UPDATED: March 31, 2026
NISSAN sales are down 44.7 per cent on this time last year, reflecting a continuing downward trend for the once-strong Japanese importer.
The brand has lost 1.5 market share points across the same period – down to just 2.1 per cent – a far cry from its solid standing of 5.7 per cent a decade ago.
No longer a top 10 seller, and with recent cuts to its local portfolio, Nissan appears to be struggling to maintain consumer interest. To the end of February, Nissan sold just 3646 units, placing it 14th on the local charts.
Nissan sold just 10 examples of its Z sportscar during the first two months of this year (down 73.7 per cent), 68 copies of its now defunct Juke compact SUV (down 57 per cent), 233 examples of its Qashqai small SUV (down 78 per cent), and 1323 examples of its X-Trail medium SUV (down 49.4 per cent).
Although the latter two have recently received updates that could prompt more demand, the recently introduced Ariya battery electric SUV found just 18 buyers in the same timeframe.
The now-axed Pathfinder large SUV achieved 41 sales (up 46.4 per cent on the same time last year), and the aged Patrol upper large SUV 905 units, down 20.8 per cent.
On the light commercial vehicle front, Nissan sold 102 examples of its two-wheel drive Navara (up 50 per cent year-on-year) and 946 examples of the four-wheel drive variant (down 35 per cent). This figure is of course expected to improve with the recent arrival of the fifth-generation D27 series that is based on the Mitsubishi Triton.
Nissan Australia rejected the suggestion that two months of data painted an accurate picture of the brand’s trajectory, particularly during what it described as a period of deliberate model changeovers and new product introductions.
Nissan Oceania head of communications Coughlan said the company’s focus was on “sustainable, long-term growth” rather than chasing short-term volume.
“We have taken proactive steps to run out models such as Juke and Pathfinder as part of this transition, while repositioning toward future growth segments, particularly hybrid,” Mr Coughlan said.
He pointed to expanded hybrid availability as central to the strategy, including a new X-Trail E-Power 4×2 variant arriving later this year. Mr Coughlan also indicated Nissan was close to announcing another model for the Australian market.
“While increased competition continues to impact market share across the industry, our focus remains on sustainable growth, dealer profitability, and long-term customer value,” he said.
When comparing recent sales figures with long-term statistics, however, it is evident that Nissan faces a significant challenge to arrest the decline regardless of whether the trajectory is measured over two months or two years.
Despite delivering a generous 10-year warranty to market in February last year – a move Mr Coughlan cited as evidence of the brand’s commitment to improved customer value – Nissan has contended with long waits for the Y63 Patrol and D27 Navara, and relatively expensive E-Power hybrid technology.
It has to date introduced just two of the 30 new models it promised to have in showrooms before 2030, to say nothing of the uncertainty that surrounds Nissan Motor Company globally.
Globally, Nissan sold 3.2 million vehicles last year, a decrease of 4.4 per cent on the year prior.
As recently as this month, Nissan Motor Company CEO Ivan Espinosa admitted the company was struggling to remain relevant in a fast-moving market. The company expects to record a ¥650 billion ($A5.8 billion) net loss at the end of the 2025–26 Asian financial year and has dropped out of the global top 10 best-sellers list for the first time in 16 years.
It even sold its global headquarters in Yokohama, only to lease the premises back from Mizuho Trust & Banking Co.
In May last year, the brand launched its Re:Nissan recovery plan, designed to achieve cost savings of ¥500 billion ($A4.5 billion) by closing seven of its 17 factories and cutting 20,000 jobs. The plan also outlined Nissan’s intention to reduce the number of platforms within its line-up from 13 to seven by 2035, reduce part complexity by 70 per cent, and realign its product and market strategy.
Nissan said it aims to cut new-vehicle development time significantly, reducing the time from concept to production from 37 to 30 months.
It also plans to draw on what it has learned from Chinese partner Dongfeng – with which it developed its N6 plug-in hybrid and N7 battery electric sedans, Frontier Pro PHEV ute, and NX8 SUV – for its global operations.
The brand is also expanding its electric portfolio, having unveiled the electrified Micra and next-generation Leaf last year while also launching the Ariya electric SUV in Australia. An electrified Nissan Juke and a BEV city car – expected to be called the Wave – are also expected soon.
Nissan has said the Leaf is unlikely to reach these shores and the petrol-powered Juke has exited stage left. Whether the E-Power strategy and promised wave of new models is sufficient to arrest the brand’s fall – locally and elsewhere – remains to be seen.
2016-26 Nissan sales in Australia*:
*Sales data supplied courtesy of VFACTS.
^Forecast sales based on YTD monthly volume