Nissan March launched in China, priced from 69,900rmb and rising
Nissan March
The Nissan Micra has followed in the Japanese market footsteps and launched in China under the March name. The March is being built via Nissan’s China joint venture with Dongfeng that has exploded in popularity over the past four years due to an aggressive model launch that has propelled them to one of the larger foreign car makers in China. The introduction of the March fills in an product gap in their dealerships that was being exploited by other small car makers, with low price Nissan is likely to take car sales from domestic self developed car makers.
The March is powered by a 1.5L engine mated to a 5 speed manual or a 4 speed automatic gearbox and is the cheapest model in the Dongfeng-Nissan lineup. Nissan is expected to launch other models in China to further fill in gaps in the model line up, the Nissan Quest MPV is likely to be Dongfeng-Nissan’s next model and also a new Tiida range.
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I bought a Livina 3 years ago (I think), perhaps 4 now. It is a very good vehicle, it has since been upgraded to the in dashboard GPS/DVD system which is pretty cool.
I hardly drive the Livina anymore, maybe just once in the last two years but I am still impressed by its internal space when compared to my Qashqai that I drive nearly every day. The Livina is also pretty strong – I once drove it into the back of a Honda Accord and watched the Accord’s rear bumper splinter into a thousand pieces, the Livina had a scratch on its license plate.
The automatic gearbox is a little poor, but the 1.6L engine is a real rocket.
microgen, your view on Chinese cars is typical in the western world. Geely MK & Chery Amulet are just liked Hyundai Pony, they are the products from a just established auto maker. You won’t find reliabilty, safety, quality…in them, they are not meant for the mature western market. The western auto industry tried to bash Chinese cars in every means because they fear the Chinese are coming like the Japanese & Korean.
You don’t have to worry, Chinese auto makers have learned the mistake by Hyundai. New generation cars from Chery & Geely will be designed according to the highest US standard and they have partners like Volvo and experienced western engineering firms in technical support. You won’t find MK & Amulet in your future Chinese car dealerships.
There are actually two China. One is the rich metropolitan cities and one is the poor third world villages. Chinese auto makers will build different cars to meet the market requirements. Yes, there are cheap, unsafe and crude cars but there are also sophisticated cars like Roewe/MG…
The Chinese are coming for sure and the question now is when ???
I must say hk, you debate VERY well and your supporting information is first rate…….MOST of the time. I need to correct you on a few things though………first the Corolla. China IS selling the current generation Corolla, not the previous generation version (unless you choose to buy a F3, that is!!
) Toyota introduced the current generation of the Corolla in 2006 (the tenth generation of the car, by the way) and this is what is being sold in China right now. I’m very familiar with it, a good friend of mine has one in Shenzhen. Granted, the price I listed was for a base model, but it IS the current generation model that Toyota produces. Now, as far as the Fit………granted, it doesn’t have all the latest technology that some other cars might have (like the A3)…….but it is certainly NOT “low-tech”. The Fit is classified as a ULEV, with Honda’s VTEC technology, and the rear seats are simply one of the most INNOVATIVE features I’ve ever seen on any car, at any price. The CVT is just wonderful to drive with – you always have the right power when you need it. One other thing about the Fit that the A3 doesn’t have (at least not yet) – PEACE OF MIND. High tech stuff is all well and good, but none of that tech will do you any good if you’re broken down on the side of the road. Now, I’m not saying that the A3 is unreliable – but I AM saying that it hasn’t been on the market long enough to really prove that it IS reliable….or should I say as reliable at the Fit is. Honda has (arguably) the best reputation in the world for solid, reliable cars – and the Fit is a great example of that. When a customer buys a Fit, they know that when they put that key in the ignition, it’s going to start and get you where you need to go – almost EVERY TIME. I can’t say that about the A3 YET – in 5 years we can re-visit this debate, and THEN we can see how reliable the A3 has proven itself in that time.
You’re correct regarding the Yaris/SX4 (I called it the SX3 in a previous post, my mistake) – the A3 IS bigger and does offer more room. I simply listed them to round out price comparisons with comparable chinese cars. I have one final question for EVERYONE out there………if you put a 100,000rmb A3 with a 1.8l AT next to a 100,000rmb Fit with a 1.5 CVT – what would YOU choose? The facts here…..the A3 will give you a bigger engine and more features (GPS/DVD, climate control), while the Fit will give you better gas mileage and perhaps more versatility (primarily due to the flexibility of it’s rear seat configurations) – but no GPS/DVD or climate control as factory options. WHICH one do you end up choosing? I’m looking forward to hearing everyone’s answer to this, and to hk – GREAT debate here, and respectful all the way – thanks!
I can understand where joninchina is coming from. It wasn’t that long ago really that the base model Corolla, Civic et all came with 1.3L motors and were reasonably priced. Isn’t that what helped the Japanese carmakers grow in the first place?
China has been exporting cars for a few years now anyway. Sure we haven’t seen much of them in the major western markets but that is more likely because the Chinese management structure don’t really know how western markets think or the best routes to take to enter that market. The way they were treated by the French, Italians and Germans couldn’t have helped much either.
GWM are shipping utes (pickups) to Australia and New Zealand through local agents so it’s a bit of a “toe in the water” approach but does carry less risk. Some folks are even modifying them.
Personally I think most of them are waiting to see how the MG re-entry pans out. Chinese companies are not known for being innovative marketers outside their home markets and launching a full brand will require a lot of capital to get it going. Just turning up at an auto show with a concept car is not going to do much when there is no dealership to walk into to test drive one.
MG have very good PR/Marketing staff already in the UK that are sending out press releases, their Chinese staff in China are spending ridiculous amounts on PR per month already. Rumor has it that the PR account for Roewe is close to 1 million RMB per month.
joninchina, your 92000rmb Corolla is last generation model with latest face-lift. Current model are selling at 127800rmb to 192800rmb. If your friend in Shenzhen can get the latest Corolla for that price, he must be “somebody”. It is a matter of personal preference in choosing between domestic made and foreign made. For the same money, domestic models give you more while foreign models give you less but peace of mind. Its just a win-win situation you got what you pay.
Nice to talk with you and I enjoy it !
PR, wouldn’t all major brands have PR budgets similar or exceeding that amount?
Advertising is pricey anywhere you you.
Just for PR, this is a great deal of money, especially for a Chinese car company. Remember that they are already paying millions for advertising on billboards, television (think how much prime time TV adverts cost per second). It is no wonder that the Roewe 550 sales are between 5000 and 10,000 units per month.
Had a look at this today when I was getting my car serviced – my advice is plump for the Livina or the Ford Fiesta.
The March is a cheap car with a cheap price, the Fiesta is a premium feeling car with a cheap price. The Livina is a basic but great MPV.
I’ve not driven the March, but I’ll say that I have never driven nor been in a small car that felt as good as my Fiesta. My sister’s new Fit (US model) is not even close (noisy, rough ride). It is impressively roomy, however the back seat is quite uncomfortable even for short trips (too “upright” and hard). So in my books the only advantage of the Fit is in its cargo carrying abilities.
Gerald,
I drive lots of small cars, and I can safely say that the Fiesta is the GREATEST SMALL CAR in the REAL WORLD. Nothing comes close to it, nothing from the JV’s, nothing from the self developed lot.
I love the fact that it is one of the few unisex small cars also, every other mini car looks like it was designed with female consumers in mind.