Nissan North America Sales Increase 7.7% for Record December

FRANKLIN, Tenn., Jan. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA) today reported record December U.S. sales of 100,927 units versus 93,730 units a year earlier, an increase of 7.7 percent.  Nissan Division sales also set a new December record, increasing 10.7 percent for the month to 89,937 units. Sales of Infiniti vehicles 12.1 decreased percent from the prior year, to 10,990 units.

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NNA finished the calendar year with 2011 sales totaling 1,042,534 units, with the Nissan Division seeing a record year with sales of 944,073 units and Infiniti closing the year with 98,461 deliveries.

NISSAN HIGHLIGHTS

• Nissan vehicles posted record December sales with 89,937 units, an increase of 10.7 percent over the 81,228 units sold in December 2010.
• In 2011, Nissan vehicles achieved a record, with sales of 944,073 units a 17.3 percent increase over 2010.
• The Nissan Altima continues to rank among the best-selling cars in the United States, with 25,976 units in December marking an increase of 12.9 percent over the prior year. Altima sales totaled 268,981 in 2011, a 17.3 percent increase from 2010 deliveries.
• Versa, spurred by the all-new 2012 Versa Sedan, saw record yearly sales, totaling 99,730 for 2011.
• The Rogue crossover also delivered a December record, as well as a calendar year record, with sales of 12,286 units in December (up 18.6 percent) contributing to an annual total of 124,543 a 25.1 percent increase over last year.
• Nissan's truck lineup showed significant gains over last December, up 27.5 percent led by Frontier (up 48.7 percent) and Murano (up 13.3 percent).
• Sales of the 100-percent electric Nissan LEAF totaled 954 units in December, with deliveries totaling 9,674 since the vehicle's December 2010 U.S. debut. With sales exceeding 21,000 globally, the Nissan LEAF is the world's best-selling electric car.

INFINITI HIGHLIGHTS

• Infiniti sales totaled 10,990 units for December, a decrease of 12.1 percent versus 12,502 a year earlier.
• Calendar year sales for Infiniti were down 4.8 percent, with sales totaling 98,461 units in 2011 versus 103,411 units in 2010.
• Infiniti QX sales of 1,735 showed an increase of 7.8 percent for December, its best month in more than seven years, and the full-size luxury SUV had an increase of 12.7 percent 13,428 units for the year.
• With sales of 5,399 in December, the Infiniti G Sedan had its best month in 2011, contributing to an increase of 5.1 percent for the year.

"Although 2011 had some unique challenges stemming from natural disasters in Japan and Thailand and uncertain economic conditions around the globe, Nissan managed the crisis better than most, allowing our lineup to gain momentum throughout the year," said Al Castignetti, vice president and general manager, Nissan Sales. "Strong consumer demand for vehicles like the Altima, Rogue, Versa and LEAF helped propel us to a record 2011. With new core Nissan models on the way, we expect 2012 to be even better."

NOTE: To ensure consistency in global sales reporting, Nissan North America calculates monthly variances on a straight-percentage basis, unadjusted for the number of selling days. December 2011 had 27 selling days, as did December 2010.

About Nissan Americas

In the Americas, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing.  Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and was recognized as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency in 2010 and 2011. More information, including photos and video b-roll, on Nissan in North America, the Nissan LEAF and zero emissions can be found at www.nissanusa.com.

About Nissan

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 248,000 employees globally, Nissan provided customers with more than 4.1 million vehicles in 2010, generating revenue of 8.77 trillion yen ($102.37 billion U.S.). With a strong commitment to developing exciting and innovative products for all, Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of 64 models under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. A pioneer in zero-emission mobility, Nissan made history with the introduction of the Nissan LEAF, the first affordable, mass-market, pure-electric vehicle and winner of numerous international accolades, including 2011 World Car of the Year.

For more information on our products, services and commitment to Sustainable Mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/.

SOURCE Nissan North America, Inc.