Nissan has revamped one of its more popular lightweight ¡±kei cars¡± as part of a refresh of the Japanese carmaker¡¯ aging lineup.
The fourth-generation Roox will go on sale by the end of the year for ?1.6 million ($10,800), the company said Friday. The new model has better mileage, more safety features and built-in connectivity.
Kei cars account for about a third of Japan¡¯s automobile market and the Roox, a gasoline-powered automobile initially released in 2009, has sold an average of 80,000 units per year, making it one of the more popular kei models among the three that Nissan sells. The carmaker is releasing the vehicle as it looks to cut costs, eliminate jobs and shutter factories.
¡°We don¡¯t take the situation lightly,¡± Chief Production Specialist Yuuki Tanaka told reporters at Nissan¡¯s headquarters in Yokohama. ¡°We¡¯re constantly thinking about our lineup.¡±
Japan¡¯s best-selling kei car is Honda¡¯s N-BOX, which sold more than 200,000 units in 2024. Nissan¡¯s Sakura, also a kei-sized electric car that sells more than 20,000 units annually, is the best-selling battery-powered vehicle in Japan.
Nissan¡¯s plan to roll out a spate of new models, including electric vehicles, gas-electric hybrids and gasoline cars, is part of Chief Executive Ivan Espinosa¡¯s plan announced in May to get Nissan back on its feet.
Weak sales in the United States and China were compounded by an outdated model lineup and revolving door leadership, forcing Nissan into its worst financial crisis since French carmaker Renault rescued it from near bankruptcy some 26 years ago.
The carmaker warned of big losses as it pushes forward with a costly turnaround plan. Last month, it forecast ?180 billion in operating losses for the April-September period, and withheld guidance for the fiscal year ending March 2026.
Espinosa also announced plans to cut 20,000 jobs and reduce manufacturing capacity to 10 sites from 17. In July, Espinosa said the company was going to cease production at its flagship domestic factory in Oppama, where it first produced the Leaf, the world¡¯s first mass-market EV.
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