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Mitsubishi to rebadge Nissan NV200 as Delica D:3 in Japan

August 8, 2011 at 7:19 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, International News, Mitsubishi, Nissan

The OEM partnership between Mitsubishi and Nissan looks to be growing even further – Mitsubishi is set to take yet another vehicle from Nissan into its model line-up for the domestic market.

Thus far, under the existing OEM agreements with Nissan, Mitsubishi is selling the AD commercial vehicle under its badge, while supplying its eK Wagon and other minivehicles, according to reports. Already, both companies have set up a JV to develop mini-cars for the market, with operations having begun in June.

Now, Mitsubishi is set to add Nissan’s NV200 van to the list and plans to start selling the 1.6 litre-class vehicle as the Delica D:3 sometime from the end of October, and it’s hoping to shift 5,000 units for the initial year.

The company is also mulling over getting a luxury sedan like the Teana to sell under its own brand. Having considerably trimmed its model line-up, 60% of Mitsubishi’s domestic sales are now made up of mini-vehicles, and the reports add that procuring more models from Nissan will allow the company to feature a more balanced product range without increasing its R&D spending.

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Nissan Teana now available with touch screen full colour GPS navigation screen and aerokit

August 8, 2011 at 6:36 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Local News, Nissan

In our mega D-segment sedan test drive review that included the Nissan Teana, we couldn’t help but feel that the large LCD screen above the climate control buttons was kinda wasted on a low resolution monochrome screen with large calculator-like fonts.

Malaysian Nissan distributor has a fix for that – it’s now offering the 2.0 litre and 2.5 litre Nissan Teana with the option of a 7″ touch screen Multimedia Navigation System that has SpeedNavi GPS navigation. The system also includes a wide angle reverse camera to help you maneuver your Teana in tight spots. Other features include a Bluetooth hands-free system, music and movie playback from an SD card slot or USB port, and iPod connection support.

The steering wheel audio control function will only work with the existing audio system though, as they aren’t configured to work with the new Multimedia Navigation System.

There’s also a new aerokit for Teana owners who want their car to look a little different. It’s kinda subtle even on light colors such as the image above, so it should be even more subtle on a dark car.

You’ll get both the Multimedia Navigation System and the aerokit for free if you buy a Teana from now until 30th September 2011. You’ll also get a free maintenance package for 2 years or 40,000km, whichever comes first. Existing Teana owners can retrofit the Multimedia Navigation system for RM2,500 and the aerokit for RM3,000.

Look after the jump for a small gallery of the MNS and aerokit.
[Read more...]

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Nissan Sunny to begin production in India in October

August 4, 2011 at 11:45 am By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, International News, Nissan

Over in India, Nissan has unveiled its Sunny mid-size sedan, which is set to begin selling in the country in October. The car will be the automaker’s second model to be produced at its Chennai factory, and is part of a five model range that the company plans to assemble locally, reports state.

The introduction of the Sunny seeks to address the growing demand for mid-sized sedans in the country, brought about by a rising disposable income in the 350-million strong middle class population as well as growth in the economy.

The Sunny is expected to challenge class stalwarts from Maruti Suzuki India and Hyundai, namely the Swift Dzire, the SX4 and the latter’s Verna sedan. The company is looking at the car to drive local sales to 40,000 units in the current financial year, up from the 13,030 it sold in the same period last year.

The company currently makes the Micra hatchback in the Chennai plant, which it jointly owns with Renault. Production capacity is expected to be 400,000 vehicles a year by the middle of next year, with sizeable export numbers being planned by the end of 2012. The Sunny is also expected to be an integral cog in the company’s mid-term ASEAN plans, very likely to be the second eco-car model built for the Thai market, with production set to begin in September.

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Nissan LEAF now able to supply electricity to homes

August 4, 2011 at 11:08 am By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News, Nissan

Nissan has unveiled a new power supply system that enables electricity to be supplied to homes from the lithium-ion batteries installed in its LEAF electric vehicle. The new system was unveiled at Kan-kan-kyo, a house built by Japanese firm Sekisui House and located in front of the Nissan Global Headquarters in Yokohama.

The Power Control System, as it’s called, is a sinusoidal PWM system with a 6kW rating, and runs on a 200 volt single-phase. three-wire configuration. Through it, electricity stored in the LEAF can be supplied to a house by connecting the car to the house’s electricity distribution panel using a connector linked to the LEAF’s quick charging port. The connector complies with the CHAdeMO Association’s protocol for quick chargers, which are adopted globally.

