Here we will see the answer to the question ‘Who Owns Nissan?’
Introduction
Headquartered in Nishi-Ku, Yokohama in Japan, Nissan Motor Corporation is a multinational corporation. Nissan was said to be the sixth biggest automaker on the planet after General Motors, Toyota, Hyundai Motor Group, Ford, and Volkswagen Group. Nissan however is the Japanese brand leading in China, Mexico, and Russia. It was also the largest automobile manufacturer in the North American region in 2014. With worldwide sales of 320,000 EV (electric vehicles) Nissan Motor Corp. became the world’s largest EV manufacturer in April 2018.
The parent organization of Nissan Motor Corporation is the Renault Group. As of 2013, Renault has voting rights in Nissan with a 43.4% stake. Nissan Motors has been a part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance since 1999. Mitsubishi was included only in 2016. It is a partnership between Nissan, Renault of France, and Mitsubishi Motors of Japan. If considered together, this strategic partnership is the fourth-largest automaker in the world. The Alliance became the biggest seller of light vehicles worldwide by 2017. This entity together holds 10 different automaker brands all over the world. These brands include Datsun, Venucia, Infiniti, Alpine, Lada, Dacia, and Renault-Samsung.
Nissan also has a stake in the Renault Group of 15% but they hold no voting rights. Nissan however partly owns Mitsubishi with a 34% stake in the company. The acquisition was completed in October 2016 with the chairman of Renault, Nissan, and the Alliance- Carlos Ghosn, becoming the chairman of the Mitsubishi Motors too and remaining so until his dismissal.
Nissan Latest Line UP
The 2021 and 2022 lineup that the company has planned has kept its customers excited.
2022 Nissan Pathfinder is Nissan’s latest take on the original Pathfinder that was released thirty-five years ago. The 2022 version has more space and much more advanced technology than the original one. It is also much more rugged and styled which is appealing to the customers. The cabin room provides for three rows for seven to eight passengers. The test track result showed that the 2022 Pathfinder SL with its front-wheel-drive takes 6.7 seconds to reach the speed of 60 miles per hour. The starting price of the base model of the Pathfinder is $34,560.
Set to release in all Nissan dealerships in September 2021, the new 2022 Nissan Frontier is the third generation of the Frontier. Its base model the Frontier S is priced at $28,990 and the top-of-the-line model the Frontier Pro 4X goes up to $38,390. The horsepower generated by the engine is 310. The 3.8 liter V6 provides a smooth operation and sufficient thrust. The truck is built on the more than 62 expertise of the Nissan truck heritage. The truck is fully equipped to lead the way for midsize trucks.
The company has given a refresh to its 2018 Kicks for its 2022 model. There are no reports yet on its releasing date but a late 2021 debut is expected. The price is assumed to be between the range of $20,650 to $23,090. The new model is being released in competition with Kia’s Soul, Hyundai’s Venue, Mazda’s CX-3, and Subaru’s Crosstrek.
Nissan’s Murano is a five-passenger midsize SUV. It was redesigned previously in 2015, so customers are expecting an all-new remodeled Murano for the 2022 model. It is the most stylish vehicle out of the up-and-coming lineup of Nissan
What is Infiniti?
Founded on 8th November 1989, Infiniti is a division of Nissan that is responsible for making premium and luxury vehicles. As of 2010, it has its brand dealerships in more than 50 countries. Its main markets are China, excluding Macau and Hong Kong, and the United States of America. The chairman of the company is Peyman Kargar.
Hiroto Saikawa, the chief executive declared in January of 2018 that by 2021 the company would be transforming into an electric brand and that all their new automobiles would either be all-electric or hybrid.
Nissan Plants
It is inside the site of the Oppama Plant in Yokosuka that the central research of Nissan takes place. It began its operations in 1961 but in 1982, technical centers based in Tokyo, Tsurumi, Yokohama, and Suginami were merged and named Nissan Technical Center in the city Atsugi, Kanagawa.
Nissan Technical Center (NTC) operates jointly with its overseas operations- NTC North America, Nissan Silicon Valley Office, NTC Mexico, and Nissan Design America.
