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  1. Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Posts
    630
    #1
    Sana totoo para dumami competition. Tingnan nyo honda philippines hindi na gaano makaprice increase. Para consumer ang happy.

    Is the merger of NMPI and UMC for real?
    By Botchi Santos

    http://motioncars.inquirer.net/14193...d-umc-for-real

    2:58 am | Wednesday, September 11th, 2013

    With news buzzing in the industry that Nissan Motors Ltd. (NML-Japan) is planning to become part of the local Nissan operations by year’s end, many are asking so many questions: Will this mean that Nissan’s two distributors, Nissan Motor Philippines (passenger cars) and Universal Motors Corp. (light trucks and utility vehicles) will merge? Will Nissan restart manufacturing more models locally? Will Nissan introduce more high-end models in the country including Nissan’s flagship model, the almighty R35 GTR and 370Z sports car? Will Nissan Motors Ltd.’s entry be a spearhead campaign for Renault’s re-entry and Nissan’s luxury-division Infinity’s entrance to the local market?

    With stories, rumors and chismis running around, I called up some friends and contacts locally and abroad to get a clearer picture on the situation. Here’s what I came up with.

    A good friend of mine from Singapore who used to work with Nissan Asean (the regional office under NML) told me that Nissan Philippines has two distributors (which I know of already). One is Nissan Motors Philippines under the Taiwanese Yulon group and the other being Universal Motors Corp.

    He didn’t identify which was which, but he said that the sad joke in their office years ago was that one Nissan distributor had no balls to introduce any new and exciting models (for lack of imagination or daring, I guess), while the other, who was very aggressive and promising, lacked the resources to actually introduce, market and service new and exciting models.

    Uneasy alliance

    But the really sad part was that NMPI and UMC had an uneasy alliance together with NML in distributing Nissan vehicles in the country. NMPI and UMC apparently were always in a turf war as to who had the divine, God-given right to distribute Nissan vehicles in the country.

    Back to the subject at hand, the association of Nissan dealerships in the Philippines had written a letter to Carlos Ghosn, Nissan and Renault’s big boss and a veritable turnaround artist. About a decade ago, Ghosn turned around Nissan’s fortunes (or lack thereof) much for the better, and along with it, Renault, which shares platforms and power trains with the Japanese powerhouse.

    The unofficial reply was that “yes indeed, Nissan Motors Limited plans to become ‘actively involved’ in the local Nissan operations.” How they plan to become actively involved and when exactly was not yet made known.

    Recently, during the Nissan dealers’ conference, representatives from NML held informal dialogues with all the dealerships and parties present, assuring them that the winds of change will be coming very soon. And yet, my source concludes that there were still no specifics, exact dates or a clear outline of what NML’s role will be.

    Promising for Nissan

    Suffice to say, NML executives will be coming soon to hold office in the country. And that is very promising indeed for Nissan, which right now seems to be the “sick patient” in the industry, languishing away at the bottom, its once glorious image and brand equity chipped off by mismanagement and poor marketing strategy, and lack of resources.

    Asked whether Nissan’s flagship sports cars, the R35 GTR and 370Z coupe, will ever be sold locally, I had to sit down, crunch the numbers and reflect on what I knew of Nissan. The GTR sells for roughly P8 million from grey-market importers. Yup, you can find other cheaper imports if you shop around, but these tend to have sketchy tax payments.

    For NML to sell the GTR locally, it should secure a JPEPA (Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement) certification, which would cost NML roughly P100 million per model/vehicle type. With a rumored release of an all-new GTR in 2016 as a full-model change, that means Nissan would have to sell a minimum of roughly 200-250 units of the GTR in 2014 and 2015 to recoup the cost of the P100 million. That’s about nine to 10 units a month.

    Not too difficult if you’re used to selling a car rivaling a modest house. And that’s the next question. Can Nissan’s dealership network deal with a new breed of customers who are used to first-class service, excellent product knowledge and confidence, with enough savvy and style to give the buyer confidence? Plus, the necessary supporting infrastructure (i.e., special tools and equipment, and the Nissan CONSULT III diagnostics tool) will cost tens of millions for what will essentially be niche models.

