Nissan, the well established Japanese auto maker, has not been able to claim any sort of stronghold in the Indian car market as of now. Sales of cars produced by the company have been quite subdued due to a number of reasons. Nissan is relatively a new player in the Indian car market, which happens to be a disadvantage as buyers prefer other brands. However, the firm is hoping to see a turnaround in its fortunes with the launch of compact Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) Terrano. Analysts have drawn a direct parallel between Nissan and Renault as the latter also revived its operations by launching the Duster. Notably, France-based Renault and Nissan have product-sharing policy, which makes the use of common platforms to manufacture vehicles. In the past, the alliance has produced cars with the same concepts, such as Nissan Micra and Renault Pulse along with Nissan Sunny and Renault Scala.
The Nissan Terrano, to be launched soon, will come with an aggressive design, which makes it look more stylish than the Duster. Industry experts feel that changes made in the exteriors could prove to be quite significant for attracting buyers towards the Nissan Terrano. The Japanese car maker has worked hard to bring similarities between the Terrano and other Nissan SUVs like Pathfinder and X-Trail. Sources claim that the Terrano will feature new bumpers, tailgate, exclusive grille, tail lights and headlamps. These changes, made to the appearance, are likely to set the Nissan Terrano apart from the Duster and give it a touch of uniqueness. However, in order to keep the cost of the car under check and adopt an aggressive pricing strategy, Nissan is likely to keep the interiors of the Terrano same as the Duster. Strong rumours have emerged suggesting that the Terrano SUV will cost around Rs. 50000 more than its Renault sibling.
In recent times, the demand for compact SUVs has risen in the Indian auto market. Buyers in India have developed a liking for these cars as they are compact yet spacious, stylish, powerful and affordable as well. As of now, vehicles dominating the compact SUV segment are Renault Duster and Ford EcoSport. According to statistics, around 54219 units of the Duster were sold in the period July 2012 – June 2013, which can be considered quite healthy with respect to the market conditions. The Ford EcoSport, on the other hand, surpassed all expectations by receiving around 30000 bookings in a space of just 17 days.
Industry experts feel that the Nissan Terrano has the potential of performing really well in the Indian car market. However, it will be facing stiff competition in the form of Ford EcoSport, Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, Ford EcoSport and Mahindra Quanto. It is being said the appearance of the Nissan Terrano is likely to work in its favour and draw the attention of buyers in the segment. Apart from this, the rise of demand for compact SUVs will prove highly beneficial for the Japanese auto maker. The graph of the compact SUV segment is an upward rising one, meaning that there is a lot of scope for new cars in the Indian auto market.
