2006 Nissan Maxima on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Nissan to expand next-gen Titan with more engines, configurations

Not much has changed with the Nissan Titan in the decade that it's been on the market, but the 2015 model year could move the needle enough to turn the truck from an "also ran" in the fullsize truck market to more of a contender. Edmunds had the chance to sit down with Pierre Loing, vice president of product and advanced planning and strategy for Nissan North America, who indicated that not only will a new truck be coming for 2015, it is also expected to take a bigger chunk of the truck market currently dominated by Ford and General Motors.
For starters, the article quotes Loing saying that the next-gen Titan could sell 100,000 units, which is almost five times the number of Titans and the same number of Toyota Tundra trucks sold last year. To accomplish this, Nissan is planning to offer a wider number of models (including a regular cab version) and more powertrain options; we're sure this means Nissan is considering offering a V6. The addition of a regular-cab, V6 Titan would also allow this truck to be more competitively priced.
Will that be enough to attract buyers away from the Big Three domestic trucks? We'll just have to wait and see...

Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla Model X 0-100 video, Nissan-Renault record EV sales

A video shows that a Tesla Model X can accelerate from 0-100 mph faster than a Model S P85D. DragTimes tested a Founders Edition Tesla Model X P90D with Ludicrous Mode, and found that it did 0-60 mph in 3.178 seconds, which is faster than Tesla's stated 3.2 seconds. The 0-100 mph happened in just 7.98 seconds, which is faster than the 8.3 seconds DragTimes clocked in Model S P85D using Insane Mode. Even more impressive is that the Model X used is a seven-seater with all the boxes ticked, which means that it's lugging a lot of extra weight on the drag strip. DragTimes says it intends to do more tests with other configurations of Tesla models – perhaps we'll get to see how two vehicles with Ludicrous Mode compare. See the video above, and read more at Teslarati. Nissan and Renault saw record sales of electric vehicles in 2015. The two automakers sold 84,754 battery-powered vehicles last year, a rise of 2.5 percent. Nissan Leaf and e-NV200 sales dropped by almost 10 percent, but Leaf sales are expected to improve with the next generation. The Alliance's EV sales, though, were boosted by Renault selling 45 percent more EVs in 2015. Government incentives in France are partially responsible for Renault's success. Since they began selling them, Renault and Nissan have sold 302,000 EVs worldwide by the end of 2015. Read more at Bloomberg Business. A study finds that E20 provides higher peak load capability and thermal efficiency than gasoline in reactivity-controlled compression ignition (RCCI) combustion. The dual-fuel combustion technique uses in-cylinder blending to optimize combustion. The study used E20 ethanol blend or gasoline blended with highway diesel or B20 biodiesel blend and compared the results. In addition to the load capacity and thermal efficiency benefits, E20 also produced fewer hydrocarbon emissions. Read more at Green Car Congress. Related Gallery Renault-Nissan Alliance at COP21 View 22 Photos News Source: Teslarati, YouTube: DragTimes, Bloomberg, Green Car Congress Green Nissan Tesla Renault Alternative Fuels Ethanol Green Automakers Electric Videos recharge wrapup

The Nissan Patrol may become America's next Armada

Plausible rumors are swirling that the Nissan Patrol, the Land Cruiser rival sold outside of North America, might come to the US as a replacement for the unrelated Nissan Armada. That large SUV's future was left ambiguous after the news of the Xterra's discontinuation, as Nissan's press release ominously promised information on the Armada "at a later date" without further elaboration. That left us scratching our heads and thinking that, perhaps, it would be quietly killed off in the future. If the rumors are true, it will be. And then it will be reborn. It'll join its old platform-mate, the Infiniti QX80, on the Patrol platform. The QX abandoned its Titan-based platform in 2011, becoming the Patrol-based QX80. So you can think of the Armada as catching up, a few years late. The QX80 was refreshed last year, a mainly cosmetic nip-and-tuck. The Infiniti utilizes the 5.6-liter, 400-hp V8 and a 7-speed auto, so it's a safe bet that this powertrain will make it into the Armada version. Less likely, but plausible, would be the availability of the new powertrains intended for the Titan XD and upcoming lower-grade Titans. The massive SUV market tends to be a bit conservative, so the Cummins diesel V8 that's the sole engine in the Titan XD right now seems unlikely. The forums are abuzz with a photo of what's purported to be a leaked marketing image of the new Armada, so head to this TitanXDForum thread if you'd like to see what that's about. (Spoiler: it looks a lot like the Patrol above, minus some of the Nismo flair.) Related Video: