Nissan Expects Sedans To Bounce Back As Younger Buyers Don’t Want “Daddy’s” Crossover

Nissan is gearing up to the launch the 2019 Altima next month and the company expects the model to be a huge hit despite the fact that many consumers prefer crossovers instead of sedans.

Companies such as Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles have cut the number of sedans they offer, but Nissan Altima marketing manager Bruce Pillard thinks sedans will make a comeback. Speaking to The Detroit Bureau, he said “We think younger generations will buy more sedans than older generations.” He added that younger consumers “don’t want to drive daddy’s car” which is a crossover these days.

It seems unlikely that crossover sales will dip anytime soon, but Pillard probably has a point. As the publication noted, Baby Boomers grew up with station wagons but ended up buying minivans when they became adults. Minivans sales have now fallen by the wayside as most consumers opt from crossovers.

It’s possible that sedans could experience a resurgence, but they are missing the one key ingredient which helped to make station wagons, minivans and crossovers popular in the first place – added practicality.  While the Altima certainly can’t hold as much cargo as the similarly priced Rogue, Nissan has made some changes to the 2019 model which should increase its appeal. One of the biggest is the addition of all-wheel drive which is a common feature on crossovers.

Even if the Altima doesn’t sway customers away from crossovers, Nissan still expects the model to do pretty well. Americans continue to buy hundreds of thousands of sedans every year and Ford’s exit from the segment leaves a lot of potential Altima customers out there. As Pillard noted, “… if some Fusion owners want to buy an Altima, I would have no problem with that.”