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Nissan Sentra, Buick LaCrosse to headline LA Auto Show

We're less than a month away from the start of the Los Angeles Auto Show, and automakers have been lining up their debuts for the upcoming left-coast expo. The latest announcement comes from the show's organizers who are eager to tout the global debuts slated for next month. Chief among them will be new versions of the Buick LaCrosse and Nissan Sentra. So far all we've seen of the 2017 LaCrosse is a glimpse at the front grille, but it's already promising to bring elements of the Avenir concept to the street. The original LaCrosse was launched in 2004 and was replaced in 2010 with the current model. The Sentra nameplate has been around much longer, but the current model was launched more recently in 2013. The new version spied recently while undergoing testing is promised to be a substantial update on that model, not a complete replacement, bringing it up to speed with the latest equipment and revised styling. This represents the first official confirmation we've received of when Nissan will be unveiling the new Sentra. Mitsubishi will also be on hand with its new Outlander Sport, as well as the redesigned Mirage. They'll be joined as well by new versions of a couple of high-end models that promise to resonate with the local crowds in tinseltown. Land Rover has chosen the LA show as a suitable venue to unveil the production Range Rover Evoque Convertible that will drop the top on one of the most stylish luxury crossovers on the market. And Porsche, as we know, is gearing up to hit the track with the new Cayman GT4 Clubsport - a customer racing version of the company's little two-seat, mid-engined sports car that's been lightly modified for motorsport competition. Of course these won't be the only new metal on display at the Californian auto expo. They'll be joined as well by the likes of the new Infiniti QX30, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Sportage, and Jaguar F-Pace - many of which we've already seen. Meanwhile companies like Fiat, Ford, Mazda, Mercedes, Subaru, Volvo, Volkswagen, and Elio Motors are keeping their plans under wraps for the time being. But with mere weeks to go, it won't be long before we see what they've got in store as well.

Mitsubishi, Nissan will build mini EV together

That minicar project that erstwhile competitors Nissan and Mitsubishi launched about four years ago is about to go a little more maxi. NMKV Co., the joint venture established in June 2011 by the two Japanese automakers to make minicars, is going to get more resources specifically to ease a move into the electric-vehicle sector. Specifically, Nissan, which makes the all-electric Leaf, is going to have a bigger role in the testing, design, and development of the partnership's mini EVs. A memorandum of understand between Nissan and Mitsubishi, maker of the i-MiEV, is in the works. So far, the joint-venture has sold about 500,000 gas-powered three-cylinder compact vehicles under the two automotive brands, so it must be doing something right. The first Nissan Dayz and the Mitsubishi eK Wagon models started production in 2013. Sales of the Nissan Dayz Roox and Mitsubishi eK Space, which went the higher-roof route, began early last year. Nissan and Mitsubishi started making noise about this last summer, when word came out that the little EV may be priced at less than $15,000 in Japan, quite a bit cheaper than either the Leaf or the i-MiEV over there. As with the current models, the future minicar variants will be produced at Mitsubishi's Mizushima factory in Japan. So far, the partnership would only say that details about NMKV's next-generation mini EV will be released "at a later time," so specifics like range and other performance measures will have to wait. Until then, you can take a look at NMKV's press release below. Nissan, Mitsubishi Motors and NMKV reach agreement on planning and development of next-generation minicars Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, and their joint venture NMKV Co., Ltd. today reached an agreement to continue their joint project regarding development of the next generation of current minicar models. The three companies will soon sign a memorandum of understanding. The companies aim to develop more competitive products by optimizing resource allocation and their respective roles and responsibilities. Nissan will be more deeply involved in development operations, such as design development and testing. In addition to its product planning and project development roles, NMKV will strengthen its management capabilities by adding a new department to enhance collaboration with engineering and manufacturing functions. Vehicle production is planned to continue at Mitsubishi's Mizushima Plant.

Nissan not shuttering Leaf EV battery plants, at least not yet

The big news on the electric vehicle front today is that Nissan is considering slowing down EV battery production in the US and UK and source all of Nissan's big packs come from Japan. Nissan may also buy some batteries from the Korean company LG Chem. This is apparently causing dissent within Nissan, but it follows what Alliance partner Renault is doing in the hunt for 180-mile EVs. This change – officially denied by Nissan – raises a lot of questions here, since Nissan made a huge deal about building the Leaf pack in Tennessee a few years ago. In fact, the car's big price drop was due, in part, to localizing battery production. If the company is really going to give up on building the packs where it makes the cars, then does Nissan not see itself as being capable of producing an energy-dense battery cheap enough to compete with Tesla and its Gigafactory and GM (which, of course, has long worked with LG Chem on batteries)? Whatever Nissan decides, it needs to be ready to compete in a market that offers a $35,000, 200-mile car by 2017. "We have not taken any decision whatsoever to modify battery sourcing allocation." – Renault-Nissan's Rachel Konrad Nissan would not comment directly on the reported change, but Rachel Konrad, the Alliance's global director of communications and marketing told AutoblogGreen, "The Renault-Nissan Alliance remains 100 percent committed to its industry-leading EV program. This global commitment continues for the foreseeable future, and we have not taken any decision whatsoever to modify battery sourcing allocation. Nissan has no plans to impair its battery investments. Beyond that,we will not comment on speculation or anonymous sources, and as a matter of policy the Alliance does not confirm or deny procurement reviews." There's a point-of-view where it doesn't matter where the batteries come from if the resulting EV is competitive, price-wise. Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn, after all, said during a recent Twizy test drive that the battery is a means, and the objective is the car. In the end, Nissan is saying it has no near-term or medium-term plan to shutter plants in US or UK and CEO Carlos Ghosn says, "What's important to us is that electric car performance fully meets customer expectations." Whatever's going on, Ghosn has seen three top executives leave the Renault-Nissan family recently.