Nissan in Europe records best-ever sales and market share in 2014

Nissan has announced that it achieved a record market share in Europe of 4.0 percent in 2014, an increase of 0.3 percentage points from its 2013 market share of 3.7 percent. 2014 marks the fifth consecutive year of market share growth and a nearly 50 percent increase from 2009 levels of 2.7 percent. Together with the newly launched Datsun brand, market share is 4.1 percent.

Nissan with Datsun recorded European best-ever sales of 724,613 vehicles in 2014, an increase of 13.2 percent from 2013 sales, with December sales totalling 70,316, and increase of 28.8 percent from the prior year.

The brand's European sales were bolstered by the launch of 12 vehicles in as many months, including two new crossovers – the X-Trail and the Juke – and the all-new Pulsar, which is built in Barcelona and returned Nissan into the C-segment. The company also saw its best-ever electric vehicle sales, with 15,000 Leafs sold in Europe and 2,300 units of the new e-NV200.

Nissan also expanded its electric vehicle line-up with the introduction of the all-electric e-NV200 commercial vehicle and van, built at Nissan's expanding Barcelona plant. Nissan is leading the way in important new technologies - with more to come in 2015 both in electric cars and in autonomous driving vehicles, the future of transportation.

Meanwhile, the Nissan Qashqai crossover continues to record growing sales with more than 240,000 customers in 2014 choosing its style, efficiency and advanced technologies such as the Safety Shield. Last year the two millionth Qashqai rolled off the line in Sunderland, England, making automotive history as the fastest British-built car to reach the milestone.

For the third year running Nissan's Sunderland factory surpassed 500,000 units of production, cementing its position as the UK's most productive automotive plant. Guillaume Cartier, Nissan's senior vice-president (Sales and Marketing Europe), said: "The Nissan line-up is stronger, more cohesive and more exciting than at any time in our history. We have pushed all boundaries, with 12 launches in 12 months. We have a commitment to continue to bring more to our customers – more choice, more value and more innovative and exciting products. In 2014 we launched the e-NV200, our second electric vehicle; we strengthened our crossover line-up with the new X-Trail and new Juke; and we made the Nismo name famous worldwide."

The Leaf continues to lead the electric vehicle segment globally and sold more than 15,000 cars in Europe – more than a 30 percent increase compared to 2013. Globally Leaf owners have now driven a staggering one billion kilometres since the car's launch in 2010. Nissan says it is also No. 1 model among Nissan customers with 97 percent saying they would recommend it.

Investments to strengthen local production in Nissan's key markets have paid dividends with Nissan registering year-on-year sales growth of 17 percent in the UK, 13 percent in Spain and 19 percent in Russia combined with Datsun, where the newly launched brand contributed sales of 11,419 units. Nissan has gained market share in more than 65 percent of the European markets in which it operates. Overall, Nissan is the second-best selling Asian brand in Europe, and is the number one Asian brand in several key markets including the UK, France and Spain.