Nissan Releases Prices for 2010 Titan Pickup Truck with Upgraded Features

Nissan has announced pricing for its 2010 Titan full-size pickup that is now on sale at the firm's U.S. dealerships. The 2010 model year brings revised equipment packages including a new SE Value Truck Package with cloth captain's chairs, tow hitch, Bluetooth Hands-free Phone System, 8-way power-adjustable driver's seat and fog lights that costs $1,300 for the King Cab and $1,350 for the Crew Cab.

Other enhancements for the model year include the addition of standard side and curtain supplemental air bags, Vehicle Dynamic Control and standard Active Brake Limited Slip (ABLS) on all models plus the introduction of two new exterior colors -Blue Steel and Navy Blue

Offered in King Cab and Crew Cab body styles with a choice of 4x4 and 4x2 drive configurations in four different grades, the 2010 Titan at $26,320 for the Titan XE King Cab 4x2 and $28,870 for the Titan XE Crew Cab 4x2, while the 4x4 models begin from $29,170 for the Titan XE King Cab 4x4 and $31,720 for the Titan XE Crew Cab 4x4.

The Crew Cab is also available in a SE Long Wheelbase model with a 159.5-inch wheelbase versus the standard 138.9-inch wheelbase with prices set at $30,970 for the 4x2 model and $33,850 for the 4x4 model.

All models are powered by 317-horsepower 5.6-liter V8 engine linked to a 5-speed automatic transmission.

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Nissan 350Z Dragster that hits 60mph in 1.2 Seconds to Race at Santa Pod

The first ever Pro Class 350Z to be seen in Europe will perform at the FIA European Finals at the Santa Pod Raceway in the UK that runs from September 10th to 13th, 2009. Created by owner and driver John Bradshaw, the Project Zed dragster is powered by a Nissan 350Z 3.5-litre V6 engine producing almost 1,900 horsepower.

"It's incredible to finally have the car ready to test now and we are all very excited by its potential. It really is a car that is capable of setting records around the world and just shows what a Nissan engine is capable of producing," said Bradshaw.

The hand built dragster, which will be the only Japanese engined car to compete in Mainstream drag racing at this year's Santa Pod, is said to accelerate from rest to 60mph (96km/h) in a mere 1.2 seconds while 0-168mph (270km/h) comes after only 4.1 seconds and 0-215mph (346km/h) in just 6.6 seconds.

Nissan, which is supporting the Project Zed dragster, will have a stand at the show displaying its latest road-going sports cars, the GT-R and 370Z.

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Nissan R-TX Concept Study for the Race-Track Enthusiast

One of the concept studies that caught our attention at the 2009 Degree Show at the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea, UK, was the Nissan R-TX that was penned by design student, Matt Jones. While the sports car's styling is heavily influenced by the Nissan GT-R, what makes this concept proposal pretty interesting is its modular construction.

What we, or rather Jones means is that the driver can remove the vehicle's front, rear and roof panels along with the wraparound front windshield transforming the R-TX from a road-going sports coupe to a KTM X-Bow-like track car.

The designer says that aside from lowering the weight of the sports car and (supposedly) improving its aerodynamics, a key aspect during the design development of the R-TX concept was the driver's emotions।

[Source: Swansea University , Via: Carbodydesign]

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Nissan's GT-R Nurburgring Race Track Fire Fighter

Meet the world's fastest fire fighting vehicle: Nissan's specially modified GT-R that takes up role as an emergency response vehicle at the Nurburgring circuit in Germany The fire-fighting GT-R is a gift from Nissan to the Nurburgring operator and it was created in collaboration with M&M Automotive, a Bonn-based specialist for car development and motor sports. While the mechanical hardware remain intact, the GT-R's rear seats were removed and replaced with a 50-liter water tank secured with a roll cage.

The 485-horsepower sports car also gets a medium-pressure extinguisher system (20 bars) as well as a winding device for the hose while an additional radio communication system and a new set of Recaro sports seats complete the upgrades. The manufacturer claims that with a foam reach of around 18 meters and a 20-metre hose, the unit will be able to fight fire for around two minutes on a single tank.

