Tag Archives: nissan
Top 3 Things To Know About The 2019 Nissan Sentra
The Nissan Sentra is not exactly the type of compact sedan that car enthusiasts love. It has nothing going on except that it’s dependable and it does the job well. The functionality, however, of the Sentra proved to be Nissan’s reason to go as far as release a Nismo version a few years back.
1. Entry-Level Model Is More Expensive Than Its Predecessor
The entry-level Sentra S is $1,100 more expensive than its predecessor. It comes in at $17,790 and gets a few basic pieces of equipment such as air-conditioning, Bluetooth connectivity, powered windows/locks, and cruise control. The base model also comes with a 1.8-liter engine that makes 124 horsepower with the Xtronic transmission and 130 horses with a six-speed manual.
Moving up the trim level, the Sentra SV includes a 7.0-inch NissanConnect infotainment system with an Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The SV option also gives you a chance to pay for the SV Special Edition Package.
2. SV Special Edition Package Is New To The Game
The SV Special Edition Package was made exclusively for the SV trim level. It offers a whole lot of aesthetic materials that could make the Sentra stand out. For example, the package will include 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, rear disc brakes, Blind Spot Warning (BSW), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC), power sliding glass moonroof with tilt feature, center room dim lamp (LED), dual illuminated visor vanity mirrors, and a Special Edition badge.
The SV Special Edition Package will also come with the Xtronic transmission, meaning that the Sentra will get the automatic emergency braking system.
3. Sentra SR Turbo And Sentra Nismo Are Also Available
If you are not satisfied with the kind of performance that the S and the SV can provide, maybe you should look into the SR Turbo and Nismo trim levels. They are the only ones available with the 1.6-liter turbocharged engine.
Overall, the new Nissan Sentra is also boasting of its Safety Shield Technologies that include Automatic Emergency Braking, Intelligent Cruise Control, Blind Spot Warning, and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.
Nissan Leaf Nismo Sport Version Will Go On Sale This Month
The Nissan Leaf Nismo is finally going on sale this month. The Japanese automaker said the Nismo version will be available by the end of this month in Japan. There’s no news yet on an international rollout, though we expect the dates to be announced soon.
Nissan and Nismo, the automaker’s motorsports and in-house tuning division, have been teasing us with the prospect of making a new Leaf for a while. They made true to their promise and has announced the debut date of the Nissan Leaf Nismo.
The Leaf got a much-needed design refresh from the release last year. It still didn’t make it attractive for some but to be fair, Nissan’s electric vehicle has come a long way from how it looked during the company’s first few versions.
Exterior
The Nismo sport version is giving the Leaf an upgrade in terms of the exterior. It now has a more aggressive and sportier design. It features the layered double wings that are the character of the Nismo road car series. It will improve downforce without compromising the drag coefficient, according to a statement from Nissan. There’s also a set of custom 18-inch aluminum wheels that minimize air resistance.
There are nine body colors available, including the Nismo series’ custom Brilliant Silver/Super Black two-tone and Dark Metal Grey/Super Black two-tone. Both come with a metallic finish.
Interior
The cabin has a sporty appearance as it uses Nismo’s custom red accents, including the three-spoke steering wheel with a red center mark. The instrument panel has a custom carbon-like finish while the electronic shift has a gunmetal chrome finish.
The Leaf Nismo’s 18-inch high-grip tires and custom suspension system assures a comfortable ride and stable handling. The custom-tuned electric power steering and Intelligent Trace Control for cornering stabilization system provide high stability and lane-tracing abilities.
New Nissan Leaf Gets Larger Battery With 200HP Capacity
If you want a more powerful engine for your EV, you will be happy to know that the 2019 Nissan Leaf will get a new long-range version. Called the Leaf E-Plus, this model will have a larger battery that enables a more powerful motor with 200 horsepower.
Brian Maragano, Nissan’s head of EV marketing and sales strategy, didn’t mention the battery’s capacity. Previous rumors and slip-ups from Nissan in 2016 and by a Swiss charging station builder indicated that the new battery will be a 60-kWh pack. That’s a pretty huge step up from the 40 kWh battery that is in the current model.
With 200 horsepower, the new Nissan Leaf will be 53 horses more powerful than the standard 2018 Nissan Leaf.
