1990s

March / Micra K11

Japan's bubble economy burst in 1991. Around the same time, customer preferences shifted and new types of vehicles such as SUVs and minivans became popular. Demand for compacts and kei cars also reached an all-time high.

During this time, industry realignments occurred on a global scale, and a number of cross-border mergers and business alliances took place among automobile manufacturers. Following its management crisis in the late 1990s, Nissan decided to strike a strategic capital alliance with France's Renault.

Representative models from this era include the new Serena minivan (1991), which remains in production today. The following year saw the debut of the Micra ( March in Japan) — the first Japanese car to win the European Car of the Year award. The Cube (1998) became a huge hit due to its innovative ease of use.

Research and development of lithium-ion batteries for automobiles that began in 1992 came to fruition with the Prairie Joy EV in 1997. It was the world's first commercial electric vehicle to use Li-ion batteries, and subsequent development of electrification technologies has centered around them.

1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999

1990

January	▪	Sunny Model B13 Cumulative production surpasses 50 million units.
February	▪	Primera Model P10 Nissan 300ZX turbo wins Motor Trend's "1990 Import Car of the Year" Award
March	▪
April	▪	Nissan North America commerce Nissan North America, Inc., the Company's regional headquarters for North American operations, is established in the United States.
May	▪	Avenir Model W10 Cumulative production at the Zama Plant surpasses 10 million units. Avenir Model W10
June	▪	Presea Model R10 Presea Model R10
July	▪	Presea Model R10 Presea Model R10
August	▪	Pulsar Model N14 Announced plan to reduce CFC gas
September	▪
October	▪	President Model JG50 Sunny California Model Y10 AD Van Model Y10 President Model JG50
November	▪	Nissan announces the launching of two companies in Thailand
December	▪	Hitachi and Nissan to set up joint-venture in car information and communications sector

1991

January	▪
February	▪
March	▪	A new distribution company, Nissan Motor (GB) Ltd., is established in the United Kingdom. (Operations begin in January 1992.)
April	▪
May	▪
June	▪	Cedric Model Y32 Gloria Model Y32 Vanette Serena/Vanette Serena Cargo Model C23 Nissan announces reorganization of parts supplier association Cedric Model Y32
July	▪
August	▪	Cima Model FY32 Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd. begins exporting its Primera 5-door Hatchback model to Japan. Nissan Skylines in top four slots in third JTC race
September	▪	Bluebird Model U13 ↳ World-first: Active Noise Control in a mass-produced vehicle Bluebird Model U13
October	▪	Atlas Model H41
November	▪
December	▪

1992

January	▪	March Model K11 Atlas Model F23 Nissan Motor Limited (NMGB) established The Hokkaido Proving Grounds is established in Hokkaido as a cold-weather testing facility. March Model K11
February	▪	Nissan captures win at Daytona 24 Hours
March	▪
April	▪	New production facility at the Kyushu Plant is completed, and production begins.
May	▪
June	▪	Leopard J. Ferie Model JY32 Nissan Motor Manufacturing Corporation U.S.A. begins production of the Altima (Bluebird). Leopard J. Ferie Model JY32
July	▪	Sales of multi-purpose vehicle "Quest" jointly developed with Ford begin in the United States.
August	▪	Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd. begins production of the Micra (March).
September	▪
October	▪	Nissan's Australia aluminum smelting and auto components factory comes on stream Cumulative domestic sales surpass 30 million units Vehicle production at Nissan Motor Manufacturing Co. (Australia) Ltd. ceases.
November	▪	Nissan establishes new design center in Germany The Micra (March) wins the Car of the Year 1993 award in Europe.
December	▪	The March wins the '92-'93 Japanese Car of the Year award and the RJC New Car of the Year 1992-1993 award in Japan.

1993

January	▪	Laurel Model C34
February	▪	Nissan Motor Iberica, S.A. begins production of a new 4WD model, the Terrano II for the European market.
March	▪	Nissan and the Zhengzhou Light Truck Factory form a joint venture, Zhengzhou Nissan Automobile Co., Ltd., for the production of commercial vehicles in China.
April	▪	President Model G50 ↳ World-first: Rear-seat SRS air bag system
May	▪	Largo Model W30 Largo Model W30
June	▪	Largo Model W30 Largo Model W30
July	▪	Crew Model K30
August	▪	Skyline Model R33 Skyline Model R33
September	▪	Nissan begins production and sales of the AD Resort wagons and pickups in Thailand and Taiwan, specifically for Asian markets. Nissan Mexicana exports AD vans to Japan
October	▪	Silvia Model S14 Nissan separates its Textile Machinery Division as an independent new company, "Nissan Texsys Co., Ltd." Silvia Model S14
November	▪
December	▪

