Author Topic: Ghosn should think before shooting off his mouth (Read 940 times)

airbalancer · « **on:** December 03, 2011, 06:10:17 am »

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/ghosn-raps-nissan-canada-performance/article2257432/

maybe Ghosn should drop the Canadian price to match the US price if he wants to match sale numbers

Juke1 · « **Reply #1 on:** December 03, 2011, 07:00:26 am »

LOL...build the excellent Sentra in Cambridge or Alliston and the prejudice will go away...simple as that.

rrocket · « **Reply #2 on:** December 03, 2011, 08:04:34 am »

Quote from: Juke1 on December 03, 2011, 07:00:26 am

LOL...build the excellent Sentra in Cambridge or Alliston and the prejudice will go away...simple as that.

Silent Lucidity · « **Reply #3 on:** December 03, 2011, 08:18:51 am »

I don't think I ever hear the words 'sentra' and 'excellent' in the same sentence before. I think if you take take a sentra and re-badge it into a Chrysler 100. Park it in the showroom beside a Chrysler 200 and no one would notice or care.

carcrazy · « **Reply #4 on:** December 03, 2011, 08:49:32 am »

One potential reason: Nissan's are ugly in general and Canadians are more sensitive to design than Americans.

tortoise · « **Reply #5 on:** December 03, 2011, 08:55:01 am »

That and Canadians buy more small cars where Nissan isn't as competitive. The Altima, despite its age, is still a decent option in the market place.

The Sentra and Versa? Not so much.

Careener · « **Reply #6 on:** December 03, 2011, 09:06:37 am »

They've got some pretty average product to push right now, and those that aren't average are "quirky".

Flinter · « **Reply #7 on:** December 03, 2011, 09:16:24 am »

Agreed, in smaller cars Nissan isn't as competitive as it needs to be. Around these parts, compact SUV's are also big sellers and it appears the Rogue is getting its' butt kicked by the competition.

In other areas like the performance and entry luxury vehicles like the 370Z, and Infiniti G series I think they make pretty good vehicles but have not been competitive enough on pricing/financing/lease costs.

Snowman · « **Reply #8 on:** December 03, 2011, 10:04:24 am »

Ghosen should direct Nissan to make cars that Canadians will buy. When I walked into a Nissan dealership two weeks ago the only thing interesting on the floor was a GT-R. A great halo car to get people in the door but have something else to keep them there. Even the 370Z is struggling in sales. It is time to get serious if Nisssan wants to take a chunk out of Hyundai and Toyota because what they are offering now does not cut it.

Jaeger · « **Reply #9 on:** December 03, 2011, 10:51:34 am »

Quote from: Snowman on December 03, 2011, 10:04:24 am

Ghosen should direct Nissan to make cars that Canadians will buy. When I walked into a Nissan dealership two weeks ago the only thing interesting on the floor was a GT-R. A great halo car to get people in the door but have something else to keep them there. Even the 370Z is struggling in sales. It is time to get serious if Nisssan wants to take a chunk out of Hyundai and Toyota because what they are offering now does not cut it.

Agreed - and I consider myself a Nissan fan, having purchased one of their products for 4 out of my last 6 cars. They're getting set to roll out a bunch of new models - which are sorely needed - but their insistence on stuffing a CVT into bloody well everything will likely keep them off my list going forward. At least until I break down and buy a Z.

Jaeger

Juke1 · « **Reply #10 on:** December 03, 2011, 12:24:09 pm »

Quote from: Simple on December 03, 2011, 08:18:51 am

I don't think I ever hear the words 'sentra' and 'excellent' in the same sentence before. I think if you take take a sentra and re-badge it into a Chrysler 100. Park it in the showroom beside a Chrysler 200 and no one would notice or care.

Your forum name says it all

Snowman · « **Reply #11 on:** December 03, 2011, 03:51:23 pm »

Quote from: Jaeger on December 03, 2011, 10:51:34 am

Quote from: Snowman on December 03, 2011, 10:04:24 am
Ghosen should direct Nissan to make cars that Canadians will buy. When I walked into a Nissan dealership two weeks ago the only thing interesting on the floor was a GT-R. A great halo car to get people in the door but have something else to keep them there. Even the 370Z is struggling in sales. It is time to get serious if Nisssan wants to take a chunk out of Hyundai and Toyota because what they are offering now does not cut it.

Agreed - and I consider myself a Nissan fan, having purchased one of their products for 4 out of my last 6 cars. They're getting set to roll out a bunch of new models - which are sorely needed - but their insistence on stuffing a CVT into bloody well everything will likely keep them off my list going forward. At least until I break down and buy a Z.

Jaeger

There are some great Infinity models that have a price and reliability advantage over German offerings but its like they forgot about the mainstream cars in the last 5-7 years.

Cord · « **Reply #12 on:** December 03, 2011, 04:29:24 pm »

Quote from: Juke1 on December 03, 2011, 12:24:09 pm

Quote from: Simple on December 03, 2011, 08:18:51 am
I don't think I ever hear the words 'sentra' and 'excellent' in the same sentence before. I think if you take take a sentra and re-badge it into a Chrysler 100. Park it in the showroom beside a Chrysler 200 and no one would notice or care.

Your forum name says it all

Remember Juke, an insult to your car's brand does not equal an insult to you.

