Nissan Almera Nismo Performance Package launched at KLIMS13 – aerokit and performance parts

Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM) officially launched the Nissan Almera Nismo Performance Package at KLIMS13. The name says it all – a Nismo performance package is now available for the Nissan Almera B-segment sedan. It’s a world debut, we were told, and Nismo’s senior VP of race car and product development Noboru Kaneko was in attendance.

The Nissan Almera Nismo Performance Package looks largely similar to the concept car that was showed at Super GT Sepang in June. The package consists of a Nismo aerokit and Nismo performance parts. The five-piece aerokit (front and rear bumper spoilers, boot spoiler, side skirts) is said to significantly reduce lift and drag for better aerodynamics and road-holding.

In the performance parts category, Almera buyers can add on a Nismo sports exhaust muffler (stainless steel, polished finished, etched Nismo logo) that is claimed to provide sharper engine response thanks to a less restrictive flow and a sportier note.

Nismo’s suspension system consists of shock absorbers and springs that lower the Almera by a substantial 30 mm. Nismo says that there’s increased lateral force support without compromising ride comfort.

Lastly, the rims you see here are 16-inch alloys with diamond-cut finish. They are paired with Continental Max Contact MC5 205/50 tyres with an asymmetrical tread pattern.

One can choose from two packages, the Nismo Performance Package (everything listed above for RM13,000) and the Nismo Aero Package, which includes only the bodykit, wheels and tyres for RM8,000. Both packages are available for all Almera variants and in all 4 colours.

Parts can also be bought individually, and below are the ala carte prices, inclusive of installation. Note that the interior mods you see in this showcar (seats, wrapped steering wheel) are for display only.

Nismo 5-piece aerokit: RM3,600 inc painting
Nismo sports exhaust muffler: RM2,000
Nismo 16-inch alloys: RM2,800 for four, inc centre caps and valves
Nismo suspension: RM3,000
Continental MC5 205/50 R16 tyres: RM1,600 for set of four, inc balancing & alignment   

Nissan Leaf launched at KLIMS13, EV goes for RM169k

Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM) launched the Nissan Leaf electric car at KLIMS13 this afternoon. The electric car, which has been in Malaysia for trials since the first half of 2012, is now available for sale at RM168,800 on-the-road with insurance, much lower than an early estimate of RM200k. The purchase price includes a home charging unit and a 3-year/100,000 km warranty.

The world’s best selling electric car is powered by an electric motor-inverter combo, which runs on current from a lithium-ion battery pack. Comprising 48 battery modules (each module has four batt cells), the Leaf’s battery pack has a capacity of 24 kWh, max power of 90 kW and 360V voltage.

Located under the seats, the battery provides a driving range of 195 km per full charge, as measured in the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC). A completely drained battery pack can be fully charged in around four hours with the supplied 6.6 kWh home charging unit (wall-mounted charger with cable, cabling works with PVC conduit, dedicated circuit breaker), so actual charging time may be less.
There’s also a solar panel on the Leaf’s rear spoiler that maintains the charge of the (other) 12V battery that runs the lamps, wipers, audio and other accessories. Currently, there are 15 public EV charging stations in the Klang Valley, Penang, Melaka and Johor Bahru set up by Tan Chong’s First Energy Networks. Nissan Leaf owners can use these charging stations free of charge.

The Leaf owner will never need to visit a petrol station again, unless it’s for refilling his/her tummy. ETCM says that the Leaf is 75% cheaper to run than a petrol-powered equivalent car based on current Malaysian electricity rates. Maintenance is cheap as well – you can expect 80% savings over a five-year period over an internal combustion engined car.

Safety wise, the five-star Euro NCAP-rated Leaf comes with six airbags, ABS, Brake Assist, Hill Start Assist and Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC). It’s a big hatchback, so there’s plenty of cabin space. The batteries are under the seats, so boot space is a decent 370 litres, expandable to 720 litres with the rear seats folded.

The RM168,800 Nissan Leaf is available in five colours – Pearl White, Brilliant Silver, Metallic Slate, Super Black and the signature Blue Ocean.

