Nissan Future Product Plans: More Hybrids, Fewer Models, More AI Nissan’s growth plan calls for streamlining its global lineup. It has been a year since Nissan put a new CEO in place and outlined its initial strategy to restore the company to health. Now we are getting a glimpse of the product plan behind the push to return the Japanese automaker to financial vitality in the long term. Nissan is streamlining its global portfolio to 45 models from 56 currently, and more than 80 percent of its volume will come from three families of vehicles. There is no list of the low-performing casualties or timeline for the discontinuations yet, but we do know remaining and future models are being classified into four categories or families, defined by their role in the plan. The global “Core” models will drive volume. By concentrating development around three families, the volume of each model will increase by more than 30 percent. This category includes the new 2027 Nissan Rogue Hybrid e-Power that finally comes to North America, having been on sale as the X-Trail hybrid elsewhere in the world for years. It was revealed, in production form, today at an event at Nissan headquarters in Yokohama. It also includes the Juke EV for Europe; it’s pictured at the top of this post. “Heartbeat” models are designed to embody Nissan’s DNA, imbued with emotion and innovation. The return of the Nissan Xterra SUV for the U.S. and Canada falls into this category. It is on a new body-on-frame platform that will also yield the next-generation Frontier pickup truck and Pathfinder, as well as models for the Infiniti luxury brand. For Japan, one Heartbeat model is the rear-wheel-drive Skyline, which will return as a performance sedan positioned between the Z and GT-R. Another grouping falls under