Nissan Pulsar exits Europe too

The Nissan Pulsar will no longer be built or sold in Europe. Dwindling consumer demand means the company has killed the small-car off a mere four years into its life cycle.

The company confirmed to various European media, including Automotive News, it was ceasing production of the well-known hatchback at its Barcelona plant, presumably to liberate demand for other models made there.

The decision comes about 18 months after Nissan Australia killed off the long-serving and once well-regarded Pulsar badge here, which was affixed to a different (but equally unloved) product built in Thailand.

Presumably, Nissan hopes its Qashqai and X-Trail, and even the Leaf electric car in markets with incentives, will make up the shortfall in Europe.

Nissan’s statement said the shift was in response to "a rapidly increasing switch by European customers from traditional vehicle segments to crossovers”. Hardly a surprise.

The European Pulsar was launched in 2014, meaning it’s winding up in Europe earlier than planned. But it never really caught on. Nissan apparently predicted European annual sales of 64,000 but last year the model sold just 25,221, according to JATO Dynamics figures.

According to Autocar in the UK, a mere 2100 Pulsars were registered there to August this year. By comparison, Nissan registered more than 4500 Leafs since March, despite a base model costing almost twice that of the cheapest Pulsar.

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