Impressive Feat: Nissan Beats Toyota As Top-Selling Asian Brand

Nissan trumped Toyota to become the top-selling Asian brand in Europe in the first six months.

 

Nissan's European sales were boosted by the latest-generation Qashqai compact crossover and by gains in key markets such as the UK, France and Germany.

 

Toyota, meanwhile, has been hit by a slump in Germany, Europe's biggest market, where demand is weak for the brand's aging lineup.

 

Nissan Europe sales and marketing boss, Guillaume Cartier, said in a statement that the brand's rise to become the region's No. 1 Asian brand is a "historic moment for everyone connected to the Nissan business."

 

Cartier had told Automotive News Europe in an interview that besides passing Toyota to become Europe’s top-selling Asian brand by 2016, his aim is to remain profitable and to be Europe’s “most desirable Asian brand” in terms of products, in-car features and service.

 

Nissan's registrations in the EU and EFTA countries increased 21 percent to 303,507 through June, with market share rising to 4.1 percent from 3.7 percent a year earlier, according to data from industry association ACEA. Sales of Toyota brand cars rose 4.2 percent to 293,968. Its market share dropped a one-tenth of a percentage point to 4 percent.