Cars & Autos | Thursday 30 April, 2015 2:40 pm |

Nissan KSA received industry recognition winning two coveted accolades at the PR Arabia Auto Awards, which were held in Saudi Arabia. At the ceremony, the Nissan Sentra won the ‘Sedan Car of the Year’ award and GT Academy was presented with the ‘Best Regional Auto Sport Program’.
The awards were decided by an online voting process by members of the public and awarded to Nissan by HRH Prince Sultan bin Bandar Al Faisal President of the Saudi Arabian Motorsports Federation.

The PR Arabia Auto Awards are the first in Saudi Arabia to be voted on by the public. They were launched to recognize the efforts of all those who work in the automotive industry, and to encourage companies to offer the best service to improve overall consumer satisfaction.
Samir Cherfan, Managing Director of Nissan Middle East, said: “We are extremely proud of these two wins, especially as we were judged by those that truly know about us, our customers. These awards reflect our commitment to offer ‘Innovation that Excites’ to our customers in KSA, “said Samir Cherfan, Managing Director Nissan Middle East and Nissan Saudi Arabia. “We are achieving record sales growth in Saudi Arabia as more and more customers are turning to Nissan for our great cars and the rising excitement around our brand.”

The Sentra is a major part of Nissan’s success in Saudi Arabia, witnessing a 52% increase in sales year-on-year. The sedan was recognized by the voting public for its spaciousness and comfort, usually found in cars in the segment above. Offering an accessible premium experience, Nissan Sentra appeals to the aspirational, smart and savvy consumer.
“The Nissan Sentra is a critically important vehicle in Nissan’s lineup and with its standard safety features. We aim to delight our Saudi customers with the quality of our cars and the service at our expanding dealership network across the Kingdom” says Najeeb Alissa, chairman of Alissa Auto.

Sentra brings a high level of safety and security to a growing consumer segment. Its features include Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist; Zone Body construction featuring front and rear crumple zones and occupant zones; Energy absorbing steering column; Nissan Immobilizer system.
Nissan’s other award was for GT Academy, which took best Regional Auto Sport Program. The region-wide competition takes Gran Turismo computer gamers and turns them into real life racing drivers, trained by world class drivers. Around the world more than five million people have taken part and the winners have achieved dozens of podium finishes in races including the 24 hours of Le Mans.

GT Academy has already changed the life of Saudi, Ahmed Khaled, the Middle East’s 2014 winner. After proving himself the fastest around the virtual tracks of Gran Turismo he went to Nissan’s Race Camp at the famous Silverstone circuit in the UK where he proved his racing ability in real life cars. Ahmed made his racing debut at the Dubai 24 Hours in February and is looking forward to representing Saudi Arabia at more races in the future.