Nissan shifts strategy for Australia

A model cull is coming as Nissan aims to pique buyers' palates.

Owning a new Nissan is finally getting more affordable as the company revises its Australian service schedule.

It is stretching its service intervals to 12 months and 10,000km in an overdue update that starts with the Qashqai, which this week replaces the Dualis in its line-up.

The latest X-Trail is expected to follow quickly, with a progressive rollout through the rest of the range.
  
Dubbed “myNissan”, the capped price servicing schedule is tuned to Australian conditions and is a response to the competitive pressures from rival brands.

The change is one of the first by incoming CEO Richard Emery, who is also overseeing a cull of underperforming models and an end to the overstocking dramas that had dogged Nissan Australia.

“Last year Nissan became a lightning rod for some issues. I’d like to bring this to an end. Nissan dealers are not overstocked,” Emery says.

“I’m cutting this off. It’s no longer valid. The claim of being No.1 importer is neither valid nor relevant.

“I’ve implemented a program called ‘Nissan Now’. It’s about ... forgetting the past and focusing on what’s happening now.”

He admits there are too many examples of the Pulsar ST-S and new-generation Y62 Patrol in showrooms, but he has a plan.
   
This starts with the arrival of the Qashqai — which takes on Nissan’s global name instead of the Dualis badge.

Emery says there is also a cull of cars that have not appealed to buyers or do not add to the bottom line.

That means the compact Almera is going, the Pulsar range is being trimmed from eight cars to five, and even the 370Z will have a sharper focus, surviving despite slow sales.
   
The first visible change will be an advertising program that is less “shouty” and more focused on cars, instead of prices.
   
“We’re a bit vanilla, so we need to invest in some personality and colour for the brand,” says Emery.

“It’s a very different approach. The price will be there. But it won’t be at the same overt level.”
 
 Emery is setting a course for sustainable growth over the next five years, instead of going for a big bang that never happened. 
 
 “If people are buying on price only then it’s not adding to your business. It’s just complicating it. We don’t need to be all things to all people.”