Nissan's dozen includes SSS sedan

A new-generation Pulsar SSS sedan is one of 12 new models Nissan will launch in Australia by mid-2015 as it sets sail for 100,000 annual sales.

The centre of much speculation, but not previously confirmed, motoring.com.au understands the SSS sedan will arrive in Australia in the second quarter of 2014.

It will be added to the Pulsar sedan line-up that kicked off the new model cavalcade this week. The hatch version of the Pulsar, including a turbo-petrol 140kW/240Nm hot hatch SSS, arrives in late May.

Before then, the long-awaited Y62 Patrol petrol V8 arrives February 1.

Other new arrivals scheduled for 2013 include an all-new monocoque Pathfinder in October and the Altima large car and Juke mini-cross-over in November.

A 1.6-litre turbo-diesel version of Dualis crossover has also been confirmed for Australian arrival mid-2012. The dCi engine makes 96kW and 230Nm and averages 4.5L/100km. Although only available with a manual gearbox, it will be pitched as a premium priced offering.

An already announced upgrade to Micra, an update of the Leaf electric vehicle and minor makeovers of the 370Z and GT-R sports cars are also on the 2013 agenda.

Along with the SSS sedan, an all-new X-TRAIL shapes as a highlight of 2014 for Nissan.

And Nissan Australia Managing Director Bill Peffer says the 12 new arrivals were plucked from much larger range of potential newcomers.

“There’s a tonne of new product on the horizon globally that I have seen,” he said. “We have a whole suite of cars we could bring in, but you are up against 22 models we market here today.”

Nissan’s product offensive will include diversifying drivetrains as well as bodyshapes. Included in that will be a ramped up commitment to hybrid.

Nissan has announced plans to introduce 16 hybrids by 2016. Among those should be the Altima, Pathfinder and next generation Murano, previewed by the Resonance concept in Detroit (http://www.carsales.com.au/news/medium-passenger/nissan/resonance/detroit-motor-show-nissan-unveils-hybrid-resonance-34528).

“Alternative powertrain is something that will differentiate us, be it electric, hybrid, diesel or direct injection,” Mr Peffer said. “There are a whole suite of powertrains that we can pick and choose and put into our products. On a product by product basis we will have fuel efficient variant or we will have an alternate powertrain.”

Another thread of potential sales growth is Nismo (Nissan Motorsport) modified vehicles, something the Juke Nismo has demonstrated and which the company has said will be emulated across other vehicle lines.

“Nismo is something we are looking at, but we have to consider how many variants and how many products we want to offer,” Mr Peffer said. “Nothing in the short term though.”

Mr Peffer is confidently predicting substantial sales growth on the back of this sustained model roll-out. It set a record 79,747 sales in 2012, and is expecting to push well beyond 90,000 sales in 2013.

The Pulsar is expected to be the biggest contributor to this growth.

“If we get all this new product and we don’t grow then there is something wrong,” said Mr Peffer. “We have to grow. We will do 90,000 pretty comfortably… we will grow at a pretty spectacular clip I think.”

However, Mr Peffer pulled back from publicly declaring an ambition to become the number one importer, unlike his predecessor Dan Thompson did.

Nissan sits number six overall in the market in terms of sales and number three importer behind Mazda (103,886 sales) and Hyundai (91,536).

“Yes we have growth plans and if we realise those growth plans and everyone else stays flat or goes down … we are going to be in a good spot,” said Mr Peffer.

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