Nissan Drops Prices to Boost Web Searches

Nissan Murano - Image courtesy of Nissan.

Nissan has lowered the price on seven models in its U.S. lineup to increase sales, despite reporting a double-digit sales gain last month.
“Nissan is hoping that the change will help the cars and SUVs show up more prominently on shopper search websites such as AutoTrader, Edmunds and Kelley Blue Book,” the Los Angeles Times reports. The automaker is hoping to become “more price competitive for online shoppers.”
Kicking Tires says that consumers will see lower prices starting tomorrow on the Nissan Sentra, Altima, Murano, Rogue, Maxima, Armada and Juke. Prices will reportedly drop about 3 to 11 percent, depending on the vehicle. “The sticker reductions vary by model and, in some cases, trim level and will be applied to new vehicles, including those already in dealer inventory.”

Nissan Altima - U.S. News and World Report

Buyers can expect savings of about $580 on the Altima to about $4,400 on the Armada, Automotive News reports. The publication notes that in 2012, Nissan North America saw a decline in market share in the U.S. “for the first time since 2006.” Total 2012 Nissan North America sales were up 9.5 percent over 2011, though. By lowering the prices on its high-volume models, Nissan hopes to show up more often in online price category searches, where consumers can narrow down vehicles by price bracket. “Such screens can leave models off the consideration list because of a few dollars difference in MSRP,” Automotive News writes.
Nissan North America saw a sales increase of 23 percent last month compared with April 2012, with the Nissan brand selling 25 percent more vehicles and the Infiniti luxury brand experiencing a 10 percent jump. So far this year, Nissan North America’s sales are up 3 percent over last year.