Reports have it that Dongfeng Nissan is planning on launching two new models which are the Nissan SUV Qashgai and the X-Trail. These two will be produced in the joint venture of the Japanese automaker in 2008.

NISSAN QASHGAI

NISSAN X-TRAIL

These two models which are newly-developed have already been released in the auto market of European countries and already experienced great sales. These two new models are actually different SUV segment models which have different market prices. The company will rename these models once they are produced in China.

Nissan’s plan for the Qashgai to be introduced by the beginning of next year. They also plan to launch its debut at the Guangzhou Auto Show with its price costing 150,000 yuan.

By the second half of the year, Nissan plans on launching their X-Trail. Exporting these two models from overseas market will now be ceased because the production is now localized.

China lacks 2.5-liter China-made engines and so these two models will be powered by original engines that were produced by overseas market.

The Qashgai was launched in February and since then it has already sold 45,000 of its units in the overseas market. But its production capacity wasn’t able to meet the demands of the market and so Nissan transferred some of its production to their other plants in Japan.

Another plan of Dongfeng Nissan is to introduce other models as well such as the Maxima and Murano.

The sales of Nissan’s hot products still haven’t reached their expected sales for the first half of this year but although that is the case, Dongfeng Nissan plans on boosting up its annual sales target to 400,000 units.

Aside from the glory of bringing another ship to sail in the fleet of small cars, Nissan has one more thing to be proud of with its representative: the Nissan Versa also gives the best in fuel economy. It just might be the answer that America has been waiting for due to the rapid increase of gas price.

The Versa was said to boast almost the same usable room as its larger and upscale positioned cousins, something completely different from the “specs” that you will see published. It also has abundant safety features. They include dual front, side, side curtain and head protection airbags, front disc/rear drum power brakes, a tire pressure warning system and burglar alarm. Be sure to order the $250 ABS package; it includes electronic brake force distribution, brake assist and ABS.

The Versa’s ride is one of its best points. The four-wheel independent suspension delivers excellent stability. Potholes and other road irregularities are managed well, but the overall impression is, it’s a tad firmer than you might expect. Handling is well above average despite the Versa’s high profile. Corners are taken with minimal lean, and the 35-foot turning circle is a plus on narrow streets.

Underhood is a 1.8-liter, dual overhead cam four-valve-per-cylinder “4.” It produces 122 HP and moves the Versa from 0 to 60 in 9.7 seconds. It’s a butter-smooth, regular unleaded-sipping powerplant with real-world fuel efficiency of 30 city and 36 highway, exactly its EPA rating. The engine was mated to a standard CVT automatic transmission. It performed flawlessly.

In 2006, the United Nissan team managed to enter the winner’s circle in the ASA Speed Truck Challenge. Nissan has two trucks, one was driven by Darren Young, and one was by Lee Hatch. Although the former was able to gain seven wins compared to the latter’s three wins, the team managed to achieve victory over 40 other contenders.

Hatch and Young provide the driving skill and their teammates provide the mechanical expertise. The United Nissan team is owned by Lee Keach and Don Forman, of Las Vegas. They have a story that is very similar to that of Richard Childress, insofar as they loved to race and were drivers but had more talent and ability to run a race team, and other business obligations prevented them from being full-time racers. So they assembled a team of people who get the job done from a mechanical perspective. With that support system in place, Young and Hatch are doing the job behind the wheel.

The competition is so close in the ASA Speed Truck Challenge that over 90 percent of the field has a legitimate shot at winning any given race. From an equipment perspective, the ASA has done a great job keeping the field as even as possible. There were no technological advantages from one team to the next. (The trucks were that close). The rules preclude the ability to just buy a win through aggressive part replacement. The differences boil down to preparation and the team working together to make sure the driver has the right truck to get the job done. Chassis tuning is at a premium in this series. Very seldom does a winner arrive in Victory Circle alone. In auto racing today, winning is more often than not a team event. (Reference: stock car racing)

Nissan announced that it will sponsor the Lucas Oil World Series of Off-Road Racing (WSORR) Weekend Finale on September 22-23 at the Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, MO. Hence the name Nissan “Showdown in the Show-Me State”. The final two rounds of the WSORR off-road racing is the first national off-road racing event in Missouri and at the new Lucas Oil Speedway. The finale will see nine contenders battle it out to be crowned as the champions.

“We have been very pleased about our association with WSORR and their plans to expand professional off-road racing to new venues such as Lucas Oil Speedway in Missouri,” said Ron Stukenberg, senior manager, motorsports marketing & operations for Nissan in an interview. “Since the opening event in Owatonna, Minnesota, there has definitely been excitement and momentum in the WSORR and we expect that to continue when we go to Wheatland, Missouri, for the ‘Nissan Showdown in the Show-Me State’,” he said.

