The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nissan

  • Nissan recalls 1.2m vehicles

    Nissan North America is recalling 1,228,830 model year 2018-2019 Nissan Altimas, Frontiers, Kicks, Leafs, Maximas, Muranos, NVs, NV200s, Pathfinders, Rogues, Rogue Sports, Sentras, Titans, Versa Notes, Versa Sedans, Infiniti Q50s, Q60s, QX30s and QX80s.

    Also being recalled are model year 2019 Nissan GT-Rs& Taxis and Infiniti QX50s, QX60s, Q70s and Q70Ls.

    The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse.

    The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.

    Nissan will notify owners in phases, and have dealers update the back-up camera settings software free of charge.

    The recall is expected to begin October 21, and all affected VINs should be activated by November 11.

     

  • Nissan recalls 1.2m vehicles

    Nissan North America is recalling 1,228,830 model year 2018-2019 Nissan Altimas, Frontiers, Kicks, Leafs, Maximas, Muranos, NVs, NV200s, Pathfinders, Rogues, Rogue Sports, Sentras, Titans, Versa Notes, Versa Sedans, Infiniti Q50s, Q60s, QX30s and QX80s.

    Also being recalled are model year 2019 Nissan GT-Rs& Taxis and Infiniti QX50s, QX60s, Q70s and Q70Ls.

    The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse.

    The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.

    Nissan will notify owners in phases, and have dealers update the back-up camera settings software free of charge.

    The recall is expected to begin October 21, and all affected VINs should be activated by November 11.

  • Nissan unveils 2020 GT-R

    Nissan has launched a revamped Nissan GT-R to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the very first model.

    Updates include new turbos, suspension changes, styling tweaks and a return of the Bayside Blue colour after an absence of 17 years.

    The 2020 GT-R is on sale now for £83,995, with first deliveries in November.

    The updated GT-R’s 562bhp twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V6 petrol engine gets new turbochargers.

    They don’t increase the engine’s power but they do improve its responsiveness at low revs and its efficiency by around five per cent. Gear shifts in R-Mode are improved by 0.15 seconds.

    Nissan has tweaked the electronic suspension to improve the GT-R’s ride and cornering performance.

    Improvements should also provide more precise steering.

    Nissan has implemented a new brake booster that should improve high-speed braking and make it feel more controlled.

    Other changes include new exhaust manifolds that allow easier servicing, a new titanium exhaust muffler and burnished blue exhaust tips.

    Changes to the styling include new 20-inch alloy wheels with 20 spokes and the replacement of the ivory leather upholstery option with a new grey leather interior option.

    The Bayside Blue colour was retired when the R34 model of the GT-R was retired in 2002.

    The colour made its official return appearing for the GT-R 50th Anniversary model, announced earlier this year.

    Just 18 of those were allocated to the United Kingdom, making it a very rare sight on our roads.

  • Renault, Nissan, Mitsubishi may discuss merger

    Car makers Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi may discuss a merger later in the future, Jean-Dominique Senard, the Chief Executive Officer of the French car manufacturer said on Saturday.

    “These discussions over a capitalistic merger have been carried out for a while and they were brought out in a dramatic way recently. I think that later on, as events unfold, Renault, Nissan and Mistubishi will think about that with serenity,” Senard said in an interview with France Inter radio station.

    For now, the companies are working on ways to optimise their alliance, said Senard, who heads of it.

    Talks about a possible merger over the past days “have scared out everybody”, Senard said.

    The removal of Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn, credited with rescuing Nissan from near-bankruptcy in 1999, from the head of the alliance has raised a cloud of uncertainty about its future.

    As Nissan ponders its future without Ghosn, who is charged with financial misconduct, French partner Renault has been quietly manoeuvring for merger talks, sources at both automakers have recently told Reuters.

    Ghosn has denied all charges against him.

  • Renault, Nissan, Mitsubishi may discuss merger

    Car makers Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi may discuss a merger later in the future, Jean-Dominique Senard, the Chief Executive Officer of the French car manufacturer said on Saturday.

    “These discussions over a capitalistic merger have been carried out for a while and they were brought out in a dramatic way recently. I think that later on, as events unfold, Renault, Nissan and Mistubishi will think about that with serenity,” Senard said in an interview with France Inter radio station.

    For now, the companies are working on ways to optimise their alliance, said Senard, who heads of it.

    Talks about a possible merger over the past days “have scared out everybody”, Senard said.

    The removal of Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn, credited with rescuing Nissan from near-bankruptcy in 1999, from the head of the alliance has raised a cloud of uncertainty about its future.

    As Nissan ponders its future without Ghosn, who is charged with financial misconduct, French partner Renault has been quietly manoeuvring for merger talks, sources at both automakers have recently told Reuters.

    Ghosn has denied all charges against him.

