Nissan Frontier Hits A Huge U.S. Production Milestone As Sales Surge

Millionth Truck Mark

Such is the growth in demand for the automotive industry that brands need to continually keep up and increase production capacity. Some models prove so popular that they become mainstays in the lineup and improve over the generations, becoming a constant source of sales and production volume.

One of Nissan's best-selling models has reached a major production milestone at an equally important production facility.

Canton, Home of The Frontier

Nissan has just announced that its Canton, Mississippi production facility has just produced its one-millionth Frontier pickup truck. The Frontier is an important model competing in the highly competitive mid-sized truck segment, providing another option for the truck crazy American market.

The Canton plant's recent production milestone underscores the Frontier's popularity in the U.S., now with over two million produced to date. It was produced in Smyrna, Tennessee, back in 1998, with production being moved to Canton in 2012. It has since become what Nissan claims "a cornerstone of the plant's operations." Recently, Nissan celebrated V6 day, which the Frontier is powered by, although the engine is produced in  Nissan's Decherd Powertrain Plant in Tennessee.

Nissan's strategy of expanding U.S. production relies heavily on the Canton, Mississippi plant, which helped expand localization from 44% to 65% in the last fiscal year. Christian Meunier, the Chairman of Nissan Americas, says, "Customers want a truck that's proven and capable, backed by a durable V6 engine and assembled with pride - right here in America."

Fastest Growing

According to Nissan, the brand is currently the fastest-growing mainstream automotive brand in America, with growth across most of its lineup. It seems, though, that a major factor in the brand's U.S. resurgence is the strength of Frontier sales. Just last May, retail sales of the truck were up 24% year-over-year, with 6,773 units sold. That's the Frontiers' best (May) sales performance since 2010.

Looking at Q1 of this year, the Frontier has lept in terms of sales, selling 21,411 units, closing the gap to first-place Chevy Colorado and increasing its advantage over third-place Ford Ranger. Currently, the mid-size truck segment has grown by 10.2% across the board.

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