Looks like Nissan is left with no other option now. Its world class seller has failed to cast a spell on the Indian economy. Since its launch, Nissan is trying to increase the sales of its MPV Evalia but all the efforts have gone in vain. If we see the records for the past 6 months, Nissan has sold only 921 Evalia units in India. This is way below what the company had expected. Looking at the leading cars in the MPV segment, Maruti Ertiga is doing a splendid business by selling on an average 5000 units monthly. Chevrolet Enjoy is also doing good with a sale of 2,500 units monthly. Even Toyota Innova has sold over 5000 units in the first half of 2013. Looking at these figures, we can say that Nissan Evalia has not succeeded in creating a mark for itself in the Indian market.
Nissan Evalia was launched last year, in India, in the month of September. In the international markets, Nissan Evalia goes by the name of NV200. It is probably the best selling van in the global market. The car is very spacious with ample space for all the 7 passengers. There is sufficient leg room in between the rows. The boot space is also large in spite of the 3rd row being in place. The car has a great fuel economy of 16 km per liter. It is due to this, that Nissan Evalia is nominated to replace the New York cab and London Black taxi.
However there are some serious flaws in Nissan Evalia which are affecting its sales in India. The most prominent drawback is the Evalia’s boxy look. It can be said simply that Evalia is “too van like’. As a result, it is not gaining an acceptance as a family car. The second thing that bothers is the butterfly windows which are present on the 2nd row’s sliding doors. Third element of discomfort is the absence of AC vents in the 2nd row. This is a problem particularly in India’s hot weather.
This in addition to the presence of MPVs like Maruti Ertiga, Chevrolet Enjoy and Toyota Innova, has caused the Evalia to suffer badly in sales. The sales were so poor that the company had to temporarily halt the production of Evalia in the last month to control the inventory.
To promote the sales, Nissan has now lowered the price of Evalia to Rs 7.99 lacs. This is less than the standard market price of Evalia by a total of Rs 1.15 lacs. Such a heavy discount can be seen as a desperate attempt by the company to get some good sale figures.
In addition to this, it is also expected that Nissan Evalia will be getting a facelift soon. With this facelift, Nissan will take care of most of the flaws with its Evalia. The butterfly windows will now be replaced by sliding windows. The bench like seats will be replaced by captain seats. The 2nd row will also get AC vents now. The exterior might see some changes too. The engine specs will remain the same. It will be powered by the same turbo charged 1.5 liter diesel engine offering a 5 speed manual transmission.
The facelifted new model will make its way into the market in the festive season of Diwali. This lowering of the price can be a strategy to sell off the remaining models and make room for the facelifted Evalia. With the facelift it is expected that the Evalia will gain popularity as a passenger car.
We hope Nissan do away with the sliding doors to make the car look like passenger vehicle rather than a cargo van.