2009 Nissan Maxima on 2040-cars

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Nissan Resonance Concept gives glimpse of next Murano

The Nissan Resonance Concept has bowed at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, giving the world a glimpse at the company's future design direction for crossovers. Specifically, the concept heralds what the next-generation Murano may look like once it touches down. Nissan has already confirmed the successor to the big crossover's throne will be produced in Mississippi for the first time. With a "floating" roof and dynamic head lamp arrays, the Resonance boasts a far more athletic appearance than the snub-nosed current generation. Inside, designers worked up a cockpit aimed at conveying what "the future of first-class space travel might be."
Nissan isn't saying what the upcoming Murano will have under the hood, but the Resonance boasts an all-wheel-drive hybrid powertrain with a small-displacement internal combustion engine and an electric motor. A lithium-ion battery delivers power while a CVT takes care of putting power to the wheels. Take a look at the full press release below for more information.

2013 Nissan Pathfinder: February 2013

I took the keys to our long-term 2013 Nissan Pathfinder from Editor-in-Chief Neff (who left me with an empty gas tank, for the record) directly following the Detroit Auto Show. That means that, by the time you all read this, I'll have been in possession of the Pathfinder for more time, and driven it more miles than any Autoblogger so far. I'd like to think that I've made good use of it... with one small exception.
For those of you that live outside of the Snow Belt and who may routinely ignore the Weather Channel out of cocky certainty - I'm looking at you, American Southwest - there's been some real weather in our part of the world this winter. A year ago, I'd basically packed up my shovel and my driveway salt by Valentine's Day; while the last quarter of 2012 and beginning of 2013 have seen back-wrenching piles of snow fall on and around my Michigan home. Good times, in other words, to test the all-weather capabilities of our all-wheel-drive Pathfinder.

Nissan Xterra's fate hangs in the balance

The Nissan Xterra might not be long for this world, according to a report from Edmunds. The rugged SUV, which has always been a bit more of a hardcore, purpose-built vehicle than the rest of the Nissan SUV range. But it has also suffered from slowing sales, low fuel economy relative to the competition and general neglect, as Nissan has focused on other offerings in its range.
"There are plans to replace it, there are always plans, (but) I am not sure it will happen. I would say in the next six months to a year," Pierre Loing, vice president of product planning for Nissan Americas told Edmunds. Part of the problem, he added, was that the Xterra is a US-only vehicle, which makes it a hard sell in a world where automakers are increasingly depending on global cars.
Besides the economic forces working against the Xterra, it's just a vehicle that hasn't been a huge sales success of late. Customers are more conscious of fuel economy and a body-on-frame SUV that only nets 16 miles per gallon just isn't good enough; arguably why Nissan barely sold 17,000 units last year. We can hold out hope, as the Xterra remains a fun off-roader that we'd hate to see go, but unless Nissan finds a business case or some global partners, this is a vehicle that is on its last leg.