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Spitballs flying between Nissan and Fiat

At the 2012 LA Auto Show, Fiat brand chief and recently crowned marketing genius, Olivier François, attempted to distance the Fiat 500e from other electric vehicles, asking rhetorically, "Isn't ugliness the worst kind of pollution?" Nissan has apparently taken issue with these comments, feeling slighted for what it considers digs at the Leaf's styling. In a recent interview with Automotive News, Nissan's marketing chief Simon Sproule shot back, "Let's face it, Fiat has not shied away from controversial styling themselves," he continued, "many would describe many of their products as visual pollution." Ouch.
Sproule says that while the 500e is a "me-too" product, made only to appease US emissions regulations, the Leaf is a serious effort at producing an EV. The Nissan marketing boss points out that the Japanese automaker has invested billions in EV development and production facilities, while Fiat will lose $10,000 on every 500e sold.
However sales of the Leaf in the US are down five percent. Nissan sold just 8,330 Leaf's so far this year, but Sproule contends that it has less to do with styling, and more with the charging infrastructure. Sproule also thinks that Nissan hit a balance between styling and practicality with the Leaf: "It's still very recognizable as a five-seat hatchback, fully functioning, absolutely competitive with the packaging of the Golf of any other mainstream vehicle." For a segment where efficiency is king, isn't that what matters most?

Nissan recalls over 220k Altima sedans over hoods that could fly open

Nissan will be recalling 220,000 Altima sedans, according to a new recall bulletin from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Apparently, model year 2013 Altimas built between March 6, 2012 and February 28, 2013 are at risk of their hoods flying open at speed.
According to NHTSA, debris, corrosion and interference between the hood's inner panel and the secondary latch lever could bind the mechanism in the unlatched position. While this in itself won't cause the hood to fly open - there's still a primary latch that needs released from within the cabin - it presents a potentially dangerous situation should the primary latch be accidentally released.
Nissan will begin notifying owners of the affected vehicles, who will need to report to their local dealer for free repairs. Scroll down for the full bulletin from the government safety watchdog.

2015 Nissan Murano and Juke priced, Color Studio to breed bad ideas

Nissan has released basic pricing information on its upcoming Murano, as well as detailed pricing on the refreshed Juke crossover at the 2014 LA Auto Show. The Japanese company also announced a new "color studio" for the Juke, which just reeks of bad ideas. First, let's talk money. The flashy, redesigned Murano crossover will kick off at $29,650, not including an $885 destination charge. While the new CUV will begin arriving in dealers on December 5, Nissan opted out of providing more detailed pricing data, including information about trim levels and other optional extras. It did no such thing with the Juke, though. The freshened 2015 model starts at $20,250 for a base Juke S, and climbs from there. The SV trim adds $1,050 to the price while the SL starts at $25,240. All-wheel drive adds $1,850 to the S and SV models and $1,700 to SL. If you're the sporting sort, the Juke Nismo starts at $24,830 while the Nismo RS rings up at $28,020. Adding an Xtronic continuously variable transmission and all-wheel-drive to the Nismo models increases the price by $2,400 and $2,000, respectively. And now, the Nissan Color Studio. We'll admit, there are some among the Autoblog staff that question this new feature, which gives customers an extreme degree of control when it comes to the styling of their Juke. For a price, Nissan will allow customers to choose individual colors for ten different parts of the Juke, including the rear spoiler, mirror caps, headlight surrounds, door sills and the wheels. While a fashionable mind might be able to create something rather cool, the potential for abuse here is extremely high. Check out the inset image to see what we mean. Scroll down for Nissan's announcement on Juke and Murano pricing, as well as details on the color studio.