Ahead of the New York International Auto Show next week, Nissan dropped the details on the refreshed 2027 Z set to debut there, and there are some genuinely good updates in here for enthusiasts.

The prime headline: The Z NISMO is finally getting a six-speed manual. Nissan didn't just bolt in an existing unit, either. The transmission was specifically engineered for the NISMO grade with an upgraded clutch and a shorter shift stroke for quicker, more satisfying gear changes. The twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 got manual-specific tuning for throttle and ignition timing too, so it should feel properly dialed in rather than like an afterthought. The NISMO also gets GT-R-derived two-piece iron-aluminum front brake rotors that Nissan says reduce brake pad temps significantly during track use while also shedding 19 pounds off the nose.

The suspension was retuned to account for that weight loss, and there are steering rack revisions that reportedly cut internal friction by 20% for a cleaner, more natural steering feel.

Sport and Performance grades get a front-end refresh with a new bumper and grille design inspired by classic Nissan sports cars, plus a "Z" badge on the nose instead of the Nissan logo. Performance adds new forged 19-inch wheels and a tan interior option. All models get an improved fuel tank design to keep fuel delivery consistent during high-G cornering, and Performance gets larger-diameter monotube shocks for better ride quality and handling predictability.

See all photos in the 2027 Nissan Z NISMO photo gallery.

There's also a new color: Shinkai Green Pearl Metallic, paired with a Super Black roof. It's a modern take on the green from the classic S30 Z, and it looks sharp. We'll get you pictures live from the show next week. The 2027 Z hits dealerships this summer.

Pricing hasn't been announced yet.

Creating the all-new third generation Nissan LEAF EV has grown from the funky car it used to be to a real-world family SUV. The exterior design of the all-new LEAF is anchored around aerodynamics while delivering a strong, bold presence to create a family-friendly EV with an impressive coefficient of drag measuring just 0.26 (Cd) for the U.S. market. The low Cd value is aided by the adoption of flush door handles, an active grille shutter, optimized wheel design, flat underfloor and fastback silhouette with the rear liftback supporting an airfoil effect.

Per Nissan, the available dimming panoramic roof with heat shielding eliminates the need for physical blinds or sunshades, which can compromise headroom, especially in the rear seat.

Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC) technology, allows owners to enjoy year-round comfort at the touch of a button by adjusting the glass's transparency and the amount of light entering the cabin through the movement of ions within its layered structure. Additionally, the panoramic roof features an infrared (IR) reflective coating that reduces sun load.

Nissan is adding leading edge technology in their entry level Global EV LEAF by using their CMF-EV platform. With this platform, Nissan is doing a number of groundbreaking innovations in the optimized efficiency for the 21st century. The LEAF will be the first Nissan EV to adopt the all new 3-in-1 electric powertrain that delivers a more responsive, smoother and solid driving experience. This 3-in-1 powertrain is 10% smaller than the second-generation LEAF and incorporates with the motor the inverter and reducer.

This new power train delivers up to 160 kW or 214hp and 355 Nm or 261 ft-lbs of torque. This powertrain is two decibels quieter than the second-generation LEAF. This combined unit increased space so that the HVAC system is now under the front hood rather than in the dash allowing for a more spacious open cabin. 

Ride quality and turning radius have been improved by moving from the current Torsion beam rear suspension to a multi-link rear suspension. This updated suspension allows the turning radius to be reduced by 10cm or 4 inches. 

Technology did not stop there, the engineering team created a system that captured the heat generated by the on-board charger so that it can optimize the liquid-cooled battery system, enhancing charging during the cold winter

The third generation Nissan LEAF has an impressive specification sheet. Looking to improve on the first two generations of ownership experience, this LEAF has the following:

• 303 Miles of range (EPA Estimate)
• NACS charging type
• 250 km or 155 miles of charge in 14 minutes
  • 10% to 80% charge in 35 minutes when connected to a 150kW fast charger
• Vehicle size and weight
  • Length - 4,405mm or 173.5 inches
  • Width - 1,810 mm or 71.25 inches
  • Height - 1,557mm or 61.3 inches
  • Wheelbase - 2,690mm or 105.9 inches
  • Weight - 1,794kg to 1,982kg or 3,955lbs to 4,369.6lbs
• Luggage capacity - 420L or 14.8 cubic feet
• Tire Sizes
  • 215/55R18
  • 235/45/R19
• EV capabilities
  • Vehicle-to-load
  • Vehicle-to-home

The interior of the third generation LEAF has optional upgrades such as the Premium plus Bose audio system that includes speakers in the headrests. The interior also can be configured based on option packages with two 120V outlets that can discharge up to 1500W of combined power, powering a variety of small to medium-size devices when out and about such as camping.

The third generation Nissan LEAF will be assembled at the Tochigi Plant in Japan and the Sunderland, northeast England plant for global sale.

Pricing will be released closer to the start of sales in each respective market.

For those that want to view the 2026 Nissan LEAF videos, access them here: All-New Nissan LEAF Playlist

Nissan is launching a large offensive with moving to Hybrids for their ICE autos and launching all new EV models of existing nameplates.

Nissan for 2025 is launching a wide range of ICE, Hybrid using their e-Power system and next-generation EVs across all segments.

Later in 2025, Nissan will launch the 3rd generation Nissan LEAF as an SUV built on the modular CMF-EV platform. This is the same platform that the Ariya SUV is built on. The Nissan LEAF has morphed from a hatchback into an SUV following the trends of the marketplace, demands of the customer.

The 3rd generation Leaf will move from an air-cooled EV launched in 2010 to a liquid managed EV SUV in 2025. The reimagined family-friendly spacious crossover SUV pairs improved aerodynamics with an advanced EV architecture. This all-new LEAF will be available for the first time with OEM 19-inch alloy wheels and a panoramic moonroof. The 2026 LEAF will also come standard with NACS charging port integrated, enabling access to the Tesla Supercharger network.

Efficient energy management, streamlined packaging and enhanced driving performance from Nissan's new 3-in-1 EV powertrain, are expected to help deliver significant range improvements over the previous generation.

Nissan vehicle programs chief, Francois Bailly, told TopGear.com the new LEAF is expected to have 373 miles (600 km) driving range (WLTP).

Further details will be shared mid-year.

Murano Firsts for 2025

Let's kick off the 2025 Nissan Murano with a list of Firsts:

• Ventilated, massaging front seats
• Dual 12.3-inch displays
• Google built-in, including Google Maps
• Wireless Apple CarPlay® and wireless Android Auto™
• 21-inch wheels (Platinum grade)
• 64-color interior ambient lighting
• Color head-up display
• Invisible Hood View
• 3D Intelligent Around View® Monitor
• ProPILOT Assist and ProPILOT Assist 1.1
• 9-speed automatic transmission

Exterior Design

Elegant and Premium is the tone of appearance for the seamless, clean design that includes 2.6-inches of overall body width imparting a powerful, graceful stance. Crystal Cube LED headlights with a gloss-black trim and hidden daytime running lights for a 21st century clean, modern appearance.

Venetian-Inspired Interior

Nissan continues the minimalist, elegant modern approach on the inside with an interior that is thoughtfully crafted with soft touch materials. This interior was inspired by the famed Venetian glassworks that give the crossover its name.

The driver experience has been adjusted to accommodate a wider range of driver physiques that includes a flat bottom steering wheel, capacitive-touch panel system, and a greater range of driver adjustments from the seat to the steering column with a larger range of lift and slide adjustments.

VC-Turbo Powertrain and Trims

21st century technology for confidence, control, safety is found throughout the 2025 Nissan Murano from the Intuitive connectivity system that fully supports Android Auto and Apple Carplay to the smooth powerful powertrain. Murano delivers responsive performance of a 2.0-liter VC-Turbo system rated at 241 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque paired to the paddle shifting 9-speed automatic transmission for an engaging dynamic drive while sipping fuel with the idle start/stop system standard.

Murano SV comes standard in FWD, with Intelligent AWD as an option and the SL and Platinum trims get AWD standard. Towing is up to 1,500 pounds.

Check out the 2025 Nissan Murano photo gallery for a full look at the redesigned exterior, interior, and Platinum trim details.

Rock Creek: Rugged Looks, Trail-Ready Features

Today, Nissan revealed the updated 2025 Nissan Rogue and introduced a new trim to the lineup called Rock Creek. Now, before you get out your overlanding gear, the Rock Creek is a rugged appearance package. Like many outdoorsy crossovers in this segment, the Rogue Rock Creek is probably best limited to compacted dirt trails. The Rock Creek comes with 235/65R17 Falken Wild Peak all-terrain tires, Hill Descent Control, a tubular roof rack, updated facia with red accents, and water-repellent leatherette seats. Additionally, the updated HD Intelligent Around View Monitor that all Rogues get for 2025 also includes an Off-Road View that can operate at speeds up to 12 miles per hour to help maneuver around obstacles.

A premium package for Rock Creek further adds a wireless phone charging mat, heated steering wheel, power passenger seat, motion-activated power liftgate, auto-dimming rearview mirror, and interior accent lighting. Rock Creek will be available in four colors: Everest White, Super Black, Boulder Gray, and Baja Storm.

ProPILOT Assist 2.1 and Updated Tech

For 2025, optional on SL and Platinum, Rogue can be equipped with an updated ProPILOT Assist, now at version 2.1. This version allows drivers to take their hands off the wheel on single-lane highways while remaining attentive to their driving surroundings. With the available technology package, the 3D Intelligent Around View Monitor gains two additional camera angles: Front Wide View, which allows drivers to "see through" pillars and parked cars, and Invisible Hood View, which shows footage from underneath the vehicle.

Rogue S, SV, and Rock Creek feature an 8-inch touchscreen with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while SL and Platinum move up to a 12.3-inch touchscreen with Google Built-in and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

VC-Turbo Powertrain

Powering all 2025 Nissan Rogues is a 1.5-liter variable compression turbocharged 4-cylinder (VC-Turbo) that produces 201 horsepower and 225 lb-ft of torque mated to Nissan's XTronic CVT. The engine continuously adjusts its compression ratio to optimize for power or efficiency depending on driving conditions. The Nissan Rogue lays claim to the best-in-class gasoline-powered fuel efficiency rating.

Check out the 2025 Nissan Rogue Rock Creek photo gallery for a full look at both color options and the rugged styling details.

2023 sales figures for Nissan show that they sold 898,796 over 22 models. One car is an outlier: the company's flagship GT-R. Somehow, 390 of Nissan's supercar-fighting GT-R were sold. That is an incredibly high increase of 584% compared to 57 GT-Rs sold in 2022. 

Speculation as to the boost in sales can be attributed to the 2023 refresh. New GT-Rs have a new fascia both front and rear for better aerodynamics. Nismo models now come with a front limited-slip differential. There's a new T-Spec trim that combines the engine of the regular GT-R with NISMO suspension, carbon-ceramic brakes, and a widened body. Two new colors include Millennium Jade and Midnight Purple.

This sounds odd since the GT-R has been around for almost 20 years with minor changes. It still uses the same drivetrain since 2007. For the past eight years, the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 produces 565 horsepower and 467 lb-ft. With the same six-speed dual-clutch automated manual and AWD, the GT-R gets from 0-60 MPH in 2.9 seconds. Premium GT-Rs start at $122,885. T-Spec trim levels cost $142,885 while the top-dog NISMO model costs $222,885.  

In a digital world of EV vehicles and advanced technology, sports car buyers may want a more analog experience. The Nissan GT-R still comes with hydraulic steering which is a rarity, even in the world of supercars.  GT-Rs retain physical buttons and it weighs less than a new BMW M2. This may be the final hurrah of the GT-R, but it will be missed. Known as Godzilla, the GT-R still has supercar performance without the price tag. 

NISSAN Motors which sparked the electrification of cars has announced that effective immediately, every new Nissan model in Europe will be 100% electric from now on as all R&D will only be done on EVs and the Nissan products will be 100% electric starting in 2030.

Nissan President and CEO Makoto Uchida stated that EVs are the ultimate mobility solution with more than 1 million Nissan customers having already made the switch and are experiencing the fun of driving electric.

Long-term vision: Nissan Ambition 2030 | Our Company | Nissan Motor Corporation Global Website (nissan-global.com)

Nissan has updated and released their Ambition 2030 plan which was originally released in November 2021 with reaching carbon neutrality and zero-emission vehicles by 2050 globally. This has been dialed in as Nissan has acknowledged that the new emissions standards by Europe have made it unprofitable to continue to develop and sell ICE autos in Europe. 

Globally NISSAN MOTORS has committed to using their EV platform to develop and introduce 27 electrified vehicles for global markets with 19 being pure EVs and the rest Hybrid depending on markets. Nissan has also committed to have Cobalt free batteries by 2028 in their EVs globally as they move to make their EV batteries solid-state with an average cost per kWh of $75 by 2028 and $65 per kWh by 2030 on par with the cost of gasoline vehicles.

Nissan has stated that from 2018 to 2022 sales of Electric vehicles rose from 5% to 44% for the whole auto market in Europe as Nissan EV sales have rose from 1% to 16% in Europe with a total sales of EV and Hybrid making 50% of Nissan sales in Europe. Nissan is expecting this to reach 98% in the next 3 years.

With Nissan having an R&D center in Cranfield and Bedfordshire England, they wanted to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the London design studio with the unveiling of this all-new sporty urban electric concept car built on their new EV platform.

The Concept 20-23 was lead by Nissans younger members of the Nissan Design Europe (NDE) team with a simple directive of designing a car they would want to drive with no constraints on the streets of the city where they work.

This team took this to heart in using the influences from Nissan's Formula E success in building a 3-door hatchback body-style that incorporates extreme aerodynamics and deep skirts to direct the airflow away from the front of the car, auto cooling of brakes and the battery pack and out the rear of the car.

