New Nissan Pulsar Wins 2015 Car of the Year for the Canary Islands
- The Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism, José Manuel Soria, presented the award to the Managing Director of Nissan Iberia S.A., Marco Toro.
- This award adds to Nissan's position in the Canary Islands market where it is the second-best selling brand for private sales with a market share of 9.7%.
- The new Nissan Pulsar, a model manufactured in Spain, marks a second win for Nissan, following in the footsteps of the Nissan Juke, which won the same award in 2011.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife (02 March 2015) - The Nissan Pulsar has been named the Best Car of the Year for 2015 in the Canary Islands. Nissan Iberia S.A. managing director Marco Toro accepted the award, which was presented by Spain's Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism, José Manuel Soria.
The prize, awarded to the new C-segment compact, comes at an excellent time for Nissan in the Canary Islands. Nissan sales grew by 36 percent there in 2014, making it the second-best selling brand in the private market, with a 9.7 percent market share and an 8.6 percent overall share - double that in Spain as a whole. The Canary Islands represent 10 percent of total Nissan sales in Spain.
"It is an honour for Nissan to receive this prestigious prize for our Pulsar model in its launch phase," said Marco Toro, after receiving the award. "We're pleased to have received this award in the Canary Islands, which with 10 percent of our total Spanish sales is a very important market for us."
Nissan dominates the B- and C-segment market in the Canary Islands. The Qashqai closed 2014 as the best-selling crossover in the market and as the fourth best-selling vehicle overall, while the Juke achieved a 7.4% market share. The Micra and the Note, contributed to the success of the brand with respective increases of 90 percent and 40 percent compared to 2013. Nissan also leads truck sales in the Canary Islands with a 36 percent market share.
This is the second time in the last four years that Nissan has picked up this prestigious award, first won by the Nissan Juke in 2011. Nissan expects that this recognition will help further drive sales in the archipelago.
Nissan Pulsar, the most Spanish Nissan in history
The Pulsar has been manufactured exclusively at Nissan's plant in Barcelona, since its launch in October 2014, further proof of Nissan's commitment to the automotive industry. The car made its European premiere at the Madrid Motor Show in May 2014, presented internationally to more than 400 European journalists in Girona, and was introduced to the European public through a TV commercial filmed in Madrid - making it the most Spanish of Nissan's cars.
A Pulsar for every need
The Pulsar is equipped with two efficient engines delivering excellent performance: the 1.2 litre latest generation turbocharged DIG-T 115 hp engine and the economic 1.5 dCi 110 hp diesel engine with 260 Nm of torque.
In April this year these two engines will be joined by a new 1.6 DIG-T 190 hp petrol engine. The more sporty and powerful Pulsar will increase the attractiveness of this model and underline the brand's passion for advanced technology and original design. With 190 hp at 5,600 rpm, the 1.6 DIG-T engine is one of the most advanced in its class with a maximum torque delivery of 240 Nm from 1,600 to 5,200 rpm. Developed for exceptional elasticity at low engine speeds, its performance outdoes its rivals with six-speed manual gearboxes.
The Nissan Pulsar has been sold in the Canary Islands since last October with Visia, Acenta, Tekna and N-Tec trims. Equipment includes Safety Shield Technologies such as Moving Object Detection and the Lane Departure Warning and Blind Spot Warning Systems. It also has other safety and comfort features including keyless entry and ignition, the Around View Monitor and the improved second generation Nissan Connect navigation and entertainment system.
About Nissan in Spain
Nissan has three production centres in Spain at Barcelona, Ávila and in Cantabria where it produces the Nissan Pulsar car, the NV200 van and its electric version the e-NV200, the Pathfinder and Navara SUVs and the NT400 Cabstar and NT500 light trucks. This year it will begin manufacture of a new pickup. In addition, Nissan Spain also has an R&D centre for engines and developing light commercial vehicles as well as spare parts and distribution centres. Its sales office for Spain and Portugal is in Barcelona. In total, 5,500 people work at Nissan in Spain and in 2014 it produced 141,100 vehicles.
About Nissan in Europe
Nissan has one of the most comprehensive European presences of any overseas manufacturer, employing more than 17,600 staff across locally-based design, research & development, manufacturing, logistics and sales & marketing operations. Last financial year Nissan plants in the UK, Spain and Russia produced more than 675,000 vehicles including award-winning crossovers, small cars, SUVs, commercial vehicles and electric vehicles, including the Nissan LEAF, the world's most popular electric vehicle with 96% of customers willing to recommend the car to friends.
Nissan now offers a strong line-up of 23 diverse and innovative models in Europe under the Nissan and Datsun brands.
About Nissan Motor Co.
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 244,500 employees globally, Nissan sold almost 5.2 million vehicles and generated revenue of 10.5 trillion yen (USD 105 billion) in fiscal 2013. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. In 2010, Nissan introduced the Nissan LEAF, and continues to lead in zero-emission mobility. The LEAF, the first mass market, pure-electric vehicle launched globally, is now the best-selling EV in history with almost 50 percent share of the zero-emission vehicle segment.
