Last year, Nissan’s new CEO, Ivan Espinosa, took office and implemented an emergency plan to close seven factories and lay off 20,000 employees in an effort to cut costs and reduce losses. At the company’s headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, he announced that Nissan will reduce the number of models it produces from 56 to 45 in order to shift investments toward more profitable ones.
But there was also good news, including a first look at a new lineup of models expected to lead the company out of the crisis, the renewal of several existing ones, and the return of a few iconic models to improve competitiveness, especially against Chinese and other Japanese manufacturers. Espinosa also didn’t skip the latest buzzword and promised that Nissan will integrate AI into its future models, aiming to offer high-level autonomous driving capabilities in 90% of them. The goal: Increase sales in Japan to 550,000 units per year, and in the U.S. and China to one million cars each.
Nissan Juke: The new generation updates the distinctive design lines of the compact crossover, but the big change lies beneath the surface. The next generation will be fully electric rather than hybrid like the current model, and will be produced, like its predecessor, at Nissan’s plant in Sunderland, UK. In Israel, electric vehicle sales have declined over the past two years, but in Europe the trend is the opposite. Nissan has not revealed technical details about the new model, which is expected to be based on Renault’s electric platform already used in the new 4 and 5. This move saves the Japanese company significant development costs, but will also limit the size and interior space of its next crossover, which is not expected to arrive in Israel before 2027.
Nissan X-Trail: The seven-seat crossover is also getting an update, alongside a refresh of its American version, known as the Rogue. The design continues the current direction, with the emphasis on an advanced hybrid powertrain in which the gasoline engine serves only to charge the electric battery, while power to the wheels is delivered by a single electric motor in the front-wheel-drive version and two motors in the all-wheel-drive version. The outgoing X-Trail also had such a version, but its price was too high and it struggled to compete in the market. Entry into the American market, where EV sales are declining after President Donald Trump canceled the $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicles introduced by the Biden administration, is expected to enable a significant increase in production volume and a reduction in price.
Xterra: A classic off-road SUV and one of Nissan’s hits in the U.S., which the company discontinued without a successor in 2015. Since then, Ford launched the Bronco and Toyota introduced the new 4Runner, and Nissan realized its mistake. The new Xterra will feature a ladder frame, a V6 engine, and also a hybrid version that is particularly interesting for our market. Production under American regulations will allow the model to be marketed in Israel as well, if importer Freesbe manages to bring here a competitor to the Bronco and Land Cruiser with a highly demanded powertrain they currently lack. Production is not expected before 2028.
Skyline: Espinosa confirmed that Nissan will launch a new generation of its iconic sports sedan, but beyond a few partial images, no further details were provided. Estimates suggest it will use the GTR’s powertrain, with a 3.0-liter V6 turbo gasoline engine and components based on the Infiniti Q50S. Nissan has never exported the model to Europe or the United States, but in its search for icons to lead its renewal journey, this may change. Despite not being sold globally, the model enjoys high recognition thanks to driving simulators and similar games on Japanese gaming consoles that dominate the market.