Even though the extra equipment added 200 kg or approx 440 pounds to the coupe's weight, Nissan supports that the GT-R can still lap the Nurburgring circuit in less than 8 minutes. The standard model has recorded a lap time of the Nordschleife circuit of 7 minutes and 26.70 seconds.

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2010 Nissan Sentra and Sentra SE-R / V-Spec Receive Mild Facelift, Prices Lowered up to $1,100

On sale now at Nissan's US dealerships, the 2010 Sentra compact sedan has been subtly updated for the new model year while the Japanese firm also announced lower pricing that cuts as much as $1,100 off the MSRP. All Sentra models get revised headlights and taillights, a new grille and front fascia for the 2.0, 2.0 S and 2.0 SL models and new interior fabrics on all trim levels.

Furthermore, the SE-R and SE-R Spec V have been enhanced with revised instrument panel accents and illumination, new wheels, a new 4.3-inch color audio system display with USB interface and standard Interface System for iPod.

Aside from the revised option packages, Nissan has launched the first-ever Navigation Package for the Sentra (2.0 SL, SE-R, SE-R Spec V, January 2010 availability), which includes a 5.0-inch color screen and XM NavTraffic Real-Time Traffic Information with pricing set at just $400.

As we noted before, Nissan has reduced pricing on all Sentra models, with the entry-level 2.0 with 6-speed manual transmission starting from $15,420 USD. The 2.0, 2.0 S, 2.0 SR and 2.0SL are all powered by a 140-horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine that can be paired with a 6-speed manual transmission or a CVT.

The sportier Sentra SE-R and SE-R V-Spec that come equipped with a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine delivering 177HP and 200 HP respectively, are both $1,080 cheaper than the 2009MY cars with prices set at $19,580 and $20,080 respectively.

Model	2009 MSRP	2010 MSRP	MSRP Reduction
2.0 CVT	$16,730	$16,600	$130
2.0 S CVT	$17,760	$17,160	$600
2.0 SR	$17,760	$17,160	$600
2.0 SL	$19,660	$18,560	$1,100
SE-R	$20,660	$19,580	$1,080
SE-R Spec V	$21,160	$20,080	$1,080

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2010 Nissan Maxima Hits the Road from $30,460

The 2010 model year Maxima is on sale now at Nissan dealerships across the States with prices (excluding applicable tax, title and license fees) set at $30,460 for the 3.5 S and $33,180 for the better equipped 3.5 SV. Both models are powered by a 290-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 coupled to a CVT with available paddle shifters. Changes for the 2010MY Maxima include new wheel finishes, a standard Bluetooth Hands-free Phone System on all models and new or revised option packages that include features such as a new 7-inch color monitor and a 2GB Music Server.

Furthermore, Nissan said that the available Hard Drive Navigation System has been upgraded and now includes DVD playback capability, streaming audio via Bluetooth technology, XM NavTraffic Real-Time Traffic Information and XM NavWeather.

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Hyundai Group Overtakes Ford in First Half of 2009 and Becomes World's Fourth Largest Automaker

South Korea's Hyundai Motor Company that includes KIA has overtaken the Ford Group in the first half of the year to become the fourth largest carmaker in the world selling 2,153,000 units or 8,000 more vehicles than the US giant in the same period, according to figures published by the Automotive News Data Centre. Only a decade ago, the then newly unified Hyundai and Kia company was in 11th place overall.

The Korean automaker attributed the growth to its decision to create factories in several countries including Slovakia, the United States and China that built products designed and engineered specifically for local markets.

"Results for all of last year saw Hyundai-Kia trail Ford by around 1,000,000-units, but by reducing the impact of the global recession by producing the right product for the right times, the group has managed to take fourth place much quicker than had been predicted," the South Korean automaker said in a prepared statement.

While the economic downturn has taken its toll on all of the top 10 automakers, Toyota managed to hold on to the first place with 3,564,105 units (-26% compared to H1 2008) followed by General Motors that sold 3,552,722 vehicles (-21.8%) and the Volkswagen Group that was the less affected by the slowdown (-5.1%) with 3,100,300 units sold in the first half of the year. Ford slipped to fifth place with 2,145,000 vehicles sold (-30.6 %).

