Nissan
today unveiled the last of four new vehicles debuting at the Los
Angeles Auto Show, the 2017 Nissan Rogue: Rogue One Star Wars Limited
Edition. The dramatic reveal featured a special interactive presentation
of the Intelligent Safety Shield technologies available in the
redesigned 2017 Rogue against a high-action video. The video was
followed by a drive-out of a pair of the Nissan Rogue: Rogue One Star
Wars Limited Edition vehicles accompanied by battle-ready stormtroopers.
From
listening to the PR folks at Nissan, you get the impression that the
year 2016 really and truly is the year of the truck at the Japanese
company. And it’s true that the retooling of the Pathfinder and the
complete overhaul of the Armada over its previous incarnation, not to
mention the arrival of the second-generation, revamped TITAN, is proof
that Nissan is determined to offer a more comprehensive roster of
trucks.
The popularity of utility vehicles is far from being news
in 2016, and exhibit A from Nissan’s point of view is the Rogue, a
compact SUV which is has been nipping at the heels of the category’s
heavyweights (Ford’s Escape, the Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV4) for a
few years now. The popular crossover is a cornerstone vehicle for the
Japanese carmaker, and sits at the top of the manufacturer’s sales
rankings for Canada and the United States.
Nissan Canada recently
extended an invitation to members of the automotive press to experience a
first contact with the 2017 edition of the Rogue. The mid-life retool
carried out on the new version doesn’t represent any overturning of the
apple-cart – it’s more of an evolution than a revolution in comparison
with the 2016 model. That said, any opportunity to gain the attention of
its target market is a winner for Nissan.
A spiffier new Rogue The
new model is just now making its first appearances in dealerships. As
expected, its silhouette remains unchanged. The more curious and
eagle-eyed among Rogue fans will have to check out the front and rear
ends to notice any difference from the 2016 model.
The company’s
design team has repeated the recipe applied to other recent models
produced by the brand. The front grille’s “V” is more imposing, its
greater eminence giving the SUV a more aggressive front end.
The
front and rear lights have also been redesigned, as has the front
fender, which houses new fog lights. Taking a look at the SUV’s rear
end, it’s clear some work has been done on the rear position lights.
While remaining angular in shape, their darker shade gives them a
distinctive look.
Nissan also took things a step further by
adding an SL Platinum Reserve version which infuses some decidedly
luxury-car DNA. This edition features exclusive 19-inch alloy wheels
that quite nicely fill in the space under the wheel arches. Buyers of
this trim should however be prepared to pay a little extra for the
oversized tires to match.
Same tones of luxury inside Our
first contact with the 2017 Rogue began with the very top-of-the-line
version, an SL Platinum Reserve model equipped to the very hilt. From
the outside this version is quite appealing, with its big boots, chrome
elements and several colours, richer in tone and exclusive to the higher
trims of the new Rogue.
But what really sets the SL Platinum
Reserve model apart is its high-end interior finish. The
superior-quality tan-leather upholstery, not to mention the leatherette
panels on the dashboard, help enhance the refinement level in the
dark-hued cabin. And that’s not all, as Nissan’s designers also
succeeded in injecting a hint of sportiness into the inside of the Rogue
with for example a flattened steering wheel that is quite pleasant to
grip.
The soft front-row seats offer enough support to ensure
comfort on longer trips. The second row is a little less convincing in
that respect, although the option of advancing or receding the bench
while choosing the incline level does allow passengers more freedom to
maximize personal comfort. The manufacturer once again offers a third
row for 2017, at least for the SV model, but as is often the case with
this option, it is to be used on a need-to basis only! Please don’t even
think about forcing a larger-sized adult to suffer through several
hours in one of those seats – you may never be forgiven!
No hybrid for Canada In
the United States there is much excitement about the introduction of a
hybrid version of the 2017 Rogue, but don’t be looking for it up here –
it won’t be available in Canada. This is surely due largely to our much
smaller market, as well as to the relatively lower price of fuel which
currently favours sales of utility vehicles.
