2007 Nissan Altima Se~technology Pkg~1 Owner~navi~rear Camera~bose~sirius & More on 2040-cars

Auto blog

This is Nissan's 2014 Detroit Auto Show concept

During a media event in Los Angeles today, Nissan flashed a few images of a new concept car that will be unveiled at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show in January. According to Shiro Nakamura, senior vice president and chief creative officer of design and brand management at Nissan, this unnamed concept has a "very strong design signature" and shows "[Nissan's] future design direction."
It's certainly quite sleek, this concept, yet specific elements like the front fascia and taillamps are evolutionary steps from what we're seeing on some of Nissan's newest products. Those rear lamps look like sleeker versions of what the Sentra wears, and that grille appears to be a more stylized version of what the next-generation Rogue has been seen sporting.
As for what, exactly, this concept previews, that's still up in the air, though our best guess is that it hints at a Maxima successor. After all, Nissan did confirm to us that a new Maxima is currently in development, and showing this concept in early 2014 lines up with our predictions that the next-generation sedan should arrive in time for the 2015 model year.

This new Renault would make a great Nissan Maxima wagon

A new Renault station wagon wouldn't ordinarily show up on our radar. But this one gets us thinking. It's the new Talisman Estate, and we can't help but wonder if it wouldn't make a good addition to Nissan's North American lineup. If you recognize the name, you may recall that Renault launched the Talisman sedan on the other side of the pond last summer. At the time, we noticed some striking similarities to the Maxima sedan we get here, though Nissan told us the two were unrelated. But that wouldn't necessarily stop the wagon from sporting a different badge on the nose and making the transatlantic journey to American showrooms. The long-roofed version of the Talisman measures 191 inches long making it only a little longer than the BMW 3 Series Sports Wagon we get here, while riding on the same 110-inch wheelbase. But where the Bimmer offers up to 53 cubic feet of cargo space, the Renault can fit nearly 60. It also boasts electronic dampers and four-wheel steering to keep it light on its toes, and offers a selection of four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines ranging from 110 horsepower up to 200. Related Video: Featured Gallery Renault Talisman Estate View 31 Photos News Source: Renault Nissan Renault nissan maxima

Toyota raises Japanese base wages for first time since 2008

Toyota is on track for record profits, and in return, its Japanese workers are receiving their first increase in base wages since 2008, plus higher pay based on seniority and a larger bonus for 2014. The Japanese automaker predicts the average laborer will net a 2.9 percent income gain.
The average Toyota employee will earn 2,700 yen ($26.28) more each month, a 0.8 percent increase from last year. Workers will also receive about 7,300 yen ($71.09) more monthly based on seniority and promotions. Finally, the company's union pushed through a median bonus of 2.44 million yen ($23,768) for 2014, the highest in 6 years.
The pay boost comes as Toyota forecasts a record 1.9-trillion yen ($18.5 billion) profit for the fiscal year ending on March 31, according to Bloomberg. It has been helped by the Japanese government's efforts to weaken the yen on international markets and expand inflation. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been asking businesses to increase compensation to end years of deflation and offset upcoming higher sales taxes. Honda and Nissan have also raised their wages there in recent months.