Full steam ahead for Nissan Australia’s four-car new model assault; buyers advised to get in early to avoid disappointment
Despite crushing supply issues that are forcing customers of some auto brands to wait 12 months or more for their new vehicles to be delivered, Nissan says it has secured vital supplies of the four crucial new models it will launch in 2022.
The Nissan Z will arrive in Australia from mid-2022, while the three new-generation SUVs will arrive around October-November (fourth quarter), renewing the brand’s ageing mainstay models.
Pricing for the four new vehicles will be announced closer to their arrivals in Australia.
Nissan Australia managing director Adam Paterson said he was “thrilled” to confirm the arrival of the four high-profile vehicles for the local market, which are set to arrive “in Australia in the second half of 2022”, he said.
“The all-new Z, Pathfinder, X-TRAIL and QASHQAI will join the just-updated Patrol, along with the tough and rugged Navara, to give Nissan one of the newest and most exciting model line-ups in the country,” he stated.
Even so, customers are likely to face lengthy waits unless they get in early, said the Nissan Australia chief.
“How long is the wait time? The wait time totally depends on the demand,” said
“We’re still trying to understand what the demand will be, as they do launch, especially in a supply-constrained environment. So it’s really tough to say ‘customers will have X number of weeks or months to wait’.”
The advice from Nissan’s MD to customers who are keen to get their hands any of the new SUVs coming later in 2022 is simple: “Speak to your dealer as soon as possible and try to get your name near the top of the list.”
Despite the four new models arriving later than originally anticipated – another by-product of global supply issues that are affecting many industries, not just automotive – Nissan’s ability to secure new vehicle stock is being touted as a win.
In today’s new-vehicle market almost every car-maker has been affected by supply issues, which are blowing out the wait times for deliveries.
The supply issue is so extreme that some car brands have been forced to temporarily stop selling new cars altogether, due to a combination of high customer demand and low vehicle supply stemming from a lack of parts including semi-conductor, which could be in tight supply until 2024.
Nissan says its ability to secure stocks of the four new models this year will attract new customers, buoy dealers and boost sales, so much so the company reckons the second half of 2022 could be one of its biggest six-month sales periods in its history.
However, Nissan Australia’s MD said it was impossible to pinpoint exactly how many vehicles or shipments of its new-generation small, medium and large SUVs and the retro-styled sports car it will bring into Australia this year, due to the constant flux in supply.
“I think the supply constraints we’re facing are similar to what competitors are facing currently,” he said.
Asked if he was happy with the incoming new-vehicle volumes and delivery times, the Nissan Australia boss said: “No. Generally speaking, Nissan globally is concerned as far as our volume is concerned.
“We are not at a free demand production capacity standpoint, and we won’t be when these cars start being built in the next few months.”
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Keyword: New Nissan Z, X-TRAIL, QASHQAI, Pathfinder locked in for 2022