3.5 Se Manual 3.5l Cd Front Wheel Drive Tires - Front Performance Power Steering on 2040-cars

Auto blog

'Qashqai' so hard to pronounce even Nissan is poking fun at it

In the US, there aren't a lot of vehicle names that are very difficult to pronounce. Maybe the Volkswagen Touareg might trip up a few people, but by and large, we've got it pretty easy. Our friends in Europe, though, have a bigger challenge, thanks to vehicles like the Nissan Qashqai. Yes, Qashqai.
Like the Touareg, the Qashqai draws its name from a nomadic people. While Nissan isn't making up words, then, it's still not an easy name to pronounce. Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson routinely calls it a kumquat, for example. According to Nissan, though, it's pronounced "Cash'kai".
To get its point across as the second-gen Qashqai, the close cousin of the US market Rogue, prepares to launch in Australia, Nissan set up a little event at a coffee shop. Customers would place their orders, only to have the spelling of their names butchered rather badly. On the other side of the cup, there's a message from Nissan and the Qashqai.

Nissan to build Golf-fighter in Spain

Nissan hasn't had a proper European entry in the ridiculously popular compact hatchback segment since it stopped offering its somewhat staid and uninspiring Almera (above) in 2006. According to Automotive News Europe, the new machine, which will not be called Almera, will be marketed against the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus - two extremely popular models in Europe. Production is slated to begin in July of 2014.
The new compact will be built in Barcelona, Spain, at the factory that currently builds the Pathfinder, Navara pickup and NV200 commercial van. An investment of $178 million will be made to assemble the compact car, and an additional $27 million will go to the plant to create more trucks and transmissions for electric vehicles.
The decision to invest in Spain comes after the automaker successfully renegotiated contracts with local unions. Similar talks are underway in France, where Nissan partner Renault is based, but as of yet no new agreements have been struck. Feel free to browse through the official press release below.

Nissan to add Rogue, Murano hybrid around 2015

Except for the limited-production, Toyota-assisted Altima Hybrid, Nissan has pretty much shied away from hybrid vehicles, but that is all about to change. As a part of a plan to launch a total of 15 electrified vehicles by 2016, Nissan is launching the Pathfinder Hybrid, which goes on sale this fall, and we've heard in the past that the Altima will get another hybrid variant, as well. Now, Green Car Reports is confirming that the Murano and the smaller Rogue (seen above in next-gen prototype phase) will both receive hybrid powertrains.
Though riding on different platforms, both hybrid crossovers could share the system being introduced in the Pathfinder, consisting of a 2.5-liter supercharged four-cylinder engine, a 22-horsepower electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack. There is still no word on when the next-gen Murano will arrive, but the 2014 Nissan Rogue will be introduced on September 10.