Nissan today reported 2001 sales figures for Europe. The figures show a substantial decline to sales volume but the company has confirmed that European operations will post an operating profit for 2001.
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Nissan recorded retail sales of 483,990 units in Europe in 2001, down 9% from the previous year.
Nissan’s strongest volume performance was in the UK, Nissan’s biggest European national market, which saw sales rise 9% to 97,963 units reflecting the increase in total industry volume in the UK. In Western Europe, Nissan’s market share was 2.7% (flat on the previous year).
Itaru Koeda, Chairman of Nissan’s Management Committee Europe said in a statement: “In 2001, we took the decision to focus strictly on profitability. In a very competitive environment, we kept a tight control on incentive spending, which resulted in a decline in volumes in some markets.
“However, by reducing our purchasing costs, streamlining our distribution and drawing benefits from our Alliance with Renault, we have achieved the first step of returning the European business to operating profitability. This is a significant achievement in a long journey to sustainable profitability in our European operations.”
In terms of the immediate product outlook, the company highlights the importance of the new generation Primera, which will be launched across Europe in March. Two new light commercial vehicle models – the Interstar and Primastar – will also be launched this year.
