Quick, think of a hybrid automobile. Got it? Are you thinking of the Toyota Prius? Pretty much everyone instantly recognizes the well-known profile of the Prius, and it's by far the most popular fuel miser on the market. A good bit of Toyota's success with the Prius has been attributed to its unique look – some owners want everyone to know that they care about their environmental footprint, and the Prius currently accomplishes that better than any of its competitors.
Honda followed a similar path with the second-generation Insight hatchback, which some believe follows the form of the Prius a little too closely. According to Nissan head Carlos Ghosn, though, there's no chance that Japan's number three automaker will join that club. Speaking to Automotive News at the Tokyo Motor Show, Ghosn said:
We are not intending to play a leadership role in hybrids. One company already assumed leadership in the technology. We want leadership on EVs. Obviously, the company that leads in hybrids is Toyota, and Nissan's intention is to score a similar position in the world of pure electric automobiles. The opening salvo on that front will be the upcoming Nissan Leaf, which is slated to hit the market about a year from now, and the company has ambitious plans for its following act. We'll know if Ghosn's plan is successful or not about five years from now. Stay tuned.
You will soon be watching video of the Nissan Fuga running around a glorious rode somewhere empty and scenic. What's a Fuga? Well, here in the United States we'd call the Fuga the 2011 Infiniti M with tiny wheels. Regardless, the video gives you a 98% complete glimpse of what the new 5-Series fighter from Infiniti will look like in motion. And we think you'll agree, it looks good. Even with that Nissan badge and no sound whatsoever.
In fact, we could see Nissan bringing the Fuga over our way with a Maxima badge slapped on the trunk. Not only won't "Fuga" translate well in America, but ever since the Altima got all grown up (i.e. VQ'd), the once mighty Maxima has become sort of a directionless afterthought. But with both the mountain-leaping GT-R and iconic Z giving the Nissan brand oodles of performance credibility, wouldn't a rear-wheel drive flag(ish)ship sedan make some sense? Anyhow, that ain't happening – ever – so enjoy a preview of the all-new Infiniti M after the jump.
After several years of selling small volumes of its Altima sedan using Toyota's hybrid drive system, Nissan is finally ready to roll out its first gas-electric model using technology developed in-house. The first model to be so equipped will be the new Fuga sedan, a car sold in North America as the Infiniti M.
Unlike the electronic CVT systems used by Toyota, Ford and General Motors, Nissan has opted to configure its system using a conventional automatic transmission – in this case, a seven-speed unit. The electric drive is provided by a single motor sandwiched between the engine and the transmission. A pair of electronically controlled clutches sit on either side of the motor allowing the engine or the enginemotor combination to be completely de-coupled from the transmission.
According to Nissan, the motor has an output of 50 kW (67 horsepower) and 270 Nm (200 pound-feet) of torque, and the system is able to propel the FugaM electrically at speeds of up 62 mph. The engine is a 3.5-liter version of Nissan's renowned VQ V6 modified to run with an Atkinson cycle for greater efficiency.
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We've always thought that Infiniti's current M35M45 sedan deserved greater consideration from American consumers than it has typically received. With a strong VQ-series powerplant and entertaining rear-wheel drive handling, there has always been a lot to like from behind the wheel, but its restrained styling has seemingly always failed to convey the sort of emotion delivered by the driving experience. Thankfully, judging by its just-introduced Nissan Fuga twin here at the Tokyo Motor Show, anonymous styling figures to be less of an Achilles heel going forward.
Powered in the Japanese market by a pair of VQ-series V6 engines displacing 2.5-liters and 3.7-liters respectively (power figures have not been disclosed), the real emphasis for the next-gen model appears to be on advanced safety and creature comfort technology. We're hoping this focus doesn't result in compromised dynamics, but we are very curious to sample such bits of electronic wizardry as Nissan's "Forest AC" that includes a breeze setting and an aroma atomizer, to say nothing of "Intelligent Pedal," a new system that can actually make braking decisions based on data from the sat-nav unit. In our experience, bearing in mind how often the map data has been wrong in a given vehicle's GPS system, we hope that the system doesn't randomly lock up the binders for a phantom hairpin – especially with someone following a bit too closely behind.
Either way, when the Fuga comes to North America next year, we expect it to once again be powered by either the larger of the two VQ-series V6s or a V8 engine. A hybrid model will hit Japan next autumn, and we hear it's also coming Stateside.
You know what's wrong with kids today? We don't either, but one thing we're sure of is that they just don't read enough P.J. O'Rourke. True, Republicanism has fallen totally out of favor among today's youngsters, but that stuff is cyclical. Like when Nixon swept into the 80th Congress -- the GOP was all the rage then. And the Newt Gingrich led 104th Congress was pretty popular for a few minutes back in the Lewinkski-charged Nineties.
