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Report: Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet (convertible) joining Ellure concept in LA

Filed under: Concept Cars, LA Auto Show, Convertible, Crossover, Nissan

Yes, the Nissan Murano convertible is going to happen, and not only is it coming to the LA Auto Show, but now it has a name: The Murano CrossCabriolet.

Billed as the world’s first four-seat, all-wheel drive convertible crossover, the chop-top CUV will only sport two doors and – contrary to the renderings floating around – it won’t come with PT Cruiser-style roll hoop.

According to Inside Line, joining the CrossCabriolet at the So. Cal. show this November will be a new Nissan sedan concept that, is said to be “a new dimension to traditional sedan design – a dimension named innovation.” Ridiculous hyperbole aside, the four-door concept has been dubbed Ellure, and hopefully the “new dimension” it creates will swallow the CrossCabriolet into oblivion.

[Source: Inside Line]

Report: Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet (convertible) joining Ellure concept in LA originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan Xterra not long for this world?

Filed under: SUV, Nissan, Off-Road

2010 Nissan Xterra – Click above for high-res image gallery

Nissan’s Xterra, a throwback to when all SUVs were red in tooth and claw, may be swinging on the gallows sooner rather than later. According to Ward’s Auto, the gloriously upright off-roader faces an uncertain future amidst slumping sales and ever-tightening federal fuel economy regulations.

Ward’s data indicates that the Xterra has sold just 12,186 units through July, and even that modest figure is well ahead of last year’s glacial pace brought about by the stagnant economy. By comparison, Nissan shipped 88,578 new Xterras off to owners in 2000.

The Xterra hasn’t received more than modest changes since its redesign back in 2005, and although Nissan’s vice president of advanced product and product planning and stategy, Larry Dominique, says the automaker will try to build the SUV ‘”as long as we possibly can,” there isn’t a redesign in sight.

Despite the Xterra’s likely demise, Ward’s says that the Xterra’s mid-size kin, the Frontier pickup and Pathfinder, don’t appear to be going anywhere, though Dominique seemingly hints that the latter could continue on in a new form, saying “Pathfinder will live on… how it will live on, wait to see. There’s no reason to get rid of a three-row crossover or SUV.” Could Nissan be pondering a shift to a car-based Pathfinder, like the 2011 Ford Explorer and the forthcoming Dodge Durango? We should know within the year.

Gallery: 2010 Nissan Xterra

[Source: Ward’s Auto]

Nissan Xterra not long for this world? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Drive: 2011 Nissan Juke

Filed under: Budget, Crossover, Nissan, First Drive

Unlikely Baby Crossover Confounds and Delights

2011 Nissan Juke – Click above for high-res image gallery

Remember the Nissan NX of the mid-’90s? The tiny, econobox-based sportster was as cute as a bug and spent its brief lifespan mixing it up with other long-gone, sporty front-wheel drive affordables like the Mazda MX-3, Honda Civic CRX, Toyota Paseo and even the Hyundai Scoupe. While there were a lot of inexpensive, racy looking coupes back then, most automakers just don’t see any money in that segment anymore. Instead, when they look to spin something off of their entry-level B-class chassis, most veer toward the white-hot crossover segment.

Consider the latest example, Nissan’s 2011 Juke. Come to think of it, this in-your-face city slicker has some startling similarities to the NX. For one, at 162.8 inches long, it’s deceptively small – just 0.4 inches longer than the ’90s coupe. Further, both the Juke and the NX1600 rely on 1.6-liter four-cylinder power. And like the Sentra-based NX, the more emotional Juke is based on the same humble underpinnings that give structure to Nissan’s workaday offerings, in this case, the Versa and Cube. And while the Juke may not be cute as a bug, there’s something downright insectian about its Predator-like mug.

Despite not being a traditional sporty car, Nissan has been talking up its controversially styled mini-ute with many of the same descriptors, so we hopped a plane to Vancouver to see if the Juke could bob and weave its way into our hearts. Follow the jump to find out how it fared.

Gallery: 2011 Nissan Juke: First Drive

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First Drive: 2011 Nissan Juke originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Nissan unveils four new Innovation For All spots

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Technology, Videos, Nissan

2011 Nissan Quest in new ad campaign – Click above to watch video after the jump

We do love our car commercials. Oftentimes, marketing departments and ad agencies simply have a way of distilling everything we love about cars, trucks, SUVs and yes, even CUVs into easily-digestible snippets of video. Nissan has just rolled out a new collection of four ads under the Innovation for All banner, each focusing on the company’s commitment to new ideas, designs and products.