    I would have no qualms about buying a high-end European car (think Audi, BMW, Bentley, Lamborghini, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Ferrari, Maseratti, Range Rover, MINI) from their local distributors, because the people behind them exude a certain image and, crucially, product knowledge about the cars they sell, which puts me, the buyer, at ease about spending large wads of cash on what is ultimately a toy.

    Lexus was able to shed its high-end Toyota image because dealing with the people in Lexus is like dealing with very highly educated, articulate and smart people who live and breathe the Lexus lifestyle: balanced, harmonious and efficient, with Zen-like ease.

    While I laud that Nissan continues to soldier on with its limited lineup, they lack the finesse and pizzazz to market a high-end product. Yes it can be done, but it will take time. Time better spent perhaps on getting them back to profitability and selling more mass-market cars but still very exciting ones.

    Here’s what I would recommend NML to sell in the Philippines, and my fearless prediction inset of how many units they can sell of these annually: the Cube (500 units), Altima (500 units), Maxima (200 units), Juke (500 units), XTerra (100 units), Pathfinder (100 units) and hopefully and eventually, yes the 370Z and the R35 GTR (100 units each). Add to that the excellent Almera (and they should sell the hatchback version too, 1,000 units).

    Why these cars? These are the most popular mass-market Nissans available worldwide that appeal to the young, upwardly mobile and aggressive, spendy types. Nissan dug its own hole by focusing on cheap, affordable, fuel-efficient cars. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it left Nissan with no aspirational model that mass-market Nissan buyers could move up to once they had the resources available. The result? They buy from different brands.

    Nissan can’t compete on prices and fuel efficiency tests alone. Nissan needs a united front under a strong leadership, with excellent products. Many of the great car executives in history (Lee Iacocca, Ghosn, Akio Toyoda, Ferdinand Piech to name a few) have all said that there’s no problem a car company can’t solve by releasing exciting products. NML, the ball is in your court.

    As for the other rumors? I’ll get back to you on that.

    - See more at: Is the merger of NMPI and UMC for real? | Motioncars

  2. Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Posts
    29,354
    #2
    I hope it is for real. I don't know how they will do it with the two hostile companies. Personally I hope Nissan Japan would just toss them both out and choose a new company to operate the new Nissan Motors Philippines.

  3. Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    1,646
    #3
    sana dalhin nila un nissan note at Xtrera

  4. Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Posts
    6
    #4
    The past models wherein Nissan was able to gain success includes my past B13 Sentra. It was the first to introduce an ECCS fuel injected DOHC 16 valve engine plus all power features with an attractive price. It drove like crazy because of its peppy engine and light body. Nissan seems to forgot that formula and eventually got left behind by the Korean brands. The Nissan dealers still have nice infrastructures..the problem is the lack of good products to sell.

    If I was marketing boss with love for the Nissan nameplate..I would kill the following to simplify the lineup
    Almera sedan(ugly duckling of the sedan lineup not selling well too no matter how Richard Yap endorses it) or offer it exclusively to the fleet markets.

    Old Patrol (just how much more special editions they are gonna come up to get that nobody likes overpriced old stuff)

    Old Nissan Urvan Escapade (It is just so old)

    Grand Livina(just put it off its misery no one is buying if there is no vent in the 3rd row. We are a tropical country you know)

    Current X Trail(boxy just isn't working anyways)


    In with the new..

    Expedite the introduction of the Nissan Juke
    New Nissan Note hatchback
    New Nissan Sentra (Just drop the Sylphy name..sounds too familiar with syphilis)
    New Nissan Rogue/Qashqai
    New Nissan Altima (Drop Teana nameplate)
    New Nissan NV200/Evalia
    New Nissan Pathfinder (Hello JEPA)
    New Nissan Quest/ Elgrand (JEPA)
    New Nissan Urvan
    370Z in sensible pricing
    GTR(flagship model even the Koreans don't have one)

    Drop the prices to sensible levels..Who did they think they are? German luxury nameplate?
    Nissan Murano
    Nissan Patrol v-8 (should be cheaper than the land Cruiser LC200)

  5. Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Posts
    52,514
    #5
    as the highlander says, "there can be only one!".
    the faster it becomes, the better.
    then i heard that nissan is pulling out its manufacturing facility here...
    i almost got the almera, but when i heard these newsbits, i decided to wait.

    i had only one experience with nissan, a 1997 sentra that lasted 13 feeling-good years.. i'd love to experience it again..
    Last edited by dr. d; December 31st, 2013 at 11:42 AM.

