“When we glance at the U.S. market place and what our competitors are performing there, I think there is a probability [for Nismo] in the crossover and truck segments going ahead,” Katagiri claimed at the unveiling this month of the Observe Aura Nismo, a “Method-E-influenced” revamp of the pedestrian Observe Aura.
The Take note Aura Nismo, which goes on sale this fall, adds to a domestic Nismo lineup that is made up of variations of the GT-R, Fairlady Z, Leaf electric car and March compact.
In the U.S., by distinction, Nissan sells only the GT-R Nismo, owning marketed out of the 370Z Nismo forward of the comprehensive redesign landing following spring. It can be a superior guess that the upcoming-gen Z will also get a Nismo treatment method.
Nismo has produced halting headway on its ambition to develop into a world heavyweight efficiency subbrand as opposed with the recognition of such rivals as Mercedes’ AMG, Subaru’s STI or Hyundai’s N traces.
In 2017, Katagiri announced programs to double the selection of Nissan nameplates that get the Nismo procedure and to supply a near sevenfold enhance in product sales in 5 several years. The lofty goal was to elevate world wide Nismo deliveries to 100,000 vehicles in the early 2020s, from some 15,000 in 2016.
Nissan now declines to even give sales figures for Nismo.
In the U.S., Nissan has experimented with Nismo variations of the Juke subcompact crossover and the Sentra sedan. And this spring, in the Middle East, Nissan launched the Patrol Nismo SUV. That deal could foreshadow how Nissan handles upcoming light-weight vehicles for the U.S.
But any significant North American expansion of Nismo could be some time coming. Katagiri didn’t offer a timeline but mentioned racing and advertising and marketing pursuits will fill the hole in the meantime.
“Nismo is a world brand name. But when it arrives to its actual company, Nismo closely relies on Japan at the minute,” Katagiri explained. “In overseas marketplaces, the U.S. and Europe bundled, the so-identified as globalization of Nismo is one thing we are heading to do from now on.”
Naoto Okamura contributed to this report.
