EMBARGOED UNTIL 0500 HOURS 7 October 2005NISSAN AT THE 2005 TOKYO MOTOR SHOW
NISSAN AT THE 2005 TOKYO MOTOR SHOW
Tokyo – Nissan Motor Co., Ltd will present eight show cars that incorporate ideas for new models to come at the upcoming 2005 Tokyo Motor Show. Headlining the show is the GT‑R PROTO concept confirming the GT‑R legend will be continued into the 21st century. The ‘Pivo’ is a concept car that examines the potential of future electric cars and the ‘Foria’ is Nissan’s concept for a possible next-generation compact coupe.
Nissan’s latest Information Technology (IT) and telematics ideas are incorporated into several of the concept cars on display. These include the All round View Monitor, Lane Departure Prevention, 4-wheel active steer and the latest development of the Human-machine interface systems.
Main Features of Concept Cars
GT‑R PROTO
At a glance:
· Ultimate driving pleasure
· Exterior design close to final
· Official launch set for 2007
At the 35th Tokyo Motor Show in 2001, Nissan unveiled the GT‑R Concept. Then, at the 37th Tokyo Motor Show in 2003, Nissan announced the next-generation GT‑R would be rolled out in 2007. Now with the launch of the production model just two years away, the development of the new GT‑R has moved ahead again with the reveal of the GT‑R PROTO.
The design of the GT‑R PROTO expresses pure GT‑R heritage, coming from the first model PGC10 (1969) through R34 (1999), in a new and expressive form.
From its original roots as a purebred Japanese performance car, the new GT‑R will now be a car sold globally, recognising its ability to compete with the very best in the world. For the first time in its history, the new GT‑R will be designed as a specific body style, and not derived from a sedan.
PIVO
At a glance:
· Electric car with unique 360 degree revolving cabin
· Compact packaging enabled by advanced electronics
· Drive-by-wire systems bring host of benefits
· Excellent visibility
The Pivo concept car examines the potential of future electric vehicles. The Pivo's most distinctive feature is its cabin that revolves through 360 degrees, eliminating the need to reverse. A compact body also makes the car exceptionally easy to manoeuvre. Excellent visibility is enhanced by Nissan’s Around View technology, which helps reduce
dangerous blind spots. The navigation and audio systems are simple to operate while driving. These features are supported by Nissan’s innovative environment-friendly technologies such as the Compact Lithium-ion Battery powering two super motors, one on each axle, providing torque to all four wheels. Pivo promises to turn dreams into reality.
NOTE INSPIRED BY ADIDAS
· At a glance:
· Car plus sportswear fashion with a Remix Generation feeling
· Projecting an atmosphere inspired by Adidas
The interior fabrics and rubber materials that are familiar components of sportswear and related products have been applied to the dashboard, door panels and other locations to create a Remix image. This is in contrast to the general use of hard materials for many interior trim parts of a car. Dashboard trays are fitted with nets in which small items can
be inserted for storage. The enamelled glove box is opened and closed with a zipper. The centre console incorporates a removable bag that can be carried around outside the car. Seat covers are made of several different materials and with different design patterns so that users can change them as they like.
FORIA
At a glance:
· A premium-quality compact 2+2 sport coupe
· Front engine and rear wheel drive layout
· Four-wheel active steer
· Designed to make driving a pleasure
· Exterior styling combines sportiness with elegance
· High-quality interior
The Foria is a compact coupe concept targeted at customers looking for performance, elegance and high quality.
Packaged as a compact 2+2 coupe the front-engine, rear-drive layout allows an exceptionally short front overhang, long bonnet and compact cabin. These styling features, together with the neatly-styled rear and 18-inch wheels positioned at the four corners, result in a car that is not only pleasing to look at but also delivers driving pleasure. Powered by a mid-sized engine and paddle-shift automatic transmission, the powertrain promises agile driving in town, as well as fully engaging performance when travelling on more open roads. Four-wheel Active Steer gives reassuring precision and steering feel at all driving speeds.
Centre-opening, B-pillarless doors have been adopted for effortless access to the rear seats in the coupe body style. The large door openings make it easy to get in and out of the rear seats despite the sporty position of the front seats.
AMENIO
At a glance:
· A multi-purpose people carrier with all-round versatility
· One step further for Nissan's Modern Living concept
· Advanced telematics include Earth Browsing mode
The Amenio is a six-passenger, multi-purpose people carrier that takes Nissan’s Modern Living concept to a new level. The Amenio is targeted at users who need a vehicle for their own individual requirements but also place a high priority on flexibility.
The interior is about tranquillity; the exterior is all about dynamism. This sharp contrast means the Amenio is a multi-purpose people carrier that proposes a new direction in minivan philosophy.
