Nissan

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com August 21, 2013 "That's not a knife." *Pulls out a bowie knife.* "That's a knife." Much like Crocodile Dundee, Nissan is using size to their advantage. Engine size that is. At the kickoff of Nissan 360, an industry showcase of Nissan's global product and technology portfolio, the company announced the next-generation Titan pickup would be packing a Cummins 5.0L turbodiesel V8. The V8 is expected to make more than 300 horsepower and well over 500 pound-feet of torque (550 pound-feet is what everybody is guessing). “Truck owners told us there's a demand for the performance and torque of a diesel in a capable truck that …

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 …

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 …

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 fro…

Carlos Ghosn announced yesterday that he would be stepping down as CEO for Nissan on April 1st. In a statement, Ghosn explained that he wants to focus on the expansion and stewardship of the alliance between Nissan, Renault, and Mitsubishi. That doesn't mean Ghosn is fully stepping away from Nissan. He will still serve as the chairman of the board for the brand. "As Nissan's Chairman, I will continue to supervise and guide the company, both independently and within the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. This planned change will also allow me to devote more time and energy to managing the strategic and operational evolution and expansion of the Alliance and ensuring t…

William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com February 28, 2012 Every few months or so, an automaker inadvertently reveals their new vehicle before an auto show. Case in point is Nissan which showed their new 2013 Altima in a new video. The video, celebrating 30 years of production at Nissan Technical Center, shows for a brief moment a very pre-production 2013 Altima undergoing some tests. We can see the new headlights, swoopy bodywork and a new, sharper grille. Nissan has since then pulled down the video and replaced it with another, but thanks to Inside Line, they grabed a couple of screen shots. Source: Inside Line View full article

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 o…

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 Comb…

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 t…

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 c…

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, b…

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.…

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com June 5, 2013 Kelly Blue Book expects that prices for used 2013 Nissan Leafs will be lower than the 2012 Leaf. Announced this week, Kelly Blue Book forecasts that after three years, a 2013 Nissan Leaf will retain 35 percent of its original sticker price. That is five percent less than 2012 Leaf's resale value after three years. A major reason for the drop is attributed to 2013's lower MSRP. A 2013 Leaf starts at $29,650, a drop of $6,400 when compared to the 2012 model. Also hurting the resale value of the Leaf are nearly new models crossing the auction block. Ricky Beggs, managing editor of Black Book tells Automotive …

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 d…

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…

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…

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 to…

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 followin…

Are you interested in picking up a 2016 Nissan Titan XD? Then you'll be happy to know today Nissan has announced pricing for the Titan XD. The base S Crew Cab with two-wheel drive and the 5.0L Cummins Turbodiesel V8 will set you back $41,485 and that includes a $1,195 destination charge. Here is the pricing for all Titan XD models with the Turbodiesel V8. S Crew Cab 4x2 – $41,485 S Crew Cab 4x4 – $44,485 SV Crew Cab 4x2 – $45,255 SV Crew Cab 4x4 – $48,205 Pro-4X Crew Cab 4x4 – $52,165 SL Crew Cab 4x2 – $53,225 SL Crew Cab 4x4 – $56,225 Platinum Reserve Crew Cab 4x2 – $58,665 Platinum Reserve Crew Cab 4x4 – $61,715 We don't how much the Titan XD with the Endu…

Nissan is showing no signs of letting up in the full size van market. Currently, the Japanese automaker offers three different versions of their NV Cargo vans, the NV1500, NV2500HD, and NV3500HD. Now, Nissan will be offering a NV Van for passengers. The Nissan NV3500HD Passenger Van was announced today. The van which is based on the NV3500HD can seat twelve people via four rows of seats. Those four rows can also allow the seating arrangement to be configured in 324 ways. Powering the Nissan NV3500HD Passenger Van is either a 4.0L DOHC 24-valve V6 with 261 HP and 281 lb-ft of torque and a DOHC 32-valve V8 with 317 HP and 385 lb-ft of torque. Both engines come with variab…

The past year is one that Nissan would like to forget. Their former CEO is arrested and then escapes to Lebanon. Shareholders are angry at the new leadership. Sales have been cratering and other issues. But the automaker is trying to get itself out of the hole by launching 10 new models in the next 20 months. The next model has been revealed this week - the 2022 Ariya EV. A compact SUV, the Ariya certainly looks futuristic with distinctive sculpting along the side, new "shield"-style front insert, and flowing roofline. Inside, Nissan goes for a minimalist approach with little brightwork and a row of touch-capacitive controls for the climate system that disappear when …

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 ch…

It was only a few short weeks ago Nissan released their first teaser of the Pathfinder concept, set to debut at the ever approaching Detroit Auto Show. Now Nissan has decided the time is right to release two more teasers, each revealing the and of the vehicle.Each video only lasts a few seconds each, but they reveal everything you need to see if you were wondering what the front and rear of last month's shadowy profile shot would look like. It's also worth noting that the three-section grille of the current Nissan trucks has evolved into something a little more staid on the Pathfinder concept, which is turning out to be a lazily disguised version of what will go on …

