Nissan Continues Upward Trend Overcoming Boycott with 'Unprecedented Discounts'

Toyota, Honda, Nissan Discount Promotion Underway... Nissan's Flagship Model Altima Available from 24.9 Million KRW

Last year's boycott of Japanese products brought hardships to Japanese car brands as well. Due to the boycott that began in July last year, sales of Japanese cars plummeted, dropping to 1,103 units in September, raising concerns that the '1,000-unit barrier' might be broken.

However, in October, the following month, Japanese car sales rebounded with a 79.2% increase compared to the previous month, showing signs of recovery as the previously weak Japanese car market began to gain momentum. This is analyzed as the result of the bold discount strategies that Japanese car brands have been implementing gradually taking effect.

Among Japanese cars, Nissan, which has high brand recognition domestically, offered unprecedented deep discounts, expanding the choices for consumers who usually consider purchasing imported cars.

In fact, Japanese car brands have been effectively increasing sales by offering various discount benefits, including direct price reductions and providing over 10 million KRW under the name of fuel expenses.

Honda's large SUV 'Pilot,' which offered a 15 million KRW discount, sold only 166 units in September but recorded 806 units in October, nearly five times more. It is reported that the Pilot is currently at a level with no inventory.

Nissan and Infiniti saw their October sales surge by 202% and 250%, respectively, compared to the few dozen units sold in September. During the same period, Toyota also increased sales by 9.1% in October compared to September.

Riding this upward trend of Japanese cars, the brands seem to be continuing their aggressive discount strategies to solidify their influence in the domestic market. Since the end of last year, Honda has priced the mid-size sedan Accord 1.5 Turbo at 30.9 million KRW, a 20% discount from the original 36.9 million KRW, including a free service coupon worth 1.5 million KRW.

Toyota, which was reluctant to offer discounts, also lowered prices on various models. The compact SUV RAV4 gasoline model was reduced by 5 million KRW, the large SUV Sienna by 4 million KRW, the mid-large sedan Avalon Hybrid by 3 million KRW, and the mid-size sedan Camry Hybrid and gasoline models by 2 million KRW each. Lexus also applied a 4% discount on some models.

The most notable moves come from Nissan. To enhance brand image and target consumers, Nissan pulled out a major discount card offering up to 5 million KRW off on high-demand sedan models. The eligible models include four types of ALTIMA and one MAXIMA, totaling five models.

Currently, at Nissan's official dealers Premier Automobile (Gangnam, Seocho, Ilsan showrooms) and Prima Motors (Gwangju showroom), the best-selling Nissan model ALTIMA 2.5 SMART is available with the maximum discount of 5 million KRW, priced at a striking 24.9 million KRW. This price is comparable to the Hyundai Avante, attracting significant interest among drivers who usually consider purchasing imported premium sedans.

Additionally, the ALTIMA 2.5 SL Tech and 2.0 Turbo models are priced at 31.1 million KRW and 37.1 million KRW, respectively, after discounts of 4.8 million KRW from their original prices of 35.9 million KRW and 41.9 million KRW. The MAXIMA is available for 41.3 million KRW after a 5 million KRW discount from the original 46.3 million KRW.