On the other hand,
there’s good news in the fact that Nissan’s current mechanical set-up
ensures Canadian consumers won’t suffer too much at the pump. The same
2.5L, 4-cylinder, naturally aspirated engine that powered the 2016 is
back; it delivers 170 HP and 175 lb-ft of torque. Also returning in the
2017 Rogue is the CVT transmission, as is the part-time all-wheel drive
system. Take note, however, that a front-wheel drive option is available
on the entry model of the new Rogue.
At the wheel Apparent
right from the first few kilometres driven is the improvement in the
Rogue’s ride quietness, something Nissan had already confirmed it had
worked on correcting. In fact, Nissan’s rogue was already a strong
performer in this regard, most notably while at cruising speed when the
engine is not being taxed by the CVT unit.
Of course, that same
CVT brings the noise level up during acceleration, the driver’s foot on
the gas pedal being a major contributor to the decibel level in the
cabin. Meanwhile, though the vehicle’s mechanics may not win any prizes
for dynamism, any complaints drivers may have will likely dissipate when
it comes to time to tally up gas costs each month. The Rogue is a
highly fuel-efficient crossover.
The new 19-inch alloy wheels do
nothing to harm handling and manoeuvrability. But at the risk of
repeating myself, the Rogue remains a vehicle in search of a certain
spark. To benefit from a more responsive drive, you need to look
elsewhere. Steering is light, and the suspension calibrated for comfort
above all else.
Overall, the 2017 edition has changed for the
better, which if nothing else should to allow it to remain in the lead
pack in the segment. And right now, if you’re a carmaker, that small-SUV
category is where you want to be!
Big sedans aren't as popular as they used to be, but the Nissan Maxima adds some spark to the segment
It took eight generations and some 35 years to get to the point where Nissan can make the claim its flagship Maxima
four-door is “a sports car in sedan clothing” without some sort of
response bordering on incredulity. The slow transition from the now
painfully square, mild-mannered Datsun 810 to the robust and curvaceous
2016 Maxima has been agonizing at times, an impatient wondering as to
when the company was going to build a midsize car that had as much
performance as function – some European sport sedan-style zip.
Now that I’ve finally gotten around to
driving one — a 2017 model in top-of-the-line Platinum trim — any
thoughts of admonishing Nissan for its tardiness are banished. This
version is not just sporty; it’s deceptive, with performance and
handling to go with a smooth ride, plus luxury touches and premium
content exceeding reasonable expectations of the Platinum’s $44,200
price tag.
But it’s the awakened performance that first
grabs one’s attention. And it’s not as though Nissan went radical with
the car. Under the hood is the familiar 3.5-litre VQ-series V6, only
thoroughly reworked (60 per cent new parts compared with the previous
engine) and now pushing out 300 horsepower and 261 lb.-ft. of torque. In
truth, the engine feels stronger; the car shows distinct verve off the
line when the gas pedal is given a prod.
Though I’d much prefer an automatic with a
specified number of gears, there’s little complaint regarding the
Maxima’s Xtronic continuously variable transmission, which seems well
matched to the V6’s torque and comes with both Normal and Sport modes.
Its wide gear ratio range allows for strong acceleration from a standing
start, while Nissan says credit goes to the D-Step shifting logic for
both the rapid shifts at full throttle and for holding the engine’s
speed when hooning around corners, which allows for smooth acceleration
when exiting said corners.
In Sport, zero to 100 km/h is reportedly
less than six seconds — strong for a front-drive family car, if not
mind-blowing. The drive mode selector not only adjusts throttle response
and transmission tuning, but also steering feel and “active sound
enhancement” tuning. But, while the exhaust note has some musicality to
it, the engine itself is a bit coarse when under the hammer.
The other benefit to this re-engineering
effort is a claimed 15 per cent increase in highway fuel economy to 7.8
L/100 km over the previous-generation Maxima; city fuel economy is rated
at 11.1 L/100 km. I put 700 kilometres on the car during my week with
it, the bulk of it highway cruising, and averaged 9.9 L/100 km.
While the sedan wouldn’t be my first choice
for racetrack lap sessions, Nissan’s engineers clearly spent some time
working under the car to imbue it with a decent measure of on-road
handling. Up front is the usual strut/coil spring design, but ZF Sachs
monotube dampers are added to the rear end’s independent multi-link
double wishbone setup. Thick stabilizer bars are found at both ends.
