Patrick Dibre and his wife Dina live with their children in New Jersey. Drawing on 30 years of wholesale and retail car-dealership management experience, Patrick Dibre serves as the president and CEO of PSD Automotive Group, the holding company for a multistate, multi-franchise network of dealerships selling vehicles ranging from Volvos to Nissans.Although concerns about the economy and high interest rates persist in the auto industry, there is a silver lining for Nissan dealers. In January, Tim Hill, chairman of the Nissan National Dealer Advisory Board, expressed optimism for the future due in part to the brand's pending rollout of new products. According to Hill, almost 70 percent of Nissan's volume of vehicles will turn over during the next two years, meaning its portfolio will be comprised of more new automobiles than most of its competitors. In 2019, Nissan is redesigning its Sentra and Versa, as well as its Titan truck and midsize crossover Murano. In addition, it recently introduced the new LEAF, which is completely electric and capable of driving for 226 uninterrupted miles. The previous model had a driving range of 150 miles. This year's sales are expected to be driven by the sixth-generation Altima, a midsize sedan that includes features such as all-wheel drive and the ProPilot Assist semi-autonomous system.
A resident of Mendham, New Jersey, Patrick Dibre is the owner of Nissan of Garden City, which has consistently been among the highest-volume dealers in North America and one of Nissan's top-five stores in regard to overall profit. Additionally, Patrick Dibre oversees accounting functions for an extensive car-dealership group that includes Honda, Volvo, Chrysler, Dodge, and Volkswagen franchises.According to Edmunds, the average loan for new and used cars during the fourth quarter of 2018 in the United States was $545 and $387, respectively, per month. Moreover, the average interest rate had reached 6.3 percent. All of these figures were at the highest point they had been in 10 years. In the early 2010s, consumers became more interested in purchasing larger trucks and SUVs, as opposed to small and mid-sized automobiles, and that pattern is reflected in the decade-high average of car loans. Jeremy Acevedo, who serves as Edmunds' manager of industry analysis, notes that increased loan sizes coincide with Americans' desire to purchase bigger vehicles. As a result, the average price for a new vehicle is near $36,000. By 2022, industry experts anticipate SUVs and trucks will comprise 65 percent of all new-car sales. Automotive companies are already noticing the trend and adapting. According to LMC Automotive, 84 percent of General Motors vehicles sold in the United States by 2022 will be trucks or SUVs. Similarly, 97 percent and 90 percent, respectively, of Fiat Chrysler and Ford sales will be either of these automobiles.
