Nissan Motor

Nissan Motor of Origin

Nissan Motor’s origins trace back to Japan in the early 20th century, stemming from the 1911 founding of Kwaishinsha Motor Car Works, which produced the DAT car. In 1933, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. was established in Yokohama, Japan, a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer that grew from the DAT Motors company. 1911 – Kwaishinsha Motor Car Works (Tokyo, Japan), Founded by Masujiro Hashimoto.

Built its first car in 1914, called the DAT car (from the initials of investors: Den, Aoyama, Takeuchi). This marked one of Japan’s earliest steps into automobile manufacturing.

1925 – DAT Jidosha Seizo Co., Ltd.

The company was renamed, continuing to produce trucks and smaller passenger vehicles. Focused on commercial vehicles because Japan’s demand for small passenger cars was still limited.

1928 – Yoshisuke Aikawa & Nihon Sangyo (Japan Industries) Businessman Yoshisuke Aikawa created a holding company, Nihon Sangyo, abbreviated as “Ni-San”.

Birth of Nissan Motor 

1931 – DATSON (Son of DAT), DAT developed a small car called DATSON (“son of DAT”). The name was later changed to DATSUN, because “son” in Japanese also means “loss,” so “sun” was considered luckier.

1933 – Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

On December 26, 1933, Aikawa established Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. in Yokohama. This consolidated automobile production under his industrial empire.

1934, Nissan Motor officially separated from Nihon Sangyo as a dedicated automobile company.

Growth and Expansion

1930s–1940s (Pre-War & WWII Era), Nissan Motor produced cars, trucks, and military vehicles. Built relationships with Austin (UK) for technology transfer. Factories were repurposed for wartime production.

1950s–1960s (Rebuilding & Exports)

After WWII, Nissan Motor resumed civilian production.Began exporting Datsun cars to the U.S. in the late 1950s.By the 1960s, Datsun became a strong global brand, known for affordability and reliability.

1980s (Globalization & Name Change),Datsun phased out; all cars sold under the Nissan name worldwide by 1986.Expanded into luxury vehicles with the Infiniti brand (1989).

1999 – Renault–Nissan Alliance,Facing financial crisis, Nissan Motor entered a strategic alliance with Renault (France), later joined by Mitsubishi in 2016.This became one of the world’s largest automotive groups.

Restructuring & Revitalization

Leadership Change: Ivan Espinosa became CEO in April 2025, targeting to reduce vehicle development time from ~55 months to 30–37 months for enhanced responsiveness.

Operational Downsizing:

Cutting 9,000 jobs, reducing global capacity by 20%, closing plants including Oppama by FY2027, and a broader plan to shutter 7 plants and cut the workforce by up to 20,000 globally.

Product Focus: New models like the Leaf crossover, plug-in hybrid Rogue (NA), electric Micra and Leaf (Europe), and EV SUV in Mississippi (US) are in development.

Legal Challenge: Facing a class-action lawsuit in Delaware over faulty variable-compression VC-Turbo engines related to rod bearing failures in multiple models; recall expanded to ~450,000 units.

Market Position: India

Commitment to India: Nissan Motor confirms plans to launch three new vehicles by 2027, signaling continued investment in the Indian market.

Subsidiaries & Manufacturing:

Nissan Motor India Pvt Ltd (est. 2005) operates from Chennai with ~13,990 employees, and engages in producing hatchbacks, sedans, SUVs, and MUVs.

The Renault-Nissan Automotive India JV operates a plant in Oragadam near Chennai with a capacity of 480,000 vehicles/year.

Nissan Motor Personal Vehicle

Sedans & Hatchbacks

Nissan Sentra (2025) Compact sedan powered by a 2.0L four-cylinder engine delivering 149 hp.Comes standard with modern safety features like blind-spot monitoring, emergency braking, and lane departure warning.

Notable for a fuel efficiency of around 40 mpg highway and a starting price of about $22,730.

Nissan Versa (2025)

India’s and the U.S.’s entry-level sedan option. Equipped with a 1.6L four-cylinder engine (122 hp). Priced starting around $20,130, it offers good value with standard LED headlights and a maintenance care program.

However, it’s being phased out in the U.S. by 2026 due to poor sales and low profitability—leaving the Sentra as Nissan’s only sedan there.

A subcompact hatchback (referred to as Versa Note in North America) is primarily sold in Japan and parts of Europe & Asia.

The latest models come exclusively with e-Power hybrid technology, delivering an efficient 29.5 km/l (WLTC).

Nissan Motor Electric Vehicles

Flagship & Global EV Models

Nissan Leaf (3rd Generation – 2025)
Now transformed into a subcompact crossover, the third-gen Leaf features significantly improved range, estimated at over 300 miles for some variants. It adopts the North American Charging Standard (NACS) for broader fast-charging compatibility. Available worldwide.

Nissan Ariya

Nissan Motor’s modern electric compact crossover SUV, available with 63 kWh or 87 kWh battery packs. The Ariya offers impressive WLTP ranges between 402 km (250 mi) and 529 km (329 mi), with options including single-motor RWD and dual-motor AWD (e-4ORCE).

Nissan Dealership Network in India

Expansion of Touchpoints, As of April 2024, Nissan boasts 270 customer touchpoints nationwide, including showrooms, display centers, service centers, and body shops. Notably, New Delhi alone added a showroom, two display centers, and a service workshop with a body shop, reinforcing its network in the capital region.

In May 2024, Nissan further expanded its presence by opening a dealership and service workshop in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, pushing the total to 272 touchpoints across India.

Prior to that, in April 2023, Nissan reached 267 touchpoints with new outlets in Karnal (Haryana) and Khammam (Telangana), including a showroom and workshop in each location.

Earlier that year (February 2023), the company launched two new showrooms and a service center in Jaipur, boosting its Rajasthan presence to over 10 touchpoints. And by September 2023, the network had grown to 276 touchpoints, with new showrooms and service workshops added across Delhi NCR, Meerut (UP), Durgapur (WB), Howrah (WB), Jaipur (RJ), and Ahmedabad (GJ).

Dealer Quantity & Reach (as of mid-2025)

According to automotive listings, Nissan operates approximately 210 authorized car dealerships across 28 states and 119 cities.

Another source notes about 185 Nissan Motor dealers spanning 146 cities, highlighting the brand’s significant urban penetration.

Nissan Motor Dealership Coverage in India

Dealer Reach and Distribution,As of June 2025, Nissan operates approximately 342 dealerships across India. Major hubs include Chennai (11 dealers), New Delhi (9), Mumbai (9), Bengaluru (9), and Hyderabad (8).

Other reliable sources cite:CarTrade reports 303 authorized showrooms across 191 cities.CarDekho lists 185 Nissan dealers in 146 cities, showcasing consistent coverage across the country.

Regional Concentration

State-level distribution (from Poidata data):

Tamil Nadu: ~35 listings (≈10% of total)

Uttar Pradesh: ~30 listings (≈9%)

Kerala: ~25 listings (≈7%)

West Bengal: ~19 listings (≈6%)

Haryana: ~18 listings (≈5%)

Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, and Jharkhand also feature multiple locations. Prominent cities with high dealership counts include:Chennai, New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, and Kolkata.

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