Nissan has not sold a compact hatchback in western Europe since it dropped the poor-selling Almera hatchback in 2006. Launching a mainstream competitor in the key segment is crucial to achieve its goal of becoming the top-selling Asian automaker in Europe ahead of Toyota by 2016.
Nissan Executive Vice President Andy Palmer said at the Geneva auto show in March that the brand now has much bigger brand recognition than when it sold the Almera. "Nissan was in that segment for a long-time but we didn’t stand for anything. What has changed is that is we invented the Qashqai and that has transformed the car landscape,” he said.
Nissan could have a tough task re-establishing itself in the compact segment, according to industry watchers. Europe's compact-car market has changed significantly in recent years, IHS Automotive analyst Ian Fletcher said. "Customers demand reliability and perceived quality that in the past would have been the preserve of far more expensive vehicles," he said.
It is therefore likely that the Pulsar will have an upmarket feel to it - much like the new QashQai. To help it against it's German rival it will also get features like the self-parking system, the full-length panoramic sunroof, the satellite navigation system and more.
Why are Nissan building the Pulsar (Golf rival)?
I think it might be quite tough to take on the VW Golf but I think beating cars such as the Astra, Auris, i30 would be an achievable target.
If it looks anything like the new Qashqai (which I think it will) Nissan should be onto a winner with the Pulsar.
If it looks anything like the new Qashqai (which I think it will) Nissan should be onto a winner with the Pulsar.
