NISSAN CEO Ivan Espinosa says it is difficult for the brand to stay relevant in the fast-paced, modern automotive industry as the Japanese marque faces immense financial turmoil.
For the Japanese financial year ending on 31 March 2026 Nissan expects to record a ¥650 billion ($A5.8b) net loss.
Furthermore, for the first time in 16 years, Nissan dropped out of the global top ten best-selling car manufacturers in the first half of 2025.
In May last year, the brand launched its Re:Nissan recovery plan, designed to achieve cost savings of ¥500 billion ($A4.5b) by closing seven of its 17 factories and cutting 20,000 jobs.
The plan also outlined Nissan’s intention to reduce the number of platforms within its line-up from 13 to seven by 2035, reduce part complexity by 70 per cent, and realign its product and market strategy.
On top of its financial difficulties, Nissan faces the unique challenges posed by the modern automotive landscape from the electric vehicle transition, economic uncertainty, and increased competition from Chinese rivals.
“There are so many things happening every morning that it’s scary,” Mr Espinosa told the Financial Times.
“The only way of coping with these is by being quicker and nimbler.”
To cope, Nissan is aiming to cut development times for its new vehicles. When the RE:Nissan plan was announced, the brand outlined a development time of 37 months for its first new model under the initiative with subsequent models being developed within 30 months.
Nissan plans to leverage what it has learned from Chinese partner Dongfeng – with which it developed its N6 plug-in hybrid and N7 battery electric sedans, Frontier Pro PHEV ute, and NX8 SUV – for its global operations.
“We’re now leveraging those capabilities to defend ourselves outside of China,” added Mr Espinosa.
The brand is also expanding its electric portfolio, unveiling the electrified Micra and next-generation Nissan Leaf last year while also launching the Ariya SUV in Australia. An electrified Nissan Juke and a BEV city car – expected to be called the Wave – are also expected soon.
Mr Espinosa said he recognised Nissan’s challenge to remain relevant in the current automotive climate.
“It’s becoming increasingly difficult for companies of our size to remain relevant in this environment,” he said.
“You need to remain open and flexible.”
Mr Espinosa also did not shut down the possibility of Nissan being sold under his stewardship.
“Anything can happen in this crazy world,” he told the Financial Times.
In 2025, Nissan sold 3.2 million vehicles globally, a decrease of 4.4 per cent from the year previous, but 2026 has started stronger for the brand with a 0.6 per cent increase in global sales in January this year compared to 2025.
As for Nissan’s sales in Australia, in 2025 the brand posted 35,511 sales locally, a considerable dip of 21.6 per cent compared to 2024.
Its best-selling model locally was the X-Trail mid-sized SUV – with 15,708 examples sold locally – accounting for 44.2 per cent of Nissan’s Australian volume in 2025.