2013 Nissan Titan Crew Cab 4x4 Pro4x on 2040-cars

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Nissan's current Rogue renamed Rogue Select, will live alongside next gen

Despite the fact that an all-new generation of its Rogue crossover goes on sale in November, Nissan will continue to sell the current model alongside its replacement. The existing C-platform-based Rogue, which will be renamed Rogue Select, will start at less than $20,000 when it goes on sale in January 2014. At present, a base 2013 Rogue S prices out slightly higher, from $20,310, but we wouldn't be surprised to see the 2014 Rogue Select come to market with more standard equipment and simplified trim options. It will continue to be built in Kyushu, Japan.
According to Nissan, the unusual move is "to satisfy demand for the popular compact sports utility vehicle, currently second-highest seller in Nissan's lineup, as well as provide customers an additional choice in the segment." It's hard to hard to argue with the numbers: Nissan cites 2012 calendar-year sales of 142,349 Rogue units in the US, with 2013 sales increasing 16 percent through August despite the vehicle's age.
The strategy may also give Nissan the chance to ask for more money for the second-generation model (which is based on a new Common Module Family platform shared with partner Renault) while keeping it clear of residual-value-damaging fleet sales. The new Rogue looks to be both larger and more luxurious, with an available third-row seat, and it should be more economical to produce, as it will be built in Nissan's Smyrna, TN plant.

Why China will soon lead the electric vehicle market

China could be the world's largest electric vehicle market by 2020, thanks to significant government subsidies and the major drawbacks of owning an internal combustion model there. The country's populace registered 75,000 EVs in 2014, and sales figures in 2015 looked even better. In a new video, Renault-Nissan examines the trend and why it happened. Chinese cities heavily encourage buyers to go green through vehicle incentives, but they also make it a hassle to be a polluter. In some places, there's a lottery to limit vehicle registrations and alternating driving bans for even or odd license plate numbers. However, these limits don't apply to EVs, and the country's automakers have benefited from the regulations by introducing small, inexpensive electric models, albeit with sometimes hilarious styling. China's emissions regulations will get even tighter in the coming years. In fact, a Honda exec recently predicted the company wouldn't be able to sell any models there without some form of electric assistance by 2025. Get a better look at the country's electric push to clean up vehicle pollution in Renault-Nissan's video. Related Video:

2015 Nissan Micra

Several years ago, poutine started showing up on the menus of a number of Detroit-area restaurants. For those unfamiliar with the Canadian specialty, it involves serving up french fries, gravy and cheese curds all in one artery-clogging heap. It's not really my thing, but the comfort-food dish has caught hold here in The D, and many absolutely swear by it. In a country where we happily serve Double Down sandwiches, and where competitive eating qualifies as sport, it's hard to believe le poutine isn't spreading like wildfire.
Given Detroit's proximity to Canada, it's not surprising that this culinary creation has managed to find its way across the border. The same thing goes for cars - we Detroiters are routinely privy to lots of Great White North imports. No, we can't buy not-for-US vehicles like the Nissan X-Trail, Mercedes-Benz B-Class (at least, the gasoline version), or now-discontinued products like the Honda Civic-based Acura CSX or EL before it. But Ontario-plated examples of these cars can be seen all the time here in southeast Michigan - it's a far more common occurrence than you might think.
These days, it's rare that an automaker will introduce a model to Canada without offering it up in the United States - especially a car that stands to do big things for a company's presence in North America. But with this 2015 Nissan Micra, that's exactly what's happened; Nissan's US arm has repeatedly stated that there are no plans to offer the car in Yankeeland. Why is the Micra so important? This five-door hatchback enters Canada with the coveted title of being the most affordable new car in the country: just $9,998 Canadian (CAD) to start. In fact, the Micra launches to our north just as the larger, four-door Versa Sedan is phased out in Canada - a vehicle that holds the lowest-cost title here in the US, at $11,990 USD.