Nissan Kicks – teaser of production model released

Previously previewed online, Nissan has now released another teaser of the upcoming Nissan Kicks, covered in cloth. This one, however, shows the outline of the production version. Not much can be seen from the teaser except for those V-shaped LED daytime running lights and the elaborate character line at the side.
Apart from the teaser, Nissan has announced that the vehicle will take on its role as the official car for the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic games. This essentially means that the Kicks will see an official unveiling on May 3, 2016, when the Rio Olympics torch relay across Brazil starts.
The Kicks concept is basically an evolution of the Nissan Extrem Concept vehicle, which debuted at the Sao Paulo Auto Show in 2012. The Kicks concept followed in 2014, designed by Nissan Design America in San Diego with input coming from Nissan Design America Rio, lead by Global Design Centre Nissan in Japan. The production version’s design is expected to stay very close to the concept.

As a concept, the compact crossover measured in at 4,300 mm long, 1,800 mm wide and 1,600 mm tall. At its base, the Kicks is said to be sitting on the company’s V-platform, the same one that underpins the Nissan March/Micra, Nissan Sentra and Nissan Note. The production version will be offered with a 1.6 litre flex-fuel (petrol/ethanol) engine.
It is to be built at Nissan’s Resende Industrial Complex in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil alongside the March and Versa. That said, the first few units of the Kicks will reportedly be imported into Brazil from Mexico, before domestic production begins at some point in 2017.
Meanwhile, Nissan has mentioned that the Kicks could see a global introduction, but the company will need to study the business case before a decision can be made. If the case proves strong, the B-segment crossover will be a contender against the Honda HR-V, Mazda CX-3, Ford EcoSport, Peugeot 2008 and the incoming Toyota C-HR.

Nissan CEO welcomes Tesla Model 3’s large orders

Carlos Ghosn, Nissan Motor CEO, sees the overwhelming orders of Tesla’s Model 3 as a good thing – in fact he welcomes it, Automotive News reports. The reason behind this, was that Ghosn views the response as some “good competition” at long last.
“The fact that so many people are willing to pay a downpayment to get this car which becomes available at the end of 2017 is a good sign,” he said, adding “finally, good competition for EVs is picking up.” On a market-perspective, the CEO believes that it would stimulate demand for electric vehicles (EV).
He also noted that such new offerings from Tesla will lead to better customer appreciation of EVs and at the same time, it will also motivate Nissan to produce better vehicles. “We welcome competition because it can expand the market. It’s going to stimulate demand,” Ghosn reiterated.

Under the Renault-Nissan Alliance, a total of 302,000 electric vehicles have been sold globally, as of 2015. The number includes 211,000 units of the Nissan Leaf (since its launch in 2010), making the Japanese brand the EV leader.
Tesla on the other hand, has stated that 325,000 orders have been taken for the Model 3. The figure is now triple the cumulative sales of the Tesla Model S and Model X, from 2012 to 2015.

Nissan Skyline named most iconic Japanese car ever

While the new Nissan GT-R is revelling in the success of setting a new Guinness World Record, its predecessor (and grandparents), the Nissan Skyline, also gained some acknowledgement as well. Followers of Japfest, the biggest celebration of Japanese cars and culture in Europe, has named the Skyine as the most iconic Japanese car ever.
Prior to the event’s start on April 24, 2016, the organisers carried out a survey among its social media followers to see which Japanese performance car would be identified as the most iconic model.
Thanks to the Playstation Generation (Gran Turismo, yeah!), the Nissan Skyline came out on top. From the classic Hakosuka, to the R32 GT-R that earned the Skyline its ‘Godzilla’ nickname, and the R34 Skyline that was made famous in the Fast and Furious films, it’s no wonder the sports car, in all its generations, is so endearing with enthusiasts.