Everything on the auto is low power usage components including the LED lighting from the front to the interior to the rear of the car.

Safety has taken a focus in that one has to step over a brace bar to get into their seats and carbon fiber components are used throughout the car to give lite weight to the EV yet being minimalistic.

Complete gallery of the car can be found at the press release here: Nissan celebrates 20th anniversary of London design studio with unveil of Concept 20-23 show car (nissannews.com)

Nissan is looking to the future of exciting desirable cars, trucks and SUVs in EV format for global consumption starting with the European market.

Nissan counts down to electric-only sales in Europe (nissannews.com)

Nissan is wanting to re-enforce that they have been a major EV auto supplier and is encompassing even more today by having clean delivery of EVs from the port to the dealership. The first delivery of the Nissan Ariya EVs was to Downey Nissan in LA.

Nissan in collaboration with Nikola and Kenworth will be using the first of their EV Class 8 Semi trucks for hauling their EV autos to dealerships. Both Nikola and Kenworth will provide the trucks that will pull traditional car haulers. This is being done in collaboration with logistics partner Avant-Garde Auto Logistics LLC, a woman-owned transportation company headquartered in Smyrna, Tennessee. 

Nissan has also collaborated with current logistics partner Wallenius Wilhelmsen on installing a proper charging solution to support the truck operations from the Port of Los Angeles.

Chris Styles, VP of Nissan North America, Supply Chain Management, had this to say:

 "By being an early adopter of this technology, we're showcasing our innovative spirit and positioning ourselves to meet our long-term goals for zero-tailpipe-emission transportation."

The first Ariya deliveries are the FWD trims which are now on sale in North America with the 4ORCE all-wheel-drive trims following spring of 2023.

Nissan, Nikola and Kenworth have come together to run this Proo-of-Concept (POC) out of the Port of LA with the Logistic partners who manage North America Auto Distribution to best understand the use of EV Class 8 Semi trucks for new vehicle deliveries.

Initially Nikola and Kenworth both supplied two trucks for this POC. Over the next 90 days, all companies will review the lessons learned from this project and Nissan has stated that they plan to move forward with purchasing EV Semi trucks to expand delivery across California and eventually North America as they expand use of the Class 8 BEV trucks for a variety of logistical use.

Nissan as one of the first automakers to use EV heavy-duty trucks to transport new vehicles to dealerships believes this will help them on achieving carbon neutrality across its global operations by 2050.

Nissan has set one of the most aggressive EV targets as the company has targeted 40% of all new auto sales for Nissan in North America to be electric by 2030 as part of their Ambition 2030 plan.

Nissan believes that the all-new 2023 Nissan Ariya, Nissan's first all-electric crossover SUV with an EPA estimated range of 304 miles for the Venture+ model is a perfect partner for daily commutes as well as road trips.

Nissan as an EV pioneer has built the all-electric all-new Ariya SUV on the strengths of the Nissan LEAF, which has sold almost 600,000 globally since its release a decade ago.

Timeless Japanese Futurism (TJF) is the design philosophy that Ariya delivers on in Nissan's redefinition of style. TJF is characterized by Nissan's Japanese approach of simple-yet-powerfully modern. Designers according to Nissan embraced this concept of sleek, sexy and seamless to communicate how an EV paired with advanced driving capabilities offers a new perspective in design, function and ownership experience.

iki, a Japanese term was embraced in characterizing the Ariya's chic, cutting-edge nature, which Nissan believes is represented in the vehicles seamless, elegant and fresh front end.

Nissan says that the Ariya is highlighted by a shield, a reimagined grille for the EV era. The Ariya shield incorporates a 3-D traditional Japanese Kumiko pattern just under the smooth surface, while protecting sensors used for driver assistance functions without the aesthetics interrupting operations. Nissan also redesigned their brand logo so it is prominently placed at the center of the aerodynamic shield, beaming with crisp definition from the 20 LEDs that compose it.

The lower section of the shield is bordered by subtle lighting that illuminates, along with the logo, when the Ariya is ready for operation. Thin LED headlamps, constructed with four 20-millimeter mini-projectors to reinvent Nissan's signature V-motion design.

A single, uninterrupted horizon line stretches across the side profile, linking the front fascia and the rear and conveys linear movement, creating architectural beauty in tension and drama from every angle.

Nissan in their press release of the new Ariya deliveries to dealerships had additional praise about the rear fascia of the Ariya.

Quote: The rear of Ariya is equally striking, characterized by a steeply raked C-pillar that blends flawlessly into the rear deck. The one-piece light blade, representing the rear combination lamps, has been engineered to give a blackout effect when parked, and a consistent red illumination, day or night, when in use. Rear fender flares and a high-mounted rear wing signal Ariya's powerful EV capabilities.

Nissan had the following to state about the Ariya EV.

• 6 two-tone exterior paint combinations
  • Akatsuki - Special two-tone Copper and Black package, expresses the moment just before dawn, as the sun marks the beginning of a new day. Color package is pictured above.
• 3 full-body colors
• EV Platform for spacious interior cabin
  • climate control is under the front hood rather than in the cabin increasing space due to the electric powertrain
• Minimalist instrument panel
• Haptic switches are integrated into the dash and instrument panel
• Adjustable center console
• Shifter with capacitive haptic drive mode controls
• 50/50 weight distribution
• Floorboard is a structural body change, maximizing comfort and space
• Spacious cargo area with back seats folded down

Interior continues the future with a hybrid voice recognition system, Amazon Alexa voice control along with Apple Carplay and Android Auto.

Ariya has an assortment of high-tech features such as ProPILOT Assist 2.0, Nissan newest iteration of driver assistance technology. Nissan Safety Shield 360, a suite of six active safety features.

• Automatic Emergency Braking
• Pedestrian Detection
• Blind Spot Warning
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert
• Lane Departure Warning
• High Beam Assist
• Rear Automatic Braking

Nissan made this statement on the release of the Ariya for sale at their national dealership network:

Nissan Ariya crossover marks a new era for electric vehicles, promising an incredibly powerful and smooth ride thanks to the full strength of Nissan Intelligent Mobility delivered by the latest assistance technologies designed to support, respond and respect the driver's intentions. A sleek, sexy, seamless design inspired by Timeless Japanese Futurism gives all occupants a welcome, personal impression aimed to surpass expectations.

In November 2021, Nissan Ambition 2030 was unveiled with a focus on their long-term vision for empowering mobility and beyond for a cleaner, safer and more inclusive world. Nissan Ambition 2030 laid out the plan to deliver superior value by empowering journeys and society through exciting, electrified vehicles and technological innovations. The video below is for your viewing if you want to hear this plan. There are additional videos and info at the link below on the plan.

At the time of this Ambition 2030 announcement, Nissan showed off their Chill Out EV Concept.

Today in February 2022 Nissan Motor Corporation had the following details to share about their Canton Mississippi Assembly plant which will transform into their North America BEV production site. Specifically:

• Nissan to invest $500 million to transform Canton assembly plant to build all-new Nissan and Infiniti EV models starting in 2025; the company has now invested $13.5 billion in its U.S. manufacturing operations
• Investment supports retraining and upskilling nearly 2,000 jobs, transforming the Canton plant into a center for EV manufacturing and technology
• EV investment one of several in the U.S. over the next five years; by 2030, targeting 40% of US vehicle sales to be fully electric, with even more to be electrified
• New vehicles are part of Nissan Ambition 2030, calling for 23 electrified models for the Nissan and INFINITI brands globally, including 15 all-electric vehicles, by 2030

Here is the first videos of Nissan and Infiniti's BEVs as they start with electric cars over SUV or trucks.

 

 Currently the Canton vehicle assembly plant employs approximately 5,000 people and builds the current versions of the Altima, Frontier, TITAN and TITAN XD. This plant has built nearly 5 million vehicles since it opened in 2003

This is confirmation by Nissan that these first 2 cars are part of their $18 Billion Nissan Ambition 2030 plan for 23 electrified vehicles to be sold globally by 2030 across the Nissan / Infiniti brands and targeting 40% of U.S. sales to be electric by then.

Nissan had originally stated they would offer e-Power Hybrid autos under Infiniti to help with the transformation to fully electric autos as the brand leading BEV after having introduced the Leaf to the world. An infiniti luxury BEV was supposed to be based on the Infiniti Qs Inspiration Concept.

As a competitor to the Announced Tesla Model 3, Nissan was aggressively going to go after the market but in September 2015, Infinity said there was no demand for Luxury EVs before 2020 and shelved the idea. Since then, the whole industry is now focusing on BEV autos.

Now with Design studios based in Yokohama, London, San Diego, and Beijing, Nissan is moving ahead with a complete BEV plan that will leverage the assembly plants in Japan, North America and China to build and supply BEVs globally.

For Infinity, this will be using their unique approach to modern Japanese luxury with a focus on thoughtful hospitality while seamlessly integrating technology and innovation into their vehicles. 

Nissan Ambition 2030 | NISSAN (nissan-global.com)

Nissan unveils Ambition 2030 vision to empower mobility and beyond (nissannews.com)

Nissan to build two all-new, all-electric models at Mississippi assembly plant (nissannews.com)

INFINITI advances on journey towards bright new horizon (infinitinews.com)

Ambition 2030, Nissan Motor Corporations long-term strategy has been unveiled as a 5 year, 2 trillion yen ($17.6 Billion US) investment that will launch 23 exciting new electrified models, including 15 new EVs, aiming for a 50% electrification mix by fiscal year 2030 and to introduce ASSB in fiscal year 2028.

Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida made this statement: “The role of companies to address societal needs is increasingly heightened. With Nissan Ambition 2030, we will drive the new age of electrification, advance technologies to reduce carbon footprint and pursue new business opportunities. We want to transform Nissan to become a sustainable company that is truly needed by customers and society.”

As a Pioneer of electrified vehicles and building the success of the Nissan Leaf, their first global EV, Nissan has listened to the customers from both Nissan and Infiniti brands. Over the next 5 years, Nissan will introduce 20 new EV and e-powered equipped models that will allow them to increase electrification sales mix across major markets by fiscal year 2026, including:

• Europe by more than 75% of sales
• Japan by more than 55% of sales
• China by more than 40% of sales
• The United States by 40% of EV sales in fiscal year 2030

To increase accessibility and innovation in mobility, Nissan will continue to evolve their existing lithium-ion battery technologies and introduce cobalt-free technology to bring down the cost by 65% by fiscal 2028.

This goal aligns with Nissan's focus to bring their ASSB, a proprietary all-solid-state battery packs to market by fiscal 2028. A pilot plant is under construction with production expected by 2024. Nissan expects to expand their EV offerings across multiple segments and offer even more dynamic performance EVs with their breakthrough ASSB battery packs. Nissan expects the ASSB to reduce rapid charging to 1/3rd of existing top current battery technology and bring the cost of battery packs down to $75 per kWh by fiscal 2028 and after that to $65 per kWh if not lower as they achieve cost parity between EVs and ICE autos. 

Nissan expects to have next generation LIDAR systems in all Nissan and INFINITI models by fiscal year 2030.

EV36Zero is an EV Hub concept that launched in the UK. This was where the manufacturing was surrounded by the suppliers in an efficient ecosystem bringing local manufacturing with locals sourcing onto a single campus to enhance and optimize efficiencies to reduce costs. Japan, China and the U.S. will all have EV360Zero EV Hubs for complete product lines. Nissan also is expanding their 4R Energy which is a repurposing and recycling of existing batteries in Japan with new locations for Europe being built in 2022 and sites in the U.S. by 2025. This brings sustainable practices to the battery industry

Nissan with unveiling this Ambition 2030 plan also unveiled new concept autos that offer enhanced experiences through sophisticated technology packaging. 

The first is the Nissan Chill-Out EV.

A crossover that utilizes the CMF-EV platform while delivering high levels of comfort and an energizing AWD driving experience.

Nissan Max-Out Concept

The Nissan Max-Out is a convertible concept that aims to deliver a new driving experience. Dynamic cornering, steering response, balanced limited body roll for both the driver and passenger for ultimate comfort and creating a feeling of oneness with the auto. An advanced Awd system with enhanced low center of gravity.

Nissan Surf-Out concept.

Aiming to provide a smooth ride no matter what the terrain throws at you the Nissan Surf-Out provides standard off-road performance, electric power utilization from multiple places in the vehicle, extended cargo space and advanced e-4ORCE AWD.

Nissan Hang-Out Concept

Completely flat floor that extends from the front to the back, this concept aims to surpass the conventional wisdom about interior layouts by offering families new ways to enjoy life by offering the comfort of your living room in a mobile space. Key features and technologies are the low flat floor, quiet comfort cabin on-the-go with advanced e-4ORCE AWD and advanced ProPilot.

This is all possible by Nissan EV Technology Vision that looks beyond the Ariya next-gen crossover EV to the future of EVs. This platform considers the future direction of lifestyle using advanced solid-state battery technology (ASSB), hardware and software. This gives you ideal geometry with FWD, RWD and AWD electric drive, low center of gravity, ultra-lightweight and optimal mass distribution for a near perfect 50/50. The ASSB all solid-state battery with the choice of electric drive and integration of A.I. via advanced e4ORCE and ProPilot allows precise and agile vehicle control no matter what the weather throws at you.

 

Additional info can be read at the press release links below.

Nissan unveils Ambition 2030 vision to empower mobility and beyond (nissannews.com)

Nissan Futures | Concept (thenissannext.com)

Nearly a decade ago, Nissan launched an ambitious assault on the U.S. commercial van market with the launch of their NV vans. It started with the Titan-dervived, body-on-frame NV1500/2500/3500 vans. This was followed by the unibody NV200 van, which was for a time the "Taxi of Tommorow" in New York City. But Nissan is reportedly throwing in the towel.

