NISSAN CELEBRATES RECORD YEAR IN 2015

(Manila, Philippines)–  Nissan Philippines Inc. (NPI) continues to deliver on its promise of “Innovation that Excites” as it ends 2015 with a record 60% growth in vehicle sales.

“We are proud to say 2015 has been an exciting year for Nissan in the Philippines.” Antonio Zara, President and Managing Director of NPI said. “From innovation through a strong product lineup and the introduction of new car models to the market, to exciting new programs, we have gone far in establishing our brand of motoring excellence in the Philippine automotive scene. Through the support of our loyal customers, new associates, and friends from the media, we can now say that Nissan is truly back. ”

REFRESHED PRODUCT LINE-UP
The resurgence of the Nissan brand in the Philippine automotive scene mirrored the enthusiasm of the market to the new product lineup.

While two of Nissan’s sedan models, the Sylphy and the Altima, were introduced in 2014, 2015 saw the introduction of the company’s best-selling vehicles across different segments, such as tough and smart NP300 Navara pick-up truck, the powerful and practical hauler NV350 Urvan, the spacious New Almera sedan, and the Philippine market debut of the thrilling new Nissan Juke subcompact crossover.

As a testament to the successful introduction of its new products to the market, Nissan gathered a number of accolades for its best-selling vehicles, including the 2015 C! Magazine Best Compact SUV and 2015-2016 Autofocus People’s Choice Best Design for Midsize SUV Award for the Nissan X-Trail; the 2015-2016 Autofocus People’s Choice Best Value for Money Van for the Nissan NV350 Urvan; the 2015 Car Awards Group Inc. (CAGI) Best Subcompact Crossover SUV for the Nissan Juke; and the 2015 CAGI Best 4x2 Pick-up and Truck of the Year Award for the Nissan NP300 Navara.

The success of the Nissan NP300 Navara in the local automotive scene mirrors its performance globally, as the vehicle was also awarded the International Pick-Up Award 2016 in Lyon, France.

INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS
In addition to the refreshed vehicle line-up, Nissan also introduced a number of innovative programs and activities last 2015.

For the first time ever, the Nissan GT Academy Asia was held in the Philippines. The program seeks to find the best aspiring race car driver through a virtual competition to test their racing skills. From among the 15,000 participants, 6 Filipino gamers advanced to Silverstone Race Circuit in the UK to compete with the best gamers in Asia in a real motorsport combat. A Filipino virtual gamer and motorsport enthusiast, 26-year-old Joward Policarpio, emerged victorious to become the first Nissan GT Academy Asia Champion.

2015 also saw NPI teaming up with the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), the marketing and promotions arm of the Department of Tourism (DOT), in the “Visit the Philippines, Drive to Discover with Nissan” project that promotes local tourism in the country. The program aims to promote local tourism through road travel, in support of the DOT’s “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign. It kicked off at the Higantes Festival in Angono, Rizal, where select media drove the new Nissan Almera.

EXPANDING NISSAN’S REACH
Nissan also ramped up its nationwide presence, starting with the expansion of its dealership network with 11 new dealers in key cities and provincial areas in 2015.

To bring the brand even closer to its customers, Nissan also unveiled an industry first: the Nissan Parts Online. The Nissan Parts Online is a new online shopping platform where customers can easily view and purchase genuine Nissan parts, accessories and merchandise in the comfort of their homes. Products are showcased in an online catalogue, and can be easily searched by car part, year, or vehicle model. Car owners can then purchase these items and have it delivered to their homes within 24 hours in Metro Manila, with no delivery charge.

In line with Nissan’s commitment to delivering exceptional customer experience, the company also held its 2nd Nissan Service Technician Excellence Competency Award (NISTEC), and the Nissan Service Advisor Excellence Competency Award (NISAC) at the Nissan Training Center in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. The competition, designed to showcase the technical skills and knowledge of the Nissan Technicians and the customer service relations management skills of the Service Advisors, is seen to boost the standards of the Nissan after-sales group. 

PAYING IT FORWARD
With all the successes for the company in 2015, NPI gave back to the community by partnering with Habitat for Humanity Philippines (HFH-P). NPI concretized its tie-up by donating an NV350 Urvan and an NP300 Navara pickup to HFH-P during the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement.

Later in the year, NPI and HFH-P conducted a Shelter Rebuild Drive in Oras, Eastern Samar for Typhoon Ruby victims, as well as spearheaded a house building project at Bistekville 5 in Brgy. Payatas,Q.C.

The company also showcased its support during the APEC week in Manila, supplying 325 units of the Altima, the Sylphy, Almera, and NV350 Urvan for the APEC delegates.

Nissan’s success locally is also reflective of its global success as Nissan was also named as one of the top global brands for 2015, according to Interbrand’s “Best Global Brands Study”. The company was ranked at 49, up from 56 in 2014 and 90 with a brand valuation of $3.819B from the company’s inaugural appearance on the list in 2011. This made Nissan the fastest-rising automotive brand in this year’s study.

“Being named as one of the world's most valuable brands for 2015, we take on the challenge of bringing the company, and the country, further up the road to progress, as we continue our drive for excellence in the coming days,” Zara said. “Expect new things, new innovations to come, as we at Nissan makes it happen.”