NISSAN GT-R Godzilla

is Back

Issue 11Winter Edition

. 2008 Nissan Xterra - What Role Are You Playing Today?

. Nissan Navara - Go Anywhere Do Anything

. Altima Coupe - Nissan’s Exciting New Coupe Races in GCC

NISSAN GT-R NISSAN GT-R

EDITORIAL

MR. CARLOS GHOSNPRESIDENT & CEO, NISSAN MOTOR CO. LTD.

“At Nissan we have the products. We have credible plans. We are embracing opportunities, prepared to handle whatever comes our way. We are building our future – and creating lasting value – one step at a time, one product at a time. We have a lot to offer today, and so much more promise yet to deliver. We are focused and on plan to deliver our objectives. You can continue to expect the best from Nissan”.

MR. TORu HASeGAwA MANAGING DIRECTOR, NISSAN MIDDLE EAST FZE

The vision behind “SHIFT_” has led us to look at each car segment to identify what we can make even better than before. This has resulted in the next generation of Nissan products. In this issue you will witness the display of our latest models revealed during several regional motor shows.

Our newly revealed sporty model, which is generating enormous interest among the public, is the Nissan GT-R. A legend in automotive design and engineering, the GT-R is one of the world’s fastest vehicles, and probably the world’s easiest and most secure high speed car to drive fast. Fresh from a triumphant debut at the Tokyo Motor Show, the Nissan GT-R was revealed for the first time to the Middle East motoring enthusiasts during the Middle East International Motor Show in Dubai, followed by Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan Motor Shows.

Another main strength this year lies in our newly-launched Nissan Altima Coupe. The celebrity Altima Sedan, with the escalating sales in the GCC market, is now mounting with the arrival of the new Altima Coupe. Nissan Altima Coupe’s unique exterior design is intended to stand out in a crowd of sedan-based two-door models. A lot of thought and strive for distinction resulted in its magnetic, perfectly proportioned style. The new dramatically designed Nissan Altima Coupe presents a true expression of style, individuality and sportiness.

As part of our motivational schemes, we organised recently the Nissan NISTEC and NISAC competitions, which showcased some of the best talent the regional national sales companies (NSCs) have. It was a challenging event and all the contestants contributed their very best, with 13 GCC and non-GCC NSCs being represented by a total of 28 participants for both competitions.

We also celebrated the success achieved by RYMCO, our official distributor in Lebanon, securing No. 1 market leader position for the third year in a row. The entire region is witnessing remarkable growth, and we have surpassed our targets ahead of schedule and by a large margin. This coincided with Nissan Middle East successfully achieving its Nissan Value-Up sales objectives a year ahead of schedule. Testimony to the continued growth and success of our products thanks to our loyal Middle East customers.

One of our main announcements is for Nissan Motor Company winning the 2008 Catalyst Award, the annual worldwide prize that honours exceptional initiatives from companies that support and advance women in business. This is the first time that a company headquartered in Asia has won the award which was conferred on the strength of a Nissan programme called Women in the Driver’s Seat: Gender Diversity as a Lever in Japan.

In today’s competitive automotive landscape, there is no place for half-measures, no place for shortcuts and no substitute for great products. At Nissan, passion drives our brands, passionate people drive our products.

And the next generation SHIFTs today.

1

cOnTEnTs

Editorial TeamMonal ZeidanHakam KherallahOmneya FawziPankaj DevNeville Jal DarukhanawallaHania Tabet (TBWA/RAAD)Suzan Dargham (TBWA/RAAD)Vivian Hawat (TBWA/RAAD)

Design & ProductionAdCom Advertising & Publishing

Editorial OfficeP.O. Box 61111, Jebel Ali, Dubai, UAE

e-mail: shift_mag@nissan-me.ae

Website: www.nissan-me.com

Published for

Nissan Middle East FZE

by Devshri Global Inv. Inc.

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Cover StoryNissan GT-RGodzilla Is Back

HeritageNissan And Record Breaking

Road Test2008 Nissan XterraWhat Role Are You Playing Today?

FeatureAltima CoupeNissan’s Exciting New Coupe Races in GCC

TravelogueNissan NavaraGo Anywhere, Do Anything

Concept CarNissan Forum ConceptA Family Limousine

Motor SportsToyo Tyres 24-hrs of DubaiNissan 350Z Proves Its Mettle

1 Editorial

10 News

28 Technology

30 Me & My Nissan

Winter EditionIssue 11

CopyrightLaw prohibits reproduction in whole or part of any matter, without prior written permission of the publisher. Copyright SHIFT_2008Legal DisclaimerViews and opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Nissan Middle East FZE and the publisher. We shall not be held liable in any manner.

The Gran Tourismo moniker has always graced cars oozing with charisma, grace, style and power. There have been many

distinguished cars carrying the GT badge – mostly coming from Europe - but there has been one outstanding car from the Far East; Japan to be more specific, which has taken the GT tag to completely new heights by adding yet another alphabet to those famous two. So the GT becomes a GT-R.

Through the years, Nissan’s famous Skyline GT-R has avowed motoring enthusiasts around the world, spawning a diehard following while at the same time instilling fear in competition much more expensive. It is always a hard act to follow something iconic and the Skyline GT-R was, no still is, an icon for

It is a supercar legend. And it has been reinvented in a totally new avatar and

will be smoking rubber in the Middle East in 2009.

With pumped up bodywork punctured with vents, mean-

eyed headlamps, swooping roofline – the all-new Nissan

GT-R has recaptured the flair of the Japanese supercars

of yore. Other supercars beware; be afraid, very

afraid… The GT-R is here.

Godzilla Is Back

many. So when Nissan decided to do away with the Skyline name and make a new icon for the new (and old) enthusiast, with emphasis only on the GT-R brand, it was a massive challenge.

