In 1976, Datsun-Nissan was the top-selling manufacturer in South Africa, but since then, the company has struggled to survive, not only in this country, but also internationally.
So, what went wrong? Every company has made some marketing mistakes and Datsun/Nissan has been no exception. Without denigrating the company, it is perhaps a good idea to look at what has gone wrong and what mistakes the company has made through the years.
Take a look at the Datsun cars on sale at the moment. Click here
The Bluebird, introduced in 1962, was the first Japanese passenger car on the South African market, and the 1200 bakkie, based on the same platform and marketed under the advertising slogan "Mossie maar man " (small but tough) , was the overall top-selling bakkie in South Africa in 1964 and 1965. One very clever marketing campaign in later years emphasised the durability of its mechanical components. It told the story about a 1200 bakkie that was used on a farm for 16 years; however, its engine outlasted it and it spent the rest of its days pumping water. The next generation of the Bluebird followed in 1966, but just after its introduction, its engine capacity was increased to 1,3 litres, rendering the new Bluebird 1200 obsolete almost immediately. The Bluebird 1300 also received a new front end before the year was over.
Look ahead to a great deal on your car insurance click herehttps://www.changecars.co.za/insurance/discovery-car-insurance
The range was extended in 1967. The 1000 bakkie and panel van were introduced and the possibility of the introduction of the 1000 sedan was investigated. However, because the 2000 was introduced at the top of the range, the company decided not to introduce the 1000 sedan as well. That was a big mistake; surely both model ranges could have been introduced in the same year.
The 1600 range was introduced in 1969. It was a massive success but a station wagon might have made it even more popular. The only other bodyshell available in South Africa was the coupé, introduced inn 1971 as the 1600 GL. This model was not even on the market for six months when the 1800 GL, which had the same bodyshell but a larger engine, replaced it. Another model that was replaced too soon was the 240 C. It was only on the market for a few months when the 260 C replaced it for the 1973 model year.
When the 120/140Y range was introduced in 1975, there was an obvious gap in the model line-up. Some people wanted more than the 120 Y could offer and the sporty character of the 140 Y GX did not appeal to everyone. The 140 Y with the single-carburettor engine introduced in 1976, had an automatic transmission as standard equipment. Moreover, it is a pity that a three-door station wagon version of the 120 Y , with the same bodyshell as the panel van was not introduced. Even with three doors it would have escaped two of the sedan's major points of criticism; the gimmicky styling and the small luggage compartment. The 140 Y station wagon had a five-door bodywork but did not sell in large numbers.
Take a look at these classic cars that are currently for sale. Click herehttps://www.changecars.co.za/classics
The worst marketing campaign in the history of the South African motor industry occurred late in 1977. The "Dazzle Datsuns". were based on every model range except for the 300 C, and they were only available in the GX and SSS versions of the 140 Y and the 160/180 U respectively. They were developed in collaboration with Calbrook Colours, a company which specialised in the fitment of stripes in bright colours for standard production cars. The different colour schemes were named after well-known South African surnames. The fad soon blew over, but the alloy wheels fitted to these models were available as an accessory for cars with the standard paint colours.
Take a look at the Nissan cars that are currently on sale Click herehttps://www.allthingsmotoringinternational.com/oem-manufacturers/nissan-south-africa
The entire Datrsun/Nissan range was revised or replaced in 1978. The Y series was revised and a new model, the 140 Y SDX, was introduced as a replacement for the GX. It had a different 1,4 litre engine; an enlarged version of the A 12 rather than a smaller version of the L 16/18, as fitted to the previous 140 Y models. Only a single-carburettor version of this engine was available. The 140 Y GX Coupé was replaced by a 160 Y GX, powered by the single-carburettor version of the L 16 engine.. The 140 Y Automatic was replaced by a 160 Y Automatic; this meant that a 160 Y sedan with a manual transmission was not available. The 300 C was replaced by the 280 L. The flagship model, the 280 SGL, was powered by a fuel-injected engine. The 200 L, with the same bodywork but a four-cylinder engine, soon followed. The other new model range introduced in 1978 was the 1600/1800 J. The range consisted of the 1600 J, the 1800 J Automatic, the 1800 J SSS and the 1800 J GL Automatic. The GL shared the twin-carburettor engine of the SSS; and the 1800 J was never available with a single-carburettor engine and manual transmission.