But that’s not all. Owners will also get to enjoy a longer range. Though Maragano did not give specific figures, we’re expecting that the new 60-kWh battery pack can do beyond 200 miles on a single charge. If the figure is correct, that’s a 74-mile jump from the current model’s 151-mile range. During the My Nissan Leaf forum, posters have somehow hinted that the new long-range Leaf can have a 225-horsepower engine.
Once these numbers have been confirmed, it means that the new Nissan Leaf E-Plus will compete directly with the entry-level Tesla Model 3 and the Chevrolet Bolt. The Model 3 packs a 50-kWh battery that produces 197 horsepower and has a 220-mile range. The Bolt, on the other hand, has a decent rap sheet—60-kWh battery, 200 horsepower, and a 238-mile range.
Nissan decided to skip this year’s Paris Motor Show, so we’ll probably see the Leaf E-Plus during the LA Auto Show in November. The standard 2019 Leaf will be the first one to be introduced, followed by the E-Plus probably in early 2019.
Tochigi Police In Japan Gets A Nissan GT-R
It is not enough that there is literally zero crime rate in Tokyo, one of the megacities of the world. It is not enough that Japan has an exotic cuisine that serves live animals on a bed of ice. It is not enough that it has a street full of cosplayers and that grade school students there literally create robots out of boxes. How can Japan get any cooler? For the police in Japan’s Tochigi Prefecture, it’s getting a rather special car—a Nissan GT-R, specifically.
The highway patrol unit of the administrative region north of Tokyo now has a Nissan GT-R complete with police livery and regalia, flashing lights, and everything else needed to help the GT-R run after fugitives.
The car was donated by a local businessman. It will be used to run after traffic offenders like speeding motorists and tailgaters. Coincidentally, the car doesn’t have to journey far from its facility to the destination point. The factory where Nissan manufactures the R35 GT-R since 2007 is only down the road from the police station.
The coupe hasn’t been used to chase any traffic offenders just yet. It has mostly been used to pose for cameras and to do PR stuff for the law enforcement.
If you think this is the first time that a performance car has been transformed into a police car, you clearly don’t know Japan or Nissan, for that matter. In the past, Nissan has turned its Skyline into a patrol car for Tokyo, so if you’re ever in the vicinity of the megacity, try and look for the R34 Skyline GT-R in all its glory. It has been so popular, in fact, that people keep uploading videos of its sighting on YouTube.
In a true megacity like Tokyo, it’s not a surprise to see performance cars being driven on its vast road network. That’s certainly very different for other Asian countries, whose cities like Beijing and Manila suffer from extreme traffic situations.
Nissan Kicks Starts At Just Under $19,000
Nissan announced that its tiny subcompact SUV, the Kicks, will just sell for $18,965, making it the cheapest option in its segment save for the crowd favorite Kia Soul. The Nissan Kicks doesn’t seem to be a lot fun as its predecessor, the Juke, but the low price tag might be equally appealing for some.
The Kicks will only be powered with 125 horsepower, as opposed to the 188-horsepower turbo-four that the Soul is fitted with. And compared to the price, the Kicks is cheap, too, though not as affordable as Soul’s $17,095 price tag (or $18,695 with its optional automatic transmission.
The Kicks will only get three trim levels—the S, the SV, and the SR trim levels. It will also only come in front-wheel drive and continuously variable automatic transmission. The entry-level mode, the S, isn’t equipped with anything special with its 16-inch wheels, hubcaps, and lack of proximity-key entry. It will, however, come standard with automated emergency braking, Bluetooth, and a backup camera, which is a requirement for all new cars.
The SV is priced at $20,665 while the SR is coming at $21,265. Nissan hasn’t revealed yet what equipment these two trim levels will come in. Based on reports, optional equipment will most likely include blind-spot monitoring, a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a Bose audio system as part of the SR Premium package. There is no word yet, too, if the upper trim levels will receive engine upgrades.
But if you’re going to shell out more than $21,000 for Kicks’ SR trim level, it better have more than just the usual tech found inside same-priced vehicles.
The other trim levels might also have more options when it comes to color schemes. There might be two or more color schemes to choose from that will have either a black or white roof.
There will be more details in the coming weeks, ahead of the Nissan Kicks’ sale in June.
