Santana comes back?

Regarding the well-known German car magszine "auto-motor-sport" it is planned to bring back the Santana brand with a new rugged 4x4.

Santana build Land Rovers and later Suzuki 4x4s under license. Santana was owned by Iveco the last days and sold the Iveco Massif, a capable 4x4 and a further development of the Land Rover Series 3. Some kind of mixture between a Series and a Defender.

The new Santana is backed by a Chinese joint venture Zhengzhou Nissan.

A 4x4 and a pick up is planned.

I had a Massif in companion in the desert once. It did very well.





AWo

 

[NQ94]

There going to be a few 4x4s comming from China or Chinese joint ventures that will generate a lot of interest. Nearly every main stream vehicle and component manufacturer has JVs or factories in China.
GWM recently showed a twin turbo, V8 hybrid live axle 4x4.

 

[lightning]

There's a gap in the market for a low cost rugged 4x4
The Jimny was ideal if a bit too small, and it's discontinued in Europe anyway.

The Grenadier obviously fits the bill except for the cost, starting at £65,000 in the U.K. for the basic 2-seat Utility version.

What's needed is something around half that price. Suzuki managed to sell the top model Jimny SX5 for under £20,000 until 2020 (2024 for the 2-seat Commercial version)

 

[Baron von Teuchter]

The last four seater ones were around £30k I think?

I think at that point most people after a “proper” 4x4 would rather have a double cab pickup - though of course our wonderful government are shutting that door now.

The ssangyong / KGM thing is around £30k plus VAT. A Hilux double cab starts at £35k + vat. The ranger single cab starts at £30k + vat, double cab at £31k + vat.

Those, I think, are the real serious competitors. Even buying privately and having to pay the vat you could be in a new fairly utilitarian but still comfortable and safe 4x4 for £40k.

 

[Baron von Teuchter]

D-max from £27k

 

[CRH]

The last four seater ones were around £30k I think?

I think at that point most people after a “proper” 4x4 would rather have a double cab pickup - though of course our wonderful government are shutting that door now.

The ssangyong / KGM thing is around £30k plus VAT. A Hilux double cab starts at £35k + vat. The range mr single cab starts at £30k + vat, double cab at £31k + vat.

Those, I think, are the real serious competitors. Even buying privately and having to pay the vat you could be in a new fairly utilitarian but still comfortable and safe 4x4 for £40k.

The last of the Jimny's were commercial 2 seaters that you had to get converted to 4 or certainly remove the decider to be able push the front seat far enough back to drive. They cost far more than the 4 seat versions were selling for.
The problem with all vehicles is the prices have risen rapidly and none of us can get our heads round it.
They advertise the monthly PCP payments rather than prices now.
The twin cab pickups are on borrowed time. You can't use as a company vehicle, most local tips won't let you in and now some councils are restricting vehicle lengths in car parks.
Prices on fuel powered cars will rise rapidly and availability will be restricted due to all the finest being proposed, then postponed, then not, and so on.
Her indoors is considering changing her 6 year old 4x4 panda, owned from new for something now even though she is happy with it but wants something to last another 8 years for work and tjen still be reliable on long journeys after that time. Only problem is the price of everything is ridiculous when her car still works.
We also need to sell some of her other cars as they aren't getting used.
Went a bit off on a ramble there, anyway, no chance of a utilitarian, simple 4x4 ever being sold in the UK, let alone for £40k

 

[Baron von Teuchter]

I think these might be imports.

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[Baron von Teuchter]

The last of the Jimny's were commercial 2 seaters that you had to get converted to 4 or certainly remove the decider to be able push the front seat far enough back to drive. They cost far more than the 4 seat versions were selling for.
The problem with all vehicles is the prices have risen rapidly and none of us can get our heads round it.
They advertise the monthly PCP payments rather than prices now.
The twin cab pickups are on borrowed time. You can't use as a company vehicle, most local tips won't let you in and now some councils are restricting vehicle lengths in car parks.
Prices on fuel powered cars will rise rapidly and availability will be restricted due to all the finest being proposed, then postponed, then not, and so on.
Her indoors is considering changing her 6 year old 4x4 panda, owned from new for something now even though she is happy with it but wants something to last another 8 years for work and tjen still be reliable on long journeys after that time. Only problem is the price of everything is ridiculous when her car still works.
We also need to sell some of her other cars as they aren't getting used.
Went a bit off on a ramble there, anyway, no chance of a utilitarian, simple 4x4 ever being sold in the UK, let alone for £40k

If you exclude the single or kingcab pickups I agree.

An extended cab dmax utility wasn’t on my radar at all but they are now.

Aircon
Carplay
6 speed box
170bhp
Cloth seats
Steel wheels

£30k + vat

 

[Manzino]

One of the guys at the Ineos dealership told me Ratcliffe bought the Santana Land Rover license to get around rights issues in the Grenadier design. Sounded plausible at the time. However, I have not been able to verify that anywhere and this latest news seems to debunk it.