Automotive News has learned from a source that it will end production of their commercial vans. No time frame was given.

"We don't want to go more in the business of vans in the U.S. We will exit," said the source.

Nissan spokesman Brian Brockman declined to comment about the future of the commercial vans, only saying in a statement that the automaker " is considering a number of opportunities to streamline the product portfolio and drive efficiencies within our manufacturing operations."

When the NV lineup was launched in 2009, Nissan was hoping to steal away sales from the Detroit Three. At the time, Ford and GM had 97 percent of the large van segment. The NV was positioned as being a more modern option compared to the Ford E-Series and Chevrolet Express/GMC Savana. It was more comfortable with adjustable seats, taller ceiling for easier access to the cargo area, and pre-drilled holes in the body to allow owners to add interior racks easily. But Nissan wasn't able to make decent inroads into this market, only achieving around an eight percent share in the marketplace.

What was the NV's downfall?

• Brand Loyalty to the American brands
• Using a modified Titan platform for the larger vans comprised them in urban areas with their extended front nose, and cargo capacity.
  • "A third of the vehicle is dedicated to the engine and passenger compartment instead of cargo. The van takes up more real estate for the same amount of cargo space," explained Sam Fiorani, vice president at AutoForecast Solutions.
• NV200 Taxis were dinged by taxi companies poor ride quality, difficulty entering/exiting the van for elderly passengers, and increasing maintenance costs.
• Proved to a be a difficult sale to fleet buyers due to the automaker lacking the numerous combinations of light-trucks that the Detroit three can offer. Trucks and vans work hand in hand to attract sales in the commercial market.
  • "Chevrolet and Ford can be everything to everybody," said Tyler Slade, operating partner at Tim Dahle Nissan Southtowne in Salt Lake City. "When we went to some of these fleet companies, it didn't make sense for them to have trucks from Ford and vans from Nissan."

Add in $2.8 billion in cuts that the company is planning to stay afloat and COVID-19, and the death knell was coming sooner than later for the NV family.

If Nissan does go forward with dropping the NV family, this will be a major blow to about a forth of Nissan dealers in the U.S. They made various investments such as installing heavy-duty lifts capable of lifting fully-loaded vans and having a dedicated sales staff to handle specific fleet issues.

"Dealers now have serious concerns about their investments in commercial vehicles," said Slade.

There is also the question as to whether Nissan may try again. Automotive News notes that in the new business strategy outlined last month, Nissan is wanting more global cooperation with its alliance partner Renault. The French automaker already has a number of vans in its lineup and is quite successful in various markets. Nissan already sells a version of the Renault Traffic, called the NV300 in Europe.

But getting a Renault van into the U.S. as a Nissan will be difficult and costly in terms of homologation. Also, Nissan would still need to figure out how to appeal to larger fleet buyers that go with Ford or GM.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), The Drive
Pic Credit: William Maley for Cheers & Gears

Nissan is forcing employees to go without pay for two days at the beginning of January 2020 by remaining closed on the 2nd and 3rd of January. The move equates to a 9.2% pay cut for those paid monthly.  In addition to the pay cuts, Nissan is cutting travel expenses by half effective immediately. All of Nissan's US operations, including Infiniti an Nissan Motor Acceptance Corp, the company's in house financing unit are included in the shut down. 

Nissan has been plagued with falling sales in the U.S. with the entire group falling 16 percent in November. Nissan brand fell 13 percent and Infiniti fell 33 percent (You can view the industry sales figure ticker for November here). Nissan has been moving away from high volume fleet sales and cutting back on retail incentives in a drive to be more profitable. 

When it comes to electric vehicles, Telsa takes nearly all of the headlines, but Nissan has been quietly selling the Leaf since 2010, two years before the Tesla Model S came to market.  Now, Nissan wants some of its thunder back and is working on a dual motor prototype of the Leaf e+.  The motors are set up at each axle and provide a combined output of 304 hp and 501 lb.-ft of torque.  The regular Leaf e+ has 214 horsepower and 251 lb.-ft of torque and gets to 62 mph from a stop in 6.9 seconds, so with 90 more horsepower and about double the torque, the dual motor version should scoot along quite nicely. 

Nissan has tuned the power delivery to be smooth but very responsive.  The all-wheel drive system has been tuned to work with the regenerative braking to help control stability even more than a normal all-wheel drive system would. 

While it is not going into production, this test bed shows that Nissan is working on more EV systems for the future for a greater variety of vehicles. 

At the Texas State Fair today, Nissan debuted the updated 2020 Nissan Titan. The 2020 Titan features a bold new grille and light designs that help differentiate the various trim levels of the truck. Inside on the redesigned center stack is a new 9-inch diagonal touchscreen infotainment system with built in Wifi router. The infotainment system also features Android Auto and Apple Car Play. Safety features include Nissan Safety Shield 360, standard on all grades of truck. The Titan will come in King Cab and Crew Cab body styles and 5 levels of trim. Crew Cab models have an available panoramic sunroof that is one of the largest in the segment at over 3 square feet.  

On the powertrain front, the Titan retains its sole 5.6 liter V8, but now upgraded to 400 horsepower and 413 lb.-ft of torque.  By virtue of not offering a V6, the Titan can lay claim to having the most powerful base engine offered in the segment. Backing up that V8 is a new 9-speed automatic running power to the rear or all four wheels. 

The new Titan goes on sale in early 2020. 

Nissan has debuted the 2020 Nissan Patrol for the Middle East. We had gotten a preview when the Nissan Patrol leaked out on Facebook a few weeks ago. 

The Nissan Patrol is known as the Nissan Armada in the U.S., however we will not get this update until at least the 2021 model year as the 2020 Armadas are already on dealer lots. 

Overall, the Patrol's formula remains the same, a chiseled, upright SUV with a posh interior and real off-road chops.  It takes on the company's V-Motion grille with a broad flat bottom.  It's flanked by C-shaped LED running lamps.  At the rear, there are fewer changes, though Nissan did install new tail-lamps with  sequential turn signals.  The interior has moved even more upscale with available diamond-stitched quilted leather seats. The infotainment system has been upgraded with support for Android Auto and Apple Car Play.  Nissan says that the interior will also be noticeably quieter.

In the Middle East, the standard engine is a 4.0 liter V6 producing 275 horsepower and 291 lb.-ft of torque or customers can upgrade to the 5.6 liter V8 with 400 horsepower and 413 lb.-ft of torque.  In the US, only the 5.6 liter V8 is available with 390 horsepower and 394 lb.-ft of torque. Customers who chose the V8 will also get to choose Nissan's Hydraulic Body Motion Control adaptive suspension system.

No official word on when the Patrol updates will make it to the Armada in the U.S., but we expect to see something for 2021. Middle East buyers can pick one up by the end of this month. 

Nissan has announced a date for the next version of the Nissan Titan.  The refresh for the 2020 Model year will be unveiled on September 26th. It is said to include a new "hot" Nissan badge with lava red accents featured on the PRO-4X model. 

Not much to be seen from the teaser picture, but it shows a revised grille with new headlights which include a C-Shaped running light, new front bumper, fog lights, and more visible tow hooks.  Also expect a new tail gate and a revised center stack and switchgear.  One the powertrain front, gone will be the optional 5.0 liter Cummins V8 diesel. The only engine offered will be the 5.6 liter gasoline V8, but no word on if that has received any updates. Currently it produces 390 horsepower and 394 lb.-ft of torque. 

The 2020 Nissan Armada also recently leaked out and is expected to be debuted at the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show.

Nissan is known for their Zero Gravity Seats found in many of their vehicles, some of the most comfortable cars seats I've found in the industry.  Nissan took that experience and applied it to three gaming chair concepts aimed at the gaming crowd.

First of the three is a chair based on the Nissan GT-R Nismo (shown above). It's made from carbon fiber and aluminum and shaped like a racing seat. The soft areas are covered with a red leather and synthetic suede surfaces.

My personal favorite is the Nissan Armada. Inspired by Nissan's full-size SUV, the chair is based on the Platinum Reserve with black and brown leather seating surfaces in the shape of a captain's chair. It has climate controlled heating and cooling with lumbar support for additional comfort.

Finally, the Nissan Leaf. It features gun metal painted surfaces with light-gray leather-appointed seats with electric blue inserts, usb charging ports, and integrated leg rests.

Unfortunately, Nissan has no current plans to build any of these chairs, but is gauging public reaction.  If you are interested in one of these chairs, but sure to tweet them at @NissanUSA.  What say you reader? Should Nissan build one of these models?

The latest CEO at Nissan, Hiroto Saikawa, is out-of-office permanently as of September 16th after yet another financial scandal rocks the company.  Saikawa is the second Nissan CEO to be tainted by financial misconduct allegations. 

Allegedly, Saikawa received improper payments with regards to the sale of Nissan stock. The payments were after the date of the sale of the stock was altered and netted Saikawa additional hundreds of thousands of dollars. Saikawa has not yet been charged with a crime. Saikawa originally said he would stay on until a replacement was found, but abruptly changed course and formally resigned today.

The temporary replacement will be Chief Operating Officer Yasuhiro Yamauchi until a permanent replacement has been found. There are currently ten candidates for the positions and Nissan says it is considering outsiders and non-Japanese. 

The current generation of Nissan Armada came out in 2016 for model year 2017. As we're already into the 2020 model year it seems it was about time for a refresh. Someone in Saudi Arabia snapped shots of a Nissan Patrol, the same vehicle as the Armada, and leaked them out on Facebook.

Nissan's big body-on-frame SUV gets some updated headlights and updated grille.  It could just be the angle, but the hood looks more horizontal and the lower side air inlets are a different shape.  Around back the bumper gets smaller and more integrated into the body and new tail lamps show up that remind one of an Expedition.

On the inside, the shape of the interior looks familiar, though the center stack is now flat rather than having a bulge in the middle.  There also appear to be two screens as in many Infiniti models. Red quilted leather seats and the badge on the back indicate that this is a Platinum model.

Under the facelift, expect the hardware to remain the same with a 390 horsepower, 5.6-liter V8 and a 7-speed automatic.

We expect to see the 2020 Nissan Armada at the Los Angeles International Auto Show in November.

A little over a week ago we told you that Nissan was going to start cutting parts of its model lineup.  Some of the low hanging fruit for Nissan are the variants of the Nissan Titan. Nissan Titan sales are down 22.6 percent, selling only 18,026 copies in the first half of 2019.

The biggest news is that Nissan will be killing off the Cummins diesel option for the Titan XD. The 5 liter turbocharged  V8 produces 310 horsepower and 555 lb-ft of torque.  For 2020, the Titan XD will be powered solely by the 5.6 liter gasoline V8 unless Nissan has a card up their sleeve to offer something else.

Also going away will be the standard cab variants of the Titan and Titan XD, leaving just the extended cab and crew cab in the lineup.

For 2020, the truck will be receiving a light refresh. The exterior is getting a face lift and the interior is lightly updated plus gaining a new infotainment system with a larger screen. 

We reviewed the 2016 Nissan Titan XD with the Cummins diesel back in May 2016 and came away impressed but confused by its place in the market. Take a read to find out why. 

The Nissan Versa once held the dubious title of being the cheapest new car you could buy.  Now, with the all new 2020 Nissan Versa, Nissan hopes to bring the sub-compact a little bit more premium and with that the Versa goes up in price.   Now coming only in a sedan (The Kicks has replaced the Versa Note), the Versa wears one of the more stylish exteriors for the sub-compact class. The engine is a next generation 1.6 liter 4-cylinder, with an increase in horsepower to 122.  Fuel economy is rated at 32 city / 40 highway / 35 combined. 

Those of you who prefer to row your own gears instead of letting Nissan's CVT do it are limited to buying the base model Versa S, starting at $14,730. Above that, all models come with the CVT.

Destination and Handling $895.

These prices are roughly a $2,000 increase over the current car. But you do get a lot more for your money.   Nissan Safety Shield 360 is standard on the SV and SR. Available equipment includes heated front seats, 60/40-split fold-down rear seat, and Automatic Climate Control, bigger wheels, and intelligent cruise control. 

The 2020 Nissan Versa is available at dealerships soon. 

There's one disadvantage to being partially owned by the French, they know how to cut things off when they need to. We reported last week that due to lagging sales and plunging profits, Nissan was readying to layoff 12,500 employees globally, or 9% of their global workforce. It seems that other cuts are on the way as well, though we may not see as much of it here in the U.S.

Along with the 9% cut in jobs will be around 10% of its global lineup as well.  First to go will be the low-end models in developing markets like India. Their overseas brand Datsun could see the bulk of the cuts, but the US will lose models as well. Expect coupes and hatchbacks to be the first to go, the Versa hatchback for example will not be returning for 2020, replaced by the more crossover-like Kicks. Which coupe might die? The Nissan 370Z, the Nissan GT-R, and the Infiniti Q60 are prime targets.  Deliveries of the Infiniti Q60 are down 48.8% as of June. In Sedan-Land, the Maxima fell 30% and the Altima, which is all-new, is down 12.1%. 

But it isn't just cars that could get kicked to the curb.  The Nissan Titan sales are down 22.6%, selling a mere 18,026 copies in the first half of this year. This trails even the slow selling Toyota Tundra by some 36,000 units. The Murano is down 33% year to date. 

So if you're wondering which models may have their head in the Guillotine, take a look at our Sales Figure Ticker for Nissan for June and put a big red question mark on them. 

