In 2015, Nissan’s Best-Seller Became An SUV

Nissan North America made some company history in 2015. For the first time, its best-selling model is now an SUV — the Rogue.

When Nissan came to Tennessee in the 1980s, a compact pick-up truck was its calling card. Then came the Altima sedan in 1992, which became a best-seller within a few months. And since 2001, it has been at the top for Nissan, every month. That is, until
September. Since then, the Rogue — considered a compact SUV — has taken over the company leader board.

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Read about Nissan’s sales history dating back to the first truck built in Tenn


essee

“The industry, just generally, is shifting to crossovers,” says Dan Mohnke, who oversees product marketing at Franklin-based Nissan North America. It’s one of many automakers who
haven’t been able to keep pace with SUV demand this year.

Production of the 4-cylinder Rogue moved to Nissan’s flagship plant in Smyrna in 2013, but because of its popularity, the hot-seller is also being built in Japan and Korea.

The compact Sentra is also surging, and the Altima has been
updated for 2016, which should give a boost to sales. The typically-steady seller is flat compared to 2014.
Sales of the Rogue have grown 40 percent this year.

“It shows the healthy growth of Nissan,” Mohnke says. “I think what you’re seeing is kind of the evolution of Nissan, into a very well-balanced [company] from a product portfolio standpoint, of having three horses in the stable now, instead of just one horse.”

While the Rogue is in high demand, Nissan has also had some problems with quality. This month, Nissan had to
recall 34,000 Rogues for a gearshift issue. The vehicles, which were built earlier this year in Smyrna, were slipping out of park.