Nissan remains the fastest-growing mainstream brand in the U.S. for 13 consecutive months and records 19 consecutive months of year-over-year retail sales growth

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nissan Group today reported third-quarter 2026 U.S. retail sales growth of 7.8% year-over-year, driven by strong customer demand across both the Nissan and INFINITI brands.

Nissan remained America's fastest-growing mainstream automotive brand for the 13th consecutive month and delivered its 19th consecutive month of year-over-year retail sales growth. The brand’s retail sales increased 6.8% during the quarter, driven by strong demand for its core truck and SUV lineup. Frontier remained the fastest-growing truck in the U.S., with retail sales up 44% year over year. Rogue retail sales rose 41%, and Armada retail sales increased 42%, reflecting strong customer demand across the portfolio. Pathfinder cumulative retail sales delivered its second-best third-quarter retail sales performance ever.

Nissan continued executing its strategic focus on retail sales, prioritizing customer demand through its dealer network while reducing rental fleet volume. As a result, rental fleet sales declined 45% year-over-year during the quarter and 33% year-to-date. At the same time, Nissan recorded the largest increase in customer loyalty among major automakers and improved inventory efficiency, reinforcing the company's disciplined approach to supporting long-term dealer profitability and sustainable growth.

"The most important part of this story isn't simply that we're growing, it's how we're growing," said Tiago Castro, senior vice president, U.S. Marketing & Sales, Nissan and INFINITI. "We're attracting more retail customers, improving loyalty and gaining momentum in some of the most competitive segments in the industry. We're also building a stronger, more profitable dealer network, with average Nissan dealer profitability making solid year-over-year gains during the quarter. That combination gives us confidence as the all-new 2027 Rogue Hybrid begins to arrive in dealerships this November."

Nissan's "build where you sell" strategy remains a key part of its long-term growth plan. Vehicles assembled in Nissan's Tennessee and Mississippi manufacturing facilities accounted for nearly 60% of combined Nissan and INFINITI sales through September, up 9 percentage points from a year ago. Nissan aims to increase that figure to 80% by 2030.

INFINITI posts its best Q3 retail performance since 2020

INFINITI retail sales rose 21% year-over-year in the quarter, marking the brand’s best third-quarter retail performance since 2020 and its strongest quarter-over-quarter retail sales growth since 1999.

QX60 remained INFINITI's volume leader during the quarter, while the all-new QX65 continued to attract new customers to the brand. QX65 sales increased 22% in September compared with August and accounted for 32% of retail sales volume. Meanwhile, QX80 delivered its best-ever September and third-quarter retail sales performances, helping make INFINITI the fastest-growing brand in the luxury full-size SUV segment.

NOTE: To ensure consistency in global sales reporting, Nissan North America calculates quarterly variances on a straight-percentage basis, unadjusted for the number of selling days. Third quarter 2026 had 77 selling days and third quarter 2025 had 77 selling days.

Q&A

Q: What drove Nissan's strong third-quarter retail sales growth?

A: Nissan's third-quarter performance was driven by strong customer demand across its core lineup, led by Rogue, Frontier and Pathfinder. Nissan retail sales increased 6.8% year-over-year during the quarter and September retail sales rose 13.2%, marking the brand's 19th consecutive month of year-over-year retail sales growth.  

Q: Why does Nissan consider this a strong quarter beyond sales volume?

A: Nissan recorded the largest increase in customer loyalty among major automakers, improving 3.9 percentage calendar-year-to-date through July. Rental fleet sales declined 45% year-over-year for the quarter and are down -33% CYTD versus prior year. Average Nissan dealer profitability demonstrated solid year-over-year gains during the quarter.

Q: How did INFINITI perform during the third quarter?

A: INFINITI retail sales increased 21% and total sales increased 20.4% year-over-year for the quarter. The results represent the brand's best third-quarter retail performance since 2020 and its largest quarter-over-quarter retail sales growth since 1999.

Q: What role does U.S. manufacturing play in Nissan Group's sales performance?

A: U.S. manufacturing is a key driver of Nissan’s growth. Vehicles assembled at Nissan’s U.S. plants (Rogue, Murano, Pathfinder, QX60, QX65, Frontier, Altima) are forecasted to account for nearly 60% of retail sales volume through September. This reflects growing demand for top-selling models such as Rogue, Frontier, Pathfinder and the all-new INFINITI QX65.

Q: What products are expected to drive future growth for Nissan and INFINITI?

A: The all-new 2027 Rogue Hybrid will begin arriving at U.S. dealerships in November, giving customers another option in Nissan's best-selling nameplate and strengthening the brand's position in one of the industry's most competitive segments. INFINITI expects continued momentum from its SUV lineup, including QX60, QX65 and QX80.

NISSAN DIVISION

INFINITI

NISSAN GROUP

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