Teana hopes to shed hulky image of Nissan
Teana hopes to shed hulky image of Nissan
Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
For the Indonesian market, Nissan has been known for a long time
as a tough brand, usually associated with its Nissan Patrol four-
wheel-drive vehicle employed by Indonesian government agencies
some three decades ago.
The Nissan Patrol of yesteryear was truly rugged compared with
today's sports utility vehicles (SUVs). Nissan now seems to have
continued its long history here by promoting a "No. 1 SUV" brand
image, although it offers other products like sedans and
multipurpose vehicles (MPV). Nissan even has its own roadster,
the Nissan Fairlady.
After reintroducing the Nissan Serena MPV in July, PT Nissan
Motor Indonesia (NMI) launched on Aug. 26 its Nissan Teana, a
medium sedan powered by a V6, 2.3 liter engine with 24 valves and
double overhead camshaft (DOHC) technology.
The VQ23DE engine, which also uses continuous variable-valve
timing control (CVTC) and electronic throttle chamber (ETC)
offering ample torque and fuel efficiency, can be revved up to
reach 173 horsepower (hp) at 6,000 revolutions per minute (rpm)
and maximum torque of 219 Newton-meter (Nm) at 4,400 rpm.
When asked why the company launched a sedan despite its strong
SUV image, PT NMI president director Toru Hasegawa said the sedan
was very useful to enhance Nissan's brand image.
"We want to enhance our brand image and it is very effective
to use a high class sedan," he announced publicly at the
launching ceremony.
"It does not mean we want to shift our focus from SUVs to
sedans. We just want to remind people that we also have other
models," he added.
Hasegawa gave the example of Mercedes-Benz, known for its
sedans, but which also has SUVs, or Porsche, which is almost
entirely defined by its high-performance sports cars, but has
also developed its own SUV.
The Mercedes Benz SUV is the G-Class and M-Class while Porsche
developed the fastest SUV ever, the Cayenne.
In Indonesia, PT NMI relies on Nissan Terrano and Nissan X-
Trail SUVs as its flag carriers to boost sales.
The Nissan Teana, which means 'dawn', comes with four-speed
automatic transmission and uses an intelligent card key to start
the engine, lock and unlock all doors, including the trunk. The
locks can sense the intelligent key's presence from up to 80
centimeters away.
First introduced in Japan in 2003, Nissan Teana received the
U-LEV certificate for its low emissions, reducing harmful
chemical levels by up to 75 percent less than the maximum levels
permitted.
As for competition, the Nissan Teana will have to fight market
leaders like the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, which Hasegawa
admitted would be a tough challenge.
"Despite the competition, the Nissan Teana has everything to
offer compared to its competitors. We would like to invite
prospective buyers to come to our showrooms and have a test
drive.
"I am sure customers will choose the Nissan Teana for its
leading features," he added.
Interested buyers can choose from three color options of
black, champagne gold and diamond silver, and it is priced at Rp
355 million (US$38,500).
"The basic price is the same, at Rp 355 million nationwide,
but for other cities in Indonesia there is a transportation
cost," said Hasegawa.
He also said that the company's distribution arm would start
delivery in September.