  6. Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Posts
    6
    #6
    It's so sad if it is indeed true that they are planning to shutter their Sta. Rosa plant. It just needs newer models. NMPI and UMC plant can still assemble simple utility vehicles that are less complex than regular cars. These include the Nissan pickups, Nissan NV200/Evalia, and the all new Urvan. All is not lost...they just new to spread the lineup in several trim levels with prices undercutting the competition.

  7. Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Posts
    9,935
    #7
    It's being closed because it's cheaper to manufacture vehicles elsewhere.

  8. Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Posts
    6
    #8
    That is why the government really needs to step in. These Asean low tariffs are killing our car industry. The government must have incentives to keep these plants open. NMPI and UMC are one of the oldest car assemblers in our country. It will be another dark day when they finally follow Ford Philippines plant closure.

  9. Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Posts
    2,284
    #9
    Quote Originally Posted by CarnutForEver View Post
    The past models wherein Nissan was able to gain success includes my past B13 Sentra. It was the first to introduce an ECCS fuel injected DOHC 16 valve engine plus all power features with an attractive price. It drove like crazy because of its peppy engine and light body. Nissan seems to forgot that formula and eventually got left behind by the Korean brands. The Nissan dealers still have nice infrastructures..the problem is the lack of good products to sell.

    If I was marketing boss with love for the Nissan nameplate..I would kill the following to simplify the lineup
    Almera sedan(ugly duckling of the sedan lineup not selling well too no matter how Richard Yap endorses it) or offer it exclusively to the fleet markets.

    Old Patrol (just how much more special editions they are gonna come up to get that nobody likes overpriced old stuff)

    Old Nissan Urvan Escapade (It is just so old)

    Grand Livina(just put it off its misery no one is buying if there is no vent in the 3rd row. We are a tropical country you know)

    Current X Trail(boxy just isn't working anyways)


    In with the new..

    Expedite the introduction of the Nissan Juke
    New Nissan Note hatchback
    New Nissan Sentra (Just drop the Sylphy name..sounds too familiar with syphilis)
    New Nissan Rogue/Qashqai
    New Nissan Altima (Drop Teana nameplate)
    New Nissan NV200/Evalia
    New Nissan Pathfinder (Hello JEPA)
    New Nissan Quest/ Elgrand (JEPA)
    New Nissan Urvan
    370Z in sensible pricing
    GTR(flagship model even the Koreans don't have one)

    Drop the prices to sensible levels..Who did they think they are? German luxury nameplate?
    Nissan Murano
    Nissan Patrol v-8 (should be cheaper than the land Cruiser LC200)
    Agree with all of the above except that I would retain the Urvan Escapade since its the only Nissan product that actually sells currently, I'd retain it for the GT/UV express market.

  10. Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Posts
    52,514
    #10
    Quote Originally Posted by CarnutForEver View Post
    That is why the government really needs to step in. These Asean low tariffs are killing our car industry. The government must have incentives to keep these plants open. NMPI and UMC are one of the oldest car assemblers in our country. It will be another dark day when they finally follow Ford Philippines plant closure.
    it did... but it decided to do a cha cha.. you know.. step forward, step backward..
    i'm refering to the government stance on allowing used vehicles to be imported and sold here.. this includes three-and two-wheeled vehicles.
    and is it true that one of the most significant deal-breakers, is the cost of electricity? that we are among the highest in the region...
    Last edited by dr. d; December 31st, 2013 at 08:27 PM.

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Is the merger of NMPI and UMC for real?