The Toyota RAV4 and Nissan Rogue have been in the top 10 best-selling vehicles of 2020 so far. On that list, the Rogue is 10th best-selling at 167,403 through October. The RAV4 is fourth with 302,574 units shifted, based on sales numbers from Goodcarbadcar.net
Nissan is so confident that its Rogue is worthy of consideration alongside the Toyota, that it will let prospective customers check them both out for themselves. Automotive News reports that Nissan dealers are going to have RAV4 test cars on hand for customers to compare at the dealerships. It’s a bold strategy that Nissan thinks will bring more sales for the Rogue.
Nissan has been struggling of late. Rogue’s place in the top 10 best sellng cars is great, but it’s still down nearly 39% from the previous year. And Nissan’s U.S. sales are down 30% percent across the board.
Toyota says it is flattered by the idea. Toyota’s North American sales chief, Bob Carter, said in a statement:
“We are confident their dealers and customers will appreciate the quality, value, versatility and safety features that have made the RAV4 the No. 1-selling SUV in the United States.”
The plan is for Nissan dealers to have RAV4 models on hand through December. The company expects that more than half of its dealers will participate. Not everyone thinks this is a good idea, though. J.D. Power’s Tyson Jominy told AN that he believes the plan could backfire and drive sales for the RAV4.
“If you can keep customers at your dealership without allowing them to leave, it will result in incremental sales. The risk is that Nissan will indirectly contribute to selling more Toyota RAV4s. A percentage of customers are inevitably going to value the differences between the models differently than expected.”
Obviously, Nissan is confident in its product. We’ll see if that confidence pays off.
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