Nissan zooms ahead in the race for customer trust
It's been a tough time for the motor industry. Volkswagen has had dieselgate which has affected 11m vehicles worldwide and led to the resignation of chief executive Martin Winterkorn.
General Motors has had to recall thousands of models in the US over a potentially fatal ignition switch fault. But among those and other scandals, Japanese car giant Nissan has stood out.
The company – which makes several best-selling cars in the north east – has announced a 37.4 per cent rise in net income for the six months ending in September.
According to Nissan, sales have been boosted by greater demand in North America and in Europe, as well as favourable exchange rates, most notably a weaker yen.
YouGov BrandIndex data suggest that consumers believe that compared to the rest of the industry, Nissan provides good value for money.
Their Value score is a healthy nine, while the overall automotive sector median is two. And among those that declared they are very likely, likely or somewhat likely to purchase a car in the next year, the score was even greater at 11.
Nissan also benefits from a greater Recommend score – would you recommend it to a friend or family member – than the industry average at nine, ahead of the sector average of four.
Some have speculated on what the potential impact could be of a Brexit on brands such as Nissan. Currently, YouGov figures show a split in opinion on Brexit – 40 per cent would vote to remain in the EU, while 40 per cent would vote to leave.
YouGov Profiles data indicate that current Nissan customers are more in favour of remaining (49 per cent vs. 44 per cent). Nissan’s vital British connection is crucial to the economic security of the north east.
In September, it announced even greater investment in its plant in Sunderland (the biggest in the UK). This should maintain thousands of jobs beyond 2020, news that may well have contributed to the positive consumer opinions YouGov has garnered.
Despite the uncertainty that may lie ahead, it’s clear that Nissan is succeeding globally, in the face of challenging circumstances
