It is all about giving back this New Year. Employees of a Nissan dealership in Montreal, Canada gave a big sum of $6,000 to Sun Youth Organization (SYO) as a way of looking after the not so privileged big families in the vicinity of the largest city in Quebec.According to the Nissan employees, the amount given is from the dealership and from their own pockets as a way to show how much they value and support the activities of SYO. Aside from the money, a brand new Nissan Altima and Nissan Quest minivan were given to the co-founders of SYO. These vehicles, which are equipped with high-performing Nissan Parts, will not be used for personal purposes but these will actually serve as emergency vans for the charity group. Nissan Altima, on the other hand, will aid the several services done by SYO, like the Seniors Club, will also greatly benefit from these Nissan models.

“Sun Youth is an important resource to many families and individuals in the Montréal area” said Wendy Durward, who is the marketing communications director for Nissan Montreal. “Nissan employees are proud of the communities in which we work and live, and we wanted to show our support to our neighbors and start the New Year in a positive way”.

SYO, which is a Montreal-based group, provides utmost care, guidance, and financial support to the poor and big families in the city. The money given by Nissan Montreal will aid the 50-year-old charity organization for carrying out its food programs, recreation centers, clothing bank, and seniors club.

Source: Auto 123.

More and more people, specifically in Korea, are becoming more practical with regards to buying vehicles. Instead of going for the luxury cars, Koreans eye vehicle models that carry tag prices along the middle range. With such trend, Japanese automaker Nissan shifts gears, which is away from its expensive Infiniti models, and markets more its not so pricey vehicles like Nissan Murano and Nissan Altima in Korea.

Last Tuesday, Nissan Motors stated that the sport utility vehicle Murano and the medium-built sedan Altima will pioneer the company’s campaign in introducing more affordable models in Korea. Collin Dodge, who is the senior vice president for overseas market operations of Nissan headed Tuesday’s announcement held in South Korea’s capital Seoul. Geared with well-designed and well-engineered Nissan Parts are going to push the Murano and Altima to become Koreans’ top automobile picks. Included in the Nissan pool of money-saving models are the X-trial, Rogue, and Quashqui, which are all equipped with quality Nissan Parts.

Aside from the inexpensive offerings of Nissan, the Japanese automaker also continuous to innovate and develop green cars like the electric car Pivo 2, which was unveiled in its homeland auto show. The most unique Nissan Parts of the Pivo 2 are the revolving cabin and wheels.

Along with Nissan, Toyota and Deawoo Motors are also going to launch the affordable models in the East Asian country.

The latest Nissan models for 2008 have more electronics than ever such as iPod connectors and Bluetooth in-car communication systems to sophisticated engine controls.

The 2008 Lexus LS600h L, one of Nissan’s new models, can even observe the face of the driver and then provide an audible alert about an upcoming obstacle in the road that the driver has not been aware of.

Nissan, which operates an assembly plant in Smyrna, is adding a Rogue and a first-ever coupe version of its popular Altima in 2008.

Horsepower keeps going up with the 2008 vehicles, too, though auto engineers say they’re improving fuel economy at the same time.

Several new models, such as the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, include gasoline-electric hybrid powerplants that are more fuel efficient and have lower emissions.

And 2008 promises to bring to U.S. consumers the tiny, odd-looking smart car — yes, the name is all lowercase — boasting more than 40 miles per gallon in combined city/highway travel.

Everywhere, new safety features — particularly head curtain air bags and stability control — are being added and updated. For example, the Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible has standard side, seat-mounted air bags on all versions for the first time.

Nissan will also be adding a Rogue and an Altima coupe, a first ever of its kind.

Debuting in the fall, the Rogue is a five-passenger crossover SUV that’s slightly smaller than the Nissan Murano. With a 170-horsepower, and Nissan parts like the 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine, the Rogue is lower-powered, lighter-weight and more fuel-efficient than the V-6-powered Murano.