Shapely and far more distinct than many of
its rival sedans, the Maxima’s styling, in truth, doesn’t completely
blow me away, looking over-designed with its aggressive character lines,
deeply scalloped doors and “floating roof.” Yet, I do like the boldness
of Nissan’s signature “V-motion” grille and boomerang-style lights.
Still, Nissan’s 3.5L V6-powered Altima,
which shares the same platform and pretty much all the mechanicals as
the Maxima (although with 30 less horsepower), is a more cohesive
design.
The Altima is also roomier, at least for
back-seat passengers. While there’s tons of room up front for the tall
and leggy in the Maxima, if those in the back are equally so, they’re
going to find their knees jammed in the front seat back and their heads
brushing the headliner.
For the rest of the article and more pictures, follow this source link below;
Nissan keeps its smaller cars relevant with some neat toys and visual upgrades.
We’re less than a week away from the once a year event where
automakers, journalists, and fans alike gather under the roof of the Los
Angeles Convention Center to see the flashy new models at the LA Auto
Show. A handful of automakers are scheduled to debut new models, and one
of these is Nissan. While the new Sentra Nismo
is at the tiptop of our wish list, Nissan has just released information
on two new noteworthy cars, the new Versa Note and a special edition of
the Juke CUV.
The latter of the two isn’t the Nismo Juke that we’re obsessed with,
but that doesn’t mean that its owners won’t feel special. Built for the
fans, the Black Pearl Edition Juke is going to be rare with only 1,250
models slated for production. Only 250 units will go to Canada while the
rest will be shipped to US buyers, both of which can opt for either
all-wheel drive or front-wheel drive configurations. The crossover’s
sinister styling will be an echo of a limited edition 1978 280Z using
contrasting white trim on the black body. The Black Pearl Edition will
feature the same 1.6-liter inline-four as the standard Juke that’s mated
to a CVT that mimics the shift patterns of a standard transmission.
Additionally, the smaller version of Nissan’s smallest car has gotten a
refresh that gives it the same face as the rest of Nissan's sedan
lineup. The signature V Motion grille makes an appearance here along
with the rear fascia from the Versa Note SR. Complimenting this change
is two new available colors, Monarch Orange or Deep Blue Pearl (Nissan
has a thing for Pearls apparently). Minor interior enhancements take
customer demands into account by enlarging the cup holders, adding
another 12v outlet, and the relocation of a 12v outlet and accompanying
USB input to the center console. We’ll see these two models in the metal
at the LA Auto Show alongside two new models set to be released on the
15th and 16th of this month.
YOKOHAMA and TOKYO, Japan – Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.,
(“Nissan”), and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, (“MMC”) announced that
they have signed a Basic Agreement today to form a far-reaching
strategic alliance between the two Japanese automakers.
Following an MMC share issue, Nissan will take a 34 percent equity stake in MMC for 237 billion yen.
The strategic alliance will extend an existing partnership between
Nissan and MMC, under which the two companies have jointly collaborated
for the past five years.
Nissan and MMC have agreed to cooperate in areas including
purchasing, common vehicle platforms, technology-sharing, joint plant
utilization and growth markets.
Carlos Ghosn, chief executive and president of Nissan, said: “This is
a breakthrough transaction and a win-win for both Nissan and Mitsubishi
Motors. It creates a dynamic new force in the automotive industry that
will cooperate intensively, and generate sizeable synergies. We will be
the largest shareholder of MMC, respecting their brand, their history
and boosting their growth prospects. We will support MMC as they address
their challenges and welcome them as the newest member of our enlarged
Alliance family.”
Osamu Masuko, chairman of the board and chief executive of MMC, said:
“Through its long history of successful partnerships Nissan Motor has
developed a deep knowledge of maximizing the benefits from alliance
partnerships. This agreement will create long-term value needed for our
two companies to progress towards the future. We will achieve long term
value through deepening our strategic partnership including sharing
resources such as development, as well as joint procurement.”
Under the terms of the transaction, Nissan will purchase 506.6
million newly issued MMC shares at a price of 468.52 yen per share. The
price per share reflects the volume weighted average price over the
period between April 21, 2016 and including May 11, 2016. Nissan will
become the largest shareholder of MMC on closing.
