Innovations in Future Nissan Vehicles
Nissan is the eighth brand to be looked at as part of a series which examines the major current and future models of Groupe Renault and Nissan Motor divisions. The first two were Alpine and Renault, followed by Dacia, Lada, Samsung, Datsun and Venucia. Features on the remaining two makes – Infiniti and Mitsubishi – will be published soon.
The high-cost bets on EVs and PHEVs possibly creating future profits have already been placed.
Currently suffering badly in the USA with big losses and an almost 30 per cent percent drop in April sales, Nissan is by contrast doing far better in other regions. The plunge in North America is promised to be short-term and is due to a pull-back from low- or no-profit fleet deals. These were forced upon NNA as it otherwise would have struggled to meet a target handed down from Japan for a 10 per cent share of the US market.
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Sense has at last prevailed and Nissan North America is now able to better concentrate on the important business of selling vehicles profitably. More SUVs are coming too, and replacements for models which Japan must take the blame for insisting remain in production well past their best-before dates. There will inevitably be an imminent cut in production of certain vehicles which are made in Mexico and the USA as Nissan acts to align output with sales.
Japan and China are happier pictures of financial health matched with rising vehicle deliveries. Much of this is down to a steady flow of fresh models and life cycles which tend not to stray above six or seven years. South America and Russia are both back in expansion mode, Africa and the Middle East are also good, as is Asia-Pac.
Europe? It’s still strong but for reasons which appear to make no sense, Nissan is expected to keep selling the almost eight-year old Juke against far younger rivals in the B-SUV segment. Even worse, a replacement is still a year away and the Qashqai is under attack by ever more challengers. As ever, the short term financial benefits of saving cash by not investing in new vehicles leads to one of two negative outcomes: the need to throw big incentives at customers to move less than fresh stock or else refuse to do this and instead suffer a big drop in market share and make dealers very unhappy.
What is not in question is Nissan Motor’s profitability and most of this comes from the main brand. In many ways, the company is well placed for an era of potentially strong RoI and vehicle deliveries worldwide. The big spending on a wave of new Alliance platforms is mostly done, there will be R&D and manufacturing cost benefits from future product sharing between Nissan and Mitsubishi, and the high-cost bets on EVs and PHEVs possibly creating future profits have already been placed.
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By GlobalDataKei segment
Nissan’s presence in the Japanese mini-vehicle class is not a large one. Its two models are part of NMKV, a joint venture which predates Mitsubishi Motors’ becoming a subsidiary of Nissan Motor. The Dayz and its Dayz Highway Star derivative have been on sale in Japan since 2013. They were joined by the Dayz Roox, a different model, in 2014. These vehicle families are due to be replaced in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Each should use an update of the current models’ platform. Their life cycles should be five years.
The Micra was the first vehicle for the Alliance’s CMF-B architecture.
There will be one other Kei model for both Nissan and MMC. See the section below on Electrified models.
B segment
The class for A segment models is left to Datsun, so aside from Kei-vehicles, the smallest Nissans sold in most countries are in the B segment.
The Note is especially popular in Japan, mainly in e-Power (series hybrid) form. That variant is discussed below in the section on electrified Nissans. Cars which have conventional powertrains are available in other regions but the Note has not been successful in many countries and is now coming to the end of its life after almost six years of production.
European build ended early due to disappointing sales. Production at Sunderland was stopped in the second quarter of 2017, allowing the plant to build more Qashqais. In the Americas, the model name can be Note or Versa Note.
The Note replacement is expected to use the Alliance’s CMF-B architecture. Oppama, which should be the lead plant, is expected to commence manufacture of the new model during the first quarter of 2019. Build outside Japan should then follow from the second half of the year.
The Micra (March in some countries) is another B segment hatchback, albeit one which is more of a conventional hatchback than the Note, which some call a crossover or even an MPV due to its higher roofline. The Micra for Europe is the first model to have been built by Renault. This takes place in France.