Yesterday we reported that Nissan may be cutting up to 10,000 jobs.... we were short by about 2,500. Nissan Motor Company's CEO Hiroto Saikawa said "The results were really more negative than we expected" in a financial briefing at Nissan Headquarters.  Operating profit was nearly wiped out, falling to just $14.8 million in the first fiscal quarter ending June 30th.  Operating margin shrank from 4.0 percent last year to barely 0.1 percent this year.  Global retail volume fell 6.0% to 1.23 million vehicles.

On the back of these poor results. Nissan has annouced job cuts of up to 12,500 worldwide as part of a plan to revive the company.  Of that, 6,400 job cuts are already underway with 1,420 jobs lost in the U.S.  An additional 6,100 job cuts are planned over the next 4 years. Most of the job cuts will be at plants that are working below capacity. 

In the U.S., Nissan is trying to move away from fleet sales and focus on increasing retail sales, with the goal of boosting retail sales by 100,000 units. 

Rumor has it that that Nissan is about to report that its first-quarter profit fell by nearly 90%. Nissan has yet to recover from the financial scandal caused by Carlos Ghosn.  Additionally, years of chasing volume over profits in the U.S. has damaged the brand, requiring heavy discount and cheap financing to move metal. Investors are also worried that the alliance with Renault is breaking down.  Friction with France's Renault over the failed merger with Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles has brought tensions between the two companies to an all-time high.

Reports are that due to the falling profits, Nissan will be cutting up to 10,000 jobs, primarily in Asia and South America.  In doing so, Nissan would join the ranks of Mercedes-Benz, Ford, Honda, and others with global layoffs in the five digit range. Nissan/Infiniti sales in the US are down 8.9 percent year to date as of June. 

Nissan is releasing the next version of ProPilot in Japan in the fall of 2019 on the new Nissan Skyline (Infiniti G50 to us Yanks), but here in the U.S., we'll need to wait a bit longer while the system undergoes further testing and mapping of the US highway system.

ProPilot 2.0 makes a big jump in autonomous driving capability, the biggest of which is true hands-off highway driving. The system can switch lanes and pass cars, but those moves require a hands on approach from the driver. ProPilot 2.0 also takes orders from the Navigation system, while using seven cameras, five radar sensors, and 12 sonar sensors to pilot the car.  The system will only work on highways where the roads have been mapped in 3D High-Definition.  Japan's more compact nature means that most of the roads there have already been scanned.  The US, with its wide open space will take longer to map. 

Currently ProPilot Assist (1.0) is offered only on the Leaf, Rogue, Rogue Sport, and Altima. In the US, 60 percent of Leaf buyers and 40 percent of Rogue buyers opt for the 1.0 version of the system.   Eventually Nissan wants to expand ProPilot to 20 models. 

After Nissan having a heavy hand in helping to scuttle the potential merger between Renault and FCA, Renault is getting payback by helping to block corporate reforms Nissan is attempting to put in place after the arrest of Carlos Ghosn and poor financial performance by the company.   Nissan and Renault are fighting because Nissan abstained from the vote on whether to merge, and following that, the French government did as well.  Without the cooperation of the French government, FCA pulled out of the deal.

Renault holds 43.4 percent of Nissan and is upset with the representation they would have on the board and committees under the current plans.  The French company says that their abstention from voting is not final and can change pending changes to the proposals. 

Meanwhile, rumors say that FCA and Renault are still looking for ways to salvage the merger while Nissan is pressuring Renault to reduce their holdings in Nissan. Nissan has been seeking more autonomy from Renault ever since the Ghosn scandals. 

A Nissan executive who has declined to be identified is upbeat about the possible FCA-Renault merger according to a report by AutoBlog.  The deal, estimated at about $35 billion, would not give FCA the right to use Nissan technology via the Nissan-Renault alliance. 

The executive said he was optimistic about possible synergies of using Nissan's green and electric vehicle know-how in other vehicles. He also raised the possibility that Nissan could increase its stake, currently 15%, in Renault or FCA-Renault.  Without increasing their stake, Nissan's share of the resulting company would be cut to 7.5%.  FCA-Renault however, would continue to hold 43.4% of Nissan. 

Examples of some of the sharing could be Nissan's advanced engine technology currently used in Infiniti as a possible benefit for Alfa Romeo and Jeep. 

FCA and Renault for their part are still negotiating with each other and with the French government which wants job and production guarantees. Renault is said to have a decision on the merger by end of this week.

Nissan unveiled the Nissan Sylphy at the Shanghai Auto Show earlier this month and spies have caught it in the US virtually confirming it will be coming to the US as the next generation Nissan Sentra.

Looking like a mini-Nissan Altima, Nissan says the chassis is now much stiffer and they have gone and improved the suspension and steering feel.  The interior has been made to look much more luxurious with quilted seats and a slicker looking dashboard.

The infotainment system is a 8-inch TFT screen and the driver gets a 7-inch TFT gauge cluster. Nissan's ProPilot Assist will be available and includes things like collision warning, blind spot warning, lane departure warning, cross traffic alert, and others. 

No details yet on powertrain except that Nissan says the 4-cylinder engine and CVT have been updated. 

At the Tortuga Music Festival in Ft. Lauderdale Florida yesterday, Nissan unveiled the all-new 2020 Nissan Versa. 

Nissan packed technology usually reserved for higher end cars into the low-cost Versa including Nissan's Safety Shield 360.  Safety Shield 360 includes: 

• Nissan Intelligent Mobility that helps provide front, side and rear safety monitoring and intervention technologies.
• Standard safety features include Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection
• Rear Automatic Braking
• Lane Departure Warning
• High Beam Assist

Available equipment includes Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Intelligent Driver Alertness and Intelligent Cruise Control.

The exterior has been refreshed to look like a smaller version of the Nissan Altima with Nissan's V-Motion grille and a rear floating roof.  The interior has been greatly upgraded. Inside, Nissan took styling elements from the Nissan Maxima. Heated front seats, push button start, Automatic Climate Control, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also available. 

Under the hood is a 1.6 liter 4-cylinder producing 122 horsepower and 114 lb-ft of torque with either a CVT or 5-speed manual.

No word yet on pricing, but the Nissan Versa is one of the least expensive vehicles available in the U.S.... that it packs this much technology into an inexpensive package will make it a killer value if Nissan can hold the line on pricing.

The Jeep Gladiator is new. While it is based on older underpinnings and a somewhat dated interior, the Ford Ranger is the second newest truck in the U.S. market.  Behind that is the just-refreshed but still on an older chassis Toyota Tacoma, that is getting a new platform in a few years. Behind that is the Honda Ridgeline.  Behind that are the GM twins of Colorado and Canyon which came out in 2012. And finally, behind those two, the oldest small/midsize truck is the Nissan Frontier, trucking on since 2004 without a major redesign.   Put into some perspective, the current Nissan Frontier is only one year younger than the previous generation of Colorado and Canyon.  As far as the automotive industry goes, that is ancient, but Frontier buyers don't seem to mind. Nissan sold nearly 79,646 Frontier trucks in 2018, a 7.1% increase over 2017.  That's with all the new competition coming on the market and without any major incentives.  That makes it the brands third best seller in the crossover/truck segment after Rogue and Murano. 

People wanting something a bit fresher from Nissan still have about 18 months to wait. The next Frontier, sold as a 2021 model, should arrive in dealerships in the Fall of 2020. People who have seen previews of the truck describe it as "futuristic" and "Modern, but still looks like a truck".  It will get a new 300 horsepower V6 engine replacing the current 4.0 V6 and the 5-speed automatic will be upgraded to a 7-speed. 

However, unlike the Tacoma, which is moving to an all new platform in a few years. The Frontier will get a heavily revised version of its current frame.  Nissan opted not to go with their global Navara truck platform primarily because it is too small to compete with the likes of the Ranger and Gladiator.  It also uses a more expensive coil spring rear suspension instead of the traditional leaf springs. 

With the Ford Ranger and Jeep Gladiator now entering the market, Nissan wants to catch up and be the newest kid on the block, if only for a little while.

In what is being called a highly unusual turn, Japanese prosecutors have arrested Carlos Ghosn again while he was out on bail on suspicion of trying to enrich himself at Nissan's expense.  Ghosn has called on the French government for help. Ghosn was free on $9 Million bail at the time.

Prosecutors say that Ghosn had caused over $5 million in losses at Nissan Motor Co in a breach of his legal duties to the company with the goal of personal gain. The losses come from the alleged shifting of funds through a dealer in Oman into an account that Ghosn owned. 

Prosecutors visited Ghosn's residence on Thursday for questioning and later took him into custody. Ghosn remained defiant, saying through a spokesman "Why arrest me except to try to break me? I will not be broken" and that the arrest was "an outrageous and arbitrary attempt to silence him". 

Prior to his arrest, Ghosn said on Twitter that he would hold a press conference on April 11th to tell the truth about the allegations against him. Prosecutors can hold him for 22 days without charge under Japanese law. 

Japanese journalists await Carlos Ghosn who was expected to be released from Jail on bail after the Tokyo court granted the bail request. Ghosn lawyer's office said it would be near impossible for him to be released the same day due to an appeal by the prosecutor's office.

Ghosn was granted bail set at $1 billion yen or equal to $9 million US at today's exchange rate. Ghosn is 64 and head of the auto alliance of Nissan Motors, Mitsubishi Motors, and Renault. He was arrested in 2018 on suspicion of underreporting his income by more than $80 million US dollars and saddling Nissan with his personal investment losses, allegations he denies.

Ghosn new legal team was able to get bail granted on the conditions he will be kept under guard locally with limited to no outside information. Ghosn has claimed that the executives of Nissan are responsible for his arrest as they plotted and committed treason to prevent him from bringing Nissan further under Renault's control.

While Carlos Ghosn has resigned from the CEO position on all three companies, he remains on the boards of all three companies.

Yet now that he is out on bail he seems to be insulting the average workers of Japan and according to various stories, his new legal team has apologized for advising the former CEO to leave jail in a disguise being taken away in a work van with ladders attached to the roof.

Local news outlets have mocked the costume drama bringing more attention than if he had just left on his own in normal business attire and in a business auto. Ghosn is one of the highest-profile detainees which also has made him one of the most famous now.

Ghosn was seen later in the day walking with two women, one believed to be his wife and the other his daughter in a Tokyo park by where he will be living surrounded by press and still wearing the blue baseball cap and sunglasses.

Carlos Ghosn has been sitting in a Japanese jail cell since mid-November on charges financial violations, including under-reporting compensation. It is unclear what awaits him in the coming months, but he believes that his downfall is due the result of "plot and treason" by Nissan executives opposed to plans of a merger between Nissan and Renault.

Today, the Nikkei Asian Review published an exclusive interview with Ghosn from the detention center he is currently being held at. This is quite surprising as Ghosn has been "barred from meeting with his family or Nissan employees".

During the short interview (about 20 minutes), Ghosn dismissed various accusations ranging from his 19-year reign at Nissan being a "dictatorship," to the numerous financial charges he is currently facing. One of those charges deals with $14.7 million in payments to a company run by Saudi businessman Khaled al-Juffali. Ghosn said "the executive in charge of the region signed [the approval]," and the funds came from Ghosn's "CEO reserve," a pot of money that he was free to decide how to spend.

"[Have I] done [something] inappropriate? I am not a lawyer, I don't know the interpretation of [such] facts," Ghosn said.

"These are known by everybody, why didn't they tell me?"

Ghosn also talked about the plans for the deeper integration of Nissan, Renault, and Mitsubishi. The plan was to have the three closely integrated to ensure "autonomy under one holding company." Ghosn also revealed that he wanted to have Mitsubishi Motors CEO Osamu Masuko in the talks about the integration, but Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa wanted to keep the talks "one-on-one". Allies of Ghosn believed some Nissan executives were worried that Ghosn's power could increase under the integration, prompting them to work with Tokyo prosecutors.

A Nissan spokesman told Bloomberg that Saikawa previously refuted the notion of a coup.

“Nissan’s investigation uncovered substantial and convincing evidence of misconduct,” the company said in a statement.

Source: Nikkei Asian Review, Bloomberg

Saying he wants to give a fresh start for the Nissan-Renault alliance, Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa has announced that he'll be stepping down as CEO in the coming months. In the meantime, Saikawa will be focusing on "reforming the poor governance" that weakened the Japanese automaker before leaving.

Saikawa has been leading the charge of ousting former Nissan Chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn, a bit surprising since Saikawa was a protege of Ghosn. As we reported a month ago in the rumorpile , the relationship between Saikawa and Ghosn has been strained due to the two clashing on various issues. There was talk about Ghosn ousting Saikawa during a board meeting in November, but that would not happen as Ghosn would be arrested before it.

Saikawa's reign as Nissan CEO has been problematic with a number of vehicles being recalled in Japan due to improper inspections and declining sales in the U.S.

Source: Bloomberg

Now it is official. Carlos Ghosn has stepped down as chairman and CEO of Renault late on Wednesday. The announcement was made this morning by French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire in an interview with Bloomberg television.

"Carlos Ghosn just resigned last night. Now it's time to define and put a new governance in place," said Le Maire.

Renault's board of directors have decided on making outgoing Michelin CEO Jean-Dominique Senard as chairman, and promoting Thierry Bollore as CEO during an emergency meeting today.

Renault is the last automaker in the alliance to deal with Ghosn. Since he was arrested back in November, both Nissan and Mitsubishi have kicked him out. But Renault kept him as chairman and CEO until they had all of the information on his alleged misconduct. This caused the relationship between Nissan and Renault to be become further strained.

Source: Bloomberg, Renault

Board of Directors communication

Boulogne-Billancourt, 24 January 2019 – Renault's Board of Directors met on January 24, 2019 at 10 a.m. under the chairmanship of Philippe Lagayette, Lead Independent Director.

