Nissan Motor Company Ltd, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Japan. It was a core member of the Nissan Group, but has become more independent after its restructuring under Carlos Ghosn (CEO).
Nissan was the sixth largest automaker in the world behind General Motors, Volkswagen AG, Toyota, Hyundai Motor Group, and Ford in 2011. It formerly marketed vehicles under the "Datsun" brand name. As of 2011, the company's global headquarters is located in Nishi-ku, Yokohama. In 1999, Nissan entered a two way alliance with Renault S.A. of France, which owns 43.4% of Nissan while Nissan holds 15% of Renault shares, as of 2008. Along with its normal range of models, Nissan also produces a range of luxury models branded as Infiniti.
The Nissan VQ engines, of V6 configuration, have been featured among Ward's 10 Best Engines for 14 straight years.