Nissan to introduce Infiniti in Japan next year – Q50 Hybrid will be the first model, badged as Skyline

The Japanese giants created luxury brands like Lexus, Acura and Infiniti in the late 1980s to move upmarket, allowing them to sell cars at a price and segment that a mass market Toyota, Honda or Nissan badge wouldn’t have been able to command. They were never meant for the Japanese domestic market, where a Nissan badge can be on everything from kei-cars to limos.
Toyota was the first to bring its luxury brand ‘back home’ by introducing Lexus in Japan in 2005. Now, Nissan is doing the same with the introduction of Infiniti in the Land of the Rising Sun, 24 years after the brand was launched in the USA.

The launch model will be the Infiniti Q50 Hybrid, to be called ‘Skyline’ in Japan, an unfamiliar marque balanced by a famous nameplate. To go on sale in February 2014, Nissan is targeting initial monthly sales of 200 units. The car will be priced from from 4.5 million yen (RM145,112).



The Q50 made its debut at the Detroit show earlier this year, before a European premiere in Geneva added a Mercedes-sourced diesel engine to the mix. The hybrid is powered by a 3.5 litre V6 with 302 hp and 350 Nm, combined with an electric motor that does 67 hp/270 Nm. Combined output is 360 hp. It’s a fast car, with 0-100 km/h in 5.5 seconds and a 250 km/h top speed.

This move is part of Infiniti’s plan to significantly boost volumes – the brand sold 173,000 cars in 2012, but is looking to shift half a million vehicles a year by 2017. Will Japan help much? Last year’s domestic sales for Lexus fell 3% to 42,300 vehicles, accounting for less than 10% of total global sales for Toyota’s luxury brand.

Like what you see? It was announced back in May that the Infiniti Q50 will be coming to Malaysia, and you can view the 3-Series-fighter at this weeks’s KLIMS13 show, where Infiniti will have a booth for the first time.

Nissan Note to be shown at KLIMS13, production Almera Nismo Performance Package to debut

Before its KLIMS microsite was taken down from Nissan Malaysia’s website last night, we managed to catch a view of what the brand is bringing to the show – mentioned as one of the company’s displays at the upcoming KLIMS13 show is the Nissan Note. The car isn’t being launched into the market, but has been tagged as an “exploratory model” – read into that how you will.

The Note made its debut in Japan last year, and the second-gen mini-MPV is available in its domestic market in two engine choices, both three-cylinder 1.2 litre units – there’s the 78 hp and 106 Nm HR12DE, as seen in the March and Thai-market Almera, as well as the supercharged HR12DDR, with 97 hp and 142 Nm on tap. Both engines are paired with an Xtronic CVT gearbox.

What will be launched at the show, aside from the Nissan Leaf, which is reportedly priced at RM168,800, is the Almera Nismo Performance Package – the car was shown in concept form back in June and now, the productionised form is ready.



Meant as an alternative to the Impul package already available for the car, the production bits don’t veer too much from that seen on the concept, from the details glimpsed before the site went off air.
The concept was dressed up with an aero kit made up of Nismo front and rear spoiler extensions, side skirts, a boot lid spoiler, sports suspension and 17-inch alloy wheels and exhaust muffler.

Plenty of Nismo dress-up knick-knacks as well, from carbon door mirror covers and a smoked front grille to fuel filler cap cover and emblems. We caught sight of a RM13,000+ pricing for what’s listed as a primary (or complete) package, but we’ll know for sure, in a few days.

Nissan Leaf to be launched at KLIMS – RM168,800?

Malaysian Nissan distributor Edaran Tan Chong Motor have announced the pricing for the Nissan Leaf on their website. The Nissan Leaf is listed with a price tag of RM168,800 on the road, which is significantly less than the RM200k price tag indicated by a research house earlier.

There’s not much other details to go by for now, but as the Nissan Leaf will be officially launched at KLIMS13 later this week, we’ll be back with more details then. As the Leaf needs a special higher amperage charging point to be installed at your house (unlike the i-MIEV which can use a normal wall socket), we need to know details on what the cost of installing the charger is.



