He noted that directly importing vehicles from other jurisdictions such as the United States (US), Dubai and Europe could pose mechanical challenges when they were used locally because those cars were made specifically for those markets.

Mr Dando said this in an interview with the Daily Graphic when senior management members from the Nissan Africa Regional Office paid a working visit to Ghana and interacted with the media.

“The driving conditions in these countries are different from that of Africa. If you buy a car that was designed to operate in the USA and you bring it here, where the driving conditions are very high and the temperatures very high, then it is highly expected that you will experience failure in the vehicle because it was not designed to operate here,” he stated.

“We have cars specifically designed for the Ghanaian market which could stand the high temperature and harsh driving conditions and consumers should, therefore, buy from authorised Nissan distributors to ensure that what they are buying is specified for the market,” he added.

Purpose of visit

The visit by the senior management team from the Nissan Africa Regional Office to Auto Parts Ltd, the official importer of Nissan vehicles in Ghana, was in line with the group’s strategic agenda for 2016.

The team also interacted with the media to talk about developments at Nissan and also launched the new Nissan Altima.

The new Nissan Altima enters the local market redesigned. It comes with new exterior designs, more luxury features and significant mechanical upgrade of the steering and suspension systems.

Market in Ghana

The Managing Director, Sales and Marketing of Nissan and Sub-Saharan Africa, Mr Xavier Gobile, said its market in Ghana was based on history as it had been operating in the country for over 50 years and had gained a reputation of providing good cars and good services to consumers.

He said its market share in Ghana was currently about 30 per cent, adding that the company had become successful in the country due to its long-term relationship which always ensured that consumers get good service, good technology and support.