Nissan made a significant appearance at this year's Moscow International Auto Salon; featuring an extensive range of the company's latest models including the new Almera.

The brand's latest Almera is especially important for this exhibition as it has not only been designed for the Russian market, but is also exclusively made in Russia. Nissan says that the new model has been 'engineered to meet specific road and climate conditions; and designed to withstand the worst weather Russia can throw at it.'

Along with the all-important Almera, Nissan is showcasing three new versions of its Juke - a car growing in popularity in the country. The models include one developed with the Ministry of Sound, a highly tuned Juke Nismo and the GT-R inspired Juke-R.

Other Russian built models on display include the Murano, Teana and X-Trail; as well as the Qashqai and Qashqai +2, Pathfinder, Navara, Patrol and Tiida.

Nissan's presence in Russia has grown vastly over the past few years; with the country being the brand's biggest market in Europe - and the fifth largest globally. Sales in Russia have increased by 75 per cent in 2011 over the previous 12 months, making Nissan Russia's leading Japanese car brand.

A new production line has also been installed at the Renault-Nissan plant in Togliatti, capable of developing 350,000 units. Also set for production in Russia is the all-new Qashqai, which will be produced at the expanded St. Petersburg plant in 2014. These expansions are all part of Nissan's goal to have 80 per cent of Russian sales built locally by 2015, and to claim 10 per cent of Russia's automotive market share within four years. The country is also one of the few places around the world to sell Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun-branded cars.

"We have ambitious plans for Russia," says Nissan Russia's Managing Director, Francois Goupil de Bouillé. "These are exciting times for Nissan and our customers in Russia."

The Moscow International Motor Show runs from 29th August - 9th September, with doors open to the public from today (Friday).

James Giddings - 31 Aug 2012