Nissan has taken the crown as Europe’s best-selling Asian marque, taking over a long held from Toyota.
During the first six months of 2015, Nissan sold 384,726 cars on the continent, besting sales from the same period last year by 4.3 percent. The newfound success means Nissan now claims 4.2 percent of the overall European market. Nissan’s stellar growth showed in individual markets such as Germany (11 percent), Spain (18 percent) and the UK (with a whopping 34 percent). Nissan, incidentally, is also the UK’s largest car manufacturer.
Nissan attributes its rise in sales primarily to the Qashqai, a compact crossover not sold in the US that splits the size difference between the Juke and the Rogue. It is so popular, in fact, that Nissan corporate bedfellow Renault has just released its own rebadged version, called the Kadjar. Nissan noted that the X-Trail crossover (sold as the Rogue in the US) and the Leaf electric car helped boost sales as well.
Nissan has seen five consecutive years of growth in Europe, a feat made possible by a concerted, sustained marketing push and a constant refreshing of its model lineup. The growth is expected to continue into the second half of 2015.
Leave a Reply