Schmengie · « **Reply #13 on:** December 03, 2011, 04:39:55 pm »

Quote from: Jaeger on December 03, 2011, 10:51:34 am

Quote from: Snowman on December 03, 2011, 10:04:24 am
Ghosen should direct Nissan to make cars that Canadians will buy. When I walked into a Nissan dealership two weeks ago the only thing interesting on the floor was a GT-R. A great halo car to get people in the door but have something else to keep them there. Even the 370Z is struggling in sales. It is time to get serious if Nisssan wants to take a chunk out of Hyundai and Toyota because what they are offering now does not cut it.

Agreed - and I consider myself a Nissan fan, having purchased one of their products for 4 out of my last 6 cars. They're getting set to roll out a bunch of new models - which are sorely needed - but their insistence on stuffing a CVT into bloody well everything will likely keep them off my list going forward. At least until I break down and buy a Z.

Jaeger

^^ +10. Our '08 Versa hatch, which is still a better car than most people give it credit for, was the perfect car for us when we bought it a little over 4 years ago. It was small on the outside, huge on the inside, comfortable, quiet, and so far as reliable as an anvil. Back then, it was a relatively up-to-date vehicle, even innovative with the CVT. But that was then, and things have changed drastically in just a few years. As much as we've liked our Versa, if I were shopping for a new car right now Nissan would be off our list completely. The Cube and Juke are just too strange for me, the Sentra is long-in-the-tooth as are the Versa hatch and Altima. I don't know what to say about the new Versa sedan, but I hope the next hatch doesn't share too much DNA with it. A 6-spd AT at least needs to be an option for those of us who can't stand the CVT.

About the only car lots in town that I find remotely interesting these days have Kia and Hyundai signs out front. I never thought i'd ever say that...

johngenx · « **Reply #14 on:** December 03, 2011, 04:52:25 pm »

Versa hatch was a good product, and negated the need to even consider the also-ran Sentra. In the crowded compact market, the Sentra has little going for it. I haven't seen the latest one, but in 2008, there was no reason to spend a penny more than the Versa if you were in a Nissan showroom.

Altima? It's okay, but the mid-sized market is tough too. In Canada, you need to compete in the compact market if you're concerned about market share. Civics, Corollas and 3's dominate the big numbers.

Compact SUV? Another hot segment, and though the Rogue has the baby Murano look, buyers seem to like interior room, or at least the impression of it.

Dealers? I can't talk about other cities, but in Edmonton, my god, did the Nissan dealers go out of their way to turn us away.

articsteve · « **Reply #15 on:** December 04, 2011, 12:59:01 am »

Look at how sh*tty the Nissan Canada website is. It speaks volumes about the Canadian unit. Dealer support is run via India. It's terrible.

Financing rates at Nissan stink. Hyundai bring to market the new Sonota and immediately lay 0%/60 on the hood, then 0%/72 and finally 0%/84. It's facking unbelievable. Buyers love the concept of "free" financing over "cash" discount.

The Rogue has been the best vehicle for dealers of late. The Versa has been pretty good, but the margins are crap. The Altima has been pretty good also, but it's falling behind fast. The coupe should be discontinued; go across the street and buy a Genesis.

The Titan and Armada should be discontinued immediately! Discontinue the Pathfinder (ruined) and place that badge on the Xterra and don't tell anyone.

The Frontier gets killed by the Taco . The van is going nowhere. The Maxima is DOA. The 370Zs are way over priced in Canada . The Murano has been super great, but it's had it's day.

If you want to start moving product, SIMPLE, take a page out of the Hyundai play book and throw 0% across the entire product line.

bridgecity · « **Reply #16 on:** December 04, 2011, 01:20:38 am »

Yup, as far as I see it, nothing in Nissans lineup would get me in the door. New Versa is terrible is my eyes (besides the price), Sentra is outdated, Altima same, Murano is OK and would warrant a test drive, for the Maxima I would just get a G, Pathfinder is outdated, and Titan (Armada) is in the tank. At one point, I loved Nissan's lineup, but its gone on for far too long. The Juke cant hold it above water.

Oops, forgot to mention the Rogue and Cube. Oops...nevermind.

This all sucks, as I used to root for Nissan. Nissan, you've broke my drunken heart. At least for tonight. Perhaps in the morning the 370 may make me love you again.

sailor723 · « **Reply #17 on:** December 05, 2011, 06:50:47 pm »

I have to agree with a lot of the opinions here. In the last 8-10 years Nissan has gone from fielding a strong line up of contenders to offering a collection of long in the tooth models and also rans.

SapphireSeo · « **Reply #18 on:** December 06, 2011, 09:22:33 am »

The interior volume, efficiency, and low base price of the new Versa Sedan might do them some good in the compact market and I think it will appeal to younger buyers, which might help their low market share. But still, Nissan used to offer some pretty cutting edge stuff, and they were the go to company for those that weren't into Toyota or Honda, but today, the cake is stale and is only getting worse. Fire up the oven Nissan! And don't you DARE pull out another juke!

redman · « **Reply #19 on:** December 07, 2011, 04:07:13 pm »

Pick on Nissan why don't you but all Japanese car manufactures are guilty of the same "overpriced, under packaged, boring, long in the tooth engineering, design, mediocre fit and finish.
Part of me does not blame them since Canadians give them the platitude of "build it and they will come" attitude. Thank god for the new generation of Canadians who have woken up and said enough is enough allowing for the likes of Koreans to gain ground.

So all parties here are a little to blame. Why would a company change at added cost if the formula sold.

Wake up sleeping giant the natives have awoken.