Nissan put the Skyline nameplate to bed in 2002 whilst the GT-R in its concept form first saw the light at the 2001 Tokyo Motor Show, stunning public and industry alike with its dynamic and aggressive styling. Then in 2005, again at the Tokyo Motor Show, the GT-R Proto was unveiled and this was to be the most definitive incarnation of today’s production GT-R, with nearly 80-90 per cent of the Proto’s features making it into production. The Nissan GT-R, although no longer carrying the ‘Skyline’ badge has heritage in the Nissan Skyline GT-R.

cOvER sTORy

54

NISSAN GT-R

A Little Bit Of GT-R In Every Nissan

The new GT-R was launched on October 24 last year and lives up to the concept of “an ultimate supercar enjoyable to anyone, anywhere, at anytime”. The 480PS twin-turbo GT-R features a newly developed Premium Midship package, including the world’s first independent transaxle 4WD developed independently by Nissan.

The GT-R slippery shape is moulded in a combination of steel, carbon fibre and aluminium, providing a unique combination of stiffness and lightness, giving it a low coefficient of drag of 0.27 which enhances fuel efficiency.

The high level of advanced technology is evident even in GT-R’s paint – which utilises a “double clear coat” and “anti-chipping” process and is painstakingly hand-polished by craftsman. GT-R features Ultimate Silver as a special new colour.

GT-R was developed with a new understanding and appreciation of the Earth’s natural forces – gravity, inertial force and aerodynamics – and translates those forces into a completely new design, maximising tyre grip and airflow. A design that is wedgy, with menacing headlamps and sheet metal carved with lines that end up in an absolutely curvaceous form. The GT-R has character, super proportions and more sophistication.

This is seen by the in-car display designed by the team that created Gran Turismo (the game that is). It shows the car’s vital signs, plus some more info like the g-force you are pulling when blasting through fast curves. No doubt this info came in handy when the GT-R lapped the awesome Nurburgring in a time of 7m38s – the fastest a production car has ever lapped this famed and daunting circuit!

Engines and transmissions are assembled in a “F1-style clean room” environment and upon

The new GT-R inherits the tradition created by the long line of GT-Rs, the highest class of the domestic Skyline series, and is now reborn as “The supercar that creates the greatest inspiration” to the world. Not only that, it

also shows the way for all future Nissan vehicles. As a vehicle which represents Nissan, it has been given the name “Nissan GT-R”. There are two major purposes of this Nissan GT-R.

First and foremost, represented by dynamic performance and active safety, as well as an approach toward environmental-friendliness and safety by a supercar, the Nissan GT-R was born with the role to appeal Nissan’s technology to all corners of the world. Beginning with the development of new technologies, the developmental process and engineering team structure, methods for measurement in testing and production, quality guarantee, performance guarantee, and through to the unique sales and services structure at special Nissan GT-R dealerships, we aimed to demonstrate the future for all Nissan models through everything created for the Nissan GT-R project.

Second is the creation of a whole new supercar market. Traditionally, elements such as the roads it could be driven on, weather conditions, and driving techniques,

put supercars in a market supposedly for a very limited class of users. We were committed in developing the Nissan GT-R with a whole new concept, “a supercar which offers a safety and a high performance supercar life for anyone, anywhere, at anytime”. It is a supercar that offers speed and fuel efficiency, power and clean air, high performance and safety. Nissan’s new GT-R, a multi-performance supercar, creates a whole new position for supercars.

Racing cars remain stable under any condition by applying downforce and distributing the load equally to all four wheels. They offer both comfort and a feeling of stability described by drivers as ‘the tyres are sucked to the ground’. Beyond that they are very safe, keeping the driver from harm even in high-speed accidents. Why aren’t these technologies applied to mass-production cars to benefit customers?

In my mind I formulated a study for applying racing technologies to mass-production cars, and shortly thereafter I ended my racing career and took charge of developing consumer vehicles. I met with people I believed could share my dream, and began developing the FM package. At the time most considered the idea of applying racing technologies to mass-production cars just a dream. Dedicated

efforts by our team to make that dream come true resulted in the development of the FM package and its realization in the Skyline and Fairlady Z.

The concept of the FM package is “flat-ride sport”. Flat body-control that requires no eye movement creates a flat-ride environment that allows for precise

driving and sporty performance, putting every possible driving situation under the control of the driver. We took this idea to a new level for the new Skyline. The “Premium Midship package” used for the first time in the Nissan GT-R, is a result of our challenge to create the world’s best supercar with total performance. This package came about as we focused on the fundamental principles of cars, without dividing them into categories like racing cars, mass-production vehicles and the like. It’s the ultimate development of two core ideas: First, airflow can become power. Second, when weight is evenly distributed to the four wheels, the tyres grip the road surface, so grip limits can be determined by how we distribute weight. Based on these ideas, every component in the Nissan GT-R, the body, engine, transmission, suspension, tyres, everything, was newly developed exclusively for the Nissan GT-R. We concentrated on the creation of performance through vehicle packaging and ‘the development and utilization of an overall vehicle measurement system’ for unified technology communication. Members from planning, designing, testing, and production have come together as a dedicated team to develop this vehicle and create a whole new sales and service structure.

There was a supercar boom in the late 1970s, and I am sure many people have dreamed of owning a supercar and enjoying it to the fullest, with total confidence. The Nissan GT-R has a different perspective and aspires to makes those dreams come true. The Nissan GT-R represents a new dimension of multi-performance in a supercar developed with a completely new approach, returning to the first principles of moving in a straight line, cornering and braking. In the Nissan GT-R I have instilled my hopes on how a car can excite people worldwide, how automakers worldwide might react to it, and for the car itself, that it continues to evolve to satisfy customers.

