Nissan, Infiniti April 2015 Sales Up, Again

Nissan Group total sales for April 2015 have been posted with an overall gain of 5.7 percent. The real surprise is Infiniti, however, which saw a record bump of nearly 9 percent versus the same month last year. Both Nissan and Infiniti brands posted a new record for April with this year's sales.

The Nissan division jumped 5.4 percent, setting another April record with 99,869 units moved last month. In crossovers, trucks, and SUVs, the brand's sales were up 23.7 percent with the Rogue leading the way at 44.5 percent in continued increases, which have been underway since its debut two years ago. The all-new Murano was also a sales setter, hitting 4,121 units moved for April 2015, jumping 72.9 percent over the previous model's sales last year. Other noteworthy increases were seen in the Sentra, Armada, NV200 van, and GT-R supercar.

Dragging numbers down were the discontinued Cube and year-on-year losses for the Maxima, LEAF, and Juke. The LEAF, often a star in Nissan's growth numbers, sold 1,553 units in April 2015 versus 2,088 in April 2014. Most major mainstays in the EV market saw losses as well, though the Chevrolet Volt (now on a marketing upswing thanks to the introduction of the 2016 model) saw a big jump from March sales, as did the VW e-Golf. The Chevrolet Spark EV saw massive jumps, a surprise, though totals were still under 1,000 units for the month.

Finally, of note, are import numbers for Nissan, which saw a continued downtrend as more and more domestic sourcing dwindles the need for importation to meet sales goals. Total imports were 32 percent less than in April of 2014.

Nissan's premium brand, Infiniti, posted surprise results as well. Overall, the brand's sales are up 8.8 percent for April 2015 versus April 2014, and 8.5 percent year-to-date. Leading that charge were the Q50 sedan, up 13.9 percent, the new Q70 sedan, up a massive 114.9 percent, and the QX60 and QX70 crossovers, up 24 and 18.2 percent respectively. Dragging numbers down was the Q60 coupe, showing a 55.2 percent loss for April of this year versus 2014. This brought car sales for the brand down about five percent overall while truck and SUV/crossover sales were up 23.1 percent. Infiniti has struggled to continue making headway in the luxury market, but the introduction of several exciting designs and new models has revitalized things.

Looking at the industry as a whole, Nissan's gains were relatively modest, though they're consistent growth, now working on a trend of two years without a break, is a great sign of the company's continued persistence. We expect to see more growth as the new Titan hits showrooms later this fall and new Infiniti models begin to enter dealer's lots. We're expecting to see a new Frontier and Xterra unveiled anytime now as well.