MMC and Nissan expect Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi
Corporation and The Bank of Tokyo – Mitsubishi UFJ to maintain a
significant collective ownership stake in Mitsubishi Motors, and to
support the strategic alliance.
The transaction is subject to the signing of a definitive Alliance
Agreement, expected by the end of May 2016, the signing of a
shareholders agreement with the current Mitsubishi Group shareholders of
MMC and regulatory approvals. It is expected to close by the end of the
year.
The decision by Nissan to acquire a strategic stake in MMC marks the
latest expansion of its Alliance model, built around a 17-year cross
shareholding arrangement with Renault. Nissan has also acquired stakes
or signed partnerships with other automotive groups including Daimler,
and AvtoVaz.
On closing, MMC will propose Nissan nominees as board directors in
proportion to Nissan’s voting rights, including a Nissan nominee to
become Chairman of the Board.
Nissan decided to stop using the airbag inflators made by Takata as
part of the carmaker's commitment to put their customers' safety on top
of their priority.
The decision came following the move by other major automakers on
ceasing to use Takata's inflators which have led to massive and costly
recalls worldwide.
"We will continue to put our customers' safety first and work to
replace the inflators in vehicles under recall as quickly as possible," said Nissan.
On its second quarter earnings report, Tokyo-based Takata posted a
$70 million loss along with a slashed net income forecast of 5 billion
for the full-year compared to the initial $162 million. Such results had
been attributed to the losses that were incurred from the recalls.
["W]ith customers now distancing themselves from Takata, investors
started worrying about how the company can pay all those costs. What can
ease this drop? Until we know how it happened and where the
responsibility lies, the trend is down," said Chihiro Ota, general manager at Tokyo-based SMBC Nikko Securities Inc.
Other carmakers that said they are also considering to stop using any
of Takata's airbag inflators in their future models include Mitsubishi
Motors, Fuji Heavy Industries and Mazda.
On the other hand, Toyota may continue using Takata airbags so long as they don't contain parts that are linked with accidents.
Takata's airbag business makes up the company's biggest product
segment which means that the massive worldwide recalls and the loss of
doing business with major carmakers could undoubtedly bring a huge blow.
The inflators in question form only a fraction of its airbag products.
Other products they can put more focus on include child seats,
electronics, steering wheels and seat belts.
The company's defective airbags have been linked with hundreds of
injuries and eight deaths. So far, there are around 50 million vehicles
around the world which had been recalled as a result of the issue.
In the meantime, companies such as TRW Automotive, Autoliv Inc. and
Daicel Corp are stepping up to offer alternative components to
carmakers. As Takata wrote on its letter to the U.S. National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), these companies will make around
68 percent of the needed components at least by March.
Nissan said that it will conduct a repeat inspection of affected
vehicles in Japan following an incident last week when a passenger
suffered from injuries after her Takata airbag deployed in a collision.
Honda's Mendel, discussing Nissan: “I'm tired of going to their press conferences and hearing 'Honda' 15 times."
NEW YORK -- Nissan has outsold Honda in each of the last three months, but Honda’s John Mendel isn’t bothered by it.
“I don’t give a damn about Nissan,” the executive vice president of
American Honda told reporters at a roundtable discussion after Honda
unveiled a Civic coupe concept at the auto show here.
Honda brand’s U.S. sales rose 2.4 percent to 294,299 vehicles during
the first quarter. Nissan brand sales rose 3.1 percent to 333,786
vehicles during that period. Honda topped Nissan in the U.S. last year
by 103,464 vehicles.
It’s actually Nissan that is playing up the competition with Honda, not the other way around, Mendel said.
“I’m tired of going to their press conferences and hearing ‘Honda’ 15 times,” he said.
NEW YORK -- It's something of a curious concept, that of a four-door
sedan with sporting pretensions, but Nissan has been making it work for
the better part of 40 years now with the Maxima. It's doing it again
with this, the 2016 model.
As with most new generations of cars,
the new Maxima is bigger than the old. 2.2 inches longer, to be exact,
but it does sit a full 1.3 inches lower, dropping the center of gravity.
There's less gravity to worry about, too, thanks to a weight loss of 82
pounds. That, plus a boost in power (up to 300 from the 3.5-liter V-6),
means this should certainly be the quickest Maxima yet. At 30 MPG, it's
pretty frugal, too.
