Nissan Achieves Record European Market Share for April

Today Nissan announced a 35% year-on-year leap in European sales for the first four months of 2011, and record market share for April.

Buoyed by the launch of new Micra and the continuing success of the pioneering Qashqai crossover, Nissan sold a total of 235,543 vehicles in January-April, an increase of more than 61,000 units versus 2010.

This performance has seen Nissan improve its share of the overall European market over the same period to 3.8% (0.9% up on last year).

April accounted for 53,840 sales, more than 20% up on 2010, securing a monthly market share of 3.5%.

In addition to robust sales of Micra and Qashqai, the Sunderland-built Juke crossover is also performing strongly with 36,500 sales so far in 2011 and nearly 60,000 since its launch last September.

The X-TRAIL SUV and Barcelona-produced Navara Pickup are also making a significant contribution with calendar year sales up by 56% and 71% respectively in the January-April period.

Bernard Loire, Vice President Sales Operations Europe, commented: "Nissan's excellent start to 2011 is continuing, with April sales nearly 9,500 units above 2010, setting an all-time record market share for the month.

"All of our major European markets have shown an impressive year-on-year improvement in the January - April period, including Russia, UK and Spain where Nissan is now the top-selling Japanese brand."

Nissan in Europe
Nissan has one of the most comprehensive European presences of any overseas manufacturer, employing more than 12,500 staff across locally-based design, research & development, manufacturing, logistics and sales & marketing operations. Last year Nissan plants in the UK, Spain and Russia produced more than 528,000 vehicles including mini-MPVs, award-winning crossovers, SUVs and commercial vehicles. Nissan now offers 24 diverse and innovative products for sale in Europe today, and is positioned to become the number one Japanese brand in Europe.

About Nissan
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second largest Japanese automotive company by volume, is headquartered in Yokahama, Japan and is an integral pillar of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 150,000 employees globally, Nissan provided customers with more than 4 million vehicles in 2010. With a strong commitment to developing exciting and innovative products for all, Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of fuel-efficient and low-emission vehicles 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 the prestigious 2011 European Car of the Year award.

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