Nismo’s Dramatic Expansion Could Include Minivans And Pickups

Following confirmation that Nissan has plans to rapidly expand its Nismo high-performance division, word has surfaced that the brand could venture into minivans and pickup trucks.

Automotive News says that Nissan intends on doubling the number of Nismo-branded models and wants sales to soar sixfold in the next five years. That will mean up to 100,000 Nismos will be sold annually compared to the 15,000 delivered in 2016.

Speaking about the company’s plans for the future, chief executive of Nissan Motorsports Takao Katagiri said the demand for performance models is high and that Nismo is open to exploring new body types.

“Demand for these types of cars is about 5 to 10 percent of every market. It’s the same all over the world. We see potential in the expansion of categories,” he confirmed, adding that Nismo will start to target lifestyle vehicles and not remain fixated on sedans, hatchbacks and coupes.

Beyond its creation of a range of new models, Nissan will open Nismo-specific dealers around the world, adding to the 26 outlets that already operate in Japan.

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