The Board has taken note of the resignation of its current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. The Board praised the Alliance's track record, which has enabled it to become the world's leading automobile manufacturer.

The Board of Directors has decided to provide Renault with a new governance structure and, on this occasion, to institute a separation of the functions of Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer.

In addition to all the functions normally performed by the Chairman of the Board, the new Chairman of the Board of Directors of Renault will have to evaluate and, if necessary, change Renault's governance in order to ensure the transition to the new structure. He will present his proposals on the evolution of governance to the Board of Directors before the next General Shareholders' Meeting.

In addition, Renault's Board of Directors wishes to supervise actively the functioning of the Alliance and decides to give its Chairman full responsibility for managing the Alliance on behalf of Renault, in liaison with the Chief Executive Officer.

In this capacity, the Chairman of Renault's Board of Directors will be the main contact person for the Japanese partner and the other Alliance partners for any discussion on the Alliance's organization and evolution. He will propose to the Board of Directors any new Alliance agreement that he considers useful for Renault's future. He will be Renault's main representative in the Alliance's management bodies and at Nissan when Renault has the right of proposal.

The Chief Executive Officer will coordinate for the company the Alliance's activities in the operational field under the authority of the Chairman.

The Board co-opted Mr. Jean-Dominique Senard as new Director and elected him Chairman.

On the latter's proposal, the Board appointed Thierry Bolloré as Chief Executive Officer. 

The Board expresses its confidence in the new leadership and wishes it every success in its mission.

Even though Carlos Ghosn is in jail in Japan and no longer in charge of Nissan and Mitsubishi, he still holds the chairman position at Renault. But new reports reveal that he'll be stepping down later this week.

Reuters has learned from three sources that Ghosn has agreed to resign from Renault. This stems from Renault's largest stockholder, the French government calling for a leadership change. Also, Ghosn's latest request for bail was rejected by a Tokyo court. This comes a couple days before an emergency board meeting at Renault where they will consider appointing outgoing Michelin CEO Jean-Dominique Senard as chairman, and promoting Thierry Bollore as CEO.

Renault did confirm the meeting, but a spokesman did not respond to any questions about what will take place at the meeting.

The departure of Ghosn at Renault is being seen as the first step of smoothing out the rocky relationship between it and Nissan. As we have reported previously, Renault has been questioning Nissan's rationale of removing Ghosn. Partly this is due to Nissan trying to balance out the relationship between the two companies - Renault has voting power on Nissan's board, but Nissan doesn't have any sort of voting power on Renault's board.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), Reuters

More bad news has hit Nissan. The automaker is planning to cut as many as many as 700 workers from their Canton, Mississippi plant - home to the Frontier, Titan, NV Van, Altima, and Murano. Lloryn Love-Carter, a Nissan spokeswoman told Bloomberg that Nissan will be eliminating one shift of Titan and Frontier, along with cutting a shift of the NV Van line. "All direct employees will retain their jobs and only contract workers will be dismissed, she said by phone."

"When you look at where the market demand is and where we are seeing sales for the next year, particularly on NV and on Titan, we are just trying to make sure our production is aligned. We feel with the single-shift pattern on vans and the two-shift pattern on the trucks that we can satisfy the market demand," said Nissan spokesman Brian Brockman to Automotive News.

Brockman couldn't say how much capacity would be lost by the shift cuts. The plant has a max capacity of 450,000 vehicles.

While sales of the Frontier have been going up (79,646 sold last year, up 7.1 percent), the Titan has been struggling. In 2018, sales dropped 4.7 percent to 50,459.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), Bloomberg

Another Nissan exec who is in hot water resigned suddenly today.  Jose Munoz is Nissan's Cheif Performance officer.  He and Arun Bajaj, Nissan's Senior Vice President for Human Resources took leaves of absence one week ago.  Both men are considered loyal to Carlos Ghosn, leader of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, who is currently jailed in Japan on multiple corruption charges. 

Nissan has moved to oust Ghosn after his arrest. 

We will update this story as more details emerge.

Today in a Tokyo courtroom, former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn arrived for a hearing to have an explanation of why he is being detained. The hearing also allowed Ghosn and his team of lawyers to make their case against the various charges brought against him.

Since November 19th, Ghosn has been in detention on violating various financial rules including failing to report 5 billion yen (about $44 million) from the 2010-2014 fiscal years.

Ghosn's lawyers got their day in court via a "rarely used Japanese legal maneuver in which suspects are allowed to petition the court to hear a justification of their detention." According to Automotive News, Ghosn entered the courtroom "in handcuffs, wearing a dark suit with no tie and green plastic slippers. The usually immaculately coiffed businessman looked thinner than usual, courtesy of his rice-heavy diet in detention. The gray roots of his trademark raven black hair were beginning to show." Presiding judge Yuichi Tada read out the charges and explained to Ghosn that he is being detained due to being "a flight risk and might tamper with evidence."

After this, Ghosn and his lawyers made their defense against the charges brought by Japanese prosecutors. 

“Contrary to the accusations made by the prosecutors, I never received any compensation from Nissan that was not disclosed, nor did I ever enter into any binding contract with Nissan to be paid a fixed amount that was not disclosed. The test is the ‘death test’: If I died today, could my heirs require Nissan to pay anything other than my retirement allowance?  The answer is an unequivocal ‘No,'” Ghosn said at the hearing on the first indictment on not reporting compensation.

Ghosn also addressed his most recent arrest on "allegedly transferring personal losses" to Nissan. He admitted in court "to leveraging Nissan as collateral against his swap losses but said that the loss-making swap contracts were transferred back to him at no cost to Nissan."

“I have a genuine love and appreciation for Nissan. I have acted honorably, legally, and with the knowledge and approval of the appropriate executives inside the company -- with the sole purpose of supporting and strengthening Nissan, and helping to restore its place as one of Japan’s finest and most respected companies,” Ghosn said towards the end of the hearing.

Whether this helps remains to be seen. Ghosn's lawyers are planning to petition the court to immediately end his detention later this week, but they are doubtful. At a press conference, lead defense attorney Motonari Otsuru said his cilent "would likely be indicted for a second time on Friday and be denied bail, keeping him locked up." Otsuru also predicted that Ghosn's case may not be brought to trial for another six months, allowing prosecutors to gather more evidence.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), Bloomberg

The dream of Carlos Ghosn spending the holidays outside of jail has been dashed. Early this morning in Tokyo, prosecutors re-arrested Ghosn on new charges that allege he shifted personal trades to Nissan to "make it responsible for 1.85 billion yen ($16.6 million) in appraisal losses," around October 2008. Prosecutors also allege that Ghosn had Nissan " deposit a total of $14.7 million on four occasions between June 2009 and March 2012 into a related bank account."

This re-arrest allows prosecutors to detain Ghosn for another 10 days to allow them to continue building their case against him. It may also hurt his chances of getting bail down the road. Lawyers for Ghosn declined to comment.

The new allegations would be in violation of Japan’s Companies Act and is seen as a more serious charge than under-reporting income. According to Bloomberg, Ghosn could be facing a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and a 10 million yen fine (about $89,980).

“It’s a very serious charge. If there was a conviction, I think it would mean that there’s been a judgment that it’s more than just typical self-dealing corporate malfeasance but something that really harmed the company and was particularly malevolent in terms of the amount of planning that went into it,” said Colin Jones, a professor of law at Doshisha University in Kyoto.

Source: Bloomberg (Subscription Required)

It hasn't been easy for former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn and aide Greg Kelly since being arrested last month. In that time, the two have been brought up on various charges alleging financial misconduct and having their stay of detention being extended. But there appears to be some good news over the horizon.

Today in a Tokyo courtroom, a judge rejected the request of prosecutors to extend Ghosn's and Kelly's detention by an additional 10 days. The Japan Times reports that prosecutors were seeking an additional 10-day extension related to a "separate warrant served to Ghosn" under the allegation that he understated "his remuneration by ¥4.2 billion in the automaker’s securities reports for the three business years through March this year."

Lawyers for Ghosn said they are planning to apply for bail, which could mean Ghosn could be out of jail by Friday. But Japanese prosecutors have appealed the decision. According to Automotive News, there is no set date for a possible decision. As for Kelly, lawyers are planning to file for bail either today or tomorrow. 

“The chances of bail are very high. To begin with, this isn’t a case that should need such a lengthy detention,” said Nobuo Gohara, a lawyer and former prosecutor.

Tsutomu Nakamura, a former public prosecutor doesn't share the same view. He tells Bloomberg that the decision made by the court doesn't mean Ghosn will walk out immediately.

“The prosecutors will file the complaint against this judge’s decision immediately. I think that the prosecutors failed to prove the seriousness of the case,” he said.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), Bloomberg (Subscription Required), Japan Times

Since the arrest of former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn last month, a fair amount of dirty laundry has come to light showing the turmoil and tension between various executives and the relationship between Nissan and its alliance partner, Renault.  The arrest has also brought questions as to whether Ghosn 'jumped' or 'was pushed'. A new report from The Wall Street Journal is adding fuel to the latter.

The paper obtained a transcript from a town hall meeting at Nissan's headquarters in Yokohama, Japan - days after Ghosn's arrest. Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa revealed that he disagreed with Ghosn's move to increase market share in the U.S., at the cost of investments for the Japanese market.

“The investment in the Japanese market was very weak because there was too much power concentrated in one individual who decided that the Japanese market was less important, and we spent too much money on the U.S.,” said Saikawa.

“He felt that there was no point investing in Japan where the population was stagnating.”

Ghosn set a goal of achieving a 10 percent market share in the U.S. by 2017. Nissan came very close to hitting goal, reaching 9.2 percent last year. For Nissan to reach this goal, they piled on the incentives and made a push with sales to rental car companies - the latter according to industry analysts isn't as profitable, despite the higher volume. Nissan also put a lot of pressure on its dealers to move products. José Muñoz, who was Nissan's chairman in the U.S. from 2014 to this past January introduced a campaign under the slogan “Grow or Go.” Basically, if a dealer wasn't prepared to grow fast to meet the targets, Muñoz urged dealers to sell their franchise. 

“If a dealer didn’t perform they’d threaten a dealer with termination notice,” said Alan Haig, president of Haig Partners, a brokerage firm that deals with the sales of car dealers.

The report doesn't say how much investment was moved from Japan to the U.S. But reading between the lines and noting the relationship between the two became quite tense, we're assuming it was a large amount.

Source: Wall Street Journal (Subscription Required)

Nissan has expanded its probe into former chairman Carlos Ghosn with the investigation into various European subsidiaries that may bring more criminal charges.

Automotive News has learned from sources that the focus of the investigation will be around the Renault-Nissan BV based in the Netherlands. This was set up by the two automakers back in 2002 to be a strategic management company that oversees the alliance. But one source says that Nissan is planning to look into "as many as a dozen other Nissan-affiliated subsidiaries set up in the Netherlands," for possible financial misconduct. Japanese prosecutors are looking into some of the companies with the help of Nissan.

Quote

Also still under investigation is Zi-A Capital BV, another Netherlands-based entity Nissan set up in 2007 as a venture capital company. The company was flagged by Nissan auditors who could not find evidence of venture investment, a person familiar with the case said. Zi-A instead seemed to be paying for real estate that Nissan now claims was acquired for Ghosn’s personal use.

The subsidiaries were established in the Netherlands, partly because it was seen as a kind of neutral territory between Japan and France. The Netherlands also has lower tax rates than Japan and more relaxed rules governing the disclosure of executive compensation.

(Emphasis mine.)

This move may signal that the scandal may have reached outward of Japan and bring investigations right to Renault's doorstep. Automotive News also notes this could "further complicate" the delicate relations between the two.

That neatly transitions us to a report from Reuters where a source reveals that Renault has told Nissan not to contact its directors ahead of a December 13th meeting of their board. The source says "such contact was outside the agreed channels for communication of the sensitive findings."

As we reported back on Friday, Nissan offered Renault "a presentation that summarized the evidence" to help assuage some suspicious held by the French automaker. Renault declined, asking Nissan for the "presence of lawyers and the full report on the allegations." This reportedly came earlier this week as officials from Nissan met with Renault's legal team in France.

The meeting tomorrow will see the members of the board discuss the findings of Nissan's investigation and debate the future of Carlos Ghosn.

Spokespeople for Nissan and Renault declined to comment.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), Reuters

This morning, Tokyo prosecutors have indicted former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn, and former representative director Greg Kelly for violating Japan’s Financial Instruments and Exchange Act. According to Japanese media, Ghosn allegedly failed to report 5 billion yen (about $44 million) from the 2010-2014 fiscal years. Prosecutors also rearrested both men on new allegations for under-reporting compensation totaling 4 billion yen (about $35.5 billion) from the 2015-2017 fiscal year.

Prosecutors had until today to either indict or re-arrest Ghosn and Kelly. Under Japanese law, prosecutors can hold someone in custody for 20 days. After that, they need to either indict, set them free, or re-arrest the person with new charges. The last option resets the clock and allows prosecutors to continue their investigation.

Both Ghosn and Kelly have denied any wrongdoing according to Japanese media.

Nissan was also indicted today on charges of filing falsified securities reports. As we reported on Friday, a company can be held accountable if employees make false statements in company reports under Japanese law.

“Making false disclosures in annual securities reports greatly harms the integrity of Nissan’s public disclosures in the securities markets, and the company expresses its deepest regret. Nissan will continue its efforts to strengthen its governance and compliance, including making accurate disclosures of corporate information,” said Nissan in a statement.

There's also a new twist in the case. Reuters reports that Ghosn and Nissan are currently fighting over access to an apartment Rio de Janiero. In a filing to a Brazilian court last week, Nissan (who owns the apartment) is trying to block Ghosn from getting access into the apartment as it would “represent an incalculable risk of destruction of potential evidence of crimes allegedly committed.” The company says there are three safes that were found in an audit and are waiting to be opened.