Anyhow, O'Rourke is a great Republican. Our favorite, in fact. You all should sit down and read P.J. to your children as bedtime stories. Might we suggest a passage from his 1978 classic, "How to Drive Fast On Drugs While Getting Your Wing-Wang Squeezed and Not Spill Your Drink." Here's a taste:
Even more important than being drunk, however, is having the right car. You have to get a car that handles really well. This is extremely important, and there's a lot of debate on this subject – about what kind of car handles best. Some say a front-engined car; some say a rear-engined car. I say a rented car. Nothing handles better than a rented car. You can go faster, turn corners sharper, and put the transmission into reverse while going forward at a higher rate of speed in a rented car than in any other kind. You can also park without looking, and can use the trunk as an ice chest. Another thing about a rented car is that it's an all-terrain vehicle. Mud, snow, water, woods – you can take a rented car anywhere. True, you can't always get it back – but that's not your problem, is it?See? As for why we dug this old chestnut up, may we suggest you make the jump and watch the video? P.J. would be so proud.
Without much fanfare (okay – zero fanfare), Nissan has rolled a tweaked version of its home-market GT-R onto the show floor here at the Tokyo Motor Show.
While you're not likely to notice any exterior differences, JDM buyers should appreciate that Nissan has fettled the suspension, fitted higher-flow cats to the exhaust system for improved low- and mid-range response (as if this were a problem before), and they've also added a next-generation hard-drive based navi system that includes iPod connectivity.
On the suspension end of things, the rear suspension radius rod bushings have come in for a stiffening, and the front shocks and springs have been tweaked for increased "accuracy" (no, we're not entirely sure what that means either).
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At the Tokyo Motor Show this morning, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn rolled silently onto the stage in the company's latest battery powered concept, the Land Glider. Like Volkswagen's One-Liter concep from the Frankfurt Motor Show, the Land Glider is a narrow-gauge tandem two-seater. However, that's where the similarities end.
The Nissan is purely battery powered, with a pair of rear-mounted electric motors receiving juice from a sub-floor lithium-ion battery pack. Ghosn referred to the Land Glider as a vehicle that offers quick acceleration thanks to its light weight and torquey electric motor. Topping up the batteries figures to be quick and painless as well, as the Land Glider features a non-contact charging system, meaning that drivers won't have to fiddle with any plugs, they can just pull into designated charging spaces.
Like some other tandem seat concepts that we've seen in the past, this one also leans into turns like a motorcycle – up to 17 degrees. Unlike those past concepts, however, Ghosn announced today that this model may reach showrooms in the not too distant future
We're here at the Tokyo Motor Show, where CEO Carlos Ghosn has just confirmed that Nissan, Renault's Japanese alliance partner, will boast a lineup of at least three electric vehicles in the next few years – and a fourth vehicle is also possible. We already know about the Leaf hatchback (above) that was unveiled back in August. In addition, Nissan will build an electric version of the NV200 light commercial van that debuted at the Geneva Motor Show. For the first time, Ghosn also confirmed that Infiniti will get a compact four-passenger sedan powered only by batteries.
No other information was available on this car, but Ghosn did say that it would be unveiled in the near future. In all likelihood, the Infiniti will be based on the Leaf platform that is designed for purely electric drive. The fourth model that is being considered for production is the Land Glider concept that was shown publicly for the first time here this morning.
According to British auto mag Auto Express, Infiniti is in the midst of designing a new small car that would potentially go up against the BMW 1 Series, Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz B-Class. Soon, we'll likely be adding a small hybrid hatchback to that mix from Lexus in the vein of the LF-Ch concept shown last month at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
If there's any truth to this rumor, Infiniti is joining Lexus in going green, but instead of adopting a hybrid drivetrain, Nissan's premium brand will reportedly use a fully electric platform. Logic would seemingly dictate that the entry-level Infiniti would be based on the Nissan Leaf electric car, which is slated to begin sales late in 2010.
While we're not convinced the electric Infiniti hatchback is indeed in the offing, it's certainly possible Nissan would extend its small electric platform to its premium nameplate in order to recoup a bit more of its sizable investment into the electric car's technology. If so, expect to see the battery-powered Infiniti hit the market around 2012.
Based on the gargantuan Nissan Armada, the Infiniti QX56 is one big beast of an SUV. Especially next to the svelte FX, and even more so now that the EX has joined the line-up. Keeping such a goliath of a truck looking fresh is a challenge unto itself, but Nissan's luxury division is apparently working on it.
The biggest thing to hit Tempe since Super Bowl XXX, this QX test mule was spied by one of our intrepid readers while apparently undergoing hot weather testing around the Phoenix suburb. The vehicle in question, as you can see, is wearing heavy camo, but appears to carry the same pronounced grille as the current model, albeit with more angular headlights to mimic its little brothers. The rear end appears to be undergoing a restyling as well, while the C-pillar-mounted rear door handle – a hallmark of Nissan sport-utes in the Pathfinder family – have apparently moved to the more conventional position.
