1980 Nissan 300zx on 2040-cars

Auto blog

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.

Here are your 2016 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year finalists [w/polls]

The 2016 Detroit Auto Show will kick off with the announcement of the annual North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year awards, and the three finalists in each category have just been revealed. Following this announcement, the jury – which includes Autoblog editor-in-chief Mike Austin – will re-evaluate each candidate before casting a final vote for the winner. This year's finalists are: Car of the Year Chevrolet Malibu Honda Civic Mazda MX-5 Miata Truck/Utility of the Year Honda Pilot Nissan Titan XD Volvo XC90 The 23rd annual awards will be announced on the morning of Monday, January 11. For now, we want to know where you stand. Let us know which vehicles you think should win, by voting in the polls below. Chevrolet Honda Mazda Nissan Volvo north american car of the year NACTOY

Chinese-designed Nissan Lannia Concept debuts in Beijing

Nissan showed off a stylish new concept car to the assembled crowds of media at the Beijing Motor Show. The Lannia Concept is... well, it's not that easy to describe. It's kind of a sedan, only it looks a bit like a fastback from the rear. But for a twist, it has an ever-so-small rear deck. Regardless of how we'd classify it, it's a seriously sharp piece of styling, thanks to its unique shape and flowing character lines.
If the Lannia's styling appears familiar, it's because we've sort of seen it before. There's more than a little bit of inspiration from the Friend-Me Concept. The Lannia's overall shape is similar to the Friend-Me, while both the front and rear clips look decidedly more production ready. Considering this evolution, we shouldn't rule out a production Lannia in the next few years. And if Nissan's product boss, Andy Palmer is any indication, the new model might not be limited to China.
"It was designed by Chinese, built by Chinese for the Chinese people, and ultimately, for the world," Palmer said in a statement. If Nissan can keep this sharp styling, this could prove a compelling buy in a number of markets.