Nissan recently announced its 2009 fiscal year financial results on May-12. One slide that captured my attention was slide No.6, on Nissan's Global Compact Car, or sometimes referred to as the V-platform. We have already seen the first iteration of Nissan's Global Compact Car - the new March. Nissan also revealed that the V-platform can also accomodate a sedan (codenamed L02B) and a MPV codenamed W02C), but gave little details.
But in the latest fiscal year financial report, Nissan revealed that an "affordable sedan" is one of the company's 8 all-new product launches. Nissan expects to launch the new "affordable sedan" by the end of 2010 fiscal year, which means by March 2011, the last month of the Japanese financial year.
The affordable sedan is expected to challenge the current dominance of Toyota Vios (Yaris sedan in USA) and Honda City, which is recently joined by the Ford Fiesta sedan and Mazda2 sedan. But unlike the City, the L02B sedan is rumoured to join the Fiesta sedan in the USA.
Like the March, the L02B will be powered by a 1.2-litre 3-cylinder engine. In supercharged form the engine produces 98PS and 142Nm of torque, mated to a XTronic CVT transmission made by Jatco, a Nissan affliated transmission specialist and largest supplier of CVT transmissions in the world. Power figures is a little bit down compared to other B-segment competitors like Vios and City but its torque figures, which in layman terms is understood as pulling power and is really the figure that matters in real world driving, matches that of the competition. Plus it boasts of superior fuel economy and lower exhaust emission at only 95g/km. It may not mean much to ASEAN region but it makes a lot of difference in other markets where vehicles are taxed based on the exhaust emission ratings as well.
The L02B will be built alongside the March in Thailand, as well as China and India.
The W02C MPV however, will be launched by 2012 but is more of a crossover than an actual full size MPV. Think Perodua Alza rather than a Proton Exora, in the similar price bracket and you get the picture. It will slot beneath the full 7-seater Nissan Grand Livina. Power will come from a petrol 1.5-litre engine, the HR15DE that also powers the Japanese market Tiida (Latio). However a 1.5-litre diesel is expected to produce the highest power. Though it is not expected to be sold in ASEAN region but is a likely candidate for India.
Nissan currently sells a smaller 5-seater version of the Grand Livina, called Livina (the prefix "Grand" dropped) in Indonesia and China. So it is a bit hard to predict Nissan's plan for the Indonesian / Chinese market. Although the Indonesian market does not respond very well to passenger car based MPVs, given the poor road conditions. Which is why truck frame based Toyota's Kijang Innovas and Avanzas (semi-monocoque) still reign supreme there.
The B-segment is one of the largest growing car segment in the world, driven by developing markets of South East Asia, China, India and even Brazil. Both sedan and hatchback B-segment models account for over 20% of the world's automotive total industry volume (TIV). At the moment, segment is dominated by Suzuki (India) and domestic Chinese brands (China) and Toyota and Honda (ASEAN). Nissan's boss Carlos Ghosn reckons that Nissan is under represented in this burgeoning segment, hence the creation of the Global Compact V-platform.
The V-platform team is headed by one Vincent Cobee, who is the Corporate VP and Program Director for V-platform, Noritaka Tsuru was the former chief engineer for V-platform but now serves as GM of vehicle project purchasing. Tsuru-san's previous engineering inputs includes the S13 Silvia, R32 Skyline, Terrano-II and Pathfinder. Keno Kato is the segment's product specialist, was previously overseeing product planning for X-Trail, March / Micra, Tiida / Versa / Latio, and Note.
Related link : Renault-Nissan-Daimler alliance - the real motivating factor
3 comments:
Better late than never.
On price point competitiveness in M'sia, it will also have to fight against the Koreans.
"Although the Indonesian market does not respond very well to passenger car based MPVs, given the poor road conditions. Which is why truck frame based Toyota's Kijang Innovas and Avanzas (semi-monocoque) still reign supreme there."
Question: what's the design difference between a passenger car chassis and a truck chassis? Why does one perform better than the other on poor road conditions?
The focus on Indonesia is more of having sufficient ground clearance to clear minor floods and potholes.
But truck chassis / body on frame type chassis are easier to manufacture and thus cheaper. But are also heavier and have poorer dynamics due to poorer rigidity against a one-piece monocoque unit. But in Jakarta, you want it cheap, high, durable. So truck chassis wins over monocoque body for the lead. The Grand Livina is a monocoque but is specially designed to have higher ground clearance.
A friend in Jakarta had to sell off his Pug 308. The French hatchback, despite being famed for its ability to ride comfortably on cobbled old French roads that are known as some of the worst in Europe, require frequent repairs / adjustments to its suspension. He got fed up and swapped for a good old solidly built W124.
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