2016 Nissan Murano Earns Four-Star Safety Rating From Federal Government

WASHINGTON — The 2016 Nissan Murano midsize SUV earned a four-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Five stars is the highest rating.

The 2016 Murano received four stars in the front crash test, five stars in the side crash test and four stars in the rollover crash test.

It will arrive at Nissan dealerships in January.

Standard safety equipment on the 2016 Murano includes vehicle dynamic control, antilock brakes, traction control and seven airbags, including a driver's knee airbag. Optional safety equipment includes predictive forward-collision warning and rear cross-traffic alert.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has not rated the 2016 Murano, a carryover vehicle. But the 2015 Murano earned the Institute's Top Safety Pick+ award, receiving "good" scores in all crash tests.

Key competitors to the Murano include the Ford Edge, Hyundai Santa Fe Sport and Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Source:  www.edmunds.com

Foster + Partners and Nissan to redesign electric car fuel stations

London architecture firm Foster + Partners is working with car brand Nissan to develop a concept for a charging station for electric vehicles.

Foster + Partners and Nissan are drawing up plans for a Fuel Station of the Future, to cater for the one million electric vehicles they estimate will be on the road by 2020.

The concept will investigate the impact of zero-emission vehicles on future infrastructure design, and the team has drawn up plans for an electric fueling hub it believes could replace petrol stations. The final concept will be revealed at the end of the year.

"The aim of our collaboration with Nissan is to highlight the magnitude of the challenge that we face in evolving our cities to meet change," said David Nelson, head designer at Foster + Partners. "New technologies, alternative forms of fuel and changing trends within our society are all having a huge impact on the way we get around."

"It seems to be clear that electric vehicles will be a major feature of the urban landscape and as a result this presents an exciting opportunity to rethink the fuel station for future generations."

Sales of the Japanese car brand's electric models grew by 33 per cent in 2014, and Nissan claims this growth pattern will accelerate. At the beginning of this year, its design for a electric version of London's infamous black cabs was approved for fare-paying passengers.

Numerous new electric and hybrid vehicles models were also launched at this year's Geneva Motor Show adding to the variety already available.

Pierre Diernaz, the director of Nissan's electric vehicle department, said that old-fashioned fuel stations must be adapted to accommodate this rising demographic.

"Our current refueling infrastructure model is out-dated and faces an uncertain future unless it rapidly adapts to support the changing needs of consumers," he said. "By 2020, there will be almost one million electric vehicles on the road, so it is imperative that there is an infrastructure in place to support this growth."

Tesla founder Elon Musk, whose company produces only electric vehicles, recently unveiled a pair of batteries designed to reduce the reliance on fossil fuels for generating electricity for homes and businesses. Apple is also rumored to be working on an electric car.

Foster + Partners is no stranger to designing for transport. Along with numerous airport projects, including terminals in Beijing, Kuwait and Amman, it was recently appointed to create an £8 billion transport system for the Saudi Arabian capital, Jeddah.

Source: http://www.dezeen.com/

Petrolicious uncages the Nissan Bluebird

With around 30 examples believed to be in the US, the Nissan Bluebird coupe is a very rare bird. Rather than keep it in a cage, owner Troy Ermish is happy to dump the clutch for a smoky burnout in the latest video from Petrolicious. This is definitely a man who's not letting a thing like the vehicle's scarcity affect his enjoyment.

Ermish is an expert on the Bluebird and its North American cousin, the Datsun 510. He started out racing them, then began dealing in parts, and now specializes in restoring them, particularly for motorsports. Ermish has owned a whopping 230 of them over the years – so many that he's stopped counting.

The opening that replaces one headlight is the first hint that Ermish's personal Bluebird is far from stock. Under the hood, the 1.6-liter engine remains, but it wears an aftermarket head and a set of massive carbs. The combo allows the little engine to howl as he brings the revs up. The interior is largely stripped out and replaced by two racing seats, a huge tach, and exposed wiring.

Ermish's shop is like a 510 graveyard on the outside. However, it's closer to a museum dedicated to Datsun on the inside. There are beautiful examples packed in wherever you look, and all of them appear ready to take to the track at any moment.

Source:  autoblog.com

Nissan bringing Qashqai, Rogue hybrid to US

Nissan will be expanding its crossover range here in the United States, introducing the popular European-market Qashqai, alongside a hybridized version of the Rogue. Nissan's Kyushu, Japan factory, meanwhile, will churn out 100,000 gas-powered Rogues to capitalize on hot demand here in the United States. The Kyushu move, at least, seems like a smart one, considering just how hot the compact Rogue is.

"We haven't hit the ceiling [on Rogue] yet. We have more opportunity there if we can get our dealers more," Fred Diaz, Nissan's senior VP of sales and marketing, told Automotive News. Amping up production in Kyushu will finally mean the end of the first-generation Rogue, though, now known as the Rogue Select. Somehow, we doubt many tears will be shed.