1994

January	▪	Sunny Model B14 Production begins at Iwaki Plant Sunny Model B14
February	▪
March	▪
April	▪	Vanette Model S20 Nissan Motor Ibérica, S.A. begins its shipment of the Mistral (Terrano II) to Japan. NMUK receives the Queen's Award given to companies that have contributed to exports for the third consecutive year Nissan concludes technical assistance agreement with Samsung Heavy Industries for passenger car business
May	▪
June	▪	Mistral Model R20 Nissan to establish distributor in Hong Kong to manage vehicle/parts distribution to China
July	▪	Nissan Middle East FZE is established in Dubai, UAE as the Company's regional business management company for the Middle East.
August	▪
September	▪	Cefiro Model A32 Cefiro Model A32
October	▪
November	▪
December	▪	Rasheen Model RB14 Cumulative domestic production surpasses 60 million units. Rasheen Model RB14

1995

January	▪	Skyline Model GT-R R33 Presea Model R11 Pulsar Model N15
February	▪
March	▪	Vehicle production at the Zama Plant ceases.
April	▪	World-first: Birdview Navigation
May	▪	NMUK starts exporting Micra (March) to Australia
June	▪	Cedric Model Y33/Gloria Model Y33 Atlas Model H42 Cedric Model Y33
July	▪
August	▪
September	▪	Primera/Primera Camino Model P11 Terrano Model R50 Terrano Model R50
October	▪
November	▪
December	▪

1996

January	▪	Bluebird Model U14 Cumulative production of VQ engine tops 500,000 mark at Iwaki Plant Bluebird Model U14
February	▪
March	▪	Leopard Model JY33
April	▪
May	▪
June	▪	Cima Model FY33 Prairie Joy EV
July	▪
August	▪	Terrano Regulus Model JR50 Terrano Regulus Model JR50
September	▪	Terrano Regulus Model JR50 Terrano Regulus Model JR50
October	▪	Stagea Model WC34 Nissan's overseas production reaches 10 million units Stagea Model WC34
November	▪
December	▪

1997

January	▪	Datsun Model D22 Datsun Model D22
February	▪
March	▪
April	▪
May	▪	Elgrand Model E50 Nissan Motor Manufacturing Corporation U.S.A. commences production at a new engine and transmission plant in Decherd. Elgrand Model E50
June	▪	Laurel Model C35 Established Nissan European Technology Center (Espana) S.A.
July	▪
August	▪
September	▪	Nissan begins sales of the Primera and Bluebird with continuously variable transmission, Hyper CVT.
October	▪	R'nessa Model N30 Safari Model Y61 Safari Model Y61
November	▪	World-first: Titanium Clear Outside Mirror with super-hydrophilicity
December	▪	Nissan introduces the Lepard with direct injection gasoline engines.

1998

January	▪
February	▪	Cube Model Z10 Cube Model Z10
March	▪	Skyline GT-R wins the opening race of the All Japan GT Championship
April	▪	Aerospace Division “Tomioka Office” completed and started operation in May
May	▪	Skyline Model R34
June	▪	Presage Model U30 Nissan R390GT1 finishes in 3rd place at the Le Mans 24 Hours Nissan introduces the Presage with direct injection diesel engines.
July	▪
August	▪	Avenir Model W11
September	▪
October	▪	Sunny Model B15
November	▪	Prairie Liberty Model M12 Prairie Liberty Model M12
December	▪	Cefiro Model A33 Tino Model V10 Cefiro Model A33

1999

January	▪	Silvia Model S15 Skyline Model GT-R R34 Skyline Model GT-R R34
February	▪	Civilian Model W41 Civilian Model W41
March	▪	Tino Hybrid Nissan and Renault signs an agreement for a global alliance, including equity participation. Completed acquisition of ISO 14001 certification, the international environmental management standard, for all seven domestic production plants and product development departments.
April	▪	Transfer of water jet loom business owned by Nissan Texis Co., Ltd. to Toyota Industries Corporation.
May	▪	Wingroad Model Y11 Driving test of methanol reforming fuel cell vehicle begins
June	▪	Cedric Model Y34 Gloria Model Y34 Expert Model VW11 Serena Model C24 Vanette Model S21 AD Van Model Y11 Fuji factory and automatic transmission/continuously variable transmission development department were separated and established as Trans Technology Co., Ltd. (currently JATCO Co., Ltd.) Gloria Model Y34
July	▪	Cumulative exports surpass 30 million Units.
August	▪
September	▪
October	▪	Nissan begins sales of the Cedric/Gloria with new generation automatic transmission "Extroid CVT". The company announces the Nissan Revival Plan (NRP).
November	▪	Bassara Model JU30 Cedric/Gloria wins "RJC New Car of the Year 1999-2000"; "EXTROID CVT" receives "Technology of the Year 1999-2000." Bassara Model JU30
December	▪	Start of operation of new large-format store “Calest Zama”

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