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2013 Nissan NV200 hauls itself into McCormick Place

Nissan has already announced that its NV200 will be New York City's Taxi of Tomorrow, but now small businesses can also take advantage of the compact commercial van when it goes on sale this April. Unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show, the Nissan NV200 bound for North America has been stretched by almost eight inches compared to the same van that has been on sale in other global markets since 2009. The 2013 Nissan NV200 will be built in Cuernavaca, Mexico and sold at select Nissan dealerships with a starting price of $19,990 (*excluding the $845 destination charge).
At that price, the NV200 costs thousands less than lead competitors like the Ford Transit Connect and the Ram C/V Tradesman, although it does deliver less cargo volume than both as well. Despite its longer body, the NV200's 122.7 cubic feet of volume comes in just under the 129.6 cu-ft for the Ford and well under the Ram's 155.5 cu-ft cargo capacity. The split rear doors and dual side sliding side doors will give plenty of access to the NV200's cargo area, however, and Nissan says the van is wide enough to accommodate a standard pallet.
The NV200 was designed as much to be a mobile office as it is a hauler, so Nissan made the cabin as such. The passenger seat back can fold down creating a flat space for a laptop, and the center console has been specifically designed for hanging file folders. The base NV200S includes power windows, a two-speaker AM/FM/CD audio system and a 12-volt power outlet, while the NV200 SV (starting at $20,980) adds features such as cruise control, six floor-mounted cargo tie downs, power mirrors and door locks and remote keyless entry. Options include the $950 Technology Package (available on SV only and adds navigation, backup camera and satellite radio), $250 for Bluetooth and $190 for glass added to the rear cargo doors.

Renault wants to merge with Nissan, then go after Fiat Chrysler

The late Sergio Marchionne used to say consolidation would be the only way to compete against the biggest global carmakers. The company looks certain to fulfill that goal, but perhaps not in the way he intended. The Financial Times reports that Renault wants to begin merger talks with Nissan in the next 12 months. Assuming a merger gets completed, the plan is for the combined company to then pursue another merger, with Fiat Chrysler a prime target. Renault, Nissan, and Mitsubishi have been busy since cutting ties with ex-alliance boss Carlos Ghosn. They formed a new alliance board with Renault chairman Jean-Dominique Senard at the helm, Renault has shrunk the size of its board while Nissan added more outside directors, and the two agreed to a new governance structure to ease operational decision making. All three automakers have walked away from Ghosn-era goals to sell 14 million cars and find 10 billion euros in savings by 2022. New strategic plans for all three car companies are in the works. With stability in sight, it's said Senard wants to succeed where Ghosn failed — a full-fledged merger between Renault and Nissan with talks to begin "as soon as possible." Ghosn's pursuit of a merger last year in attempt to make the 20-year-old alliance "irreversible" is part of what led to his downfall, with Nissan executives including CEO Hiroto Saikawa against the push. The new effort is presented as larger scale being the only way for the alliance to take on companies like Volkswagen and Toyota. But the Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi trio sold 10.76 million cars around the world last year, second to Volkswagen with 10.83 million sales, ahead of Toyota with 10.39 million. If Nissan hadn't suffered a 2.8 percent dip in sales, the alliance would have taken the top spot. If a little scale is good that means more is better, right? Pulling Fiat Chrysler into the alliance would add around 5 million annual sales, and would be another move in Ghosn's footsteps. The former honcho is said to have "held talks with FCA" about some kind of union within the past three years. The French government, which has a 15 percent stake in Renault and double voting rights, shut down the initiative. It's not clear if FCA will be an independent company by the time a potential Nissan-Renault merger closed, though.

Federal prosecutor fights bail for men accused of helping Carlos Ghosn escape

BOSTON — A U.S. prosecutor on Monday urged a judge to keep a former Green Beret and his son locked up as Japan prepares to formally seek their extradition on charges that they helped former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn flee the East Asian country. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Hassink argued during a virtual hearing that Michael Taylor and his son, Peter Taylor, have a "clear and present reason to flee" after being accused of helping Ghosn, who faces financial misconduct charges in Japan. "They're actually some of the best defendants that IÂ’m sure this court has seen positioned to actually succeed in that flight," Hassink said. He argued the men, who have been held without bail since being arrested in Massachusetts last month, helped smuggle Ghosn out of Japan in a box on Dec. 29, 2019. Ghosn then allegedly fled to Lebanon, his childhood home, which has no extradition treaty with Japan. Ghosn, Nissan's former chief executive, was charged with engaging in financial wrongdoing by understating his compensation in Nissan's financial statements. He denies wrongdoing. The Taylors' lawyers countered that had they wished to avoid prosecution they could have remained in Lebanon, where they were in January when Japan said it would seek their arrest, rather than return to Massachusetts. "If he's an expert of escape, he would not have returned to the United States," Robert Sheketoff, a lawyer for Michael Taylor, argued. He and other defense lawyers argued the case against their clients was flawed and that Michael Taylor, a U.S. Army Special Forces veteran and private security specialist, is at heightened risk of complications from COVID-19, which could spread in the jail. The hearing itself was held through a Zoom videoconference because of the coronavirus pandemic. U.S. Magistrate Judge Donald Cabell said he hoped to rule "as quickly as I can." Related Video: