I WAS recently in Japan where I had a chance to have a look at the Tokyo Motor Show as well as have a sneak peek at some of the future product that will be coming to us over the coming years.
This was my first visit to the Tokyo Show. No doubt you have had read the earlier pieces concerning the appearance on the Nissan booth of the Juke NISMO concept.
I can vouch for the comments made already that this is a cracking looking little car and the NISMO modifications suit the Juke perfectly adding some more spice and performance to highlight the sporty nature of the product. Fingers crossed that the car will make it into production.
I was surprised by how much interest the NISMO brand generates with the European press who see the NISMO brand as a relevant direction for today’s Nissan line-up.
The NISMO heritage and the potential that it creates for a sports line is something that the global team are giving a lot of thought to. I am sure we will see some developments on this as the future product line-up comes to market.
As I mentioned I had the opportunity to see some of the future product we will be selling over the next few years. Whilst I am sworn to secrecy on the details I can tell you that the product renaissance the brand has seen over the past few years continues.
What I saw left me convinced that we can continue to grow our share in the UK in the coming years. You will start to get a feel for this at the upcoming 2012 motorshows.
My lasting impression of the show more generally was in comparing the mood on the Nissan booth with some of our competitors.
Whilst all manufacturers were obviously aware and sensitive to the recent events in Japan and Thailand one could sense the positive vibe on the Nissan booth was in contrast to the more downbeat feeling on our competitors’ booths.
Events in recent weeks make it look like 2012 will be another difficult year for the economy. For those in the Nissan franchise however we can count on a company which is on an upswing both in market share performance and product development that will sustain our growth over the coming years.
Finally let me wish you and your families all a Happy New Year.