- Crossovers, electric vehicles and autonomous technology integral to strategy
- Most modern, cohesive and powerful line-up offered in Nissan’s history
- Investment in RD will push boundaries of innovation
GENEVA – Nissan today reinforced its European growth strategy, setting a clear path to become the most desirable Asian brand. Crossover, electric vehicles (EVs) and autonomous drive technology are central to this aspiration and Nissan will continue to defend and grow its leadership of these areas.
Over the past 12 months, Nissan has released 12 new models in Europe and sold more than 724,000 vehicles. Meeting surging demand for the crossover segment with new versions of the Nissan Qashqai, Juke and X-Trail, the company has been breaking records with its line-up of EVs, while bringing excitement to everyone through NISMO.
Nissan’s commitment to bold design, great quality, and accessible technology is demonstrated here today with the release of the stunning new SWAY concept that will re-invent the small car segment.
“We have grown for our fifth consecutive year in a row. Our approach to strengthening the Nissan brand, products, and service is clearly working. We continue to invest in our strong manufacturing footprint in Europe and we are well positioned to grow in Europe,” said Paul Willcox, Chairman of Nissan in Europe. “We have seen the best-ever European sales with a 50 percent increase in five years and new versions of the pioneering Qashqai, Juke and X-Trail, reinforcing Nissan’s crossover leadership with sales exceeding 410,000.”
Nissan’s strong manufacturing footprint in Europe continues to fuel the company’s growth, enabling Nissan to gain market share in more than 65 percent of the European markets in which it operates.
“We have produced more than 675,000 Nissan vehicles in the UK, Spain and Russia in the last financial year,” said Colin Lawther, SVP Manufacturing, Supply Chain Management and Purchasing in Europe. “We are a force to be reckoned with in key markets across Europe and our sales figures support this.”
Nissan’s success in sales and strong manufacturing has resulted in award-winning products in fast-growing segments like EV with 15,000 LEAFs sold in Europe in 2014. This year marks the fifth anniversary of the Nissan LEAF and new additions to Nissan’s electric vehicle offering this year will include a seven-seat version of the e-NV200 and a special edition LEAF.
Nissan continues to shape the future of mobility, investing significantly in Research and Development to bring pioneering technologies to as many customers as possible. The company is committed to bringing autonomous cars to market by 2020, with a differentiated offering built on simplicity, safety and accessibility.
Many of these innovations of tomorrow are already available from Nissan today, most notably through technologies that Nissan has led, including Lane Departure Warnings, Distance Control Assist, Around View Monitor and Blind Spot Intervention.
“In recent years, we’ve completely re-defined what Nissan means for our customers,” said Wilcox. “We have a track record of bringing the ‘best to the most’ first. Our award-winning crossover segment, range of EVs and the building blocks of autonomous driving – Nissan Safety Shield and Around View Mirror – are already available in our cars today.”
About Nissan in Europe
Nissan has one of the most comprehensive European presences of any overseas manufacturer, employing more than 14,500 staff across locally based design, research development, manufacturing, logistics and sales marketing operations. Last year Nissan plants in the UK, Spain and Russia produced more than 635,000 vehicles including mini-MPVs, award-winning crossovers, SUVs, commercial vehicles and the Nissan LEAF, the world’s most popular Electric Vehicle with 97% performance satisfaction and 95% of customers willing to recommend the car to friends. Nissan now offers 24 diverse and innovative products for sale in Europe today, and is positioned to become the number one Asian brand in Europe.
About Nissan Motor Co.
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan’s second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 244,500 employees globally, Nissan sold almost 5.2 million vehicles and generated revenue of 10.5 trillion yen (USD 105 billion) in fiscal 2013. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. In 2010, Nissan introduced the Nissan LEAF, and continues to lead in zero-emission mobility. The LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle launched globally, is now the best-selling EV in history with almost 50% share of the zero-emission vehicle segment.
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