It’s a defining moment for zero emission vehicles, what with Nissan’s Leaf electric vehicle named as the 2011 European Car of the Year.

The Leaf is the first all-electric car to win the coveted Car of the Year title in the award’s 47-year history, finishing ahead of 40 other contenders for the big prize. In the final shortlist of seven vehicles, the Leaf scored 257 points, despite splitting opinion to the point where several jurors placed it in last place.

Its total was nine points clear of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, which scored 248 points and 13 clear of the third-placed Vauxhall/Opel Meriva, which had 244.

The remaining finalists were the Ford C-Max/Grand C-Max, at 224 points, the Citroën C3/DS3 at 175, the Volvo S60 and V60 at 145 and the Dacia Duster at 132 points.

Different approaches in voting by the jury members produced the final result of this contest. As the panel put it, “the launch of a mass-production electric car in the market has been more awarded – twenty top points – than the sheer appeal of Alfa Romeo Giulietta or the practical originality of Opel Meriva. In spite of the lack of a large recharging network and the limited range, the Leaf represents a technical and commercial bet that might otherwise satisfy many potential consumers, especially where public incentives will come to reduce the paying price.”

The awards were voted for by 58 jury members from 23 countries.

It looks like India will be getting something that we won’t be seeing anytime soon. Nissan is set to introduce the diesel version of its March hatchback in the country next month, and the car, known as the Micra in that market, will be equipped with the Renault-derived 1.5 litre K9K four-pot oil burner.

The Micra Diesel will join the 79bhp HR12DE 1.2 litre petrol version in the market – which started selling in July this year – beginning December 10, in two variant forms, the XV and XV Premium. The common rail direct injection eight-valve block, with 63 hp at 4,000 rpm and 160 Nm at 2,000 rpm, is mated to a five-speed manual tranny, the only gearbox available for the car in the Indian market. Numbers include a 158 kph top speed and an impressive 23.08 km per litre fuel consumption figure.

The K13 diesel will be assembled in Nissan’s factory in Oragadam, Chennai for domestic sales, though it will also be exported to South Africa next year.

We’re looking at the future of the mid-sized sedan, according to Nissan. This Ellure Concept as shown at the LA show isn’t a preview of any particular model, but is Nissan’s idea of how its future generation sedans will look like. But give it a long hard look, strip away the obvious show car flamboyance (mega wheels, rear hinged doors) and it doesn’t look too outrageous – the rear design is very neat to these eyes.

“While not intended as a preview of any upcoming production model, Ellure confirms Nissan’s intention to be a strong player in the sedan segment for many years to come,” explains Shiro Nakamura, Senior VP and Chief Creative Officer at Nissan. “As an expression of our long-term vision for the next generation of great Nissan sedans, Ellure allows us to introduce a new sedan concept – one that honors the sedan’s unmatched daytime functionality, yet has a more emotive, almost hidden ambience that comes to life after dark,” he added.

Nissan says that the proportions of the Ellure follow the basic layout and dimensions of a traditional mid-size sedan, but a next-generation compact hybrid powertrain allows the wheels to be pushed far out to the corners – good for looks and space. The grille was inspired by “Kamishino” Samurai formal coat while the headlights and taillights have the effect of “layering of fins” or “wings of a bird”. Pure designer speak.

The proposed drivetrain is a supercharged 2.5-litre four-pot with Intelligent Dual Clutch Control (one motor/two clutch design with lithium-ion battery) and a 25 kW electric motor, matched to an Xtronic CVT gearbox. But what really matters here is the design, and you don’t want to bet against this coming to life – nobody thought the Juke would!

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Nissan’s appetite and boldness to dig out new niches is respectable. The Qashqai/Dualis offered an “SUV alternative” to Golf class hatchbacks, the wild Juke is an SUV styled supermini competitor and this – the Murano CrossCabriolet – is a big topless SUV. Nissan says its crossover convertible blends all of the things people love in a crossover with the open air enjoyment of a convertible, and vice versa.

“Everyone loves the convertible experience, no one loves the convertible reality – compromised trunk space, a cramped back seat or none at all, and a lack of flexibility for everyday life. The Murano CrossCabriolet is the reinvention of versatility, encouraging people to rethink what a convertible can be,” Al Castignetti, VP and GM of Nissan North America.

The Murano’s transformation from SUV to CC is more than just lopping off the roof. There are two doors less, so along with creating new longer front doors and eliminating the B-pillars, the structure has been reinforced from the A-pillar rearwards. The hydraulically operated fabric top (with power latch/unlatch) also includes a rear glass skylight. With the top down, boot capacity is 215 litres, enough to fit two sets of golf clubs. Roof up capacity is 348 litres.

Aerodynamics are only slightly compromised – 0.39 Cd vs 0.37 Cd. Nissan says that the tall windshield and A-pillar design plus the high beltline and high rear seat shoulders all combine to minimise air turbulence with the top down. Dual pop-up roll bars are also included.

The drivetrain is identical to the hardtop Murano, which means a 265 hp 3.5L V6 paired to a second-gen Xtronic CVT ‘box with Adaptive Shift Control. There will only be one single full spec offered which includes kit like dual-zone climate control, a 7-inch multi-info colour display, Fine Vision gauges and and Remote Keyless Entry. Two roof/cabin colour options are available – Camel leather and black top or the Brown top with Cashmere leather.

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Nissan has launched its fourth-generation Serena ‘minivan’ in Japan, and the vehicle will begin domestic sales at the end of this month. The C26 is a full-model change, replacing the C25 which was in the market from 2003 until this year.

The vehicle features the new MR20DD engine, and the 2.0 litre direct injection block, with twin variable valve timing control, replaces the MR20DE on the outgoing Serena. Output figures for the unit, which is mated to a Xtronic CVT gearbox, are 147 hp at 5,600 rpm and 210 Nm of torque at 4,400 rpm.

The eight-seater gets a larger cabin than its predecessor, including an interior length that’s 300mm longer than the C25′s. As before, you get a multitude of seating configurations, fourteen in all, and the third row seats, through the help of an innovative link mechanism, sits 175mm lower compared to the ones in the previous Serena, offering the occupants better visibility.

Novelties include an Idling Stop system, which adopts an ECO motor that restarts the engine and also serves as an alternator during deceleration. Pluses offered by the belt-type engine cranking system, where the ECO motor restarts the engine by directly rotating a pulley directly connected to the crank through the belt, are a shorter start time as well as quieter operation, since there’s no starter motor.

Besides offering improved aerodynamic efficiency (it’s 8% better than the older Serena), the new one has a Zone Body that’s stiffer, yet is more comfy than its predecessor.

Among the many items on the equipment list are VDC, TCS, ABS and EBD plus Brake Assist, Hill Start assist, curtain and side airbags, Isofix mount points, front seat active head restraints and auto light and rain sensors.

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The recall season looks like it’s far from over. Nissan has issued a recall on around 605,000 vehicles, mostly in North America, Canada and Latin America, due to steering or battery cable-related issues.

The company said the steering recall affects 303,000 Frontier pickups made from July 2001 to Oct 2004 and 283,000 Xterra SUVs built in July 2001 to Jan 2005, all built at the company’s plant in Smyrna, Tennessee and which were sold in the US, Canada, Mexico and in Latin America. Nissan said that corrosion can develop in the lower steering column joint that limits joint movement, and if unchecked, might possibly lead to the steering shaft cracking.

A further 18,500 Sentra sedans, assembled in Mexico and which were primarily sold in the US, were covered by the battery-cable recall, where a connection defect on the positive battery cable terminal can lead to difficulty starting the vehicle or stalling at low speeds.