  • World number 1, Osaka signs deal with Nike

    World number one Naomi Osaka has agreed a deal with Nike, the sports apparel giant has announced.

    The Japanese, who had previously been tied to rival Adidas, will first wear Nike gear at the Stuttgart Grand Prix later this month, the U.S. sportswear maker said on its website.

    “I’m proud to become a member of the Nike family and excited about getting involved in all of the opportunities Nike has to offer,” said Osaka in the statement.

    “Nike has a legendary track record of writing history and I look forward to being a part of those moments for many years to come.”

    READ ALSO: Serena’s conqueror, Naomi Osaka is the coolest thing in tennis

    The Japanese has won the last two Grand Slams, having become the first ever Japanese player to win one of the four majors when she overcame Serena Williams at the U.S. Open in September.

    “Naomi is an incredible talent to add to our roster and help drive our commitment to inspiring a new generation of female athletes,” Nike VP Amy Montagne added in the statement.

    “We are thrilled to have her join our team.”

    Osaka’s ascent to the top of the women’s game has made her a hot marketable commodity for the world’s top brands.

    She already has deals with Japanese airline All Nippon Airways, car manufacturer Nissan and watch company Citizen, among others.

  • Stallion showcases Nissan Kicks SUV

    The new Nissan Kicks combines distinctive styling, nimble performance with Nissan Intelligent Mobility that guarantees seamless connectivity and advanced driver assistance features

    The Africa-based Kicks models comes with standard six airbags, Bluetooth connectivity, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration; 17-inch Alloy wheels, integrated roof rails and a follow-me-home headlight module on all models.

    The Kicks rides on Nissan’s new V-Platform a lightweight but sturdy platform with perfect balance between ride and handling.

    First unveiled as a concept in 2014, and showcased across Brazil during summer 2016 to promote the Summer Olympics, of which Nissan was a lead sponsor, the Kicks boasts of being a design collaboration between Nissan’s design studios in California, United States, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Atsugi, Japan.

    Stallion NMN, the Nissan Sales Company that unveiled the Kicks, Nissan’s next generation B-segment crossover SUV, promised to assemble at least 500 units yearly to ensure the vehicle is accessible and affordably priced.

    Its Managing Director,Parvir Singh, who dropped this hint in Lagos, at the media preview of the car, said: “We are looking at assembling the Nissan Kicks very soon to further bring down the cost.”

    The Kicks is, undoubtedly, everything Nissan has leaned as the crossover pioneer and it has spared nothing in making the vehicle one of the most attractive crossover yet – incorporating Nissan’s design cues and tagline –“Innovation that excites.”

    An astonishing sport utility vehicle (SUV), Nissan Kicks comes equipped with the new Nissan V-motion platform recently integrated in the entire Nissan range of passenger vehicles.

    Also coming to Africa as one of the most reputable new vehicles in the planet world, the Kicks is undoubtedly big on attitude and self-expression, and will replace the Juke at the small end of Nissan’s SUV line-up, the dealership assured.

    Designed to standout , the Kicks styling showcases the best of Nissan’s design elements including a large V-motion grille, clear wrap-around headlights and integrated boomerang LED daytime running lights on appropriate models.

    The striking front-end is complimented by blacked-out side pillars for a modern floating roof look, large wheels and a steeply sloping windscreen to give it a striking on-road presence. At the rear, the Kicks is fitted with an integrated spoiler.

    Stallion NMN Head Sales and Marketing Amit Sharma said: “While the striking front end has won it many compliments, it is Kicks’ profile view that has wowed judges at its many awards.

    “The designers took their time to black-out all three pillars to create the impression of a floating roof, which slopes towards the rear and meets a rising shoulder line at the C-pillar.”

    Despite its compact dimensions, the Kicks offer astonishing amounts of interior space – thanks in part to the brand-new Nissan architecture, which includes a longer-than-usual 2,620mm wheelbase.

    The Kicks luggage space measures 383 litres with the seats upright, which is almost as large as cars in a larger vehicle class just as the cabin has a range of storage spaces, including a lidded glove-box, deep door pockets, drink holders and cubby holes in the centre console.

    It has also been equipped with sturdier suspension assemblies, which do not transfer as much vibration into the cabin thus making the car as comfortable and fuss-free as possible, the sales and marketing helmsman affirmed.

    A great deal of attention to detail has gone into the three-spoke-flat-bottom steering wheel with a matt chrome finish for a quality appearance, which has a new ergonomically designed grip section allowing the driver’s grasp to be naturally tight. The central spokes house controls for the audio and phone systems and driver information displays.

    Behind the shaped steering wheel, the driver has quick access to driving information – thanks to the integrated drive computer between the speedometer and tachometer.

    Nissan Kicks come with an optional seven-inch touchscreen, which includes audio streaming and phone connectivity via Bluetooth and reverse camera.

