Japon
Nissan
Nissan is a Japanese automaker headquartered in Yokohama, in Kanagawa Prefecture. Its roots go back to 1933, when the company Jidosha Seizou was established in Yokohama; it was renamed Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. on June 1, 1934. The name "Nissan" comes from an abbreviation used on the Tokyo Stock Exchange for the holding company Nihon Sangyo, founded by industrialist Yoshisuke Aikawa in 1928. The earlier Datsun car brand was folded into this structure and would long remain the marketing name for models sold abroad. After the Second World War, Nissan rebuilt itself and began its international expansion, notably toward the United States as early as the late 1950s. The automaker gradually dropped the Datsun name in favor of Nissan in the early 1980s. The company's modern era is marked by the Alliance forged with Renault in 1999, which rescued Nissan from a difficult financial situation and gave rise, with the arrival of Mitsubishi Motors in 2016, to the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, one of the largest automotive groups in the world. The Alliance's structure was overhauled in November 2023: Renault, which previously held 43.4% of Nissan, and Nissan now hold a balanced 15% cross-shareholding, with each partner retaining the corresponding voting rights. Nissan therefore remains an independent publicly listed company, a partner of Renault and Mitsubishi rather than a subsidiary. In North America, Nissan has been established for a long time: its North American division is based in Tennessee, and the brand assembles several of its best-selling models there. In Quebec and Canada, Nissan is among the most widely present mainstream brands, with an extensive dealer network and a lineup spanning economical sedans, crossovers, SUVs, mid-size pickups and electric vehicles.
ActivePerformanceÉlectrique / hybrideCamion / utilitairePopulairesJaponaises
History
History of Nissan
Nissan is a Japanese automaker headquartered in Yokohama, in Kanagawa Prefecture. Its roots go back to 1933, when the company Jidosha Seizou was established in Yokohama; it was renamed Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. on June 1, 1934. The name "Nissan" comes from an abbreviation used on the Tokyo Stock Exchange for the holding company Nihon Sangyo, founded by industrialist Yoshisuke Aikawa in 1928. The earlier Datsun car brand was folded into this structure and would long remain the marketing name for models sold abroad. After the Second World War, Nissan rebuilt itself and began its international expansion, notably toward the United States as early as the late 1950s. The automaker gradually dropped the Datsun name in favor of Nissan in the early 1980s. The company's modern era is marked by the Alliance forged with Renault in 1999, which rescued Nissan from a difficult financial situation and gave rise, with the arrival of Mitsubishi Motors in 2016, to the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, one of the largest automotive groups in the world. The Alliance's structure was overhauled in November 2023: Renault, which previously held 43.4% of Nissan, and Nissan now hold a balanced 15% cross-shareholding, with each partner retaining the corresponding voting rights. Nissan therefore remains an independent publicly listed company, a partner of Renault and Mitsubishi rather than a subsidiary. In North America, Nissan has been established for a long time: its North American division is based in Tennessee, and the brand assembles several of its best-selling models there. In Quebec and Canada, Nissan is among the most widely present mainstream brands, with an extensive dealer network and a lineup spanning economical sedans, crossovers, SUVs, mid-size pickups and electric vehicles.
Public founding or origin of Nissan.
Technologies
Technologies, innovations and platforms
Nissan combines four-cylinder gasoline engines and naturally aspirated or turbocharged V6s, often paired with an Xtronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) favored for fuel economy. The automaker developed e-POWER, a so-called "series" hybrid system in which the wheels are driven solely by an electric motor, with the combustion engine serving only as a generator; its third generation is arriving in North America. On the electric side, Nissan was a pioneer with the Leaf and offers the Ariya crossover, built on the Alliance's CMF-EV platform, derived from the shared modular CMF architecture. In terms of driver assistance, the Safety Shield 360 suite bundles emergency braking, blind-spot alert and rear monitoring, while ProPILOT Assist manages acceleration, braking and lane keeping, with a hands-free highway version on the Ariya.
Brand image
Identity, reputation, strengths and weaknesses
Positioning
An accessible Japanese mainstream brand with a broad lineup ranging from economical sedans to SUVs and electric vehicles, well established in North America.
Reputation
Nissan enjoys a reputation as an accessible brand offering good value for the equipment provided, but its reliability is rated as average by independent organizations, around the middle of the pack among mainstream brands. Recent models (from the early 2020s onward) post stronger reliability scores than previous generations. The main historical sore point concerns certain CVT transmissions, whose failures on older models tarnished the brand's image and still weigh on resale value compared with the segment benchmarks (Toyota, Honda). Residual value is decent without being exceptional. Reviews generally praise comfort, reasonable fuel consumption and a pleasant drive, while pointing to interiors and refinement that sometimes fall short.
Strengths
A broad, accessible lineup covering economical sedans, popular crossovers, a mid-size pickup and electric vehicles. Competitive purchase prices and a good level of standard equipment, controlled fuel consumption and well-regarded ride comfort. A pioneer of mainstream electric vehicles with the Leaf, ProPILOT driver-assistance technologies, an extensive dealer network in Quebec and a well-established North American production base.
Points to watch
Overall reliability rated as average, marked by historical CVT transmission problems on older models, which weighs on perception and resale value. Interior refinement and material quality that sometimes fall short on certain entry-level models. An electrified offering less extensive than that of some rivals while e-POWER rolls out in North America, and residual value below the segment's top benchmarks.
Models
Nissan models
Current or active models by market
Production and compatibility
Plants, tires and wheels
Production
Nissan has a major industrial presence in North America. In the United States, the Smyrna plant (Tennessee), opened in 1983, was the brand's first assembly plant in the country and is among the largest on the continent; it produces notably the Altima, the Rogue and the Pathfinder. The Canton plant (Mississippi), inaugurated in 2003, mainly assembles larger vehicles such as the Frontier pickup. In Mexico, the Aguascalientes complex produces, in high volume, entry-level models such as the Versa and the Sentra, in addition to other Mexican sites. The North American division is based in Franklin (Tennessee). Part of the lineup remains imported from Japan.
Tires and wheels
The Nissan lineup covers a wide range of sizes. Compact and subcompact sedans (Versa, Sentra) generally ride on 15- to 17-inch wheels, the Altima on 16 to 19 inches, while crossovers and SUVs (Kicks, Rogue, Murano, Pathfinder, Ariya) often go up to 17 to 20 inches. The Frontier pickup uses larger-diameter wheels. The bolt pattern varies by model and vehicle weight; you should always verify the diameter, bolt pattern and offset specific to your version. In Quebec, winter tires are mandatory: plan for a second set, sometimes on smaller-diameter steel wheels to reduce cost and protect the original wheels.