Nissan's Comeback Plan Is So Crazy It Might Just Work

• Nissan

Things aren’t exactly peachy for Nissan at the moment. Following a failed merger attempt with longtime rival Honda, the Japanese auto conglomerate now faces a massive restructuring. That means Nissan will eliminate thousands of jobs, shutter dozens of factories, and lose hundreds of millions of dollars in profit in the short term.

On the surface, at least, the situation looks pretty grim. But for all the doom and gloom surrounding Nissan, there are still signs of life—and it starts at the top.

On April 1, 2025, Nissan appointed company veteran Ivan Espinosa as its CEO. It was a pivotal move in the broader effort to get the brand back on track. Espinosa began his career at Nissan in 2003, advancing from a product specialist to senior leadership.

He’s also a bona fide enthusiast—even his predecessor says so. Espinosa drives his Z to work every day, and if it were entirely up to him (which, now, it is), Nissan would be building a full lineup of sports cars—from a reborn Silvia to a brand-new GT-R.

2025 Nissan Z

We’ve seen what happens when a true enthusiast takes the reins of a company. Former CEO and current Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda brought Gazoo Racing to the mainstream with cars like the GR86, GR Corolla, and GR Supra. Ford CEO Jim Farley revived the Bronco and reimagined the Mustang as the wild GTD. Even Tim Kuniskis, back leading Ram and SRT, has already made moves to steer the brands back to their enthusiast roots.

That’s not to say performance cars alone will save Nissan. Historically, in fact, usually the opposite is true. But already, Espinosa has shown he’s willing to make the hard calls required to turn around a struggling automaker. Less than a month into the job, he introduced "Re:Nissan," a seven-point recovery plan designed to get the company back on track:

• Variable Cost Reduction
• Fixed Cost Reduction
• Restructuring Manufacturing Base & Refining Efficiencies
• Reduction Of Workforce
• Revamp Development
• Redefining Market & Product Strategy
• Reinforcing Partnerships

The first major dominoes to fall under the "Re:Nissan" recovery plan came on the production side. Nissan announced it would close two manufacturing facilities as part of a broader effort to scale back from 17 plants to just 10. The Oppama plant in Japan is set to shut down by the end of 2028, while the Ciudad Industrial del Valle de Cuernavaca facility in Mexico will close next year. Soon, the company will also shutter two design studios—one in San Diego and one in Brazil.

2025 Nissan Murano

Two upcoming electric sedans for the US—one from Nissan, one from Infiniti—have also been scrapped. According to a leaked internal memo from April, "recent changes in industry market conditions" prompted the cancellations. Nissan also announced that all “advanced and post-FY26 product activities” would be suspended. As a result, more than 3,000 employees in R&D were reassigned to focus on cost-reduction initiatives.

And cost-cutting really is the name of the game here. With help from the company’s so-called "cost czar," Tatsuzo Tomita, Nissan is reexamining spending down to the smallest details—even headrests—as it aims to slash $1.7 billion in expenses by April 2027. The plan also includes reducing the global workforce by 20,000 employees.

Of course, cutting tens of thousands of jobs, shuttering factories, and canceling major projects will disrupt business in the short term. But these moves all make strategic sense for Nissan’s long-term survival.

Take the canceled electric sedans, for instance. As competitors scramble to revive combustion and hybrid models amid the recent EV downturn in the US, Nissan’s relatively slow rollout of electrification now looks like an advantage. With fewer electric models to unwind, the company can pivot more easily—without a major hit to its bottom line. At the moment, only the Ariya—leaving the US after just three years—is directly affected.

As competitors scramble to revive combustion and hybrid models amid the recent EV downturn in the US, Nissan’s relatively slow rollout of electrification now looks like an advantage.

On the sales side, Nissan has also overhauled its performance metrics. The goal? Sell more cars—even if it means taking a loss in the short term. The newly introduced "Nissan One" program incentivizes volume: Dealers earn a $350 bonus for every new vehicle sold if they hit 90 percent of their sales target, and up to $1,200 per car if they exceed 110 percent of sales.

Since its launch in May, the new strategy has already paid dividends.

Through July, Nissan’s overall US sales were down just 0.2 percent—a not-insignificant number given recent struggles. The Nissan brand itself was actually up 0.3 percent year-over-year, with over 463,000 vehicles sold. Infiniti remains a sore spot, with sales down 9.0 percent compared to the same period last year.

Still, several of Nissan’s core models are outperforming expectations in 2025. The Versa is up 41.5 percent for the year as demand for affordable cars rebounds. The Kicks has jumped 47.0 percent, while the Pathfinder—up 22.7 percent—continues to be the brand’s second-best-selling model behind the Rogue, with nearly 70,000 units sold in the first half of the year. Even the aging Murano, after a sluggish start, has jumped by an impressive 124.4 percent.

Getting more vehicles on the road is critical for Nissan right now—not just so that numbers go up, but also to get more eyes from potential buyers. And those products, by the way, are some of the most underrated on the market currently.

The Kicks is arguably the best subcompact SUV in its class. Full stop. The Murano, despite its early sales slump, remains a solid contender in the mid-size SUV space. The Z is a stylish and relatively affordable option in a segment becoming increasingly less affordable. And even as the Ariya leaves the US, Nissan still has an excellent EV in the new Leaf, which starts under $30,000.

Looking ahead, Nissan is gearing up for a product offensive. The new Sentra aims to take on the Honda Civic. A new Xterra off-road SUV is in the pipeline for 2028. And there are even rumblings of a manual performance sedan from Infiniti; the internet is already buzzing about that one.

R35 Nissan GT-R

Then there’s the big question: When will we see a new GT-R?

The good news is that Nissan knows exactly how important the GT-R is—not just to its lineup, but to its legacy. Following the recent discontinuation of the R35, rumors of an R36 are already swirling. In May, Nissan confirmed what fans wanted to hear: "The GT-R will be back, without a doubt." A new version is officially in development, even if it’s still in the early stages.

'The GT-R will be back, without a doubt.'

While many expect the next GT-R to go electric, the recent downturn in the EV market means that may no longer be set in stone. Even the "Godfather" of the GT-R hopes that the next generation GT-R keeps its gas engine. And with an enthusiast CEO now leading the charge, there’s still hope that Nissan will keep combustion alive in its iconic sports car. Fingers crossed.

For all the negativity surrounding Nissan—and there’s been plenty—there are still reasons to be optimistic. Exciting new products are in the pipeline. A bold new strategy is in motion. And tough but necessary decisions are being made to ensure long-term stability.

Things may look bad on the surface, but don’t count Nissan out just yet.

Source: Nissan's Comeback Plan Is So Crazy It Might Just Work