They're trapped in a pretty bad place.
The Nissan brand has nothing to it. Nothing fresh, nothing exciting, nothing compelling. No one's even going to the dealership to look at whats there.
Flashy new sports cars dont sell, but they do get eyes on a brand. Unfortunately they're also hideously cost INEFFECTIVE.
Right now, Nissan sells FOUR different sedans that range from $14k -$34k. Versa, Sentra, Maxima, Altima. Can anyone explain why the hell they need four entries in the most boring segment?
They also have four SUV/Crossovers: Kicks, Rogue, Pathfinder, and Armada. Again, why?
Cut the lineup down!
They also need to figure out a hook thats going to differentiate the from everyone else. Remember when Subaru stood out as offering AWD and appealing to the outdoors market + rallycar fan? Volvo built a rep for legendary safety? Saab built its rep for being as nondescript as possible, perfect for a dentist?
We all know what Nissan needs to build:
Sell it under Nissan as a 510, with rwd and a small turbo
Sell it under Mitsubishi as an EVO, with awd and a hatchback
Sell it under Infiniti as an M2 killer, with 4 drs