The exterior projects dynamic performance – in sharp contrast to the relaxing living-room-like feel of the interior. The sporty feeling comes from the smooth, flowing silhouette, the front fender treatment that dynamically links front and sides, and the flare of the rear fenders. Also contributing to the car’s sporty looks are the 20-inch wheels.
Positioned in the centre of the instrument panel is an 18-inch ultra-wide monitor that can easily be seen from any seating position. Besides being exceptionally wide, the monitor also delivers high-resolution screen images. It displays content with high legibility in an easy-to-understand format, including live point-of-interest information picked up from nearby locations in the City Browsing mode.
New features have been added to the menu to enhance the driving experience. For example, the Earth Browsing mode lets users look down from outer space at cars travelling on the Earth's surface, while the Space Browsing mode displays star constellations located in the direction in which the Amenio is travelling.
The Amenio is equipped with Nissan’s Around View Monitor that displays a 360-degree view of the area around the car vehicle in real time, easy-to-understand images. Located
on the dashboard, the monitor substantially reduces blind spots and is especially helpful when parking. The system is a further advancement of Nissan’s pioneering Rear View Monitor and Side Blind-Spot Monitor technologies.
MOCO PREVIEW
At a glance:
· Concept of car as "my best friend"
· Powered by a low emission engine
With a stylish design and roomy, comfortable interior, the Moco Preview presents the concept of “a car that helps you enjoy everyday life like a best friend would”.
Moco Preview’s elegant and stylish exterior silhouette gives the car a unique presence, while the attractive interior benefits from meticulous attention to quality.
Convenience is a top priority. Seats quickly and ingeniously lift up to reveal hidden storage compartments, and handy storage nooks abound.
Powered by a low-emission engine, the Moco Preview is environmentally friendly. It is also friendly to users’ wallets with one of the highest levels of fuel economy.
BLUEBIRD SYLPHY PREVIEW
At a glance:
· A car that reflects Nissan's Modern Living concept
· A luxury medium-sized saloon
· Refined elegance
The Bluebird Sylphy Preview embodies Nissan’s Modern Living concept, a modern expression of premium interior quality. This new, luxury medium-sized saloon blends this design concept with functionality all wrapped in a straight and refined exterior.
An “S-motion” design gives exterior expression to this product concept. Distinctive
S-shaped curves are expressed in smooth and richly varied sculpted body lines. The large cabin with six windows creates a roomy and relaxing interior space.
“S-motion” is further reflected in a curved instrument panel, providing space around the driver and an open, airy space for the front passenger. With above-average knee room for this class of car, passengers can relax into cushioned comfort.
WINGROAD PREVIEW
At a glance:
· Stylish and functional compact wagon
· Versatile space
Nissan at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show…6
The Wingroad Preview opens up new possibilities for active people with a spirit of adventure. Sports enthusiasts will love its stylish versatility, which includes a highly flexible seat arrangement. Rear seats slide fore-and-aft up to 120 mm to create a flexible and functional space. Not only is the Wingroad Preview just the thing for adventure, it is ideal for everyday city driving too. The Wingroad Preview is scheduled to make its debut as a production car in Japan later this year.
MAJOR TECHNOLOGY EXHIBITS
AROUND VIEW MONITOR
This system substantially reduces blind spots by displaying a 360-degree view of the area around the vehicle on a dashboard monitor. The easy-to-understand images displayed in real time are especially helpful in supporting the driver's manoeuvres when parking, by assisting the driver in steering the vehicle easily and accurately into the intended parking space. The system is a further advancement of Nissan’s pioneering Rear View Monitor and Side Blind-Spot Monitor technologies. The Around View Monitor is featured on the Pivo and Amenio concept models.
LANE DEPARTURE PREVENTION (LDP)
The LDP system recognises visible lane markings through the use of a small camera mounted behind the rearview mirror. The camera’s signal and the vehicle’s speed are sent to the system’s advanced microprocessing unit, which combines the information to calculate both the distance between the vehicle and the lane marking and the lateral velocity to the lane marking. If it is determined that the vehicle is leaving the lane, a combination of visual and aural warnings are given. At the same time, the car's braking systems are activated, to help return the vehicle to its original lane.
4-WHEEL ACTIVE STEER
This system is designed to improve vehicle stability and response at high speed and to reduce the driver's steering workload at low speed, by controlling the steering angle of all four wheels. It contributes to precise vehicle movement in response to the driver's steering inputs and also serves to reduce the steering workload by varying the steering gear ratio according to the vehicle speed.
- Ends -
The Nissan press conference will be held on 19 October at 3.05pm (Tokyo time) on the Nissan stand.
All pictures plus more information is available at www.newspress.co.uk
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
The Nissan Press Office on 01923 899930
38882/071005