Japanese car manufacturer, Nissan, will start online car sales in India of its entire range of cars. The company will allow customers to make the payment of the car online coupled with attractive deals and the car will be delivered to the customer by their nearest dealership when it’s ready for delivery; all at the convenience of a click.
Customers will be able to book their cars by making payments through an online gateway portal by credit card. The customer will also be offered attractive deals like that in a dealership when making the booking for his car. Nissan’s objective is to simplify the purchase cycle and make the entire process of sales quicker and more efficient. The company sees online users as the most evolved users today, and wants to keep up with the changing times and trends. Nissan is currently putting in suitable payment gateway partners before commencing the operation.
It also seems logical as most potential buyers today make extensive research online about the desired vehicle before stepping into a dealership. The customer can immediately make his decision on the purchase without wasting time or locating the nearest dealer. If Nissan finds success in selling online, partner Renault may too follow suit with its product line-up.
The internet is a powerful medium and one of the largest ways to directly interact with the customers on a personal level. While it’s quite normal for customers in the west to order a car online, the transition to virtual showrooms is on a nascent stage in India. Most companies see it as a medium to convert queries into footfalls in the dealership. Customers too might be apprehensive on losing out to the actual feel of test driving the car before buying and the royal treatment that dealerships tend to offer. With bitcoins (digital currency) gaining momentum in the developed countries, online selling is a welcome note from Nissan India.
Nissan currently retails the hatchback Micra, mid size sedan Sunny, MPV Evalia, compact SUV Terrano, the luxury sedan Teana and the SUV X-Trail and the sports car 370Z in India, with the range starting at Rs. 4.9 lakhs to Rs. 56 lakhs (ex-showroom). The online sales will be handled by Nissan’s sales partners Hover Automotive, who manage the sales and dealers for Nissan pan India.
