HR In Global Context
claven1045
nissan-to-produce-new-crossover-based-on-kicks-concept.zipRelease_Nissan_P02F_confirmaçao_4 de janeiro_ENG DRAFT Dec 17 AG.pdf
Nissan to produce new crossover based on Kicks
Concept
• The official name will be Nissan Kicks
• Vehicle will be sold globally, starting with Latin America, with ongoing
studies for other regions
• R$ 750 million ($192 million) investment to manufacture the model in
Resende, Rio de Janeiro State
• Nissan’s decision follows the concept vehicle’s success during the 2014
São Paulo Motor Show and the 2015 Buenos Aires Motor Show
• 600 new jobs and second shift to be created after start of production
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (Jan. 4, 2016) – Carlos Ghosn, president and chief executive officer of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., today announced that the brand will produce a new crossover that will be sold globally, starting with Latin American markets from 2016. The new model was inspired by the Kicks Concept car presented at the 2014 Sao Paulo Motor Show, and it will retain the Kicks name for the production version. Following an investment of R$ 750 million ($192 million), the Nissan Kicks will be produced at Nissan’s Resende Industrial Complex in Rio de Janeiro State. The facility was inaugurated in 2014 and currently produces compact vehicles March and Versa. After the start of production, Nissan expects to hire 600 new employees and start a second shift in Resende facility. “Nissan invented the first crossover in 2003, with the Murano,” said Ghosn. “Since then, we’ve established our global crossover leadership with vehicles like JUKE, Qashqai and X-Trail – which have been great successes. The Kicks will bring Nissan´s unique Crossover expertise to more regions.” At the unveiling, José Valls, chairman of Nissan Latin America, said that compact crossovers are very attractive to Latin American customers. “With Nissan Kicks, we will go beyond the obvious to pack a punch with a strong design statement and the performance that our customers crave,” said Valls. The Nissan Kicks Concept debuted at the 2014 São Paulo Motor Show, followed by a showing at the 2015 Buenos Aires Motor Show. The Kicks prototype
marked the evolution of the Extrem concept vehicle originally presented in Sao Paulo in 2012. Since then, Nissan has continued to explore Brazilian and Latin American cultures, styles and colors within the vehicle design and development process. “When our team from Nissan Brazil team collaborated with our colleagues in Japan to create the Kicks concept vehicle, which was inspired by our country and culture, the result was extraordinary,” said Francois Dossa, president of Nissan Brazil. “And now, we’re excited that our manufacturing team in Resende is preparing to build it with top-notch Japanese precision.” Led by Nissan’s Global Design Center in Japan, the Kicks Concept was conceived through a collaboration between Nissan Design America (NDA) in San Diego and Nissan Design America - Rio (NDA-R), the company’s local satellite design studio. The teams currently are engaged in the design and development of the production model. As well as its introduction in Latin American markets, Nissan continues to study the business case for launching Kicks in other regions, underlining the brand’s commitment to global Crossover leadership. About Nissan Brazil Nissan is one of the largest car makers in the world and present in Brazil since 2000. Operates with more than 160 dealers in all states of the country. The make produces automobiles at Nissan-Renault Alliance’s plant, in São José dos Pinhais, Paraná State, since 2002, and invested U$ 1,5 billion on the construction of its own Industrial Complex in Resende, at Rio de Janeiro State. This industrial unit was opened in April 2014 and holds capacity to produce 200,000 cars and 200,000 engines per year. Per year, the industrial unit manufactures Nissan March and Nissan Versa and the flexfuel engines 1.0 12V and 1.6 16V. Nissan is also official sponsor of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Rio 2016. This partnership contemplates the supply of 5,000 vehicles of many kinds to fill the needs of the Games and Time Brasil’s. Beyond the partnership with the event, Nissan also sponsors the Olympic and Paralympic Rio 2016 Torches Relay. The participation of Nissan on the Rio 2016 Games is also guaranteed by Nissan Team, the mentoring program to 30 athletes and paratlhetes on the way for qualifying and good displays in the first Olympic and Paralympic Games hosted in Brazil. Are mentors of the group Hortência Marcari, biggest Brazilian Women’s Basketball Idol, and Clodoaldo Silva, holder of 13 medals in Paralympic Games. About Nissan Latin America Nissan Latin America is a corporate region created in January 2014 to accelerate business growth through specific strategies designed to benefit regional consumers. Nissan LATAM spans 38 countries and two business units:
Nissan do Brasil and Nissan Latinoamérica & el Caribe (NLAC). The company has wholly owned-subsidiaries in Brazil, Chile (Jan. 2015) and soon in Argentina, as well as National Sales Companies in other markets. In 2014, Nissan opened a new car manufacturing plant in Resende, Brazil, a Parts and Distribution Center and a Design Studio in Rio de Janeiro. About Nissan Motor Co. Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 247,500 employees globally, Nissan sold 5.32 million vehicles and generated revenue of 11.38 trillion yen (USD 103.6 billion) in fiscal year 2014. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. Nissan leads the world in zero- emission mobility, dominated by sales of the LEAF, the first mass-market, pure- electric vehicle. It is the best-selling EV in history with almost 50% share of the zero-emission vehicle segment. For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/.