The Nissan Leaf will be the second EV to go on sale in Malaysia. A Tan Chong subsidiary called First Energy Networks (FEN) has so far set up EV charging stations at Bangsar Shopping Centre, Suria KLCC and Lot 10 as well as Petronas Solaris in Serdang.

2014 Nissan Qashqai – second-gen officially unveiled

The second-gen Nissan Qashqai (Nissan Dualis in Japan) has officially broken cover. Looking considerably tauter and more athletic than its predecessor thanks to prominent body creases, sharp-edged headlamps and an angular greenhouse, the crossover is also now 49 mm longer, 20 mm wider and 15 mm lower. It’s set to go on sale in Europe early next year.

Like the third-gen Nissan X-Trail, the new Nissan Qashqai is based on Renault-Nissan’s Common Module Family (CMF) platform. Designed and engineered in Europe, for Europe, it’s the work of Nissan Design Europe in London as well as Nissan Technical Centres in Cranfield, UK and Barcelona, Spain. It will be built in Sunderland, UK.

MacPherson struts sit up front; out back, 2WD cars get a torsion beam while All-Mode 4×4-i models ride on multi-links. There’s double-piston dampers and a redesigned electric power steering system with 5% lower gearing, plus Normal and Sport modes of feedback. LED DRLs are standard; higher-spec variants get all-LED headlamps with a unique light signature. 19-inch alloys are optional.

A roof spoiler with winglets, a flat floor and an Active Grille Shutter help the 2014 Nissan Qashqai achieve a 0.32 drag coefficient. Active Grille Shutter, standard on manual-gearbox diesels, closes off airflow through the radiator when not needed, automatically shutting at speeds above 30 km/h and only opening when sensors detect that cooling is needed.

The interior shares more than a few similarities with the new X-Trail’s. There’s more leg and shoulder room, and despite the car being lower, there’s 10 mm more headroom. The boot holds 430 litres of luggage with the back seats up – 20 litres more than the outgoing Qashqai – and the tailgate now opens 150 mm higher.

Like the X-Trail, it’s got a dual floor – there are two reversible floor panels that can be raised or lowered, offering 16 possible configurations to either maximise luggage volume or provide a flat floor when the rear seats are folded.

The seats benefit from extra bolsters in the pelvis, lumbar and chest areas – Nissan claims its engineers were inspired by NASA to use advanced medical scanning techniques to analyse pressure and blood flow in the lower back of seated passengers.

A new NissanConnect infotainment system now incorporates smartphone connectivity and a seven-inch touch-screen. Additionally, there’s a five-inch colour TFT screen within the instrument panel that boasts 12 graphic displays on rotation.

Two petrol and two diesel engines have been announced – we’ll start with the petrols. Replacing the previous car’s naturally-aspirated 1.6 litre unit is a 115 PS/190 Nm 1.2 DIG-T that’s capable of returning 5.6 litres per 100 km and emitting 129 grams of CO2 per km. The engine is connected to a six-speed manual, and comes standard with start/stop and a regenerative alternator.



Set to join later in 2014 is a 150 PS/240 Nm 1.6 DIG-T that’s capable of returning 5.6 litres per 100 km and emitting 132 grams of CO2 per km. The oil burners, of which torque figures have not been disclosed, are a 110 PS 1.5 dCi and a 130 PS 1.6 dCi. Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of the smaller engine are quoted at 3.8 litres per 100 km and 99 grams per km.

The bigger engine does 4.4 litres per 100 km/115 grams per km in 2WD manual form, 4.9 litres per 100 km/129 grams per km in All-Mode 4×4-i manual form and 4.6 litres per 100 km/119 grams per km with the Xtronic CVT.

Safety Shield tech on the second-gen Nissan Qashqai includes Front Collision Avoidance, Driver Attention Support, Traffic Sign Recognition, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Warning, Moving Object Detection and High Beam Assist. There’s also Chassis Control (Active Ride Control, Active Engine Brake and Active Trace Control), Intelligent Parking Assist, Hill Start Assist and Around View Monitor.

Nissan Dayz Roox – expanding the Dayz K-car range

It’s called the Dayz Roox, and it’s Nissan’s second model in its new Dayz minicar range. The tall wagon – which will be sold in standard and Highway Star forms – will be on display in Tokyo, and is slated for domestic introduction early next year.

