About Nissan

RyanThomas asked:



The auto industry has seen some of the coolest looking vehicles in the form of concept cars. These vehicles are not only made to catch the attention of auto enthusiasts but also show the direction that a company is going in terms of design, features, and performance. These vehicles are often found on motor shows where they can be viewed by car enthusiasts.

Nissan is one company which has taken inspiration from other industries and fused them with their concept vehicles. While these vehicles may not be available to the public, it is evidence that Nissan can design and manufacture such advanced cars. Two of their most notable concept vehicles are inspired by the Xbox 360 and Adidas. The Xbox 360 inspired concept vehicle is the Nissan Urge while the Adidas-inspired one is named the Nissan Note.

The Urge is a roadster which according to Nissan is “motorcycle-inspired”. This futuristic vehicle combines futuristic driving and realistic gaming. This is because the Urge concept can be used to play “Project Gotham Racing 3”. The concept car is the result of the partnership between Microsoft and the Nissan Design America Inc. The Nissan Urge truly combines gaming with driving since a person can play PGR 3 using the steering wheel, accelerator, and brake pedals of the vehicle. This is made possible by the hard work put into the design and construction of the vehicle by Nissan designers and Microsoft engineers.

The vehicle is equipped with the “Xbox 360™ next-generation video game and entertainment system from Microsoft” according to Nissan. The player can use the controls of the car while viewing the action through the 7-inch LCD screen that doubles as a rear view mirror when the car is used for actual driving.

This concept gaming car was unveiled at the 2006 North American International Auto Show. While this particular car is years away from production, it shows how car manufacturers are tuned to the ongoing trend among the new generation of car buyers. If this car is fitted with the same powerful engine used in the Nissan Z car and all its components such as Nissan distributor caps, spark plugs, and the like, one can experience an exhilarating driving experience both in the virtual and the real world.

The impact of the younger generation on the future design of Nissan vehicles is explained by Bruce Campbell, the Vice-President of Nissan Design America. “Nissan conducted an Internet survey of 2,000 eco boomers, a majority of which said technology and gaming are among the most important attributes in their first car,” Campbell said. “Xbox 360 offered the latest in technology and was already a favorite among this audience,” he added. According to the company: “A Nissan URGE driver can, for example, maneuver through the streets of New York, park the car and fire up the Xbox 360, then virtually race through the same streets using the same steering wheel, gas pedal and brake pedal - blurring fantasy and reality in a way that the automotive world has never before seen.”

Another Nissan concept vehicle is based on the mini MPV produced by Nissan for the Japanese and European market - the Nissan Note. The concept vehicle is inspired by German sports apparel manufacturer Adidas. The decision to design a vehicle inspired by Nissan is aimed to catch the attention of the younger generation of car buyers. The current fashion tend being sportswear like those created by Adidas, Nissan developed a vehicle that will embody the same traits that Adidas products posses.

One of the most notable characteristic of these products is the color that is why Nissan created the Adidas inspired Note with youth-oriented colors. To make the concept Note standout, Nissan designed “wearable” items for the vehicle. Of these, the seats are the most notable since consumers have the power to change the covers to match their preference or mood. Aside from this, materials used on sportswear like rubber are used on the vehicle’s interior.

While the Adidas inspired Note and the Urge Concept are just what they are, concept cars, their development shows what Nissan is capable of. Whether they will be mass produced is another story. But for those who love gaming, individuality and driving, there is reason to hope for a brighter future in terms of automobile development.

Brenda

RyanThomas asked:



At Nissan’s Advanced Technology Centre, experimental car batteries sit in freezing temperatures, cooked in giant metal boxes, and rattled to simulate driving. These batteries are part of the automaker’s efforts to catch up in the race to develop greener auto technology.

“NATC has been established to accelerate the research and advanced engineering of breakthrough technologies for Nissan’s next generation products,” Nissan executive vice president Mitsuhiko Yamashita said. “Future technologies being developed are aimed at environmental sustainability and towards creating a safer mobile society,” he said.

The Kanagawa-based technology center is now absorbed in advancing lithium-ion batteries, perceived as beneficial because they are smaller than existing systems. These batteries were being tested to withstand extreme temperatures. The new facility underlines the determination of Japan’s third largest automaker to develop environmental and safety technologies that are increasingly crucial for riding out the tight rivalry in the auto industry.

Car manufacturers have increased investments in alternative-energy vehicles, as environmental awareness and increasing gasoline prices boost demand. “Whether products with technology that appeals to consumers can be offered in a timely manner will determine the winners and the losers,” Nissan chief executive officer Carlos Ghosn said in Japanese at the opening of the Advanced Technology Center.

