AD_MAGAZINE_344

17 AutoData | May 2018 shift. The extension of the schedule will allow the unit to reach the top of its ins- talled capacity, 250 thousand vehicles per year – in the plant, is also produced the Fiat Toro pickup truck. Last year the unit produced 179 thousand units. WAITING QUEUE In the case of Nissan the assembly line of Resende, RJ, is no longer enough to meet demand for Kicks. The SUV, third in the segment rankingwith 12 thousand 300 licenses from January to March, was the eighth best-selling car in the Brazilian ma- rket in March, with more than 5 thousand units, shows Humberto Gomez, Nissan marketing director: “The waiting queue for a Kicks goes from sixty to ninety days, depending on the configuration”. The executive considers that the phe- nomenon is not exclusively Brazilian: the demand for models of this range grows in the main global markets. The combination of the sedan comfort with the utility ver- satility has won consumers globally, he said: “With an SUV you can drive well in the city and on paved roads as well as on off-road terrain”. He also emphasizes qualities such as superior internal space compared to ha- tches and more attractive design com- pared to sedans, in addition to greater practicality in the use of the trunk: “The consumer likes to have space to carry a bicycle or other sports equipment”. They are the same qualities highlighted byMarcos Martins de Oliveira, commercial general manager of Honda Automobiles: “SUVs are well accepted, among other Are Brazilians buying more SUVs because there are many innovations or there are many innovations because Brazilians are buying more SUVs? Disclousure/Ford