A RAFT of new models and a radical reappraisal of its fleet strategy with the withdrawal from daily rental business heralds a new millennium transformation at Nissan, following hard on its alliance with Renault. With the Almera now on sale, the Geneva Motor Show saw the world launch of three more Nissans all destined for the UK this year - the Maxima QX, the Patrol GR and the Almera Tino.

These vehicles will be followed early next year by the Almera saloon - also at Geneva - revisions to Terrano II, replacements for both Micra and Primera and 'one or two niche products', including a Land Rover Freelander-style compact 4x4. Amid reducing residual values and a string of new models, Nissan decided late last year to withdraw from the daily rental market, which meant effectively axing 10,000 units from sales figures. While the decision was initially for one year and will be reviewed, Nissan Motor (GB) managing director Brian Carolin says the decision is already having a significant impact on improving residual values on key fleet cars.

'Daily rental accounted for 10% of our total business and 20% of our fleet business. As a result of the withdrawal, our market share dropped in fleet and this year will be similar with total sales of 97,000-100,000 units and the reduction is entirely due to no rental business. But we are still being very aggressive in the fleet sector and focusing our energies on Almera, Primera and user-choosers,' said Carolin.

'Across the whole industry, residual values have declined from two years ago and we need to rebuild to where they were four to five years ago. Then we were above other volume marques but our values dropped into the volume sector to sit alongside Ford and Vauxhall. We want to get back to where we were.'