Nissan Altima named one of the “10 Most Comfortable Cars Under $30,000” by Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com

2014 Nissan Altima - KBB.com's 10 Most Comfortable Cars Under $30k

A consumer favorite and Nissan’s top-selling model in the U.S., the Nissan Altima continues to impress with its premium exterior and interior design and functionality. This week, the 2014 Altima was named one of the “10 Most Comfortable Cars Under $30,000” by Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com. The Altima finished sixth on the list, with KBB.com editors specifically citing its “notably comfortable” NASA-inspired “Zero Gravity” front seats as a selling-point.

To create the “10 Most Comfortable Cars Under $30,000” list, KBB.com editors selected cars offering comfort-oriented features that “debuted upmarket just a few years ago.” Each of the 10 vehicles start below $30,000 according to Kelley Blue Book’s Fair Purchase Price (FPP), a tool designed to show shoppers what others are paying for a specific new car. The 2014 Altima’s current FPP is $21,223 USD, among the top three most affordable on the list.

“In addition to its advanced ‘Zero Gravity’ front seats, the 2014 Altima features soft-touch armrests as well as noise absorption materials to help reduce cabin noise and improve the overall experience inside the vehicle,“ said Fred Diaz, senior vice president, Nissan Sales & Marketing and Operations. “Coupled with its innovative, stylish design and wide range of available technology features, the Altima is the perfect home-away-from-home. This honor from Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com further reaffirms our commitment to comfortable, quality products and the needs of our customers.”

With a starting MSRP of only $22,170*, the Nissan Altima is the centerpiece of the Nissan lineup. One of the top selling cars in the U.S., it offers a premium exterior and interior and driver-focused technology. Its many attributes include outstanding fuel economy of 38 mpg highway (2.5-liter engine only) and an outstanding balance of ride comfort, stability and a fun-to-drive demeanor. Altima is offered in five well-equipped models to meet a wide range of needs and budgets – and with a choice of a 182-horsepower 2.5-liter DOHC inline 4-cylinder engine or 270-horsepower 3.5-liter V6. Both engines are matched with a smooth, efficient Xtronic transmission.

To view the complete Kelley Blue Book KBB.com “10 Most Comfortable Cars Under $30,000” list, please visit http://www.kbb.com/car-reviews-and-news/top-10/most-comfortable-cars-under-30000-2014/2000011042/.

Nissan's Increased Customer Focus Leads to Higher Satisfaction Scores

Nissan’s ongoing focus on improving customer satisfaction is paying off, as indicated by the Nissan’s improvement again outpaced the improvement industry average, rising 16 index points and four rank positions among mass market brands in the latest study. This marks the third consecutive year of gains by Nissan, with a total increase of 63 index points over the period.
brand’s performance in the J.D. Power Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study, released this week. Nissan ranks 10th in sales satisfaction among mass market brands.

The annual J.D. Power SSI study is a comprehensive analysis of the new-vehicle purchase experience and measures customer satisfaction throughout the shopping and buying process.

Leon Dorssers, Nissan’s chief customer officer and vice president, Customer Quality and Dealer Network Development, said: “In order to meet our growth targets in the U.S., it is imperative that Nissan and our dealers offer both great vehicles and a great experience for our customers. Our rapid improvements in the J.D. Power SSI study show that our efforts to that end are paying off, and we remain fully committed to becoming one of the industry leaders.”

Beginning in 2011, Nissan and its dealers accelerated customer satisfaction-focused efforts, including the launch of the Nissan Customer Promise, a set of commitments to provide a fair, honest and customer-friendly environment for purchasing and owning a Nissan vehicle. In 2012, the company formed a customer experience task force and appointed Dorssers as its first chief customer officer. This task force prioritizes projects designed to enhance the customer's interaction with the company throughout the shopping, purchase and ownership experience.

A combination of all-new, core products such as Altima, Sentra, Pathfinder and Versa Note along with this intense focus on improving customer satisfaction has yielded strong sales results. Nissan sales in 2012 increased by 8.2 percent over the prior year, while 2013 sales through October are up 11 percent. In fact, sales in the first 10 months of 2013 nearly exceeded the total for all of 2011.

Nissan U.S. Sales Increase 12.9% to Set New June Record

- Nissan Division achieves record June sales, spurred by sales of Pathfinder, Altima, Sentra and LEAF –

2013 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum



Driven by demand for its highest-volume models, Nissan U.S. sales in June totaled 104,124, an increase of 12.9 percent over 92,237 units a year earlier. This marks the company's best-ever June U.S. sales performance. Nissan Division sales increased 16.1 percent to 95,010 units, also a June record. Sales of Infiniti vehicles in June totaled 9,114 units.

NISSAN HIGHLIGHTS

• Nissan Division posted 95,010 sales, a June record and up 16.1 percent from last June's 81,801 units.
• Deliveries of the Pathfinder SUV rose 208.9 percent to 8,360 units, marking the best June ever for the model. So far in 2013, Pathfinder sales are up 203.2 percent, exceeding the sales total for all of 2012.
• Sales of Nissan LEAF in June were 2,225 units, up 315.9 percent. LEAF deliveries in the first half of 2013 are at 9,839, and have already exceeded the sales total from all of 2012.
• Nissan Altima deliveries also set a new June record, increasing 23.3 percent to 26,904 units.
• Rogue sales also set a new June record at 15,518 units, up 41.1 percent.
• Combined sales of Nissan's three all-new models -- Altima, Sentra and Pathfinder -- were up 34.8 percent in June.
• June marked the first deliveries of the all-new 2014 Versa Note, the hatchback model of the industry's best-selling subcompact car. Versa Note offers class-leading fuel economy, cutting-edge technologies, an energetic exterior design, roomy and versatile interior and available activity enhancing features such as Pandora® radio compatibility and hands-free text messaging assistant, making it an ideal fit for today's buyers needs.

Fred Diaz, divisional vice president, Sales and Marketing, Nissan, said: "The redesign of our core products such as Altima, Pathfinder and Sentra is continuing to drive sales. With the introduction of the all-new Versa Note, the fourth of five all-new core models for Nissan, we expect to maintain leadership in the increasingly competitive subcompact market."

INFINITI HIGHLIGHTS

• Infiniti today reported sales of 9,114 units in June, down 12.7 percent from 10,436 units a year earlier.
• The Infiniti G Sedan saw sales of 3,659 in June, as the company prepares for the all-new Infiniti Q50 which will go on sale later this summer.
• Sales of Infiniti crossovers and SUVs are up 21.8 percent year-to-date.

NOTE: To ensure consistency in global sales reporting, Nissan North America calculates monthly variances on a straight-percentage basis, unadjusted for the number of selling days. June 2013 had 26 selling days, while June 2012 had 27 selling days.