Rebuilt/reconstructed Title on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Nissan sets 2017 sales record with help from Rogue, Titan, and Armada

Nissan Group said its U.S. sales climbed 1.9 percent in 2017 to an all-time record of more than 1.59 million vehicles sold. Free pizza in the conference rooms in Nashville, right? But a closer look shows the company mirroring overall industry trends, with plenty of declining-popularity cars but also a few aging trucks and SUVs. Taken together, Nissan's trucks, SUVs and crossovers saved the day, selling an all-time high of 765,624 total units, up 15 percent from 2016. That offset a 10.9-percent drop in sales of Nissan's cars, as volume sellers like the Altima and Versa posted steep drops. Also buoying overall results was the Infiniti division, which gained 10 percent from the previous year on the strength of models like the Q60 and QX30. Nissan's record year owes a lot to the Rogue, its compact crossover, which set an annual sales record with 403,465 vehicles, an increase of 22.3 percent. Sales of the Titan, Nissan's full-size pickup, grew an impressive 141.9 percent to 52,924 units, while the Armada, a full-size three-row SUV that was all-new for 2017, also saw a huge jump in sales (154.1 percent) to 35,667. Infiniti, meanwhile, saw overall sales climb 10.9 percent on the strength of huge gains by the Q60 Coupe, which rose 170.8 percent, and the QX30 crossover, which grew almost 524 percent. That being said, Infiniti volume is relatively low. The Q60 Coupe sold a total of 40,444 units and the QX30 14,093 for 2017, while Nissan shifted 40,172 Rogues in December alone. On the car side, the Maxima did well, gaining 7.9 percent to finish at 67,627. Volume-wise, the Sentra dominated, nudging up 1.7 percent to 218,451. But the rest of the lineup mirrored industry trends for the car segment, with steep drops for the Altima (down 17 percent), battery-electric Leaf (-19.8 percent), Versa (-19.2 percent) and Juke (-48.1 percent). Several truck, crossover and SUV models are also not faring so well. The aging Frontier pickup, last updated in 2005, fell 14.5 percent, the Pathfinder slipped by 0.8 percent, the Quest minivan plummeted 55.5 percent and the upscale Murano crossover fell by 11.8 percent. A Nissan spokesman says the Quest is no longer being built for the U.S. market starting with the 2018 model year. Meanwhile, reinforcements are coming. Nissan has said it's planning a new generation of the Frontier, its entry-level pickup, but hasn't clarified when.

2020 Infiniti QX80 refreshes its cabin, adds tech and safety features

After performing a nip-tuck on the Infiniti QX80's sheetmetal for the 2018 model year, designers have massaged the QX80's interior for 2020. The driver's cluster keeps the analog gauges but loses the previous, low-res digital information screen. A new seven-inch TFT display is tucked between the dials. The infotainment spread on the center console finally gets the real estate it deserves, an eight-inch touchscreen up top with a seven-inch touchscreen below. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard, as is Wi-Fi hotspot capability. Above all that, the rear view mirror went to school to become the Smart Rear View Mirror, meaning it can operate as the usual reflective surface or as a monitor for the rear-mounted camera feed. It's an option on the entry Luxe trim, standard on the top Limited trim. New standard safety features on both variants include backup collision intervention, blind-spot warning, lane departure warning, and rear door alert. On the aesthetic side, a new Charcoal Burl wood interior trim with gradation joins two new premium exterior colors, Coulis Red and Mineral Black. For more intense ornamentation, Infiniti offers the Edition 30 package for 2020 with a black mesh grille and dark chrome trim on the front fascia, black mirror caps, more dark chrome on the tailgate finisher, stainless steel kickplates, and 22-inch dark wheels with black center caps. It's possible engineers will turn to the engine for the next update cycle. For now, the QX80 continues with the 5.6-liter V8 putting out 400 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque, shifting through a seven-speed automatic. It's a thirsty lump, the first version of the VK56VD engine hitting the market in the Infiniti Q45 of 2002, but QX80 fuel economy is in the ballpark with other full-sized, V8 competition.  As has happened for the past few years, prices go up for both trims. The Luxe starts at $66,750, a $1,250 bump over 2019. The destination charge also rose by $100 to $1,395; adding that brings the total to a $68,145. Opting for 4WD on the Luxe remains a $3,100 option. MSRP on the Limited goes up by $1,250 as well, totaling $92,845 after destination. Related Video:    

Red Bull keeps 2015 RB11 F1 challenger under wraps [UPDATE]

UPDATE: A previous version of this post suggested that Daniil Kvyat drove for Red Bull last year, when he actually drove for its affiliate team Toro Rosso. The text below has been updated with the correct information. This season will be one of new beginnings for Red Bull Racing. It's the first time in three years that it's not returning to the Formula One grid as defending champions, and without a world champion at the helm. But return it will to fight to regain its title, and this is the car with which it intends to do so. Revealed ahead of the season's first test session in Jerez this weekend, the new RB11 is wearing a bold camouflage "testing livery" of the type we're more accustomed to seeing on road-going prototype than on a racing car. Expect it to be replaced by the familiar blue, red and yellow by the time the season kicks off in Melbourne next month. Though the camouflage may keep certain aero developments disguised (if not altogether hidden) from the prying eyes of its rivals, the sloping nose mandated by the new regulations is plain to see. Otherwise the new RB11 is likely more of an evolution rather than a revolutionary clean-sheet redesign over the RB10 that returning hot-shoe Daniel Ricciardo drove last year, to be joined this season by Daniil Kvyat, who's been promoted from Toro Rosso to replace departing four-time champion Sebastian Vettel. Whether they can succeed, however, will largely depend on the engine. Red Bull has emerged as the primary partner for engine supplier Renault (sister company to the team's title sponsor Infiniti). In fact, after Lotus switched to Mercedes (and assuming Caterham doesn't make it back to the grid), Red Bull and its sister team Toro Rosso will be the only teams running Renault engines this season. The team says it has worked closer than ever with the French automaker to develop the Renault power unit, but chances are slim that they'll be able to catch up to Mercedes given the restrictions on engine development. If anyone can catch the Silver Arrows, though, it'll surely be Red Bull – the only other team to win a grand prix last season. THE RB11 REVEALED After an intensely busy off-season, Infiniti Red Bull's Racing's 2015 Formula One car, the RB11, has hit the track and begun testing at the Circuito de Jerez in Spain ahead of the new season.