An all New Bakkie-Based SUV has arrived!!!

[Mad Manny]

The first Bakkie based SUV in SA was the Frontier - based on the Isuzu KB2 of the time.
This was followed by the SA designed Nissan Sani - based on the Nissan Hardbody of it's day.

Then Toyota launched the Fortuner & made bakkie-based SUV's famous.

Ford followed with the Everest (they scrapped the softer Territory to launch the Everest here).
Mitsubishi offered the Pajero Sport & Nissan launched the Navara-based Pathfinder.
Strangely, in an attempt to limit sales, Nissan pitch the Pathfinder against the Prado rather than the Fortuner.
It Failed miserably.

In around 2016 Nissan gave up & ceased offering a bakkie-based SUV in South Africa.

Well, that has now changed...

[Mad Manny]

Nissan has, 4 years after the rest of the world, finally, launched the new Pathfinder, dubbed the Terra, in SA.
If I recall, it's called the X-Terra in some markets...

Here's a link...

https://www.cars.co.za/motoring-news/ni ... ce/118743/

[Martin de Jager]

Manny, when I started reading this topic, I really thought Manny being an Isuzu freak is going to touch on the new MUX, to my surprise its a Nissan, so wow, you should become a motor-scribe, maybe then it will be unbiased and fair.

[Mad Manny]

I only brought it to everyone's attention because Nissan has been absent in that segment for so long.
In fact, other that the Amada Patrol at nearly R1.4bar, they don't sell a rugged Off Road SUV...

[Wave]

Its very interesting, I wonder if the market will be happy to buy the Renault, I know Nissan spares are notoriously expensive compared to the likes of Isuzu and Toyota.

It doesn't look terrible.

[iandvl]

Its very interesting, I wonder if the market will be happy to buy the Renault, I know Nissan spares are notoriously expensive compared to the likes of Isuzu and Toyota.

It doesn't look terrible.

I am not sure where you heard that Nissan spares are notoriously expensive. In my experience, they compare very favourably with most other brands including Toyota and Isuzu price-wise.

I will not say anything about their dealer support and availability though. Parts for the Nissans are always available, but one needs to know the right people as the dealer support is shoddy at best. There are a few dealerships who are jacked up in these regards, but as I said, you need to know who to get hold of.

[Wave]

When we had an X-Trail it was much more expensive to maintain than my Fortuner, so I get my info directly from the invoices I had to pay at the Nissan service or spares counter...

[iandvl]

When we had an X-Trail it was much more expensive to maintain than my Fortuner, so I get my info directly from the invoices I had to pay at the Nissan service or spares counter...

That is fair I guess.

However, I had a relatively similar experience with a Toyota dealership back when I still used to drive one. Eventually traded the Corolla in on an Almera. Service costs on the Almera were next to nothing compared to what I had been paying for the Corolla.

Dealerships presumably make the difference.

However, my service / parts / maintenance costs on my 21-year old Nissan nowadays are probably about the same as the service / parts / maintenance costs I used to pay for the Toyota platkar. And that specific Toyota dealership is probably the reason for me never looking at another Toyota again ever.

Well, I still look at SFA Hiluxes (or it it Hiluxii??). I love those.

[Mad Manny]

Seems like Nissan used this new Terra to scam the public.
They started appearing on the roads pre-launch.
When questioned dealers said that's not possible as they hadn't had the launch yet.
Turns out Nissan SA only brought in 170 (? dumping), they are all sold and there was no launch.

So you need to decide if those 170 buyers scored a future collector's item and were lucky, or, like the guys who bought the AMC Rambler Sportabout, the VW Seat and the Toyota Innova, they're stuck with a dud.
One thing is gauranteed, Terra specific parts back up will be Nissan poor...
Dunno why Nissan didn't make it a permanent model.

Some say they were testing the waters and may launch it and bring in more.
I suspect, as it's due for a facelift, if they do that, they'll bring in the new model - either way those 170 are, in my opinion, screwed....
.

[BushWacker]

Maybe they were sold/dumped at BIG bargain discount ?

[Mad Manny]

Maybe they were sold/dumped at BIG bargain discount ?

The pricing wasn't bad when compared to the competition, but not what I'd call a 'BIG bargain discount'...

[iandvl]

...
Turns out Nissan SA only brought in 170 (? dumping), they are all sold and there was no launch.
...

As I've said before, a large chunk of Nissan ZA's issues are dealer-related. Another chunk of the issues are Nissan ZA HO. There are only a few dealerships worth their salt. I won't speak about HO.

So my money is on the fact that Nissan ZA (and a bunch of their dealers) are just dumping. But not vehicles.

[Ricof4e]

I left the brand predominantly because of poor aftersales service.

For some reason, Nissan seems to pick most of their employees and managerial staff from the chum bucket.

[Mad Manny]

All 148 brought into SA have been sold.
They are not bringing any more in.

This is what Toyota SA would call 'A pointless waste of time'...

[Redman]

Limited release and old stock dumping = same thing

The new Pathfinder quite close to being launched in other markets