Nissan joins other big name event sponsors on WSORR’s remaining Tour 2007 including the Boss Snowplows U.P. Off-Road 100 Races at Bark River International Raceway in Michigan August 10-12, and the BorgWarner World Championship Off-Road Races at Crandon Raceway in Wisconsin over Labor Day Weekend, August 31-September 2.

“Lucas Oil Speedway is one of the premier dirt track facilities in the country”, said Jamie Devney, Motorsports Business Manager of Lucas Oil Products in an interview. “The new off-road track will be no exception. We are working closely with WSORR’s Cliff and Jake Flannery, the nation’s premier off road track designers, to create our new course,” he commented. “Lucas Oil’s commitment will ensure this inaugural Nissan event will be a huge success”. Devney also added that the track will feature a traditional land rush start and have a “real hard edge to it” for explosive racing action.

Nissan has shown some sketches of its newest concept car for the Tokyo motor show, the NV200. It looks like a minivan/MPV which was said to contain “unique features”. But its most outstanding feature is that it was built and designed for photographers. Underwater photographers.

The NV200 has a large “storage pod” that slides out of the rear of the vehicle when it is parked, revealing “small feet” which will maintain the vehicle’s stability on the ground. The vehicle has compartments for the dry and the wet area, which will provide storage for diving and the photographer’s equipment. It even contains a small refrigerator with a sink unit, run be solar panels mounted on the car’s roof.

Located in the center of the vehicle is where the “mobile office” can be found, complee with an integrated computer. The passenger seat even slides backward and swivels to serve as an office chair.

The interior trim choices are intriguing, with the extensive use of bright yellow plastics and a wood laminate floor. “The wood is designed to provide a feeling of warmth for the photographer when he returns from his dive,” says the concept’s senior color designer, Vanda Murray.

“We brainstormed all the likely users of a vehicle of this type and decided to focus on the underwater photographer because they’re in touch with nature, and their equipment has a high-tech but utilitarian appeal,” Martin Uhlarik, Nissan’s Senior Designer explains.

Although the NV200 is only a concept, it does offer a clue to the styling of Nissan’s next generation of light commercial vehicles. The company will launch a series of new models in the next of couple of years in a bid to increase its market share. Nissan’s corporate vice president for light commercials, Andy Palmer, claimed that Nissan will be “a global leader in the field by 2010”.

Not much bigger than a cell phone is Nissan’s new on-board alcohol detection system to help prevent drunk driving. This on-board breath tester is intended to be rolled out in production vehicles someday soon.

Nissan will be adding yet another innovation in the car industry. Aside from perfecting its cars and all the advanced optimizations that it is able to equip, Nissan is now focusing on how to ensure the well-being of its car drivers. With all the accidents and controversial apprehension of celebrities involved with drunk-driving, Nissan thought better and came up with the solution to efface this growing problem.

Hence, the Breathalyzer came to the scene, making the drunk-driving technology come to life. Last Tuesday Nissan has announced that tests in Japan will start in order to achieve the implementation of the Breathalyzer in their future vehicle productions.

Nissan will be testing an on-board Breathalyzer system that can sniff the alcohol on a driver’s breath. This data will be processed, and if the amount exceeds a specified level, the ignition will be disabled through an interlock mechanism. In this case, since the vehicle will not start while intoxicated with alcohol, it will prevent the usual drunken mentality that you can still drive.

Toyota is said to be developing a similar fail-safe system for detecting drunk driving that uses sweat detectors and can sense abnormal steering in advance of shutting down the car.

“The drunk-driving system will work on daily-operating vehicles where the drivers will monitor various factors such as functionality and alcohol-detection reliability,” Nissan said.

The prevention of drunk-driving should be an initiative that comes from the driver himself. But since thinking car companies such as Nissan has taken a step to fulfill this realization, then we all ought to grab hold of this solution.

Women management has reportedly climbed to 4 percent from its 1.6 scale in 2004 under Nissan’s Diversity Drive, and the company is targeting 5 percent by March 2008. Women make up 10 percent of management overall in Japan, compared to 42.5 percent in the US, but they end to be underrepresented in manufacturing.

“Things are definitely changing,” said Kumi Hatsukano, a manager for car body design at Nissan. “But what would be ideal is if we could stop talking about this topic of being a woman or a man altogether.”

When Hatsukano, 38, joined Nissan in 1993, she had her share of run-ins with sexual harassment. Male workers gave her unwanted attention and asked personal questions about her love life, especially when she was working late.

When Chiharu Ikahata, 26, was hired as the first woman on her assembly line in 1999, the women’s restroom was so old and dirty one had to be built at her request. Today, she is plant manager after studying production methods for two years at a Nissan-run school, and hopes to be a role model for women workers.

