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Nissan Cube dead for 2015

Another class cut-up has graduated from our motor pool. The Nissan Cube's indefatigable weirdness was likely both its chief selling point and its Achilles Heel, but Autoblog sources say that after a six-year run in the US, the niche player has been scrubbed from the Japanese automaker's lineup.
The move is hardly unexpected - there was confirmation from Nissan Canada that it was pulling the plug on the asymmetric little front-driver in its market back in May, and sales have not exactly been sparkling here in the States, either. In June, Nissan shifted just 336 Cubes, down 23.8 percent year over year. So far this year, Nissan has sold 2,294 units, a sales pace off 30.9 percent versus 2013. At its peak in 2010, the Cube remained firmly a niche vehicle, selling 22,968 units.
Nissan North America's Dan Passe, senior manager of product communications, maintains that "We are continuing to sell the 2014 Cube and we haven't made an announcement about future model plans," but Autoblog sources indicate that an official announcement will be coming in the next couple of months, and the Cube has been conspicuously left off of an exhaustive 2015 lineup "Charting the Changes" announcement released on Tuesday.

Infiniti teases November debut of new QX55 crossover-coupe

Infiniti will officially unveil its new QX55 crossover-coupe via social media on Nov. 11, Nissan's luxury subsidiary announced early Wednesday. Infiniti is calling it a return to the segment which the company helped pioneer when it launched the FX crossover back in 2002.  "With a roofline and visual elements inspired by the iconic Infiniti FX, the QX55’s provocative design will fuse the stance and versatility of a premium midsize crossover with the sleek profile of a sports coupe," Infiniti's announcement said. "Beyond its provocative looks, the QX55 will also feature innovative technologies designed to empower, engage and connect luxury customers to the road ahead." The announcement was accompanied by the above teaser image, which depicts the QX55's tapered liftgate. It's quite a bit more conservative than the previously released design sketch suggested, but certainly looks the part.  The QX55 is one of five new vehicles Infiniti plans to launch in the next three years. It was first teased last August during Monterey Car Week. While Infiniti has been leaning heavily on the heritage of the original FX (which later became the QX70) since releasing that first design sketch, the QX55 will actually have little in common with its spiritual ancestor. While they may share fastback SUV looks, the QX55 will be based on the QX50 — a modern, front-wheel-drive crossover with small, efficient engines. The FX was derived from Infiniti's sport sedans and coupes, and even boasted a V8 option for much of its existence. Production of the new crossover-coupe was slated to begin in June, but was reportedly pushed back due to complications at its production facility in Aguascalientes, Mexico. The facility is a joint-venture project between Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler and Nissan, and produces several other front- and all-wheel-drive vehicles for both companies.  Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.    

France tries to dodge blame for blowing up FCA-Renault merger deal

PARIS — France sought to fend off a hail of criticism on Thursday after it was blamed for scuppering a $35 billion-plus merger between carmakers Fiat-Chrysler and Renault only 10 days after it was officially announced. Shares in Italian-American FCA and France's Renault fell sharply in early trading after FCA pulled out of talks, saying "the political conditions in France do not currently exist for such a combination to proceed successfully." French finance minister Bruno Le Maire said the government, which has a 15% stake in Renault, had engaged constructively, but had not been prepared to back a deal without the endorsement of Renault's current alliance partner Nissan. Nissan had said it would abstain at a Renault board meeting to vote on the merger proposal. However, a source close to FCA played down the significance of Nissan's stance in the discussions, believing French President Emmanuel Macron was looking for a way out of the deal after coming under pressure at home. Context The FCA-Renault talks were conducted against the backdrop of a French public outcry over 1,044 layoffs at a General Electric factory. The U.S. company had promised to safeguard jobs there when it acquired France's Alstom in 2015. The collapse of the deal, which would have created the world's third-biggest carmaker behind Japan's Toyota and Germany's Volkswagen, revives questions about how both FCA and Renault will meet the challenges of costly investments in electric and self-driving cars on their own. The merger had aimed to achieve 5 billion euros ($5.6 billion) in annual synergies, with FCA gaining access to Renault's and Nissan's superior electric drive technology and the French firm getting a share of FCA's lucrative Jeep and Ram brands. FCA has long been looking for a merger partner, and some analysts say its search for a deal is becoming more urgent as it is ill-prepared for tougher new regulations on emissions. It previously held unsuccessful talks with Peugeot maker PSA Group, in which the French state also owns a stake. French budget minister Gerald Darmanin said the door should not be closed on the possibility of a deal with Renault, adding Paris would be happy to re-examine any new proposal from FCA. "Talks could resume at some time in the future," he told FranceInfo radio.