Nissan currently has 272 touchpoints in its network and is looking to expand it to 300 by the end of the financial year. It is across all of these that the X-Trail will be retailed and not in special premium showrooms as has become the practice among its rivals.
Maruti has been the biggest player in this regard with its premium Nexa chain. At the same time, Hyundai sells its N Line cars, the Tucson, and the Ioniq 5 only at specific outlets across the country. Mahindra, too, did this with the Alturas G4 a few years ago and could spin off a new identity for its upcoming BEV family. Finally, Tata has separated its EV and ICE cars into different showrooms with different identities.
Nissan’s move can be looked at in two ways. The first is that since the automaker’s touchpoints are relatively smaller in number, any further division would make little sense. The second is that Nissan is looking at a trickle-down effect in setting expectations for its upcoming C-SUVs. i.e raising expectations and creating aspirations with top-spec models like the X-Trail and Ariya so that those with a lower budget will also want to buy into the brand.
The two SUVs will be Nissan’s entry against cars like the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, MG Astor, Maruti Grand Vitara, Tata Curvv, Citroen Basalt, and Toyota Hyryder. This is an ultra-competitive segment and it’s a game that Nissan desperately needs to jump into if it wants to play the volumes battle in the future.
The X-Trail is Nissan’s first new product in four years and is the start of what it has termed its revival plan for the Indian market. Sources suggest that the X-Trail will be followed by the Ariya crossover. These two vehicles will followed by the automaker’s C-SUVs in a five-seat and seven-seat guise. Also joining the ranks will be the mid-life update for the Magnite SUV.