Nissan’s current range of passenger, light and medium commercial vehicles, which is on display at the biennial Auto Africa Motor Show, makes a strong statement about Nissan’s shift in success and significance in the global marketplace.
“Motor shows present an important and appropriate platform for a vehicle manufacturer to showcase its products in a single place and on a level not possible in the dealer showroom,” said Roel de Vries, Nissan’s director of marketing and sales.
“We have introduced some significant new models in recent years and these have been instrumental in our being able to shift the image of the Nissan brand and attract new buyers.
PASSENGER CARS
MICRA
Micra is a clever combination of a modern hatch with an independent character and strong aesthetic appeal. Beneath its individual shape with its rounded ‘arch’ styling that makes it stand out from the crowd there is genuine substance.
The Micra’s compact exterior dimensions and short body overhangs front and rear make it easy to manoeuvre and park, while a clever interior design makes for a roomy and comfortable cabin. In addition to being packed with intelligent technology that’s developed to be genuinely useful in everyday situations, the innovative Micra is also easy and fun to drive.
The five-door hatch is available in two 1,4-litre petrol derivatives and there is a three-door 1,5-litre diesel derivative.
The 1,4-litre all-aluminium four-cylinder 16-valve petrol engine is equipped with variable timing control (VTC). It develops 65 kW of power and 128 Nm of torque, and with its five-speed short-shift manual gearbox the new Micra is responsive and fun to drive.
The 1.5 dCi is Nissan’s first entry in the diesel passenger car market. The engine features common rail technology and an inter-cooled turbo charger. It’s mated to a 5 speed manual gearbox and revs eagerly, offering plenty of low down torque. Power output is 60kW and there is 185Nm of torque, providing a sporty performance (0-100 km/h in 12.9 seconds) and a top speed of 170 km/h.
Micra has advanced braking and driving aids, including ABS anti-lock brakes, Brake Assist and Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD), all as standard equipment.
Passive safety equipment includes airbags, three-point safety belts with pre-tensioners and load limiters in front. The Micra also uses the internationally recognised ISO-FIX child seat anchorage system.
TIIDA
Nissan’s new global passenger car, Tiida, has added a new dimension to the company’s passenger car range in South Africa.
Tiida is Nissan’s new contender in the C segment, which accounts for a quarter of all passenger cars sold and is growing, and is locally produced at the company’s Rosslyn plant.
It is a quality car that offers a comfortable, spacious interior in a compact overall size. Available in hatch and sedan, Tiida’s modern, dynamically styled exterior complements a high quality interior that sets new standards in its class.
Rear seats that split 60/40 provide load flexibility, while the hi-end hatch derivatives feature seats that slide to significantly extend either boot capacity or rear legroom.
Comfort and convenience features include electric power steering; power-operated exterior rear view mirrors; a sub-ventilation air conditioner (automatic on the 1.8 Acenta); built-in AM/FM radio with CD player and six speakers and luxurious Tempur seats that maintain the occupants’ ideal positions. Particular attention has been paid to the reduction in noise, vibration and harshness to achieve class-leading low levels.
There are two newly developed four-cylinder aluminium engines with multi-point fuel-injection. The 1.6 litre petrol engine has a five-speed manual or 4-speed automatic gearbox. It produces 80 kW of power and 153 Nm of torque. The 1.8 petrol engine is driven through the only six-speed gearbox offered in its class. It delivers a healthy 95 kW of power and a useful 175 Nm of torque.
Safety features include airbags, engine immobiliser, remote keyless entry, NATS (Nissan Anti-Theft Security), high mounted stop lamps, front seat belt pretensioners, Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist.
350Z
The 350Z is a global sports car that perfectly represents Nissan’s shift in success and significance and has done much to enhance the brand’s image in the global marketplace.
The Nissan 350Z, in coupe and roadster form, is a car that has attracted a strong following around the world among drivers who appreciate its high performance and striking design. Both of these strong selling points have recently been improved, with increased power and acceleration and improved handling combining with subtle changes both inside and out.
Power from the 24-valve 3,5-litre V6 engine – normally aspirated in the interests of instant throttle response – has been upped from 206 to 216 kW, producing performance figures of 0-100 km/h in 5,9 sec and electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h.
A close-ratio six-speed gearbox and a limited-slip differential help the torque, now 350 Nm, reach the road in an orderly fashion.
To improve driveability the speed sensitive power-assisted steering (TOPS) is lighter and new shock absorbers combine with improved Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) and 17-inch ventilated disc brakes as well as new design, six-spoke aluminium alloy wheels to give better handling and braking.
Styling cues that distinguish the 2006 version of the 350Z include a broader new front bumper with extended grille for greater stability; new, more powerful headlight design and new rear combination lamps with LED stop light.
Interior changes include new soft-touch surfaces and materials, with genuine leather seats and softer armrests, centre console lid, door grip and added soft padding.
Genuine brushed aluminium enhances the appearance and quality of the interior, which now offers added storage space and console mounted cup holders, easy-access door pockets and new steering wheel-mounted audio controls.
MURANO
Murano continues the dramatic emerging design trend first seen on the 350Z, and can best be described as the fusion of a sports utility vehicle and a sports sedan.
With the comfort and refinement of an executive saloon, the soul of a big-engined sports car and road-grabbing all-mode 4WD, the Murano is original and inspiring.
Powered by the same 3.5 V6 engine as the Nissan 350Z, the Murano boasts superior driveability thanks to the Xtronic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). More advanced than an automatic transmission, it offers an infinite number of gears and no shift-shock. When you want to be more involved in the driving experience, you can use the six speed manual mode.
The transverse mounted 3,5-litre DOHC 24-valve V6 engine has an aluminium block and cylinder head for superior weight saving and develops 172 kW of power and 318 Nm of torque@ 3 600 r/min. It uses sequential multi-point electronic fuel injection.
By varying the gear ratio continuously, the Xtronic CVT suffers no power loss during shifting, allowing the engine to operate under conditions of optimum efficiency. As a result a CVT can improve fuel economy by approximately 10% over a conventional automatic transmission.
Under normal conditions the Murano is front wheel driven, but with the all-mode 4WD system activated, maintains progress across varying surfaces, electronically distributing torque between the front and rear wheels as road conditions demand. For even more challenging surfaces, it can be switched to ‘lock’ mode for permanent all wheel drive.
Murano uses power-assisted 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS preventing any of the wheels from locking up under braking, Brake Assist (BA) increasing braking force in panic braking situations, as well as Electronic Braking Force Distribution (EBD) distributing brake force to each wheel based on vehicle load and braking conditions.
Map and Directions to NASREC EXPO CENTER
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