Sales jump 14.3% as Nissan Kicks becomes the company’s best-selling car in the region
Nissan’s vehicle sales jumped 14.3% in Latin America in fiscal year 2017, propelling the company to a record sales volume and market share in the region as customers embraced models including the Nissan Kicks crossover.
Nissan sold 207,000 vehicles in Latin America in the 12 months ended March 31, the most since the company started operations in the region in 2014. Market share rose to 4.7%.
Among the highlights:
Brazil: Sales increased 26% from a year earlier. The Nissan Kicks, launched just two years ago, now accounts for 46% of the company’s sales in the market. The crossover was the best-selling car in its segment in March, with a 19% market share, and ranked ninth among all vehicles sold in Brazil.
Argentina: Nissan’s sales in Argentina set a record, surging 71.1% from a year earlier, after just two and a half years of operating through its affiliate. The company also established the base for its expansion plan with a new plant in Cordoba.
Colombia: Nissan ended the fiscal year in third place in the market, with a share of 9.3%, and positioned itself as the highest-selling vehicle importer. The company also consolidated its leadership in pickups with the Nissan Frontier.
Chile: Sales rose 16%, making Nissan fourth in market share. The company led the SUV segment for the second straight year with a 12% share.
Peru: Nissan consolidated its growth in Latin America with the opening of the new subsidiary Nissan Peruin January 2018. It closed the fiscal year with a market share of 4.8%.
“The end-of-year figures for fiscal year 2017 confirm that Latin America has great development potential for Nissan,” said José Luis Valls, chairman of Nissan Latin America.
Nissan has refreshed its lineup in Latin America and introduced new technologies under Nissan Intelligent Mobility, the company’s vision for changing how cars are powered, driven and integrated into society. These have been key factors in the company’s growth strategy in the region.
“We’re confident in our strategy,” said Valls. “We’re growing quickly – quicker than the industry itself – and our range of award-winning vehicles is meeting the needs of our customers in Latin America.”
The Nissan Kicks is the best example. Not only is it the first crossover specifically inspired by and designed for Latin America; it’s also the most comprehensive vehicle in its segment in terms of technology. The Kicks has received several awards, including FIPA’s “Best SUV of the Year.” Launched in 2016, the model consolidated itself in 2017 as Nissan’s best-selling vehicle in the region. Customers have bought more than 80,000 Nissan Kicks cars since it was first launched. The model ranks in the top three in its segment in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and Panama.
Another major achievement in 2017 was the Nissan Frontier. The pickup has received 10 awards from automotive media in Brazil, including “Best Pickup of the Year.” Production of the Frontier will begin in the second half of 2018 at the new plant in Cordoba. The factory is Nissan’s second-largest investment project in the region after the Resende Industrial Complex in Brazil.
Nissan’s performance in Latin America is the result of its client-oriented strategy and its portfolio of products and services of premium Japanese quality.
