Nissan's Christian Meunier Shares His Plan to Revive the Brand in America

Nissan is currently going through a challenging period. Marked by the discontinuation of several models and the layoff of thousands of employees worldwide, recent months have been far from smooth for the Japanese automotive giant. In an era defined by electrification, pricing pressures and Chinese dominance, Nissan must right its wrongs and lean into its strengths.

“Our goal is to sell cars, make money and take care of the customer,” said Christian Meunier, President of Nissan Americas, during a visit to Quebec at the end of June.

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Meunier, who rejoined the company in January for his second stint, has come back to familiar territory. He previously worked with both Nissan and Infiniti before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I stayed in touch with people at Nissan. I’ve always had an emotional connection to the brand, and I saw the company losing momentum,” he explained.

As he often points out, Meunier knows this company inside and out—its flaws and its strengths. According to him, Nissan was still stuck in “COVID mode.” When he returned to the company’s Nashville, Tennessee offices, they were nearly empty. One of his first moves was to bring employees back on-site in an effort to rekindle the team spirit that had faded with remote work.

The Car Guide had the opportunity to speak with the new President of Nissan Americas during a visit to the company’s offices in Kirkland, west of Montreal. Here’s what we learned.

Bringing Back Emotion

“You must touch people’s hearts. It’s not just about mobility. There’s also an emotional side, even with younger generations,” Meunier said.

He believes something is broken when it comes to Nissan’s brand image. To him, Nissan is a Japanese brand, a brand of quality, a brand that won’t let you down—and even a fun brand, with bold and unique design.

Over time, Nissan’s lineup has strayed from this vision, becoming more generic and conservative. Consumers have lost confidence. That’s why Meunier, now at the helm of the most important region for Nissan, wants to bring back vehicles that spark emotion—while maintaining strong profit margins and solid production volumes.

And while Nissan already has a few upcoming launches on the calendar, it’s clear that reviving the Xterra SUV is a top priority for the president. The return of this adventure-ready utility vehicle couldn’t come at a better time, as the outdoor lifestyle trend continues to grow.

Infiniti, Nissan’s luxury division, is also in need of revival. The brand has been struggling for some time. With the announced discontinuation of the QX50 and QX55, Infiniti will enter 2026 with just two core models: the all-new QX80 and the refreshed QX60. Here, too, Meunier evokes the glory days of the FX and the G-series sedans (G35 and G37) as emotional anchors. Fortunately, new products are on the horizon.

Fresh Blood

To get back on track, Nissan plans to launch 18 new models over the next 18 months. Not all of these will be complete redesigns—many will be mid-cycle refreshes—but for those who felt Nissan and Infiniti had gone quiet lately, things are about to change.

While Meunier didn’t reveal everything, he did confirm that the new-generation 2026 Leaf—now in the form of an urban crossover—will arrive in Canada soon. He also announced a fully redesigned Sentra sedan coming before the end of 2025, which he described as “spectacular.”

A revised Pathfinder is also on the way, though it’s unclear whether the changes will be as subtle as the QX60’s recent refresh for 2026. One big question: will Nissan adopt a 2.0L variable-compression turbo-four as the only available engine in a bid to lower the brand’s environmental impact?

The Rogue, which is the brand’s best-selling model, will also be updated—with a new hybrid and plug-in hybrid variant planned. Electrifying this key SUV is critical to Nissan’s revival in North America.

As for Infiniti, development of a next-generation QX50—with hybrid tech—is already underway, based on the same platform as the new Rogue. A fully electric vehicle is also in the pipeline, along with a coupe-style QX65 set to launch in 2026.

e-Power: A Game-Changing Technology?

“The good news is that e-Power is coming next year, and I’m fighting to get it built in the U.S.,” Meunier told us. The protectionist policies introduced under the Trump administration are clearly behind the push to produce thousands of e-Power vehicles locally. But beyond that, offering a broader range of powertrains will allow Nissan to appeal to a wider audience. And building vehicles in North America will cut costs while aligning with U.S. government goals.

When asked about the thorny issue of tariffs imposed by the U.S. government, Meunier didn’t shy away. Instead, he sees America’s protectionist shift as an opportunity to localize and accelerate production across North American plants at higher volumes.