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Datsun leads industry in dealership sales with the GO

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Datsun is quickly reasserting its presence in South Africa after recording Datsun GO sales via dealerships of 3,225 since launch on 20th October last year, placing it first in the A segment during the period of October 2014 to March 2015.

The GO was the first offering bearing the redesigned and modernised brand to take to Africa’s roads since the early 1980’s and the trend has continued in the new year, with the 1,967 sales since January also giving Datsun first position in the dealer sales  in the A segment.

Dealerships across the country geared up to open their doors and start selling on October 20 2014, with Datsun managing to capture 22% of all segment sales over this period.

“The results so far are extremely pleasing and we certainly expect to finish the 2015 calendar year as number one. It shows that South Africa, which has a long love affair with our cars, was ready for our return. There is always going to be appetite for quality, affordable entry-level models and our aim is to continue to provide choices to buyers who never thought they could own a new car,” says Des Fenner, General Manager of Datsun South Africa.

The vehicle already enjoys full product and service support expected of one of the world’s most renowned motoring brand names. Innovation of the brand will continue starting with the introduction of a driver’s side airbag on the Lux model from the end of July 2015. “We are continuing to innovate, but want to ensure we do not push prices beyond the reach of consumers,” says Mr Fenner.

“It is not a surprise that these cars are attractive to a new generation of drivers and we want to ensure the successes we have seen in a country like India, where demand for entry-level cars is also high and rising further, are replicated in Africa,” says Mr Fenner.

A brand new affordable car has the benefit of low fuel consumption, and also cuts back on maintenance costs. It is less likely to break down than old cars, and a service plan is also available as an option. Of course, these cars also come with a factory warranty, and peace of mind is assured.

Datsun originated in Japan as DAT-GO (the DAT-car) almost a century ago in 1914. The word DAT means ‘lightning-fast’ in Japanese but is also a reference to the three financiers who supported the business at the time – namely Mssrs. Den, Aoyama and Takeuchi – an acronym of the first letter of each name. Using the same logic, it was promoted as Durable, Attractive and Trustworthy, or DAT for short.

“Those three terms sum up very well what we stand for and what our current and future models can bring to Africa. The market obviously finds the cars attractive and our brand, which dates back to 1914, certainly personifies trust,” says Mr Fenner.

The Datsun GO was made available through 44 dealerships across the country, but that number has already increased to over 60. Datsun dealerships exist within the Nissan dealer framework with a mix of dedicated and common showroom configurations.

“We would like to see even more dealerships by the end of the year and these recent results certainly indicate we are on track to reach 100 dealerships soon,” says Mr Fenner.

Also view:

Vehicle Finance, Car Insurance and Road Safety

Buying and Selling a Vehicle – Informed decisions and the Vehicle Retailer

 

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