Nissan's Japan and U.S. sales rise in September, but global volume drops 10.2% on China slump
Nissan sold 249,759 vehicles worldwide in September 2026, down 10.2% year on year, as growth in Japan and the U.S. was outweighed by a 61.6% collapse in China.
- 249,759 units, down 10.2% year on year
- 45,315 units, up 17.7% year on year
- 23,658 units, down 61.6% year on year
- 222,615 units, down 17.8% year on year
What Happened
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. announced sales, production and export figures for September 2026 and for the six months from April to September 2026. Japan sales rose 17.7% year on year, marking the fourth consecutive month of year-on-year growth, while the U.S. recorded 19 consecutive months of retail sales growth under its retail-first strategy. Those gains were not enough to offset weakness elsewhere: global sales fell 10.2% and global production fell 17.8% in September.
249,759vehicles
Down 10.2% year on year; global production fell 17.8% to 222,615 units.
- 45,315 units, +17.7%
- 75,401 units, +10.4%
- 23,658 units, -61.6%
- 19 consecutive months of retail sales growth under the retail-first strategy.
- U.S.-built Frontier, Pathfinder and Rogue continue to drive that momentum.
- Nissan aims to raise U.S. localization to 80% by 2030.
- INFINITI retail sales rose 20.3% year on year in September.
- Record QX80 performance, with QX65 sales up 22% versus August.
- 54,708 units, +14.0%
- 53,906 units, +16.8%
- 25,478 units, -60.5%
In China, Nissan said it is advancing its transition toward New Energy Vehicles amid increasingly intense market competition, and that the renewed N7 further enhances the model's appeal in response to evolving customer needs there. China sales fell 61.6% to 23,658 units in September and were down 45.5% to 182,854 units over April to September. Exports from Japan rose 10.1% to 27,856 units, lifted by a 52.7% jump in shipments to North America, while exports to Europe fell 42.7%.
Elgrand debuts; cumulative orders surpass 10,000 units.
Japan sales rise 17.7% to 45,315 units; global sales fall 10.2% to 249,759 units and global production drops 17.8% to 222,615 units.
Global sales total 1,355,233 units, down 11.8%; global production totals 1,237,329 units, down 13.6%.
Nissan aims to increase U.S. localization to 80%.
Previously from Nissan
Nissan's e-POWER system, as used in the all-new 2027 Rogue Hybrid, won a 2026 Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems award — the technology's first application in the U.S. market. The Rogue is one of the U.S.-built models Nissan cites in today's update as contributing to its American retail momentum.
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Nissan's official releases.
Why this matters
The figures show a two-speed carmaker: Japan and the U.S. are growing while China and other markets shrink, so global sales and production still fall overall. For a beginner, it is a clear example of how regional results can pull in opposite directions — and output outside Japan dropped 24.7% in September, which shapes how many cars Nissan builds for those markets.
Terms in This Story
- Minivehicles
- Small, tax-advantaged vehicles specific to the Japanese market, whose engine size and dimensions are capped by regulation.
- New Energy Vehicles (NEVs)
- China's regulatory category for electrified cars, covering battery-electric and plug-in hybrid models.
- Complete knocked-down
- Vehicles shipped as disassembled kits for assembly in the destination market rather than sold as finished cars.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.