Limited Models For Infiniti QX60 And QX80 Released
Nissan’s premium brand is giving a fancy retouch to its aging Infiniti QX60 and the QX80. The Limited models will bring a host of features that include revamp of the exterior and some new tech for the cabin. This only proves that Infiniti is purely invested in carving a niche in the SUV department, seeing as it just released its new 2019 QX50 crossover.
QX60 Limited
Those who want to get their hands on a QX60 better wait for the Limited model. This new model boasts of its dark chrome grille, door moldings, and fog-lamp surrounds. The overall look is darker, thanks largely to the darkened roof rails, the new gloss-black paint on the lower bumper, and the all-new 20-inch dark-finished aluminum wheels.
Inside, it’s as classy as ever with a few changes here and there. It’s a mix and match of black and gray, which is headed by the quilted and perforated gray semi-aniline leather seats on all three rows and the all-black dashboard. There’s dark stitching and piping on the seats, as well as on the door panels that creates a contrast with the dark silver wood trim and floor mats with contrast piping and metal logos.
QX80 Limited
The dark theme continues in the QX80 Limited. The front and rear lower bumpers have been upgraded and the fenders house the 22-inch dark machine-finished wheels. Satin chrome polishes the exterior trim, roof rails, and stainless-steel running boards. The Infiniti logo shines through the welcome lighting displays. There’s also an added Anthracite Gray option for the exterior color.
Inside, the same theme in the QX60 Limited has been applied. There’s a two-tone semi-aniline leather and faux suede with contrast stitching and piping in a quilted pattern. Smooth leather wraps the steering wheel, shift knob, and grab handles. The center stack and center console use matte-silver open-pore ash wood. The headliner and pillars are made of black microfiber suede. Other features include the illuminated kick plates, Limited branding on the shifter surround, and floor mats with metal logo.
The QX60 Limited and the QX80 Limited will be available later this spring. Prices are expected to be announced anytime soon.
More Photos of the Infiniti QX60 and QX80
2019 Nissan Altima Will Have Semi-Autonomous Driving Option
The 2019 Nissan Altima midsize family sedan is slated to be revealed soon at the New York Auto Show. Though we don’t have a full idea of how it will look like, seeing as we only saw it in spy shots and early sketches, it’s still nice to know a little more details about it.
Reports said that the new Altima will have a ProPilot Assist option. It’s a semi-autonomous driving system, just in case you forgot what a ProPilot is. The system can provide steering, acceleration, and braking assistance on highways. It has the ability to bring the car to a complete stop and resume accelerating up to speed. It can also recognize other cars, adjusts speed, and keeps the car in its lane.
It is semi-autonomous because it requires the driver to continue paying attention to the road and to keep his hands on the steering wheel in case he needs to take control of the car. The system can manage some corners on highways, but it all depends on how tight the turn is. Certain turns cannot be managed.
Currently, the ProPilot Assist system is available on the Nissan Rogue crossover SUV, as well as the new Leaf EV. The Altima, then, is the third Nissan-badged vehicle that will get this innovative technology. Based on the Rogue and the Leaf EV, the ProPilot Assist system is simple and reliable. It is handy for long and boring highway drive since it will virtually allow you to rest during long drives.
This is a tempting new feature on a family sedan since who wouldn’t want to mingle and chat with the family while driving? There is no word yet on whether the ProPilot Assist will be available across all variants of the Altima. Expect to shell around $28,000 for it.
Spy Shots of the 2019 Nissan Altima
Here are some spy shots of the 2019 Nissan Altima from Carscoops:
2018 Nissan Altima Pricing Released With Added Safety Features
Last year, the Nissan Altima range had a lineup of about seven vehicles. This year, the Japanese automaker trimmed down the number to five, eliminating the base and the high-end models of the car. There are no significant changes in the remaining five models, except for some safety features that are now standard to all models.
What safety features are we talking about? Automated emergency braking and forward-collision warning are now the standard features of all models while standard adaptive cruise control and NissanConnect, including navigation, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto, will come with the top-level 3.5 SL.
Since the base model was officially eliminated from the range, that means the new base model will be higher in price—about $240 higher, which isn’t at all much of an increase considering what you’re getting. The 2.5S will be powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder, continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) combo that can produce 179 horsepower. It will sell for $24,025.
