They will fight from two to three falls, for the 2023 Mexican sales championship! In this corner, founded in 1959 and leader for 13 consecutive years, the still champion and defending champion!Mexican Nissan!
In this other one, the once greatest champion for decades and who in 2023 is determined to recover her throne with a complete change of strategy, she is!General Motors of Mexico!
If the automotive firms got into a ring, this would be more or less the presentation prior to one of the best fights in memory. Let’s say that both companies have been fighting each other for a long time and if I’m a bit strict, we have the last chapter in the style Marquez vs. Pacquiao or Canelo Álvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin, it happened in 2022.
Undoubtedly, last year was the equivalent of a 12-round fight, with a technical draw, where the winner had to be declared by decision of the judges. And it is that, With 168,940 units sold, Nissan barely managed to maintain the leadership of the Mexican market in 2022. General Motors, for its part, with 165,117 cars, was really close to snatching the scepter. It should be noted that each company opted for completely different strategies.
To start, we have a Nissan whose sales volume depends mostly on models such as March, V-Drive, Versa, Sentra, NP300 and Frontier. All made in Mexico. Which historically has been its main advantage. But unfortunately, due to the chip crisis, production at the Aguascalientes and Cuernavaca plants have worked intermittently. It is only enough to remember that in relation to 2021, its performance fell by 17.2%. Either due to external factors, but the champion is not at her best.
On the other side, General Motors, which had just added several consecutive setbacks, not only increased its sales by 29.7% compared to 2021, but also once again became a highly feared and competitive rival. To achieve this, he took a completely different path, where local production focused on satisfying the demand of the United States and Canada, while for the local, vehicles from China were used.
True, it still has big hits like Cheyenne and Suburban, but the real bulk of sales comes from the success achieved by Aveo, Onix, Captiva, Groove, Tornado Van, and S10 Max. Perhaps the only vehicle of Chevrolet who hasn’t preformed like his brothers is the Cavalier.
By 2023, Chinese products will continue to be highly relevant and the best proof is the arrival of the new Aveo, first in a hatchback and then in a sedan. But if you are one of those who believes that GM’s star brand has become “chinevrolet”, you should know, that this year the arrival of cars like Trax, Montana, Corvette Z06, Blazer EV and Colorado. This without forgetting Cadillac Lyric, GMC Canyon, among others.
As you will see, with the exception of the Aveo, and to a certain extent the Montana, all the other models are genuine General Motos, although accessing them does imply an extra cost. Yes, those who have a 100% American Chevrolet, you can have it, but it will not be for everyone.
GM’s ambition to return to the top is genuine, but How can Nissan resist? Well, maybe the product launch strategy isn’t as broad, but it’s no less spectacular for that. To begin with, the best seller of the brand, the nissan versais renewed and now becomes the safest car in its segment by mounting elements such as Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and Intelligent Emergency Braking (i-EB) as standard.
The Altimait is also presented revamped and with a greater technological endowment, at the same time that the Nissan Z will be able to do its thing in 2023. We must not forget the launch of the new Nissan X-Trail, which will receive its own e-POWER versionso it will be essential to extend this technology, at the same time that it will be a valuable reinforcement for the brand.
But the big problem for Nissan Mexicana is not the reinforcements, but actually, despite some improvements in the production chain, everything indicates that in 2023 the chip supply problems will continue, so it is likely that the Aguascalientes and Cuernavaca plants will continue to be affected. Undoubtedly, in the central offices, they must be breaking their heads to resist the onslaught of their greatest rival in our country. And we must not lose sight of KIA and Toyota, which also boast an overwhelming performance.
Which automaker will retain the 2023 championship belt? Nissan Mexicana that still bets on Mexican production for the local market, with all the good and bad that this entails, or a General Motors, whose strategy of Chinese products can make the most nationalists angry, but which has undoubtedly proven to be very effective for the times that run….
I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’m very nervous… Place your bets!
*Esta columna expresa el punto de vista del redactor y no necesariamente el posicionamiento de Autocosmos.
