Nissan Motor has started manufacturing and selling its X-Trail Hybrid in Thailand, hoping to tap demand among the country’s well-heeled customers.
The Japanese automaker began churning out the sport utility vehicle in October at a factory in the central province of Samut Prakarn, expecting to deliver the first locally produced batch this month.
Nissan aims to sell 5,000 units in Thailand in 2016. With retail prices starting at 1.24 million baht ($35,000), the company plans to tout its relative affordability. Nissan expects the model to account for 60% of X-Trail series sales in Thailand, where luxury vehicles continue to draw solid demand despite slumping new-auto sales.
The company is producing the hybrid overseas for the first time, as it previously was shipped from Japan. Nissan hopes Thailand will serve as a hub to export the vehicle to Southeast Asia.
Toyota Motor and Honda Motor also produce and sell hybrids locally: the Camry and the Accord, respectively.
