Nissan’s Nismo Division Embraces Electrification in 2024

Photo Source: NISSAN 

OVERVIEW

• Nismo will branch out in the electric era and present new models.
• The performance sector will debut performance crossovers and electric vehicles (EVs) but will not eliminate sports cars.
• Nissan representative suggests that the Qashqai and Juke models will be influenced by Nismo.

Nismo, the performance division responsible for the staggeringly swift Skyline GT-R, will welcome electrification and grow to incorporate new models in the coming years, stated a Nissan official. 

“The Nismo brand, we want to make it bigger, yes. For me, Nismo is the Z, is the GT-R, is the Patrol, is those performance cars. Then you say EV [electric vehicle] and Nismo? I have no issue.”

–Francois Bally, Nissan Senior Vice President and Chief Planning Officer for the Africa, Middle East, India, Europe, and Oceania regions

Earlier this year (2024), the brand unveiled the Ariya Nismo, a performance crossover boasting 429 horsepower, a more athletic design, and more precise handling components.

Nissan’s Plans for Nismo

Even though Nismo enthusiasts might be skeptical about the notion of an electric performance vehicle, it is evident that the automaker must adjust to evolving consumer needs. The question is whether meeting those demands will diminish Nismo’s image, cemented in the 1980s and 1990s and cherished by admirers of the Japanese vehicular market. That depends completely on what Nissan decides going forward. After all, it would be counterproductive to have aesthetically assertive electric crossovers with Nismo badges and no performance updates.

Nonetheless, Nissan demonstrated that it is disinclined to go down this route. As mentioned, the top-tier B9 trim for the Ariya Nismo accelerates up to 429 horsepower, significantly more than the standard model, with a peak output of 389 horsepower. Even the Nissan Leaf Nismo acquired handling updates ranging from chassis tuning to tailored suspension.

Expect More Athletic Electric Vehicles and Crossovers

It is worth noting that the Nismo treatment will not be reserved entirely for Nissan’s electric vehicles. On the contrary, Bally assured that even internal combustion engine-powered automobiles and hybrid crossovers such as the new Juke and Qashqai will be subject to a sophisticated performance iteration. “Appetite? Yes. Intention, will? Yes. As a company, you have limited resources, so you’re choosing to electrify the lineup and develop new technologies required so you have the credibility to do those [sporty] cars,” the executive announced.

Granted, while performance crossovers do not thrill avid enthusiasts, they do attract mainstream shoppers who crave something pragmatic, fast, and unique enough to draw attention. To clarify, if these vehicles sell, Nissan will receive the funding it requires to create Nismo-branded sports cars, like the Nissan Z Nismo. 

See the Progress of Nissan’s Electric Vehicles at Nissan of Fort Pierce!

The automaker has to continue expanding electrification by constructing the technical building blocks, and then sports cars will come. To that end, the next-generation GT-R will likely opt for electrification of some sort, as previewed by the eye-catching Hyper Force concept.

If you are intrigued by Nissan’s electrification evolution, please come visit Nissan of Fort Pierce or contact us at your earliest convenience. Are you excited about getting a new car? So are we. We are more than excited to help our customers; we are ecstatic. If you are searching for a new option to buy or lease, take a look at our new vehicle inventory or our quality pre-owned vehicles.