The latest model, which only entered production last year, should be built in China too, and certain other countries in Asia from later in 2018. This was the first vehicle for the Alliance’s CMF-B architecture.
A facelifted model should appear in 2020 and a replacement in 2023 although given how long Nissan has decided to keep the Juke in production, it might be that the company is, for reasons known only to itself, quietly moving to eight-year life cycles for its main B segment models. Should that be the case, there would be a second facelift in 2025 with a replacement being as far off as 2025.
The eighth generation Sentra is due to be revealed in the second quarter of 2019.
There have been reports claiming that a Micra based on a different, cheaper platform (CMF A+) is being developed for the Indian market.
The remaining large volume B segment Nissan is known by various names: Versa, Sunny, Tiida, Latio and Almera. The last of these is not to be confused with another Nissan Almera which is a different, larger model for Russia. The car is based on Alliance V, an architecture which is being gradually supplanted by the newer CMF-B platform. This also applies to the replacement for the Versa/Sunny/Almera/Latio model series. The car is due to be revealed during the second half of this year and rolled out worldwide from the fourth quarter and into 2019.
C segment
There is one basic model which sells strongly for Nissan in North America and China. The current generation of the Chinese market’s Dongfeng Nissan Sylphy sedan previewed Nissan North America and Russia’s Sentra, as well as Nissan Australia’s Pulsar sedan. The Sylphy had its global debut at the Beijing motor show in April 2012. Nissan North America stated at the time of the new Sylphy’s release that its next Sentra would be on sale “in the fall”. NNA then revealed its new model at an event in Dallas in August 2012.
The eighth generation Sentra is due to be revealed in the second quarter of 2019. It might be offered with a hatchback bodystyle in North America, as well as a sedan.
Nissan Europe took a gamble on building a model at its Barcelona plant to take on the Golf but the 4,385mm long Pulsar has not been a success. The car had its public debut to be at October 2014’s Paris motor show. It seems unlikely that there will be a replacement.
Nissan China revealed its version of the Pulsar at the Beijing motor show in April 2016. This is the Tiida, which is a locally built model. Apart from some small differences in their grilles, the Pulsar and Tiida look identical. The successor for the Tiida should go on sale in China in 2021.
The Russian market has its own C segment model, the Almera. This sedan is a heavily modified version of the second generation Nissan Bluebird Sylphy sedan. Revealed to the world’s press at the Moscow motor show in August 2012, the Almera is built on a special line within the giant AvtoVAZ works at Togliatti.
The main engineering highlight of the new Altima is the appearance of Nissan’s 2.0-litre Variable Compression Turbo engine.
Russia’s Almera uses the Bluebird that first went on sale in Japan in 2005 as its basis. The suspension was strengthened for Russia’s roads and there are also steel plates under the car to give it added protection. The only engine is a 75kW 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol unit. A five-speed manual gearbox is standard and a four-speed automatic optional.
Russian market deliveries of the Almera commenced in March 2013, production having begun in December 2012. The next news is expected to be a replacement model. That should be launched in 2020 and the architecture may be either Alliance CMF-B or CMF-C/D.
D segment
The Altima is the brand’s main model in the mid-size segment of the US market. The sixth generation generation of this sedan made its world debut at the New York auto show in March. The platform is yet to be confirmed but it is likely to be a stretched version of the Alliance’s CMF C/D architecture.
The main engineering highlight of the 2019 model year Altima is the appearance of Nissan’s 2.0-litre Variable Compression Turbo engine. This four-cylinder petrol unit, previously seen only under the bonnet of the Infiniti QX50, is the replacement for the fifth generation Altima’s 3.5-litre V6. Power and torque are stated as being 248 horsepower and 273 lb-ft.
