Sentra, California, and Stanza. These were the Nissan cars that reigned Philippine roads in the 80s and 90s. However, over the years, shifting consumer preferences slowly put the Japanese automaker in the backseat in the minds of Filipino car buyers.
Posing with the Nissan Juke are NPI President and Managing Director Antonio Zara (left) and NPI General Manager for Marketing SJ Huh.
Two years ago, Nissan determined to bring back the excitement to the Philippine market, through the establishment of a consolidated national sales company, Nissan Philippines, Inc. (NPI), which recently celebrated its second anniversary. To mark the occasion, the company launched the Juke, a compact crossover which will be available in the Philippine market in January 2016.
“In our two short years of operations as Nissan Philippines Inc., we have been able to achieve a lot of significant milestones for the Nissan brand,” said NPI President and Managing Director Antonio Zara at an event to celebrate the anniversary.
“Through our loyal customers and Nissan dealers, we have been able to continuously strengthen our presence here in the local market as we deliver exciting innovations. However, we believe that we still have ways to go in bringing back our glory days of the 80s and early 90s. This is why we are encouraging more people to rediscover Nissan and what Nissan is now offering to Filipino customers.”
Zara also announced that NPI is currently aggressively expanding its dealership network nationwide. From the current 28 dealerships, 11 more dealers were signed up, covering the strategic areas of NCR and Luzon (Sucat, Sta. Rosa, Bulacan), Visayas (Cebu, Iloilo, Dumaguete) and Mindanao (Butuan, Zamboanga and General Santos).
“We foresee that growth will be outside of Metro Manila, that is why we are bringing Nissan vehicles closer to our provincial market base,” Zara said.
Complementing the expansion is the launch of the Nissan Parts Online store, which will go live by November 3, 2015.
With this local industry first initiative of Nissan, Nissan customers in the entire country can now enjoy purchasing parts, accessories, and merchandise at affordable prices from the comfort of their own homes and enjoy the convenience of free shipping. This service is guaranteed 24-hour delivery within Metro Manila.
Refreshed Models
Within its first two years of operations, NPI has brought back the excitement in driving through a series of new product launches, which brings the refreshed versions of almost each vehicle to the local market.
This includes the Nissan Sylphy, a modern take on the beloved Sentra badge, offering more for its class; and the Nissan Altima that combines the excitement of driving with the elegance of style. There is also the soon to be refreshed Nissan Almera which delivers unmatched space and comfort in a compact sedan.
In the SUV category, there is the Nissan X-Trail, the testosterone-driven compact SUV that lets you perform any action in style; and The Nissan Patrol Royale, the prestigious large SUV capable on any road, now available at Php3,990,000.
For van lovers, Nissan launched the all new NV350 Urvan. The company also introduced the all new Nissan NP300 Navara, the sales of which contributed to NPI’s 50% year-on-year growth.
The Juke: ‘Built to Thrill’
Now, Nissan introduces the new Nissan Juke, a compact crossover that is “built to thrill.” Zara says the Juke was first launched in Japan in 2010, and entered the Southeast Asian region through Thailand in February 2015.
“The Juke is a compact crossover that combines the practicality of an SUV and the agility of a sports car,” says Zara.
NPI General Manager for Marketing SJ Huh describes the Juke as “bold, intuitive and exciting.”
On the outside, the Nissan Juke immediately commands attention with boomerang LED combination lamps set high upon the hood, complimenting the large round headlamps. Nissan’s signature V-grille, coupled with an under guard intake, further enhance the sportiness of the new Nissan Juke’s exterior.
Raked front pillars open up a large windshield area for improved all-around visibility, while a sloped rear roofline combines with its muscular lower body sides to emphasize its strength and sportiness. Embedded rear door handles in the rear pillars recall the design of a 2-door sports coupe.
On the ground, 17-inch alloy wheels gives added boldness and power to the new Nissan Juke’s overall design. Together, these elements add to the aerodynamics of the new Nissan Juke for an enhanced driving experience.
Inside the new Nissan Juke, radical character lines and hooded gauges on the center console add to the bold nature of the vehicle. Sport-bolster driver and passenger seats, which keep the rider’s body in place when in motion and a diving fin inspired door trim design, add to the new Nissan Juke’s sporty personality.
The new Nissan Juke’s also offers enough space for five passengers to fit in comfortably. A fold-down 60/40-split bench rear seat and flat load floor can be configured as needed in order to accommodate groceries, sports gear, luggage or people.
Intelligent control display
The new Nissan Juke also features the new intelligent control display called the Integrated Control System (I-CON). This versatile, multi-colored system allows drivers to change the drive and climate modes at a touch.
In Drive mode, the I-CON system offers three different settings – Normal, Sport and Eco. Normal mode combines performance and efficiency, best suited for everyday driving, while Sport mode delivers more power for a more agile and responsive drive. Finally, Eco mode maximizes the vehicles fuel efficiency.
The I-CON also toggles the controls in Climate mode, with the display panel showing the interior temperature settings and air flow preferences. This allows the driver and passengers to customize the interior atmosphere to suit their individual preferences.
Powertrain combination
In the Philippines, the new Nissan Juke will be available in the HR16DE 1.6L DOHC gasoline engine variant, coupled with the new generation Xtronic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). Under this powertrain combination, the new Nissan Juke delivers a smooth yet exciting drive supported by engine power of 116PS with 154Nm of torque.
For added stability, the new Nissan Juke is equipped with independent MacPherson struts at the front suspension and torsion beam axle at the rear suspension.
The new Nissan Juke also boasts of safety features, such as anti-lock braking system, electronic brake-force distribution, brake assist, and dual front airbags. Complementing these are convenience features such as an integrated control system, rear parking camera, and cruise control.
The new Nissan Juke will be available as a 4×2 variant with an SRP of P980,000. It will come in Red Alert, Solar Yellow, Pearl White, and Black Obsidian. Expected start of sales will be January 2016.