Kazutoshi Mizuno Chief Vehicle Engineer / Chief Product Specialist, gets all nostalgic on the new GT-R. Here’s what he has to say…

completion every GT-R undergoes a battery of comprehensive tests to ensure the proper operation of all vehicle components.

To properly support the all-new GT-R, Nissan has established special Nissan High Performance Centres in Japan, where all certified advisors and technicians have received extensive training. Total support for the GT-R owner is offered for the first three years of ownership, including measurement and adjustment of the engine, transmission and wheel alignment after the first 1000 km.

Packaging and Driveline Apt for a Supercar

The all-new Nissan GT-R uses a Premium Midship package, an all-new platform which enables the use of the world’s first application of an independent transaxle 4WD system. The transaxle’s layout places the dual-clutch transmission, transfer case and final drive at the rear of the vehicle (instead of the usual front location), which enables vehicle weight to be evenly distributed throughout the car. This gives GT-R a superb front-to-rear weight balance, while enhancing leg and foot space and allowing for an optimal pedal layout.

Powering the GT-R is an all-new 3.8-litre twin turbo V6 “VR38” engine, featuring plasma-sprayed bores and a special twin-turbo exhaust manifold system – Nissan’s first twin-turbo V6 since the 300ZX. A secondary air management system enables the newly designed power-plant to provide approximately 40kgm of torque during ordinary low-rev driving, which provides for an optimum air-fuel ratio for around-town efficiently and helps GT-R meet ultra-low emission vehicle (U-LEV) standards in Japan.

6 7

The GT-R’s new engine produces 480PS at 6400rpm and maximum torque of 588Nm from 3200 to 5200rpm. Putting the power to the ground via all four wheels is an all-new GR6-type dual clutch transmission, with paddle shifting and a Borg Warner six-plate dual clutch for direct control.

Suspension duties are handled through a special Bilstein DampTronic system, which utilises all pertinent vehicle information to provide appropriate damping forces for all situations and helps maintain a high level of control for straight-line driving, cornering, and braking. There are three levels of adjustability – R (Race), S (Sporty) and C (Comfort), along with a choice of full auto or semi-manual gear shifts and the wherewithal to completely switch off all stability control systems.

Four-wheel drive is an essential ingredient. It is electronically controlled with mechanical operation using pinion-type differentials, in normal driving conditions power going straight to the rear wheels and when required up to 50 per cent heads up front.

Braking is essential for a daily-driven supercar and GT-R features large Brembo full-floating drilled rotors, low steel high stiffness brake pads and Brembo mono block six-piston front and four-piston rear callipers, which in combination minimise fade and provide stable braking. Run-flat tyres, exclusively designed for use on GT-R, balance high grip and all-weather capabilities and a comfortable ride in all driving situations. The tyres are designed to maintain their integrity for 80km of travel at 80 km/h and also provide a level of performance after a loss of pressure.

Hiroshi Hasegawa Product Chief Designer

This is the first globally marketed GT-R in the history of the line, which started with the PGC10 GT-R in 1969. Through the process of design I worked to give this car an overwhelming presence, persistently expressing the originality of Japanese car culture. This is why the body is not derived from a production sedan or coupe, but is one of a kind, the first in GT-R history. This is our ultimate, most faithful rendition of the GT-R redefined.”

“What makes a Nissan GT-R boils down to two ideas: ‘design backed by function to realize exceptional

performance,’ and ‘continuation of the original design heritage’.”

“Landmark features from the Nissan GT-R design history that the new model maintains are the edgy box-shape of the PGC10 GT-R of 1969, the four round taillamps of the KPGC110 GT-R (1973), and the grille opening of the R34 GT-R (1999), a symbolic use of the cooling feature in the design.

Shiro Nakamura Senior Vice President, Design

We wanted to design a car that looked uniquely Japanese - it is very definitely not a European or American fast car. We also wanted to highlight the functionality of the car - it is a car that is easy to use and easy to drive - and continue the proud heritage of the GT-R.”

“The mission was to achieve a distinctive car, a supercar, but not a normal fast car – it’s chunkier, more practical and more muscular. The element of functionality is core to the GT-R. It’s not too low; it’s easy to get in and out of, has good visibility and is easy to drive. That functionality is reflected in the design. It is clearly not an Italian, German or American car - it is unmistakably Japanese. It is very mechanical, almost like an animated robot - it is obviously made from metal, has big shoulders and looks strong and muscular. The previous R34 GT-R had the same image. Almost like you could be playing this car on a video game.”

“We didn’t want a nice elegant shape - we wanted an original shape. Some people who buy this car will also have a Ferrari and a Porsche. This car must be different from all others. I see it as a car influenced not by feminine beauty, like Italian cars, but by masculine beauty - it is strong, well toned, well muscled. It has big deep flanks and is very toned – that’s part of the muscled stance.”

“Designing a car is always a balance between engineering and aesthetics. But with the Nissan GT-R we had very little conflict. We knew this car had to be Nissan’s technological showcase.”

“An underlying philosophy of the Nissan GT-R is that it is a fast car that’s easy to drive fast. So there is nothing intimidating about the controls. Everything feels instantly familiar, apart from the novel multi-function meter - which is also highly intuitive and we believe will prove very popular with owners.

Nissan can now reveal that the Middle East motor sport hero, who was one of the first to test the legendary Nissan GT-R before

it was unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show earlier in 2007, is none other than the Middle East Rally star Mohamed Ben Sulayem.

