Nissan has set a big target for itself in the U.S.: 1 million vehicle sales by the end of 2027. That’s a meaningful jump from the brand’s 2025 total of 873,307 units, and it’s being framed as a key milestone inside Nissan’s broader “The Arc” business plan. The roadmap behind the goal leans on double-digit retail growth, a refreshed lineup of light trucks, and a product blitz that calls for 30 new models by fiscal year 2026, including 16 electrified vehicles.

Ambitious plans are one thing, but Nissan knows it needs more than spreadsheets to win people back, especially the enthusiasts who still remember when the badge meant something a little spicier. That’s where new CEO Ivan Espinosa is trying to change the vibe. In a media roundtable, Espinosa told The Drive that “Nissan is back,” and he didn’t mean it in a generic marketing-slogan kind of way. His message was about reconnecting with Nissan’s roots, bringing back products and themes that older generations loved, and translating them for younger buyers with fresh tech and design, without losing the DNA that made Nissan feel special in the first place.

It’s a smart angle, because Nissan’s history really is one of its strongest assets. You can see the company already playing with that idea in the current Z, which wears clear nods to past Z cars without looking like a pure throwback. Nissan even worked an ’80s Hardbody wink into the Frontier to remind people it can still have some personality. Espinosa has also pointed to “Easter egg” styling cues, like the way the new 2026 Leaf reportedly nods to the 300ZX era, as a way to connect parents who remember the classics with kids who are shopping the new stuff.

Still, the tougher truth is that Nissan’s sales goals will be met or missed on the backs of mainstream volume models, not just nostalgic design touches. Rogue, Pathfinder, Sentra, and the rest of the daily-driver lineup have to be competitive where it counts: pricing, incentives, features, and reliability. That’s why the most interesting part of Espinosa’s enthusiast outreach is whether it translates into products people actually want, not just clever styling references.

And there are hints that Nissan plans to do more than sprinkle nostalgia on crossovers. Espinosa has talked about vehicles that will “make you smile,” and the chatter includes a new Xterra positioned under $40,000, with at least one attention-grabbing detail enthusiasts will appreciate: it’s expected to come in yellow. There’s even talk of a return to a body-on-frame Pathfinder, which would be a major pivot back toward the rugged roots many longtime Nissan fans still miss. The Drive reached out to Nissan for more detail beyond the comments shared in that roundtable setting, but the company did not add specifics, which means for now we’re left watching the product cadence and waiting for the promises to turn into metal you can buy.

Sources: Nissan, Automotive News, The Drive