The Nissan Almera has established a reputation for reliability, economy and low cost of operation, and in its latest guise it will reinforce the fact that it is one of few cars in the C-segment with any real style. The 2004 Almera is a car that stands out from its key competitors thanks to a sleek shape and subtle but attractive styling improvements, and a distinctive brand personality that places it above the everyday offerings which characterise the segment.
The Almera range has made an indelible mark on the segment since its local launch in the middle of 2001, and around 17 000 units have been sold since then. The new Almera is expected to build on the solid virtues of its predecessor thanks to detail improvements outside, inside, and in the suspension department.
"The last two years have proved that the Almera range is well-suited to the South African market in terms of size, specification and drivetrain," commented Mike Whitfield, Nissan's Sales and Marketing Director. "With new Almera we have taken that recipe and added a little spice to it, and the result is a car which is even better to drive, own and to be seen in.
"Our changes are driven largely by market research and we have responded by paying attention to the areas that were highlighted by both fleet and private owners."
The four-door Nissan sedan currently lies in second place in the market segment in which it competes, with an approximately 18 percent share, and has enjoyed strong support from buyers who want style backed up by substance. A recent survey by a prominent local motoring magazine showed that Almera was highly competitive both in the cost of its service and repair parts, and had a low parts cost index relative to the vehicle's purchase price. This was backed by the 2003 Kinsey report on vehicle parts pricing, which showed that the Almera 1.6 had the lowest parts basket for vehicles in the 1.6-litre category.
In March 2002 Nissan introduced a three-year maintenance plan on all Almeras, becoming the first manufacturer to offer such a plan as standard in the C-segment. The Almera has also proved to be one of the best performing vehicles in its class in terms of resale value.
"Nissan South Africa has enjoyed a large degree of success recently, dominating the double-cab pickup market with the Hardbody and leading the "soft-roader" SUV segment with the X-Trail," said Whitfield. "Almera has a key role to play in the traditional passenger vehicle market and with the new version we have every reason to feel confident that we can improve on our performance in the important C-segment."
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