Rejuvenating Momentum

Nissans Yutaka Sanada aims to double its market share in Indonesia.

- Yessar Rosendar

Globally, Nissan Motor Company is a predominant force in the automotive spectrum. Its alliance with Mitsubishi and Renault has made it the world’s largest car manufacturer. The combined sales of the three companies stood at 10.61 million cars last year, with Nissan being the largest contributor at 5.82 million units.

In the case of Indonesia, the situation is not so rosy yet. The largest car market in South East Asia, Indonesia only recorded sales of 14,488 Nissan cars last year. The number is a fraction booked by the current market leader, Toyota, which recorded sales of 372,614 cars last year, and is far from the peak sales that Nissan recorded in 2012 with 67,143 cars. Nissan now aims to regain its growth momentum and market share in Indonesia by launching a product offensive and revamping customer experience. Indonesia, which sold over one million new cars last year, is an important market for the brand as other regions have already matured and offer less growth potential.

“Nissan’s key focus of growth is Oceania and Asia. I have strong confidence that we can make it, the Indonesian market is very crucial and very important to our growth,” Yutaka Sanada, Nissan regional senior vice president for the Asia and Oceania region, says in an exclusive interview at the recent Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show (GIIAS) 2018.

At GIIAS 2018, Nissan launched the Nissan Terra, a premium mid-size SUV with a starting price of Rp 460 million. Indonesia is one of the top five markets to receive the vehicle immediately after the launch. The car forms part of Nissan’s product offensive that includes a revamp of its existing models. “In our product offensive we are putting core products in core segments. We don’t have a model like the Nissan Terra in this segment. It will be done incrementally as we renew some models in key segments. Naturally, it will expand the segment,” Yutaka says.