Take a look at these cars which may be ideal for a student Click here
The entire range was revised again in 1980. The J-Series and L-Series were facelifted and renamed as the Stanza and Laurel respectively. Both models retained the bodyshells of their predecessors but they were comprehensively revised. The success of hatchbacks like the VW Golf and the Mazda 323 did not go unnoticed; therefore the Pulsar replaced the Y-series. The Pulsar was a failure for more than one reason, and the more conservative Toyota Corolla became more popular when a new generation was introduced at the same time as the Pulsar. Perhaps the contemporary Sunny would have been a better choice for South Africa. Another new model range that was introduced in 1980 was the 720 pick-up, which replaced the not-so-successful 680. It was powered by the familiar overhead camshaft L 18 engine, but despite the addition of a four-wheel drive model known as the Tracker, and a King Cab version with an enlarged cabin and two seats facing each other, it could not emulate the success of the Toyota Hilux.
Look at the less expensive cars on sale at the moment Click here https://www.changecars.co.za/cheap-cars-for-sale
Three new model ranges came onto the market in 1982, but the company made a huge mistake by not introducing the front-wheel-drive Stanza. Those that were itroduced, were the Skyline, the new Laurel and the extremely popular Safari bakkie, powered by the familiar 2,8 litre engine. The following year, the marque was changed from Datsun to Nissan and the Pulsar and Stanza were replaced. The Pulsar name was retained for the next-generation hatchback but the Stanza was replaced by the Langley, a sedan version of the new Pulsar.
By 1984 the build quality of Nissan's vehicles had deteriorated, and the 2200 Tracker 4x4 tested by Car Magazine that year almost fell apart. The Skyline range was extended with the introduction of the 2,8 GLX, a model that should have been part of the range right from the start and rendered the Laurel superfluous. The Skyline range was comprehensively revised late in 1985, and the 2,8 GLX was replaced by the more luxurious 2,8 SGL and 2,8 SGLi. The Skyline hatchback, a car that dealerships could almost not give away, was withdrawn from the market.
Look at the comprehensive list of dealers associated with Changecars Click here https://www.changecars.co.za/dealer-listing/
In 1987 the range was revised again, and only the bakkies and the Exa, which was popular among young motorists, remained unchanged. The "new era' Skyline was introduced with a more conservative marketing approach, and as a result, only the six-cylinder models proved popular. The Langley was replaced by the Sentra, which was available as a sedan or a three-door coupé. However, the conservative styling of the sedan did not appeal to everyone. The retention of the Exa was a brilliant marketing decision because no other manufacturer offered anything similar. The Laurel disappeared into oblivion without anyone taking notice.
The only introduction of the late 1980's worth noting was that of the 1 Tonner bakkie,which replaced the 720. This was available with a wider range of engines than before and was a real competitor for the Toyota Hilux and the Isuzu KB. The Maxima was the only new locally-manufactured car that was introduced in 1991. It gradually replaced the six-cylinder versions of the Skyline, but Nissan opted out of the market segment occupied by the four-cylinder moidels. At rthe same time, the introduction of the imported 200 SX aroused the interest of enthusiasts, but turbo lag and low torque at low engine speeds made it difficult to drive under everyday circumstances.
