NISSAN-INFINITI: Improved supply, product mix provide big Q3 lift

Improving supply and an expanded model range added momentum to Nissan Group's sales recovery in the U.S. in the third quarter.

The automaker's U.S. sales accelerated 41 percent to 216,878 in the third quarter, lifting its year-to-date improvement to 29 percent.

Nissan Division sold 200,334 vehicles in the third quarter, 40 percent higher than a year earlier. Infiniti's top line grew 47 percent to 16,544 vehicles.

Judy Wheeler, Nissan Division vice president of sales and regional operations in the U.S., said sales have "bounced back nicely" in the third quarter from a year ago.

"Having more inventory has made a big difference," Wheeler told Automotive News on Tuesday. "A year ago, we were still struggling with our supply situation."

Wheeler expects sales momentum to increase in the fourth quarter through the first quarter of next year as crucial vehicles such as the Altima, Pathfinder and Rogue undergo model-year changeovers.

"That makes a big difference ... for market share growth," she said.

Wheeler said demand for small, fuel-efficient vehicles such as the Sentra, Versa and Kicks is "red hot."

"It has a lot to do with what's going on in the economy and what customers can afford," she said.

Sentra sales rose 70 percent for the quarter despite a transmission-related issue with the 2024 model, according to a retailer briefed on the matter, who requested not to be identified.

"We haven't had any [Sentras] all of September," the source said. That's an issue especially for a model with less than a 10-day supply nationwide, the retailer said.

Wheeler indicated Nissan was cautious in correcting the Sentra's issue, which she declined to provide details about.

"We did put some new technology in that vehicle," she said. "Nothing was shipped that we had any concerns about. We held them at the plant [and] we made the change. But because of that, we're about a month behind versus where we expected to be before."

Wheeler said Sentra supply should resume to dealers this month. "We have a solution, and we've worked through all of that," she said.

The Mexico-made compact sedan received a light freshen for the 2024 model.

Brands: Nissan, up 40%; Infiniti, up 47%

Notable nameplates: Nissan Frontier, down 11%; Rogue, up 49%; Pathfinder, up 2.7%; Sentra, up 70%; Altima, up 6.4%; Infiniti QX60, up 66%; QX50, down 18%; QX80, up 73%

Quote: "Customers are having a little bit of a shock when they realize three or four years ago they were at 0 percent and now they're coming in and the interest rate is substantially higher." — Judy Wheeler, Nissan Division vice president of sales and regional operations in the U.S.

Did you know? Sales of the Nissan Sentra surged 70% year-over-year despite production issues that halted output for about a month.