Ghosn has been trying to get into the apartment since late November when a lawyer representing Ghosn asked for permission to enter the apartment. It currently houses “personal belongings, documents, cash, objects and art pieces” that Ghosn wants to retrieve. 

“Nissan has been cooperating with authorities to investigate misconduct on the part of its former chairman, and is working to prevent the destruction of any potential evidence that could occur by allowing access to residences in question,” a Nissan spokesman told Reuters.

The apartment was purchased in 2011 by a Nissan subsidiary after the company opened a plant in the nearby city of Resende. In a filing, Nissan said it had bought the apartment expecting that Ghosn’s trips to Brazil would “become more constant” after the factory opened. It should be noted that Ghosn was born and maintains Brazilian citizenship.

Jose Roberto de Castro Neves, a lawyer representing Ghosn told Reuters he didn't know about the existence of three different safes and that it was “absurd speculation” that they may contain evidence of wrongdoing.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), Reuters, 2

"Since the arrest former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn last month, various reports have come out revealing the strained relationship between Nissan and its alliance partner, Renault. It has also brought up questions as to whether or not Nissan decided to 'push' Ghosn out by using the misuse of corporate assets as the reason. A new report from The Wall Street Journal is only stoking those fires.

Sources tell the paper that Ghosn was planning to "shake up the senior management ranks at Nissan" and told some executives that he was planning on replacing current Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa - his hand-picked successor. While Ghosn supported Saikawa in public, the two would clash over various problems the company was facing. This included,

• Problems with inspections done on JDM vehicles, prompting recalls of more than a million vehicles
• Declining sales in the U.S.

According to one source, Ghosn wanted to oust Saikawa and planned to put it to a vote at a board meeting in November. But that would not happen as Ghosn would be arrested in early on in the month. The board would oust Ghosn at a meeting later on in the month.

Some believed that Saikawa wasn't in danger. A source familiar with the relationship between the two said "their differences hadn’t reached a point where Mr. Ghosn would have contemplated removing Mr. Saikawa."

Still, Saikawa's reputation is taking quite the hit. The Nikkei has learned that Saikawa had signed various documents that "spelled out payments to Ghosn after his retirement as a consultant and for agreeing not to work for or join the board of any competitor." These documents are being used as evidence to show that Ghosn deferring payments of current salaries that were not reported. While prosecutors don't believe Saikawa knew about this, his position as CEO may be questioned "for missing the opportunity to catch the improprieties."

Source: The Wall Street Journal (Subscription Required), Nikkei Asian Review (Subscription Required)

Three weeks after he was arrested in a Tokyo airport, Carlos Ghosn will soon be officially charged. Bloomberg has learned from sources that Ghosn will appear in Japanese court as soon as Monday to be indicted on various financial charges. Japanese prosecutors have to either charge Ghosn or arrest him new charges if they don't want to release him.

Sources also tell Bloomberg that prosecutors are planning to bring new charges against Ghosn. While not public, sources believe it may relate to Ghosn under-reporting his income for the past three fiscal years. 

The Tokyo prosecutors’ office declined to comment.

Meanwhile, Nissan is facing its own set of issues from Ghosn's arrest. The Nikkei Asian Review is reporting that prosecutors will file charges against the company for making false statements on securities reports. This is due to Ghosn and Greg Kelly, a former member of Nissan's board of directors for under-reporting salaries in five annual reports that go through the fiscal year that ended in March 2015. In Japan, a company can be held accountable for employees misstating financial information and not stopping it - hence why Nissan is getting charged.

A source told Automotive News that Nissan had been "preparing for the possibility of charges" since allegations against the two men came out last month.

It appears that the relationship between Nissan and Renault is taking hit. Unlike Nissan and Mitsubishi which have outed Ghosn as chairman, Renault is keeping him as chairman and CEO for the time being. The French automaker has named an interim CEO and the duties of chairman are being performed by a director.

Why hasn't Renault followed Nissan and Mitsubishi? According to a Renault spokesman, Nissan hasn't provided evidence that the board has asked for in their internal probe. He declined to comment any further. Sources at the automaker give a clearer view. Executives at Renault are quite suspicious of Nissan’s motives with Ghosn. The French automaker has asked for proof from Nissan concerning the allegations against Ghosn. Nissan offered a presentation that summarized the evidence, but Renault passed, asking for the "presence of lawyers and the full report on the allegations."

Renault has good reason to be suspicious of Nissan considering the odd arrangement of their alliance. Renault is the largest shareholder in Nissan and has voting rights. But Nissan doesn't have any voting rights at Renault due in part to the French government being the lead shareholder. Nissan has been trying to balance this relationship, "but its demands have been stonewalled by Renault and the French state." It should also be noted that Ghosn had been pushing for a possible merger between the two - something Renault wanted but Nissan didn't.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) Bloomberg, Nikkei Asian Review

Nissan's showing at last week's LA Auto Show was a bit underwhelming with mid-cycle refreshes of the Maxima and Murano. But Nissan had bigger plans for LA. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Japanese automaker was planning to show a longer-range version of the Leaf EV. The model would increase range from 151 miles to 225 miles via a larger battery pack. The Journal reports that Nissan had rented space in the Japanese American National Museum for the media unveiling and hired Hollywood actress Margot Robbie to introduce the model.

But the reveal was postponed. 

“The official announcement regarding details of the 2019 Nissan Leaf with additional performance capabilities is postponed to a later date,” Nissan said in a statement.

A spokesman went on to say that the reveal was delayed “to ensure that this important product unveiling could receive the coverage it merits.”

Emphasis mine.

Currently, the coverage at Nissan deals with the arrest of former Chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn over alleged misuse of company funds and understating his income. This would have overshadowed the introduction of the updated Leaf.

It is unclear when Nissan is planning to show off the revised Leaf, but it may take awhile. This week alone saw new allegations come against Ghosn for having a salary above a cap set by shareholders and that he passed on personal losses totaling more than a billion yen ($8.8 million) from derivative trading on to the company. Over at Nissan, the company has pushed back a decision on nominating a successor to Ghosn as chairman. It is expected that a recommendation made by a  three-member panel of external Nissan directors will present their choice to the board later this month.

Source: Wall Street Journal (Subscription Required)

Nissan finds itself in trouble once again as it admitted today that it had improperly measured exhaust emissions and fuel economy for 19 models sold in Japan. According to Reuters, Nissan found that test environments for emissions and fuel economy at final inspection stations didn't meet up to standards. Nissan also found that inspection reports were be based on altered measurements.

The automaker was quick to point out this misconduct doesn't affect models exported to other markets "as it applies to requirements intended specifically for the Japanese market."

“This is a deep and serious issue for our company,” Nissan Chief Operating Officer Yasuhiro Yamauchi told reporters at a briefing today.

"We realize that our compliance awareness remains lacking."

Nissan will be carrying out an investigation to determine the cause, which it expects to take a month or longer.

This comes a few months after Nissan revealed that it had uncertified inspectors signing off on final inspection of JDM models for decades. It prompted a recall of 1.2 million vehicles and suspending production for two weeks.

Source: Reuters

Nissan's goal in the U.S. for quite some time was increasing its market share. To do this, the company piled on the incentives and sold more vehicles to rental car fleets. While fine in the short-term, the long-term effects would hurt profitability and brand image. This isn't helped by sales declining 6.5 percent this year and a growing supply of vehicles on dealers - Kelly Blue Book reports an 88-day supply of Nissan vehicles.

Nissan is changing its plan for the U.S. Back at the 2018 NADA Show in April, Nissan's U.S. sales chief Dan Mohnke told dealers the company would focus on boosting profitability by reducing inventory. One way to do that is cutting back on production.

The Nikkei Asian Review reports Nissan is slashing production as much as 20% at their North American plants. The cuts are already taking place at Nissan's two plants in the U.S. (Canton and Smyrna, TN) and three in Mexico. No layoffs are expected, instead, workers will have an extra day or two off of work. The cuts are expected to end in the fall when production of the next-generation Altima kicks off. It is expected that the production cut will drop Nissan's U.S. sales for the year by three percent.

Source: Nikkei Asian Review

Nissan is joining Toyota in gradually ending the sale of diesel vehicles in Europe.

“Along with other manufacturers and industry bodies we can see the progressive decline of diesel but we do not anticipate its sudden end in the short-term. At this point in time and for many customers, modern diesel engines will remain in demand and continue to be available within Nissan’s powertrain offering,” a Nissan spokeswoman told Reuters.

“In Europe, where our diesel sales are concentrated, our electrification push will allow us to discontinue diesel gradually from passenger cars at the time of each vehicle renewal.”

Sales of diesel vehicles have been on a sharp decline for the past year due in part to rising taxes and possible bans looming. Analysts believe this trend will continue in 2018.

Last month, a source revealed to Reuters that Nissan is planning to lay off hundreds of workers at its Sunderland plant due to falling diesel vehicle sales.

Source: Reuters

The fate of the Nissan Z has been up the air for a number of years. One minute, it seems the Z will be killed off. The next, Nissan is figuring out how to keep the Z alive. This brings us neatly to a report from Autocar which says a new Z car is expected in 2020. But after reading this report, we have some questions as to the validity of this information.

According to "senior officials from Nissan," the new Z car has the codename of Z35 and will share a number of components with the Infiniti Q60 Coupe including the rear-drive platform and engines. Using the Q60's platform would make the Z a bit larger - the Q60's length is 17 inches longer and the wheelbase is about a foot longer. 

Power will come from a twin-turbo 3.0L V6 engine from the Q50 and Q60 producing 400 horsepower. There will also be a high-performance NISMO model that will use a re-tuned version of the twin-turbo V6 to produce 475 horsepower and be paired with an all-wheel drive system.

But this report has a huge red flag. 

Quote

Although it's still early days, Autocar understands that Nissan intends to reveal the styling of the new Z car in concept form at the 2018 Tokyo motor show in October. 

 

Emphasis ours. The issue is that there will not be a 2018 Tokyo Moto Show. It is a bi-annual auto show. The last one took place in 2017, meaning the next one will not happen till 2019. This also puts a red flag on the reveal of the production model at the 2019 LA Auto Show.

This report comes a week after another rumor about the Z car was debunked. Japanese site Response reported that Nissan has asked their partner Mercedes-Benz on developing a new Z car. Using a Mercedes-Benz platform, the new Z would be offered with two engines. A 2.0L turbo-four from Mercedes as the base and the twin-turbo V6 from Infiniti. But as Japanese Nostalgic Car notes in their report, "the automotive rumor mill in Japan is like 1990s Motor Trend on crack." The partnership between Nissan and Diamler hit a rough patch earlier this year as Reuters reported that Infiniti would not use Mercedes' MFA2 modular platform due to cost issues. The new QX50 which was supposed to be the Infiniti vehicle to use this new platform would instead use its own unique platform.

Motor Trend would deliver the final nail in the coffin of this rumor. According to their sources, Mercedes and Nissan did talk about the possibility of working together on a new platform that would be shared between the Z and SLC roadster. But these talks reportedly went nowhere. Also, Mercedes is planning to kill off the SLC once production of the current model ends.

We know that Nissan does want to keep the Z alive from comments made by Philippe Klein, Nissan's chief planning officer back in January.

Quote

"The Z is a difficult market. It is rather shrinking worldwide. But we still believe there is a place for the Z and we want to keep it alive, and that's what we're working on," said Klein to Automotive News at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this month.

"That's for the midterm. For the long term, there are other considerations. If we do a complete new vehicle, what should it be to keep the passion alive? And we're working very seriously on this — how we can keep the Z alive and refreshing and what would be the next generation?"

2

As of right now, your guess is as good as ours.

Source: Autocar

“It’s an interesting question because there is a lot of passion people this vehicle. This vehicle is still very alive but at the same time it is in a segment that is gradually declining, so that is making the [business] case more difficult," said Philippe Klein, Nissan's chief planning officer when asked about a successor to the 370Z back in October.

“We have also the GT-R, with which we still believe there is some good potential from this, and we are in the same category starting to make a lot of effort on the Nismo side. Which is another way to offer excitement to our customers leveraging the more conventional side. We have no intention to quit excitement but we’re going to make it happen in different ways.”

This sparked speculation that either the 370Z would be going the way of the dodo bird or go a completely different route. It seems death isn't on the table for the Z car.

"The Z is a difficult market. It is rather shrinking worldwide. But we still believe there is a place for the Z and we want to keep it alive, and that's what we're working on," said Klein to Automotive News at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this month.

"That's for the midterm. For the long term, there are other considerations. If we do a complete new vehicle, what should it be to keep the passion alive? And we're working very seriously on this — how we can keep the Z alive and refreshing and what would be the next generation?"

Those are very good questions to be asking considering how many people are taken with the likes of SUVs, crossovers, and trucks. Not helping are government regulations on safety and fuel economy that has required automakers to add more equipment, which in turn causes vehicle weight to increase. Not a good thing for a model that is marketed as a lightweight and affordable sports car.

"The passion is there," said Klein. "The question is how can we refresh it and what will be the breakthrough for the long term?"

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

Nissan and Toyota are outliers in the full-size truck market as they only offer V8 engines. Nissan had announced that a V6 was coming, but it hasn't appeared.  Michael Bunce, senior vice president-product planning for Nissan North America told Wards Auto said a V6 is still in the cards, but it will appear in the next-generation Frontier.

“A new Frontier (small pickup) is on its way, and a V-6 is more geared toward that segment. Both (the Frontier and Titan) are built in the same plant in Mississippi, so that opportunity is being looked at for Titan also,” said Bunce.