Nissan invited Rally legend Ben Sulayem to test drive the Nissan GT-R super car at an undisclosed race track location in Japan in late 2006, ahead of its official launch in Japan last year. In the presence of Nissan CEO, Carlos Ghosn, who also tested the super car, Ben Sulayem took the advanced super-car through its paces and tested the GT-R thoroughly on the highly technical mountain test track. His initial findings and comments on the car have confirmed the ultra-high capabilities and performance of the legendary Nissan GT-R. The verdict was clear – nothing is normal about the new GT-R.

“High performance cars have a tendency to handle best only when driven by experienced drivers yet the GT-R has the handling, transmission, traction and performance to enable anyone to drive this car with ease. This makes the GT-R stand out from other super-cars – it enables performance from anyone,” explained Ben Sulayem.

“Nissan sees the Middle East as key growth market and is proud to build on this association by bringing in a leading motor sports driver to test the Nissan GT-R. We are very proud to see such a positive response from Mohammed Ben Sulayem and are pleased to see the high level of Nissan engineering, design, performance and comfort shine through the GT-R, demonstrating that there is a little bit of GT-R in every Nissan,” said Toru Hasegawa, Managing Director of Nissan Middle East.

The GT-R is a truly world-class super-car, powered by a brand new V6 3.8-litre twin turbo engine, mating great horsepower (480 hp*), a

wide torque spread, good fuel economy and low emissions. The engine powers an independent transaxle 4WD system - a world first - that continuously adjusts torque front-to-rear and vice versa. A new six-speed paddle shift dual-clutch gearbox featuring the exceedingly quick gearshift plus full automatic function for ease-of driving. The big ventilated Brembo disc brakes offer immense stopping performance.

The Nissan GT-R’s lightweight body, which uses a new combination for the first time (Nissan’s ‘Premium Midship’), features die cast aluminium, carbon fibre and advanced steel and has a class-

leading aerodynamic drag co-efficient of just 0.27 Cd, one of the world’s slickest cars.

Dampers, gear shift and VDC-R (Vehicle Dynamic Control) are all manually adjustable, by simple switches on the dashboard. The GT-R includes a multi functional instrument display, designed by the people who did the graphics for the Sony PlayStation Gran Turismo game.

The Nissan GT-R was born with a challenger spirit as one of the most accomplished and technologically advanced high performance car ever made.

*Japanese specs.

Secret Test Driver For GT-R RevealedMohammed Ben Sulayem in exclusive test drive of Nissan Supercar

Inside StoryIt’s not only power and the way it ride and handles to the GT-R’s psyche.

Nissan wants this car to appeal not only to aficionados of the GT-R mystique but also the middle-aged middle classes this time round so the interior is of a much higher standard than before. There is an incredibly high level sense of solidity, with the fit and finish on a different plane altogether. The doors close with a well-damped thud, with seats swaddled in leather. Aluminium trim adds style while reminding that this is a Grand Tourismo in the true sense of the word offering flair and function to the sporty driver as well as to the bloke who just wants to make a statement. There are side airbags in the front seats, while a Bose audio system gets occupants in the mood with some awesome sound quality fit for a premium supercar owner.

GT-R’s styling follows the function over form theory. Sculpted performance bucket seats give the driver and passenger a comfortable driving experience, and soft pads are utilised on the lower portion of the instrument panel and doors to give an extra level of comfort and safety.

The instrument panel surrounds the driver, with all meters and multi-function meter at a uniform height to minimise the driver’s head movement when travelling at high speeds. A large centre-mounted tachometer, with gear display on its upper right, as well as the easy-to-read graphics of the display, gives the driver instant detailed information, essential for the performance nature of the GT-R. A large, metallic-framed centre console features the ergonomically designed shift lever and a red “engine start” button.

The screen interface features not only the navigation system, but also an enriched entertainment system with a Music Box hard drive, DVD and CD player, and Bluetooth® audio function.

For special use in the GT-R application, the multi-function display also includes mechanical and driving information for safe high performance driving, including accelerator opening, brake pedal pressure, and steering angle. It also includes an “optimal gearshift map,” to encourage economical vehicle operation.

Standard safety equipment includes a pop-up engine hood, system for enhanced pedestrian safety, driver and front passenger SRS Air Bag System, front seat belts with tension reducer, front seat belts with load limiter, and three-point rear seat belts. Driver and front passenger SRS Side Air Bag System and SRS Curtain Air Bag System are also offered.

The GT-R went on sale in Japan in December last with 1000 units rolling off the production lines per month to ensure high quality control whilst further fueling the already insatiable demand.

There’s no doubt: Nissan has a winner in the GT-R and going by the response garnered at the Dubai Motor Show last year, the GT-R is sure to embrace many converts in the Middle East to its cause. Converts from European and American sports cars, that is.

It is truly a supercar for the masses with the style, design and guts to take on the establishment with aplomb. Now you don’t need big bucks to go chasing the big boys. The big boys are gonna chase you…and fail!

Neville Jal Darukhanawalla

*Please Note: All Specs in this article are pertaining to Japanese version

8

Design talk...

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nEWs

NIssaN QashQaI a hIt IN

EuropE… aNd IN MIddlE East too!

Just nine months into its life cycle, the Nissan Qashqai has taken Europe by storm, selling over 100,000 units in just nine months! And this trend seems to carry on in the Middle East too – the Qashqai generating tremendous response and sales in

the two months since its launch here.The Qashqai was launched in Europe last year in

March and has exceeded sales forecasts in the European markets of Holland, Portugal and Austria, Greece, Slovakia and Norway. Built in the UK, this latest urban crossover from Nissan has taken the fancy of the car buying public there; the UK along with Russia being the Qashqai’s two largest markets.

