NISSAN: A triple whammy hit

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Nissan North America took a triple market blow in April, with U.S. sales slumping 28 percent to 87,764 cars and light trucks.

The company simultaneously pulled back from its normal volume of fleet deliveries and began easing the pressure off dealer sales-incentive programs -- at the same time the overall U.S. light-vehicle market softened.

Only one Nissan nameplate -- the newly redesigned electric Leaf -- posted a sales gain, with deliveries of the EV up only 108 (to 1,171 units) over April 2017 levels.

Nissan officials were not available to discuss the April results. Two top U.S. sales executives for Nissan and Infiniti brands both transitioned into new roles on April 1.

Nissan North America instead issued a statement on Tuesday about the 28 percent downturn:

"April was an extremely challenging month with intense competition in the U.S. market," the statement said. "Reduced retail sales along with a pullback on fleet volume contributed to lower performance from the previous year.

"We expect the situation to improve in the coming months as more new vehicles such as Nissan Kicks and the all-new Altima come into the pipeline," it said.

Brands: Nissan down 29 percent to 78,804, Infiniti down 17 percent to 8,960.

Notable nameplates: The Nissan brand's U.S. car sales fell 34 percent to 36,963 units. Altima sales dropped by nearly half to 10,400 as the brand prepares to launch a new generation of the model. The Maxima declined 62 percent for the month. Infiniti's newest model, the redesigned QX50 crossover, delivered one of the automaker's only bright spots, an 18 percent increase to 1,413.

Incentives: $3,788 per vehicle in April, down 2.9 percent from a year ago, according to ALG's forecast for the Nissan and Infiniti brands combined.

Average transaction price: $27,256, a 0.4 percent increase from a year earlier, ALG estimates.

Did you know? April 1 was the beginning of Nissan's fiscal year and marked the start of a long-term campaign to take a new approach to retailing in the U.S. market. Company officials, including Nissan Motor CEO Hiroto Saikawa, say the automaker will focus less on fleet sales and volume targets and more on dealer profitability and improved customer satisfaction.

Source: Autonews

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