These are troubled times for Toyota. The Camry almost lost its position as the US market’s best selling car in November to the Honda Accord, with the Hyundai Sonata not far behind. In Japan, the market has fallen dramatically over the last two months as a government incentive programme ended and in China, Toyota’s position as that market’s leading Japanese brand is being steadily eroded. The measured gains in China for this same rival are as nothing, however, with what is going on in Europe: on current trends, Nissan looks set to become the region’s leading Japanese vehicle manufacturer.
ACEA numbers for 30 regional markets show that in the ten months to the end of October, Nissan was not only the best performing major brand but also continued to close the once seemingly enormous gap to Toyota.
Nissan Europe has no secret weapon but this division, which includes Russia (as does Toyota Motor Europe, TME), certainly seems far better able to press its parent for the sorts of vehicles that buyers in the region want. The Qashqai, now well into mid-life, continues to sell up a storm. The Spanish market is typical: overall numbers were down 25% in November, yet the Qashqai is performing so well that it’s now the country’s fourth best seller, ahead even of the far cheaper Peugeot 207. In France, it’s the same story: Nissan was the most improved brand last month, its sales up 44% in a market down 8%.
In the UK, while November registrations data is yet to be released, Nissan has in all likelihood just accomplished something monumental: surpassing Toyota. As of the end of October, the numbers were 77,231 versus 77,113 in Toyota’s favour. Recent products will surely have tipped the balance for Nissan, and not just in the UK but all over Europe: the Juke and a new Micra versus the pricey, low volume Toyota Auris Hybrid.
Russia, where Nissan is very strong indeed, is Europe’s most improved market of 2010 and one that could again threaten to become larger even than Germany should that growth remain.
If the forthcoming Verso-S looks less than segment-leading material, and the Auris and Avensis continue to fade, a new Yaris due in 2011 should at least partially offset some of TME’s troubles. Yet Nissan seems set to continue its relentless gains. ACEA numbers for 30 regional markets show that in the ten months to the end of October, Nissan was not only the best performing major brand but also continued to close the once seemingly enormous gap to Toyota. The Japanese number one sold 613,025 cars in those 30 countries in January-October 2009 versus only 297,784 for Nissan. Yet look at this year’s equivalent numbers: a rise to 336,849 for Nissan versus a fall for Toyota to only 511,754.
Nissan Europe still has a long way to go but the trend is certainly not with Toyota: Russia, where Nissan is very strong indeed, is Europe’s most improved market of 2010 and one that could again threaten to become larger even than Germany should that growth remain. Nissan outsold Toyota by 1,500 cars in October, ending the month only 4,000 vehicles behind its huge rival for the year to date. It looks like being a photo finish for the full 12 months but the very fact that Nissan could even be close to pushing aside the mighty Toyota in the second of two major European markets is looking increasingly like a trend.
The opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Automotive World Ltd.