“Today’s motorists have a wide range of requirements when choosing their SUVs, which is why Nissan has the largest range of SUVs in the Middle East,” said Abdul Ilah Wazni, SUV Brand Manager at Nissan Middle East. “An increasingly important factor for customers in making their decisions is fuel economy and the opportunity to take cars over all types

of terrain; making the Qashqai an ideal choice for many.”With the Middle East being a playing ground for SUV-like vehicles, the Qashqai has created a veritable niche for itself combining the merits of a SUV along with the styling, size and agility of

a traditional hatchback to envelope new converts to its cause. “Qashqai is a new concept in compact crossover SUVs; providing the economy of a compact car with the ruggedness and off-road capability expected of an SUV, the Qashqai combines these

elements to provide drivers with two increasingly popular requirements – fuel economy and off-road capability,” added Abdul Ilah.A 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder, 16-valve engine is the powerplant of choice in the Qashqai. Developing 142hp/5,200 rpm with torque of 20.5 kg-m/4,400 rpm, this unit has the power and the

efficiency to cater to a wide audience of buyers. Nissan’s excellent Xtronic CVT transmission with six-speed manual-shift mode is employed to send power to all four wheels shod with 17-inch tyres. Nissan’s highly praised electronically controlled ALL MODE 4x4® system and a four-wheel drive is implemented to provide greater traction for safer driving and extra control in all weathers. Other safety features include side and curtain airbags and Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC).

Main features include front fog lamp, Bluetooth Hands Free Phone System, Xenon head lamps, auto air-conditioning with dual zone temperature control, six-speaker audio system with six-disk CD changer, rear parking sensors, intelligent key, fine vision instrument gauges, cruise control, illuminated steering wheel controls and

rain-sensing wipers. In May 2007, the car was awarded the maximum five-star rating for adult occupant protection from the European New Car Assessment

Programme (Euro NCAP), with the highest-ever score for any vehicle.

Gulf sales of Nissan’s Urvan have surpassed a significant milestone with over 1,000 units sold in November last year, for the first time ever. Across the GCC, Nissan’s National Sales Companies sold a total of 1,022 Nissan Urvans, demonstrating its strong appeal in the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) market.

“Businesses across the region are looking for reliable commercial vehicles that are economical, comfortable and also convenient. These businesses have found everything they need in the Nissan Urvan. This is clearly proven by Nissan and its National Sales Companies exceeding sales of 1,000 units a month in the region,” said Reza Alavi, Head of the Light Commercial Vehicle Business Unit at

Nissan Middle East. “Nissan Urvan annual sales have been consistently

rising over the past few years and this month is a record achievement. This performance represents a 50 per cent increase compared to last year’s average monthly sales.” added Alavi.

The Nissan Urvan offers unique features that offer significant economic benefits as well as more comfort, flexibility, convenience, safety and better performance than its competitors. It is the ideal business partner for transporting passengers and cargo in superior comfort, cost-efficiency and convenience.

“The November figures are the result of remarkable collective efforts by Nissan’s National

Sales Companies to satisfy customer requirements across the Gulf. The Nissan Urvan benefits from the best support and customer care services in the region, championed by Nissan Middle East,” added Alavi.

The Nissan Urvan is available in four options – a luxury 12 passenger microbus, a standard 15 passenger microbus, a six passenger Half Panel Van (HPV) or as a three passenger van with large and versatile carrying capacity. Nissan’s Light Commercial Vehicles range also offers the Nissan Civilian bus that seats up to 30 passengers and the famous single-cab and double-cab Nissan Pickup that offers a premium choice to entrepreneurs and individuals alike.

NISSAN URVAN SALES EXCEED 1,000 A MONTHNOVEMbER SALES Of NISSAN URVAN A RECORD ACHIEVEMENT

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Load Warrior by Yakima - XterraHatch Tent - Armada

All-season Floor Mats - Xterra

Roof Spoiler - Qashqai

Emergency Road Kit - Altima

Running Boards, Body Side Moldings, Splash Guards - Path Finder

Rear Park System - Qashqai

Genuine Nissan Accessories

Nissan Motors Co. Ltd has won the 2008 Catalyst Award, the annual worldwide prize that honours exceptional initiatives from companies that support and advance women in business.

This is the first time that a company headquartered in Asia has won the award which was conferred on the strength of a Nissan programme called Women in the Driver’s Seat: Gender Diversity as a Lever in Japan.

“Nissan worldwide is very conscious of the

role of women

in business and in the automotive market,” said Toru Hasegawa, Managing Director at Nissan Middle East. “Nissan Motor Co. Ltd is determined to promote women and spread gender diversity in its workplace. We empower women who are great leaders and present innovation to our company. With this, we tend to inspire and encourage other manufacturers to embrace gender diversity.”

Since 2004, women in Nissan management positions have increased from 36 to 101 and the percentage of women managers in the design, planning and product planning function has doubled. The percentage of female

sales staff at Nissan dealerships has also increased, while the percentage of women in manufacturing plants more than doubled.

Components of the initiative include career advancement support through specialist career advisors for women only, as well as ergonomic adjustments to equipment and other improvements in facilities and working conditions at plants that allow women to contribute fully.

The business case for having women as decision-makers and in positions of influence was developed in response to research by Nissan identifying women as influencers of two-thirds of all car purchases.

NIssaN hoNourEd For WoMEN IN BusINEss proGraMME

11

Nissan has introduced a range of genuine accessories for your favourite Nissan model. So pamper your Nissan with great add-ons to enhance the looks as well as add more functionality. Without a doubt, ‘Nissan Genuine Accessories’ are the way to go to add more value to your Nissan. Discover a wide selection, with everything from floor mats to roof spoilers.But that’s just part of the story, because you can pick up all of our car accessories knowing you’re getting the best price and peace of mind as all accessories bought along with your new Nissan is guaranteed by the company. Custom-designed to custom fit your Nissan; these accessories are durable and tough, and meet stringent Nissan quality standards.Go now to your nearest Nissan dealership and pamper your car.

