Nissan is Readying a Slew of New Products to Boost Sales and Profitability
Nissan sales have languished in recent times, but the automaker has a turnaround plan that leans on improved products that will debut over the next several months. Automotive News obtained information from a recent Nissan dealer meeting that includes outlines for an updated Murano, Rogue, Armada, and more.
The long-running Murano will enter a new generation, gaining more luxury and an updated platform. It will lose the annoying continuously variable transmission in favor of a nine-speed automatic, a move that made the Pathfinder infinitely better to drive a couple of years ago. The crossover will also get a new front end and sportier proportions, though the plan is to make the Murano more luxurious than performance-oriented.
The Rogue gains a new Rock Creek Edition with a slight lift, beefier tires, and a roof rack, similar to the upgrades Nissan gave the Pathfinder that wears the nameplate. A dealer told Automotive News, “It’s a great move because we need a masculine kind of product. But it’s a populated segment for us with all of the configurations the Rogue already has.”
Nissan also detailed plans for partnerships with Mitsubishi and Honda, which will yield accelerated development of new powertrain tech. The automaker will expand its hybrid and plug-in hybrid offerings later in the decade, with new electrified models coming to supplement its currently gas-heavy catalog.
Though the Japanese automaker’s prospects haven’t looked bright, it believes the product push and an increased focus on its marketing campaigns paint a rosier picture of the future. The changes can’t come soon enough for dealers, who have struggled with sales and profitability selling Nissan vehicles.
[Image: Jonathon Weiss via Shutterstock]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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I disagree with the author's comment on the current Murano's "annoying CVT". Murano's CVT does not fake shifts like some CVTs attempt, therefore does not cause shift shock or driveline harshness while fumbling between set ratios. Murano's CVT feels genuinely smooth and lets the (great-sounding V6) engine sing and zing along pleasantly.
Any new Infinitis in these plans? I feel like they might as well replace the QX50 with a Murano upgrade