Nissan August Sales Still Lag Despite Cash for Clunkers

Overall August sales figures for Franklin-based Nissan North America continue to lag behind those from last year, even though Cash for Clunkers gave some of the company’s vehicles a boost.

According to the Department of Transportation, the Nissan Versa was the sixth-most popular choice of new vehicle under the Cash for Clunkers program. 18-thousand were sold in August, a more than 130-percent increase over last year. The Nissan Rogue, Sentra, and Altima also saw improvement in August.

Sales for most of Nissan’s larger vehicles and trucks were down by double digits. The company’s luxury brand, Infiniti, slipped 30 percent. Overall, Nissan North America sold about 3 percent fewer vehicles than in August 2008; year-to-date totals lag almost 30 percent behind last year.