As such, the LEAF can be used as an electricity storage device for houses in preparation for power outages and/or shortages. The lithium-ion batteries can store up to 24 kWh of electricity, sufficient to power an average Japanese household for about two days.

The system, the company says, will allow households to be supplied with a stable amount of electricity throughout the day, and charge and store electricity back in the car with electricity generated at night or through methods such as solar power. The PCS allows both electricity supply to be drawn from the vehicle as well as for the charging of the vehicle.

Current LEAF owners will also be able to use the system, though there is a need for some adaptation to be carried out. The company aims to commercialise the system somtime later this year.

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Nissan plans ASEAN expansion – Thailand and Indonesia integral to six-year development plan

July 27, 2011 at 12:44 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, International News, Nissan

Nissan has announced a new six-year business development plan for the ASEAN region, with the objective of more than tripling sales to 500,000 units with a 15% market share by the end of 2016 from the 150,000 units and 6% market share it had in 2010.

The new mid-term plan, unveiled by Nissan Motor Asia Pacific (NMAP), identifies a number of areas to achieve its goals. The first is preparing for Indonesia’s low cost green car programme, which is initiated by the Indonesian government. The second is to double the regional production capacity from 350,000 to 700,000 units per year.

The plan also calls for an acceleration of localisation of R&D as well as powertrain production in the region – the Nissan Technical Center South East Asia will be expanded in Thailand and Indonesia with a tripling of total engineering staff by 2016.

In addition, Nissan’s affiliate company JATCO will invest 20 billion yen (US$250 million) to establish a new manufacturing plant to produce continuously-variable transmission (CVT) units in Thailand. It will be the first company to locally produce CVTs in Thailand.

The automaker also plans to invest 25 billion Japanese yen (US$312.5 million) in Indonesia for further growth, primarily on plant expansion – to increase production capacity to 180,000 units by 2013 – and a new engine assembly plant.

The establishment of NMAP, which is a new, strategic regional headquarters located in Thailand, will be in charge of developing the progress of this expansion.

Alongside all this will be the introduction of a “Power Up 2016″ program by the company in Thailand, and this one looks to deploy more than 10 new models during the period. The first of these is will be the company’s second eco-car in the country, the Nissan March sedan. Production of the Honda City / Toyota Vios competiitor – very possibly the Sunny, as it’s badged in China – scheduled to begin in September.

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Nissan Livina X-Gear testing with trade plates in Malaysia

July 23, 2011 at 11:02 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Nissan, Spyshots

Reader Kevin Ng snapped this white vehicle that looks somewhat like a Nissan Grand Livina and posted it up on our Facebook Fan Page wall. It had its badges taped up and had some kind of off-roader style bodykit, ala the Suzuki SX-4 or the Volkswagen Cross Polo.

But this isn’t a Grand Livina, it’s actually a variation of the Livina called the Livina X-Gear, which is available in Indonesia. The same vehicle is also sold in China as the Livina C-Gear.

The Grand Livina available here thus far is actually an extended Livina, where a third row of seats are added to make it a 7-seater. The Livina is a 5-seater. Both have a 2,600mm wheelbase though, as Nissan managed to cram in a third row via a lengthened rear overhang without having to lengthen the center section of the car.

As you can see, the section between the C pillar and the D pillar on this Livina is quite different from that of a Grand Livina – it is shorter and the rear window kink is differently shaped. You can click on the two pictures above to view a higher resolution image.

Look after the jump for a frontal studio shot of the Livina X-Gear.
[Read more...]

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Renault-Nissan to independently develop cars for India

July 18, 2011 at 9:40 am By Anthony Lim Filed Under Bajaj, Cars, India, International News, Nissan, Renault

According to reports, the Renault-Nissan Alliance has announced in a statement that it will be independently developing several passenger cars for the Indian market, which will include entry-level designs. This follows on an announcement made by Bajaj Auto last week that it has effectively canned a project to develop a low-cost minicar model for the Alliance members.

Initial plans for the minicar had Bajaj Auto, India’s second-largest motorcycle manufacturer by sales, teaming up with Renault and Nissan in a JV project on a 50:50 basis, with Bajaj holding half the stake and Renault and Nissan sharing the other half – the effort was to see Bajaj introduce the low-cost model next year to compete with the Tata Nano in its home market.

With several differences coming about, the three companies then decided to settle on a partnership that would have seen Bajaj developing the model and Renault and Nissan responsible for its branding and marketing.

