“I see a very strong recovery” [Video]

• Ponz Pandikuthira, chief planning officer of Nissan Americas, sees strong momentum as it refreshes its portfolio
• Nissan has redesigned profitable QX80 and Armada, sees good demand for entry Kicks
• “There’s no way we’re going to run out of cash in 12 months,” Pandikuthira said

The headlines suggest Nissan is in trouble. Cutting 9,000 jobs, slashing 20% of global production, questioning how much longer the Japanese brand can last.

Despite all this, Ponz Pandikuthira, the chief planning officer of Nissan Americas, finds plenty to be optimistic about as Nissan regroups yet again.

“I see a very strong recovery,” Pandikuthira told Motor Authority during a phone call last month. 

If proven correct, it wouldn’t be the first time Nissan emerged from dire straits. In 1999, the scrappy Japanese company once known for sports cars and innovative engineering, avoided bankruptcy by joining the Renault-Nissan alliance helmed by incoming CEO and subsequent cause célèbre Carlos Ghosn. The …