“I can’t give you any specific details on that, but we will be moving in that direction,” Bunce said when asked if the V6 would first appear in the Frontier before appearing the Titan.

The V6 engine for trucks is mostly positioned for those buying them for fleet duty.

Wards Auto reports that it is unclear what V6 engine will be used.

Bunce also revealed the automaker is looking at a return to the off-road utility segment due to the resurgence of the segment due to models like the Jeep Wrangler.

“We know (via research) the Millennial male, through devices they’re becoming more isolated. And they want to reconnect with friends, family, outdoors. And a vehicle is an expression, a way to do that. We’re doing a lot of work in the space to understand that customer very well.”

Bunce also said the XTerra nameplate “is a great asset in terms of a name and a badge. It’s on the shelf right now, but it’s something we could utilize in the future.” The XTerra nameplate went away in 2015. Judging from these comments, it might mean the XTerra could be coming back.

Source: Wards Auto

If you have been recently renting vehicles, then you may have noticed the number of Nissan vehicles sitting out there. There is a reason for that, Nissan is selling more vehicles to rental car companies.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Nissan has sold close to 300,000 vehicles to rental fleets this year. Judy Wheeler, Nissan North America's VP of Sales Operations tells the paper the company has boosted sales to fleets from 14 percent in 2015 to 18 percent of total deliveries - the highest of any automaker. Wheeler goes on to say that rentals are a “very profitable business for us,” partly due to the company providing fleets with well-equipped models instead of barebone models.

Kurt Kohler, Senior Vice President for Fleet Acquisition and Remarketing at Enterprise said that selling to rental fleets is a good thing as it leaves an impression for a customer on a particular brand - good or bad. Kohler goes on to say, “It doesn’t require expensive retail advertising, and is a guaranteed source of business.”

But there is a major downside to expanding sales to rental fleets, falling resale prices. It also flies in the face of other automakers who are shrinking their sales to rental companies. General Motors, a poster child for rental car sales is projecting a retail/rental ratio drop below 10 percent for the first time in many years.

The top 10 vehicles sold to rental fleets according to Polk/IHS Automotive (through October)

1. Nissan Altima - 70,826 units
2. Dodge Caravan - 65,674 units
3. Nissan Rogue - 55,969 units
4. Ford F-Series - 49,963 units
5. Toyota Corolla - 48,427 units
6. Toyota Camry - 47,620 units
7. Ram Truck - 44,810 units
8. Nissan Versa - 37,989 units
9. Nissan Sentra - 35,635 units
10. Ford Fusion - 33,045 units

Source: Wall Street Journal (Subscription Required)

The Nissan Titan will soon be available for sale in China. According to Automotive News, Nissan is planning to export Titans from their Canton, Mississippi plant to China to hopefully take a slice of the country's commercial and construction segments. But Nissan North America's Chairman Jose Munoz admits there's another reason for the Titan in China.

"The Chinese look very much to the United States and they see pickups driving families here. They asked, Why don't we have those pickups here?" said Munoz.

Nissan is saying how many Titans it will be sending to China, but Munoz said there isn't a lot of factory capacity to build out more Titans at the moment.

This seems to mesh with Nissan's plan on launch the Titan family of trucks into other markets we on reported last month .

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

The full-size truck is very much an American vehicle - its big, brash, and powerful. But Nissan is considering selling their full-size Titan and Titan XD in several other markets.

"We are now looking at other markets where we can introduce the full-size pickup," said Ashwani Gupta, senior vice president of the Renault-Nissan Alliance's light-commercial business unit.

"That market is really growing."

Those markets include Australia, China, the Middle East, and Russia.

Gupta did not divulge plans for the Titan, but being the head of Renault-Nissan's LCV unit gives us a clue. As Automotive News notes, the Titan is now considered a member of the alliance's LCV lineup which includes cargo vans and the smaller Navara pickup. This tells us that Nissan could be aiming the Titan at fleets and construction crews.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

The Nissan 370Z is getting up there up in age (almost nearing a decade) and many have been wondering if there would be a replacement. Rumors abounded that Nissan would be showing a new one at the Tokyo Motor Show, but that did not happen.

Speaking with the media at the show, chief planning officer for Nissan, Philippe Klein gave a non-committal answer when asked about a 370Z successor.

“It’s an interesting question because there is a lot of passion people this vehicle. This vehicle is still very alive but at the same time it is in a segment that is gradually declining, so that is making the [business] case more difficult.

“We have also the GT-R, with which we still believe there is some good potential from this, and we are in the same category starting to make a lot of effort on the Nismo side. Which is another way to offer excitement to our customers leveraging the more conventional side. We have no intention to quit excitement but we’re going to make it happen in different ways.”

You can read this one of two ways. The first is that there will be no replacement for the 370Z and you'll need to step up to the GT-R if you want a Nissan sports car. The other is that the Z could morph into a crossover.

Source: Drive.com.au

The current Nissan Frontier has been with us for over a decade and not much has changed with it. It has put Nissan well behind the pack of newer models from GM, Honda, and Toyota. Back in April, Nissan's North America vice president Christian Meunier the Frontier has future, hinting to us that a new model is on the horizon.

Car and Driver reports that Nissan has officially announced that a new Frontier is coming and will be built at the company's Canton, Mississippi plant - currently home to the current model. Nissan also said that the arrival of the new Frontier is more than a year away.

Not much more information was given on the next Frontier. A previous rumor had Nissan using the Navara pickup sold elsewhere in the world. But as we reported back in April, Meunier put a stop to this idea. He explained that the Navara was more of lifestyle vehicle, like a Honda Ridgeline. The next Frontier would be a true truck. Though we're wondering if Nissan's North America office has ever driven the Navara as reviews have it being as capable and riding as well as the Frontier.

Source: Car and Driver

The Nissan Titan XD is heading down to Australia. No, Nissan isn't importing into the country. Instead, Australian conversion specialist and importer Performax International will be bringing the truck to Australia.

Performax will be offering the Titan XD in a regular or crew cab with prices ranging from $105,000 to $139,000 AUD ($79,119.89 to $104,739.66). A large chunk of the cost comes from the company converting the truck from left-hand to right-hand drive. The only engine Performax will offer is the 5.0L Cummins turbodiesel V8 with 310 horsepower and 555 pound-feet of torque. Servicing can be done at various service centers around Australia.

Performax has a history of converting vehicles to RHD. Currently, the company offers conversions of the Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, Silverado HD, GMC Sierra HD, Ford's F-Series trucks, and Toyota Tundra.

Source: CarAdvice, Motoring
Pic Credit: Performax

The quirky Nissan Juke could be on its way out of the North America. The Truth About Cars has learned from two sources that Nissan could kill the Juke after the 2017 or 2018 model year. Its replacement is the Brazilan Nissan Kicks crossover which was introduced last year. Not surprisingly, Nissan declined to comment.

The Juke received a mixed reception when it launched in 2010 mostly down to its looks. But soon, the model would begin to find buyers. Its best year was back in 2014 with 38,184. Now, the Juke has been in freefall with sales of 19,577 in 2016. 2017 isn't faring any better with only 5,047 Jukes leaving dealer lots.

The Kicks isn't as polarizing as the Juke in terms of looks. It is also slightly bigger than the Juke - 3.2 inches longer wheelbase. TTAC says the Kicks is likely to get the turbocharged 1.6L from the Juke. Sources say it could just be front-wheel drive only.

Source: The Truth About Cars

The midsize truck class has been seeing a bit of resurgence over the past couple of years thanks to GM's all-new midsizers (Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon) and Toyota doing a refresh to the Tacoma. Even the Nissan Frontier, a truck that hasn't changed since its redesign back in 2005 saw its sales increased by 47 percent last year. But when compared to the current crop of trucks, the Frontier lacks many of the features and touches other models have.

But that could be changing.

“The Frontier has a future. Trucks are in our DNA, we’ve been doing them for a long time,” said Christian Meunier, senior vice president at Nissan North America during a roundtable discussion with reporters.

A possible candidate is the Nissan Navara, sold elsewhere in the world. But Meunier put a stop to this idea.

“We’ll do something better than the Navara,” he said, adding that the Navara is a bit more of a lifestyle vehicle, “like a Honda Ridgeline.”

“We like real trucks.”

(Author's Note: We're wondering if anyone at Nissan North America has driven the Navara as many of the reviews we have been reading about say it is a real truck in terms of ride and capability. -WM)

Meunier also said that with the recent acquisition of Mitsubishi could play a role with the new Frontier. Like Nissan, Mitsubishi has a fair amount of expertise with midsize trucks and the two could collaborate with developing a new model.

One item still up in the air is when we could see a new Frontier. Meunier didn't give a timeframe during the discussion.

Source: AutoGuide

Another crossover could be joining Nissan's U.S. lineup. The Truth About Cars has learned from sources that Nissan will be debuting the Qashqai at the Detroit Auto Show next month. The Qashqai has been sold in Europe since 2007 and has become the brand's best-selling model.

The Qashqai will sit below the Rogue in Nissan's lineup. In terms of measurements, the Qashqai is 10 inches shorter in overall length and rides on a wheelbase that is 2.3 inches shorter than the Rogue. No mention of a powertrain, but we assume that Nissan's xTronic CVT and the choice of front-wheel and all-wheel drive will be available.

The model could be released in late 2017 as a 2018 model.

Source: The Truth About Cars

The current Nissan Leaf offers a max range of 107 miles. But that will pale in comparison with the upcoming Chevrolet Bolt and Tesla Model 3 which will offer a range of 200 miles. Nissan is aware of this and will be addressing this with the next-generation Leaf.

Speaking with Autoblog, Nissan's global director of EV and HEV engineering Kazuo Yajima said the next-generation Leaf will feature a 60-kWh battery that should give it an overall range of between 210 to 220 miles. The current Leaf either comes with either a 24 or 30-kWh battery.

Yajima wouldn't say when the next-generation Leaf would be introduced, although some believe it will be shown in 2018.

Source: Autoblog

This year's New York Auto Show saw Nissan reveal a facelifted GT-R complete with a new front end and a more powerful version of the twin-turbo V6 engine. But Nissan is hard at work on designing the next generation GT-R.

Automotive News spoke with Nissan's chief creative officer, Shiro Nakamura. Nakamura said one of the key goals with the next GT-R is to boost the efficiency of the twin-turbo V6 and there is the possibility of the vehicle using a hybrid system.

"Electrification is almost inevitable for any car. If the next-generation GT-R has some electrification, nobody would be surprised at that time," said Nakamura.

Deciding the powertrain configuration will play a key role into how the next GT-R is designed. Nakamura admits redesigning the GT-R will be a challenge.

"It's very tough to redesign this car, but we are starting now."

Nakamura believes the GT-R still looks good because it doesn't try to copy or follow design trends.

"To my eye, it still doesn't look old because it's not influenced by anything. If it tries to capture some trend, it would look dated," said Nakamura.

The goals with the GT-R redesign is to improve overall aerodynamics and performance.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)
Pic Credit: Newspress USA

The recently announced alliance between Mitsubishi and Nissan is already starting to bear some fruit out. Speaking with CarAdvice, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said there was a possibility of the two companies of sharing a platform for their next-generation midsize trucks - the Mitsubishi Triton and Nissan Navara.

“[it’s] very possible that we are going to use the same platform, but we’re going to develop the cars differently because the customers are not the same,” said Ghosn.

“But instead of two different platforms we can have them on the same platform but be completely different products. The cost of development and purchasing will be lower. A common platform, but different developments.”

It is unclear if the two companies will jointly develop a new platform or if Mitsubishi will license one from Nissan. But don't expect new models to come anytime soon. Both Mitsubishi and Nissan have recently launched new versions of their trucks, and it will be awhile before we see new ones.

Source: CarAdvice.com.au

Nissan's first attempt at a hybrid crossover - the Pathfinder Hybrid - was a disaster in terms of sales and was pulled from the lineup last year. But the Japanese automaker is giving it another try.

Car and Driver discovered that the EPA reveal the existence of a Murano Hybrid by publishing fuel economy numbers for the front and all-wheel drive versions.

Nissan currently sells the Murano Hybrid in China where it uses a 2.5L supercharged four-cylinder and electric motor, the same powertrain found in the Pathfinder Hybrid. For those interested, the Murano Hybrid is rated at 28 City/31 Highway/29 Combined for the front-wheel drive model and 26 City/30 Highway/28 Combined for the all-wheel drive model.

Nissan wouldn't comment if the Murano Hybrid is coming to America. But considering the EPA has certified it, there is a chance it will come.

Source: Car and Driver, EPA

Even though Nissan has only just launched the Sentra, the company already has some changes in store. Wards Auto reports that Nissan is planning to launch more engine options in the near future.

“From a product standpoint, in the future you’ll see more engine offerings, and it’s full steam ahead. We’re fully focused on the segment,” said Michael Bunce, director of product planning for Nissan North America.

It's unclear as to what other engine options Nissan has in store. We wouldn't be surprised if a turbocharged four-cylinder is one of those options.

Nissan is also considering adding another body style to the Sentra lineup, a hatchback. Tony Baehner, senior manager of product planning for Nissan says adding a hatchback allows consumers another choice in a growing market. The downsides are compact crossovers are very popular and the hatchback marketplace being dominated by two models; the Ford Focus and Mazda3.

Baehner says with the Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback going on sale later this year, they'll be watching how it does in terms of sales before making a decision on doing a Sentra hatchback.

Source: Wards Auto

The Nissan Rogue crossover is proving to be a very popular vehicle for the brand. Through the first half of the year, Nissan has moved 135,397 Rogues - making this the second best-selling model behind the Altima. According to Automotive News, Nissan will be tapping its Kyushu, Japan factory to produce an extra 100,000 Rogues starting next year. This will help give Nissan the ability to sell 300,000 Rogues.

