Nissan records highest sales growth for the third consecutive year in the region

Nissan maintained its status as the fastest-growing automotive brand in the GCC for the third consecutive year, selling a record breaking 219,129 units in the 2014 financial year – up 3.3% on 2013. In addition, Nissan achieved the best ever customer satisfaction results through top-level quality customer service.

In the GCC, Nissan recorded an 18.1% sales increase with 185,135 units sold in 2014 versus 156,778 in 2013— increasing its market share by 0.8 ppt (percentage points) to reach 10.3%.

In the UAE, Nissan maintained its strong number two position in the sales charts, selling 63,036 units – up 10% versus 2013 and achieving a 15.3% market share. Nissan’s brand purchase consideration in the UAE has also increased by 46% in the past two years, closing the gap with the market leader.

In KSA after the first full year of operation under its revival plan, Nissan, with its Kingdom-wide dealer Alissa Auto, reached the third position in sales with 61,806 units, reaching 7.2% market share and representing 141.7% growth year-on-year compared to 2013. Furthermore, Nissan’s brand purchase consideration has strengthened by 27% reaching the second position in the market.

Nissan’s strategy for success is based on the well-known Nissan global growth strategy ‘Power 88’, which CEO Carlos Ghosn announced Nissan would achieve by 2016. Under the Power 88 Mid Term plan, Nissan Middle East announced that it will be targeting to sell 240,000 units in the GCC by fiscal year 2016 reaching 12.3% market share.

“This is our third successive year of record growth in the Middle East and the momentum will continue due to our broad product line, top-quality customer service, outstanding dealership network, and commitment to our brand’s message of ‘innovation that excites’ that we live daily with all touch points and at all levels. The record breaking results are testament to the success of our Power 88 strategy,” says Nissan Middle East’s managing director Samir Cherfan.

“There are plenty of headwinds impacting the industry at the moment such as falling oil prices and currency fluctuations, plus closer to home there are instabilities in Iraq and the Azerbaijan regulations situation. However, Nissan has excelled in the last financial year and lofty targets will again be met in the next one.”

The Nissan line-up has performed extremely well across the spectrum but sales of the famed Patrol, dubbed the ‘Hero of all Terrains in Life’, the facelifted Juke, the Nissan Sunny, Pathfinder and X-Trail have all been exceptional.

Unsurprisingly, the ever-popular Nissan Patrol notched record numbers over the period with 34,015 units leaving the region’s showroom floors, a 35% hike on financial year 2013.

The Nissan Sunny also attributed to the record breaking results, by achieving 29,688 units in 2014 with 30% sales growth from last year.

Nissan Pathfinder recorded 15% growth with 6,800 units, and the Nissan X-Trail recorded a significant growth increase of 300% versus 2013 with 4,400 units.

The 2014 period was not only successful for Nissan in terms of sales, but also in terms of awards as the Japanese automaker received 15 highly-regarded international and regional accolades, positioning Nissan as the most awarded automotive brand in the MENA region for the third consecutive year. 

In after sales with a clear strategy to establish itself as a leader in customer service in the region, Nissan announced it will continue to position its regular maintenance costs below competition and will expand its line–up with genuine products such as engine oil, batteries and affordable parts for vehicles more than three years old. 

Delivering on its after-sales promise, Nissan achieved record results in sales and service customer satisfaction reaching the top group level in the Gulf, and number one in three of the GCC countries. After one year of operation, Nissan has already entered the top four group in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.