Nissan to cut Japan output on soft U.S. demand

TOKYO, Oct 21, 2008; Yumiko Nishitani writing for Reuters reported that Nissan Motor Co said on Tuesday it will cut domestic production of large and luxury passenger cars in response to falling demand in the United States.

Nissan, in which Renault SA holds a 44 percent stake, will cut production by a total 65,000 vehicles at its Kyushu and Tochigi plants from November to March, it said.

The Tochigi plant north of Tokyo, which has already reduced production since September, makes 95 percent of Nissan's Infiniti brand models exported to North America from Japan, while the Kyushu plant makes such sports utility vehicles as the Murano.

Nissan's sales in the United States plunged 34.2 percent in September from a year earlier.