The introduction of the second-generation Sentra gave Nissan a real competitor for the Toyota Corolla, especially after the five-door Sabre was added. However, Nissan manufactured this model range for too long, and by the time it was revised late in 1997 it was already outdated. The next generation Maxima, called the QX, was also not as popular as its predecessor.. The Primera, introduced in 1998, gave Nissan another competitor in an extremely difficult market segment ; its main rivals were the Mazda 626, the Ford Mondeo, the VW Jetta and the entry-level Toyota Camry,. However, for some reason it was not very popular despite its success in the SATCAR saloon car racing series. The Almera was introcuded in 2001, first as a hatchback and later as a sedan. This was a competitor for cars like the Toyota Corolla, Mazda Etude and Honda Ballade. Although it was a favourite among fleet owners, it did not really appeal to private motorists even though it was hard to fault from a rational point of view.Another newcomer introduced at the same time was the Terrano, a sports utility vehicle with four wheel drive and low range available with a short or long wheelbase. However, the Honda C-RV and Toyota RAV 4 totally dominated this market segment and when the X-Trail was intrrocuded, Nissan had a real competitor in this segment.
Check out the most popular cars on sale at the moment Click herehttps://www.changecars.co.za/hot-sellers
Nissan came up with another winner when the Pathfinder was introduced in 2005. The Navara, based on the same platform, followed in 2006. Nissan made a good decision by retaining the Hardbody as a workhorse because the Navara was aimed at the leisure market. Another newcomer that filled an important gap was the Micra. Perhaps the previous generations would have been too conservative, but the first Micra to be introduced to South Africa in 2004 hit the target. Unfortunately the marketing campaign was another matter. For some reason the advertisement company came up with a campaign entitled Do you speak Micra?, which confused everybody.
The first two generations of the Qashqai were popular, but for some reason Nissan did not continue to market the seven-seater Qashqai+2 that was part of the range of the first generation. One model range that did not appeal to the South African public was the Tiida, which replaced the Almera. The main problem was its styling , which was nothing special. Moreover, the sedan model had a wrap-around boot lid reminiscent of the 2002 model BMW 7-series; considered to be one of the ugliest cars ever made. The new Almera followed in 2013; it was a spacious and well-equipped sedan but people did not find it attractive despite being a very good buy from a rational point of view. By 2007, the 1400 bakkie was on the market for 36 years. It started life as the 1200, and later became the 120Y before the A 14 engine was introduced in 1980. Although the 1400 was popular nobody could argue against the fact that this stalwart was hopelessly out of date long before it was finally discontinued. Its replacement, the NP 200, was introduced in 2009 but throughout its model life of 15 years it was never restyled and it remained the same mechanically.
The Datsun name was revived in 2014 when the Datsun Go was introduced as the entry-level model of the Nissan range. Two years later, the seven-seater model known as the Go+ was added. However, the public and the motoring media agreed that the safety standards of both models left too much to be desired. The handbrake under the dashboard and the contraption that was fitted instead of a radio did not appeal to the public either. The updated models, introduced in 2019, were a massive improvement. They had a proper infotainment system with a touch screen, air bags and ABS brakes became standard equipment throughout the range and the Lux got a rear window wiper. The handbrake was fitted beetween the front seats,where it belonged and the Lux was fitted with beautiful alloy wheels. Unfortunately the Go was withdrawn from the international market in 2021.
The current generation of the Navara was introduced in 2017 , and the rest of the Nissan range consisted of the Micra, the Almera, the Qashqai, the X-Trail and the NP 200. The other model in Nissan's range at that stage was the Juke, which was considered extremely ugly and was not replaced. The new Micra was introduced in 2018 but the previous generation lived on as the Micra Active. Unfortunately that was soon discontinued.
By 2021 the Magnite was introduced and it soon established itself as one of the ten most popular passenger cars in South Africa. The third generation of the Qashqai did not prove popular because the exhange rate pushed up its price beyond the reach of the average motorist. The X-Trail is still on the market, but the lack of a diesel engine, the fierce market segment it competes in and the relatively high price all count against it. Nothing came of Nissan's plans to replace the Almera, even though competitors like the Suzuki Ciaz, Toyota Corolla Quest, Honda Ballade and VW Polo sedan are still available.
Nissan and Honda are currently holding talks about a possible merger. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the outcome will be positive. If that does not happen, we may have to say goodbye to Nissan soon.
Daantjie Badenhorst
proudlyCHANGECARS
