Nissan and Infiniti Product Offensive Not Letting Up
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| The 2004 Pathfinder Armeda, Nissan's new full-size SUV, is shown here being introduced to the media at the New York Auto Show last month. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
It seems as though Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. has developed immunity towards the current automotive market recession. It is predicted that the Japanese automaker will post record profits of more than $9.1 billion CDN for its economic year that ended on March 31, 2003.
Last fall it was predicted that there could potentially be a group operating profit of $8.9 billion CDN and a group net profit of $6.0 billion CDN; both record breaking amounts. The numbers have only gone up since.
Nihon Keizai Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper, said that the skyrocketing profits are largely due to the new product line introduced in the last 2 years. The top-selling Altima leads Nissan's North American followed closely by newcomers like the Murano SUV, and the 350Z sports coupe.
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| The superb Infiniti FX35 and FX45 (shown) SUVs are two of the reasons the brand is performing as well as it is in the premium market. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
In addition, Infiniti vehicles are selling like hotcakes. The most popular choices lie in the new G35 sedan and coupe, along with the new FX35 and FX45 SUV line. The midsize M45 luxury sedan is also new in the market, boosting Infiniti's overall sales.
What's more Nissan Motor Co. will continue its relentless product offensive first with the Titan, a full-size V8 powered pickup truck coming in extended and crew cab configurations this fall, the Pathfinder Armada, a full-size SUV based on Titan architecture, and the 350Z roadster.
Soon after a full-size Infiniti luxury SUV based on the Armada platform will also become available. We can expect an updated Sentra shortly thereafter, with a next generation compact pickup and Xterra SUV to follow.