Offered with a choice of front-drive or all-wheel-drive, and with a starting retail price expected to be less than the Murano’s more than $28,000, the Rogue fills an important slot in the Nissan lineup.

Meantime, the sporty-looking Altima Coupe likely will boost total Altima sales to a record this calendar year. Every one of the body panels on the two-door coupe is different from those on the Altima sedan.

In fact, the coupe is shorter in height, wheelbase and overall length, though it uses the sedan’s front-drive platform underneath.

The four-passenger coupe also shares the sedan’s engines: a 175-horsepower, 2.5-liter four cylinder and 270-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6. With a starting retail price of more than $21,000, the base coupe is nearly $3,000 pricier than a base, 2008 Altima sedan, however.

Nissan’s Titan full-size pickup truck adds new long-wheelbase models that extend the beds by a foot and a half. There’s also a new Titan Pro-4X off-road grade that includes Rancho shock absorbers.

For the first time in 2008, the long-running Nissan Pathfinder SUV will become available with a V-8 engine. It’s the same 5.6-liter, Endurance V-8 that’s in the Titan, and its 310 horsepower creates the most powerful production Pathfinder in history.

The gas-electric-powered Nissan Altima Hybrid sedan had only minor changes for its second year of production, according to the Japanese automaker itself.

The engine that’s providing the power of this Altima Hybrid remains the same – a 2.5-liter four cylinder engine that’s partnered with an electric generator or motor to give distinction that it is indeed a Hybrid version of the renowned Nissan Altima model. When these two things are combined, it produces a reasonable power output of 198 horsepower. Also, it still uses a continuously variable transmission through the front wheels of the vehicle.

OLD VERSION, 2007 NISSAN ALTIMA HYBRID

It could be remembered that the fuel economy of the previous version, the 2007 Altima Hybrid, is recorded at 35 miles per gallon when driven in the city and when used on highways, the fuel economy is 33 miles per gallon. The 2008 model year, since it has just been released, has not yet received its fuel economy rating.

As there are only minimal changes, these modifications are just present in the standard splash guards, factory-installed and activated XM satellite radio, and diversity antenna. The 2008 model year still keeps the body and interior of the standard gas-powered Altima, just like the 2007 hybrid version.

As of the moment, Nissan is only going to market the 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid to the eight states that would most probably bring in good profits as estimated by the automaker. These states are Vermont, Rhode Isalnd, New York, New Jersey, Main, California, and Massachusetts.

The 2008 model year for the Nissan Altima Coupe is based on the platform of the Altima sedan, but although that is the case, it still offers a more unique design.

Car experts who did a review on this newly-released model from Nissan have been impressed by its stylish exterior, including it in one of the most stylish designs to be produced by the renowned Japanese automaker. When it was first rolled off the streets for a test drive, it immediately enjoyed a lot of praises and appreciation, and awed looks from motorists as well.

As mentioned before, it is based on the Altima sedan platform but it measures 7.1 inches shorter in overall length and 2.5 inches shorter in height than the sedan, as it is after all a two-door Altima. The only distinct characteristic that the Altima sedan and coupe share is their hood. Other exterior features like the grill, headlights, and four pipes out back are specifically coupe-inspired designs.

The interior designs were superb as the support and comfort offered by the heavily bolstered seats were excellently showed in this Altima coupe. The overall layout is attractive and easy to navigate and the switch gears have a substantial feel on them.

Owners could go either high or low with this new Nissan model as there’s a 270-horsepower V-6 and a continuously variable automatic transmission. The Nissan Altima Coupe that was tested carried a 175-horsepower output in a 2.5-liter, with 180 pound feet of torque. But although that is the case, it still proves itself a great car, both in performance and handling aspects. Its fuel consumption is estimated to be 23 miles per gallon in the city and 32 mpg in the highway and that is with a manual transmission. For the continuously variable transmission, it is estimated at 23mpg/32mpg.

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.”