2011 Nissan Altima 2.5 S on 2040-cars

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Nissan IDx future in a coma, prospects dim

The answer, at least for the public, was always a huge "Yes!" when it came to the Nissan IDx Nismo and IDx Freeflow concepts shown off at the Tokyo Motor Show 2013. We were told they were "in the plan" for production if fans got behind them, but that sunk to "increasingly cloudy" plans for production. Two months later we were being told the production version would get less retro styling. But the damning swerve came in January this year, when Nissan said it was shifting priorities to focus on volume offerings. When The Truth About Cars spoke to the VP of product planning for Nissan North America, Pierre Loing, the smothering blanket of reality was thrown over the IDx duo: Nissan has no small, rear-wheel platform to build them on. At least, not one that it could make any money with. The 370Z is built on an architecture too big for the IDx, and sister company Renault only has small front-wheel-drive platforms. The idea of developing a chassis just for the IDx doesn't make any sense, as sales trends for the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ should show. Will we see anything of the concepts in production guise, then? Loing said Nissan "may have some room" for a product with retro design cues and said to check back "in a few years" to get a final answer. But really, the answer appears to be, "No."

Nissan to expand next-gen Titan with more engines, configurations

Not much has changed with the Nissan Titan in the decade that it's been on the market, but the 2015 model year could move the needle enough to turn the truck from an "also ran" in the fullsize truck market to more of a contender. Edmunds had the chance to sit down with Pierre Loing, vice president of product and advanced planning and strategy for Nissan North America, who indicated that not only will a new truck be coming for 2015, it is also expected to take a bigger chunk of the truck market currently dominated by Ford and General Motors.
For starters, the article quotes Loing saying that the next-gen Titan could sell 100,000 units, which is almost five times the number of Titans and the same number of Toyota Tundra trucks sold last year. To accomplish this, Nissan is planning to offer a wider number of models (including a regular cab version) and more powertrain options; we're sure this means Nissan is considering offering a V6. The addition of a regular-cab, V6 Titan would also allow this truck to be more competitively priced.
Will that be enough to attract buyers away from the Big Three domestic trucks? We'll just have to wait and see...

Nissan Leaf electric vehicle goes on sale in Mexico

Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn may not be intimately familiar with the Dean Martin 1962 classic South of the Border, but he may as well start crooning the standard now. The Japanese automaker said this week that the Nissan Leaf will officially be the first mass-produced battery-electric vehicle to be sold in Mexico. So break out the horn section. Nissan will start selling the Leaf through its Mexico City dealership network and is touting features such as the car's fast-charging port. That feature allows the car to be 80-percent charged in about a half hour. Nissan and the Mexican government are also working on an "electric corridor" of charging stations between Mexico City and Cuernavaca, which is about 55 miles to the south. There will also be "charging zones" in various districts throughout Mexico City, making it easier for the newly inaugurated EV drivers to charge up in town. Nissan has been working on Leaf brand exposure to Mexico City for years, sending the first batch of 100 all-electric Leaf taxis to Mexico starting in the fall of 2011. Last month, Nissan had its best ever month of sales in the US, moving 3,117 Leafs in May and the company has sold over 115,000 Leafs around the world. Check out Nissan's press release below. Nissan becomes the first company to sell a 100% electric vehicle in Mexico Nissan LEAF arrives in Mexico and becomes the first 100 percent electric vehicle to be comprehensively marketed in the country. The car of the future is already part of the present with more than 115,000 global sales. Nissan, the leader company in electric vehicles, strengthens its commitment to promote Zero-Emission mobility by opening charge centers distributed in Mexico. MEXICO CITY – Nissan today announced the launch of LEAF, the first 100 percent electric vehicle to be marketed in Mexico. The presale starts today and will continue until its arrival on June 30. Nissan LEAF is the first zero-emissions vehicle marketed in Mexico, confirming the leadership and the promise of the Japanese company to transform traditional driving into a new silent experience. "Nissan LEAF is a reality in the Mexican market," said Airton Cousseau, CEO of Nissan Mexicana. "We are proud to be the pioneer company to introduce the first zero-emissions vehicle leader in sales worldwide in Mexico.