New Nissan UK managing director James Taylor wants the firm to adopt a “mindset of growth” as it prepares for a big product push in volume segments over the next two years.
Taylor, who has been in position for only a matter of days since leaving the MD role at Vauxhall, was speaking at a preview event for the new Nissan Micra in an interview that focused on Nissan’s place and development in the UK car market rather than the brand’s global issues.
He called on incentives to be offered to stimulate demand for private electric car sales and said there is more Nissan can do to promote its involvement and investment in the UK car industry. A key challenge will be ensuring that new models add incremental growth to the brand, which sold more than 100,000 cars in the UK last year, rather than steal sales from its existing models.
New product range
The new Micra will reach the UK early next year and is the first in a new wave of Nissans. There is also an imminent reveal of the new Leaf planned for June, which will go into production at Sunderland later this year. In 2026, this will be joined by an electric version of the Juke inspired by the Hyper Punk concept car. Also planned is a new A-segment electric car.
Nissan has a solid foundation on which to build a new range of electric vehicles because of its brand awareness as an EV maker, but also in pure sales terms, where it continues to perform strongly with the Qashqai and Juke in the UK sales charts.
The Qashqai will get a next-generation e-Power hybrid drivetrain from the summer, which will boost real-world fuel economy, particularly at higher speeds, and reduce CO2 emissions.
“The drive is akin to that of an EV but with diesel fuel economy,” said Taylor, who has tested the latest e-Power drivetrain in a Qashqai. “It’s a real step forward and there is a part of the company car world that needs a car like this.”
Taylor was relaxed about the absence of PHEVs in Nissan’s line-up and instead highlighted the benefits of e-Power: “As an alternative, I think it’s a really powerful opportunity for us and probably over the coming months and years we need to make a little bit more of than we have done in the past.”
Why Taylor joined Nissan
Taylor said “that as a big backer of UK plc” he was in part attracted to Nissan by its commitment to the UK, with its design centre in Paddington, R&D base in Cranfield and manufacturing plant in Sunderland.
“That resonates with me as a company I want to work for, as it has a big commitment to the UK,” he said.
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