It’s the second Nissan-Mitsubishi minicar offering from NMKV, a joint-venture company formed by both automakers in 2011 to develop minicars for the Japanese market. Earlier in the year, the Nissan Dayz and Mitsubishi eK were introduced in Japan.

The Dayz Roox features one-touch auto sliding rear doors, a battery-assist system as well as an Around View Monitor, and a host of keep cool kit keeps occupants comfy – the list includes a rear ceiling fan, roll-up sunshades and green UV-cut windshield glass.

In related news, a report indicates that Nissan will end its OEM procurement of minicars from Suzuki. The arrangement began in 2002, with Nissan taking the Suzuki MR Wagon and Palette models and rebadging them as the Moco and the Roox. The arrangement is set to end as early as next year, a natural process given the existence of NKMV and the growing relationship between Mitsubishi and Renault-Nissan. The Dayz Roox takes over from the Palette-based Roox in the scheme of things.

Nissan BladeGlider Concept previews a future EV

If Nissan has its way, our future world would be filled with arrow-shaped electric cars. We’ve just seen the ZEOD RC Le Mans electric racecar and on its way to the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show is this, the Nissan BladeGlider Concept.

More than a concept, the BladeGlider is both a proposal for the future direction of Nissan EV development and an exploratory prototype of an upcoming production vehicle from the world’s leading EV manufacturer. Developed with form following function, Nissan crafted the vehicle’s unique layout to give the driver and passengers “sustainable exhilaration”.

Its shape alone, with a narrow 1.0-metre front track, challenges the convention that has dominated our roads since the birth of the internal combustion engine. The BladeGlider has its conceptual roots in two aerial images: the soaring, silent, panoramic freedom of a glider and the triangular shape of a high performance “swept wing” aircraft.



In terms of engineering, the BladeGlider’s developmental focus was aerodynamics: achieving low drag (cdA) while generating road-hugging downforce. Having the front wheels close together reduces drag and enhances manoeuvrability for high-G cornering, assisted by 30:70 weight distribution. Downforce is created by the highly rigid yet lightweight carbon-fibre underbody, hence the lack of drag-inducing wings.

When the BG matures into a production car, it could be Nissan’s first use of in-wheel motors, which provide rear-wheel propulsion with independent motor management, while also contributing to freedom of upper body design and space-efficient packaging.

To power the electric motors, the BladeGlider employs Nissan’s lithium-ion battery technology as used in the production Nissan LEAF, which will go on sale in Malaysia soon. Battery modules are mounted low and towards the rear to enhance stability and handling.



This glider can be shared with two passengers in a V-shaped seating configuration. Passengers sit at the longitudinal centre of gravity to maintain the car’s balance at all times. The centre-driving setting also enhances the driver’s sensatory experience with a near-360 degree view.

As a final touch, the driver’s seat automatically slides laterally when you open the door, enabling easy access to passenger seats.

“I think that the excitement of the racing car should be mirrored in the excitement of driving the road car,” said Ben Bowlby, director of Nissan Motorsport Innovation, who has supported the BladeGlider’s development. “I think there are elements we can bring from the race track to make these future road cars more exciting, more fulfilling and give greater driving pleasure.”
Looks a little like the BMW i8 from the rear three quarters, don’t you think?

Renault-Nissan and Mitsubishi to deepen relationship: Mitsubishi to rebadge Renault C and D cars

The Renault-Nissan Alliance and Mitsubishi today announced a joint intention to explore several projects involving shared products, technology and manufacturing capacity. Along with this, they’ve announced several initiatives that they are currently working on.

NMKV to go global with new small car

 

NISSAN and Mitsubishi already have a joint venture company in Japan called NMKV, which was established in 2011. NMKV handles product planning and engineering for K-cars for the Japanese domestic market. This JV was probably born out of successful badge-engineering projects in Japan between the two companies such as the Nissan Kix, which is a rebadged Pajero Mini, the Delica D:3 which is a rebadged NV200, or the new Proudia which is a rebadged Infiniti M.

