Brazilian buys old car with new clothes (love doesn’t pay the bill)

From the Nissan Kait to the revisited classics of the 80s, the strategy repeats itself: old models find a new life because they fit better in the pocket

Image: Nissan / Car Guide

On the occasion of the launch of the Nissan Kait, in recent days I began to think about other examples of products from previous generations that existed in Brazil and which, although they did not arouse critical passions, were successful in the market. You’ve probably already read that the Kait is nothing more than a previous generation Kicks, duly redesigned stylistically.

And the reason for this type of operation is quite simple: how many Brazilian consumers wanting to buy a mid-size SUV have more than R$150,000, assuming this guy would choose the new Nissan Kicks? How many have R$118,000 (Kait’s price)? “Ah, Edu, but the Kicks is much more modern, it adopts a 1.0 turbo engine, while the Kait uses a 1.6 liter naturally aspirated engine…” So what?

If you have 30 or 40,000 more, okay, you go ahead and buy the most modern, newest one. And Nissan’s idea was great: by positioning the Kait in the same range as subcompacts (VW Tera, Renault Kardian, Fiat Pulse and, in the future, Jeep Avenger), since it is a project derived from a medium SUV, it opened an alternative for consumers to scratch their heads when purchasing. Of course! Should I buy a modern small SUV or would I prefer to accommodate my family while traveling?

Historically, this answer has been given. The owner of Grupo SHC, Sergio Habib, keeps repeating it clearly in the podcasts in which he participates: “Brazilians do not have the average income to buy more sophisticated cars.” And there are several historical examples that illustrate this logic.

Since the continuation of archaic models in the 1980s, such as the Ford Corcel and Chevrolet Chevette, launched in 1968 and 1972 respectively, and which continued throughout the 1980s (the GM model lasted until 1994), with slight remodels throughout this period. Why have both taken so long to come up with new models to replace their compact sedans?

This is what happened to Volkswagen itself. One of the brand’s major launches in 1972/1973 was the Brasília, nothing more than a more spacious variant of a Beetle, created specifically for Brazil – while the 1st generation of the Polo was born in Germany. And this has happened several times in Brazil.

Do you want me to indiscriminately remind you of cars that were surpassed in their respective eras and gained style and survived for years? VW Variant II, Chevrolet (Opala, Vectra – from 2006 –, Ágile, Classic, Cobalt), Nissan Versa, Fiat Uno (latest generation appeared here), Fiat Grand Siena, Renault Sandero. There are many examples.

Note that they all have something in common: internal space. These are great cars for their segments, which creates an alternative for the end consumer to always consider: should I go for the modern compact or the old midsize? And I want to emphasize: there is no correct answer to this question. It depends on each person’s needs.

For example, I have a nine-year-old car that costs the same as a subcompact SUV, under warranty, zero km, new engine, 1.0 turbo… Huh, but what if I want a 2.0 Turbo? If I am a consumer who is likely to get an older car to satisfy my customer desires, how can I condemn the buyer of a Spin? He is absolutely right. The guy needs some space now.

There are also numerous counter-examples: modern and intrinsically expensive cars that have not been successful in the country, such as the VW Polo (first generations), the VW up!, the Chevrolet Sonic, the Fiat Punto, the Ford New Fiesta, the Renault Symbol, the Toyota Yaris (when the Etios still existed). One by one, these cars were, on average, much more expensive than most of their competitors, even though they had more advanced features.

Do you remember the time when the Renault Clio was launched in Brazil with double airbags as standard, in the second generation, in 1999? All versions came with this important equipment…and failed. The car costs more. What did Renault do? Removal of the standard airbag.

We love cars, of course. But there is no money to buy them, which is why the automobile industry has always used this type of prerogative in Brazil: adapting old models with a new look and displaying them in dealer showrooms.

It’s a curious dichotomy: automotive critics always demand technological modernity. It just needs to fit the consumers’ budget. Or hope that a manufacturer reduces its margin – the irony is contained.

Or even hope that more brands will enter the country, increase competition with traditional manufacturers and, perhaps with more efficient means of development, production and economies of scale, they will be able to work with lower margins, bringing cutting-edge technology to more accessible price ranges. Can you give an example? Still contains irony. But I’m not going to repeat last week’s topic.