10 MILLION TENNESSEE-BUILT NISSAN

4x4magazine | 17/10/2013 | 0 Comments

Nissan celebrated two major milestones yesterday with the first U.S.-produced 2014 Nissan Rogue rolling off the line in Smyrna, Tennessee as the facility’s 10 millionth vehicles.

Nissan’s U.S. manufacturing footprint in Smyrna spans more than three decades and includes a number of iconic Nissan 4x4s Pathfinder, Xterra and Frontier.

Demand for the Rogue grew nearly 50 percent from just under 100,000 units in 2010 to 142,000 units in 2012. Calendar-year sales of Rogue through September 2013 totaled 124,669, up 13.6 percent from the prior year. Set to go on sale in November, the totally redesigned 2014 model features a stylish right-sized exterior along with flexible, roomy and inviting interior with optional 3-row/7-passenger seating.

“Momentum continues as we add new products, jobs and investment to our U.S. manufacturing operations,” said Susan Brennan, Nissan’s vice president of manufacturing in Smyrna. “For more than 30 years, the Smyrna plant has been building high-quality vehicles, and today’s milestone serves as further testament to the flexibility, efficiency and talent of our U.S. workforce.”

Nissan’s Smyrna Plant now employs more than 7,000 people with an annual payroll in excess of $275 million. The plant is home to the award-winning Altima, Maxima, Pathfinder, LEAF and Infiniti QX60, as well as the country’s largest lithium-ion automotive battery plant supporting production of the all-electric, zero-emission Nissan LEAF.