Motoring editors from Russia to South Africa have named the Nissan Navara in their 2007 honours list, bestowing awards from ‘Car of the Year’ to ‘Top Pick-up’.

Almost 50 years after Nissan pioneering in the compact pick-up truck, the all new Navara sets the standards around the world.

In South Africa, Bakkie and Truck Action magazine designated the Navara as ‘Best Bakkie 2007’, following its ‘Double Cab of the Year’ title awarded by Caravan and Outdoor Life Magazine in 2006.

In Europe, the Navara was named 2007 ‘Car of the Year’ by Russia’s Autopanomara magazine, ‘Best Pick-up of the Year’ by Formula Todo Terreno in Spain, ‘Pick-up of the Year’ by the UK’s 4x4 magazine and ‘Top Pick-up’ by the ‘Professional Juries’ panel in Russia – representing editors -in-chief and leading journalists from the automotive media.

In France, the Navara was chosen as best ‘Sort Style’ at the 4x4 Motor Show and ‘Best-Selling Pick-up in Europe’ by Turkey’s Hurriyet Otoyasam Gazetesi auto magazine.

Having been launched in the Middle East this year, the Navara’s latest international awards underline its distinguished pedigree. Now the Navara is part of the region’s biggest Nissan SUV line-up. Along with all Nissan SUVs, the Navara – has undergone extensive testing to make sure it more than matches

the rigours and extreme temperatures of the desert environment.

Double-cab Navara, is available in a 4WD & 2WD models in Nissan showrooms. The 2.5-litre, 4-cylinder, 16-valve petrol engine turns out 162 hp at 5,200 rpm and 41 kg-m torque at 2,000 rpm, while the turbo diesel equivalent produces 171 hp at 4,000 rpm and the same torque output.

Navara is equipped with either a 5-speed automatic transmission and 6-speed manual. Some of the key

features include power door locks, front fog lamps, 6-speaker audio system with CD player, power windows, keyless entry, guard frame protector, dual airbags, anti-lock braking, and Xenon headlamps.

One-time luxuries for pick-ups, such as cruise control, premium trim and upholstery, are standard equipment on the Navara. The double cab seats five while still providing ample storage space in the rear load bay.

Inside, comfort complements the exterior ruggedness, with superior fittings and finishes having overtaken the Navara’s early commercial origins.

“The Navara is a consistent award-winner, and the latest honours add to a long list of accolades,” said Abdul Ilah Wazni, SUV Brand Manager at Nissan Middle East. “Middle East owners are now discovering why this vehicle is so enduringly popular and we are confident that by the end of 2008 it will also be an award-winner here.”

The all-new 2008 model makes another award-winning addition to Nissan’s SUV line-up in the region, which with eight different nameplates is already the largest offered by any manufacturer.

The Navara – along with fellow newcomers Qashqai and Xterra – has joined the five established members of the Nissan SUV stable: the Armada, Murano, Pathfinder, Patrol and X-Trail.

A total of 27 teams from the UAE, UK and India played in the Nissan Gulf Cup cricket tournament for young players. Sides from top six UAE universities took part for the first time at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Dubai.

This is the fourth successive year that Nissan has sponsored the event, which develops cricketing talent at three age levels – under-11s, under-14s and under-17s. Monal Zeidan, General Manager, Marketing and Corporate Communications at Nissan Middle East said, “Nissan is keen to power sporting challenges that enrich people’s lives.”

“The Nissan Gulf Cup gets bigger every year. With such an exciting line-up of international young cricket talent and with the sport being so popular in the GCC region, it has been our pleasure to give future generations a challenging platform to compete,” added Zeidan.

Participants were exposed to the four new Nissan models that recently joined the large Middle East line-up from Nissan such as all-new Nissan Altima, Xterra, Qashqai and Navara, concluded Zeidan.

NAVARA TAKES THE HONOURSFROM NORTH TO SOUTH

NISSAN POWERSGULF CUP CRICKET

Nissan’s 12th NISTEC and 2nd NISAC competitions ended, showcasing some of the best talent Nissan’s regional national sales companies (NSC) have to offer. It was a challenging event and all the contestants contributed their very best, with 13 GCC and non-GCC NSCs being represented by a total of 28 participants for both competitions.

Dubai technician, Rohan Janaka, has proven himself to be the best Nissan technician throughout 12 Middle Eastern countries. He will be flown to Japan to be honoured at the company’s headquarters for his achievement.

Janaka, who works at Arabian Automobiles, the Nissan distributor for Dubai and Northern Emirates, overcame intense competition to win the Middle East

finals of the Nissan International Service Technical Contest (NISTEC). He held off tough competition from 16 other competitors, representing 13 Nissan dealerships from the six GCC countries, as well as Syria, Lebanon, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, and Azerbaijan.

Janaka’s Arabian Automobiles colleague, Anil Tauro, took the silver medal, whilst bronze was awarded to Ricardo Lopez from Qatar’s NSC Saleh Al-Hamad Almana Co. Tauro also won ‘Best Performance’ award for the category ‘body electrics’, whilst Janaka and Lopez took the same prize for ‘Periodic Maintenance & Chassis Repair’ and ‘Engine Management’ respectively.

In the corresponding Nissan Service Advisor Contest (NISAC) for service advisors personnel, Arabian Automobile’s Raj Varghese was awarded with the gold medal, whilst silver went to Gamil Ibrahim Rabie and bronze to Mustafa Ali Alheyyari, both from Saudi Arabia’s NSC Al-Hamrani United Co. Varghese also won ‘Best Performance’ for the ‘Receiving and Handling Telephone Calls’ category, and Al-Hamrani United’s Ahmed Taj Elsir for ‘Vehicle Delivery’.

