Nissan axes another small car

Far from eliminating one of its future small-car options, Nissan Australia says the axing of the Nissan Pulsar in Europe will have no effect on its local model range plans.

Citing a consumer swing away from cars to SUVs, Nissan this week announced it will exit Europe’s mainstream small-car market by discontinuing the Pulsar hatch in Europe and the Almera sedan in Russia.

The shock move echoes Nissan Australia’s 2016 axing of the Micra and Pulsar – a one-time mainstay for the Japanese brand Down Under.

Last year Nissan Australia discontinued the Altima medium sedan, leaving the aged 370Z and GT-R sports car as its only passenger models.

The battery-powered Nissan LEAF will become the only remaining non-SUV compact car sold by Nissan in Europe, but the second generation of thr world’s top-selling EV won’t arrive in Australia until next year.

Until then, or when Mitsubishi runs out of stock of its aged Lancer, Nissan will remain the only top-10 brand without representation in Australia’s small-car class -- the nation’s biggest single sales segment until it was usurped by medium SUVs this year.

Globally, in February Nissan committed to releasing four new EVs within the next five years, but it remains to be seen how many – or indeed if any – will make their way Down Under.

The X-TRAIL mid-size SUV is currently Nissan Australia’s best-selling model, followed by the Navara ute, QASHQAI small SUV, Pathfinder large SUV and JUKE light-SUV.

Nissan Oz will launch the JUKE NISMO in October, as part of a facelifted JUKE range.

Before the Euro Pulsar was axed, it was among a handful of Nissan small car options on the table for Nissan Australia, including Japan’s Note, but managing director Stephen Lester said its demise would have no bearing on the company’s future model plans locally.

"Increased interest in SUVs is a growing global trend, but it doesn't really change our position,” he told motoring.com.au.

“We assess our range and the needs of the buyer and we'll continue to have access to the cars that we want."

Launched in Europe in 2014, the latest Nissan Pulsar was the Japanese brand’s direct rival for top-selling European small cars like the Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus and Toyota Auris/Corolla.

According to Automotive News, Nissan predicted European annual sales of 64,000 for the Spanish-built Pulsar but last year found just 25,221 customers.

It’s a similar story in Russia, where the Almera sedan was launched in 2013 and became Nissan’s top-seller the following year with 46,225 sales.

So far this year the X-TRAIL and QASHQAI are the most popular Nissans in Russia, where the Almera is no longer among the list of top 25 models by sales.