Nissan isn’t dead. That’s the message delivered by Ivan Espinosa, Nissan’s current chief product officer (and incoming president and CEO) and Guillaume Cartier, chief performance officer. The two executives led the presentation of upcoming new Nissan models slated for release this year and next.
The most relevant announcement to the ASEAN market is confirmation that Nissan will launch an all-new pickup truck. During the press con, the Japanese carmaker didn’t mention the name, “Navara” suggesting that it will take on a new nameplate as it ditches its bespoke platform to one that’s shared with Alliance partner, Mitsubishi.
Although Nissan has yet to confirm it, reports suggest that the all-new Nissan pickup truck will basically be a re-badged Mitsubishi Triton with unique suspension tuning.
Other new vehicles heading to the ASEAN region include the all-new Leaf EV which will now ride on a more advanced platform—the CMF-EV platform. Shared with the Ariya, it will gain features such as 19-inch alloy wheels and a panoramic sunroof on top of substantial improvements to aerodynamics and EV architecture. A new 3-in-1 EV powertrain will also help it deliver more range than ever before.
The Leaf will be joined by a yet-unnamed EV as well as the third-generation e-Power. Set to debut in vehicles such as the Qashqai (for ASEAN it is likely the all-new Kicks), the all-new e-Power system is said to be 15 percent more economical at high speeds compared to the current setup. It will also be more refined with reduced NVH. A 1.5-liter engine will act as a generator with a new 5-in-1 system which shares components with the all-new Leaf.
A bright spot in Nissan’s plans for ASEAN, however, is the possibility of seeing more products come out of their Indian assembly plant. The carmaker will introduce two new models—an MPV and a 5-seater compact SUV. And yes, like the Magnite, it’s been confirmed for left-hand drive configuration as well as part of their “One Car, One World” strategy.
For the past few years, Nissan would typically do this—show off their upcoming vehicles veiled in shadows or present fancy sketches of new cars. Of course, this has not been enough for them to weather the proverbial storm they find themselves in. This time, with a supposed car buy behind the wheel, will this be enough to convince people and more importantly, its investors, that the company’s on the right track? Let’s see.
100% better looking than the ugly Triton already.
ReplyDeleteProbably not the Triton chassis Navara yet. Looks like a heavy facelift of the current D23 Navara.
ReplyDeleteRead the story hahaha. The lead photo shows the Frontier/Navara for the Americas. Seems Nissan will adopt a new name for their pickup truck in Asia-Oceania when it switches over to the Triton chassis.
DeleteNissan needs to move faster when rolling out cars. Nissan is late by years before new cars go to market. By then, a new car is on the facelift level elsewhere, or a new gen has been announced. Also, it would be nice if they designed vehicles that people will like.
ReplyDeleteI agree... they are slow to adapt to market demand. many don't know their market
DeleteNissan should ditch their notorious CVT.
ReplyDelete