Nissan launches 2008 X-Trail, Navara and Pathfinder models

In the interests of lowering CO2 emissions and responsible motoring we could think the UK public are moving away from buying SUVs, soft off-roaders, multi-purpose or 4x4 vehicles, call them what you will.

However official sales figures issued this week by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show that sales of such vehicles in October 2007 were 12,116 units, 9.6 per cent higher than October last year.

This is the fourth consecutive month of increased sales for multi-purpose vehicles in the UK. Sales for the first 10 months of this year were 964 vehicles more than in the same period in 2006 and the segment is still the fourth largest in the UK’s new car market.

Multi-purpose new vehicle registrations year to date are 154,105 units, despite the anti 4x4 propaganda, higher fuel costs and the threat of even higher road taxation for some larger models.

Continuing customer demand and the launch of new models is keeping this sector buoyant. But some manufacturers, fearful that the boom might end, have marketed new models of this type by suggesting they are no larger, or use more fuel or emit more CO2 emissions than conventional estate cars.

Nissan SUVs

However Nissan chooses to call a spade a spade. They make no pretensions about masking their off-roaders or multi-purpose vehicles as anything else other than 4x4s suitable for work, leisure or business use.

Nissan has a huge range of models with four wheel drive, everything from the new X-Trail - a well respected compact SUV, to the spacious Murano V6 engined 4x4 on-roader with some off road capabilities, to the mid sized five or seven seat Pathfinder 4x4s, to the huge heavyweight Patrol tough off-roaders.

In addition they have their best selling King and Double Cab Navara pick-ups and even their highly rated Qashqai hatchback range has some 4x4 models in it.

However Nissan is not dependent on 4x4s. Last year for the first ten months of the year these vehicles represented 30.1% of their total UIK sales, around 23,400 vehicles. For the first ten months of this year their 4x4s represent 25.6% of total sales.

Nissan is big, but not too big in the 4x4 market, and importantly not too dependent. Nissan Motor (GB) Limited said this week no more 4x4 additions are planned for their model range.

2008 X-Trail, Navara and Pathfinder

This week Nissan has been officially launching their all-new X-Trail and the revised 2008 model year Navara Pick-Up and Pathfinder 4x4 ranges.

The compact X-Trail traditionally accounts for around 10,000 sales in the UK each year, the Pathfinder around 2,700 sales and the Navara Pick-Up range around 12,000 registrations. There are no imminent changes for the Nissan Patrol and Murano models.

It is likely the Navara will become the UK’s number one selling pick-up range by the end of this year. If so it will remove the Mitsubishi L200 models from the top spot, a position they have held for many years.

Whilst the multi-purpose/SUV vehicle sector is at least holding its own for sales, the British public, particularly company car users, is losing interest in car type pick-ups with sales in this sector falling by 28 per cent year to date. This is due in part to the less favourable changes in company car taxation.

However businesses still love them as being technically a commercial vehicle the VAT element of the price can generally be reclaimed from the Treasury.

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