Inside Nissan’s Comeback Gameplan: Profitability, Product Mix, And The Long Road Ahead | Vinay Shahani, Chief Marketing & Sales Officer Nissan/Infiniti USA

Today, I’m sitting down with Vinay Shahani, Chief Marketing & Sales Officer at Nissan/Infiniti USA. We break down Nissan’s comeback strategy, how its product mix is evolving, whether or not the brand is "over-dealered," and what it all means for the future of the franchise—plus much more. This episode is brought to you by: 1. Corpay - Corpay is transforming how dealerships handle payments. We help you save time, score big rebates, and ditch manual headaches—all while syncing directly with your DMS. Trusted by dealerships coast to coast, Corpay is here to rev up your efficiency and profitability. Don’t settle for “good enough” in your AP. Visit @ https://www.corpay.com and see what Corpay can do for your bottom line. 2. CDK Global - CDK Global is the go-to tech partner for car dealers and automakers. Beyond top-tier software, their Research and Insights team delivers powerful reports year-round—like the Friction Points study, revealing what slows down the buying process and why F&I still matters. Want the full report? Learn more @ CDK.com/insights 3. Qmerit - Selling EVs can have a lot of friction points. But home charging installation shouldn’t be one of them. That’s why dealers and automakers trust Qmerit — the go-to expert for home charging installations. Join Qmerit’s Dealership Partner Program and start earning referral incentives on every installation. Visit qmerit.com/carguy to learn more. 🚨 Don’t forget to subscribe to Car Dealership Guy Bites, for quick, daily insights into automotive retail — delivered in less than 5 minutes: Subscribe on Apple: https://carguymedia.com/apple_bites Subscribe on Spotify: https://carguymedia.com/spotify_bites Subscribe on YouTube: https://carguymedia.com/youtube_bites Need help finding top automotive talent? Get started here: https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/ Interested in advertising with Car Dealership Guy? Drop us a line here: https://cdgpartner.com Interested in being considered as a guest on the podcast? Add your name here: https://bit.ly/3Suismu Topics: 00:07 How do you manage news cycles and company culture? 02:20 How did Vinay transition from engineer to CMO? 05:31 Why did Vinay return to Nissan, and what challenges did he face? 09:56 How do dealer relationships impact Nissan’s brand strategy? 21:14 What’s next for Nissan’s product mix and market share? 26:54 How does Nissan maintain vehicle dependability and quality? 28:38 What challenges does Nissan face with its dealer network? 33:29 How does Nissan leverage its investments in Infiniti? 41:08 What are Nissan’s biggest challenges and future plans? Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff: CDG News ➤ https://news.dealershipguy.com/ CDG Jobs ➤ https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/ CDG Recruiting ➤ https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/ My Socials: X ➤ x.com/GuyDealership Instagram ➤ instagram.com/cardealershipguy/ TikTok ➤ tiktok.com/@guydealership LinkedIn ➤ linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy Threads ➤ threads.net/@cardealershipguy Facebook ➤ facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683 Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.