Nissan’s first software and information technology (IT) development center is based in India in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
It was with its French alliance partner- Renault that Nissan set up a manufacturing facility in Chennai by investing $990 million. This plant was set up to cater to the local market in India as well as to create a base for exporting small cars to Europe.
The first plant in England was built in 1986 which produced over 400,000 automobiles per year by the year 2007. It became the leading plant in Europe in terms of production.
As per Nissan’s website of international corporations they have manufacturing units in more than 20 countries. Japan has 14 manufacturing plants making it home to the maximum number of production units. Next in line is China with 5 plants. Other major countries that have manufacturing units of Nissan are the United States of America (3 units), Mexico (3 units), India (2 units), Malaysia (2 units), Brazil (2 units), Spain (2 units), United Kingdom (1 unit), etc.
History of Nissan
Origins of Nissan date back to 1911 when it was founded by Masujiro Hashimoto under the name Kwaishinsha Motor Car Works. Three years later, the company came out with their first car- the DAT. The car’s name was an acronym of the surnames of the three investing partners. After going through numerous name changes throughout the 1920s. It was only in 1934 that the name Nissan Motor Company was introduced.
The company started making its business globally in the late 1950s after it realized that the Datsun is what the US and Australian auto markets were missing. The Los Angeles Auto Show in the year 1958 was the first time that Nissan showed its cars and subsequently, in 1960, they chose Gardena in California, USA to open a subsidiary which was headed by Yutaka Katayama.
The Nissan Motor Company has come a long way and is now an eminent member of the prominent Nissan Group, which ranks among the most powerful business houses in Japan.
Alliance With Renault
Nissan Motor Company faced severe financial difficulties in 1999. To overcome the Monterey strain, the company allied with a company from France- Renault. Carlos Ghosn, a Renault executive was named the chief executive officer (CEO) of Nissan in June 2001. Eventually, in May 2005, he was made president of the French company. Subsequently, he was named president as well as chief executive officer (CEO) of Renault in May 2009. It was under his leadership and guidance that the ‘Nissan Revival Plan (NRP) was introduced and executed. Numerous significant economists perceive the rebound made by Nissan to be one of the most impressive corporate turnarounds ever. Carlos Ghosn, in 2017 February announced that he would be stepping down as the CEO of Nissan on 1st April 2017 but would remain the chairman of the company. He was succeeded by Hiroto Saikawa, his then deputy.
About Renault
Set up at the end of the 19th century, Renault is a French public brand. Ever since it was founded by Louis Renault, Fernand Renault, and Marcel Renault, it has grown to become a best-selling brand and very powerful globally. It has its headquarters near Paris in Boulogne-Billancourt. In 2016 the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d’Automobiles reported that Renault is ninth on the list of the world’s biggest automakers in terms of production volume. The State of France owns a 15% share of Renault. In addition to owning shares in Nissan, Renault also has a 1.55% stake in the German company Daimler AG. The company is very famous for the part it plays in motorsports, in particular, Formula 1, Formula E, and rallying.
At present, Luca de Meo is the chief executive officer (CEO) of the company. Jean- Dominique Senard is the current chairman and Clotilde Delbos is the deputy CEO.
Conclusion
With all the ups and downs that Nissan has seen and survived, it is safe to say that the automaker company is here to stay. With its new lineup and customer loyalty, they have a long way to go. Its market is vast and they develop with the changing times by introducing new technology. They cater to what the market wants.
FAQs
- Are Toyota vehicles more dependable than Nissan vehicles?
Ans: Automobiles by Toyota are reported to be much more reliable in comparison to Nissan. Toyota offers 23 cars while Nissan only has a lineup of 16 vehicles. Toyota vehicles are more likely to retain their value better than Nissan’s.
- How long do Nissan cars last?
Ans: Nissan Motor Company is known for its longevity and reliability. The durability of Nissan cars widely depends on how well they are maintained and cared for. Reports show that Nissan cars can easily travel more than 100,000 miles.
- What is the cost of fixing Nissan cars?
Ans: The average cost of maintenance for all Nissan models over 10 years is $7,600.