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| Atsuo Kosaka |
Nissan has got very high expectations this year about the Qatar market, the Japanese auto major’s Middle East managing director Atsuo Kosaka said.
“Qatar market is very, very stable and steadily increasing. This is going to be a very exciting year for Nissan, especially with the new models coming in,” he told Gulf Times at the Second International Edition of Qatar Motor Show.
The year 2011 saw outstanding sales in Qatar, with the success of the new Patrol providing a substantial boost, Kosaka claimed.
“One of the most important cars we are showcasing at the Qatar Motor Show is the 60th anniversary diamond edition Patrol,” he declared.
“The new Patrol has given intense competition to the segment leader, the Toyota Land Cruiser. We are seeing definite positive changes in the market with the introduction of the new Patrol,” Kosaka said.
The new Sunny and the Titan full size truck are among the highlights at the Nissan pavilion at the event, which concludes today.
The latest Sunny, imported from Nissan’s plant in India, is described as a war horse which has proven itself for more than four decades, over nine generations across the globe selling more than 16mn units.
“The new Sunny offers superior luxury with premium styling and advanced technology with class leading safety,” the official explained.
This year will also see the Nissan Micra, again made in India, being launched in Qatar. The car has already been launched in Lebanon and Jordan, he said.
Though, 2011 had the tsunami and yen related issues, Nissan was the first Japanese car maker to rebound from the tsunami created problems, according to Kosaka.
“We increased our presence globally in 2011. In terms of car supplies we did not have major problems. Nissan was the first Japanese automaker to recover,” he recalled.
The new short wheel base manual transmission Patrol is already in Qatar, but a formal launch will take place later.
Asked about Nissan’s plans for the Armada, Kosaka said the model, which has a unique segment, will be retained.
Regarding the Pathfinder, reportedly undergoing changes for a 2013 version, the Nissan official declined to comment in detail.
“I cannot say much now about the Pathfinder. All I can say is that our car is not forever, we need a model change,” he added.