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 sing…

By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com February 26, 2013 Nissan is in the midst of expanding its NISMO brand. At the Chicago Auto Show, Nissan unveiled the new Juke NISMO and refreshed 370Z NISMO. Today at in Yokohama, Japan. CEO Carlos Ghosn made three key announcements for the future of NISMO. The first was that NISMO was moving to a new facility that offers more engineering and development resources. NISMO's 180 employees will have access to a workshop, engine shop, fabrication room, and carbon composite processes at the new facility. Not moving is the production of NISMO vehicles; they will be built alongside their standard counterparts. Second was t…

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…

If you thought the Nissan Juke-R NISMO was mad with 545 horsepower via the twin-turbo V6 from GT-R, then you ain't seen nothing yet. Today at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the U.K., Nissan has introduced a more powerful Juke-R. Called Juke-R 2.0, the vehicle boasts a more powerful twin-turbo V6 with 600 horsepower from the Nissan GT-R NISMO. There are other changes such as revised bodywork from the current Juke, larger air intakes, and bumpers made out of carbon fiber. Nissan is keeping quiet on performance specs for the Juke-R 2.0, but we wouldn't be surprised if the new version is slightly faster than the first Juke-R. We'll find out how fast 2.0 is when it …

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 …

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. …

“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…

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 ma…

The past few years has seen Nissan expanding their lineup of NISMO performance models around the world. But that isn't enough as Nissan plans on expanding NISMO into more markets. To that end, the company announced a new unit called the NISMO Cars Business Unit. This will be part of Autech Japan, Inc - a Nissan group company that convert vehicles for disabled drivers and tunes performance vehicles. Nissan hopes that the new unit combined with the efforts Nissan Motorsports International Co., Ltd. and other group companies can deliver more NISMO products in a shorter timeframe. "As a Nissan sub-brand, NISMO further builds upon the core values of Nissan cars. With t…

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…

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. T…

Back in October, we reported that Nissan was working on a new hybrid system that would use a supercharged motor to be used in the next Altima. Today, Nissan is showed off their new supercharged hybrid powertrain. The system uses a 2.5L supercharged four-cylinder engine and a compact lithium-ion battery pack. Nissan engineers told Autoblog the hybrid powertrain can match the output of Nissan’s current 3.6L V6 (260 HP and 250 lb-ft of torque) while returning a 10% increase in fuel economy over the 2011 Altima Hybrid when equipped with the CVT. 2011 Nissan Altima Hybrid: 33 City/33 Highway MPG 2013 Nissan Altima Hybrid (Est): 36.3/City/36.3 Highway MPG Engineers a…

October has not been the best of months for Nissan. Earlier this month, Japan’s transport ministry revealed that at five of the company's six plants in the country had quality checks being certified by unauthorized workers. According to Reuters, vehicles destined for the domestic market have to go under a final check by certified technicians. “It’s extremely regrettable, causing anxiety for users and shaking the foundation of the certification system,” said Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Keiichi Ishii at a press conference earlier this month. Nissan announced that it would be recalling 1.2 million vehicles built within the past three years…

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 …

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 tha…

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 prod…

You would think that Nissan has forgotten about the 370Z, considering not much has been done to it in some time. But the Japanese automaker wants to make it clear they haven't forgotten about their sports car. They have been quietly working on the next-generation model. Last night, Nissan introduced the Z Proto which is a thinly-veiled concept of the next-generation model, possibly named 400Z due out within the next few years. You will instantly recognize the Z Proto as being part of the Z family. Nissan's designers draw quite heavily from the original 240Z up front as evidenced by the hood, teardrop-shaped LED headlamps (only available on Japanese-market 240), and squ…

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…

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, (a…

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…

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 t…

By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com April 15, 2013 Well this is a bit of surprise. Last Friday, Nissan announced that Ram Trucks CEO Fred Diaz will become its new divisional vice president for sales and marketing. Diaz’s role at Nissan will have him oversee all sales and marketing for the U.S. market, which includes Nissan’s Commerical and Fleet division. Since 2009, Diaz was the head of the Chrysler Group’s Ram division (established in 2009 as well). During Diaz’s tenure, Ram saw it sales rise and and taking home the North American Truck of the Year this year. "Fred Diaz is one of the most experienced, results-driven sales and marketing executives in …

Nissan found success when it changed the Pathfinder from a rough and tumble SUV to a mainstream crossover in 2013. For 2017, Nissan has given the Pathfinder a mid-cycle refresh and hopes the success streak continues. The big change lies under the hood as Nissan has given the 3.5L V6 direct injection. This increases power ratings from 260 horsepower and 240 pound-feet to 284 and 259 respectively. Other changes to the engine include a revised combustion chamber, pistons, and intake manifold. Nissan's Xtronic CVT comes standard and you have the choice of either front or all-wheel drive. Fuel economy is said to be the same as the current model. Towing is up by a 1,000 pou…

For the first time ever, Nissan will be offering a single cab variant of the Titan and Titan XD models. The Titan regular cab measures out to the same length as the crew cab (228.1 inches) and uses the same wheelbase length (139.8 inches). The Titan XD regular cab is about a foot shorter than the XD crew cab (231 vs. 242.8 inches). Both models will get an eight-foot bed. Both the Titan and Titan XD will feature a 5.6L V8 with 390 horsepower paired with a seven-speed automatic. The Titan XD will also get a 5.0L Cummins turbodiesel V8 with 390 horsepower. The Titan will get a V6 engine, though specs on this engine will be announced later. Here is how the Titan r…

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. R…

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…

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 Mal…

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 Nissa…

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 …