.jpg?itok=fRgzd85s "CDL executive chairman Kwek Leng Beng moves to sack son Sherman as group CEO over attempted boardroom ‘coup’")
Mr Benjamin Loo, chief operating officer of the Cartimes Automobile dealer, pointed to perceptions of Toyota cars being reliable and fuel-efficient, and Hondas performing well in general.
He said Nissan owners, meanwhile, have complained of poor fuel consumption and expensive parts.
“From my understanding, a lot of customers started fearing Nissan when it came to their next purchase,” he added. “I believe that Nissan’s product planning and designs didn’t keep up with competitors in Singapore.”
Korean carmarkers such as Hyundai and Kia have pulled ahead with their lower prices and sleek designs.
Mr Neo Tiam Ting, director of car dealership ThinkOne, said his firm no longer brings in parallel imports of Nissan vehicles.
Their private cars are not as popular as similar options offered by other brands, while their commercial vehicles would be penalised under Singapore’s emissions bandings, he said.
Mr Kyran Wong, vice-president of international operations at online car marketplace Carro, said Nissans have been priced out of the market. That may be a result of falling volumes and rising costs per vehicle, he added.
“Unfortunately, they’re just more expensive than their peers … At this point, customers who are looking to buy brand new cars have a lot more options that have more features – including EVs – at a better price point.”
But Mr Wong said buyers can still be interested, when the price is right. “Their e-POWER cars like the Serena and Kicks remain popular family-friendly choices among our customers.”
REVERSING FORTUNES
The EV shift may have accelerated Nissan’s woes, but the company has been on a slow decline, said NUS’ Assoc Prof Nitin.
“They’ve been losing their edge for years,” he said, adding that the brand lacks a distinctive image.
Nissan is also not a clear leader in any market or segment, said Mr Vaidya of Frost & Sullivan.
“They’re always in a ‘challenger’ position, everywhere they operate,” he said, noting this might explain why it has no clear product strategy.
When the going gets difficult, a firm can double down on a certain market or product and cut off the non-profit making operations to survive.
Mr Vaidya pointed to Suzuki, which is much smaller than Nissan but has a “razor-sharp focus” on smaller cars and is a leader in India. “They have their own turf, which they can defend, which they can use (or) leverage to grow further.”
But for Nissan, it’s not clear what it can focus on, he said.
