Nissan, Infiniti Lose Ground in North America

January represented a very disappointing month for several automakers when it comes to their sales, especially in North America, often referred to as the most recession-damaged market in the whole world. Nissan today announced it sold 53,884 units in January compared to 76,605 vehicles delivered in the first month of the last year. This means the Japanese company's sales fell 29.7 percent in North America.

Obviously, the main reason is the global recession which reduced sales of most automakers, Nissan said. While the Nissan Division deliveries decreased 31.2 percent, Infiniti sales decreased by 17.7 percent, the Japanese automaker said in a press statement.

On the other hand, sales of the Nissan brand totaled 46,769 units in January, a 31.2 percent decrease versus January 2008 when the company delivered 67,961 units. The newly-launched 2009 Nissan 370Z debuted with strong sales as no less 1,280 units were delivered this month. In addition, the Rogue crossover increased its sales too, as Nissan sold 5,802 units in January 2009.

Speaking of Infiniti, total sales reached 7,115 units in January, down from 8,644 one year ago. This means that monthly sales fell 17.7 percent, Nissan wrote in a press statement. But even so, crossovers marketed under the Infiniti brand had a strong January, the parent company said, with sales of the EX up 12.5 percent over the prior year with 776 units and sales of the FX up 74.9 percent at 1,417 units.

Total Nissan sales, including both the Nissan and the Infiniti brands, reached 53,884 units in January 2009, which represent a 29.7 percent sales decrease compared to the same month of the last year. The Japanese company sold a total of 76,605 units in January 2008.