Nissan’s Smyrna-Made Vehicles Hit Record Territory For August

Assembly of the Rogue moved to Smyrna from Japan in 2013. The company sold 21,419 Rogues last month, an increase of 24 percent over the previous August. Credit: Nissan

Franklin-based Nissan North America is celebrating big sales gains for August, and its top performers are built in Smyrna.

The company’s best-seller – the Altima – set a record for the month of August. The Rogue crossover SUV had its best month ever. So did the all-electric Leaf, which was up 32 percent over last year.

Nissan vice president of sales Fred Diaz is using words like “sensational.”

“I don’t want anybody screaming at the top of the hilltops and beating their chest or taking potshots at the competition,” he says. “We’ll stay humble about our success, but very proud at the same time.”

Nissan is still the smallest of the six major automakers with half the sales of General Motors.

Holding back Nissan’s overall monthly numbers – which were up 12 percent – is its luxury brand, Infiniti, whose sales dipped by 23 percent in August.

The Tennessee-made Passat had a bad month. Sales were down nearly 10 percent in August. However, Volkswagen points out that it has found a niche in the midsize sedan market. The diesel Passat now represents 30 percent of sales for the model.