2024 Nissan Sentra Sv on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid arrives with supercharged engine, 26 mpg combined

Nissan just launched the fully redesigned Pathfinder for the 2013 model year, and now, there's a fuel-sipping hybrid version making its debut here at the New York Auto Show. The 2014 Pathfinder Hybrid packs all of the same features found in the standard crossover, but offers slightly better fuel economy and an improved cruising range, to boot.
The new hybrid is powered by a 2.5-liter supercharged engine (we're assuming it's a four-cylinder, though Nissan hasn't specified) coupled with a lithium-ion battery and 15-kilowatt electric motor, capable of producing 250 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque - 10 less horsepower but three more pound-feet than the standard V6 Pathfinder. Nissan says the hybrid crossover will be rated at 25/27 miles per gallon (city/highway), with a 26-mpg combined rating. This means that on a full tank, the cruising range of the Pathfinder Hybrid is a cool 526 miles.
What's cool about the hybrid packaging is that Nissan has managed not to have it interfere with any of the interior functionality - the Pathfinder Hybrid still packs just as much cargo and passenger space as its naturally aspirated sibling. Official pricing has not been announced, but Nissan expects the hybrid to command an additional $3,000 over the standard model.

NHTSA investigating 200,000 Sentra, Versa models over brakes

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a second investigation into Nissan in May. The first covered inaccurate fuel gauges in the 2007 Quest minivan. The latest affects the Sentra and Versa from the 2013 and 2014 model years and the 2014 Versa Note, because of complaints of long brake pedal travel. If NHTSA finds a problem, it could affect an estimated 200,000 vehicles.
At the moment, this is still only a preliminary evaluation "to asses the scope, frequency and safety-related consequences of the alleged defect," according to the report, but it could lead to the full recall. NHTSA is still trying to find whether or not there are accidents, injuries or fatalities related to the problem. At this time, much of the data in the document is still marked Confidential or TBD. Nissan told Reuters in a statement that the company is working with the agency on the investigation and supplying the regulator with further information.
According to NHTSA, its Office of Defects Investigation has received eight complaints about long pedal travel in these models. They allege that the brake pedal goes all the way to the floor when pressed in some cases and doesn't sufficiently slow the vehicle. Autoblog has contacted Nissan for its reaction to the investigation. We will update this story when we receive a reply. Until then, scroll down to read the current investigation report.

Nissan Leaf sales up again in February, Chevy Volt dips deeper

Nissan managed to buck the industry's overall trend of lower sales in February with double-digit growth throughout its lineup. That includes a 12th month of record sales for the Nissan Leaf electric vehicle, with the year-over-year numbers up more than a skosh. The February ledger for the Chevy Volt looked much worse, falling 25.6 percent from February 2013 down to 1,210 units. With 1,425 Leafs sold, Nissan came away the winner in a head-to-head competition between these the two early plug-in vehicles for the fourth month in a row. Nissan expects the Leaf's sales momentum continue in March. February Leaf sales were up 118.2 percent, making 2014 the car's best February ever. The car was most popular in San Francisco, CA and Atlanta, GA, two places where the the brutal winter cold that struck most of the country had a limited effect. Nissan said that other markets with notable Leaf sales growth were Honolulu, HI, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX and Denver, CO. Toby Perry, Nissan's director of EV sales and marketing, said in a statement that Nissan, "amped up advertising in the latter half of February, which already has resulted in an uptick in sales and a significant increase in shopping traffic. We expect to see that momentum continue in March." The Volt retains an overall sales lead against the Leaf, but Chevy's calendar year-to-date sales numbers are down 23.1 percent so far in 2014. Overall, Chevy's sales calendar YTD numbers were down just 7.7 percent, so the Volt is performing below average. As always, we will have a more complete report of last month's green car sales up in short order. Green GM Nissan Electric Hybrid PHEV ev sales