After a sputtering begin to the last decade, Nissan Group‘s U.S. market fortunes confirmed indicators of restoration in 2021. Nevertheless it has turned out to be short-lived.
Final yr, the Japanese automaker’s U.S. gross sales tumbled 25 p.c because the trade grappled with tight inventories and confronted a brand new menace of softening demand in a slowing financial system.
Nissan Division bought 682,731 automobiles in 2022, down 26 p.c from the yr earlier. Infiniti gross sales, in the meantime, tumbled 20 p.c to 46,619 automobiles final yr.
Within the fourth quarter, Nissan Group gross sales dipped 2 p.c to 191,012 automobiles.
Judy Wheeler, Nissan Division’s U.S. vice chairman of gross sales and regional operations, blamed chip-related provide shortages.
“We’re doing nice on [supply of] the core automobiles, however we have been brief on our smaller automobiles — Sentra, Kicks, Versa,” Wheeler instructed Automotive Information, referring to shortages of chips on these fashions.
Sentra gross sales have been down 40 p.c for the yr, Kicks was down 34 p.c, and Versa was down 78 p.c.
Semiconductor provides are “undoubtedly enhancing, however not as rapidly as we anticipated,” Wheeler mentioned. “We’re operating into completely different points with completely different suppliers.”