For the first time in an Altima, all-wheel drive is available, although not for cars powered by the VC-Turbo engine. Instead, the less expensive, less powerful 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine can be ordered with either FWD or AWD. This engine is also new for the Altima. It is rated at 188 horsepower (versus the previous 2.5-litre’s 179 hp) and 180 lb-ft of torque (versus the previous 177 lb-ft) and features what Nissan North America claims is “80% new or redesigned parts”.
In China, Thailand, Japan, Russia and certain other countries, the Teana model name should again be used.
NNA will facelift the Altima for the 2022 model year and replace it for 2025.
The Dongfeng Nissan JV launched another D segment sedan, the 4.7m Lannia, at the Chengdu motor show in September 2015 and began selling it during the following month. A special model for China, it replaced the Bluebird. The Lannia, which is based on CMF-C/D, is due to be facelifted in 2019 and replaced in 2022.
E Segment
The D platform will likely be supplanted by CMF-C/D when the next generation Maxima is released for the 2023 model year.
The Maxima is Nissan’s only big sedan which sells in any volume. The US is the car’s main market and the current shape model was new for North America’s 2016 model year. The only engine is a 224kW (300hp) 3,498cc V6.
Small scale assembly commenced at Dongfeng Nissan’s Xiangyang plant during the second half of 2016 but the Maxima’s main manufacturing location is Smyrna. The Tennessee plant is expected to commence build of a facelifted model in six-seven months’ time, the car being updated for the 2019 model year. That should be the last styling refresh for the X42N series Maxima.
The current car’s Nissan D platform will likely be supplanted by the Alliance CMF-C/D architecture when the next generation Maxima is released for the 2023 model year. Insiders claim a four-cylinder engine could replace the V6 and there will almost certainly be a hybrid or PHEV option.
There are several other large sedans for the Nissan brand which are available mainly in Japan. These are the Skyline, Cima, Fuga and Fuga Hybrid. Each is a rebadging on an aged Infiniti model. All are due to be discontinued later in 2018.
MPVs/Minivans
Unlike its rivals Honda and Toyota, Nissan is not a major player in MPVs. It offers a variety of models, starting with the low-volume NV100 Clipper Rio. This tiny passenger van is supplied to Japanese dealers by Suzuki and is a version of that firm’s Every micro-minivan. It was introduced in 2015 and should remain in production until 2024.
Some think of the Note as an MPV, so this would be the Nissan model in the MPV-B segment. One size up is the NV200, which has passenger derivatives which are sold in some countries as the Evalia or Vanette. This van-based vehicle had its world premiere at the Geneva show in March 2009. There is also a taxi version and an electric van model.
Nissan North America revealed its 2013 NV200 at the Chicago auto show in February 2013. This unique variant for North America is built in Mexico. It is eight inches longer than the vehicle sold in other regions.
The NV350 may switch to a front-wheel drive architecture for the next generation.
The next generation model should be released in 2020. Production will likely be in multiple countries, including Japan, China, Spain, Mexico and India. Nissan may retain the current vehicle’s platform so as to keep costs low, but there is a chance it may instead switch the NV200 to one of the Alliance’s more modern architecture front- and all-wheel drive architectures.
In the size category above the NV200, Nissan has the Serena, long one of its best sellers in Japan. W33, the fifth generation of this MPV, has been in production since July 2016. Given this model’s usual six-year production cycle, there should be a restyle in mid-2019 and a next generation model in 2022. W33 is based on the Alliance’s latest CMF-C/D architecture and a refreshed version of this FWD/AWD platform will likely underpin the successor. See below for details of the Serena e-Power.
The Elgrand is another, albeit larger MPV sold mostly in Japan. It has been around since 2010 and will soon be discontinued. The closely related Quest, a big minivan for North America, was phased out in 2017.
Continuing the NV-prefix models, there is another big MPV, the NV350, also known as the Caravan and Urvan. Part of Nissan’s light commercials line, it is manufactured in Japan by Nissan Shatai. The existing model has been around since 2012. A facelift is expected during the fourth quarter of this year and a replacement model in 2022. The NV350 may switch to a front-wheel drive architecture for the next generation.
