NISSAN Australia has taken down Mazda’s best-selling CX-5, saying its newly launched X-Trail has both the modernity and, importantly, the ability to deliver to secure second place in the SUV segment. mid-range under $60k popular.
Speaking to journalists about the local launch of the X-Trail in Melbourne this week, Nissan X-Trail product manager Aleksander Pecanac said, assuming current production capabilities remain, there is a possibility. The mid-size SUV is likely to take the top spot next year. .
“Offering pending, I definitely think we have what it takes to jump to second place (in the segment),” he said.
“We have a lot of production on our hands, but we are also in a very good position to get the maximum output that we require. We are a very profitable market compared to the rest of the world and we are the largest market for what we call our EMEA region.
“Additionally, we are actually the fourth largest market for X-Trail in the world, after China, the United States and Japan, and clearly things look good for us from a global perspective. “
Mr Pecanac’s colleague, general manager of product for Nissan Australia, Nicholas Martin, said the arrival of new models – including the Z, Qashqai, X-Trail and Pathfinder – coupled with strong orders from customers will see the X-Trail parked on 2500 driveways in Australia by early 2023.
“We have over 5000 customer orders for our all-new SUVs, including over 1700 Qashqai, 2500 X-Trail and 1100 Pathfinder orders, and all of them will go on sale very soon, ” he said.
“Orders are the new normal in the auto industry, with COVID and supply chain challenges continuing to affect vehicle supply globally.
“However, based on these orders (and after the first batch of vehicles are delivered), we expect customers to wait approximately two to three months for the X-Trail to be delivered.”
Waiting times are among the shortest for a new mid-size SUV in Australia, and significantly faster than some Toyota RAV4 variants, coming within 10 months until the end of 2021.
Nissan’s aging third-generation X-Trail has struggled to keep up with fierce rivals including the Mazda CX-5 and Toyota RAV4 but will now offer competitive pricing and equipment, which Mr. know will bring this model back to its former leading position. of the average SUV sales ladder.
“There is significant opportunity in the midsize SUV segment. It is forecast to grow 14% through 2026 to more than 174,000 units per year. For us, that means the X-Trail will be the second most popular (Nissan) model after the Navara,” he explained.
Initially, Mr. Pecanac predicted the higher-end Ti and new Ti-L would lead X-Trail sales with the mid-tier ST-L to provide the bulk of model sales from 2023 onwards.
He also estimates the X-Trail hybrid lineup, available from next year, will boost sales again, helping to secure the model’s position in the market.
“In the first year, we forecast a split rate of about 15%, and as we move through the lifecycle, we think that will increase to between 20 and 25%,” he said.
“Of course, that would all change if the government came up with their emissions standards, and if so, we would pivot and adjust our sales structure accordingly.
“I think it’s also fair to say that since we’ve never offered an X-Trail hybrid before, these are just predictions and customer demand can certainly drive that, and all But we want to be proven wrong.”
As of the end of October 2022, and according to data provided by FCAI, Nissan has only sold 6534 units of the upcoming T32 X-Trail.
These numbers put the X-Trail far behind rivals including the Toyota RAV4 (30,370 sold), the Mazda CX-5 (23,476) and the dual-leather Mitsubishi Outlander (15,619), as well as the Kia Sportage (15,497) and the Hyundai Tucson (14,493).
Nissan’s X-Trail replacement was also outsold by MG HS (9097), Subaru Forester (7836) and Honda CR-V (6835), ranking 9th in the overall segment.
completely new T33-series Nissan X-Trail will go on sale in Australia from this month.
The four-variant range is offered in two- and four-wheel drive configurations and with a choice of five or seven seats. It costs from $36,750 plus on-road costs in ST form, with the top-end X-Trail Ti-L starting at $52,990 plus ORC.
Visit GoAuto again soon to see our local launch review of the all-new Nissan X-Trail.
