Nissan wants to get deeper into the performance game by offering more of its NISMO models in the U.S. That’s what NISMO’s global CEO Takao Katagiri told Automotive News in a recent interview.
NISMO has never been much of a performance brand in the U.S., though we’ve gotten NISMO versions of both the 350Z and 370Z and there’s currently a GT-R NISMO that’s a whopping $97,000 more than a standard GT-R. There were also briefly Juke and Sentra NISMO models and a NISMO offroad package for the Frontier. Katagiri is aware the brand hasn’t made a name for itself in America, telling AN that there are currently discussions on how to expand its offerings here.
Takao Katagiri, global CEO of Nismo, conceded that the subbrand’s expansion plans have so far been largely focused on Nissan Motor Co.’s home market of Japan. But he said the carmaker is “having lots of discussions” about how to introduce more Nismo offerings geared toward U.S. tastes.
In the rest of the world, especially Japan, NISMO offers everything from the recently introduced Note Aura e-Power all the way up to the Patrol NISMO. As for what we might get in the States, it’s hard to say. Per AN:
When we look at the U.S. market and what our competitors are doing there, I think there is a possibility [for Nismo] in the crossover and truck segments going forward,” Katagiri said at the unveiling this month of the Note Aura Nismo, a “Formula-E-inspired” revamp of the pedestrian Note Aura.
Katagiri didn’t give a definitive answer on when we could see these new NISMO models but said that “racing and marketing activities” will be the brand hold out until the new models come while reiterating that Japan was the focus of the brand.
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