About Nissan

RyanThomas asked:



In the past, Nissan’s Chief Executive Officer and savior Carlos Ghosn has been very vocal about his thoughts concerning hybrid vehicles. According to him, hybrid vehicles are not yet practical when Toyota and Honda came up with hybrid cars. The cost of production of these cars is the reason pointed out by Ghosn why hybrids are not yet practical in the past years.

Recently though, it seems that Ghosn has decided that the time is right for a hybrid car to join their lineup. The Nissan Altima hybrid is the company’s first outing in the hybrid vehicle market. While it seems that Nissan has changed its mind concerning the production of hybrid vehicles, one should consider that Nissan is still somewhat conservative about the sale of the Altima Hybrid. This is because Nissan only offers the Altima Hybrid to the eight states with the toughest emission standards. These states are California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.

The Altima Hybrid though is not completely a Nissan even if its components are manufactured where Nissan Maxima parts are being manufactured. This is because the powertrain used by the Altima Hybrid is from Toyota - that one known as the Hybrid Synergy Drive. Nissan’s use of the said technology is made possible by a licensing agreement with Toyota.

The third largest Japanese car manufacturer though is planning to introduce a hybrid vehicle of its own before the turn of the century. The production of the said vehicle is part of the Nissan Green Program 2010. The environmentally-aware program is Nissan’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas emission by their vehicles and their facilities. Recently, the company installed solar panels in their assembly facility in Barcelona, Spain.

For now though, the only hybrid in Nissan’s lineup is the Altima Hybrid and it has a starting price of $24,400. The hybrid version of the Altima is estimated to cost $3,500 more than the conventional Altima. The hybrid version though qualifies for a $2,350 tax credit. With that tax incentive scheme, Altima Hybrid owners are expected to get back their initial investment within two years in fuel savings.

The Altima Hybrid’s powertrain can produce as much as 198 horsepower. Its internal combustion engine is a 2.5-liter direct overhead camshaft 16-valve 4-cylinder engine. This engine produces the 158 hp of the total power output of the power train. Providing the additional hp to the powertrain is a permanent magnetic AC synchronous electric motor.

Since it is a hybrid, it needs an efficient high-power output battery pack. Nissan chose a sealed nickel-metal hydride or Ni-MH battery which produces the additional 40 horsepower. With the engine and the electric motor as well as emissions filtering devices, Nissan managed to get an Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emission Vehicle classification for the Altima Hybrid.

As far as ride comfort is concerned, the Altima Hybrid sports an independent sub frame-mounted strut type suspension for its front end. For the rear of the car, Nissan equipped it with a multi-link independent suspension setting. Stabilizer bars are also part of the Nissan Altima Hybrid’s suspension assembly as well as a vehicle speed-sensitive electric steering.

Jason

Lauren Woods asked:



Last year was filed with woes for the Japanese car brand Nissan for that year, 2006, Honda overtook them to become the second largest Japanese car manufacturer. Furthermore, last year sales for Nissan was a disappointment - the first time that Nissan suffered setbacks in terms of sales during Ghosn’s stint as the company’s president and chief executive officer.

But while there is plenty of bad news for the company, a silver lining came in the winning of the Nissan Pathfinder as the “Best Family SUV” in the Middle East. The distinction was given to the Nissan model by the Pan Arab publication Automobile Magazine.

The award is given to the Nissan Pathfinder after a very close deliberation among the members of the magazine’s editorial team. Aside from the “Best Family SUV” award, the Automobile Magazine also handed out awards for other categories such as the “Best Small Car” and the “Best Sports Car”. One of the reasons for the distinction is the Pathfinder’s amazing off-road driving capabilities. Some of the features integrated into the Nissan Pathfinder like the Hill Descent Control and the Hill Start Assist has already gained the attention of off-road driving enthusiasts and also no doubt the editorial board members who picked the winner for the category.

The Hill Descent Control is reliant on the onboard computer which guides the large Pathfinder vehicle in climbing down a hill. This allows the driver to concentrate on the steering. Nissan stated that the secret to the perfect use of the Hill Descent Control is to refrain from braking and just let the advanced safety feature do its job. Auto journalists who have tried the Nissan Pathfinder found out that the Hill Descent Control indeed guides the Pathfinder gently down a hill.

The Pathfinder’s 4.0-liter engine produces 291 horsepower and this enables the Pathfinder to nimbly ascend hills. The power coming from this relatively large engine can be enhanced further with the use of an aftermarket Nissan cold air intake system which allows cooler air to circulate inside the engine’s intake manifold and eventually into the combustion chamber.

Responding to the citation, Adel Faidi, the Assistant Manager for Corporate Communications at Nissan Middle East, has this to say: “Winning this award is a sensational achievement and just reinforces the pride that everyone in Nissan feels with delivering great vehicles. Nissan is committed to bringing automotive innovation and promoting the development of the auto industry. Since its introduction the new Nissan Pathfinder has successfully set a new standard in the family SUV segment and we are strongly confident that it will further excite the market and the drivers who want to own an SUV with high value-for-money, great road presence and superior comfort.”

The Nissan Pathfinder is only one of Nissan’s large vehicles available in the Middle East. Joining the Pathfinder in Nissan’s lineup are the Armada, the Patrol, the X-Trail, and the Murano.

Jimmy

onehubby4kids asked:


Please let me know if you have had any trouble with your nissan Patrol.

Emily