“The Nissan Skyline is one of the cars that really kicked off the Japanese tuning craze in the UK, so it’s no surprise to see that it’s been named as the most iconic Japanese performance car of all time. Japfest is a real celebration of the culture that it, in part, created, and we look forward to celebrating its success this year among the event’s festival atmosphere,” Event manager Katherine Chappell said.
Results from the survey revealed that the Toyota Supra came in as the runner-up to the Skyline, while the Subaru Impreza WRX took the third spot. Curious what models were listed on the survey? Well, here’s the full list:

• Mitsubishi Lancer Evo (all variants)
• Toyota Supra
• Honda Civic Type-R
• Nissan Skyline (all variants)
• Toyota MR2
• Honda Integra R
• Mazda MX-5
• Toyota GT
• Toyota Corolla AE86
• Honda S2000
• Nissan 200SX
• Datsun/Nissan Z cars
• Subaru BR-Z
• Mazda RX-7
• Datsun 510
• Mazda RX-8
• Toyota Celica
• Honda CRX
• Mitsubishi 3000GT
• Suzuki Swift Sport
• Mitsubishi FTO

The survey also included an option to suggest other cars. There you have it Skyline fans and owners, your favourite Japanese performance car has been crowned as the most iconic Japanese car ever. For the rest, do you agree with the results from the survey? What model would you have preferred to receive the title?

Nissan Almera now with LED DRLs in M’sia, all grades

The Nissan Almera has been given an eye-catching new item in Malaysia – LED daytime running lights. This is as seen on Edaran Tan Chong Motor’s (ETCM) microsite and Facebook page promoting the B-segment sedan, which also says that the DRLs are available on all variants. The string of white lights underline the front fog lamps.
The addition of LED DRLs coincide with ETCM raising prices for its four CKD locally assembled models, which include the Almera. As reported last week, the Almera 1.5E M/T is now priced at RM68,500, the 1.5E A/T RM72,200 and the top 1.5VL A/T RM82,000, all on-the-road without insurance. The new prices, effective April 1, are RM3,734.88 (5.8%), RM4,521.64 (6.7%) and RM4,610.88 (6.0%) higher, respectively.
So, while prices are up (forex effect, also cited by Honda, Toyota, Lexus, Mitsubishi, Kia, Peugeot, Citroen, Audi and even Proton as the reason for higher costs), Almera buyers get the consolation of LED DRLs. All else remains. Check out the roomy 1.5L sedan and its Nismo Performance Package.

ETCM announces price increase for four Nissan CKD models – Almera, Grand Livina, X-Gear and Teana

As hinted at last month, Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM) has announced a price increase for its locally-assembled Nissan models. While initially expected to involve six models, only four CKD models are affected by the increase.
These are the Nissan Almera, Grand Livina, X-Gear and Teana, with the price hikes ranging from 2.8% to 6.7%. The increase is effective from today, April 1. The company added that pricing for the Serena S-Hybrid, X-Trail, NP300 Navara and NV200 models remain unchanged.
The company says that the decision for this price adjustment is mainly due to the weakened ringgit, which has severely impacted the overall operational costs of the company. Having continuously sought and reviewed opportunities to hold the current prices of Nissan vehicles for the interest of its customers, it says it has no choice but to now do so.

“Over the past months, despite severe pressure from a weakened ringgit, ETCM implemented necessary measures to reduce the impact. However, due to the prolonged unfavourable foreign exchange and the persistent pressure of higher operating costs, selected models will have a price increase,” ETCM executive director Datuk Dr Ang Bon Beng explained.
The breakdown of the new pricing for the four CKD models is as listed above. The lowest percentage jump is for the Teana 200XE, which previously went for RM133,284 (on-the-road, without insurance), and is now RM137,000, the RM3,715 increase making for a 2.8% hike. In terms of the biggest percentage jump, that’s for the Almera 1.5E AT – originally priced at RM67,678, it is now listed at RM72,200, up by 6.7%.
The official Nissan distributor intimated late last year that it was mulling a price increase for its range of Nissan models in Malaysia in light of the ringgit’s depreciation, and reiterated it again in February. Thus far, Honda, Toyota, Lexus, Mitsubishi, Kia, Peugeot, Citroen, Audi and Proton have all upped their prices in Malaysia due to the weakening ringgit.