Nissan Motor is aiming to cut its vehicle development timelines by roughly half, drawing on processes used by Chinese automakers, with a target cycle of 30 months for new models.
In an interview with Nikkei Asia, president Ivan Espinosa said the next-generation Skyline, due to be unveiled this winter, will be the first model built under this new approach.
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Its development period stands at 26 months, down from 55 months for the outgoing version.
The company intends to apply the revised process to 90% of its vehicle programmes by fiscal 2026, saying faster development would allow it to react more swiftly to shifting consumer demand and regulatory requirements.
The strategy draws on knowledge gained from Nissan’s Chinese joint venture with Dongfeng Motor.
The Dongfeng Nissan N7 electric model, which launched in April 2025, took around two years to develop, roughly half the time previously required.
Nissan also intends to standardise chassis platforms and core components so that several models within a family can share parts.
Espinosa said the first large-frame vehicle family would be built at the company’s Canton plant in Mississippi.
This includes five SUVs and pickups, among them Infiniti-branded models, plus one vehicle produced for Mitsubishi Motors under an OEM arrangement, with launches expected from fiscal 2028.
Nissan expects three vehicle families, including a compact range built in Japan, to make up 80% of global sales.
Nissan’s worldwide sales dropped 6% year-on-year to 3.15 million units in fiscal 2025, with Japan sales down 13% to around 400,000 units, the lowest January-to-May figure since 1993.
The company is targeting annual sales of 550,000 units in Japan by fiscal 2030, supported by seven new model launches over about a year, starting with the redesigned Leaf, which went on sale in January, and the returning Skyline.
A model positioned between the Note and Serena is also under consideration.
Nissan said it may shift production of some existing models to its Tochigi plant in Japan to improve factory utilisation, given weaker demand for the Leaf and Ariya.
In April, Nissan said 90% of its models would be fitted with AI-based autonomous driving systems, having partnered with Wayve on the technology.
Espinosa said discussions with Honda Motor on possible collaboration are continuing, with an announcement on North American production co-operation possible soon.