AN cites "two sources familiar with Nissan's future product" in its report on the Qashqai and Rogue Hybrid, although both moves are a bit strange at first glance. Both vehicles play in the same part of the market, and are both based on the Renault-Nissan Common Module Family platform. As for the Rogue Hybrid, well, we know what happened the last time Nissan tried to add an electric motor and battery pack to one of its crossovers. Plus, we've heard this rumor before.

Nissan, though, seems to think both moves make a lot of sense. While the Qashqai and Rogue are closely related, the Euro-market model is smaller – 10 inches shorter and two inches narrower – making it less versatile, and it wears more handsome sheetmetal. Expect Nissan to field it as such, aiming at buyers that want a CUV for the lifestyle, rather than the versatility, Automotive News reports.

There's a lot less information on the Rogue Hybrid, aside from AN reporting that it will hit the market next year. As for potential powertrains, mum's the word. The gas-powered Rogue uses a 2.5-liter four-cylinder, which is the same size as the gas-engine found in the dead-but-still-warm Pathfinder Hybrid. While we doubt it's as simple as a drag and drop, it seems like Nissan's most recent hybrid powertrain is the obvious choice for the upcoming Rogue.

What do you think? Will the Qashqai be as big of a hit in the US as it is in Europe and Australia? Is a Rogue Hybrid such a smart move considering the tremendous failure of the Pathfinder Hybrid?

Source: autoblog.com

Nissan rolls out updated Juke-R 2.0 at Goodwood

If you thought the original Nissan Juke-R was nice, just check out this latest version. Called the Juke-R 2.0, it's making its debut as promised this weekend at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, packing a series of upgrades to make it even more potent than the original version. And not the least of those is a new, 600-horsepower engine.

For those who don't recall, Nissan first launched the Juke-R four years ago – the year after the production Juke first hit the market. The idea was to cross-breed the little crossover with a GT-R and create what was billed as the world's first crossover supercar. Version 2.0 takes the idea even further.

In place of the 545-horsepower twin-turbo V6 from the GT-R available at the time it was built, the Juke-R 2.0 packs the upgraded 600-horsepower engine from the GT-R Nismo. It also incorporates the enhancements applied to the facelifted Juke revealed last year, including its revised lighting and bodywork. Only the Juke-R 2.0 also features entirely new bumpers front and rear, wheel arches, side sills, and more, all crafted from carbon fiber and coated in matte black.

Nissan isn't saying exactly what she'll do. Considering, however, that the existing version could sprint from a standstill to 60 in three seconds flat, the added power could only make it even quicker. Le Mans driver Jann Mardenborough will be driving up the hill at Goodwood, and we doubt it'll take him much time at all to reach the top.

Source: autoblog.com

Nissan Might Actually Build a Maxima NISMO

A hotter Nissan Maxima model might be coming down the pipe.

The 2016 Nissan Maxima is off to a solid start in terms of sales and now the Japanese automaker is weighing options to broaden the sporty sedan’s appeal in today’s market.

With the new model’s introduction, Nissan is focusing on just how sporty and performance-oriented the model is, earlier announcing that the SR trim bested various BMW and Audi models on a track. As a result, a Nissan Maxima NISMO model is being weighed as a way to emphasize the new sedan’s focus on performance and handling.

Last year, Nissan promised that more NISMO models would be added to the company’s lineup, and for the most part it has stuck to its word. If a Nissan Maxima NISMO is to happen, expect the company to inject more performance under the hood, adding more excitement to the model like it has for the 370Z and GT-R.

For now, the company is still making sure it’ll be a smart and profitable move to create a sportier Maxima variant and will likely monitor how well the Maxima SR trim sells first. Currently, Nissan expects 20 to 25 percent of the Maxima’s sales to leave dealership lots sporting the SR badge.

Source: http://www.autoguide.com/

Nissan LEAF Owners have always wanted this to happen, maybe it is closer than you think

New and amazing video shows Nissan's electric sports car ESFLOW in action - something LEAF owners always wanted.

As Nissan embarked on its Electric Vehicle Odyssey back in 2007 or so, its first car ended up becoming the world’s largest selling EV ever. To the Nissan loyalists that grew up with the great Z cars of old, the fan base had always been wondering if something might happen to the tried and true line of great sports cars that came from Nissan.

Back in 2011 we had a glimpse of the ESFLOW (Electric Sports Car Concept) at the Geneva Auto Show and Road and Track did this nice video showing us the nice lines of this concept car and it had impressive numbers tied to it as well. Could this be the EVeryday sports car EV for the masses like the Nissan LEAF is to the daily commuter today?

I am not sure, but today a video surfaced on Youtube which I hadn’t seen before and showed the ESFLOW concept in action. You can see the video below.