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Nissan should kill the Quest and bring the Mitsubishi Delica D:5 to America

Enthusiasts don't have much reason to get excited about minivans. But if there were something cool to revitalize interest in the segment, I think American consumers would take notice. A quick browse through Mitsubishi's current catalog of global offerings turned up something interesting, and, now that Nissan has brought the diamond-star into its multi-headed global alliance, the Japanese automaker has a unique opportunity to throw caution to the wind and give America something fun. First, let's acknowledge that the Nissan Quest is a completely reasonable and current minivan entry. But it's not exactly a hot seller. The Quest was the seventh-best-selling minivan in the United States last month. The people-hauler's 209 sales in September of 2016 represent a 68-percent decline over the previous year. Granted, the Quest was trending upward for the year prior to last month's drop, but even the Quest's best full year of sales would just manage to match the number of Toyota Siennas or Chrysler Pacificas sold in a decent month. Put simply, the American market wouldn't miss the Nissan Quest if it were to disappear from dealership lots altogether. I don't think the Nissan Quest is a bad vehicle. The problem is that it's just like every other minivan sold in America. Nothing about the Quest stands out against its competitors, which basically makes it a redundant vehicle with no solid reason to exist. What Nissan really needs, in my humble opinion, is a minivan that stands out from the crowd. I offer the following solution: Bring the Mitsubishi Delica D:5 to the United States. Badge it as a Nissan to take advantage of that brand's larger dealer network; even call it the Quest Q:5 if you must. But don't change much else. I have a feeling Americans would show some interest in an eight-passenger, all-wheel-drive, multi-purpose vehicle like the Delica that's about the same overall length as the Nissan Rogue. As an added incentive to capture as many buyers as possible, offer both the 2.4-liter gasoline engine and the 2.2-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel that are available in other markets. Since the Delica D:5 is based on the same GS platform as the Dodge Journey, it could probably accommodate a Pentastar V6, too, but that doesn't really seem necessary. Instead of being a powerhouse, the Delica should be about fun and efficiency, with an adventurous off-road streak.

Nissan transforms NV200 into part-e-Van [w/video]

Following its earlier BBQ van conversion, Nissan is demonstrating once again the flexibility of its NV200 van by rolling out this mobile party on wheels. Based on the battery-powered e-NV200, the "part e-Van" packs an array of upgrades to give it everything you'd need to turn any parking lot into a club. It's got a DJ booth on the roof, a 1,400-watt sound system, wireless headphones for silent-disco capability, a solar-powered disco ball that feeds juice back into the system, an alcohol-free bar dispenser, an LED dance floor, and a 20-foot-tall light-up canopy. There's even a drone that can deploy to capture the party scene, and a monitor hooked up online to share it all via social media. The party wagon is set to debut outside the Olympiastadion in Berlin for the UEFA Champions League final (that's a soccer game for those of us unfamiliar), and will then hit the road on tour – with its next stop scheduled for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Party On! Nissan turns 100% Electric e-NV200 into the ultimate part e-VAN - Vehicle unveiled ahead of the UEFA Champions League Final - Zero Emission vehicle will be displayed outside The Olympiastadion ahead of kick-off - One-off vehicle's key features include a disco ball solar array which feeds power to some of the van's elements - Watch the PART e-VAN in full swing here: https://youtu.be/gdTew0hZ_Rs Nissan has transformed its all-electric e-NV200 into the ultimate party on wheels. The vehicle - called the PART e-VAN and powered by the 100% electric e-NV200 - will charge into Berlin for its inaugural reveal tomorrow night ahead of Saturday's UEFA Champions League Final, before exciting fans outside The Olympiastadion prior to kick-off. Some of the unique van's standout attributes include a dazzling disco ball solar panel array on the roof which absorbs daylight to power some of this one-off vehicle's features, an augmented reality system where users will be able to jump into their own party scene before sharing it with friends on social media and a custom-made sound system capable of throwing the best silent disco party.

Infiniti's new VC-T changes the rules of small turbocharged engines

The upcoming Infiniti QX50 crossover does not get our pulse racing, no matter how shapely the QX Sport Inspiration concept that previews it may be. No midsize SUV does, to be fair. But it has something special under the hood – the world's first production variable-compression-ratio engine. That means the QX50's 2.0-liter turbo four, which makes 268 horsepower and 288 pound-feet of torque, will have up to 27 percent better fuel economy. Here's how it works. The trend of moving to smaller, turbocharged engines carries with it one big falsehood. Under low load when the turbo isn't needed, these engines are less efficient than an equivalent engine without a turbo because of the low compression ratio the turbo requires. That is, if you never need the extra power, you're wasting fuel. Turbocharged (and supercharged) engines use a lower compression ratio to prevent detonation. When you force extra air in a cylinder and mix it with fuel, it's more likely to prematurely go boom. Lowering the compression ratio prevents this problem, but it's less efficient. Infiniti's VC-T promises the best of both worlds, with a compression ratio that ranges from 8.0:1 for high-power turbo needs to a 14.0:1 ratio for fuel-sipping efficiency. At its heart the VC-T engine is a simple idea, but it's complicated to explain. Consider yourself warned. The photo below from Infiniti serves as a good visual overview. For the truly nerdy, this patent application covers the mechanical concept. Instead of having the pistons connected to the crankshaft, Infiniti's engine has a pivot arm with a connection on each end. One end connects to the piston, the other connects to a second lower shaft, which is controlled by an actuator arm. At any given time the engine's pistons move up and down according to the lobes on the crankshaft. But the actuator arm can change the angle of the pivot arm up and down. That is, the pistons still move in the same motion with the same stroke, but phase the entire stroke up or down. Move the pivot up and there's less room at the top, which means a higher compression ratio. Move the pivot down and the compression ratio goes down, too. As an added bonus, the lower shaft eliminates the need for counter-rotating balance shafts. Infiniti says this system works constantly and can vary the compression ratio to any number between 8:1 and 14:1. It also uses electronic variable valve timing on the intake valves to switch into Atkinson-cycle combustion for greater efficiency.