The Nissan Philippines, Inc. is a joint venture between
Nissan Motor Company
, trading as Nissan Motor Corporation and often shortened to Nissan, is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The company sells its vehicles under the Nissan, Infiniti, and Datsun brands, ...
, Universal Motors Corporation and Yulon Philippines Investment Co. Ltd. for the import and distribution of Nissan
automobile
A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with Wheel, wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, pe ...
s,
multi-purpose vehicle
Minivan (sometimes called simply as van) is a North American car classification for vehicles designed to transport passengers in the rear seating row(s), with reconfigurable seats in two or three rows. The equivalent classification in Europe i ...
s (MPV) and
sport utility vehicle
A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive.
There is no commonly agreed-upon definitio ...
s (SUV) in the Philippines.
History
Nissan Motor Company entered the Philippine market in 1969 with the appointment of Universal Motors Corporation (UMC) as the authorized assembler and distributor of
Datsun
Datsun (, ) was an automobile brand owned by Nissan. Datsun's original production run began in 1931. From 1958 to 1986, only vehicles exported by Nissan were identified as Datsun. Nissan phased out the Datsun brand in March 1986, but relaunche ...
Makati
Makati ( ), officially the City of Makati ( fil, Lungsod ng Makati), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines.
Makati is the financial center of the Philippines; it has the highest concentration ...
facility. Included in the vehicles assembled were the Datsun 620 pick up with the 1.5 L J15 I4 engine. Later it brought in the
Datsun 720
The Datsun Truck is a compact pickup truck made by Nissan in Japan from 1955 through 1997. It was originally sold under the Datsun brand, but this was switched to Nissan in 1983. It was replaced in 1997 by the Frontier and Navara. In Japan, it ...
Double Cab pick-up with the carbureted L20B I4. It also did pre-delivery inspection on the
Nissan Cedric
The is a large automobile produced by Nissan since 1960. It was developed to provide upscale transportation, competing with the Prince Skyline and Gloria which were later merged into the Nissan family. In later years, the Nissan Skyline was posi ...
(Series 130, also called the Datsun 2400 Super Six), the
Nissan Laurel
The Nissan Laurel is a front-engine, rear-drive two- and four-door sedan manufactured and marketed by Nissan from 1969 to 2002. Introduced in 1968 as a new model positioned above the 1968 Datsun Bluebird 510, the Laurel offered the luxury of the ...
and the
Nissan Bluebird
The is a compact car with a model name introduced in 1957. It has been Nissan's most internationally recognized sedan, in multiple body styles, and is known for its dependability and durability. The Bluebird originated from Nissan's first vehic ...
.
In 1983, Nissan Motor Company established Pilipinas Nissan, Inc. (PNI), a joint-venture with
Marubeni
(, OSE: 8002, NSE: 8002) is a ''sōgō shōsha'' (general trading company) headquartered in Nihonbashi, Chuo, Tokyo, Japan. It is one of the largest ''sogo shosha'' and has leading market shares in cereal and paper pulp trading as well as a st ...
, to assemble and distribute Nissan passenger cars. The company took over the former Volkswagen (DMG, Inc.) assembly plant in E. Rodriguez Sr. Ave.,
Quezon City
Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...
and refitted it to meet the specifications required by Nissan Japan. The first models it assembled were the
Nissan Pulsar
The is a line of automobiles produced by the Japanese automaker Nissan from 1978 until 2000, when it was replaced by the Nissan Bluebird Sylphy in the Japanese market.
Between 2000 and 2005, the name "Pulsar" has been used in Australia and New ...
(N12) and the Nissan Stanza (T11, known elsewhere as the
Nissan Violet
The Nissan Violet is a model of car that appeared in Japan in 1973, and was exclusive to Japanese Nissan dealerships called ''Nissan Cherry Store '' as a larger companion to the Nissan Cherry.
In 1977 the second generation arrived. This was spli ...
). By this time, UMC focused on the Nissan light commercial vehicles (
SUV
A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive.
There is no commonly agreed-upon definitio ...
s and pickups). In November 1991, PNI was renamed Nissan Motor Philippines, Inc. (NMPI). In September 2000, the
Yulon
Yulon Motor Co., Ltd. () is a Taiwanese automaker and importer. Taiwan's biggest automaker as of 2010, Yulon is known for building Nissan models under license. The original romanization of the company's name is Yue Loong, but in 1992 the company ...
group acquired control of NMPI from Nissan Motor Company.