Global Sales – first half of 2009
	Manufacturer	H1 2009	H1 2008	% change
1	Toyota	3,564,105	4,815,442	-26.0
2	General Motors	3,552,722	4,541,125	-21.8
3	Volkswagen	3,100,300	3,265,200	-5.1
4	Hyundai-Kia	2,153,000	-
5	Ford	2,145,000	3,093,000	-30.6
6	PSA Peugeot-Citroen	1,586,900	1,844,700	-14.0
7	Honda	1,586,000	2,022,000	-21.6
8	Nissan	1,545,976	2,013,611	-23.2
9	Suzuki	1,152,000	1,283,000	-10.2
10	Renault	1,106,989	1,326,164	-16.5

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Nissan Leaf: Affordable All-Electric Hatch Goes on Sale in 2010, 45 High-Res Photos

Unveiled today at Nissan's Japanese headquarters in Yokohama, the zero-emissions Nissan Leaf is a dedicated, mass production electric-vehicle that is slated for launch in late 2010 in Japan, the United States, and Europe. Slightly larger than the Tiida, the medium-sized five-door hatchback is based on a unique platform and it is equipped with a fully electric drivetrain that consists of a 107HP electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack that can be charged through any home outlet providing a driving range of more than 160km (100 miles).

Nissan said that it expects the car to be competitively priced in the range of a well-equipped C-segment vehicle something that points towards a €20,000 range in Europe and close to $30,000 in the USA.

While the Leaf's styling won't be winning any beauty contests, what it will do is give prospective buyers a sense of uniqueness without breaking the norm. That's more evident with the interior design that has an almost concept-feeling to it. For the record, the Leaf is not a prototype study as what you see, is 99-percent what you'll get when the Leaf hits showrooms in late 2010.

"Our car had to be the world's first, medium-size, practical EV that motorists could afford and would want to use every day. And that's what we've created," said Masato INOUE, Nissan Product Chief Designer. "The styling will identify not only Nissan LEAF but also the owner as a participant in the new era of zero-emission mobility."

An interesting detail concerns the headlights which have been designed to split and redirect airflow away from the door mirrors, in order to reduce wind noise and drag. According to Nissan, the lights provide yet one more benefit in that they consume just 10 percent of the electricity of conventional lamps.

At 4,445mm (175-in.) long, 1,770mm wide (69.7-in.) with a height of 1,550mm (61-in.) and a wheelbase of 2,700mm (106.3-in.), the Leaf is larger than your usual C-segment hatch. For example, the VW Golf is 4,199mm long (165-in.), 1,779mm wide (70-in.) with a height of 1,479mm (58.2-in.) and a wheelbase of 2,578mm (101.5-in.).

But whereas conventional hatchbacks like the Golf use internal combustion engines, the front-wheel drive Leaf is equipped with a fully electric drivetrain. Power is provided by an electric motor that delivers 80kW or 107-horsepower and 280Nm (206 lb-ft) of torque while energy is drawn from a combination regenerative braking system and a lithium-ion battery pack positioned underneath the cabin floor to save space.

The Leaf's batteries can be charged up to 80% of its full capacity in just under 30 minutes with a quick charger while a full charge at home through a 200V outlet is estimated to take approximately eight hours. The socket for the Leaf's charging plug is hidden underneath a flap with the firm's logo on the bonnet.

In theory, the idea sounds right, but we can help but wonder how buyers that live in large cities and do not own a garage will be able to charge the car's battery - let alone if the batteries are depleted away from home. Nissan said that it is addressing this problem with the development of a comprehensive charging infrastructure through public and private investment with its Zero-emission mobility programmes.

The Japanese automaker said that it has formed partnerships with countries such as the UK and Portugal, local governments in Japan and the USA, and other sectors, for a total of nearly 30 partnerships worldwide.

Nissan claims that the Leaf will have a driving range in excess of 160 km or 100 miles while the hatchback will be able to achieve a top speed of over 90mph or 140 km/h.

The Leaf will also come equipped with an advanced IT system that will be connected to a global data centre, providing support, information, and entertainment for drivers 24 hours a day.

Nissan will build the Leaf at its Oppama plant, Japan, with additional capacity planned for the firm's Smyrna plant in Tennessee, USA. The EV's lithium-ion batteries are being produced in Zama, Japan, with additional capacity planned for the USA, the UK and Portugal, and other sites around the world.

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