The 2.5 SR, on the other hand, will be cheaper than last year’s model. At only $25,085, it will get a pair of smoked headlights and taillight housings. It will also come with fog lights, a decklid spoiler, a power driver’s seat, manual shifting capability for the CVT, paddle shifters, leather-bound steering wheel and gearshifter, sport-themed trim, a tweaked suspension, and a pair of special 18-inch wheels.
If you are looking for more features, you may want to get your hands on the 2.5 SV, which will come equipped with adaptive cruise control, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot warning, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay for just $26,670.
Next up are the 2.5 SL and 3.5 SL, which aside from being leather trimmed, will come with a seven-inch touchscreen with navigation and heated steering wheel and front seats. The four-cylinder model will sell for $29,880 while the V-6 engine will have a price tag of $34,395.
There’s A Next-Gen Nissan Frontier Pickup Coming Up
The long wait for an official word from Nissan is over. The Japanese automaker finally confirmed that a midsize Nissan Frontier pickup truck is being readied for a next-generation release. How many years has it been since we last saw an updated Frontier? The current generation dated back to the 2005 model year, which means there’s more than a decade between then and now.
The new Frontier will be built alongside the full-sized Titan pickup and several other models at Nissan’s factory in Canton, Mississippi. Though this is the kind of news we have been waiting for years, Nissan remains mum on what a new Frontier has in store for us.
All we have now are speculations, and pretty blown-up speculations at that. There were rumors in the past that the Frontier is going to be aligned with the Navara, Nissan’s global midsize pickup. Unlike the Frontier, the Navara has just been redesigned and deployed to various other markets globally. So popular are Nissan’s pickup trucks that the Navara spawned variants under different badges such as a Renault and a Mercedes-Benz.
According to what we’re hearing from the production side, the new Frontier pickup will look like a “heavy refresh” of the existing model. Well, if there was nothing wrong with the Frontier, why change it, right? What the next-generation Frontier is going to have is a new body, updated interior, and new engines to replace the 2.5-liter four-cylinder and 4.0-liter V-6 engines fitted in the current models.
Although Nissan is still unclear on what it wants to do in this segment, there’s plenty of breathing space for the Japanese automaker seeing as it is one of the most favorite brands to produce midsize pickup trucks. Even the current Frontier, which was last tweaked in 2005, is still selling well despite competitions from Toyota, Ford, Honda, and General Motors.
Three Nissan Midnight Edition Trucks Unveiled During The Solar Eclipse
A trio of pickup trucks that have been fitted with the Nissan Midnight Edition pack were unveiled. This came just in time for the solar eclipse that took place on Monday. The three pickup trucks that received the treatment were the midsize Nissan Frontier, the full-sized Titan, and the heavy-duty Titan XD.
These are all going to be 2018 models, but will reach Nissan dealerships later this year. The Midnight Edition will be offered in three colors only—black, gray, or white.
Nissan Frontier Midnight Edition
The Midnight Edition for the Nissan Frontier will be applied on the four-door Frontier SV crew-cab model, which comes with Nissan’s 261-horsepower 4.0-liter V-6 engine. The dark trims can be seen on the body-color bumper, the blacked-out grille, side steps, door handles, the 18-inch wheels, and the rearview-mirror caps. The package is not available for the truck’s six-speed manual transmission.
Titan and Titan XD Midnight Edition
The Midnight Edition package is available both for the SV or SL trims of the Titan and Titan XD models. However, the package for the Titan will require owners to add the torquey turbocharged 5.0-liter V-8 diesel engine.
Both models, through the Midnight Edition package, will have body-color bumper covers that complement the trucks’ 20-inch wheels, black grille, rearview mirror caps, door handles, and side steps. The Titan and the Titan XD will also have black headlights and fog lights with charcoal interior trim. The Titan XD, particularly, will be fitted with black painted fender vents.
There is no pricing information yet for the Midnight Edition trucks that will be released as 2018 models. For the current 2017 models, the diesel XD will cost $4,800 more on the SV crew cab while owners would be required to pay $5,250 for the same configuration on the SL crew cab.
More details on the prices are expected to be released soon.
