Nissan ‘s Pulsar hatchback was one of our best-selling small cars not that many years ago however its recent demise has left the Japanese importer without a small hatch in its range following a decision to drop its Indian-sourced Micra light car last year due to flagging sales. In the passenger car segment Nissan Australia retains the Pulsar sedan and mid-size Altima as well as its low-volume GT-R and 370Z coupes and is now almost solely reliant on its SUV models in Australia – Both the Nissan X-Trail and larger Pathfinder SUV‘s are up 14 and 32 per cent respectively however the excellent Qashqai is struggling against new competition, down 23.5 per cent in the first two months. The large and trusty Patrol, once a firm favourite in the large 4WD segment is also down while the Nissan Navara, once the 4 x 4 choice in pick-ups has lost favour in the current series although a revised model range just announced may well lift its profile.

I’m David Berthon

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