A turbocharged Mercedes-Benz petrol engine will be in a new version of Nissan’s legendary Skyline luxury sports sedan due out in Japan later this year.
Nissan first partnered with Daimler in 2010 and this upcomng launch will be the first results of their partnership reflected in a major product for Japan, the Nikkei business daily reported.
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A Skyline model launched in Japan in February has a 3.5-litre hybrid powertrain. The two-litre engine Nissan buys from Daimler has less horsepower but a turbocharger to boost acceleration. It also has a simple structure and thus is relatively inexpensive.
The Skyline with the Daimler engine will be produced at Nissan’s Tochigi plant and the automaker is considering exports to Europe and Asia, the Nikkei said.
Pricing has not been announced but is expected to be less than the hybrid Skyline, which costs JPY4.62m to JPY5.69m (US$44,000 to $55,000). Several hundred Skylines with the turbocharged engine are expected to sell each month.
By using technology from the German automaker, which excels in luxury vehicles, Nissan hopes to broaden its product offerings and attract customers across a wider age range, the report added.
From just-auto‘s PLDB: A long wheelbase version of the Infiniti Q50 was announced at the Shanghai motor show in April 2013, but not shown. It will be built in China from later in 2014. A turbocharged 1,991cc Mercedes-Benz petrol engine for the Chinese market Q50 premiered at the Guangzhou motor show in November 2013. It went on sale in China during the northern hemisphere spring of 2014 and will be launched in Europe from that region’s autumn. The Mercedes-engined car will also be sold in Japan but with Skyline, not Q50 badges. There is no Infiniti sales channel in Japan – cars are sold through selected Nissan dealerships.
