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MINI is going head to head with Nissan this autumn as an all new car sector fast hots up.
The small crossover market is one both makers hope will bring big sales gains for them – but the route to entry for both has been rather different.
MINI, of course, stokes the most controversy. This is the biggest MINI ever, the first 5-door, the closest a MINI has ever got to the 4 metre long threshold.
Nissan, though, is coming at it from the other way. It’s enjoyed amazing success with the fine Qashqai family crossover; now it’s bringing similar thinking down to the supermini market.
In the Juke and the Countryman, the two firms meet at last. Yup, it’s the first time a Nissan has ever eyeballed a MINI!
It’s a significant meet in two ways – one, in showing the desire of BMW Group to win extra sales volume for MINI, further strengthening its future. But, two, it is also a measure of how the Nissan brand has come on from its Almera-riddled past.
In recent years, we’ve been obsessed with premium, and questioned what volume makers can do to respond. Nissan’s answer is to do things premium makes can’t – go avant-garde with design, be bold, design smart and affordable cars for head-turning hip in the higher-volume market.
MINI can be bolder than the premium norm but it’s still got heritage to follow. Nissan has none of that.
Bizarre thing is, though, as MINI moves up and Nissan moves down in size, so MINI’s moving mainstream and Nissan’s edging premium. One imitates other, and the result is – well, the perfect twin test meet.
The proof comes this autumn: premium doing mainstream or volume going avant-garde? It would be great to hear some marketing experts offer their view before we journos stick our oar in…
+ What do you think about the MINI Countryman and the Nissan Juke?
+ Do you think the two cars are natural rivals?
+ What’s your opinion on how MINI and Nissan should market them?
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I can remember the first Mini Countrymen when i was a wee lad. My milkman owned one and he was old whereas my sister had the cooper S and she was young. Two different markets catered for under one brand.
The countryman didn’t sell that well in those days because you had the Morris Minor which dominated the charts. Move on 40 plus years and i see the same parallels today. The countrymen won’t appeal to the younger generation who like the mini. This is niche ownership. Actually i think it’s a bad move on Mini’s part as it kind of dilutes the branding a little. Something’s should be left in the archives.
Nissan on the other hand have a mixed bag of customers but are weak is the 21-30 market. Micra’s attract the 40-70 brigade, unless of course your a teenager who’s cruel parents think the Nissan’s reliability is far better investment (given it’s their money), in which case you get the bus.
The Cube is for the Japanese….period. The GT-R for Piston Heads. You can bundle the Pixo & Note in roughly the same bracket as the Micra with the odd mum with children thrown in. I could go on but which ever way you look at it, Nissan just don’t appeal to the younger generation.
Will the Juke do it for them? Possibly. It’s a radical design but not as extreme as the Cube, Materia or Kia Soul for that matter.
It certainly looks well in the flesh but it’s early days. Using Bonita Norris to market it is a good idea as she embodies all that is good about being a Brit and she’s young.
Will it take sales off the Mini Countryman? No, as i think it’s a completely different market and i can’t see long term success with the Countryman at all.
Will it take sales off the Mini hatch? Yes, because it’s aimed at the right market. But it’s going to take some time and a lot more than 8 million pounds to do it. The one car that will dent Mini sales isn’t mentioned here and that’s the Citroen DS3.
Thanks for sharing those very interesting thoughts, Tom. You’re right about the DS3 – I’m seeing more and more on the roads now, as it certainly seems to have the requisite ‘wow’ factor.
Juke promotion, including Bonita, is looking intriguing thus far. The ‘trail’ on the Qashqai ads is something I’ve not seen before, either. I’ll certainly be keeping an eye on things over the next few months.
Do please come back and share any more observations you have as the Juke rolls out!
R.
Incidentally, here’s a VERY cool DS3, as seen at Geneva earlier in the year..!
http://www.richardaucock.com/citroen-ds3-racing-past/
“Incidentally, here’s a VERY cool DS3, as seen at Geneva earlier in the year..!”
Now that’s more like it.
It’s funny really but French cars, like the Italians, have appalling reliability records when compared to the Japanese/Koreans but they make stunning vehicles which the younger generation just love.
Now if only you Nissan could work out how to put old heads on young shoulders.
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Actually this is my first time saw this car, I am living in south east Asia and this car is “not available” in my country, just said about it. But still there is available another competitor or same “mini” car type in my country as well as Nissan, and public demands is very high with this car similar type, efficient and economically in gasmilage is the main contributor.