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Nissan previews new Sway hatchback concept bound for Geneva

Nissan has announced a new concept it's bringing to the fast-approaching Geneva Motor Show with the release of the teaser image above. Bearing the name Sway, the concept previews the Japanese automaker's vision for a new small hatchback for the European market – ostensibly to replace the current model known as the Micra in Europe and Canada and as the March in other parts of the world. There's little to go on from the teaser, but it will clearly adopt the company's latest grille shape, flanked by angled LED headlights and with the requisite spindly door mirrors (or cameras, as the case may be) and oversized wheels packed into flared arches. Beyond that, Nissan hasn't released much in the way of details, except to say that it would apply the same "innovative design" and "radical thinking" that gave birth to the Qashqai and Juke to the small hatchback segment. THIS SWAY FOR EXCITEMENT - NISSAN AT THE 2015 GENEVA MOTOR SHOW Innovative design and product planning gave birth to Nissan Qashqai and Juke, two of the biggest automotive success stories of recent years. What would happen if the company applied the same radical thinking and quality standards to one of the most important sectors in Europe: the small hatchback? To be unveiled at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, Sway is a glimpse at how a future generation of small Nissan models could look if the company's striking new design language was applied to a European hatchback. The car will be revealed during Nissan's press conference on March 3rd at 11.30am. About Nissan in Europe Nissan has one of the most comprehensive European presences of any overseas manufacturer, employing more than 17,600 staff across locally-based design, research & development, manufacturing, logistics and sales & marketing operations. Last financial year Nissan plants in the UK, Spain and Russia produced more than 675,000 vehicles including award-winning crossovers, small cars, SUVs, commercial vehicles and electric vehicles, including the Nissan LEAF, the world's most popular electric vehicle with 96% of customers willing to recommend the car to friends. Nissan now offers a strong line-up of 23 diverse and innovative models in Europe under the Nissan and Datsun brands.

Nissan's NY taxi deal faces court obstacles

Nissan scored a big win for itself when the NV200 was named New York City's Taxi of Tomorrow, but the compact van has been under attack ever since. The latest setback for Nissan comes from the New York Supreme Court, which has reportedly ruled the deal between NYC and Nissan is "null, void and unenforceable" since the NV200 is not a hybrid - one of the key parts of NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg Taxi of Tomorrow plan.
The NV200 Taxi launches this October. Although Nissan says it is bringing a hybrid version of the van to market in 2015, the New York Supreme Court ruled against Nissan, which opens the door for taxi companies in NYC to drive non-Nissan hybrid vehicles. Despite this setback, it doesn't sound like this ruling will affect the NV200 becoming the official taxi of NYC as a part of the 10-year contract worth an estimated $1 billion.

Major automakers post mixed US June sales figures

General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV posted declines in US new vehicle sales for June on Monday, while major Japanese automakers reported stronger figures. Once again, demand for pickup trucks and crossovers offset a decline in sedan sales. Automakers' shares rose as overall industry sales still came in above Wall Street expectations. The US auto industry is bracing for a downturn after hitting a record 17.55 million new vehicles sold in 2016. Analysts had predicted that overall, US vehicle sales would fall in June for the fourth consecutive month. As the market has shown signs of cooling, automakers have hiked discounts and loosened lending terms. Car shopping website Edmunds said on Monday the average length of a car loan reached an all-time high of 69.3 months in June. "It's financially risky, leaving borrowers exposed to being upside down on their vehicles for a large chunk of their loans," said Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds' executive director of industry analysis. GM said its sales fell about 5 percent versus June 2016, but that the industry would see stronger sales in the second half of 2017 versus the first half. "Under the current economic conditions, we anticipate US retail vehicle sales will remain strong for the foreseeable future." GM shares were up 2.4 percent in morning trading, while Ford rose 3.3 percent and FCA shares jumped 6 percent. "US total sales are moderating due to an industry-wide pullback in daily rental sales, but key US economic fundamentals clearly remain positive," said GM chief economist Mustafa Mohatarem. "Under the current economic conditions, we anticipate US retail vehicle sales will remain strong for the foreseeable future." Ford said its sales for June were hit by lower fleet sales to rental agencies, businesses, and government entities, which fell 13.9 percent, while sales to consumers were flat. But it sold a record 406,464 SUVs in the first half of the year, with Explorer sales increasing 23 percent in June. And sales of the F-150 had their strongest June since 2001. On a media call, Ford executives said an initial read of automakers' sales figures indicated a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of around 17 million new vehicles for the month, which would be better than 16.6 million units analysts had predicted. FCA said June sales decreased 7 percent versus the same month a year earlier.