It's also pretty good looking. The Maxima
has been the subject of many dramatic redesigns over the years,
radically changing face from one generation to the next, and the 2016
model is yet another major reboot. But, a good one, with flowing lines
across both fenders, a dramatic front fascia and a swept-back profile
that exhibits far more sporting character than the outgoing model.
It's new on the inside, too, with more luxe materials than before
and a new layout that places all important controls close to hand for
the driver, including an 8-inch touchscreen. There's a Bose active
noise-cancellation system to keep things quiet in there, but Nissan says
that when you hit the Sport button it'll actually turn around and give
you more noise. Hurray for technology.
A wealth of new driver
aids have been applied, including adaptive cruise control, lane
departure, pedestrian avoidance and even a system that will tell you if
you're getting a little too sleepy. The car won't brew a cup of coffee
for you, but it will tell you when you might want to go pick one up.
The 2016 Maxima will start at $33,235 and it will hit dealerships this summer. Want one? They're taking pre-orders now.
Nice looking car, I've always been a fan of the Maxy....
"Full details are yet to be revealed, but
it is expected that the Maxima will be powered with similar engines to
the Pathfinder SUV, including a 3.5-litre V6 and a hybrid version that
teams a battery pack with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder supercharged unit." --Matt Campbell of www.caradvice.com
The eighth generation of the Nissan Maxima is set to debut next year,
and we caught a prototype of this new sedan testing. We’ve already seen a
preview of the Maxima’s styling from the Nissan Sport Sedan concept
shown at this year’s Detroit auto show, and the production model looks
to tone down that concept’s extreme lines while maintaining a similar
overall silhouette.
With differentiation from the
midsize Altima sedan being a key element of this redesign for the
Maxima, distinctive styling will be important for the new Maxima’s
appeal. As such, it looks like the production model will preserve the
swoopiness of the Sport Sedan concept with its rakish greenhouse that
should give the new Maxima a four-door-coupe look. Nissan’s corporate
V-motion grille adorns the front end, and swept-back headlights
transition into sculpted front fenders which start a character line that
leads rearward. The rear end of the car looks Infiniti-like with its
rounded decklid and horizontal headlights, and large dual exhausts make
for a sporty look out back.
It’s hard to tell from these photos
how the 2016 Nissan Maxima might change in size, as the current car is
actually smaller than the Altima. We expect the new Maxima to be bigger
than before as it attempts to fill the role of Nissan’s sedan flagship.
This more adventurous styling direction should help it better compete with other large sedans like the relatively stylish Chevrolet Impala and Toyota Avalon. ....cont'd....
TOKYO—Honda,
Mazda and Nissan are recalling millions of vehicles globally for
defective airbags manufactured by supplier Takata Corp. that could
possibly explode.
No accidents have been reported related to Monday’s recalls.
Honda Motor Co.
recalled 2.03 million vehicles for the airbag problem, including 1.02
million in North America and nearly 669,000 in Japan. It said they were
manufactured between 2000 and 2005.
That came on top of a million vehicles Honda recalled last year for similar Takata airbag problems.
Nissan Motor Co.
recalled 755,000 vehicles globally manufactured from 2001 through 2003,
while Mazda Motor Corp. recalled nearly 160,000 vehicles manufactured
from 2002 through 2004.
Like Honda, both companies announced recalls last year, but in smaller numbers.
Takata recently realized that the earlier recall had not included all of the problem airbags, the automakers said.
Toyota Motor Corp.
announced an airbag recall earlier this month for 2.27 million
vehicles, including some that were recalled last year. One fire was
reported related to the defect, but no one was injured in that incident,
Toyota said.
Toyota, the world’s
No. 1 automaker, was also investigating a crash in Puerto Rico in which
the driver suffered a minor cut on the forehead which may have been
caused by an abnormal passenger-side airbag deployment.
Toyota’s affected
models include the Corolla, Matrix, Tundra, Yaris and Camry. The models
recalled at Honda include the Fit, Element and CR-V, while those at
Nissan are the Cube, X-Trail and some Infiniti models. Recalled at Mazda
were the Atenza and RX-8.
Tokyo-based Takata is a major manufacturer of airbags, seat belts, steering wheels and other auto parts.