Nissan Middle East celebrated the success achieved by RYMCO, its official distributor in Lebanon, securing No. 1 market leader position for the third year in a row.

Abdo Sweidan, CEO of Rasamny Younis Motor Co. (RYMCO), received the award on behalf of his company from top executives from Nissan HQ in Japan as well as Nissan Middle East management.

RYMCO is one of the leading vehicle retail dealerships in Lebanon, representing both Nissan and Infiniti brands. The award was also given to RYMCO in recognition of its contribution to consolidating Nissan’s brand equity in the Lebanese market.

“What has been achieved in Lebanon is a huge success. Generally, the entire region is witnessing remarkable growth, and we have surpassed our targets ahead of schedule and by a large margin”, Gilles Normand, Corporate Vice-President Nissan Motor Co. Ltd told a gathering of Nissan Middle East office in Dubai.

He laid particular stress on the significant increase in sales in a number of overseas markets, including

ahead in 2008, but they were confident to continue their strong sales momentum.

Lebanon is seen as a trend setting market in the Middle East and a top tourist destination for GCC

travelers. Nissan Middle East

anticipates retail sales in the territories that fall under its jurisdiction will register remarkable growth in the fiscal Year 2007(April 20007-March 2008).

“Nissan Middle East estimates retail sales in its territories in the fiscal year 2007 (April 2007 to March 2008) will reach 184,000 units, representing a 35 per cent growth compared to the fiscal year 2006”, commented Toru Hasegawa, Managing Director of Nissan Middle East.

“Nissan has the largest SUV lineup of any auto-manufacturer in the region, giving customers an option to suit every lifestyle and budget. Add to this a superb range of award-winning passenger cars such as new recently-launched all-new models, such as the Altima sedan and coupe, the Xterra, Qashqai and Navara SUV’s, have been a major boost to Nissan’s profile in the region,” added Hasegawa.

The NISAC contest, although covering the GCC countries, managed to attract an impressive 11 finalists. The winner was recognised at a ceremony held at Metropolitan Palace Hotel.

“Both the NISTEC and NISTAC competitions are part of Nissan’s motivation scheme for dealers and employees. Each competition is always contested at every level, including individual dealership, country qualification and area finals.” said Abdul Hamid Saleh, General Manager, DLR Development and Customer Service Department, Nissan Middle East & North Africa and CIS Region.

The competitors were judged upon their practical skills, such as maintenance and engine management for NISTEC and consultation proficiency for NISAC.

“We are extremely proud of the results of both the competitions. It was an excellent opportunity to show our utmost appreciation to our dealers and their staff. The true power behind any company is the talent and motivation of its people and that’s the vision at Nissan Middle East”, concluded Saleh.

Nissan NISTEC and NISAC competitions wrap up

Russia, China and the Middle East. “Our achievement is a signal of our confidence

in the Nissan brand and winning mindset. We have great products to sell and service, and the challenge

was to grab the top position in sales. To come second was not an option for us at all”, said Abdo Sweidan, CEO of RYMCO.

He said the uphill task of gaining the top position in a competitive market like Lebanon started in 2005. “In 2004, Nissan was in the second position. In 2005, we scored the first position. 2006 was the year we repeated our success with slightly higher sales. At the end of 2007 we managed to keep our #1 position and strengthen our market share up to 19%”, he revealed. He said many more challenges lie

NIssaN No.1 For thrEE YEars IN roW

1312

Tehama Trading Company, Nissan’s Yemen NSE recently delivered 50 vehicles (30 nos. Sunny, 10 nos. Civilian Bus & 10 nos. Urvan Bus) to the Ministry of Defence, Govt. of Yemen.

YEMEN’S MiNiSTRY OF DEFENcE SElEcTS NiSSAN

14

HERITAgE

International speed records set by Prince R380 (Oct. 6, 1965)*2nd attempt at 50km took place on Oct. 14.

Distance/time Time elapsed Average speed (km/h) Previous record (km/h)

50km 12’51”44 233.33 230.51

50km* 12’35”82 238.15 230.51

50 miles 20’35”85 234.40 237.21

100km 25’33”97 234.69 239.35

100 miles 41’06”67 234.88 229.36

200km 51’04”68 234.93 229.18

1 hour - 235.06 229.23

Nissan And Record BreakingThE R380’s INTERNATIONAL spEEd REcORds

On separate occasions in 1965 and 1967, the celebrated

R380 set out to break multiple international speed records. The first was in October 1965: the 3rd Japan GP was meant to be held that year, but it was postponed to 1966. Prince Motors, which had been developing the Prince R380 specifically for the scheduled 1965 event, decided that instead it would put the racing to the test by pitting it against a range of international speed records.

The date was October 6, and the place was Yatabe, Ibaraki Prefecture. Yukio Sugita of Prince’s Driving Test Section got into the cockpit and proceeded to set new international speed records, one after another, in four categories over distances ranging from 50 to 200km. However, at that time the Yatabe course had not obtained FIA approval, so the 6 new records were valid as Japanese records but not world records.

Readers will be aware of Nissan’s record breaking exploits in the Middle East with the 24-Hr Nissan Altima Endurance Drive in 2006 and 2007. But did you

know that Nissan set its first international speed records way back in 1967. Betcha,

you didn’t, but now you know. Read on…

Two years later on October 8, 1967, it was the turn of T. Yokoyama of the Nissan Racing Team. Following the Nissan-Prince merger in the previous year, the vehicle had been renamed “Nissan R380-II”. There were high expectations riding on the R380, which had beaten its old rival Porsche in the 3rd Japan GP. And this time, with FIA approval, it set new world records in the 7 prescribed events (50km, 50 miles, 100km, 100 miles, 200km, 200 miles, 1 hour).

