Filed under: Crossover, Hatchback, Nissan, First Drives

Scratching All The Right Itches



Say what you will about the unconventional aesthetics that Nissan employed on the company's Juke. I love the thing. The universe has no shortage of ambiguously styled CUVs, and while I can't exactly say I would have turned to the amphibian world for design inspiration had it been me with the charcoal in my hand, I can certainly appreciate the fact that the Juke isn't just another box-on-box design.

And then there's that engine. The turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder under the hood is one of the best powerplants in the company's toy box, offering plenty of low-range torque and comical levels of thrust. Hell, it even makes the optional continuously variable transmission tolerable. Praise be to the deities of forced induction. But something has always been missing from the mix. From the first moment I got my hands on the Juke, I couldn't help but think how much better the machine would be if Nissan ditched an inch or two of ground clearance and sharpened up its suspension. Think more "hot hatch" and less "Kermit goes to Kroger."

I wasn't the only one with that notion. The minds at Nismo were keen to turn their attentions to the Juke, and while the resulting 2013 Juke Nismo isn't the hardcore machine I'd seen in my dreams, it may very well be the best trim available for the runabout.

Continue reading 2013 Nissan Juke Nismo

2013 Nissan Juke Nismo originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 May 2013 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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-Editors praise the all-electric LEAF for range, practicality, refinement and value-
This release contains: 1 Related Document, 1 Photo, 1 Video

NASHVILLE, Tenn. ? The revamped 2013 Nissan LEAF has been named to the top spot on Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com's list of 10 Best Green Cars of 2013. After driving and testing every significant "green" vehicle currently on the market, the experts at KBB.com determined the newly redesigned LEAF offers the best value, range, refinement and value for eco-conscious consumers looking for the greenest car available.

"The 2013 Nissan LEAF marks a turning point in the electric vehicle movement with increased content at a reduced price that makes the vehicle competitive with traditional cars in its segment. We're seeing buyers diversify beyond early adopters, and, as the global leader in electric vehicles, Nissan is committed to providing affordable zero-emission options for the mass market," said Erik Gottfried, Nissan director of electric vehicle sales and marketing.

Now in its third model year, Nissan LEAF is the world's best-selling, pure electric vehicle with nearly 60,000 sold worldwide. Recently redesigned to feature numerous customer-focused refinements and upgrades, the 2013 LEAF provides quicker available charging, improved range and more equipment levels. The 2013 LEAF range has an EPA range of 75 miles at a blended (or 'average') 90 percent charge, and customers who fully charge may get up to 83 miles of range. The range of available trim levels includes both a more attainable version and models with more premium amenities such as leather seating and BOSE energy-efficient audio.

Nissan announced earlier this year that U.S. pricing for the 2013 LEAF starts at $28,800, reducing the cost by 18 percent compared to the previous model year. Depending on location, some consumers may acquire the vehicle for as low as $18,800 by qualifying for federal and state tax credits, which makes LEAF competitive with gas-powered vehicles of its size. Nissan LEAF currently may be leased for $199 per month with $1,999 down for 36 months. Nissan now assembles the LEAF and the battery that powers it both in Tennessee.

As a leading provider of new and used car information, Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com's 10 Best Green Cars list is released just in time for Earth Day for eco-friendly drivers in the market for a new car. To see KBB.com's full list of the 10 Best Green Cars of 2013, visit http://www.kbb.com/car-reviews-and-news/top-10/10-best-green-cars-2013/.

About Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com)
Founded in 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource®, is the only vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the industry.  Each week the company provides the most market-reflective values in the industry on its top-rated website www.kbb.com, including its famous Blue Book® Trade-In and Suggested Retail Values and Fair Purchase Price, which reports what others are paying for new cars this week.  The company also provides vehicle pricing and values through various products and services available to car dealers, auto manufacturers, finance and insurance companies as well as governmental agencies.  KBB.com provides consumer pricing and information on cars for sale, minivans, pickup trucks, sedan, hybrids, electric cars, and SUVs.  Kelley Blue Book Co. Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of AutoTrader Group.

About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year in 2010, 2011, and 2012 by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.InfinitiUSA.com, or visit the Americas media sites NissanNews.com and InfinitiNews.com.

About Nissan
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 248,000 employees globally, Nissan provided customers with more than 4.9 million vehicles in 2012, generating revenue of 9.4 trillion yen ($US118.95 billion) in fiscal 2011. With a strong commitment to developing exciting and innovative products for all, Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of 64 models under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. A pioneer in zero-emission mobility, Nissan made history with the introduction of the Nissan LEAF, the first affordable, mass-market, pure-electric vehicle and winner of numerous international accolades, including the prestigious 2011-2012 Car of the Year Japan and 2011 World Car of the Year awards.

For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/.

# # #

Media Contact:
Brian Brockman
Corporate Communications
Phone: +1 615-725-1447
Brian.Brockman@nissan-usa.com

Mike Lookinland "smuggles" a (nearly) new Nissan Leaf into Utah. We bought our Leaf at Nissan of Vacaville. Everything is put to Johann Strauss II's "An ...

Filed under: Truck, Nissan

With the competition dwindling (or dying) among compact trucks, Nissan is looking to make some minor changes to the 2013 Frontier to snag a few extra sales for its aging pickup. Pricing and fuel economy are probably two of the most important vehicle stats among new-car buyers, and the 2013 Nissan Frontier has made vast improvements in both areas over the 2012 model.

First things first: The MSRP of both the King Cab and Crew Cab models have dropped by $1,270 with new starting prices of $17,990 and $22,030 (*not including the $845 destination charge), respectively. The biggest price drop is seen on the SV Crew Cab 4x2, which dropped $1,450 to its new price of $23,990. The important thing here is that the 2013 Frontier King Cab is now priced just a few hundred dollars more than a regular cab version of the Toyota Tacoma. Nissan is also offering a new SV Value Truck Package that includes all the equipment of the previous SV Premium Utility Package (spray-on bedliner, Utili-Track in-bed cargo system with four adjustable cleats and Bluetooth) and adds in a rearview monitor and dual-zone air conditioning.

Another key change made for 2013 was to the Frontier's fuel economy. Except for the base-model truck (King Cab, inline-four, manual transmission, two-wheel drive), all other configurations have seen increases in city and/or highway fuel economy to the tune of one or two miles per gallon; the biggest improvement was to the V6 models with the automatic transmission, which saw an improvement of one mpg city and two mpg highway. Nissan accomplished this with better aerodynamics and updated internal engine components to reduce friction. Aero changes include a seal between the cab and bed, a tailgate spoiler and a new front chin spoiler. For more details on the 2013 Frontier - including a full pricing breakdown - scroll down for the official press release.

Continue reading 2013 Nissan Frontier gets substantial price drop, better fuel economy

2013 Nissan Frontier gets substantial price drop, better fuel economy originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Mar 2013 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After spending weeks of searching online, I took all of my "quotes" and went to see the three lowest. I live in Vacaville, but they were not one of the three. After going to the dealers all of them found interesting ways of raising the prices they quoted me (by over $2300 at one) or tried to "swit...