Nissan Frontier takes lead in pick-up category

Universal Motor Corp.’s (UMC) Nissan Frontier pick-up continues to take the lead in the pick-up category, UMC senior vice president Elizabeth Lee said yesterday.

Lee said Nissan Frontier has increased its market share to 60.2 percent in the 4x2 compact pick-up category, 40.3 percent in the 4x4 segment and 43.1 percent in the combined double-cab pick-up segment in September this year.

For the whole of 2002, Lee is expecting growth to reach by nearly 10 percent.

The Nissan Frontier’s sales performance, Lee observed, is remarkable at a time when the whole automotive industry is "sluggish."

The pick-up segment, Lee also noted, has been somewhat shielded by the general economic downturn because aside from being a utility vehicles, buyers are able to use the Nissan Frontier both for business and family.

The price range of the Frontier, Lee added, has been kept affordable.

UMC recently introduced its 2003 model which is priced slightly higher, Lee admitted, since it has been reinforced to carry more load.

The 2003 Nissan Frontier pick-up, Lee said, is affordably priced at P765,000 for the 4x2 manual transmission, while the 4x2 automatic transmission would cost P840,000.

However, the 4x4 manual transmission, 2.7 liter pick-up would carry a higher price tag of P1.03 million and the 4x4 automatic transmission, 3.2 liter model would cost P1.065 million.

Lee said that Nissan, was the first to introduce safety features in its Frontier pick-up such as airbag and side impact beams which the others are now following.