Nissan looks set to significantly increase U.S. production of its top-selling Rogue compact crossover to curtail the Trump administration’s new import tariffs on autos. Citing a supplier memo, Automotive News reported on April 26 that Nissan plans to build 172,533 Rogues at its plant in Smyrna, Tennessee, for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026 – or 62,164 units more than the forecast prior to March’s tariff announcement.
Nissan
Nissan Motor Corporation is a Japanese automaker founded in 1933 and the parent automaker of Infiniti and formerly Datsun. Nissan produces a wide variety of mass-market vehicles, including popular SUVs like the Rogue, sedans like the Sentra, and trucks like the Nissan Frontier, but is also responsible for iconic sports cars like the Nissan Z and GT-R. Since 1999, Nissan has been part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance (the name changed when Mitsubishi joined in 2016).
- Founded
-
26 December 1933
- Founder
-
Yoshisuke Aikawa
- Headquarters
-
Nishi-ku, Yokohama
- Owned By
-
Publicly Traded
- Current CEO
-
Ivan Espinosa (as of 1 April, 2025)
Nissan Americas Chief Sees Tariffs As Opportunity
Nissan hasn’t made a formal announcement about any production changes related to the tariffs, though Nissan Americas Chairperson Christian Meunier told Automotive News on April 16 that the tariffs, while a challenge, create an opportunity for the automaker to further localize production.
The Rogue is Nissan’s most popular vehicle in the U.S., with sales totaling 245,724 units in 2024. Production for the U.S. is split between the Smyrna plant and a plant in Japan, which would lose production under the new plan.
Related
The Car Brands Most At Risk From Trump’s Huge Tariffs
Tariffs are nothing new in the automotive world, but for some brands, their American dream could go up in smoke.
Importing Rogues from Japan allowed Nissan to benefit from a weaker exchange rate with the U.S. According to Automotive News, Nissan earlier this year was even considering bringing more Rogues from the Japanese plant to the U.S. due to previously favorable conditions.
Nissan was also previously planning to reduce production at the Smyrna plant and another plant in Canton, Mississippi, as part of a turnaround strategy announced late last year. The strategy calls for Nissan to slash production capacity by 20% globally to reduce inventories. Two electric sedans planned for production at the Canton plant have been canceled, Nissan announced earlier in April, though the plant could receive a rugged electric SUV inspired by the earlier Xterra gas model.
Sales Are Down But There May Be Light At The End Of The Tunnel
Nissan has been hemorrhaging sales for years and attempted to merge with Honda to help it through the storm, while also facing rising competition from Chinese automakers. The merger talks fell through in February, due mostly to disagreements over governance structures, and Nissan the following month named Ivan Espinosa as CEO. It should be noted that Espinosa said Nissan and Honda never stopped engaging with each other, and there may still be collaborations in the pair’s future.
Related
The Nissonda NSXGT-R Can’t Hurt You, It Isn’t Real… Yet
The next NSX and the next GT-R could be the same car, but they’d have to remain true to their respective heritages.
As the previous planning chief, Espinosa’s appointment may signal a renewed focus on long-term strategy rather than the cost-cutting that defined the era of former CEO Carlos Ghosn, and continued with his successor Makoto Uchida, who Espinosa replaced.
Sources: Automotive News
#Nissan #Rogue #SUV #American
