Nissan eyes South Korea imports

Written by Writer on Wednesday, November 12th, 2008

Nissan eyes South Korea imports

Bloomberg

With sales in major markets worldwide shrinking because of the financial turmoil, Nissan Motor Co. aims to double its share of South Korea’s auto-import market by adding Nissan-brand vehicles, the automaker said Tuesday.

The automaker, which has been selling the luxury Infiniti brand in South Korea for three years, said it plans to boost its share of the country’s imports to 10 percent by 2015.

The Rogue crossover vehicle and Murano sport utility vehicle will be introduced first, with the Altima sedan and GT-R sports coupe following next year.

Nissan joins rival Honda Motor Co. in selling midrange models in South Korea, challenging Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea’s largest carmaker. Still, tightening access to consumer credit and the won’s slump against the yen may make expanding in South Korea difficult, analysts say.

The Japan Times
Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008