UK - Nissan beats previous sales record with significant increase.

• Nissan sold 118,061 cars in the UK in 2013, up 11.5 per cent on 2012
• Nissan market share in the UK was 5.2 per cent – sixth biggest brand in the UK
• Qashqai sold 50,211 units, up 9.9 per cent, making it UK's sixth best-selling car
• Juke sold 37,488 units, up an incredible 29.9 per cent
• Sunderland production facility output tops 500,000 for a second year

Sales records have been beaten for another year at Nissan, with 118,061 cars sold in 2013, an increase of 11.5 percent on 2012 – itself a record year.  Including LCVs, Nissan sold 128,680 vehicles in the UK, up 11.0 percent from 115,970 in 2012.

Key to these record figures were the performance of two British-built stars: the Juke and Qashqai. Despite the imminent arrival of the second-generation model – which has just arrived in UK showrooms – the Qashqai continued its remarkable success story, notching up 50,211 sales, an incredible 9.9 per cent increase on 2012 and the first time the Qashqai has topped the 50,000 mark. The figures consolidated the Qashqai’s position as the UK’s sixth best-selling car.

The Juke also enjoyed a stellar year, with sales up from 28,862 in 2012 to 37,488 in 2013 – a 29.9 per cent increase. Now in its third year, the British designed and built supermini crossover was boosted by the arrival of a Nismo version that added a sporting edge to the range.

The all-electric LEAF also had a busy year up from 699 sales in 2012 to 1,812 in 2013. As part of Nissan’s growth plan for electric vehicles, European production of a revised LEAF started at Nissan’s Sunderland production facility in April, with the model range growing substantially.

Nissan’s remarkable sales success was set against the backdrop of a record year at Nissan's Sunderland manufacturing facility, which broke the 500,000 unit production barrier for the second year in a row, building an incredible 501,756 vehicles.

NissanLCVs also proved popular with buyers in 2013, with 10,619 light commercial vehicles sold – an increase of 4.7 per cent. The NV200 and Navara were the two biggest sellers, notching up 4,230 and 4,484 sales respectively.

Jim Wright, Managing Director at Nissan GB said: “These figures prove that Nissan is continuing to reap the rewards of hard work and intelligent planning. For the Qashqai to break the 50,000 sales mark in its sixth year of production is testament to its remarkable design and value.

“I’m also immensely proud of our other British success stories, namely the Juke, new Note and LEAF. The Juke’s performance proves that British buyers value bold and innovative design, while the Note and LEAF are welcome additions to the Sunderland stable. To break the 500,000 production barrier for a second year is incredible, especially as the plant has been busy integrating new facilities for new Note and LEAF. With the new Qashqai rolling off the lines, I’m sure that 2014 will be another year to remember.”

CANADA - Nissan unveils 2015 Micra to mark a new era of value for Canadians

• 2015 Nissan Micra will combine Japanese quality, European style and heritage with unbeatable value

This week, at the Montreal Auto Show, Nissan debuted the car that will mark a new era of unbeatable value for Canadians when it arrives this spring - the all-new, 2015 Nissan Micra. Combining Japanese quality with European styling and heritage, Micra will provide Canadians with more fun, more attention to detail and more value than they've ever expected in a small car.

"Micra will change the automotive landscape and provide Canadians with the value and fun they deserve in an entry-level car," said Christian Meunier, President, Nissan Canada Inc. "With great visibility, impressive agility and excellent turning radius, Micra is designed for Canadian drivers.  It will offer a small and fuel efficient, yet spacious and fun choice - at a great price."

Available in three models, the Micra S, SV and top-of-the-line SR will be available with either a 5-speed manual transmission, or a 4-speed automatic transmission. Each model is equipped with an advanced 1.6-liter DOHC 4-cylinder engine with dual fuel injection and Twin CVTC. With no plans for the United States, Micra will truly be a Canadian car and has been extensively tested and perfected for the Canadian driver with features like heated outside mirrors, rear heater ducts (to keep backseat toes warm), 60/40 split rear seats and either 15 or 16 inch wheels – sizes that are widely available as snow tires.

"Micra will truly be a car for every Canadian," said Meunier. "It's been specifically designed for this market and has been thoroughly tested right here in Montreal in driving conditions Canadians typically face. It's ready for Canada. And we think Canada is ready for Micra."