Following numerous leaks and teasers, Nissan has unveiled their Concept 2020 Vision Gran Turismo.
Described as a "vision of what a high performance Nissan could look
like in the future," the concept is a 2+2 supercar that is heavily
influenced by the GT-R.
Starting up front, the model has been equipped with a "V-motion"
front fascia which is flanked by slender LED headlights. The car also
has a ventilated hood, a carbon fiber front splitter and circular
taillights. Other notable highlights include an aggressive rear diffuser
and a carbon fiber rear wing.
The concept was developed by a team of young designers at Nissan
Design Europe and they received input from an advanced engineering team
at the Nissan Technical Center in Atsugi, Japan.
Nissan declined to confirm rumors that the concept previews the
next-generation GT-R but they said the model "hints as to how a supercar
of the future might look."
The Nissan Concept 2020 Vision Gran Turismo will be available in Gran
Turismo 6 in July and the company said the "real-world is ready for the
Nissan Concept 2020 Vision Gran Turismo. Watch this space…"
We really liked the look of the Nissan Lania
sedan concept, a car that debuted in Beijing earlier this month. It has
sharp, aggressive lines that exude muscularity; the only two things
wrong with it were the two extra doors it had for rear passengers and
the fact that it wasn’t already in production…
The rendering you see here, courtesy of X-Tomi, addresses
only one of those issues, the one with the number of doors. What he’s
done is take the already low-slung shape of the four-door and stretch it
out/flatten it, while also removing the two rear doors in the process.
In
the renderer’s vision, this would be for a suitable Toyonbaru rival
from Nissan called "270Z", if, that is, they don’t go ahead and take the
IDx approach to creating it.
When Nissan unveiled the Resonance concept at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, I hoped very much that the next-gen Murano it previewed would closely follow its design footsteps. Delightfully it has.
May I proudly present to you the 2015 Nissan Murano, a concept crossover flagship for the road.
When the Murano launched in 2003, it was one of the forerunners of
the now-dominant crossover market. Back then, most non-minivan family
haulers were truck-based SUVs. Now, though, car-based bubble wagons are
all the rage. Accordingly, the car that started it all has to stay ahead
of the design game.
With the 2015 Murano, Nissan designers were keen ‘elevate your
experience’. To do this, they created a floating roofline with
jet-inspired roof and D-pillars, which I think is simply stunning and
far more premium than previous Muranos.
While the sidelines and roof might look light, the front is
hard-hitting with a V-Motion front end accented by boomerang-style
headlights first introduced on the 370Z.
The exterior of the 2015 Murano might be jet-inspired; the interior
is anything but. Here, Nissan designers went for a ‘social lounge’
feeling. They lowered the instrument cluster and added a big, new
infotainment center in the dash with 60 percent fewer buttons than
before. Down to only 10 buttons from 25, the new media control panel is
accessed by an eight-inch color touchscreen.
Furthering the lounge motif, Nissan’s NASA-inspired Zero Gravity seats come standard for front and rear passengers.
Back out to the front fascia, if we pop the Murano’s shapely hood,
we’ll find a 3.5-liter V6 as standard, which produces 260 horsepower and
240 pound-feet of torque – and achieves 20 percent better fuel economy
than before. This efficient V6 is mated to the Xtronic transmission,
which sends power either to the front or to all four wheels, depending
how the vehicle is optioned.
Not only does drive wheel configuration vary, so does the wheel size.
The 2015 Murano comes standard with 18-inch machine-finished
aluminum-alloys but can be upgraded to include 20-inchers as well.
For those customers concerned with challenges of parking, the Murano
works to ease parking lot tension. With four onboard cameras and three
radar sensors, the 2015 Murano includes Around View Monitor with Moving
Object Detection, which, as Nissan puts it, “is designed to reduce the
normal complexity of parallel parking by giving an all-around view of
the surrounding area from front, rear and side cameras.” For roadway
safety, the cameras and radars are used to power Blind Spot Warning
(BSW), Predictive Forward Collision Warning (PFCW) Forward Emergency
Braking (FEB), and Intelligent Cruise Control.
Pricing has yet to be announced but Nissan promises the 2015 Murano will hit showrooms in the fall of 2014.
