Nissan begins to ship Navara

[news]

Nov 20, 2007 (Bangkok Post - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- NSANY | charts | news | PowerRating -- Thailand has now become the global export hub for Nissan Frontier Navara one-ton pickup trucks, with 20,000 units planned for export in the fiscal year ending in March 2008.

"With a 55-year history in Thailand, Siam Nissan will be taking the next step in its growth evolution as it becomes the largest central hub in Southeast Asia for Nissan Motor Co," said Thierry Viadieu, president of Nissan Automobile.

"We are now ready to manufacture and export a wide range of high-quality versions of this globally successful product to more than 120 markets worldwide.

The Siam Nissan Automobile Co assembly plant on the Bang Na-Trat Highway is Nissan's largest in Asean and third largest in Asia after Japan and China.

The plant's upgrade into a production and export hub is the result of a 20-billion-baht investment announced in 2005 to expand production capacity and upgrade equipment and other improvements.

The plant can now make 140,000 units annually of which 55,000 units are the Frontier Navaras. Other models include Teana saloons, Tiida compact sedans and hatchbacks.

Mr Viadieu said about 20,000 units of the Frontier Navara were planned for export in fiscal 2007, and more than 45,000 by 2010.

Among the export markets for the Frontier Navara are Asia, Latin America, Middle East, North and Central Africa.

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Source: Trading Markets