April sales: Nissan up 18%... big gains for crossovers

[lne937s]

So Nissan sales seem to be on a roll lately

http://nissannews.com/en-US/nissan/usa/ ... -u-s-sales

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nissan Group today announced total U.S. sales for April 2014 of 103,934 units, an increase of 18.3 percent over the prior year and an April record.

Nissan highlights:
•Nissan Division also set an April record at 94,764 sales in the month, an increase of 18.5 percent. This marks a monthly record for Nissan division in 13 of the last 14 months.
•Nissan Altima set an April record with 25,004 sales, an increase of 13.7 percent.
•Sales of Rogue crossovers also established an April record at 15,066, an increase of 26.6 percent.
•Versa also set an April sales record at 10,481, up 46.5 percent.
•Sentra sales increased 31.2 percent to 14,080 vehicles in April.
•Sales of the all-electric Nissan LEAF set an April record, increasing 7.8 percent to 2,088. Nissan has seen sales of LEAF, the world’s best-selling electric car, increase 33 percent so far in 2014.
•Nissan Juke deliveries also set an April record at 3,795, up 55.2 percent.

So big gains for the Rogue and Juke (up 68% so far this year). But the Altima is still king here. Over in Europe, the Qashqai and Juke have been Nissan's top 2 selling vehicles and the leaders in their respective classes for a while now...

But according to a Polk report yesterday, Compact Crossovers have taken over as the top segment in the US.

http://blog.polk.com/blog/blog-posts-by ... -time-ever



If you look at crossover-heavy automakers like Subaru, they are definitely seeing the benefit, up an industry leading 22% in April (although the WRX is seeing impressive gains, BRZ is flat and Legacy is down).
http://www.media.subaru.com/pressreleas ... pril-sales

Now, I am not sure if this trend will remain or if the weather distorted sales. But it makes me wonder if Nissan will put even more emphasis on crossovers, like they have in Europe.

[MinisterofDOOM]

Our EPA vehicle segment definitions retarded and broken. Subaru isn't crossover-heavy. They make one crossover. The XVFDJFEHENBFOFHEJFMEM CrossStarWarsTrek is not a compact crossover, it's a compatch hatchback. What kind of broken system calls the Impreza a compact hatchback but the BS Dumbname a crossover? They're the same car! What's the criteria for the change? Tacked on fender trim? In that case, 70% of '90s Buicks are crossovers. The Forester isn't a crossover, either. It's a station wagon. So is the Outback. The only crossover Subaru makes is the Tribeca.

[lne937s]

I think the term "crossover" was invented to answer the question "what the heck do you call that?" What gets lumped in there is a bit arbitrary, pulling from both "trucks" and "cars". For example, Nissan classifies the Juke as a car in sales reporting, but the Rogue, Pathfinder and Murano as trucks... all are typically considered crossovers. While you wouldn't call it an SUV, most people would consider a Forester a crossover. To your point, beyond increased ground clearance (and raised center of gravity), much of the rest seems to be how manufacturers want to classify them.

[MinisterofDOOM]

I think the term "crossover" was invented to answer the question "what the heck do you call that?"

Exactly!

[Jesda]

Blargh.

I don't know what else to say.