Ghosn noted Nissan was under no pressure to find a new alliance partner, although his company had taken part in talks with General Motors Corp. GM eventually rejected the concept. “We’re not talking with anybody,” he added. “I don’t think it’s the right timing today.” He also said that he was satisfied with the scale of the Nissan-Renault partnership and that expanding the alliance would not be a must for gaining an edge in technology, because Nissan was developing its own technology.

Officials of the Japanese automaker acknowledged that the near-collapse Nissan went through after a 1999 alliance with Renault SA of France meant it could not invest in technology as much as they would have liked. The officials added that for the last several years, Nissan has been investing more in developing new technologies.

Analysts in the industry said that Nissan has fallen behind Japanese rivals - the Toyota Motor Corp. and the Honda Motor Co. - in developing gas-and-electric hybrid cars and other technologies that lessen gas emissions blamed for global warming.

Yasuaki Iwamoto, an auto analyst with Okasan Securities Co. in Tokyo, said that investing in the Advanced Technology Center was a step in the right direction for Nissan. “Otherwise, Nissan has no chance of surviving the competition,” he said. “Catching up won’t be that easy for Nissan. It’s not as though Toyota and Honda are going to sit still and do nothing.”

Analysts added breakthroughs may be exactly what Nissan needs if it hopes to narrow the gap in hybrids with industry leaders like Toyota and Honda. Although hybrid sales are still a meager part of those for standard models, brand image tends to get a good lift from such auto technology. Sales of Toyota hybrids and Honda small cars have soared in the U.S. and other overseas markets lately because of the rise in gasoline prices.

Nissan senior vice president Minoru Shinohara said that Nissan was not preoccupied with what rivals might be doing but that it was focused on its own goals, such as perfecting its original hybrid system that he said would outperform the competition.

In 2006, the automaker launched a hybrid but it now licenses the technology from Toyota. At present, Nissan is working on an original hybrid, scheduled to be launched by 2010, using what it says is a superior kind of battery technology: the lithium-ion battery. The latter is common in gadgets like mobile phones and laptops. However, it has yet to be fully adapted to the more scrupulous demands of a car engine. Hybrids from Toyota and Honda use nickel-metal hydride batteries. But all major automakers, like GM, are working on lithium-ion batteries for vehicles.

Aside from enhancing Nissan exhaust manifolds and other auto parts, the Japanese automaker also is busy with the development of a “three-liter car” that can travel 100 kilometers, or 60 miles, on just three liters or about three quarts of gasoline. The Japanese automaker intends to unveil a new model in Japan in 2010. “We have been preparing now for several years, and we are ready with several key kinds of advanced technology,” Shinohara said.

“Whether products with technology that appeals to consumers can be offered in a timely manner will determine the winners and the losers,” Ghosn noted.

Edwin

RyanThomas asked:



As the struggling Japanese brand Nissan suffered its first setback since Carlos Ghosn took over the company, it looks to increase its operations in India. Nissan’s outing in the Indian auto market is supported by its alliance partner Renault. Recently, the Alliance introduced the Logan in the growing Indian auto market. In the planned operation expansion that Nissan is set out to do, there are issues concerning their relationship with French partner Renault.

As part of Nissan’s expansion in India, Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn revealed that they are planning to turn India into a supply base. He explained the role that India will play in the future of Nissan’s supply base. “During 2006, we made tangible progress towards the four key breakthroughs that are central to the Nissan Value-Up programme. One of these involves developing new sources for parts, machinery and equipment, vendor tooling and services in what we call leading competitive countries,” says Ghosn. “Sourcing bases are now established in China and Asean for Japan, in Mexico for North America, in Eastern Europe for Europe. To accelerate the progress, the next step will be to develop a new sourcing base in India. In fiscal 06, for Japan, North America and Europe, 15 per cent of our purchasing by value was sourced from LCCs. In 2007 we will take this to 24 per cent,” he further explains.

Ghosn also said that they are not only going to increase their presence in the Indian auto market but they will also look for suppliers which will provide them with high quality parts. Auto motive components such as Nissan bug shields are what Nissan needs to deliver high quality vehicles to their consumers. “We are going to India not only to contribute to the development of the Indian market but also to tap suppliers who are very efficient,” said Ghosn. “Renault is already sourcing from India with the Logan and Nissan will check with them and source locally for both Indian and global products.” He pointed out that they are already taking steps to select which suppliers they will be working with. “Already there is a common purchasing organization that is working on that called the Renault Nissan Purchasing Organization,” says the Nissan CEO.

Aside from being a supply base, Nissan and Renault are also planning to exploit India’s IT capabilities. “As for IT and engineering services, India is being considered for that too,” Ghosn said. “Nissan has an office which employs 800 engineers in Vietnam which supports its technical centre in Japan. We will have the same thing in India. The engineering talent in India remarkable and we want to tap into that.” The fiery CEO of Renault and Nissan also explained what they are planning to do in India in terms of developing new vehicles. “Nissan has an office which employs 800 engineers in Vietnam which supports its technical centre in Japan. We will have the same thing in India. The engineering talent in India remarkable and we want to tap into that,” explained Ghosn. “So any small car platform for the Indian market or the BRIC markets will include either Indian engineering inputs or will be developed in India. You can expect a lot of hiring in India.” This will surely help the country’s economy which will ten enable more citizens of the country to afford their vehicles. It is indeed a win-win situation for both the company and the country.

