Following mounting losses, a failed attempt at a merger with Honda, and its CEO faithfully stepping down from his leadership position, Japanese automaker Nissan (NSANY) has been going through the thick of it.
Poor sales and mismatched product rollouts have hurt the company’s fortunes to the point where Moody’s and other major agencies listed the automaker’s credit rating as junk status.
This pressure is a monumental task for Nissan’s current Chief Planning Officer, Ivan Espinosa. On April 1, he will become its CEO, making him responsible for reversing the tides of a perfect storm.
A teaser image depicting several new North American Nissan models. The lone vehicle without a shadow (in the front, in teal) is the new Nissan Leaf. Surrounding it are silhouettes of the Sentra, Rogue, Pathfinder, and an all-new “adventure-focused” Nissan electric SUV.
Nissan
Nissan’s “car guy” CEO delivers new cars.
Credited as being “full of energy” and “a real car guy” by outgoing CEO Makoto Uchida, Espinosa is leading the charge of Nissan’s grand future plans ahead of the formal start of his tenure.
On March 26, he helped unveil the company’s new strategy, which is centered around an array of new models for its most important markets, including North America, Europe, Latin America, and India.
Nissan’s refreshed lineup will feature cars powered by a variety of powertrain choices for its customers, including full-on gas-powered cars, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and EVs.
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According to a statement from Nissan, the U.S. and Canada will see 10 new and refreshed models by 2027, including some familiar names to Nissan fans.
It says that by mid-year 2025, it will drop more details on an all-new iteration of the Nissan LEAF, which is reimagined as a “sleek and spacious family-friendly crossover.” Nissan says that much of its guts are shared with the larger Ariya SUV, which it claims will give it substantially better range than the current model.
In addition, Nissan also said that it will introduce a “new generation” of the compact Sentra sedan and a refreshed Pathfinder SUV later this year, a plug-in hybrid version of its compact Rogue SUV, and refreshed Infiniti QX60 and QX80 models.
The automaker also says that production of an all-new version of the Rogue SUV will begin in 2026. It will be offered in gas, e-POWER hybrid, and plug-in hybrid versions. In addition, Infiniti will also release an all-new crossover SUV called the QX65 in 2026, which is described as a “stylish” coupe-style vehicle.
Nissan also stated that an all-new “adventure-focused” Nissan electric SUV will start production in Mississippi in 2027, followed by an Infiniti-branded EV in 2028. Nissan says that these new models will feature American-made batteries produced by SK On.
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Nissan Americas chairman Christian Meunier recognizes that North America is one of its key markets, noting that these actions are key to “get us back to growth and set the stage for the exciting products to come.”
“With these actions, and continued investments in our business, we expect an accelerated recovery, supported by strong sales of the fantastic new products already in market, and future models on the way. Full speed ahead!”
Last year, it sold 924,008 cars across its Nissan and Infiniti brands in the United States and 103,092 cars in Canada. These numbers reflect growth of 2.8% in the States and 12.82% in the Great White North.
Nissan is exposed to cross-border tariff risks that are present in the Trump Administration, as it currently makes U.S.-bound Sentra, Versa and Kicks models at its plant in Aguascalientes, Mexico.
However, it does make some vehicles at facilities in the U.S. The Altima, Titan, Frontier and Frontier XD are built in Canton, Missisippi, while the Murano, Pathfinder, Rogue and the Infiniti QX60 come from Nissan’s facility in Smyrna, Tennessee.
The Nissan Motor Company trades on OTC markets in the United States as NSANY and the Tokyo Stock Exchange under the ticker 7201.
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