Nissan to take on domestics with commercial truck in 2010
Sensing the ripe market opportunity, Nissan will start producing various light-commercial and medium-duty trucks in 2010. The targeted segment is currently dominated by Ford and GM, where the miscellaneous cabs and frames are used to produce such vehicles as dump trucks, tow trucks, and school buses. Now, Nissan wants a piece of the pie. Larry Dominique, Nissan's VP of product planning, wouldn't disclose details right now, but he did say that a handful of new products will be needed to satisfy the new commercial truck dealers – and Nissan is more than willing to oblige. Joe Castelli, the former director of Ford's commercial trucks (and now a VP of commercial trucks at Nissan), said the Japanese automaker will be pulling from their global stable of commercial components (branded Atlas and Atleon in other markets) to quickly adapt them for the U.S. market. Nissan's official commercial truck plans will be announced in January at the Detroit Auto Show, and we'll be there to judge reactions.
[Source: Automotive News, subs. req'd]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Stéphane Dumas 6:11PM (8/27/2008)
I wonder if Dodge might get indirectly a piece of the pie? Like the rumored Sprinter successor based on the upcoming Nissan full-size van
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/15/rumormill-dodge-to-replace-splinter-will-full-size-van-from-nis/
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Brent 6:22PM (8/27/2008)
Dodge's Chassis Ram's have been doing pretty good. Is Nissan really going to start from almost scratch? I don't think so.
Tourian 6:32PM (8/27/2008)
They are not starting from scratch. As the article says they will pull from their existing commercial truck line sold in other countries and adapt them for use here.
Mbuku Kanyau Mbithuka 6:58PM (8/27/2008)
Did dodge not keep one of the Chrysler brands? Sterling?
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G-Meister 8:27PM (8/27/2008)
Sterling is a Freightliner brand, and as such part of Daimler AG. It was formed from Fords sale of its heavy truck division.
Brent 7:24PM (8/27/2008)
I consider that almost from scratch. That is why I put "almost" in my first post.
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Donald Hindle 8:13PM (8/27/2008)
Mbuku,
The Sterling Bullet is made by Dodge and sold by Sterling (just like the Dodge Sprinter is made by Daimler and sold by Dodge). Sterling is a sub of Daimler Trucks and Chrysler/Cerebrus does not have a stake in it. Daimler does still own an interest in Chrsyler.
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Tony 9:00PM (8/27/2008)
Nissan please follow the lead of Hino and Isuzu. Build a four cylinder turbo diesel with around 220hp and a tilt forward low cab.
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mike 11:01PM (8/27/2008)
Interestingly i saw a few Nissan commercial trucks, which has me wondering wouldn't these trucks compete with Top kick trucks, which if i remember correctly GM sold to raise cash.
In any case, this topic has only 8 comments, the Mustang badge has 55. To me this shows that most in here do not realize the outcome of this announcement.
Nissan is a great company, if they can (and they will) hit domestics hard enough in yet another segment, it may be the last blow they will take.
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shadookey 8:39AM (8/28/2008)
That deal fell apart when GM could not promise the UAW that it would add a new product to the TopKick factory in Flint.
jgp 1:45AM (8/28/2008)
I wonder if we're gonna get the rebadged Renault vans Nissan sells in Europe.
The Nissan Interstar (rebadged Renault Master) would make a good Sprinter-fighter.
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ehisforadam 8:56AM (8/28/2008)
Selling Japanese model commercials trucks seems to be working pretty welly for Hino(Toyota) and Isuzu.
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tanooki2003 9:15AM (8/28/2008)
If I'm not mistaking Nissan's commercial trucks are going to be rebadged Dodge Ram trucks due to their future partnership.
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