Nissan South Africa (SA) will end production of the NP200 half-ton bakkie in March next year, says Nissan SA country director Kabelo Rabotho.
This follows 16 years of production at Nissan’s Rosslyn plant, in Pretoria.
March will also signal the end of the popular half-ton bakkie as a product in South Africa, despite Volkswagen, Renault and Toyota hinting at possible new model introductions in this segment.
For many years, South Africans had various half-tonners to choose from, including the Ford Bantam, Fiat Strada and Chevrolet Ute.
There is little doubt Nissan SA will feel the loss of the more affordable NP200, compared with the one-ton products, with the NP200 recording three-digit sales monthly.
Production of the Navara one-ton pickup will continue at Rosslyn.
“No immediate replacement model is planned, although Nissan is currently evaluating other alternatives in line with the ambitions of its Africa mid-term plan,” says Rabotho.
He adds that “Nissan remains fully committed to South Africa and the wider continent as the last frontier of the automotive industry”.
The Rosslyn plant remains Nissan’s light commercial vehicle hub for Africa, with the locally produced Navara pickup a core model that “will enable Nissan’s ambition across the continent”.