In September 2013, Nissan Motor Company reorganized its Philippine business with the establishment of Nissan Philippines, Inc. (NPI) as the sole national sales company for the Philippines, assuming direct control over the entire Philippine operations of Nissan. The new company is a joint-venture between Nissan Motor Company (51%), UMC (24.5%) and Yulon (24.5%). With the establishment of the new company, UMC and NMPI (renamed Univation Motor Philippines, Inc. in October 2014, after the Nissan reorganization) will continue as assemblers for NPI.
In January 2021, Nissan Philippines announced that it will shut down its plant in
Santa Rosa, Laguna
Santa Rosa, officially the City of Santa Rosa ( fil, Lungsod ng Santa Rosa), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city in the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Laguna (province), Laguna, Philippines. ...
in March. Ceasing local production of the
Nissan Almera
The Nissan Almera is a line of automobiles that has been manufactured by the Japanese car manufacturer Nissan since 1995. For its early generations, the Almera is a compact car (C-segment), essentially being the European export-market version ...
in which it has been assembling in the Santa Rosa plant since 2013. Although its marketing and distribution network will still continue selling its vehicles produced in Thailand and Japan.
Nissan would be the third vehicle maker in Santa Rosa to cease operations, after
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...
in 2012 and
Honda Motor Company
is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a product ...
in 2020.
Nissan has also plans for
Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation
Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) (formerly Philippine Automotive Manufacturing Corporation) is the Philippine operation of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC), where it is the second-biggest seller of automobiles.
Vehicles marketed
Current
*
Nissan Almera
The Nissan Almera is a line of automobiles that has been manufactured by the Japanese car manufacturer Nissan since 1995. For its early generations, the Almera is a compact car (C-segment), essentially being the European export-market version ...
- Locally Produced then transferred production to Thailand
*
Nissan Navara
The Nissan Navara is a nameplate used for Nissan pickup trucks with D21, D22, D40 and D23 model codes. The nameplate has been used in Australia, New Zealand, Central America, South America, Asia, Europe, and South Africa. In North, Central a ...
- Imported from Thailand
*
Nissan Terra
The Nissan Terra is a mid-size SUV manufactured by Nissan. It was launched to the public at the April 2018 Auto China. The Terra is positioned in size between the X-Trail/ Rogue compact crossover and Patrol/ Armada full-size SUV. The Terra also ...
Nissan Leaf
The , stylized as LEAF, is a Compact car, compact five-door hatchback battery electric vehicle, battery electric vehicle (BEV) manufactured by Nissan. It was introduced in Japan and the United States in December 2010, and its second generation w ...
- Imported from Japan
*
Nissan 370Z
The Nissan 370Z (known as the Fairlady Z Z34 in Japan) is a 2-door, 2-seater sports car (S-segment in Europe) manufactured by Nissan Motor Company. It was announced on October 29, 2006, and was first shown at an event in Los Angeles ahead of th ...
- Imported from Japan
*
Nissan GT-R
The Nissan GT-R (Japanese: 日産・GT-R, ''Nissan GT-R''), is a high-performance sports car and grand tourer produced by Nissan, unveiled in 2007. It is the successor to the Skyline GT-R, a high performance variant of the Nissan Skyline. Alth ...
- Imported from Japan
*
Nissan Kicks
The is a subcompact crossover SUV produced by Nissan since 2016. The crossover was initially introduced as a concept car under the same name and was premiered at the 2014 São Paulo International Motor Show. Nissan claimed the concept is ins ...
- Imports from Thailand
*
Nissan Livina
The Nissan Livina is an MPV model produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Nissan. It was introduced in July 2006 by Dongfeng Nissan at the Guangzhou International Motor Show and went on sale in December 2006. Sharing the same platfor ...
- Imported from Indonesia
Former
*
Nissan Sentra
The Nissan Sentra is a series of automobiles manufactured by the Japanese automaker Nissan since 1982. Since 1999, the Sentra has been categorized as a compact car, while previously it occupied the subcompact class. Until 2006, Sentra was a reba ...
Nissan Cefiro
The is a front-engine, five passenger, mid-size passenger car manufactured and marketed by Nissan Motors over three generations. Almost all Cefiro's were marketed as four-door sedans, though a five-door wagon body style was briefly available (199 ...
(1989–2007) - Locally Produced
*
Nissan Teana
The is a mid-size sedan produced by Japanese automobile manufacturer Nissan. It was exported as the Nissan Maxima and Nissan Cefiro to certain markets. It replaces the Nissan Bluebird, Laurel and Cefiro. It shares a platform with the Nissan Ma ...
