Nissan to Invest Over US$700 million in Mexico

During the San Marcos Fair, Nissan announced an investment of more than US$700 million over the next three years to strengthen its manufacturing arm in Aguascalientes.

"Mexico plays an important role within Nissan's global operations, both as one of the main markets for vehicle sales and as an export hub for dozens of markets around the world. This US$700 million investment in our operations will ensure that we remain leaders in Mexico, while delivering cutting-edge vehicles and technology that excite our customers around the world," said Jérémie Papin, Chairperson, Nissan Americas.

The investment announced for the automaker’s plants in Aguascalientes will target the improvement of facilities, advanced automation, retrofitting and personnel training. Nissan will become more competitive through the implementation of new manufacturing technologies, the company said.

In Jan. 2022, Nissan announced the dismissal of 562 workers from its CIVAC Morelos plant, following the production move of Versa and V-Drive to Aguascalientes plant 1, as reported by MBN. Despite semiconductor shortages, Versa production saw a 5-percent growth in 2021 when compared with 2020, with 137,084 units. Versa remains a key model for the domestic market too, with 59,844 units sold in 2021.

Nissan entered 2022 as the domestic sales leader for the 12th uninterrupted year and celebrated its 60th anniversary of manufacturing operations in Mexico in 2021, as reported by MBN. The Japanese automakers dominated different segments throughout the year. Versa, NP300, March and Sentra are located in the Top 10 in sales, while Nissan pick-ups make up four out of every 10 sold in the country. Mexico is one of the four main sales markets for Nissan, the company said.

"By reaffirming our commitment to Mexico here at the San Marcos fair, Nissan shows its appreciation for the support we receive from our partners and community," said José Román, President and CEO, Nissan Mexicana, NIBU. "Nissan is a Japanese brand with a great legacy in Mexico, becoming an international manufacturing benchmark thanks to the commitment of our team to deliver the highest quality vehicles to our customers."

During the San Marcos Fair, which yearly hosts over 7 million visitors in Aguascalientes, Nissan presented an exhibition to show how its manufacturing operations work, with robots, collaborative robots and human interaction. The exhibition also included Nissan vehicles, from the Datsun Bluebird 411, manufactured in 1966 to the newest products of the brand, such as Frontier V6 PRO-4X.