South Africa’s Rosslyn (June 21, 2021) – On their journey to South Africa and the rest of Africa, the first Nissan Navara vehicles to be produced in Africa by Africans have started to leave the Rosslyn Nissan manufacturing production facility.
Mike Whitfield, the managing director of the Africa Regional Business Unit, Kabelo Rabotho, the country director of Nissan South Africa, Shafick Solomons, the plant director of Nissan South Africa, and a small group of Nissan employees were present for the official start of production (SOP), while the rest of the company celebrated the occasion virtually.
This is a big day for Nissan globally, according to Whitfield. “Three years ago, Nissan South Africa had the honor of donating R3 billion to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s “Thuma mina” campaign to rebuild South Africa on behalf of Nissan. We are fulfilling that promise today by releasing vehicles built in Africa for Africa into the market.”
According to Rabotho, COVID-19 caused significant disruptions across the globe, but Nissan South Africa staff rose to the occasion.
“I would like to express how incredibly proud I am of the dedicated men and women that overcame numerous obstacles in unheard-of circumstances to produce the Navara in our world-class production facility locally.”
The first Navara vehicle coming off the assembly line, according to Solomons, is the result of a long process of upskilling and training South African employees to meet and surpass Nissan’s strict international quality standards while also making Rosslyn the Japanese automaker’s light commercial vehicle manufacturing hub for Africa.
“This first Navara constructed in our Rosslyn plant for the African market marks an important turning point in the long-awaited Navara story. It demonstrates Nissan Motor Limited’s dedication to Africa over a long period of time as well as the numerous men and women who have worked arduously on the project to ensure that we create the famous Navara for the African market in accordance with Nissan’s high standards for quality.”
Twelve Ghanaian engineers who have already gone home to begin constructing Nissan’s first assembly plant in the West African nation next year received their diplomas from Nissan a week ago.
“Sharing our expertise and skills across the African continent has been tremendously rewarding and inspiring from a human perspective. There are many advantages to this procedure for both us and Africa “Solomons went on. “It’s crucial that we continue to be seen as one of the leaders in Africa, for Africa, and that we grow this relationship.”
Rabotho concurred “At Nissan South Africa, we are aware of the strong correlation between the development of our company and the community in which we live and work. We anticipate that the Navara would help us redefine the light commercial vehicle market while boosting the South African economy.”
The brand-new Navara goes on sale in Sub-Saharan Africa in August 2021 and offers a range-topping PRO-Series in addition to a multi-model Core Range that includes LE, SE, and XE variants that are exclusive to the region.
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Navara, Nissan
Nissan pickup vehicles with the D21, D22, D40, and D23 model numbers go by the nameplate “Navara.” The nameplate has been used in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Central America, and South America. It is marketed as the Nissan Frontier or Nissan NP300 in North, Central, and South America as well as a few other areas.
Nissan presented the D22, which is the same size as the D21, after more than ten years. The larger, taller, and longer D40 mid-size truck took its place. Nissan introduced its replacement, the D23, in 2014 for markets outside of North America and Europe. In 2021, it acquired the D41 Frontier to take the place of the D40 for these markets.
The Navara is named after the northern Spanish region of Navarre. The Nissan factory in Barcelona produces the European model.
Nissan Navara as the sun sets
At the company’s Zona Franca plant near Barcelona, the final Nissan Navara pickup has left the assembly line.
With the launch of the Nissan Patrol in 1983, Nissan began producing goods in Barcelona. Since then, the company has produced more than 15 distinct models and 3,345,000 automobiles.
According to Frank Torres, manager of Nissan’s industrial operations in Spain, “the teams at Zona Franca, Montcada I Reixac, and Sant Andreu de la Barca have played a key role in Nissan’s history, developing products that have been appreciated by customers throughout the world.”
“We would like to express our sincere gratitude to each and every employee at the three facilities for their long-term contributions to Nissan. We’re still dedicated to finding a solution for Nissan’s Barcelona factories’ reindustrialization that will give the workers there a reliable alternative for the future.”
The Nissan Patrol was the first Japanese automobile made in Europe; 196,000 of the SUVs were produced over a period of 18 years, ending in 2001. The first Navara pickup and Pathfinder SUV replaced the smaller Terrano SUV on the assembly line in 2005. Both vehicles stayed there until the NP300, the newest Navara generation, took their position in 2015.
The factory furthermore built the Primastar van from 2002 to 2014 and the NV200 van starting in 2009. Five years later, the electric e-NV200 van and the Pulsar family hatchback were released.
Through 2019 and 2020, Barcelona’s factory’s output rapidly decreased; at one point, only 40 trucks per day were leaving the assembly line. As sales fell, there were fewer orders to fill due to a lack of demand, which resulted in the factory only functioning at around half of its daily capacity of 500 units.
