Friday 19 March 2021

Nissan SA’s Liz Gorbunov: The Impact She’s Made And What Drives Her Ambition


  • Liz Gorbunov joined Nissan South Africa in 2016.
  • In 2021, she'll be responsible for commercialising the new Nissan Navara.
  • Liz believes that women are just as capable as their male counterparts.
In 2016, Nissan South Africa gained a gem in Liz Gorbunov. The dynamic lady took on the role of the general manager for sales and aftersales operations for Sub-Saharan Africa. While stimulating, Liz could never sit entirely still and worked her way up the Nissan SA ladder.

In the past four years, she experienced plenty of the highs, and in 2021 another will come her way.

Liz's position now is that of chief marketing manager for light commercial vehicles (LCVs) and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) for the Japanese automaker; being responsible for commercializing the new Nissan Navara - set for local production from next year onwards.



Utilizing talents
While Liz is excited about the future and being part of the Navara's local production, she lauds Nissan SA's attitude towards its employees and the work environment.

"Nissan strives to create workplaces where employees are motivated to rise to the challenge while being able to work safely and comfortably, enjoying full mental and physical health," she says, explaining how Nissan embraces diversity and creating a space where each individual can grow. This is what motivated her to move within the organization.

Not only that, but Liz adds that everyone is encouraged to bring their talents to the table to achieve the 'ambitious' goals set out.

She says: "Nissan is working to create an inclusive environment that encourages active participation from all employees, regardless of gender, and supports the career development of female employees.”


Dream big!
Liz has never been afraid of a challenge. Throughout her career, she's made it her mission to disprove theories and clichés on what women can and can't do. And it is this mindset she wants young women to adopt.

She says: "Ultimately, we as women are equally as competent and as capable as our male counterparts and should, therefore, never restrict our ambition."

Her ambitions and dreams align with that of Nissan SA in the post-Covid-19 era. These plans include the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in SA, as well as ensuring that manufacturing excellence is maintained.

Liz quotes Oprah Winfrey as she closes: "The great courageous act that we must all do, is to have the courage to step out of our history and past so that we can live our dreams."

Nissan’s inclusive workplace attitude is praised and applauded by dealerships like Group 1 Nissan that pride themselves on more than just selling Nissan cars.

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Original article from https://www.news24.com/wheels/WomenInWheels/





What's New for Nissan Abroad in 2021?


Nissan made a lot of news in 2020, but not for all the right reasons. Former CEO Carlos Ghosn's dramatic escape from house arrest in Japan to exile in Lebanon overshadowed the struggling Japanese brand's aggressive overhaul of 10 models in 20 months. But 2020 was all about resiliency, and Nissan remains committed to the overhaul in the long haul, by redesigning its most popular utility vehicles and announcing plans for the 2022 Nissan Ariya electric crossover.

The changes for 2021, mostly not applicable to Nissan cars at Group 1 Nissan in South Africa but worth noting, starting most notably with the additional rollout of a suite of driver-assist features Nissan calls Safety Shield 360 to more models. It includes front and rear automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warnings, blind-spot monitors, and automatic high beams. It's standard on the 2021 Armada, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, and Versa, and available on the Altima.


Crossovers and SUVs




2021 Nissan Armada

- Full-size three-row SUV refreshed with a blockier new nose, revised rear bumper, LED lighting front and rear, and a new centre stack.

- First Nissan to wear the new logo.

- Standard 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple Car Play compatibility but wired Android Auto.

- Standard wi-fi hotspot.

- Standard Safety Shield 360.




2021 Nissan Kicks

- Refreshed with a bolder grille, revised front and rear bumpers, and new armrest console.

- Standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.

- Standard 7.0-inch touchscreen, with an available 8.0-inch touchscreen.

- All but the base trim ditch the drum brakes for disc brakes.

- Standard Safety Shield 360.


2021 Nissan Murano

- Standard Safety Shield 360.

- Special Edition package replaces Premium Package with 20-inch dark alloy wheels, a dual-pane sunroof, surround-view camera system, and heated front seats with synthetic leather upholstery.

2021 Nissan Pathfinder

- A full redesign of the three-row crossover SUV is launching early this year, but it could be a 2022 model.



2021 Nissan Rogue


- Redesigned compact crossover SUV sports a new grille, two-tiered LED headlights, and a roomier interior.

- Rides on a new platform with a stiffer structure that reduces engine and road noise.

- New independent rear suspension improves stability and cabin calm at cruising speeds.

- Cargo volume increases from 4.1 cubic feet to 74.1 cubic feet total, with plenty of rear legroom.

- Clever packaging with new butterfly centre console and tiered console and storage floor.

- Standard 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.

- Standard Safety Shield 360.


2021 Nissan Rogue Sport

- No updates as of this writing.

Cars

Nissan Z prototype

- Likely successor to the Nissan 370Z.

- Twin-turbocharged V-6 hooked to a 6-speed manual transmission in a rear-wheel-drive layout.

- Dished steering wheel and 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster.

- Likely coming for 2022 or 2023 model year.


2021 Nissan Maxima

- Streamlined trim levels with only SV, SR, and Platinum trims offered now.

- 40th Anniversary edition with red leather upholstery and gloss black trim.


2021 Nissan Sentra


- Redesigned for 2020, the only updates this year are standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.
Pickup trucks


Nissan Frontier

The curious case of the mid-size pickup truck is that for 2020, after 15 years of nearly no updates, it finally got a new powertrain that presaged a full redesign delayed until the 2022 model year. We don't know what else will accompany the 310-hp 3.8-liter V-6 and 9-speed automatic transmission.


2021 Nissan Titan


- Discontinued in Canada, Nissan says the Titan will continue in the U.S. beyond 2021.

- Standard 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.

- Standard Safety Shield 360.


If you want to see what’s happening with the Nissan models and Nissan prices in South Africa - visit the Group 1 Nissan prices page.