As the K-car market is unique to Japan and there are so many manufacturers competing for it, badge engineering is a way to reduce costs and keep up profitability. One of the first cars to be born from NMKV development was revealed in March this year – the Nissan Dayz, also known as the Mitsubishi eK.

In today’s announcement, Mitsubishi and Nissan revealed that NMKV will be extended to co-devleop a new small-segment car including an electric version which can be sold on a global basis, based on a K-car platform – probably the Dayz/eK’s platform. The Dayz/eK has a 2,430mm wheelbase, slightly shorter than that of the Mitsubishi Mirage’s 2,450mm and the Nissan March’s 2,449mm. Could this mean the next generation Mitsubishi Mirage and Nissan March will share a platform?

New Global Mitsubishi C-segment Sedan to be based on Renault car

Mitsubishi have been exhibiting all kinds of cars recently – the GC-PHEV which previews a next gen Pajero, the XR-PHEV which previews a next gen ASX and the AR which previews a next gen MPV. The Concept G4 eventually became the B-segment Attrage. But there has been no news about a concept C-segment sedan shown in the last few years that could have given us a preview of the next generation Mitsubishi Lancer.

If you’ve been wondering what has happened to the replacement model for the aging Lancer, we now know it’s coming and have some kind of idea what it will be, assuming discussions conclude positively. Today’s announcement reveals the next generation Mitsubishi Lancer will most likely be based on the Renault Fluence, which was facelifted recently.

New North American Mitsubishi D-segment Sedan to be based on Renault car

It looks like the Concept ZT shown at Tokyo 2007 won’t happen. Today’s announcement also reveals a Galant replacement model, but it will not be a global car, instead targeted at the North American markets of USA and Canada. This car will most probably be based on the Renault Latitude/Renault Samsung SM5, and will be built at Renault Samsung’s plant in South Korea.

Renault is currently not in sale in the USA so the car will be at least unique there. Given North America’s love of big engines, we can probably count the car to be available with Nissan’s 3.5 litre V6. I doubt North Americans would accept a D-segment car powered by a 1.6 litre turbo engine, which the SM5 is also available with.

“Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors have jointly benefited from several collaborations in the past, most recently the successful joint-venture on Kei cars in Japan. I welcome the direction being taken towards this broader cooperation, creating new opportunities for Renault in addition to further leveraging the productive relationship between Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors,” said Carlos Ghosn, President and CEO of the Renault-Nissan Alliance.

“As a result of the development of collaborative projects with Nissan Motor up to now, Mitsubishi Motors is pleased to work again with Nissan and now Renault towards achieving further collaborations. The new opportunities could be described as evidence that the ongoing collaborative projects between Mitsubishi Motors and Nissan have brought positive results, and Mitsubishi Motors hopes that any new collaborative projects with the Renault-Nissan Alliance would bring us further merits,” said Osamu Masuko, President of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation.

Well then, with the two companies working so closely I suppose it’s just perfect that Tan Chong Motors will be building cars for both of them in Malaysia!

Mitsubishi Electric developing charging system which employs EVs as an electricity source during blackouts

Mitsubishi Electric is developing a solar-powered charger for electric cars, one which will be able to reroute electricity from the EV’s batteries into the home in the event of a blackout. The company is looking at EVs very much as batteries-on-wheels and as an alternative power source to fixed storage systems.

The charger, which is being developed together with NISSAN and Mitsubishi Motors, is expected to go on sale in Japan next year, priced above 500,000 yen, the Nikkei reports. It will be the first system with such a capability to be sold domestically, and will work with both MMC’s i-MiEV and the NISSAN LEAF.

According to the company, since EV batteries are able to store more electricity than current home-based ones, an EV hooked up to the charger – when utilised with separately installed solar panels – will be able to power a typical home for up to a week.

For example, the Leaf – which will begin selling in Malaysia soon – has a capacity of 24 kwh, far higher than residential battery systems in place now. The new charging system will also offer a cost effective solution (provided one has an EV in the first place, of course) – a residential unit with the capacity needed to supply an average home’s daily power needs (around 10 kwh) goes for two to three million yen.