The largest of Nissan’s passenger vans is known simply as the NV. The giant up to 12-seater vehicle has been around since 2012. Manufactured in the USA, it shares its architecture with the previous generation of the Titan pick-up and offers a choice of 4.0-litre V6 and 5.6-litre V8 petrol engines.
The NV, which has been a major sales disappointment for Nissan North America, will likely have a facelift for the 2019 model year. Its future after that is unclear. Given that GM continues to be able to sell in excess of a combined 100,000 units per year of its ancient Chevy Express and GMC Savana full-size vans and passenger vans, NNA may simply leave the NV alone for many more years. Unlike in Europe, US buyers seem more than happy with outdated models in this segment.
Sports cars
The R36 series GT-R should be revealed in the fourth quarter of 2019 at the Tokyo motor show.
The 370Z, which is sold in Japan as the Fairlady Z, is in its tenth year of production. A replacement has been rumoured on and off for years, along with claims that the model name could instead be retired. According to the latest whispers from inside the company, a new Fairlady Z and 400Z will be released in 2019.
Nissan had apparently considering trying to merge the next Z with a replacement for the Mercedes-Benz SLC-Class. In the end, there was no business case as Daimler has reportedly decided to axe that model due to the contraction of its segment. Instead, the car will reportedly be based on the Infiniti Q60 although there should be a roadster version of the Nissan.
The GT-R supercar went on sale in Japan, its first market, was back in December 2007. Nissan developed a ‘Premium Midship’ platform for the car with the gearbox mounted over the rear axle. The 3.8-litre V6 has two turbochargers, drive is to all four wheels and the only transmission is a six-speed automatic with paddle-shifters. There have some minor styling changes over the years, along with more power and additional variants. Sales have remained at minimal levels, making the business case for a replacement hard to justify. Thus the GT-R having become an elderly, largely forgotten model.
The long-rumoured next generation GT-R is expected to be a hybrid and Nissan may give the car e-Power badges. The R36 series model should be revealed in the fourth quarter of 2019 at the Tokyo motor show. Deliveries would commence in 2020. Production is likely to be at the Tochigi plant in Japan.
Nissan revealed the Concept 2020 Gran Turismo at the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed, and followed this with the slightly restyled and red-painted Concept Vision 2020 Gran Turismo at October 2015’s Tokyo motor show. Each is expected to have provided a preview of R36.
Pick-ups
The NP300/Frontier/Navara is easily Nissan’s most popular pick-up worldwide. The Frontier, an older model which dates to 2004, is still available in North America but this will at last be replaced for that region’s 2019 model year, bringing the USA and Canada into sync with the vehicle introduced in most other countries during 2014. Mexican buyers have the choice of both: the old one is the Frontier Pro-4X while the newer one is the NP300 Frontier.
The main production centres for the NP300/Frontier and Navara are in Thailand although the truck is also built in Argentina, Spain and China as well as at Cuernavaca in Mexico. US build will be at Canton in Mississippi. The Renault Alaskan and Mercedes-Benz X-Class pick-ups are based on the NP300 and manufactured at Alliance plants.
Nissan North America is said to be planning a new Titan for the 2025 model year.
There should be a facelift in 2020 and a replacement in 2023 which will use an evolution of the current model’s ladder-frame architecture. Following the May 2016 announcement of Nissan Motor becoming the largest shareholder of Mitsubishi Motors, the Navara will also donate its platform for the next generation Mitsubishi L200/Triton.
The other pick-up is the Titan, which, like the rival Toyota Tundra, is sold mostly in North America. The second generation model entered series production in November 2015. All build is at Canton. There is a Cummins diesel and Nissan’s own 5.6-litre petrol V8, while a V6 is rumoured to become the new base engine for the 2019 model year even as GM adds a four-cylinder option for its similarly sized Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra.
