- Sales of Nissan’s Sentra and Versa have both increased by over 50 percent in the first half of 2024.
- Nissan Z sales have also picked up, with a 51 percent increase.
- However, other models like the Leaf, Murano, and Armada all saw double-digit declines.
Crossovers and SUVs still reign supreme, but the traditional three-box, four-door sedan body style is showing signs of life. Hyundai has shifted its attention to boosting production of the Sonata and Elantra, while Volvo’s S60 sales skyrocketed 281.3% in May—though even that performance couldn’t save it from being axed. Even Ford’s CEO hinted that they may return to the segment, albeit with an electric offering.
Now, the latest models to offer a Lazarus-like turn in sales numbers are the Nissan Versa and Sentra. The Sentra, a stalwart of the Nissan lineup, recorded a 55 percent increase in sales between 2023 and 2024, while the Versa faired even better, recording a 61.7 percent uptick.
Read: Nissan Wants Dealers To Sell Cars At A Loss, Up To 15% Below Invoice
Could this be a result of Nissan’s reported efforts to increase sales by offering cars below MSRP? A report in May claimed that Nissan dealers could advertise almost every car up to 10 percent below invoice.
Meanwhile, perhaps indicative of the cooling EV market and maybe the age of the product offering as well, June’s sales of the Nissan Leaf dropped by 27.6 percent. But, while the Leaf is perhaps getting ready to retire, Nissan’s more modern BEV offering, the Ariya crossover SUV, managed to report an increase in sales of 79.9 percent in the first six months of the year compared to 2023’s performance.
At the other end of the performance spectrum, but fairing similarly in terms of sales, the recently culled Nissan GT-R’s market share shrunk by 30.4 percent. However, the Z sportscar managed an impressive increase of 50.8 percent.
Meanwhile, the aging third-generation Murano appears to be falling out of favor with buyers, with a 56.9 percent drop in sales so far this year. The Armada SUV, reportedly being advertised by dealers at 15 percent lower values than invoice, moved 33 percent fewer units than last year.