Nissan will reduce its production capacity and model range, and axe around 12,500 jobs worldwide, in a bid to turn its fortunes around. The major restructure, which was first reported by the Nikkei Shinbum media organisation in Japan, was confirmed by the firm during the publication of its first quarter results for the 2019 financial year. In the three-month period running from April to June Nissan’s net income was down 94.5% year-on-year, with sales down in several key markets. The car maker announced 4800 job cuts earlier this year, as part of an initiative to turn its fortunes round, having suffered its lowest profits for almost ten years. The 12,500 job losses – around 9% of the firm’s global workforce – will come as a result of a move by Nissan to reduce its global production capacity by around ten per cent. There is no word yet on which of the firm’s plants will be affected. Nissan also says it will reduce the size of its product line-up by around 10 per cent by the end of 2022, and will “focus investment on global core models and strategic regional models.” As with many car firms, Nissan will spend heavily on future technologies, and says it will invest heavily in its ProPilot driver assistance system. It is also plotting further investment in electirifed vehicles, including battery electric models. It will also investigate new business models, including ride-sharing mobility services. Global sales stagnation in the US and Europe, plus falls in Asia, political uncertainty, tariffs, the need to invest in electrification and autonomy and a part-ageing product line-up, including its successful Qashqai and Juke SUVs, and greater competition from rival manufacturers in the SUV segment have been cited as reasons for Nissan’s profits slump. The initial reports suggest that the bulk of the losses will fall on workers outside of Japan. Although there have been no specific warnings of losses at Nissan’s UK operations, earlier this year the firm made headlines when it reversed a previous decision to make some X-Trail models at its Sunderland factory. That was said to have led to “hundreds” of new jobs not being created at the plant. At the time it made specific reference to Brexit negotiations undermining the company’s position in the UK, although falling diesel sales and the EU’s tariff-free trade deal with Japan were also believed to be factors. Nissan has also hit the headlines recently with the arrest of former boss Carlos Ghosn, who is now suing the firm for unfair dismissal. The firm has previously committed to making the next-generation Juke – set to be revealed at this year’s Frankfurt motor show – and Qashqai in Sunderland. In May this year Nissan reported net profits annual profits of 319bn yen (£2.37bn), down 5% on the previous year. This was the lowest figures since 2009/10, in the wake of the global financial crisis. The company has also warned that the current year could be
Origin: Nissan confirms plan to cut 12,500 jobs globally
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Save up to $12,000 on these three full-size pickups
This weeks hot Unhaggle deal includes the Ford F-150, GMC Sierra and Ram 1500.Handout / Ford / GMC / Ram On the last three Fridays of every month, Graeme Fletcher combines manufacturers’ incentives from Unhaggle.com with resale value, dependability and overall ratings to find you the best deal for your money in new cars. This week, we look at 44 pickup trucks from the Big Three. The hot deals are on the 2019 Ford F-150 XLT SuperCrew, GMC Sierra SLE Crew Cab and Ram 1500 Tradesmen Crew Cab. 2019 Ford F-150 2019 Ford F-150 Handout / Ford Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price: $48,799 Manufacturer Incentive*: $10,664 Unhaggle Savings: $1,500 Total Savings: $12,164 Mandatory Fees (Freight, Govt. Fees): $2,040 Total Before Tax: $38,675 — lick here for exclusive local pricing The thirteenth-generation of Canada’s best selling pick-up truck continues with some minor changes — the largest is the top-line Limited now shares the radical Raptor’s 450 horsepower high-output EcoBoost V6. The XLT featured here is more modest in all departments. It gets the usual power items plus FordPass Connect with a 4G Wi-Fi hotspot for up to 10 devices along with Sync3 with an eight-inch touchscreen. It supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. While the XLT arrives with a 5-feet 6-inch short box, the XLT still has the requisite capability — the rear seats fold up against the back of the cab, which opens up a large lockable storage area with a flat floor. The box also features the needed tie-downs and a payload rating of 762-kilograms. While pre-collision assist with auto braking is standard, blind spot monitoring is a $650 option, but only after adding the 302A package, which drives the total cost to $6,800. Myopic packaging at its best! The XLT’s 3.3-litre V6 twists out 290 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque. It drives all four wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission with Normal, Tow/Haul and Sport modes. The 44 system is part-time with two- and four-wheel-drive high as well as four-wheel-drive low. The 44 side should only be used on loose or slippery surfaces, as it winds-up when steering in dialed in on dry pavement. The combination delivers a posted average fuel economy of 11.6 litres per 100 kilometres, a run from rest to 100 kilometres an hour of 8.1 seconds and a tow capacity of 3,357-kg. The F150 takes a balanced approach to ride and handling. On smooth urban roads and on the highway it is comfortable. Again, on a smooth twisty road there is minimal body roll and the steering delivers decent feedback. However, when a rough section of road is encountered mid-corner the back-end has a tendency to washboard out of line. This is a common trait with trucks with a solid rear axle and leaf springs. The Ford F150 XLT SuperCrew has a generous combined Unhaggle discount of $12,164, which leaves a pre-tax sticker of $38,675. 2019 GMC Sierra 2019 GMC Sierra Handout / GMC Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price: $47,100 Manufacturer Incentive*: $6,050 Unhaggle Savings: $1,500 Total Savings: $7,550 Mandatory Fees (Freight, Govt. Fees): $2,035 Total Before Tax: $41,585 — lick here for exclusive local pricing The next-generation GMC Sierra is new for 2019. The restyled rig is handsome and the SLE featured here comes with the right amenities including an eight-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth audio streaming for two devices along with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and OnStar. There is now a degree of cohesiveness to the layout. It also arrives with Teen Driver. It can limit certain vehicle features and automatically turn on safety systems meaning no more smoky burnouts. It also gives an anxious parent a report card gives on junior’s driving habits. One of the big improvements is the increased rear seat room in the crew-cab. Out back there’s a 5-feet 9-inch box that comes with the needed tie-downs and a payload rating of 940-kg. Blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert and front/rear park assist are part of the Drive Alert I package. It is priced at $1,095, but requires upgrading to SLE Convenience package first. This bumps the combined cost to $3,960. Again, with these features rapidly becoming standard it is regressive thinking. The features SLE arrives with a 2.7L turbocharged four-cylinder that was designed for truck use. It uses variable valve lift to produce 310 hp and 348 lb.-ft. of torque at 1,500 rpm. It works with an eight-speed automatic transmission to drive all four wheels. The featured model has a part-time single-speed 44 system. For those not intending to go off-road or visiting a construction sites on a frequent basis this system is enough. To get the set-and-forget system with a low-range gear set requires going to the larger 5.3L V8 engine and a package costing $3,745. The featured SLE with the 2.7L engine has a posted average fuel economy of 11.8 L/100 km, a run to 100 km/h in 7.7 seconds and a tow capacity of 3,000-kg. The latest Sierra is certainly more compliant than the outgoing model,
Origin: Save up to $12,000 on these three full-size pickups
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