If you look closely, you may even spy the next-generation Nissan Quest lurking among the quick cuts in the first ad. Judging from what we’ve seen, it looks like the company’s minivan will be awfully similar to the Japanese-market Elgrand that Nissan debuted not so long ago.

In addition to the tech-centric commercial, Nissan is touting the fact that its vehicles have had brake override systems since 2004, ribbing rival Toyota and underscoring the company’s commitment to safety at the same time. As you may recall, legislators have called for brake-override protection to be mandatory on all new cars in the wake of the Toyota unintended acceleration fiasco. Hit the jump to take a look at the spots for yourself.

[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading Video: Nissan unveils four new Innovation For All spots

Video: Nissan unveils four new Innovation For All spots originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Nissan GT-R changes appear on web

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Nissan

2012 Nissan GT-R – Click above for image gallery

The thing about a halo car is that it needs that pretty little halo buffed and shined every single year to be sure the machine is kept at the forefront of consumers’ minds. Nissan has been doing a pretty good job with its GT-R over the last few years in this regard, bumping power here and adding new techno-goodies there – all in an effort to give its giant slayer the tools to continue properly slaying.

That trend looks to continue for the 2012 model year, as the hive mind from GTRBlog.com has managed to score enough information on the upcoming machine to put together a nice little preview. Starting with the exterior, the next GT-R will get a revised front fascia complete with new (and sure to be controversial) LED driving lights frenched into new canards at either corner of the front bumper, lowering the car’s coefficient of drag from 0.272 to 0.268.

There’s also a new rear diffuser that adds 10 percent more downforce at the business end and a set of forged wheels from Rays cut 6.6 pounds of unsprung weight at each corner for a total loss of over 26 pounds. Impressive. There are reportedly two new colors for both the wheels – Hyper Blue Black and Hyper Titanium – and for the car – Aurora Flare Blue Pearl and Nebula Opal Black.

Expect price increases for both the base model, which will now be known as the Pure Edition, and the Premium Edition. Naturally, we’re also told to expect some additional horsepower. We’ll keep our eyes and ears peeled for more.

Gallery: 2012 Nissan GT-R

[Source: GTRBlog.com]

2012 Nissan GT-R changes appear on web originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Nissan Murano unveiled with mild refresh, new SV trim

Filed under: Budget, Crossover, Nissan, Design/Style

2011 Nissan Murano – Click above for high-res image gallery

Nissan has officially confirmed that the new fascia we saw on the European version of the 2011 Murano will find its way to the land of the free. The look carries a reworked bumper, along with similarly sculpted headlights and a new grille. If you were hoping to see the diesel model crop up on dealer lots in your neck of the woods, we’ve got bad news – it ain’t happening. The oil-burning Murano is still only available to our cousins across the pond, leaving us with the capable 3.5-liter VQ V6 with 250 horsepower and 240 lb-ft of torque as our only powerplant option.

Even so, Nissan has chucked an additional trim line into the mix. Buyers can now choose between a total of eight variants on the Murano theme, including the new SV FWD and SV AWD trims. The Japanese automaker has thrown in 20-inch wheels, a dual-panel moonroof and a bevy of exterior color choices as optional goodies, too. Look for the 2011 Nissan Murano to land on dealer lots by October. Follow the jump for the full press blast.

Gallery: 2011 Nissan Murano

[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading 2011 Nissan Murano unveiled with mild refresh, new SV trim

2011 Nissan Murano unveiled with mild refresh, new SV trim originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan Maxima, Sentra receive 2011 prices, minor changes

2011 Nissan Maxima – click above for high-res image gallery

Nissan has released pricing for its 2011 Maxima and Sentra sedans, complete with specification changes that are more along the lines of ‘running changes’ than they are actual product freshenings. No matter, the Maxima will start at $30,810 in 3.5S CVT guise, while the sportier SV rings up at $33,530. On the more frugal side, the Sentra 2.0 6MT rings in at $15,520, spooling all the way up to $20,080 for the line-topping SE-R Spec V 2.5 model.

