Dubai , 21 September 2004 – Nissan Middle East launched five t T hree new 4X4 models setting a regional record for simultaneous Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV) introductions by offering the largest SUV line-up. This particular segment is steadily growing and currently stands at approximately 20 per cent of the total car market vehicle sales in the region .
Heading the line-up are the all-new Murano and Armada, respectively Nissan's first cross-over and first Japanese full-size market entrants. Armada will be available in market in December 2004 , while Murano will reach the market by January 2005 .
Nissan's flagship 4x4, the Patrol, gets a new infusion of style and comfort for 2005 and is already available at showrooms.
The record-breaking range is completed by the new model year versions of the Pathfinder and X-Trail complete the record-breaking range .
At the same time, the company's SHIFT philosophy of vehicle design and manufacture is given full expression in the Murano and Armada, underlining the quantum leap that the Japanese manufacturer has made in the past few years.
The newcomers build on half a century of Nissan tradition and popularity in the Middle East , and the impact of SHIFT has imbued each with distinctive flair and character – marking the beginning of a new era for the automaker and the way it does business.
The Murano and Armada embody Nissan's bold new departure from the conventional and have taken markets by storm in the early phases of their global launch. The Murano alone has clocked up sales of more than 80,000 since first going on sale in the US .