The Nissan Wingroad is a mildly popular station wagon in the Kenyan market. Over the years, there have been lingering questions about its reliability and the verdict is split in the middle with both proponents and opponents putting forth strong arguments. We found ourselves in the middle of this divergence and it was incumbent on us to separate fact from fiction. The Nissan Wingroad competes with the Toyota Fielder and the Toyota Succeed which have both garnered a reputation for stellar reliability.
Multi Purpose Vehicles(MPVs) have been steadily gaining popularity in the Kenyan market thanks to the improvement in road conditions and the ever rising cost of SUVs. The VW Sharan provides an alternative to the expensive SUVs particularly for people with large families who are looking for comfort, safety and economy. It competes with the Mazda Premacy, Toyota Wish, Nissan Lafesta, Subaru Exiga and Mitsubishi Delica D:5
Lets give credit where its due. The Subaru XV is without question the most exceptional small sized SUV we’ve driven in a while. This is by no means a small feat given the stiff competition that includes the Nissan Juke, Mitsubishi RVR, Honda HRV, Nissan Dualis and Toyota C-HR. What sets the XV apart from its competitors is the ingenious Symmetrical All Wheel drive that gives it unparalleled off-road capability
The Toyota Wish is a 7-Seater MPV that has enjoyed considerable success in the Kenyan market. Its longevity in the market can be attributed to its reputation for reliability, practicality and low maintenance costs. Though it has maintained much of the original body style, it has continuous upgrades that have made it remain relevant in the market. It competes with the Subaru Exiga, Honda Stream, Mazda Premacy and Nissan Lafesta.
The Toyota Mark X is the hallmark of luxury and elegance in the Japanese saloon car market. It is an ultra-luxurious 4 door saloon manufactured and sold in Japan since 2004. In the Kenyan market, it is a worthy competitor to German luxury brands such as Mercedes Benz and BMW. Of course we cant forget to mention the premium grade Toyota Lexus LS which is in a class of its own. However, most of the Mark X’s body styling, chassis and interior is borrowed from the Lexus GS
If you spot the 2012 Nissan Lafesta and the Mazda Premacy side by side, you’ll be hard pressed to tell the difference. Save for the grille and the logo, everything else is same from top to bottom. This is simply because Mazda supplied the Premacy to Nissan under an OEM agreement and Nissan then rebadged it to the Lafesta Highway Star. It competes with the Toyota Wish, Subaru Exiga, Honda Freed and the Mazda Premacy.
The Toyota Voxy is a Multi-Purpose-Vehicle(MPV) that was introduced to the Japanese market in late 2001. It was developed from the popular Toyota TownAce/LiteAce platform and is largely the same as the Toyota Noah.
In the world of Minivans, the Mitsubishi Delica D5 has perpetually lived in the shadows of the dominant players such as the Toyota Noah, Toyota Voxy, Nissan Serena and Mazda Biante. This is surprising given the D5’s versatility and strong credentials both off-road and on-road. Of course other factors such as affordability, safety and reliability come into play but even here, the D5 still beats its competitors