Japanese automotive giant, Nissan today shared an update on the brand’s business performance in the region over the past year, which saw it secure a year-on-year market share increase of 10% in the Gulf in Fiscal Year 2020 (April 2020 – March 2021) - fueled by the strong sales of key SUV and Sedan models, especially the legendary Nissan Patrol.
The announcement was made at a press event, held this morning in Dubai, hosting media representatives in person and virtually from the UAE and the region. Nissan also announced the arrival of its advanced ProPILOT technology to the Gulf, which makes its regional debut within the 2021 Nissan Altima. This new upgrade maintains the mid-sized sedan’s ability to bring together sleek design, driving enjoyment, and intelligent mobility technologies.
Thierry Sabbagh, Managing Director, Nissan Middle East said: “Despite the challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are proud of our efforts to stay agile and build resilience in the past year, and remain committed to our mission of driving innovation that enriches people’s lives. Our achievements in 2020 are in line with the Nissan NEXT global transformation plan to rationalize, prioritize and focus on our strengths while building a sustainable foundation for long-term growth – allowing us to increase our market share in the region.”
“ProPILOT is another example of how our innovative mobility experiences are making their way to our customers, and we are excited to introduce this to the region within the 2021 Nissan Altima. While 2021 will see us continue to evolve our business and how we engage with customers, we look forward to our ongoing collaboration with trusted partners in the region, to ensure both operational excellence and customer satisfaction across the Middle East,” Sabbagh continued.
Fiscal Year 2020 performance
Nissan’s vehicle line-up in the region continued to enjoy customer demand in the fiscal year 2020 (FY20), spearheaded by key models from the SUV and Sedan segments respectively. Dominating the SUV-F segment in the region, the Patrol generated a market share growth of 15.4% when compared to FY19, retaining its position as a major contributor to Patrol sales globally, as well as to Nissan’s overall sales in the region. The youthful yet functional Nissan KICKS continued to drive sales in the SUV-B segment with an 11% year-on-year increase in market share.
Meanwhile, Nissan Maxima and Altima were the highest-selling Sedan models for Nissan in FY20, increasing their annual market share by 33% and 8% within the Sedan-E and Sedan-D segments respectively.
Nissan’s FY20 activity in the region began with the launch of the all-new Nissan Sunny with a dramatic new design, spacious interior, new technology, and safety features. The all-new Nissan X-Terra 2021 was launched virtually in November, bolstering Nissan’s extensive SUV offering and addressing customer demands in the SUV-D segment. The year concluded with the highly-anticipated global launch of the 2021 Nissan Patrol NISMO.
FY20 also saw Nissan dial-up its digital services in the region with a range of online features and solutions under a Shop@Home tab – including virtual showrooms, home test drives and maintenance, online buying facilitated by a finance calculator, pre-loan assessment, and warranty options, as well as a Web-based Augmented Reality (AR) experience on mobiles and tablets.
A look at 2021
Starting strong with the launch of the 2021 Nissan Patrol NISMO, this year is set to be an important year for Nissan in the region. The brand eyes further growth with three new models set to be launched in 2021, alongside Nissan Intelligent Mobility (NIM) innovations such as ProPILOT technology being introduced in the region.
Entering its third year of production, the 2021 Nissan Altima’s SL grade will premiere the ProPILOT technology in the region, which will be available as a standard feature, adding to a comprehensive list of NIM features such as Intelligent Rear Emergency braking, Nissan Safety Shield 360 technologies, and the choice of two advanced engines to bring excitement to the segment.
Furthermore, Nissan is gearing up to bring the future of mobility to local and international visitors at Expo 2020 Dubai later this year. As the event’s Official Automotive Partner, Nissan will draw on its expertise in sustainable transportation and smart-city solutions – while also unveiling the Nissan Ariya, its next-generation Electric crossover, for its Middle East debut.
Preparations are also underway to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the iconic Nissan Patrol throughout the year.
Nissan Intelligent Mobility: ProPILOT leads the way
When it comes to enhancing driving enjoyment, the 2021 Nissan Altima once again stands alone with Nissan's advanced ProPILOT technology. ProPILOT eases driver workload by reducing the amount of driver acceleration, steering, and braking input under certain driving conditions, such as single-lane highway driving.
ProPILOT utilizes a forward-facing camera, forward-facing radar, sensors, and an electronic control module to help the driver stay in the center of the driving lane and to maintain vehicle speed (set by the driver) or help maintain a gap to the preceding vehicle if the vehicle speed drops below the driver-set speed. Combining Nissan’s Intelligent Cruise Control and Steering Assist technologies[1], ProPILOT also can slow the vehicle to a complete stop and hold the vehicle during traffic jam conditions[2].
Another key Nissan Intelligent Mobility technology is Safety Shield 360, which helps provide front, side, and rear safety monitoring and intervention technologies. Safety Shield 360 includes Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Rear Automatic Braking (RAB), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), radar-based Blind Spot Warning (BSW), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), and High Beam Assist (HBA).
All 2021 Nissan Altima models, including configurations for both the advanced 2.5-liter DOHC inline 4-cylinder direct-injection engine and VC-Turbo engine, come equipped with a standard Xtronic transmission. It also features the athletic stance and proportions that made it lower, wider, and more dynamic than the previous generation – including the V-motion grille with a dark chrome finish as well as 16-inch, 17-inch, and 19-inch wheel and tire size combinations. The premium interior continues to prioritize comfort, connectivity, and convenience with a 7.0-inch Advanced Drive-Assist Display, Zero Gravity seat design, remote engine start, and available 8-way driver's seat with memory.
In addition to standard Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™, it comes equipped with an 8-inch multi-touch color display, Bluetooth® Hands-free Phone System, Streaming Audio via Bluetooth®, Hands-Free Text Messaging Assistant, and Siri® Eyes Free voice recognition.
The 2021 Altima ProPILOT is available from April 2021 at a starting price of AED 94,900 (including VAT) for the 2.5L S grade.