On the upgrade front, the 290-horsepower Maxima receives smoked headlights, darkened chrome grill and “shiny gray interior stitching” on sport models, along with a new exhaust pipe finisher. Metallic Slate and Brilliant Silver also join the Max’s paint palate. For 2011, the Sentra doesn’t really get any new features, but a six-speed manual is now available with the base 2.0-liter four-cylinder, giving the range a new entry-level model.

The 2011 model-year Nissans are available in dealers now, and you can check out the full press release after the jump.

Gallery: 2011 Nissan Maxima

[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading Nissan Maxima, Sentra receive 2011 prices, minor changes

Nissan Maxima, Sentra receive 2011 prices, minor changes originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Nissan Juke starts at $18,960*

Filed under: Budget, SUV, Hatchback, Nissan

2011 Nissan Juke – Click above for high-res image gallery

Nissan has just released pricing for the 2011 Juke – the company’s new baby CUV. Buyers looking to scramble into the driver’s seat can look forward to a base MSRP of $18,960 (*plus destination) for the Juke S when equipped with a CVT and front-wheel drive. Prices for the range-topping Juke SL with a CVT and all-wheel drive hit a ceiling of $24,550 before any options are added.

All models will come from the factory with a new direct-injection turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 188 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque. Nissan says that when bolted to the company’s efficient CVT, the Juke should return 27 mpg city and 32 mpg highway. Meanwhile, six-speed manual-equipped models start at $20,260.

Buyers wanting to take advantage of the Juke’s torque-vectoring all-wheel drive can hop into the Juke S AWD. That model, which is available only with a CVT, starts at $20,460, landing it squarely in Subaru Forester and Mini Countryman territory. With a low price, plenty of onboard tech and quirky, youth-oriented styling, we’re expecting to see plenty of these on the road in short order when it goes on sale this October. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Gallery: Nissan Juke

[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading 2011 Nissan Juke starts at $18,960*

2011 Nissan Juke starts at $18,960* originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Elon Musk rips into Nissan Leaf’s “primitive” batteries

Filed under: Hatchback, Nissan, Electric

Elon Musk

If there’s ever going to be a green-car cage match, we can guarantee that one of the fighters will be Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, who apparently can’t pass up the chance to take on any competitor. His latest target? The lithium-ion battery pack in the Nissan Leaf, about which Musk had some critical things to say in a conference call with investors this week.

Even though Nissan is supremely confident in the ability of its battery pack, Musk said it was a “much more primitive level of technology” than even Tesla’s first prototype. Musk also said that the Leaf pack will have temperatures “all over the place” that will cause it to suffer “huge degradation” in cold environments and basically “shut off” in hot environments, according to Earth2Tech.

Tesla’s battery has a more sophisticated/complicated cooling system than the air-cooled system found in the Leaf pack, but Nissan strongly supports its battery pack with an 8-year, 100,000-mile warranty and has been working on lithium-ion battery technology for a long time. We imagine they know what they’re doing, and the proof will be in driveways soon enough.

[Source: Earth2Tech]

Elon Musk rips into Nissan Leaf’s “primitive” batteries originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 08 Aug 2010 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Nissan Quest unveiled in Japan as Elgrand

Filed under: Budget, Minivan/Van, Japan, Nissan

2011 Nissan Elgrand – Click above for high-res image gallery

Nissan is set to release the next-generation Quest minivan in the States later this year, but we may have gotten an early peek at the people mover thanks to Japanese unveil. Nissan pulled the sheets off of its JDM-only Elgrand – the corporate cousin to the Quest – and the van looks suspiciously similar to the teaser shots of the U.S. version we’ve seen so far. If the information on the Elgrand is any indication, buyers can look forward to getting their minivan with either a 3.5-liter V6 or a 2.5-liter four-cylinder, with all-wheel drive available on select models and both seven and eight passenger configurations.

That’s not to say the two vehicles will be identical. For one thing, it appears that the American version of the van will wear slightly tweaked front and rear fascias compared to what we can see on the Elgrand. Likewise, we expect significant changes to the interior for the American market when the 2011 Quest debuts at the LA Auto Show in November.

Gallery: 2011 Nissan Elgrand

[Source: NISMO Stuff, Nissan]

2011 Nissan Quest unveiled in Japan as Elgrand originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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