One issue that surfaced when Nissan and Renault announced their operation expansion in India is which company will be having control of the engine plant that the alliance has in India. To this, Ghosn said that: “That issue is entirely open. Certainly the alliance between Nissan and Renault will use that facility. But we haven’t decided whether it should be divided between Nissan and Renault or one should run it and deliver the engines to the other.” Ghosn also explained how Nissan and Renault will be working in terms of developing new platforms for vehicles to be released in India. “We don’t believe in joint product development but repatriation. That means either company does work for both,” says Ghosn. “If there’s a new technology, then either one of the two companies will develop it for both. But frankly if we want to develop a platform or products for India, we will do it with an Indian partner. That will ensure Indian input which is very important for the project to be cost effective. It has to be an alliance to work.”

There are talks that Nissan will be offering a vehicle similar to the Logan that Renault introduced to the Indian market recently. Ghosn also extolled the virtues why the Logan is well received in India. “Logan works because it is cheap,” explains Ghosn. “And no! Nissan won’t have a Logan. It is important to develop a specific platform to compete at a much lower price band. All B-seg platforms don’t contribute to the bottom line. And thanks to the growth in developing markets, you need cheap cars that are also profitable for the bottom line. People in these markets want cars that offer big space but at an attractive price. The Logan is very spacious, very robust, comes with an AC and other essential features but it is still cheap.”

With Nissan and Renault increasing their presence in India, it would be just a matter of time before Nissan get back to its winning ways. The Japanese company needs the expansion to upset the losses they have suffered in recent times.

Betty

RyanThomas asked:



Since the inception of the Mahindra Renault Logan, Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.’s model and footprint expansion plans in India have been extensively discussed. The Logan family will be extended to cover a seven-seater MCV, which will be using the same platform. The automaker is also deciding on rolling out a hatchback in the future.

Earlier, it was reported that Renault will likely deliver the Megane model in India, in two and four wheel drive options. However, as far as the third partner is concerned, not much has come out even from the Nissan Renault supplier.

“We are going to India not only to contribute to the development of the Indian market but also to tap suppliers who are very efficient. Renault is already sourcing from India with the Logan and Nissan will check with them and source locally for both Indian and global products,” said the Nissan Renault big boss Carlos Ghosn.

While the Teana sedan has been introduced in fully-imported form, the rest of the product lines from the Japanese automaker have been nebulous so far. Although Nissan India officials, including managing director Y Motohiro, have maintained that the automaker will look at models in the B and C segments, it was not apparent what brands and platforms it would likely look at.

But according to Carlos Tavares, a member of the board and the executive vice president-Nissan Motor, India’s model roster may well mirror many of the options that Nissan has chalked out for its other big Asian market - China.

Moreover, models including the new Livina, a two-row minivan; its sibling, an entry level sedan; and the Infiniti G35 are part of the automaker’s influential geographical footprint spread. The new markets include China and may include India as well. “Both the Livina and Infiniti are relevant for the Indian market,” said Tavares. “With the Nissan Value Up plan, we are looking at a strong geographical spread for the Infiniti and we have already introduced it in Russia and China.”

Tavares added, “It is too premature to make an announcement about India. It is a market that’s growing fast and has potential. So, quite obviously, there are studies that we will do to recognise India’s strong growth. Of course, once the Chennai plant goes on stream in 2009, the first cars will be ones that will be price and volume aggressive. Nissan will start with compacts though our decision is not complete on what the model options will be.”

As for the Livina, Tavares said, “It’s under study, but perhaps we need to go even further.” Livina Geniss, equipped with Nissan brake shoe, engine, radiator, and other outstanding parts, was launched in China with an aggressive price tag. But its edge in India will build on future trends and the opportunity of the Japanese automaker to localize. “When you are planning next-generation products, you have to acknowledge the reality of today and the trend of tomorrow,” said Tavares.

He noted, “You have to find new fields of performance, other kinds of frugal specs and platforms to beat the price downtrend which is already very strong at four to five percent in China. In India, the supplier base is very effective and we will take that within the scope of our studies and use it to be cost competitive.”

According to Tavares, the company will not look at an India-specific low-cost vehicle because “people don’t like products which are perceived to be downsized to be customized to a particular market; they would much rather have global products.”