(2006–2014) - Imported from Thailand
*
Nissan Maxima
The Nissan Maxima is a full-size car manufactured and marketed by Nissan and offered as Nissan's flagship sedan primarily in North America, the Middle East, and China — and currently in its eighth generation. Having debuted for model year 1 ...
(1987–1990) - Locally Produced
*
Nissan Bluebird
The is a compact car with a model name introduced in 1957. It has been Nissan's most internationally recognized sedan, in multiple body styles, and is known for its dependability and durability. The Bluebird originated from Nissan's first vehic ...
(1990–1993) - Locally Produced
* Nissan Bluebird Altima (U13) (1993–1998) - Locally Produced
*
Nissan Altima
The Nissan Altima is a mid-size car that has been manufactured by Nissan since 1992. It is a continuation of the Nissan Bluebird line, which began in 1955.
The Altima has historically been larger, more powerful, and more luxurious than the Nissa ...
(L33) (2014–2019) - Imported from Japan
*
Nissan Terrano
The Nissan Pathfinder is a range of sport utility vehicles manufactured by Nissan since 1985. The vehicle was originally sharing Nissan's compact pickup truck platform, and having been through four generations is now in its fifth incarnation. Si ...
(1996–2000) - Imported from Japan
*
Nissan Murano
The is a mid-size crossover SUV manufactured and marketed by Nissan since May 2002 for the 2003 model year, and currently in its third generation.
As Nissan's first crossover SUV for the United States and Canada, the Murano was designed at Nissan ...
(2006–2016) - Imported from Japan
*
Nissan Vanette
The is a cabover van and pickup truck produced by the Japanese automaker Nissan from 1978 until 2011. The first two generations were engineered by Nissan's Aichi Manufacturing Division for private, personal ownership, with the last two generatio ...
Nissan Serena
The is a minivan manufactured by Nissan, joining the slightly larger Vanette. It was also marketed by Suzuki as the between 2007 and 2022. The car was engineered by Nissan's Aichi Manufacturing Division and launched in 1991 as a compact pass ...
(C24) (2002–2012) - Locally Produced
*
Nissan Grand Livina
The Nissan Livina is an MPV model produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Nissan. It was introduced in July 2006 by Dongfeng Nissan at the Guangzhou International Motor Show and went on sale in December 2006. Sharing the same platform ...
(2008–2016) - Imported from Indonesia
*
Nissan Safari
A safari (; ) is an overland journey to observe wildlife, wild animals, especially in Southeast Africa. The so-called big five game, "Big Five" game animals of Africa – lion, African leopard, leopard, rhinoceros, African elephant, elephant, a ...
Nissan Juke
The is a subcompact crossover SUV (B-segment) produced by the Japanese car manufacturer Nissan since 2010. Debuted as a production vehicle at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show in March and positioned below the C-segment Qashqai, it was introduced to ...
(2016–2021) - Imported from Thailand
*
Nissan Sylphy
The is a compact car produced by the Japanese car maker Nissan since 2000 as the successor to the Nissan Pulsar. The Sylphy has also been marketed in export markets under several other nameplates, including Pulsar, Almera, Sunny and Sentra. Fo ...
(2014–2021) - Imported from Thailand
* Nissan Power Eagle (1991–1998) - Locally Produced
*
Nissan Frontier The Nissan Frontier is a nameplate used on two different pickup truck models by Nissan:
* Nissan Frontier (international), an alternative nameplate for the NP300/Navara on some markets
* Nissan Frontier (North America), a rebadged NP300/Navara from ...
Nissan Verita
The Nissan Micra, also known as the , is a supermini car (B-segment) that has been produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Nissan since 1982.
The Nissan Micra replaced the Japanese-market Nissan Cherry. It was exclusive to Nissan Japa ...
(K11) (2000–2007) - Locally Produced
*
Nissan X-Trail
The is a compact crossover SUV produced by the Japanese automaker Nissan since 2000. Since its introduction, the X-Trail is positioned below the truck-based Xterra and Pathfinder.
Since the third-generation model, the X-Trail became the same veh ...
(T30) (2003–2014) - Imported from Japan
*
Nissan X-Trail
The is a compact crossover SUV produced by the Japanese automaker Nissan since 2000. Since its introduction, the X-Trail is positioned below the truck-based Xterra and Pathfinder.
Since the third-generation model, the X-Trail became the same veh ...
(T31) (2010–2014) - Imported from Japan
*
Nissan X-Trail
The is a compact crossover SUV produced by the Japanese automaker Nissan since 2000. Since its introduction, the X-Trail is positioned below the truck-based Xterra and Pathfinder.
Since the third-generation model, the X-Trail became the same veh ...