NNA is said to be exploring the idea of exporting the Titan to China, Australia, the Middle East and Russia. There are also said to be tentative plans to give Mitsubishi Motors’ North American dealers a restyled Titan. That would certainly help to boost the level of production at the Mississippi factory.
The H61L series Titan is due to have a facelift for the 2021 model year. Work on the successor model will likely commence in CY2021 with the big truck pencilled in for the 2025 model year.
SUVs & crossovers
The 4,135mm long P12C series Juke had its world debut at the Geneva show in March 2010. Its first facelift came four years later. Instead of being replaced in 2017, there was a second facelift but not until this year’s Geneva show. It is a mystery as to why Nissan has chosen to extend the Juke’s lifecycle well beyond that of any of its rivals. For obvious reasons, sales have nosedived, especially across Europe. Nissan does not sell the Juke in China but instead there is an Infiniti version of the car for that market only.
The second generation Juke will be based upon the Alliance’s CMF-B architecture. It should enter production during the first half of 2019.
In September 2015, Nissan Europe confirmed the architecture and that Sunderland would be one of the plants building the next Juke.
As sales of the Juke have not been strong across North America, the second generation model is not expected to be offered there. Also, Nissan now has the Kicks in that region.
There could be a second update for the Qashqai and Rogue Sport to keep these models fresh ahead of replacements in 2022.
The Kicks is a 4,295mm long SUV for South America, North America, China, India and certain other markets. Sales began first in Brazil in August 2016. Ultimately, it will be introduced in more than 80 markets. The US and Canada will be the next two countries to start selling the Kicks: there it is the replacement for the Juke, which was not a success in North America.
There should be a facelift in 2020 and replacement based on the same CMF-B architecture in 2023.
The Terrano, a restyled version of the Renault (Dacia) Duster, was launched in India in October 2012. It is built alongside the Duster at the Alliance’s Oragadam plant. A facelifted version went on sale in India during March 2017 and later that year in Russia. As it has been a slow seller, the Terrano is not expected to be directly replaced.
The W32S Qashqai was designed and engineered in England. Series production of this second generation model started at the Sunderland plant in England’s northeast in December 2013. Chinese build at a factory in Dalian followed from October 2015.
Nissan North America began importing the Rogue Sport, a version of the Qashqai, during the first half of 2017. The US market’s Sport is made in Japan and supplements the larger Rogue. Nissan Canada chooses to use the Qashqai model name rather than Rogue Sport. The vehicle was also new for that country’s 2017 model year from May 2017.
There might be one more update for the Qashqai and Rogue Sport. This potential second facelift could take place in 2019 or 2020 to keep the car fresh until its replacement arrives in 2022.
The third generation of this five-door crossover should use an evolution of the current model’s architecture. Like the second generation car, design and engineering work should be based in England, with Sunderland in the country’s northeast the main source of global build. Nissan confirmed in October 2016 that it would build the next Qashqai at Sunderland.
As is the case with the existing model, the next generation Qashqai will be sold in the USA as the Nissan Rogue Sport.
In August 2017, sources claimed that the Qashqai 2 might break the pattern of the original and have only a six-year manufacturing cycle in England. In that case, the replacement may appear in 2019.
The fourth generation Murano due out in 2021 will likely be twinned with the next Infiniti QX70.
W32R, the replacement for the X-Trail and the second generation Rogue, were folded into one project. The X-Trail was revealed at the Frankfurt motor show in September 2013, with North America’s 2014 Rogue simultaneously revealed to the media in the US on the same day. This SUV with two names is built and sold in most of the world’s regions. It is especially successful in the USA and China. This model was also the first Nissan vehicle for the Alliance’s Common Module Family architecture.