The first option for Nissan, along with Renault, is to use its frugal engineering expertise from India to yield cost competitiveness in other markets. While auto analysts have been speculating over common platforms being shared between the two sister companies, Tavares said that is not “taboo” for either. “The ultimate goal is cost - if a common platform makes sense we will go for that. If not, we will find another solution,” he added.

The other option for the Japanese automaker is to share common parts with the other companies to acquire scale in components and slash expenses. What Nissan will avoid is cross-badging to ensure distinctiveness and shun brand confusion.

Even if Nissan is selling a Brazil-built Logan derivative in the Mexican market, “it’s a single opportunity and a specific case,” said Tavares. “We will certainly not do that in India. In India, the positioning in terms of products, designs and distribution will be distinct from Renault.”

Indian auto aficionados could also anticipate the launch of the new X-Trail later this year. The new X-Trail, which went on sale first in Europe, will be available worldwide soon. “As of today, there is no decision on whether we will give the X-trail a successor in India so we can’t talk about it yet,” Tavares said.

Nissan will entertain a combination of dipping in to its Asian model range and using its newest Chinese product lines to pave way for the most money-making debutantes for India. The Japanese automaker, with a big presence in Thailand and Indonesia, also has a fairly extensive range in the territories. In Indonesia, Nissan sells a larger minivan called Serena along with the SUV Terrano. In Thailand, it sells the Sunny Neo, the new Murano SUV-cum-sport sedan and the URVAN minivan.

Gail

ohmygosh asked:


Within the next year I am planning on getting a new car. I really like the Nissan Maxima, but I would really like other cars to compare it to. What other cars are comparable to the Nissan Maxima, as far as price, quality, appearance, etc….

Any advice is helpful!

Herbert

RyanThomas asked:



Amid the shrinking market, the Nissan Motor Co. has announced the slashing of up to 1,500 blue and white-collar jobs in Japan through a voluntary retirement programme for its employees. The scheme, set to begin this coming June, will be open to workers aged 45 and above in non-managerial posts, a Nissan spokesman said. It will be the very first job cut Nissan will be entertaining in its hometown.

Japan’s third-biggest automaker has seen its domestic sales of non-mini vehicles dropped in the middle of tough competition thus forcing the company to announce a cutback in production at two domestic auto plants from April to June. Additionally, Nissan also closed down one of three lines at another factory in southern Japan just last September. The closure was attributed to the slow sales of the Nissan Teana high-end sedan.

The Teana, a front wheel drive mid-size car, was introduced in 2003. The car is exported as the Maxima and the Cefiro to specific markets. It shares the same platform with the North American Maxima, Altima and the Presage. Under the hood of the Teana is either the 2.3 or 3.5 liter engine which blends well to the automatic transmission. It is also equipped with trusted auto parts like the Nissan AC condenser, engines, suspensions, brakes, radiator, and more. The car is offered in four trim levels - the 230JK, 230JM, 230JS, and 350JS.

“The program will probably cost Nissan about 20 billion yen ($169 million) and we don’t expect much of an impact on earnings,” said Koji Endo, a senior auto analyst at Credit Suisse Group in Tokyo, who rates Nissan shares as “neutral.”

“The program is part of the number of actions to boost performance,” said Simon Sproule, the Nissan North America Corporate Communications Vice President. Nissan will also release 11 new or redesigned vehicles this fiscal year.

The automaker has offered a similar program in the United States, where more than double the expected number of employees accepted the package. A total of 775 workers agreed to leave the Smyrna, assembly plant and Decherd engine and transmission factory, both in Tennessee, the company said last month.

Nissan turned to buyouts after U.S. sales of its cars and light trucks dropped 5.3 percent last year to 1.02 million and that is its first annual decline since 2001. Nissan’s U.S. sales increased by 3.2 percent during this year’s first three months. The U.S. accounts for almost 30 percent of the automaker’s global sales.

Nissan, held 44 percent by Renault SA of France, introduced a few new models last year. Moreover, it endeavors to produce new product lines soon. Also, the automaker recently cut jobs in the US, where its sales slumped last year, where it said 775 workers at two Tennessee plants had accepted voluntary retirement last month.

Chief executive Carlos Ghosn had promised last month to draw up additional measures to help Nissan meet its targets, but the company has missed the targets. Nissan slashed its annual profit forecast after seeing a 22 percent decline in earnings in the October-December quarter. The backtracking forced Ghosn to declare his company in a “performance crisis.”

Earlier this month, Nissan said it may miss a key sales target it aimed to hit next fiscal year, in another blow to Ghosn’s comeback plans. The Japanese automaker is aiming to sell 4.2 million vehicles worldwide in the fiscal year ending March 2009 as part of its three-year revival plan.

But weak performance in 2006, blamed on a dearth of new products in North America and slow sales in Japan, may mean it might take longer to meet the target, said a Nissan spokeswoman who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The company is due to announce full-year results and updates to the “Nissan Value-up” business plan on April 26.

Constance