Due to the fact that both the Renault Alaskan and Mercedes-Benz X-Class are based on the Navara’s architecture, their respective cancellations and reduced European sales had an impact on Nissan’s demand for production.
The Samut Prakan, Thailand plant’s substantially modified Navara pickup has been introduced in other markets, but it won’t be available in Europe. However, a completely new Navara based on the next-generation Mitsubishi L200 chassis is anticipated in 2025, and while it seems improbable, there is still a chance that this vehicle could be offered in the UK and other parts of Europe.
Nissan increases Navara manufacturing as demand for pickups increases globally.
Nissan now produces its most popular truck in five factories worldwide.
Argentina’s Cordoba (July 31, 2018) – Argentina has become the sixth nation to produce Nissan’s best-selling pickup truck as the demand for its products worldwide rises.
A significant accomplishment for the corporation is the growth of Nissan’s worldwide manufacturing presence at Alliance partner Renault’s Santa Isabel facility in Cordoba. Nissan has made a mid-term plan public that calls for 40% global growth in light commercial vehicle (LCV) sales by 2022.
The Navara is offered in 38 markets in South America under the name Nissan Frontier. The model is made in factories in Spain, China, Mexico, Thailand, and recently Argentina because of its widespread popularity.
Keep an eye out for the Nissan Navara success story’s upcoming next chapter later this year.
According to Ashwani Gupta, senior vice president of Nissan’s LCV business, “trucks are a rising category across the world and a particular strength of Nissan,” with more than 15 million owners in 180 countries.
“The start of production today is excellent news for the area, Nissan, and the Alliance. We currently have a significant presence in Latin America, and new production line will enable better pickup delivery as global demand for them rises.”
Nissan’s light commercial vehicles are becoming more and more popular with consumers because of their genuine capability and the comfort they offer both on and off the road. With cutting-edge features offered on the Navara, the company’s continuous focus on the Nissan Intelligent Mobility concept adds another level of sophistication.
Nissan has more than 80 years of designing, developing, and producing trucks and vans under its belt, and has built a sterling reputation for pickups that are synonymous with toughness and capability. Light commercial vehicles currently make up one in every six Nissan vehicles sold worldwide.
A major goal of Nissan’s ambitious regional strategy is to rank among the top three automakers in the region. Up to 3,000 new employment could possibly result from the $600 million investment in the Cordoba facility, which will also enable it to produce 70,000 Alliance vehicles annually.
As part of a continuous partnership with Daimler, the Renault industrial complex in Cordoba will produce one-ton pickup trucks for Alliance partners Renault and Nissan as well as Mercedes-Benz. While still maintaining their individual brand identities, designs, and distinguishing features, the three pickups will share structural components.
The pickup’s manufacturing facility in Barcelona will be shut down by the carmaker.
Nissan announced that it will not replace its Navara pickup in Europe when it closes the Barcelona factory that produces the model later this year, blaming the declining pickup market.
The business stated in an email that “sales of the current-generation Nissan Navara for European markets will terminate in the course of 2022” once the Barcelona facility closes in December 2021. This is a reflection of the diminishing pickup market in Europe and the shift many customers are making to our selection of cutting-edge vans.
Nissan has the option to import the Navara for use in Europe from its Thailand-based facility, which also produces the vehicle for sale to countries such as Australia. A facelifted version of the Thai-built model introduced last year would not be imported, Nissan’s European unit has already made that decision.
The choice signals the end of a vehicle that assisted in revolutionizing the pickup industry in Europe. The second-generation Nissan Navara, which debuted in 2005, played a significant role in transforming pickup trucks from a specialized market of workhorse automobiles to one with broader appeal and dominated by off-road, five-seat double-cab models that could double as a family vehicle on the weekends.
Nissan expanded passenger room and introduced upmarket equipment like satellite navigation, climate control, and leather seats on top-end models, improving pickups that were previously offered in Europe. The SUV, the Pathfinder, which was also available in Europe, served as the model’s foundation.
The second-generation Nissan Navara was a hit, and Nissan routinely competed with Mitsubishi, which sold the most units in Europe, for sales supremacy.
With the introduction of the current-generation Navara in 2014, the same “lifestyle” formula was revised, but this time Nissan collaborated with alliance partners Renault and Mercedes-Benz to expand the scope of its European production facilities.
Nissan began producing the Renault Alaskan and Mercedes X-Class based on the Navara in 2017 at the Barcelona facility, but weak sales for both automobiles crushed hopes that the models could expand the pickup market in Europe.
Volkswagen will be able to restore the Amarok truck to the European market next year thanks to Ford’s agreement to construct a variant of its new Ranger pickup for the automaker.