Now, that’s off too – Bajaj’s MD Rajiv Bajaj stated that the company has shelved the minicar project because it found the venture commercially unviable. “From 2007 until 2009, we had an initial plan with Renault and Nissan to develop a low-cost small car which would be like the Nano,” Bajaj was qouted as saying, but during a meeting in November 2009 he told Carlos Ghosn that the minicar was unviable.

Bajaj stated that the partnership with Renault and Nissan continues intact, adding that his company will unveil a low-cost commercial vehicle – which will have passenger applications as well – in New Delhi in January that will also be showcased to both Renault and Nissan which, should they decide to go ahead with the project, will develop the passenger application aspects of the platform.

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Nissan Navara to roll off Mitsubishi’s Thai plant from 2012

July 13, 2011 at 3:43 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Mitsubishi, Nissan

Nissan and Mitsubishi have announced that the current generation Nissan Navara one-tonne pickup truck will be manufactured at Mitsubishi Motors’ Laem Chabang plant in Chonburi, Thailand. This means that both the Navara and rival Mitsubishi Triton will roll off the same factory. Production under this deal is scheduled to commence in 2012.

We’re not surprised by this, as it was already spelled out last December as part of a wider agreement to expand the scope of cooperation between the two companies. In the longer term, the two companies are looking at a manufacturing and engineering collaboration for a new generation one-tonne pickup truck. In other words, the next Triton and Navara will be sisters.

This follows an announcement in June about the establishment of a joint venture company to develop minicars for both brands. This, and the pickup deal, is expected to reduce costs and enhance the competitiveness of both companies.

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Nissan plans to launch one new vehicle every six weeks!

June 28, 2011 at 3:38 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Nissan

Nissan has announced a new, wide-ranging, six-year business plan that will accelerate the company’s growth across new markets and segments. Called “Nissan Power 88,” the plan is for fiscal years 2011 to 2016 and is effective immediately.

Why 88? No, it’s not for the same reasons number 8 is loved by the Chinese community, but it’s the company’s targets. Nissan is focusing on overall customer experience and elevating its brand power and sales power. By the end of fiscal year 2016, the carmaker aims to achieve a global market share of 8% and increase its corporate operating profit to a sustainable 8%, hence 88.

To achieve this, Nissan’s plans to deliver, on average, an all-new vehicle every six weeks for six years. This ambitious target will boost the company’s global portfolio to 66 vehicles covering 92% of all markets and segments. Nissan and alliance partner Renault is betting big on electric, and the emphasis on sustainable mobility will continue in this period, encompassing zero-emission vehicles and low-emission tech under the Pure Drive banner.

Alongside that, there will be a “Mobility for all” campaign targeted at high growth emerging markets, featuring dedicated new cars and light commercial vehicles (LCVs) developed for entry-level segments. Speaking of LCVs, Nissan points out that the selection of the NV200 as New York City’s “Taxi of Tomorrow” illustrates the company’s momentum in the segment. By 2016, Nissan wants to be the world’s leading LCV manufacturer.

On the other end of the scale, the Infiniti premium brand is targeted to grow from its 2010 sales level of 150,000 vehicles to 10% of the global market share among luxury brand segments, which would equate to around 500,000 vehicles at current levels. The brand will be present in more than 70 markets with a product range of at least 10 vehicles in the Nissan Power 88 roadmap.

Sounds very ambitious, but the man at the helm is confident of success. “Nissan Power 88 is a demanding business plan, but our company has a proven track record of achieving challenging objectives,” said Carlos Ghosn, President, CEO and the man who turned Nissan around. Exciting times ahead!

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A Juke on two wheels and a Leaf at 145 kph backwards, only at the Goodwood Festival of Speed

June 23, 2011 at 9:10 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Nissan

Nissan’s gonna try a couple of fancy tricks with two of its cars at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, happening next month on July 1-3.

Now the thing about regular cars is that they only have one reverse gear so they can’t go anywhere in a hurry in reverse. Electric cars don’t use regular transmissions so according to Nissan there’s no such issue for a Nissan Leaf to just flip its motor in reverse and potentially hit a top speed of 145 kph … rearwards!

Nissan will be attempting to set a record to be the fastest ever car to be driven up the famous Goodwood Hill Climb backwards.

The other car to be attempting a new feat is the Nissan Juke. Professional stunt driver Terry Grant will attempt to drive the Nissan Juke the entire course using just two wheels. He will also be the man to pilot the Leaf in reverse.

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