The next generation of the Rogue/X-Trail, due for release in 18 months’ time, should use an update of the CMF C/D architecture upon which the current models are based. These SUVs will again be manufactured in multiple plants, with Sunderland in England being confirmed as one of them in October 2016. This will be the first time that any generation of X-Trail has been manufactured there. This is a curious decision, as the model has never been one of Nissan Europe’s better sellers.
The Pathfinder is a D/E segment SUV. The current P42K model does well in the USA, has been around since late 2012, shares much with the Infiniti QX60, and is due for a successor in 2020. Unlike the previous Pathfinder, which had a separate chassis and a latter frame, the latest one is a unibody design. It is also front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, whereas the old model was rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive.
The US is easily the world’s largest market for the Murano, a crossover in the segment above the Rogue/X-Trail. NNA’s Canton plant in Mississippi has been building the current model since late 2014 and there are exports to more than 100 countries. There is also production in China as part of the Dongfeng Nissan JV, while a plant in St Petersburg assembles petrol and hybrid variants for the Russian market.
The third generation Murano uses the same platform as the second generation one. The fourth generation model due out in 2021 will likely be twinned with the next Infiniti QX70.
The 4,882mm long Terra is one of Nissan’s newest models. It is an SUV version of the NP300 pick-up and for now at least, is exclusively built by China’s Zhengzhou Nissan joint venture. Production is on the same line as the existing Navara with which it shares a ladder-frame platform. A facelifted model will likely go on sale in 2023 and a second generation model in 2028.
The Patrol is the brand’s biggest 4×4. It shares much, including a platform, with the Infiniti QX80. The seventh generation of this ladder frame chassis model was unveiled at the Abu Dhabi motor show in February 2010. The main markets are the Middle East, Russia, China, Australia, South Africa, Nigeria and, more recently, the USA where it is badged as the Armada and was introduced for the 2017 model year. Even though it is built by Nissan Kyushu in Kyushu, the Patrol is not available in Japan. There is some small scale assembly at a plant in Lagos.
The next Patrol is due out in 2021. It will most likely share an architecture with the successor for the Infiniti QX80 and Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero/Shogun.
Electrified models
Fewer than 100,000 Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi EVs were sold worldwide in 2017.
The Alliance remains one of the world’s largest makers of EVs but it’s worth remembering that even after a good year for sales in 2017, still only 91,000 were delivered to customers worldwide. And that number isn’t for Nissan but includes Mitsubishi and Renault. Still, breaking into six figures for the first time should happen in 2018.
The smallest EV to wear Nissan badges is under development with Mitsubishi Motors. It should be restricted to the Japanese market as it will be in the tiny Kei segment. Expect the release to take place in 2019.
Nissan appears to be using one label for electrified vehicles. This is as confusing Audi’s e-tron, a sub-brand which applies to PHEVs and EVs. Nissan models which carry the e-Power badge are series hybrids but this is not clear to buyers. Nonetheless, the Note, a car which faded away in Europe due to poor sales, has been a major success in Japan in e-Power form. Its release there took place in November 2016, timed to coincide with the arrival of this small crossover’s mid-life facelift. Just like in the Chevrolet Volt, the front wheels are always driven by an electric motor and energy stored in the batteries can be topped up by the petrol engine.
There will be a second generation of the Note e-Power. It is due for release in Japan during 2019.
Another future B segment e-Power model should be available as part of the second generation Juke range. As with the Note, drive will be to the front wheels via an electric motor with a back-up combustion engine. Expect this model to be made at Oppama in Japan and at the Sunderland plant in England from 2019 or 2020.
China is becoming one of the world’s most important markets for electrified vehicles but Nissan is wisely being cautious not to spend too much money on clean-sheet EVs in a country where the rules can change overnight. Its latest electric car for buyers in the PRC is a just-announced 109hp plug-in version of the Sylphy sedan.
Dongfeng Motor and the Venucia brands are in due course also expected to release cars based on the electric Sylphy. All three should be available only in China. As the Sylphy had its global debut at the Beijing motor show in April 2012, the electric car is not likely to have a long production cycle.