One reason women feel more empowered at Nissan is the unmistakable message from the top executive. Brazilian-born and French-educated, Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn is determined to make diversity a buzzword, citing the success of the Nissan-Renault alliance, set up in 1999.

“We are creating a corporate culture committed to diversity, where merit alone opens every door.” he told shareholders at a forum held recently.

With Nissan’s drive for diversity, it not only aims to set a trend among other car companies, but it also aims to make the word a true part of the Japanese culture. While they have took the women for granted, this move by Nissan has shown that they are willing to efface that by sharing the innovations of the car industry with them. (reference: Associated Press)

36 Nissan dealers out of more than 1,000 nationwide has qualified for the award and 12 dealers received the award in Nissan’s South Central Region. Among them, it was the LeBlanc Nissan in Gonzales that was recognized for its superior customer service which garnered it the coveted Owner First Circle of Excellence.

Nissan’s Circle of Excellence Award embodies all of the qualities necessary to be successful such as, sales volume, profitability and customer service. The award honors dealerships like LeBlanc Nissan and its employees for providing exceptional customer service and reaching unparalleled levels of customer satisfaction.

This year marks LeBlanc Nissan’s sixth year in a row to qualify for the Award of Excellence. LeBlanc Nissan is the only Nissan dealership in Louisiana to receive the award every year since its inception.

“Putting our customers first is our approach to business,” said Rick Davis, general manager, LeBlanc Nissan. “We’re very proud to have earned this honor and believe that the ownership experience should be pleasurable, easy and rewarding. This honor signifies our elevated effort at putting customers first in everything we do.”

More than 1,000 Nissan dealerships compete each year for the highly esteemed Owner First Circle of Excellence. The award is based on more than a dozen stringent business criteria that evaluate everything from customer feedback to adherence of visual identity standards.

In North America, Nissan’s operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan vehicles can be found online at NissanUSA.com.

The fleet of small cars have gone to smoothly sail along the highways and completely invade the traffic. And yet, one cannot help but to wish that he too is driving one. The manageability and easy handling of the small cars have prompted a lot of car makers to manufacture their own, but this has been tough, as some were not able to create successful designs. While the Yaris, and Fit are looking for another contemporary, Nissan gave them the Versa.

This small car is indeed the most powerful among the “B Class” trio (Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Nissan Versa), and is the longest in wheelbase. Surprisingly for this B Class car, it provides large and comfortable leg and elbow room. He could move around comfortably despite the idea of a small space. But what is more impressive is its power.

The Versa is loaded with a brand-new four-cylinder engine of 1.8L that could generate 122 ponies under the hood. This ship comes with a four-speed automatic transmission, which could reach 60 mph within 11.6 seconds. The six-speed manual transmission can cut that to under 10 seconds. The driver really has to work the shift lever. A continuously variable transmission is optional.

Base prices reflect the transmissions: $12,550 for the manual; $13,350 the automatic and $15,550 for the CVT. Prices don’t include the destination charge which was $605 on our tester. That Versa hatchback came to $14,805 with the four-speed automatic. An option package for power windows, locks and a door armrest was $700. The ABS package was $250.

The Nissan Versa proves to be a small car that will do big wonders for motorists. With all the practicalities that a small car can bring, the wise buyer will go all out with the one that comes in with a perfect package—and the Versa happens to be it.

When Nissan Motors decided to recall thousands of the popular Altima sedans, it was only for the US, and it will not affect the Altima owners in Bahamas according to Sanpin Motors, the local firm licensed to import, service, and sell the Nissan vehicles. However, customers who imported the 2007 Altima from the US will have to be prepared when their vehicle gets recalled.

This move from Nissan has affected around 140,000 vehicles in the US when it was taken back to replace the faulty air filters that were bound to catch fire. This was implemented after four engine compartment fires have been reported this year, allegedly caused by the car’s air filters.

“There is a possibility that persons could have imported 2007 model Nissan Altimas from the US independently, but we are certainly not aware of that occurring,” said Sanpin Motors Marketing Manager Andrew Johnson.

According to him, Nissan’s 2007 lineup has not yet been made available to The Bahamas because the company has not been able to verify the exact composition of the fuel available in The Bahamas for their engines. Sanpin Motors has already sent off diesel and gasoline fuel samples to the United States to have them tested by an independent lab.

“Nissan does not want to put themselves or Sanpin into a position where, if the fuel here does not meet the specifications or criteria for their engines, the vehicles do not perform the way they were meant to perform. As a result, Sanpin has not yet imported the 2007 Nissan Altima or the 2007 Nissan Sentra,” Johnson said. “The samples are from the three major suppliers of gasoline in The Bahamas. If the gas proves to be of the quality that is required by Nissan, then Nissan will look at the feasibility of having the Altima or a similar vehicle in The Bahamas market.”