About Nissan

RyanThomas asked:


The Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA) unveiled the new trio at the 2007 Chicago Auto Show. The Powerful trio which is composed of the Titan full-size pickup, Pathfinder mid-size SUV and the Armada full-size SUV boasts of cutting-edge enhancements and upgrades. This is done to attract more aficionados in and to receive a greater slice of the auto market.

The upgrades and enhancements made include the addition of the new Titan Long Wheelbase King Cab and Crew Cab models. The new Pathfinder is also given the new 5.6-liter V8 engine. For Armada, the automaker gave it new exterior and interior designs. The powerful trio of the Nissan is set to be delivered this spring.

“The addition of the Titan Long Wheelbase models and the first-ever V8 engine ever offered in the 22-year history of Pathfinder expand the available choices for buyers of these two popular vehicles,” said Larry Dominique, the vice president for Product Planning of the Nissan North America, Inc.

Dominique added, “The extensive makeover of Armada, which has topped J.D. Power and Associates’ APEAL study for the Large SUV class in 2005 and 2006, adds up to an even more attractive, more premium and more complete Armada package for 2008 – one that we think will continue to make Armada stand out in the full-size SUV class.”

The 2008 Nissan Titan is built on the reputation of its predecessors. The pickup is designed for either work or driving adventure. The trucker can choose the new Long Wheelbase (LWB) version and a new Titan PRO-4X model. Now, the truck is offered in four models: XE, SE, PRO-4X and LE. The vehicle also comes in two body styles: King Cab and Crew Cab. Two drive configurations - 4×2 and 4×4 - are also given as options. The vehicle also comes with four bed sizes - 5’5”, 6’5”, 7’ and 8’. It also comes using the Flexible Fuel Vehicle capability.

The new Nissan Titan features a redefined styling which is further enhanced by sophisticated accessories and car systems that include a new seat design, refined meter clusters, a XM Satellite Radio tuner, a heated leather-appointed bench seat, a Bluetooth hands-free phone system, a revised center stack, and an 8.0-inch DVD screen. Other accessories like Nissan headlight covers could also be added to the pickup to enhance longevity.

The pickup is given the powerful 5.6-liter DOHC Endurance V8 that produces 317 horsepower and 385 lb-ft torque. The engine is mated to the standard 5-speed automatic transmission to yield a maximum towing capacity up to 9,500 pounds for the King Cab and 9,400 pounds for the Crew Cab.

The new Nissan Pathfinder boasts of its 5.6-liter V8 that boasts 300-plus horsepower and a remarkable torque to offer 7,000 lbs of maximum towing capacity. The SUV is also available with a 4.0-liter version of the VQ-series V6 engine that produces maximum output of 266 horsepower.

Other modifications include the new fascia and interior as well as the availability of refine entertainment technology like the revised Nissan Navigation System with 9.3-gigabyte Music Box hard drive, and 7.0-inch color display and RearView Monitor. Intelligent Key with twist start, revised cupholder design, illuminated switchgear, and Bluetooth hands-free phone system are also integrated in the SUV.

The 2008 Nissan Armada features a new exterior design, a new set of colors, more luxurious amenities and enhanced technology. New features include one-piece roof rack design, headlight and fog light designs and 20-inch wheel and Michelin tire package. For the LE, Armada will be offering a 3rd row power folding 60/40 seat, gated shifter, interior colors and fabrics, wood grain accents, heated steering wheel, Intelligent Key with twist start, Bluetooth® hands-free phone system, Navigation system, and combination meter illumination. The new Armada has available Flexible Fuel Vehicle technology (FFV) to allow the use of alternative fuels like the E85.

“The 2008 model year is already shaping up to be a tremendous year for Nissan with the previously announced Altima Coupe and all-new Rogue crossover SUV – and now new Titan, Pathfinder and Armada,” said Dominique. “Attendees at the Chicago Auto Show will have five great new reasons to visit the Nissan display.”



Francisco

RyanThomas asked:


Earlier this month, it was reported that China has overtaken Germany as the second country with the most auto parts exported in the United States. The auto parts industry in the country may be on its way to further growth as Nissan showed its interest in increasing their auto parts sourcing in China.

The third largest Japanese car manufacturer, Nissan, recently announced that they will buy more auto components in China and India in the near future. The announcement came after the company suffered its first profit reduction since Carlos Ghosn took the reins of the company.

Ghosn, considered the savior of Nissan, claimed that they will increase their auto parts purchases from low-cost countries to 24 percent of the total. Currently, only 14 percent of the total auto parts used by Nissan are purchased from low-cost countries such as China and India.

“Frankly, we have no choice,” says Ghosn of the decision to increase auto components purchase from China. “If you don’t transfer part of your supply to extremely competitive countries, then there is no way you are going to be competitive in the market.”

The move to increase their purchases from countries with average wages five percent lower than Japan is a good one on the part of Nissan. According to experts, this step will give Nissan’s profit margin a boost. Currently Nissan’s profit margin trails that of fellow Japanese car makers Toyota and Honda.

Aside from benefiting the car manufacturer, a move will also give a boost to the economy of the country where they will be buying auto components in India alone, it is expected that Indian-made auto parts export will be worth $40 billion by 2015 as car manufacturers are looking to procure their auto parts from the country. In 2003, India exported approximately $6.7 billion.

General Motors announced that they are planning to purchase about $1 billion worth of Indian-made automobile parts for the next four to five years. The announcement came from Nick Reilly, General Motors’ president in charge of the Pacific region. The reason for the step taken by General Motors is that auto parts from India costs half as much as in Europe.

Due to the demand for Indian-made auto parts from car making giant General Motors, it is expected that the Indian auto parts industry will receive a boost. The same thing could happen in China as Nissan is expected to push through with their announcement.

“Cheaper parts are key to carmakers cutting their overall costs,” said Yoshihiro Okumura, the general manager of Chiba-gin Asset Management Co. “They especially need to buy parts for cars they sell in emerging markets in the local markets - to do otherwise makes no financial sense.”

With the advantages of purchasing auto parts like Nissan steering racks in China and India fully known to Nissan, it is expected that Nissan will be able to capitalize and turn a profit increase this business year.

“When you reduce your purchasing cost, sourcing is one of the tools,” said Ghosn in an interview. “The more sourcing toward low-cost countries, the more it’s going to help you.”

With the knowledge that the strategy will be beneficial to them, it is, of course, safe to infer that Ghosn is doing his best to give Nissan shareholders the profit that they have failed to generate last year.



Cathy