Press Conference Script - Nissan at 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show

2015/09/15

FRANKFURT MOTOR SHOW - NISSAN PRESS CONFERENCE SCRIPT

13.15 CET - Tuesday 15th September

PAUL WILLCOX, Chairman, Nissan Europe

It is a story that began more than 40 years ago.

Nissan saw an opportunity to demonstrate the quality and performance of our vehicles in some of the toughest, most demanding environments on the planet.

We took the iconic 240Z that was built for the asphalt, and re engineered it to rule off road, on desert tracks in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

Using expertise gained from Nissan's tough 4x4 range, the sports car was given a raised ride height and extra protection. It was perhaps Nissan's first crossover - and it proved its mettle time and time again.

Examples of this kind of thinking populate our history

Because Nissan is in the habit of forging a different path...

And finding new ways of adapting to changing environments.

Today, you will see our latest thinking... with an example of how we are poised to change the landscape... yet again.

SHIRO NAKAMURA, Senior Vice President and Chief Creative Officer

Good afternoon.

At Nissan, we have a history of forging our own path... and of inventing new segments. The Nissan Gripz Concept, the latest proof of that effort.

This concept demonstrates how a crossover...can evolve to become a performance car, what we call "Crossover Sport...

Crossover Sport suggests a sense of duality. It is capable of off-road and city driving... and features our newest technology, series hybrid, Pure drive e-power.

With Gripz, we extend the boundaries of crossover inspired by our rally racing heritage. 

It is very sporty, and captures a sense of performance, from the matte black hood to the duck tail rear end.

Gripz represents the very latest Nissan signature, v-motion front, boomerang headlamps, and floating roof... but it demonstrates the further evolution of Nissan design.　

In its proportion... in its attitude...and in its form language... Gripz is highly sculptual and expressive . It is what we call, "emotional geometry."

You see the two-plus-two package. The interior is very lean and very light, with racing bicycle inspired carbon frame and molded seats.

The Nissan Gripz Concept.  It draws inspiration from the past... but this is thoroughly for the future.

Thank you... 

PAUL WILLCOX, Chairman, Nissan Europe

Thanks Shiro. So we have created a new type of crossover. But it's not just about the looks.

What if it used all of Nissan's expertise in electric vehicles, sports cars and 4x4s to create the most crossed over of crossovers?

No car maker is better qualified to do something so bold. Nissan pioneered and still leads the crossover sector with the X-Trail, Qashqai and Juke.

Each of these cars is truly innovative and exciting.

And when other manufacturers look to respond in kind, they find- time and time again, that Nissan, has raised the bar even higher.

Like the Qashqai, Juke and X-Trail, the Gripz offers something new.

It is a fresh perspective on what a sports car can and arguably should be

Like all Nissans, the Gripz is designed to be efficient and easy to drive.

A small petrol engine powers a series hybrid powertrain.

Like the bikes which inspired elements of the styling, you can use the Gripz every day for commuting and then at the weekend it can be used for fun.

This is where Nissan's 4x4 expertise comes in.

Our experience has also been used to create the all new Navara, seen here in Europe for the first time.

Developed especially for Europe, it's everything you would expect from a tough 4x4 pick up with a one ton carrying capacity, but it features the refinement, quality, efficiency and technology from our crossover range

But while Navara is a traditional 4x4, the Gripz uses parts of the LEAF's EV powertrain to drive the wheels.

If the driver selects 4x4 mode it offers ultimate traction for slippery conditions such as mud and snow.

If the driver is really in an enthusiastic mood, it is the final setting which will offer the most fun.

Select ‘drift' mode and the Gripz will make the most of the electric motor's torque and power to give the feeling of a rear-drive sports car.

And just like our current crossovers, the Gripz is packed with technology.

A key building block to autonomous drive is Around View Monitor - a system which uses four cameras to protect the car and its occupants.

It's already fitted to all of Nissan's crossovers and now the new Navara too

The Gripz takes this to the next level, with the cameras built into the headlamps.

This allows drivers to record their everyday driving on the road like a conventional dashcam - and will also document adventures on the track or off-road.

In another first, the cameras can also stream live to the internet and can be accessed remotely via smartphone if the security system is triggered.

If this all sounds futuristic, that should be no surprise coming from Nissan.

We're the brand that consistently delivers important innovations that advance the future of mobility, especially when it comes to Electric Vehicles.

Today, we're here to announce that the Best-Selling EV in the world just got better.

The Nissan LEAF now gives drivers up to 250 km of electric motoring range, beating all of its competitors in the industry with a 26% increase over the last LEAF.

250 km transforms the driving experience.

250 km opens the world of EV to thousands of drivers across Europe, who before just weren't completely confident that an EV would work for them.

In short, 250 km can change your life.

Now, most current LEAF owners are happy with their range.

In fact, our LEAF drivers are the most satisfied customers we've ever seen. 

But this extra range will make EV ownership an easy first choice for many, many more drivers.

We've also upgraded the LEAF's telematics system, responding to the increasing need for a connected car.

Five years ago, when we introduced the Nissan LEAF, we set out a bold vision to pioneer a zero-emissions society.

Now, as we approach 200,000 on the road globally, the LEAF is the best-selling EV of all time, both in Europe and around the world.

And our conviction has only strengthened.

We see a day when every Nissan could be electric, including our sportiest offerings, like the Gripz.

Our expertise in EV technology, developed over decades of R&D work and honed in the marketplace over the last five years, makes Nissan uniquely qualified to define the future of mobility.

At Nissan, we take the attitude that the future is ours to shape, and... the best way to predict what the customer will want, is to create it now.

The concepts we develop are designed to introduce new ideas..

Not only do they signal our design direction, and where we are going as a brand, but they serve to advance our thinking, in the areas of powertrains, technology, quality, and safety

Innovations like these have helped make us the best-selling Asian brand in Europe, today.

A new sports car, but in the shape and form of a crossover?

An affordable zero-emission family car with a 250km range?

And a tough 4x4 pick up with the technology, refinement and style of a crossover?

This is just the latest in our efforts to deliver on Innovation that Excites.

THANK YOU

-ENDS-

About Nissan in Europe

Nissan has one of the most comprehensive European presences of any overseas manufacturer, employing more than 17,600 staff across locally-based design, research & development, manufacturing, logistics and sales & marketing operations. Last calendar year Nissan plants in the UK, Spain and Russia produced more than 675,000 vehicles including award-winning crossovers, small cars, SUVs, commercial vehicles and electric vehicles, including the Nissan LEAF, the world's most popular electric vehicle with 96% of customers willing to recommend the car to friends. Nissan now offers a strong line-up of 23 diverse and innovative models in Europe under the Nissan and Datsun brands.

About Nissan Motor Co.
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 247,500 employees globally, Nissan sold almost 5.32 million vehicles and generated revenue of 11.38 trillion yen (USD 103.6 billion) in fiscal 2014. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. Nissan leads the world in zero-emission mobility, dominated by sales of the LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle and the best-selling EV in history.