Automotive News also reports that the company will be introducing two new variants of the Rogue in the future. According to two sources, Nissan will launch a hybrid Rogue next year. Following this will be the smaller Qashqai crossover. Based on the Rogue's platform, the Qashqai is about 10 inches shorter and two inches narrower. This is expected to be the replacement for the Rogue Select, which is the last-generation Rogue.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

The new Nissan Maxima is off to a flying start in the sales charts and Nissan wants to keep that momentum going. According to The Detroit Bureau, the automaker is considering options on broadening the appeal of the model. One of those options is giving the Maxima the NISMO treatment.

“We’re trying to gauge reaction to the car,” said 2016 Nissan Maxima product planner Vishnu Jayamohan. “We have our NISMO brand which would be a great outlet for this car.”

Going with the NISMO model would allow Nissan to expand on the sporty and performance message they are going with the new Maxima. No information is given about what could be expected if Nissan goes this route, but more power is likely one key item. Doing a Maxima NISMO also falls under the promise given by Nissan last year of doing more NISMO models.

For now, Nissan will keep an eye on sales numbers for the Maxima before making a decision.

Source: The Detroit Bureau

Nissan was the first automaker to offer hybrid version of their 7-seat crossovers, the Pathfinder and Infiniti QX60 Hybrids. It now seems they are first one to kill off their hybrid crossovers.

Green Car Reports found out that if you visit the Pathfinder Hybrid page, you are shown a message that says the "Pathfinder Hybrid is no longer available". When asked for comment, Nissan's senior communications manager Dan Passe said,

"Pathfinder Hybrid is no longer on sale at Nissan dealers. Nissan is focusing its manufacturing, marketing, and dealer resources on the 3.5-liter V6-powered Pathfinder, which achieves up to 27 highway miles per gallon."

No reason was given as to why the Pathfinder/QX60 Hybrids were shown the door, but we would guess it comes down to poor sales. Considering that hybrid version only achieved 3 MPG better on the combined cycle compared to the standard model, many buyers just didn't see why they should spend an extra $3,000 for it.

Source: Green Car Reports

With the Nissan IDx not heading into production, the next-generation Z could possibly take up the mantle of being an affordable, rear-drive vehicle.

Nissan Chief Creative Officer Shiro Nakamura told Autoblog that one of ideas under consideration for the next Z is move the model downmarket in the spirit of the original 240Z.

"We are studying a couple of different concepts. Because the sports car market is becoming smaller globally. We would like to do something, I personally think, is more [in the] original concept of Z, which is ... more practical and appealing to younger customers." The original 1969 240Z, sold under the Datsun nameplate, became an icon thanks to a combination of attractive styling, reasonable performance, and affordable price," said Nakamura.

Now if Nissan does go down this route, don't expect to be a clone of Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ or Mazda MX-5 Miata.

"We may not necessarily go into the same category. Personally I see other options that are very interesting. We want to do something the same as this, unique," said Nakamura, pointing to a picture of the GTR-LM.

Source: Autoblog

The current Nissan Sentra will be undergoing a midcycle refresh in the next few months and the senior vice president of sales, marketing, and operations, Fred Diaz says the refresh makes it "almost all new.

"It will be an incredibly freshened Sentra," said Diaz.

The refresh will include number changes to the styling - most likely bringing it in line with the V-Motion language - and enhancements to the technology.

Now this an interesting thing to say since the current Sentra is doing quite well. Automotive News reports that Nissan moved 183,268 Sentras last year, up 42 percent when compared to 2013 and marked the best sales for the model in 25 years. Diaz said that the company doesn't have any concern about the current model in terms of sales. But he does say automakers have to stay fresh.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

Nissan is making a big deal about the Maxima at the moment. But a few years back, the automaker was considering to kill the model.

Automotive News reports that back in 2012, the industry was in the midsts of recovering from the recession and high gas prices were causing many automakers to work on compacts and smaller vehicles. Nissan was no exception to that trend as they were introducing the new Nissan Leaf and working on a new compact.

"A lot of people assume it was a forgone conclusion that, of course we will continue with another Maxima. But frankly, the forgone conclusion at that moment was that there would not be another Maxima," said Pierre Loing, vice president of Nissan's North American product planning.

Loing joined Nissan in early January and found himself with a difficult task: How do you convince a company that was focused on compacts and making its platforms more global to build another generation of a model that was only sold in North America? The answer lay in the history of the brand. The Maxima holds the title of the longest-selling nameplate in the U.S. for Nissan (Before anyone says it, the Z is the oldest, but was discontinued for a time), which gives the Maxima a fan base that spreads many generations. Also helping was the Maxima having better name recognition that Nissan itself.

Loing's convincing worked. In early 2012, CEO Carlog Ghosn gave the green light for the project and the rest is history.

Also check out: 2016 Nissan Maxima First Ride Review

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

The Nissan IDx concepts received rave reviews from the press and public when they debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2012. A modern interpretation of the iconic Datsun 510 from the 70's, the concepts were small, rear-drive coupes that could compete with the likes of the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ. The past year or so saw reports of a production model possible arriving in 2016. But since then, Nissan hasn't said anything about them.

The Truth About Cars reports that plans for a production version of IDx has been canned. Speaking with Pierre Loing, Vice President of Product Planning for Nissan North America, he explained that the company doesn't have a small enough rear-drive platform to do a production IDx. The 370Z was a possible candidate, but it was deemed too big.

What about developing a new platform for the IDx?

“Small, sporty cars are very attractive for consumers but not in huge numbers. To do them properly – in our case – you can’t rely on an existing rear-wheel drive platform, because its dimensions are for a much larger powertrain. So, for us, it would mean developing a different rear-wheel drive platform and then we are bumping into the same obstacles every other automaker has: the volumes of a small, sporty car are not enough to justify the investment,” said Loing.

So while the dreams of a rear-drive IDx have been dashed, the design of the IDx could be transferred to a front-wheel drive based model.

“I think we may still have some room (to add a retro-inspired car). We have a wide lineup.”

Source: The Truth About Cars

Nissan decided to their commercial on the Super Bowl to reveal two new cars. The first is their LMP1 racer that will enter Le Mans in June. What makes their racer stand out is that it happens to be a front-engine model, not the mid-engine variety that has been part of endurance racing for quite awhile.

Now for the big surprise of the ad. Towards the end of the ad, there's a peculiar sedan draped in red which looks very familiar to the Sports Sedan Concept shown at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show. Before it fades to black, we see the back of the sedan where the Maxima nameplate appears.

We'll likely learn more about the Maxima in the coming months. In the meantime, you can check out Nissan's ad below.

Source: Nissan

http://youtu.be/Bd1qCi5nSKw

For awhile, it seem Nissan was going a bit crazy with exciting, performance-focused concepts. Recent examples include the IDx concept, the distinctive electric BladeGlider concept, and the Formula One inspired Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge concept. Executives at both automakers talked up these concepts and the possibility of them going into production. But now, talk has almost gone to a dead silence.

Automotive News notes that there is a distinctive change in tone at both automakers during the auto show when speaking with executives. Instead of being excited and speaking about these concepts, Nissan's executives talked about putting their efforts behind a core group of cars that sell in high volumes. Cases in point include a major change for the Nissan Altima in 2016, and Infiniti working on trying to rebuild its portfolio starting with the upcoming Q60 coupe.

It also helps that two key proponents of these vehicles have moved on. Former head of Infiniti Johan de Nysschen stepped down in summer to take the reigns at Cadillac. Meanwhile Andy Palmer - then Nissan's global product planning chief - became CEO of Aston Martin late last year.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

Nissan is working hard into changing its performance and racing arm, NISMO, into a real player. This is being shown by how many hatchbacks and sport cars are coming out with the NISMO name. But NISMO is considering expanding their reach to other Nissan models.

CarAdvice.com.au recently spoke with Nissan marketing chief Darren Cox and Nismo boss Shoichi Miyatani, and both said a Nismo-tuned SUV or pickup are on the table. That could include the Navara and Qashqai crossover. But there's no telling what other vehicles could go under the NISMO transformation.

“Nismo has to be a credible production car from Nissan that’s sporty and therefore we study the implications of that, a pickup could be an interesting product because of its global nature when we go into other markets.” said Cox.

Source: CarAdvice.com.au

With the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon heading into showrooms in a few months, we've haven't heard anything from Nissan or Toyota about what they have in store for their next-generation midsize trucks. But that has changed for one automaker.

The Truth About Cars has heard some information about what's in store for the next-generation Frontier. A supplier source has told them that Nissan will be using the new Navara truck as the base for the next-generation truck. Previously, Nissan was going to use bones of the first-generation Frontier (D22 platform) for their next-generation truck. The reason for this is that the company saw a possible chance for the affordable, fuel-efficient compact truck to make a return. However, Nissan's engineers weren't able to bring the truck to modern safety standards and the costs to make it modern were too much.

Using the Navara as a base will give Nissan a truck that can meet modern safety standards and be able to come with a range of different engines, including a diesel of some sort. The downside of using the Navara platform is that it's too expensive for what Nissan is looking for, so a number of features and content will be removed for the U.S. market.

Nissan Mexico will be in charge of working on this new truck and will go on sale in 2018.

Source: The Truth About Cars, 2

William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at william.maley@cheersandgears.com or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

Last year at the Tokyo Motor Show, Nissan debuted the IDx concepts. Looking like a modern interpretation of the Datsun 510 from the seventies, the IDx was a small, rear-drive coupe that could be a competitor to the Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S. In fact, many reports have cited comments made by Nissan Executive Vice President Andy Palmer saying that production model could arrive by 2016. But according to Wards Auto, the dream maybe is just that.

Wards had the chance to speak with Pierre Loing, vice president-product planning for Nissan Americas. Loing explained that the automaker is having a tough time trying to make a business case for the vehicle.

“It’s not easy to do, (and) if you do something like this and you manage to do a vehicle at (a low) price, what else would you do on this platform? Because frankly to do a platform for 50,000 or 60,000 (units) a year – it’s not worth it,” said Loing. “Will (the IDx) become something or not is debated, but certainly not (by 2016).”

Source: Wards Auto

William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached atwilliam.maley@cheersandgears.com or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

Three weeks ago, at the New York International Auto Show, Nissan unveiled the 2015 Murano. The Murano has always been a crossover with more curvaceous lines than the rest of its peers and this new version is no exception. As it was so soon after the NY Auto Show, I was caught off guard today during a trip from Indianapolis, IN to Columbus, OH by these two 2015 Murano prototypes cruising on I-70 with no camouflage. The silver one looked fairly complete and wearing all of its trim, while the black one had clearly been taped up with plastic previously and was missing several exterior trim pieces. You can clearly see the “floating roof” treatment that Nissan is trying out with this model by blacking out part of the D-pillar.

The 2015 Murano will be powered by a carryover 3.5 liter VQ-V6 producing 260 horsepower and 240 lb-ft of torque. An updated version of Nissan's Xtronic continuously variable transmission will contribute to the reported 20% gain in fuel economy over the existing model.

The 2015 Nissan Murano goes on sale late this year.

William Maley

Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com

October 22, 2013

The Toyota GT86/Scion FR-S really doesn't have any direct competitors aside from the Mazda Miata. But that could be changing.

What Car? is reporting that Nissan is readying a concept car that is the company's possible answer to the GT86. The design of this concept is inspired by a car from the company's past. Nissan isn't saying what that vehicle is, but did say it isn't a Z car.

Nissan will gauge the reception of concept and decide whether or not to put it into production. If given the green light, the production model will use the Juke's turbocharged 1.6L four-cylinder.

Source: What Car?

William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at william.maley@cheersandgears.com or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

William Maley

Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com

October 9, 2013

The New York State Supreme Court may have put a stop to the unified fleet of the Nissan NV200 'Taxi of Tomorrow'. Last night, Justice Shlomo S. Hagler ruled that the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission had no authority of giving Nissan a ten-year contract that makes the NV200 the exclusive taxicab of the city.

"Simply stated, the power to contract and compel medallion owners to purchase the Nissan NV200 from Nissan for ten years does not exist in the City Charter," wrote Justice Hagler.

"We believe the Court's decision is fundamentally wrong, and we intend to appeal immediately. It was well within the TLC's authority to authorize the Taxi of Tomorrow," said New York City's corporation counsel Michael A. Cardozo.

But even if the city wins its appeal, it might be a short-lived victory. The top-two candidates for New York City mayor have opposed the 'Taxi of Tomorrow' plan and might not continue the fight.

“We are disappointed in the court’s decision, but it will not prevent our plan to start upgrading the NYC taxi fleet with the Nissan Taxi of Tomorrow at the end of the month,” said Nissan spokesman Travis Parman to Motor Trend.

Asked about the contract, Parman said, "We are evaluating options for next steps regarding the exclusivity contract.”

Source: New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Motor Trend

William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at william.maley@cheersandgears.com or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

William Maley

Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com

September 16, 2013

Nissan executive vice president Andy Palmer let loose some information concerning the next-generation Z. Speaking with Auto Express at the Frankfurt Motor Show last week, Palmer revealed that the company will reveal a concept at the Toyko Motor Show in November that gives some hints of what to expect with the next Z.

“Do I know what it looks like? Yes I do. Have I driven it? Yes I have. When will you see it? Come to Tokyo,” said Palmer.

Palmer says the next Z will be lighter and smaller than the 370Z. Also, the next Z will feature a smaller powerplant and possibly be turbocharged. Palmer also stressed that electric power is being looked at as well.

Source: Auto Express

William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at william.maley@cheersandgears.com or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.