Nissan is borrowing a trick from its Japan domestic minicar market by launching a new city car here in Europe made by a rival automaker – but this one’s coming from India.
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We’ve already seen such ‘OEM’ deals with larger Hungarian-made Suzukis rebadged for Subaru – which now sources its smallest model from Daihatsu with both the ‘original’ and rebadged models sold by the same importer group in the UK – but Nissan’s new Pixo – a variant of the redesigned Alto also due for a global debut at Paris – will come from Maruti Suzuki in India, as will the next-generation B-segment Micra.
Nissan describes the Pixo – on sale next spring – as “an accessible city car which offers low emissions and consumption at an extremely accessible price”.
It’s a five-door, four-seater with three-cylinder one-litre engine 3565 mm long, 1470 mm tall and 1600 mm wide on a 2,360 mm wheelbase. It will also be available with a full four-speed automatic transmission.
The automaker will also show a vision for the future of urban transportation in the Nuvu electric vehicle, literally a ‘new view’ of the type of car for the middle of the next decade.
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By GlobalDataThe three-metre long Nuvu is built on a wheelbase of 1,980 mm but is 1,700 mm tall and 1550 mm wide to create a large and airy cabin. The concept has unique 2+1 seating and is aimed at urban dwellers.
It has two regular seats and a third occasional chair that can be folded down when required. But, unlike some two-seater city cars currently on the market, it is a thoroughly practical proposition with an integral luggage area providing sufficient space for a typical supermarket or shopping expedition.
Nissan has already announced that it will launch a production-ready EV at the 2009 Tokyo motor show, with sales due to start in Japan and North America in 2010.
But the Nuvu is not that car though it does share some of the technology that will feature in the production vehicle.
The vehicle for Paris incorporates a witty representation of its green credentials: across its all-glass roof are a dozen or so small solar panels. Shaped like leaves on a branch, the power they generate is fed to the battery using a ‘tree trunk’ within the car as a conduit. Natural, organic and recycled materials are used in the cabin.
“Nuvu is a concept car, for sure, but it is an entirely credible vehicle,” said Francois Bancon, general manager, exploratory and advanced planning department, product strategy and product planning division, for Nissan Motor.
“It is light, clean and easy to drive. It is practical and a sensible size, yet it also embodies an element of fun: the future doesn’t look so bad, after all.”
Nissan has also updated its UK-built Note mini-minivan for Paris with a new front end. At the rear, the signature ‘boomerang’ lights are now darker, two new alloy wheel designs are available and a new pale green exterior colour called Cider has been developed.
For the driver, a new combi-meter has been introduced, giving improved legibility and clarity and there is also a new central instrument panel, giving a cleaner appearance to the centre console.
Under the skin, improvements have been made to the Note’s suspension to improve ride comfort, while improving responsiveness, knowing that customers consider driving enjoyment a key priority.
Following revisions to its engine and gearbox ratios, September will see the introduction of a (Renault) 1.5-litre dCi powered Note which produces CO2 of just 119g/km, sliding it into a cheap annual road tax band here in the UK. This follows the introduction of a diesel particulate filter on the 1.5-litre diesel engine earlier this year.
Additionally, from October, customers will benefit from reduced CO2 emissions from the Note’s 1.4-litre petrol engine. Thanks to revised gear ratios, it will produce 139g/km.
The Note updates also introduce Connect, Nissan’s new combined satellite navigation, audio entertainment and communication system.
It was designed to offer the level of convenience and user-friendliness normally found on portable navigation devices with the added convenience of full integration into the centre console.
With touch-screen technology, the system combines a satellite navigation system (in nine languages), with an audio system capable of playing CDs (including MP3 and WMA CDs), as well as music via an auxilliary input, USB plug and Bluetooth streaming. The system also provides Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity.
Connect will be available for the Note from January 2009 and will be extended to other models during 2009.
