Aussies want NISMO Pulsar

Nissan Australia is hoping a NISMO Pulsar sedan will make it from concept to production and aid the business case for the high-performance brand’s launch into the Australian market targeted for 2015.

And it has also begun work to secure the existing NISMO global range of tuned JUKE, 370Z and GT-R models for Australia.

The NISMO Pulsar concept broke cover at the 2013 Detroit motor show under its US name, Sentra.

Nissan Australia Managing Director Richard Emery is hoping for the green light for the Sentra/Pulsar because it would add a fourth model to the NISMO global line-up and also be its most mainstream offering.

“I think four models would be nice, so hopefully …there is another one coming next year,” Emery told motoring.com.au.

“I think you would need one that has a little more volume in than Zed, JUKE and GT-R.

Under the current Nissan Power 88 global business plan NISMO is committed to launching one new additional performance model each year, so there is a strong chance the Sentra/Pulsar sedan is it in 2015.

While a hot hatch would make more sense in the Australian context, the sedan would seem to have more chance sooner because of the backing from Nissan’s North American division.

“From my understanding I don’t think they (NISMO) are doing a hatch,” Emery revealed. “I have heard they are doing a sedan. I have heard the USA would like a sedan.”

Whether Sentra/Pulsar emerges or not, Emery confirmed investigation of the existing NISMOs were under way and their availability would be crucial to the local launch..

“We are having the discussions about what needs to be done engineering-wise, production-wise to get those cars (for Australia),” he said. “If we can secure those cars in the marketplace then they become the starting point for NISMO.

“I wouldn’t do it without those cars.

“It has to be real, it can’t be alloys and a spoiler and a badge,” he added. “It has to be a car, it has to have something intrinsic with it. I wouldn’t do it with just NISMO packs and alloys.”

With all that to be achieved, 2015 has become the target timing for the launch of NISMO in Australia.

“I don’t think I can drag it into this year so it will be 2015,” Emery said.

Emery, who made the switch to Nissan after five years as Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific and Mitsubishi before that, understands the value of performance sub-brands through his association with AMG and Ralliart.

He believes NISMO should come to Australia as soon as possible.

“My approach to NISMO is I think it is important to business, in terms of adding some personality and colour,” he said.

“My background is in AMG and Ralliart and I don’t understand why we haven’t taken the step (launching NISMO here) to this point.”

Emery is confident there is already enough knowledge of the brand here to start generating interest. The most high profile exposure is through signage on the four factory Nissan Altima V8 Supercars.

“There is some latent understanding of NISMO,” he insisted. “I am surprised how many people understand it even though it’s never formally been in the business.

“Yes, we have it on the side of the race cars and a few things like that, but it is interesting that the PlayStation generation understand NISMO even though we haven’t been particularly branding it in Australia.”