Nissan Presents 2015 Nissan JUKE NISMO RS and NV200 Taxi
In addition to Micra, the 2015 Nissan JUKE NISMO RS also made its debut in Montreal, demonstrating the performance and styling potential that Nissan's NISMO team excels at.

With horsepower and torque increased to 215 and 210 lb-ft respectively, a new manual transmission, larger brakes, stiffer chassis and unique RS interior treatments featuring Recaro front seats,  this new model will take the already popular Nissan JUKE NISMO to an even higher level and join the Nissan lineup later this spring with pricing to be announced at a later date.

"The Nissan JUKE NISMO RS does exactly what it is meant to do – it takes a great Nissan product and makes it even more stylish and more fun to drive," said Meunier. "It's a great example of our commitment to bring new and innovative products to the market and we're excited to see welcome it to our line-up."

Rounding out Nissan's debuts was the first Canadian showing of the Nissan NV200 Taxi, demonstrating the versatility of Nissan's commercial vehicles. Currently being used in New York, the NV200 Taxi provides residents and visitors with sky views of the city improved leg room, cargo space and safety and much more. Canadian opportunities for the Nissan NV200 Taxi continue to be explored.

Montreal residents can also get up close to the world's best-selling pure electric vehicle, the Nissan LEAF, as part of CAA's EV Ride and Drive event from January 16-27 at the Palais de Congres, Hall Vigor. Powered by a standard 6.6 kW onboard charger that emits zero emissions, visitors to the show will have the opportunity to experience and learn about all the benefits of electric mobility.

New Nissan Note goes into production at Sunderland Plant

• New Nissan Note goes into production at Sunderland Plant
• £125m investment in the UK has created 2,000 automotive jobs
• UK Business Minister to attend special ceremony on production line

Nissan is today celebrating the start of production of the new Nissan Note at its record-breaking Sunderland Plant.

Already the UK’s biggest ever car plant, the new Note is set to boost production even further in Sunderland following a £125m investment by Nissan, secured for the UK with a £9.3m grant from the UK Government's Regional Growth Fund.

The official start of production is being marked at a ceremony on Line 2 at Sunderland Plant by John Martin, Nissan’s Senior Vice President for Manufacturing, Purchasing and Supply Chain Management in Europe, with the UK’s Minister of State for Business and Enterprise, Michael Fallon, in attendance.

The new Note’s design and technology has already caught the attention of customers, with Nissan dealers across Europe taking more than 14,000 pre-orders since the order books opened in July.

SVP Martin said: “The new Nissan Note is giving mainstream B-segment customers an unprecedented combination of design, technology and safety features which up to now have only been available in premium brands.

“This investment is further endorsement of our Sunderland Plant, which is now an international benchmark for productivity and quality as a result of the hard work and consistently high performance by the management and workforce.

“I would like to congratulate all of my colleagues at the plant and in our supply base on the launch of this new model, and once again thank the UK Government for their ongoing support for the automotive industry.”

In addition to vehicle assembly, the new Note has brought additional work to Nissan Sunderland Plant and its supply chain in axle production, cylinder head casting, camshaft machining and engine assembly.

In total, the upgraded Nissan Note is responsible for 2,000 new jobs in the UK automotive industry, including 400 staff at Nissan’s workforce at Sunderland, taking the number of British jobs supported by Nissan to more than 35,000.

Business Minister Michael Fallon said: "The investment by Nissan to make the Note at the world class Sunderland plant has been achieved by Government and industry working together. It provides a very welcome boost to their exceptional workforce, the North East economy and the country.

“Working in partnership with industry, our automotive industrial strategy sets out how we will secure the long term future of the sector as a UK success story by growing our share of the value chain and by getting ahead of the game in research and development on the vehicles of tomorrow.”

Designed to perfectly meet the demands of today's B segment customer, the new Nissan Note has benefited from extensive European development, tailored for European buyers. With engineering and development work for the new Note completed at the Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE) in both the UK and Spain, the new Note has been designed to perfectly meet the demands of today's small car customer.

The new Note also continues the Nissan tradition of bringing bold design and exciting new technologies to a new area of the market. Customers will benefit from a raft of innovative features relevant and useful in day to day driving.

The new Note heralds the beginning of Nissan’s busiest launch period in its history in Europe, supporting the company’s goal of becoming the number 1 Asian brand in Europe. With design, engineering and manufacturing operations all based within Europe, over 80% of the Nissan cars sold in Europe are made in Europe.