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Published on February 27, 2008

Siam Nissan Thailand has staged the world-premier launch of the Navara single cab.

The workhorse of the pickup family was not launched along with the Navara extended cab and the four-door model because at that stage, it had not yet been developed.

"The single cab is a very important vehicle for us in the Thai market, and many of our customers have been waiting for it. The Navara's predecessor, the Frontier, was famous for its load-carrying ability, and we have given special importance to this," says Siam Nissan Automobile president Thierry Viadieu.

The single cab now has a 30-per-cent more rigid suspension, which will support heavy loads. Nissan says the truck bed is the biggest in Thailand - 13.5-per-cent bigger than the previous version.

The new pickup is targeted at people who intend to use it for "A-to-B transport" of heavy goods. Nissan says it provides a blend of load-carrying capacity and the comfort of the Navara.

Nissan now has an 8.5-per-cent share of the pickup market and 4-per-cent share of the passenger-car market. It expects to sell 6,000 Navaras this year, amounting to about 20 per cent of the entire single-cab market.

The locally produced single cab will also be exported to South America and Australia. A total of 3,000 units will likely be exported this year, which is expected to rise to 10,000 next year.

However, Viadieu says Siam Nissan is not yet recommending that its customers use B5 biodiesel, because the local fuel has yet to be certified by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers' Association (JAMA).

"We are not saying that B5 is unusable in our pickups, just that we are waiting for confirmation from the JAMA.

Once they do certify its quality standards, we will tell our customers to use this fuel," Viadieu says, adding that B2 biodiesel was both certified and usable.

Nissan expects Thailand's overall auto market to demand 630,000 units this year, similar to last year. Viadieu says it will take time to build consumer confidence after the installation of the new government.

He says the US market is slowing down and that this has led to a slowdown in the Chinese economy, as well. This effect is also likely to hit Southeast Asia, although when that will happen remains unclear.

Vijo Varghese

The Nation

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