  • Nissan, Mitsubishi say Ghosn improperly received $9m from joint venture

    Austed Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn improperly received $9 million in compensation from a joint venture between Nissan and Mitsubishi, the Japanese automakers said on Friday, raising the possibility of their ousted chairman facing a fresh charge of embezzlement.

    In the latest twist to the saga of the once-feted official’s fall from grace, the automakers have found that Ghosn was paid by their Netherlands-based joint venture without the knowledge of the unit’s two other directors — Nissan Chief Executive Officer Hiroto Saikawa and his Mitsubishi counterpart Osamu Masuko.

    Ghosn, arrested and detained in Tokyo for about two months, has already been indicted on charges of underreporting his income for eight years at Nissan through March 2018, and temporarily transferring personal investment losses to the automaker during the global financial crisis.

    “That such misconduct also occurred at our affiliate is beyond shocking … it’s sad,” Masuko told reporters, referring to the payments made to Ghosn from Nissan-Mitsubishi BV, registered in the Netherlands in 2017.

    Both Mitsubishi and Nissan said they would consider ways to recover the amount from Ghosn, while Mitsubishi lawyer Kei Umebayashi said a criminal charge was also possible.

    “The most likely charge for this would be embezzlement,” he told reporters at a briefing.

    Ghosn’s lawyer, Motonari Otsuru, could not be immediately reached by telephone for a comment on Friday. Ghosn has denied all previous charges against him.

  • Nissan develops tech to see ‘corners’ objects

    Nissan has developed a new in-car interface that uses augmented reality to track what’s happening around you and predict what’s coming up on the road ahead.

    Invisible-to-Visible (I2V) combines local data from the car’s sensors with global data on transport infrastructure to track your immediate surroundings and predict what’s ahead – even letting you ‘see’ through buildings and around corners.

    To make the information more accessible, it can be presented by a virtual ‘navigator’ – an avatar that appears inside the car and interacts with you in a human-like way using speech synthesis. This could be a cartoon character, a virtual representation of a friend or family member, or someone else.

    Nissan said the I2V will bring together the real world and what it calls the metaverse.

    “Simply put, the metaverse is a virtual universe,” says Tetsuro Ueda, an expert leader at the Nissan Research Center.

    “Sensor data, cloud data and artificial intelligence live in the digital world, and their communication language is binary. However, humans cannot understand what’s being communicated just by looking at the binary data.

    “Invisible-to-Visible technology is the interface that merges the data world and the real world – a new level of connectivity that connects cars to the metaverse,” Ueda said.

    I2V will work for both manual and autonomous driving. For autonomous cars, Nissan hopes that the technology will make being chauffeured around a more pleasant experience – showing you the outside world on a sunny day when it’s actually raining, for example.

    It’s also hoped that showing a visualisation of what the car’s artificial intelligence ‘sees’ will put passengers at ease, and help them trust the vehicle.

    For manual driving, the interface will appear as an augmented reality overlay on top of the real view through the car’s windshield. It will also show you information about your estimated travel time, upcoming road congestion, irregular road surfaces, and other factors that could surprise you. I2V will also let you know if someone is about to cross the road ahead, or a parking space is about to become available.

    Nissan will be showing off the tech at CES 2019, where visitors will have the chance to try the interactive, 3D interface for themselves.

  • Nissan fires chair

    Nissan Motor Co’s (7201.T) board voted unanimously to oust Chairman Carlos Ghosn on Thursday after the shock arrest of the industry heavyweight, ushering in a period of uncertainty for its 19-year alliance with Renault.

    The Japanese firm said its board also voted to remove Greg Kelly – who like Ghosn has been arrested after allegations of financial misconduct – from his post as representative director.

    The moves, which leaves the chairman position vacant, came despite Renault urging Nissan’s board before its meeting to delay removing Ghosn, sources close to the matter told Reuters.

    The Franco-Japanese alliance, enlarged in 2016 to include Japan’s Mitsubishi Motors, has been rattled to its core by the arrest of the 64-year-old Ghosn in Japan.

    Ghosn had shaped the alliance and was pushing for a deeper tie-up, including potentially a full Renault-Nissan merger at the French government’s urging, despite strong reservations at the Japanese firm.

    Japanese prosecutors said Ghosn and Kelly conspired to understate Ghosn’s compensation at Nissan over five years from 2010, saying it was about half the actual 10 billion yen ($88 million).

    Shin Kukimoto, deputy public prosecutor at the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office, said on Thursday that court approval was received a day earlier to detain Ghosn for 10 days but he could not comment on whether he had admitted to the allegations.

    A street monitor showing a news report about arrest of Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn is seen next to Christmas

    Nissan executives have five seats on the nine-member board, Renault loyalists have two seats and the remaining two are held by unaffiliated outside directors, a former bureaucrat and a race driver.