Tag: Nissan

The Nissan ZEOD RC will, in June, become the first entry at Le Mans to complete a lap of the Circuit de la Sarthe with an electric powered engine and thereafter switch to the new Nissan DIG-T R 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo engine. (A single lap of each stint lasts about one hour).

The incredibly small engine weighs only 40 kilogrammes (88 pounds) but produces an astonishing 400 horsepower.

Nissan says the base engine is only 500 mm tall x 400 mm long x 200 mm wide (19.68″ x 15.74″ x 7.78″) and the engine could easily fit inside the luggage guides seen at major airports around the world.

Revving to 7,500 rpm, the Nissan DIG-T R produces 380 Nm of torque at a ratio of 10 horsepower per kilogramme.

The new engine, the automaker said, has a better power-to-weight ratio than the new engines to be used in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship this year.

With the entire concept of the Nissan ZEOD RC focusing heavily on downsizing and efficiency, Nissan turned to new lubricants partner Total to help develop the engine.

The French lubricants manufacturer has worked closely with Nissan engineers to develop fuel and lubricants to maximise the potential of the engine.

The Nissan ZEOD RC will occupy “Garage 56” at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours, an additional entry reserved by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest for new and ground breaking technologies never previously seen at the classic French endurance event.

Lessons learned from the development of the revolutionary racecar will also be used in the development of Nissan’s planned entry into the LM P1 class of the FIA World Endurance championship in 2015.

“Our engine team has done a truly remarkable job with the internal combustion engine,” said Darren Cox, Nissan’s Global Motorsport Director.

“We knew the electric component of the Nissan ZEOD RC was certainly going to turn heads at Le Mans, but our combined zero emission on demand electric/petrol powerplant is quite a stunning piece of engineering. Nissan will become the first major manufacturer to use a three-cylinder engine in major international motorsport. We are aiming to maintain our position as industry leaders in focusing on downsising. Lessons learned from the development of the engine will be seen in Nissan road cars of the future,” he said.

Mr. Cox also said: “Our aim is to set new standards in efficiency in regards to every aspect of the car: powertrain, aerodynamics and handling. For the powertrain, we have worked closely with the team at Total to not only reduce friction inside the engine but within all components of the powertrain. Friction is the enemy of horsepower, and tackling that has been one of the efficiency targets we have concentrated on heavily.”

Nissan has restyled the Sentra with upscale features that are trendy to give the car an edge over competitions in the mid-to-up-class segment, where Toyota’s Corolla and Honda’s Civic has over the years held sway. TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO reports

The new Nissan Sentra is viewed by Nissan as the most revolutionary design in the Sentra’s 30-year history.

According to the auto firm, this model represents the most innovative, highest quality, highest value sedan lineup in Nissan history, and with the complete redesign, it is closer in look and feel to D-Segment vehicles than a typical compact sedan.

The 15.2-foot-long Sentra now has ample rear-seat legroom, measuring 37.4 inches, which is more than the back-seat legroom of a typical compact car such as the 2013 Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.

Also five percent lighter than the previous model and slightly larger in overall dimensions with more interior room and aerodynamic looks, the Japanese automaker says the new Sentra epitomises Nissan’s new tagline, innovation that excites.

Stallion Nissan Motors Nigeria (Stallion NMN), the new Nissan sales company told Motoring reporters at the celebration of the Nissan dealership at Oriental Hotel Lagos that the new Sentra tops 68km per-gallon fuel economy rating for combined city/highway travel, and it is easy to see why the Sentra is a noteworthy new model.

“And do not think that 68km per gallon is an unattainable figure. The 2013 Sentra SL averaged 68 kliometeres per gallon, even though the car was driven in normal fashion and the travel included a highway in the mountains and foothill roads. In fact, the fuel economy is enough to give the car an impressive score,” NMN head of Sales and Marketing, Mr Amit Sharma said.

All 2013 Sentras come with 130-horsepower four cylinder that produces a maximum 128 foot-pounds of torque at 3,600 rpm.

The new Sentra, no doubt has upscale feeling, inside and out, such as the light-emitting diodes accent headlights and tail lamps, and chrome-look door handles which are standard on all models.

The dashboard also has soft-touch feel with a pleasant appearance, and the center armrest between front seats is cushioned.

While leather-trimmed seats are available, the premium gray-colored, cloth-covered seats provided good support especially on hot summer afternoons.

The optional navigation package, which added voice recognition control, hands-free text messaging, a rearview monitor and colorful, 5.8-inch display and touch screen, could attract a little more, yet it is amazingly priced when compared with competitors’ pricing.

A peep at Sentra’s dash is convincing with electroluminescent gauges and upscale touch. However, Nissan did not scrimp on the front-seat legroom to add space to the back seat. Front-seat passengers get a full 42.5 inches of legroom, and the front seat tracks are long to accommodate many sizes of passengers.

Couple with this is the 15.1-cubic-foot trunk which is sized. All this comes from a 2.3-inch longer car than last year’s Sentra.

The Sentra is though a bit shorter in height than last year’s model, but at 58.9 inches is still taller than its competitors.

And while the Sentra has intriguingly grown larger, it is some 150 pounds lighter with improved aerodynamics that helps account for fuel economy.

Available in 1.8-Litre engine, double overhead cam four-cylinder that develops 10 less horsepower than its predecessor’s 2-litre unit, the new Sentra is astonishingly solid with decent throttle response.

However, both the manual transmission and CVT variants deliver 96kW of power and 174Nm of torque.

Drivers in Nigeria, especially in Lagos would find the Sentra’s agility in traffic a soothing relief as Nissan engineers have found the right combination to deliver adequate power and better-than-expected, real-world fuel economy. This is in addition to the “eco” button that conserves fuel when activated, thus reducing unnecessary anxiety on gas mileage.

Sentra suspensions are built to soften road bumps for a comfortable ride and access mountain curves with poise.

Perhaps one of the quietest in its class, the Sentra does not have the kind of sound deadening and noise isolation found in most upscale cars, so the interior acoustics insulate sounds and disturbing noise from nearby trucks and engine that ordinarily, could permeate the passenger compartment.

Nissan Sentra’s four out of five stars in overall crash testing and side crash test recently earned the car a plush credit in safety, which is reassuring when talking safety.

The Sentra is sold and serviced in Nigeria by Stallion NMN, the official Nissan sales company with extensively retrained service technicians in multiple auto repair disciplines with experience in Nissan’s cutting edge and ever changing technology.

Sharma said Stallion NMN’s obligation is to make ownership of Nissan an exciting both in the quality of Nissan vehicles and in after sales service.