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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.

France tries to dodge blame for blowing up FCA-Renault merger deal

PARIS — France sought to fend off a hail of criticism on Thursday after it was blamed for scuppering a $35 billion-plus merger between carmakers Fiat-Chrysler and Renault only 10 days after it was officially announced. Shares in Italian-American FCA and France's Renault fell sharply in early trading after FCA pulled out of talks, saying "the political conditions in France do not currently exist for such a combination to proceed successfully." French finance minister Bruno Le Maire said the government, which has a 15% stake in Renault, had engaged constructively, but had not been prepared to back a deal without the endorsement of Renault's current alliance partner Nissan. Nissan had said it would abstain at a Renault board meeting to vote on the merger proposal. However, a source close to FCA played down the significance of Nissan's stance in the discussions, believing French President Emmanuel Macron was looking for a way out of the deal after coming under pressure at home. Context The FCA-Renault talks were conducted against the backdrop of a French public outcry over 1,044 layoffs at a General Electric factory. The U.S. company had promised to safeguard jobs there when it acquired France's Alstom in 2015. The collapse of the deal, which would have created the world's third-biggest carmaker behind Japan's Toyota and Germany's Volkswagen, revives questions about how both FCA and Renault will meet the challenges of costly investments in electric and self-driving cars on their own. The merger had aimed to achieve 5 billion euros ($5.6 billion) in annual synergies, with FCA gaining access to Renault's and Nissan's superior electric drive technology and the French firm getting a share of FCA's lucrative Jeep and Ram brands. FCA has long been looking for a merger partner, and some analysts say its search for a deal is becoming more urgent as it is ill-prepared for tougher new regulations on emissions. It previously held unsuccessful talks with Peugeot maker PSA Group, in which the French state also owns a stake. French budget minister Gerald Darmanin said the door should not be closed on the possibility of a deal with Renault, adding Paris would be happy to re-examine any new proposal from FCA. "Talks could resume at some time in the future," he told FranceInfo radio.

Nissan puts Around View Monitor on ocean-exploring robots [w/video]

Capable as it may be, we wouldn't advise driving your crossover to the bottom of the ocean. Nissan, however, is doing the next best thing by putting its Around View Monitor on seabed-crawling robots. The partnership brings Nissan together with the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) and Topy Industries, a leading manufacturer of robotic crawlers. Nissan supplies the Around View Monitor it usually puts in its crossovers and SUVs, which Topy installs on its Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and JAMSTEC sends to the ocean floor. The project even enjoys support from the Japanese cabinet through its Strategy Innovation Promotion program that aims to bring private-sector innovation to government projects. With Nissan's 360-degree camera technology, JAMSTEC and Topy hope to "uncover the mysteries of the oceans," and seem to be going about it a smarter way than submerging a landlubber like the Juke or Rogue to car-crushing depths. Just what they'll uncover remains to be seen, but we're looking forward to finding out, and applaud the initiative. Of course, Nissan isn't the first automaker to deploy its technologies in robots to explore undiscovered worlds: Toyota recently lent its voice-recognition system to the Kirobo project that put a pint-sized robot in orbit to converse with the astronauts in the International Space Station. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. NISSAN AVM TECH TO GO UNDERWATER FOR DEEP SEA EXPLORATION - Nissan's Around View Monitor (AVM) technology will help remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) search for natural resources in the Earth's oceans - Nissan's AVM is building block of company's autonomous drive technology - Featured across Nissan's crossover range including best-selling new Juke, Qashqai and X-Trail Nissan is providing its unique Around View Monitor (AVM) technology to the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) and Topy Industries, Ltd., through a joint development project that may help uncover the mysteries of the oceans. The joint development contract with JAMSTEC and Topy, one of the top manufacturers of robot crawlers in Japan, will enhance the government agency's ability to search deep underwater for natural resources using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). Nissan's AVM technology will help ROV operators avoid obstacles and navigate the ocean seafloor more easily.