Nissan Maintains Strong European Sales in April

ROLLE, Switzerland – Today, Nissan in Europe announced sales of more than 49,000 units in April despite a weakening market in Western Europe.

Overall sales were down by 4,700 units compared to a record April 2011, with monthly market share dipping slightly by 0.1% year-on-year to 3.4%.

This robust performance was achieved in a market that was down around 5% or 82,000 units against last year, mainly due to overall sluggish demand in some countries in the south of the region.

However in Eastern Europe, where demand increased by 10% versus 2011, Nissan significantly outperformed the market and achieved a 23% rise. In Russia, Nissan sold 2,500 units more than last year, boosting monthly share to 4.8% (0.6% above 2011).

Sales of the increasingly popular Juke climbed by 18% year-on-year with the UK-built compact crossover achieving the largest monthly increase of any Nissan model in April.

And in another market sector led by Nissan, the revolutionary Nissan LEAF electric vehicle tripled European sales to 563 units compared to April last year.

Nissan LEAF is the most popular electric vehicle of all time and has sold more than 27,000 units globally since its launch in December 2010. This year Europe will play an important role in the company's aim of doubling worldwide sales compared to 2011.

Nissan Europe Sales Vice President, Guillaume Cartier, said: "Considering the overall drop in demand in some regional markets, our April performance is extremely healthy and demonstrates the underlying popularity of our model range.

"We have successfully maintained our overall market share, and in some key countries including Russia, we continue to make significant gains over a very strong 2011.

"We have also seen a step-change in LEAF sales in April. I am confident we will see this trend continuing throughout the year as we launch the car in more markets, supply constraints are eased and supporting infrastructures expand and become more evolved."

About Nissan in Europe
Nissan has one of the most comprehensive European presences of any overseas manufacturer, employing more than 14,500 staff across locally-based design, research & development, manufacturing, logistics and sales & marketing operations. Last year Nissan plants in the UK, Spain and Russia produced 677,000 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 Asian brand in Europe.

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 US). 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 the prestigious 2011-2012 Car of the Year Japan, 2012 RJC Car of the Year, 2011 European Car of the Year, and 2011 World Car of the Year awards. For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/.

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Contact:

David Swerdlow
Manager, Corporate and Brand Communications
+41 21 822 4970
dswerdlow@nissan-europe.com