Nissan focuses on US production to improve reputation with buyers, dealers

Nissan is reportedly preparing to ramp up its US manufacturing capacity to minimize the need for imports in the second-largest automotive market.

Speaking to reporters in Detroit, Nissan’s VP of sales and marketing for the US, Fred Diaz, suggested that the company aims to manufacture 85 percent of its US sales volume within the country “in the very near future,” as quoted by The Detroit News.

The executive suggests Nissan began increasing investment in North American manufacturing during the recent recession, spending approximately $5 billion to expand production in the US and Mexico. The strategy is said to have added 8,000 jobs in the US over the past five years, increasing capacity by 22 percent and boosting exports by 100,000 units.

The shift is said to be part of a broader strategy aimed at improving the Japanese automaker’s reputation with buyers and dealers, though it is also expected to improve the bottom line.

Alongside the manufacturing changes, the company will also be relying on a handful of redesigned models to help it grow market share in the US and abroad. A new Maxima and Titan are expected to arrive within the next year, while the Rogue and Murano are set to arrive sooner.