# # #
Remarks from CEO Carlos Ghosn on the Nissan Kicks Announcement.pdf
1
CEO CARLOS GHOSN REMARKS NISSAN KICKS ANNOUNCEMENT
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil January 4th, 2016
Thank you for being here.
This is a special place for me…and a very important region for Nissan.
That’s why, last year, we created a Nissan Latin America business unit. And it’s
why we have taken a series of steps to strengthen our presence here.
We established a state-of-the-art plant in Resende – which represents an
investment of R$ 2.6 billion that has created 1,500 local jobs. Since we
inaugurated Resende in 2014, we have grown its operations. In addition to
producing the Nissan March as well as the Nissan Versa, and Resende now
manufactures engines.
We also opened the Rio Design Studio…and our portfolio will further expand with
GT-R “Godzilla” set to arrive in the near future.
Beyond Brazil:
Last January, we opened a new subsidiary in Chile.
And in September, we launched operations in Argentina…where we have pledged
a US$600 million investment to produce pick-up trucks, specifically the NP300
Frontier, by 2018.
2
Today, we “kick-off” what I am confident will be a year of growth for Nissan across
Latin America.
Our goal is simple: we want Nissan to be among Top-3 auto brands in Latin
America. This is within our potential. We have everything we need. And we are
working for this – most importantly, a deep commitment to our customers and the
ability to deliver the products and the services they want.
We’re on the right track. Despite a 36% contraction in the Brazilian market,
Nissan´s market share increased from 2.1% to 2.5%.
We plan to grow in a sustainable manner, setting strong foundation to achieve it in
long term. For example, we are in the midst of launching an Export program. And
we are raising local supplier content to become an increasingly competitive source
of vehicles for all LATAM. As we continue to consolidate our new LATAM region,
Brasil remains – evidently – a cornerstone of Nissan´s strategy.
So, you can expect our commitment to Brazil to remain strong. We have planted
deep roots here. And Nissan’s presence in this market will continue to grow.
In addition to enhancing our local manufacturing footprint, we’re focusing on
improving quality, cost-reduction, and efficiency at each plant. We’re introducing
products specifically designed for this market. We’re also generating excitement
…and increasing Nissan’s brand visibility…through our bold sponsorship activities.
3
Most notably, Nissan is a proud sponsor of the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics
games. To support local athletes in Brazil and help them prepare for the games,
we launched the “Team Nissan” initiative.
This is complementing Nissan’s other efforts to be a good corporate citizen in
Brazil…including as our social project in the Caju community, developed by
Nissan Institute, that works to contribute with social inclusion by education and to
revitalize Caju neighborhood, here in Rio, as part of Nissan Olympic legacy.
As a result of our commitment, the Nissan brand is gaining strength.
But, of course, the best measure of our brand power is how customers feel about
our products. We are pleased that Nissan’s bold, innovative designs are gaining
momentum…and earning positive reviews.
In 2014, we unveiled Kicks concept car. It was highly acclaimed…a reflection of
the fact that the Kicks concept was inspired by Brazil…by its distinctive culture
and its unique customers.
It was the #1 ranked concept car in 2014 in São Paulo. And it was a hit during the
Buenos Aires Auto Show last June.
It became clear that the Kicks concept had strong potential in many markets. So,
Nissan spent considerable time studying the compact SUV/crossover segment in
this region.
4
This is a dynamic segment in Brazil and in Latin America. Even with today’s
challenging conditions, the SUV/crossover segment has grown by around 20% in
Brazil in 2015, when compared to 2014
Why? Because Brazilians like versatile, high-quality, fun-to-drive cars, that are
infused with modern technology. And Nissan is excited to bring these customers
the vehicles…and the diving experience…they want.
Today, I confirm that Nissan will produce a new vehicle inspired by the Kicks
concept from 2014. It will be called the “Nissan Kicks.”
With this decision, we bring Nissan´s expertise in crossovers to a new world of
customers. We created this segment. And, in regions around the world, we’ve
led the segment with best-selling products like Murano, Qashqai, X-Trail, and
Juke.
Now we are bringing our industry-leading expertise to Latin America. And we will
further strengthen our position in the crossover segment with the launch of the all-
new Nissan Kicks.
Kicks will be a global product…but it will be introduced first in Brazil and
throughout Latin America. And it will be produced in Resende, Rio de Janeiro and
exported to the region…a move that will add 600 new jobs.
Nissan will invest R$ 750 million over the next three years to enhance local
manufacturing. This allocation will improve tooling and technologies at our
Resende plant.
5
This decision reaffirms our commitment to Brazil…to local communities in this
market…and to the continued employment of the world-class manufacturing team
we have here.
The Nissan Kicks will be known for its edgy design, modern styling, agile
performance…and more. In the coming weeks and months, we will be sharing
additional product details. So stay tuned.
Thank you.