The Leaf is almost twelve months into what should be a seven-year manufacturing cycle. Which would mean a facelift in the second quarter of 2021. Production is at three plants: Oppama (Japan), Smyrna (USA) and Sunderland (England). Build in Japan commenced in September 2017 and was followed three months later by US and UK production.
An E-Plus variant is expected to be added towards the end of 2018. Instead of the Leaf’s 40kWh AESC battery pack, the E-Plus will reportedly be fitted with a 64kWh one supplied by LG Chem. The 110kW motor will also be replaced by one which produces 160kW. The expected EPA rating should rise from 150 miles to 225 miles. The 0-100km/h time is believed to be 6.5 seconds compared to 8.5 for the existing Leaf.
A Leaf-based crossover is expected to be revealed later in 2018.
A Leaf-based crossover is expected to be revealed later in 2018. The ‘Leaf Cross’ (that may not be the name) EV would likely have a range between full recharges of up to 400km. This model will likely have a production life of six-seven years.
An e-Power version of the Serena MPV also exists and has given the model a sales lift in Japan. This variant is a series hybrid i.e. it runs on its motor and there is a petrol engine to provide back-up when energy stored in the battery pack is depleted. The Serena e-Power has only been available since March. It is due for a facelift in 2019 and to be replaced in 2022.
Nissan will be selling four EVs by 2025, while Infiniti will have two, the company stated in early 2018. There is therefore at least one fully electric SUV in Nissan’s future. Its engineers are said to be leading a project to develop a multi-model architecture for electric vehicles. Renault and Mitsubishi will also have vehicles which use it. The unnamed platform will have a flat floor and will be used for small to large cars and SUVs.
The IMx, a concept at the 2017 Tokyo motor show, gave the first hints of how such a Nissan e-SUV might look. The first model for the electric platform is due on sale in 2020 and it might be an SUV around the same size as the Murano.
There is already an electrified D segment SUV in the Nissan line-up but this has petrol-electric power. The X-Trail Hybrid was introduced in the Japanese market in April 2015 with a battery pack supplied by Hitachi Automotive Systems. Nissan Thailand added assembly of the X-Trail Hybrid in November 2015 and Nissan North America began offering its version, the Rogue Hybrid, in 2016. These first of these vehicles should be replaced in the fourth quarter of 2019.
A petrol-electric version of the Pathfinder had its world premiere at the New York auto show in March 2013, going on sale in the US, originally its main global market, four months later. Nissan then revealed its Russian-made Pathfinder Hybrid (and Pathfinder) at the Moscow motor show in August 2014. NNA dropped this model at the end of its 2015 model year. Other countries should see a replacement launched in 2020.
The Murano Hybrid is another petrol-electric model. It has been in production since August 2015 and uses the same powertrain as the Pathfinder Hybrid. This is Nissan’s supercharged QR25DER 2.5-litre four-cylinder gasoline engine. A 15kW electric motor is paired with a compact Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery. The Nissan Intelligent Dual Clutch System (one motor/two clutch parallel system) also features to provide extra torque.
There should be a facelift for the Murano Hybrid later in 2018 for North America’s 2019 model year and a replacement for the 2022 model year.
Hydrogen fuel cell
In January 2013, Ford, Nissan and Daimler stated that they would collaborate to bring fuel cell vehicles to market “as early as 2017”. Nothing came of these plans, although it is of course possible that something will. Pending any further announcements, this vehicle project is considered to be shelved. It might well be that Nissan Motor now intends to shift the focus of any hydrogen-fuelled future models over to Infiniti.
Future model plan reports for other manufacturers can be viewed in the OEM product strategy summaries section of just-auto.com.
Future product program intelligence
Details of the full, worldwide Nissan line-up as well as additional data on vehicle lifetime and future product plans, such as code names, production plants and expected annual build, are available in PLDB from QUBE.
