Even though Nissan's Spartan press release did not mention the Versa, there are one too many styling similarities between the new Sunny and the 2012 Versa sedan teased in an official sketch released by the automaker in October 2010. However, we have to stress the fact that Nissan has not made a connection between the two cars.
In the U.S. and Canada, the recall involves the 2004-2006MY Nissan Armada and Titan, 2005-2006MY Infiniti QX56, as well as the 2003-2006MY Nissan Frontier, Pathfinder and Xterra models. Other models in the global recall list include the Cube, March/Micra and Tiida.
"The new vehicle will expand smart USA's product lineup, offering five-seat capacity while maintaining the core principles of efficiency and conservation," said Smart USA President Jill Lajdziak.
The company said the B-segment car is to be sold solely in the United States and will be based on vehicle architecture from Nissan, without getting into any more details. However, the maker of the tiny Fortwo released two teaser sketches of the car, clearly depicting Nissan's latest Micra supermini with a Smart-like fascia, headlights, tail lamps and detailing.
The sketches are rather crudely done (for official material), and not to mention a tad deceiving as the Micra has been squashed down to create the illusion of a sportier shaped model. You can see what the Micra looks like in our gallery below.
Roger Penske, Chairman of the Penske Automotive Group, which is the brand's exclusive distributor in the States said: "We are faced with continuing customer demand for a smart car with more seating capacity. Sales and service of the five seater will be carried out exclusively by our approximately 75 smart dealerships in the United States. Together with Nissan, we will bring to market a fully equipped small car for our customers and dealers in the USA. It will fit in well with the smart brand."
The new Nissan-based Smart model is part of a broader strategic cooperation between Daimler AG and the Renault-Nissan Group that was revealed in April. Under the agreement, the two groups also plan to co-develop a new platform that will be used on the successors to the Smart Fortwo and the Renault Twingo. You can read more about the deal in our previous post here.
_______________________NISSAN MICRA GALLERY_______________________
"The new vehicle will expand smart USA's product lineup, offering five-seat capacity while maintaining the core principles of efficiency and conservation," said Smart USA President Jill Lajdziak.
The company said the B-segment car is to be sold solely in the United States and will be based on vehicle architecture from Nissan, without getting into any more details. However, the maker of the tiny Fortwo released two teaser sketches of the car, clearly depicting Nissan's latest Micra supermini with a Smart-like fascia, headlights, tail lamps and detailing.
Nissan officials confirmed today that the automaker is planning to add a new entry-level model based on the soon-to-be-revealed Micra in its U.S. market lineup. The next generation Micra (think Toyota Yaris and Ford Fiesta competitor), which was teased with a pair of renderings as well as a set of leaked design sketches, is based on Nissan's so-called "V-platform" that is said to give birth to two additional models aside from the hatchback, including a four-door sedan and a multipurpose vehicle."V platform" manager Vincent Cobee said that the Nissan's engineers spent four years to find ways to reduce production costs and weight out of a small car.
According to the company, the new platform will see a 50 percent improvement in fuel economy (we know, it sounds a bit too optimistic) over the current Micra while the firm's engineers have reduced the total number of parts in the car by 18 percent. For example, while the current Micra's cockpit has 56 parts, the new model will have 27.
According to Autonews that attended the press event at the Nissan's headquarters today, the U.S. market will play a significant role in the firm's plan to sell a million vehicles a year from all the derivatives of the newly created "V platform".
However, Nissan did not reveal which of the three models will come to the States nor when they go on sale or if the U.S.-market vehicle(s) will be produced in the States.
Nissan said that the new global Micra, which is set to make its debut next year, will be made in five different plants around the world, including India, China, Thailand and two other unidentified locations.
Via: Autonews
A couple of weeks ago, Nissan published a pair of design sketches of its next generation Micra (sold in Japan as the March) suggesting that the firm's new global supermini would boast more sportier and dramatic looks than the current model. Well, sorry to say, but these official drawings of the actual production version that were leaked onto the net imply that the 2011 Micra's styling will be far less daring and grandiose than Nissan wanted us to believe.We'll get the chance to see how the new generation Micra looks in the flesh at a major car show in 2010, quite possibly at the Geneva Salon next March with sales set to follow in Europe sometime during the second half of the year.
The new Micra that will compete in the B-segment against cars like the Ford Fiesta and Citroen C3 will be produced in five countries including India, China and Thailand. Unlike the current Micra that is built at the firm's UK Sunderland plant, the European market version of the 2011 Micra will be sourced from Renault-Nissan's new facility in Chennai, India.
Via: Carmagazine
