Global Vehicles - 2001 Tokyo Motor Show

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Nissan

"Nissan is back," to borrow Monsieur Carlos Ghosn's favorite line, in great force on the concept-car front as well as in good financial health, proclaimed the dynamic president. The company arrayed a clever mix of concept and near-production vehicles. The star exhibits belonged to the latter category: the revived Z-car, the March/Micra minicar replacement, and Nissan's first K-class (light) car, supplied by Suzuki.

The Z-car will be the third car to emerge from the new FM (Front Midship) platform, indicating an engine location aft of the front axle and driving the rear or all wheels. The first is the Skyline/Infiniti G35 sedan, recently followed by the Stagea station wagon. All of these cars are powered by the compact and lightweight type-VQ quad-cam V6 engine. The Z will be powered by a 3.5-L version, as is the G35 sedan, while the two Japanese models do with 2.5- and 3.0-L versions in NEO-Di direct-injection tune. The new Z offers two transmission choices: a new six-speed manual gearbox and a five-speed automatic. The chassis employs SLA suspension up front with high-mounted upper arms and a multilink rear arrangement shared with the Skyline/G35.

mm is to become the replacement for the Nissan March front-drive small car.

The mm foretells the forthcoming replacement for the Japanese March/European Micra mini hatchback on a platform jointly developed with Renault and to be shared with the French manufacturer's own small-car models. The 3695 mm (145 in) long, 1660 mm (65 in) wide car falls into the competitive European B-segment and in Japan's fiercely contested market with such potent players as Toyota's Vitz/Yaris/Echo and Honda's best-selling Fit. A note of interest is the car's newly developed, small, inline, four-cylinder engine—a testimonial to Nissan's powertrain strength. Among the few details revealed were a front suspension mounted on a subframe, a torsion-beam rear suspension, and E_4WD. E_4WD is a hybrid on-demand all-wheel-drive system employing a rear electric motor, which is called upon when the front wheels start spinning on slippery surfaces. A generator is driven off the front-drive powertrain, generating electricity that is fed to the rear motor; the rear wheels are driven via a clutch and reduction gear unit. A similar technology was adopted in a few concept vehicles at the show and is actually a production item in more sophisticated form in the Toyota Estima Hybrid minivan.

Nissan will soon enter Japan's hotly contested K (light)-car segment. Wisely it avoided developing and building its own design. Popular notion is that no one except such K specialists as Suzuki and Daihatsu could produce minicars at costs low enough to return profits. Suzuki supplies K and K-based vehicles to Mazda and GM, and is now joined by Nissan. The Nissan Moco is based on Suzuki's next-generation—3395 mm (134 in) long, 1475 mm (58 in) wide, and 1590 mm (63 in) high—tall mini and is powered by Suzuki's 660-cm³ inline triple.

The Nails is a street pickup proposal from Nissan for new youthful lifestyles.

Shiro Nakamura, Vice President-Design, is a rare phenomenon in Japan. He can forcefully present Nissan's latest offerings in person and on the tube, although his personal design signature has yet to appear. Nakamura encourages his young designers in Japan and abroad to let their imaginations soar. The company's Tokyo satellite studio produced the incredible pickup concept called Nails. It is a vehicle built on a steel platform to which an off-the-shelf, 1.5-L, inline four and four-speed automatic as well as specific running gear are attached; a plastic body and truck bed are mounted. All plastic panels are color-impregnated.

Nissan describes its ideo as a "net vehicle," equipping it with features such as a full-width display screen on the IP.

The ideo conveys the simple beauty of traditional Japanese architecture, according to the vehicle's chief designer at Nissan Technical Center. Folding paper design is interpreted in modern surfacing that electronically interacts with the outside world via as many as eight CCD cameras that transmit imagery onto an oversize display in front of the driver. The car's brain can even produce a view of the vehicle from overhead. The concept vehicle is based on Nissan's next-generation compact-car architecture with wheels at its four corners. It is 3600 mm (142 in) long, 1700 mm (67 in) wide, and 1620 mm (64 in) tall. Apart from an all-independent suspension by SLA arms and 175/55R17 tires, no mechanical details were revealed.

The Crossbow is an off-road concept in the tradition of Nissan's big Safari/Patrol 4x4.

The Munich, Germany, studio sent two contrasting concepts to Tokyo. One is the Crossbow, first shown at Frankfurt. The big off-roader suggests what the next-generation Safari/Patrol might look like. Its sheer size is worthy of Nissan's King of Off-road claim, at 4860 mm (191 in) long, 1965 mm (77 in) wide, and 1850 mm (73 in) tall. It is known that Nissan's full-size SUV, to be built in the U.S., will be powered by an enlarged (5.0-L) version of the VK quad-cam V8 engine, and the Crossbow is powered by a "V8."

The compact six-seat Kino minivan concept has asymmetrical door arrangements.

The Kino, on the other hand, looks more realistic—a "do-able" compact minivan with a unique door arrangement. The driver's side has three doors, with the second and third ones opening at the center. The vehicle's curbside is fitted with two sliding doors that ensure easy entry and exit from three rows of seats. The clamshell instrument panel splits in the middle and reveals a large TV screen that may be viewed when the vehicle is parked. Another 16-in screen is for entertaining rear-seat occupants.

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