Comeback kings: How Nissan turned around its sales slump with new X-Trail, Qashqai and Pathfinder SUVs

What a difference a year can make. In January 2023 Nissan was dealing with the harsh reality of a very disappointing 2022 sales performance, but fast forward 12 months and the Japanese brand is back on track.

After finishing 2022 with its total sales down more than 35 per cent, Nissan needed a big year in 2023 to cut off any concerns about its future. However, as we wrote in January 2023, there were always reasons for Nissan management to be optimistic, with the new-generation Qashqai, X-Trail and Pathfinder all arriving in showrooms in the last 18 months.

The result is a complete turn around in '23, with sales up more than 48 per cent and the brand selling nearly 13,000 more cars than it did the previous year. It still wasn't enough to return the brand to the top 10 on the sales charts for the first time since 2021, but it was a clear move in the right direction.

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Still, the turnaround for the individual models is remarkable. The Qashqai finished '22 down 90.6 per cent with just 542 sales as the brand transitioned between outgoing and incoming models. In '23 Nissan sold 6614 Qashqai putting its sales growth at more than 999 per cent, making it the centrepiece for the resurgence.

Not that the X-Trail, the brand's most popular model, didn't make a significant contribution. Once again, 2022 was blighted by the switch between an old and new model so sales declined by 42.7 per cent. With a full year of the new X-Trail, sales spiked 61.9 per cent, reaffirming its place as Nissan flag-bearer.

It seems the new-generation Navara cannot come soon enough for the brand, but it’s unlikely to reach showrooms until 2025. (image: Thanos Pappas)

The Pathfinder remains a relatively small performer in the large SUV segment, but its 1401 sales in 2023 was a 645 per cent improvement on 2022, which is more good news for Nissan.

Add to that both the Juke (+15.9%), Patrol (+36.5%) and Z (+248%) were all significantly up on the previous year and its clear Nissan has steadied the ship.

Add to that both the Juke (+15.9%), Patrol (+36.5%) and Z (+248%) were all significantly up on the previous year and its clear Nissan has steadied the ship.

The only area for concern is the Navara, which declined 15 per cent in '23, following a 32.3 per cent drop in '22 (specifically the 4x4 model). It now only outsells the Volkswagen Amarok, SsangYong Musso and Jeep Gladiator in that segment of the market, which is a far cry from as recently as 2021 when it was the sixth best-selling 4x4 ute. It seems the new-generation Navara cannot come soon enough for the brand, but it's unlikely to reach showrooms until 2025.

The question now becomes how far can Nissan climb in 2024?  It has no all-new models due this year, with the Ariya electric SUV confirmed for local sale but without a specific timeframe locked in. So, can Nissan continue the momentum for the X-Trail and Qashqai? Time will tell but it's clear the brand's hopes rest squarely on those two key models.