking place in that in South Africa, just over 60 per Rosslyn? cent of the new vehicle market consists Layout and Typesetting With all this mind, we spoke to of passenger vehicles and the rest are Bonita Tuson Nissan South Africa’s Director of commercials, LCVs and heavy commer- Disclaimer Marketing, Johan Kleynhans about cials. Traditionally Nissan has been very what the success of Juke means, and strong on the LCV side, in fact our mix While reasonable what we can expect in 2012. is the opposite, as it made up of around precautions have been AutoLive: Johan, at the launch of 60 percent commercials and 40 per cent taken to ensure the the Juke, we felt that your sales predic- passenger. Regarding our passenger accuracy of the advice tions for 400 Jukes a month were quite cars, we’ve e had some very lovely cars and information given to optimistic, and you replied that they in recent times. But because they aren’t readers, neither the Editor, were based on what has happened in mainstream models, they aren’t top the Proprietors, nor the global markets so far. What has been the of mind. publishers can accept reception to Juke here? AL: Are you referring to the any responsibility for any Johan Kleynhans: Obviously the Gazing to the future: Johan Murano, and the like? damages or injury which stats aren’t in yet for November, but Kleynhans, Marketing Director of may arise therefrom. in October we out-did our prediction, Nissan South Africa. continued on page 5 Subscribe for free @ www.autolive.co.za Page 3 Editor’s Note Capital Expenditure By Motor Industry At Near-Record Level The press release that announced the demise of the Ford Bantam was, I have to say, a sad tribute on behalf of Ford Motor By RogeR HougHton Industry average production ca- Company SA to a little vehicle that has been pacity utilisation levels during the a mainstay for Ford for 28 years. When one third quarter of 2011 held up well compares the send off that Nissan gave its Capital expenditure by the SA motor despite the impact of industrial ac- little half tonner 1400 a few years back, and industry in 2011 is on track to be the tion on some segments of the supplier the fact that Volkswagen gave its Citi Golf second highest in history, according industry during this period as well not only a round-the-country tour but a to the quarterly review of business as component shortages due to the whole book dedicated to its South African conditions published at the begin- earthquake and tsunami in Japan on evolution, I have to say that Ford missed a ning of November by NAAMSA. March 11. party trick with this one. It is estimated that total expendi- Following signs of a slowdown in The big reason, though, is that nothing is replacing the Bantam as far as ture by local vehicle manufacturers growth in the new car, light and me- Ford is concerned. Speaking to a Ford spokesperson, she said that every ef- on new products, local content, ex- dium commercial vehicle sectors dur- fort had been made to continue the Bantam line, but in the massive switch- port investment, production equip- ing the second quarter of 2011 there over to global Ranger production at Silverton, there was simply no way of ment, land and buildings as well as was a strong recovery during August keeping the Bantam on cost-effectively. the required support infrastructure and September and the quarter ended The sad fact for dealers, however, is that the demise of Bantam leaves a will reach R 4,45-billion at the end of with most operations back to normal huge gap in the market for the likes of General Motors and Nissan (and yes, the year. production levels and retail vehicle the non reporters with their cab-forward light pick-up) to fill, and we have The current record of R6,21- supply improving. no doubt they will fill it with alacrity. In October the Bantam sold 765 units, billion was set in 2006 at the height The high levels of domestic sales and its sales have been hovering between 600 and 1 000 units since its launch. of the industry’s post-1994 growth and vehicle production during the What must have been even bigger salt in the wounds for Ford dealers phase. The figure for 2010 was R3,99- third quarter and balance of 2011 is that Ranger’s ramp up locally has been affected by the recent floods in billion, after a disappointing R2,47- should contribute positively to the Taiwan. The delay in sourcing certain components needed for local produc- billion in 2009 due to the impact of country’s GDP. Over the medium tion from Taiwan has meant serious cuts in Ranger production, although the global financial and economic term domestic sales should continue the good news is that things are back up to full steam ahead at Silverton crisis and the subsequent deferral of to grow, but probably at a slower rate, now, according to the Ford spokesperson. various investment projects. in line with the SA economy, while In the mean time, Ford fans can take solace that the Figo, imported The increase in capital ex- the direction of the global economy from India, has been such a huge hit here. As far as a small pick-up replace- penditure during 2010 and 2011 is and thus demand for export vehicles, ment is concerned, there is indeed a Bantam lookalike that is produced in probably due in large part to invest- remains uncertain. Brazil and called the Courier ( a name Ford SA used for its larger one-ton- ment projects by manufacturers as NAAMSA’s forecast for 2011 ner a number of years ago). This little Brazilian Ford looks remarkably like they gear up for the Automotive vehicle sales is 573 500 units sold in our Bantam, as it is also Fiesta-based, but ironically the two vehicles were Production and Development SA and 281 units exported from a produced by two engineering teams working totally independently of one Programme that comes into force at total domestic production of 551 000 another. No plans for its introduction here, though. the beginning of 2013. units. ■ From an industry engineering perspective, the globalisation of our plants means the end of an era where our teams of engineers produced amazing SA-specific vehicles that were tailor-made for local conditions. The Nissan 1400 was produced and improved here for decades after it was dis- continued in Japan, for instance, and so was the Golf I-based Citi Golf after German production ceased in 1984.

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