Nissan accelerates into top spot as best-selling Asian brand in Europe

• Nissan ends first half of the year as best-selling Asian brand in Europe
• 384,726 vehicles sold in first six months of 2015, up 4.3 percent on this time last year
• Success driven by Nissan's most cohesive and powerful line-up in its history

ROLLE, Switzerland – Nissan today announced record sales in the first six months of 2015, making it the top-selling Asian brand in Europe. A total of 384,726 units were sold in the first six months of 2015, representing an increase of 4.3 percent versus this time last year.

New car registrations also jumped ahead in the first half of 2015 in a number of high volume markets including the UK (+34%), Spain (+18%) and Germany (+11%)* where numbers were up versus Nissan's main competitor. Powered by consistently high sales volume of the Nissan Qashqai as well as the 100-percent electric Nissan LEAF, Nissan's market share in Europe now stands at 4.2 percent.

This success follows a record-breaking CY2014, a year in which Nissan Europe recorded the highest volume and market share in its history, with sales growing for five consecutive years. Growth looks set to continue into 2015. Only this month, Nissan's St Petersburg facility, home of the new X-Trail, celebrated the production of its 200,000th vehicle, making it the fastest growing plant in Russia. In Italy, passenger car sales increased by more than 23 percent in the first half of the year, with 32,611 units sold.

Nissan Europe senior vice president of Sales and Marketing, Guillaume Cartier welcomed the news, commenting: "What we are doing with our brand, our products and our customer service promise is clearly working. We're delighted customers have continued to put their trust in Nissan to make us the number one selling Asian brand in Europe. We will continue to challenge ourselves to bring more to our customers – more choice, more value and more innovative and exciting products."

He went on to add: "These results really are proof of our commitment to quality, performance and bringing the latest technology to the most – first. This year we are proud to be celebrating the fifth birthday of the Nissan LEAF. With 184,000 units sold globally and over 93 percent customer satisfaction rate, the LEAF remains the best-selling electric car. We couldn't have achieved this remarkable success without the support of our employees, customers, dealers, partners and suppliers, so this really is a historic moment for everyone connected to the Nissan business."

Sales of the Nissan Qashqai also continue to break records with 2.5 million units sold. The UK, which is home to European production of the award-winning Qashqai, also had a strong year having sold 88,000 vehicles in the first six months of the year – securing the highest ever passenger car market share in the brand's history. This was mirrored in France, where Nissan recorded its best ever market share of 3.7 percent for the first six months of 2015.

Nissan invests significantly in R&D and has a proven track record of delivering bold design, great quality and accessible technology to everyone, reinforcing Nissan's values of innovation and excitement. This investment is proven in our crossover leadership with the launch of the X-Trail and Juke.

About Nissan in Europe
Nissan has one of the most comprehensive European presences of any overseas manufacturer, employing more than 17,600 staff across locally based design, research & development, manufacturing, logistics and sales & marketing operations. Last financial year Nissan plants in the UK, Spain and Russia produced more than 675,000 vehicles including award-winning crossovers, small cars, SUVs, commercial vehicles and electric vehicles, including the Nissan LEAF, the world's most popular electric vehicle with 96% of customers willing to recommend the car to friends. Nissan now offers a strong line-up of 23 diverse and innovative models in Europe under the Nissan and Datsun brands.

# # #

Contact

Sara Jenkins
Corporate Communications
sjenkins@nissan-europe.com
+41(0)79 808 3397