Nissan Sales VP talks fresh products and new playbook: ‘We’re here to stay’

Nissan’s Senior VP of U.S. Marketing and Sales, Vinay Shahani, is crystal clear on the company’s turnaround strategy–-which is to tackle the challenges one quarter at a time. 

The details: During Auto Forum New York, Shahani discussed some core elements of Nissan’s turnaround plan—with a focus on meeting the various needs of its customer base and its dealer body as the market changes.  

• One of the core elements of the strategy, noted Shahani, is to be able to react in real-time amid the shifting global and political dynamics impacting the industry, with several new people in place to help lead that charge.   

• Nissan is also looking to build on its recent progress, with sales up about 6% for the first quarter of 2025 compared to last year, and up 10% for the month of March.

• Another pivotal component of the turnaround plan includes a host of new products in the pipeline—many of which were spotlighted in a Nissan showcase held in late March.  

Worth noting: At the event, Shahani also spoke about the need to elevate the perception of both Nissan and Infiniti through marketing, spotlighting the new Infiniti QX 80 as an example of how the company’s products far exceed their current brand image in the market.  

Zooming in: Shahani also zeroed in on some key facets of navigating the company’s turnaround plan while mitigating the impact of the tariffs, regardless of if Nissan can secure an auto partner, following the collapse of a potential merger with Honda.    

• The company will continue to work on improving the relationship with its dealer body and being transparent about what the company is doing to meet the challenges.

• Nissan will assess the competition and dial up Nissan’s vehicle production in the U.S., where needed and possible. 

• The automaker has “plenty of supply on the ground” that provides the company with a couple of months to decide how to handle potential price increases.

Bottom line: Shahani’s quarter-by-quarter assessment of Nissan’s turnaround, coupled with the company’s recent sales numbers, should ease some short-term concerns among stakeholders. However, with reports as recent as late March that Nissan is still actively seeking a partner, the automaker’s long-term viability should be viewed with a degree of caution.  

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