Nissan Almera Cancelled In Australia

Nissan Australia has given the boot to the booted version of its Micra hatch, confirming the exit of the underperforming Almera sedan.

The company had originally forecast monthly sales of around 250 units, but the Almera’s first full year on the market yielded around 175 sales per month - and just 236 year-to-date in 2014.

New Nissan Australia CEO Richard Emery confirmed the Almera’s axing at this week’s Qashqai SUV launch, saying that the model no longer fits the company’s business plan.

He added that pushing the Almera to a greater market share would lead to margins too tight to be sustainable.

It was under former boss Bill Peffer that Nissan Australia claimed the Almera - along with the Pulsar sedan - would help to push the brand toward becoming the country’s number one full-line importer.

Nissan’s market share in Australia sits at 5.9 percent at the end of June, compared to 7.7 percent at the same point in 2013.

Full-import rival Mazda currently owns 9.3 percent of the market, up from 9.1 at the end of June last year.

Hyundai is also ahead of Nissan, with an 8.9 percent share compared to 8.4 in 2013.

The Almera was unlikely to give Nissan any great boost however, with the Australian market’s general disinterest in light sedans also leading to the end of Ford’s Fiesta sedan, along with the four-door versions of the Mazda2 and the Kia Rio.

The segment continues to introduce new models however, with Honda’s new City arriving recently and Mitsubishi’s new Mirage Sedan launching just last week - both undercutting the Almera by as much as $2500.

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