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RENAULT-NISSAN ALLIANCE

Honda Beats Nissan With a CR-V Stick

December 16, 2014 by admin 2 Comments

Battling it out for US sales positioning.

The Renault-Nissan Alliance makes for one of the largest car manufacturers in the world, but when it comes to selling new cars in the US, Honda continues to trump Nissan. No Renault models are sold stateside, leaving Japan’s No. 2 manufacturer to battle that country’s third-largest manufacturer for US sales positioning.

Nissan easily outsells Honda globally, but in two markets — Thailand and the United States — Honda is still ahead. Though beating Honda in Thailand may be important, shedding its mostly four-decade deficit to Honda in the US seems like a never-ending quest.

2015 Honda CR-V.
2015 Honda CR-V.

Refreshed Honda CR-V

Unfortunately for Nissan, its attempt to move past Honda and to stand behind Toyota will have to wait another year. The Accord and Civic certainly are having something to do with that, but Honda’s CR-V crossover utility vehicle is what continues to keep Honda positioned just ahead of Nissan.

The Honda CR-V may not be the most spectacular compact crossover utility vehicle, but it is the segment leader, easily outselling the Toyota RAV4, Ford’s Escape and the Nissan Rogue. The CR-V is everything and more than what 300,000 annual buyers want — a highly dependable, five-passenger front- or all-wheel drive model with good fuel economy, competitive utility and strong resale values.

Earlier this year, it appeared that Nissan would finally overtake Honda on the strength of its excellent first quarter sales. However, an updated CR-V arrived later in the year and with it came a strong boost in Honda sales.

The 2015 edition represents a mid product cycle refresh, one that updates the front and rear fascia, brings in a revised engine with 11 percent more torque, and adds several new interior and safety features.

Of the CR-V, Honda called it the “…most significant mid-model cycle refresh in its history.” Essentially, it gave the CR-V a much needed tweaking, buying Honda some time as it readies a new model.

2015 Nissan Rogue
2015 Nissan Rogue.

Surging November Sales

The refresh has stoked interest in Honda’s “cute ute” with November sales surging by 37.7 compared with Nov. 2013. Honda sold 32,378 CR-Vs and has already sold 302,650 units through the first 11 months of the year for a 10 percent year-to-date gain over last year.

The comparable Nissan Rogue is seeing even greater sales increases than the Honda CR-V, but at 184,320 units sold through November 2014, it can’t make up the overall brand sales difference alone.

Through November, Honda has sold 1,253,557 units to Nissan’s 1,164,254. Honda not only reversed its 36,000-unit first quarter deficit, but it is now ahead of its Japanese rival by more than 89,000 units during this final sales month of the year.

Temporary Victory, Elusive Rebound

Nissan’s second place to Honda market position hasn’t always been an exercise in futility. In 1995, Nissan outsold Honda for the year, but quickly lost its footing the following year.

This year, Nissan’s sales are up by 12 percent through Nov. to Honda’s 1 percent increase, but it will need both new product and perhaps a Honda slump to enable it to move up once again. That battle is also going on in the premium segment where Honda’s Acura continues to outsell Nissan’s Infiniti division.

2016 Honda HR-V.
This upcoming 2016 HR-V may help Honda keep its distance from Nissan.

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Photos courtesy of Honda North America and Nissan North America.

Filed Under: Automotive News Tagged With: ACURA, crossover, Honda CR-V, HONDA HR-V, INFINITI, Nissan Rogue, RENAULT-NISSAN ALLIANCE, US SALES

Moscow: Datsun Makes a Splash With Its mi-DO Hatchback

August 27, 2014 by admin 4 Comments

What’s new at the 2014 Moscow International Auto Salon.

The last time that the Moscow International Auto Salon (MIAS) was held the Datsun brand was a historical footnote in the annals of the automotive industry. That was 2012 — since then, Nissan revived the Datsun brand and is now selling budget models in Indonesia, India, South Africa and Russia.

Nissan at the MIAS

The Russian market is important to Nissan, which is also heavily invested in AvtoVAZ, the largest car company in Eastern Europe. The Renault-Nissan alliance controls the company and through its Lada brand it has been gaining market share. The just introduced Datsun brand will further Nissan’s growth across the Russian land mass.

The newly resurrected Datsun brand is on display at the MIAS, which is holding its press day today followed by a business day on Thursday. Beginning on Fri. and running through Sept. 7, 2014, the bi-annual show will be open to the public.

Datsun mi-DO and on-DO Models

Datsun miDOTwo new models are on display, including the on-DO sedan that will begin delivery to customers in early Sept. The second model, a mi-DO hatchback, goes on sale early next Jan.

The model names may seem odd to western ears, but they have special meaning in the east. The word “DO” is Japanese for “moving” and also represents the “way” in doing things. The word “on” is Russian for “he” and “mi” sounds like the English word for “me” or what personalizes the car. So, “he moving” and “me moving” are what Russian consumers understand when hearing the names for the two Datsun models.

MIAS represents the international debut for the Datsun mi-DO, a model that shares the same platform and wheelbase as the Datsun mi-DO, but is shorter overall. Both models sit on a 94.5-inch wheelbase and are 59 inches tall and 66.9 inches wide. The hatchback is 155.5 inches long; the sedan comes in at 170.7 inches long.

Engine and Transmissions

Datsun mi-DO hatchbackThe two Datsun models are powered by an 87-horsepower, 1.6-liter four cylinder engine and are paired with a standard five-speed manual transmission. A four-speed automatic is also available.

Standard equipment includes: driver and front passenger air bags, anti-lock brakes, heated seats, heated door mirrors, and other amenities. To serve the Russian market, 25 Datsun dealers are in place in key areas across the country. Another 75 Datsun dealers are expected to be up and running within the next two years.

A new vehicle warranty for 3 years or 100,000 kilometers (62,137 miles) is standard for Russian market Datsuns. Nissan has also set up Datsun Finance to provide financing solutions to Russian customers.

Commitment to Russia

Speaking to the press, Vincent Cobee, Global Head of Datsun, underscored his company’s commitment to the new market, by noting that the brand’s highly affordable price has struck a chord with Russian car buyers. That price is 329,000 Russian rubles or roughly US$9,100 or far below the lowest price of any car sold in America. The Renault-Nissan alliance has no plans to sell Datsun in the United States or Canada.

Photos copyright Nissan Motor Corporation.


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Filed Under: Auto Shows Tagged With: DATSUN MI-DO, DATSUN ON-DO, hatchback, MIAS, MOSCOW INTERNATIONAL AUTO SALON, NISSAN, RENAULT-NISSAN ALLIANCE, Russia, sedan

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