15

NISSAN AT REgIOnAL

DUBAI

KUWAITRIYADH

JORDAN

JEDDAH

International speed records set by Nissan R380 (Oct. 8, 1967)

Distance/time Time elapsed Average speed (km/h) Previous record (km/h)

50km 11’42”88 256.09 230.51

50 miles 18’54”38 255.37 237.21

100km 23’33”60 254.67 239.35

100 miles 38’15”09 252.44 229.36

200km 47’37”20 251.99 229.18

200 miles 1:16’52”35 251.22 228.54

1 hour - 250.98 229.23

16

2008 NISSAN XTERRA

WhAT ROLE ARE YOu pLAYING TOdAY?

ROAD TEsT

17

What do you think would happen when die-hard automotive enthusiasts, the

new Nissan Xterra and the undulating sand dunes of the UAE come together?

Absolute fun, of course!

We are in the sand dunes near Nizwa, a few kilometres off the Dubai-Hatta highway. Our choice of wheels is a canary yellow

Nissan Xterra and we are having…Fun. Yes, fun with a capital F as the rugged Xterra just refuses to give in to all our attempts to flounder. Up and down, around some steep bowls, on soft loose sand – whatever we try and subject it to, the Xterra just goes about its job with a tenacity that is truly astounding. It is truly the genuine article: a proper, nay real, adventure vehicle that does not pretend to be anything else whilst handling everyday life on pavement with poise.

Sports Utility Vehicles or SUVs are supposed to sell to a fairly well-defined market that at one time were prepared to forgive a trailbuster’s lack of refinement. As more buyers moved over from cars, the next phase saw a gradual trade off from ultimate 4x4 prowess to performance on-road. With the Xterra, Nissan provides yet more evidence that manufacturers are now really having to push the envelope.

With the Xterra, Nissan has brought back the hard hitting off-road SUV in a package that fits in just

right up there in the urban jungle as well. With its rugged and no-nonsense handsome

looks, the Xterra shares

the Pathfinder’s F-Alpha platform which is also to be seen on the larger Armada. The Xterra is shorter in wheelbase to the Pathfinder and where the latter seems more suburban and relaxed, the Xterra is all bare-bones with an almost youth inducing elixir in its personality. You know the kind that makes you get up and go with a spring in your stride.

With a well-engineered fully boxed ladder frame and sophisticated electronics help maintain traction and stability over all kinds of doubtful terrain. Powering the Xterra is the robust and powerful 4.0-litre VQ40DE V6 engine. The nearly square engine belts out 291 hp @ 5600rpm and giving it thrust is 409 Nm @ 4000 rpm of torque (All figures are gross). This enables the Xterra’s 2500 kg gross vehicle weight to be moved without much fuss. In fact, the VQ engine always seems to have something

in reserve, and the power comes on without any noticeable strain.

A tall vehicle, with the driver sitting up high, the Xterra

was a treat among the sand dunes of

N i z w a .

18

Coming off the tarmac and onto the loose stuff, just a flick of the shift-on-the-fly switch gave traction to all four wheels via the slick 2-speed transfer case. Incidentally, one can switch from 2WD to drive on all four wheels at speeds up to 100 kmph. In order to tackle real gnarly terrain yet another twist of the switch enables the 4LO function that provides an impressive crawl ratio that includes dual speed off-roading situations. We tried it to see how it works and it duly impressed. Other than this instance, we did not drop down into 4LO and the entire rumble in the desert was executed in 4H.

Three trim levels will be available in the Middle East: Xterra X, S, and SE. All feature power windows and mirrors, power-assisted steering, audio system, manual air-conditioning, remote keyless entry, alloy wheels, low tyre-pressure indicator and separate steps on rear bumper and rear bumper side.

The S version comes with front fog lamps and a six-speaker audio system with 6-disk CD changer. The top-of-the-range SE adds movable aerodynamic roof-rail cross bars, trip computer, cruise control and 17-inch tyres.

Standard safety features include dual airbags, anti-lock braking with electric brake force distribution and brake assist. The SE adds inflatable curtain airbag, and vehicle dynamic control.

Driving ImpressionsThis is a true SUV in the real sense of the word.

The days of the lumbering SUV are long gone and the Xterra shows a fast turn of speed. Acceleration is brisk and planting the right foot to the throttle while ambling will whisk you past slow moving traffic with some rapidity. The transmission is tough and thanks to its electronically controlled algorithms provides fuss-free shifts, even on kickdown.

While we primarily tested the Xterra in its natural habitat – off the beaten track – it provides even-handed ride comfort on tarmac, with enough shuffling and transmission of road irregularities via those big 265/65 17-inch boots to ensure you know you are not driving a car. That aside, in audible terms it certainly does not lack refinement, whether on smooth or rough surfaces.

The rack and pinion steering with speed-sensitive assist offers good insulation from kickback with limited lack of feel and feedback. Even when pushed hard into a corner, the Xterra does not seem to roll much for a vehicle of this type. When the relative high level of grip (for a 4x4) begins to be exceeded, a predictable mild understeer and fairly benign r e s p o n s e s to throttle control ensures that

the Xterra remains stable at the speeds it is capable

of. The 4.0-litre engine has

some guts in the midrange and the Xterra always accelerated well when coming out of a corner.

The whole talking point about the Xterra is about its prowess in the rough. On our little escape to Nizwa, the Xterra just about flattened every dune in its stride and when we chanced upon a massive climb it just got down to business, unleashing its full complement of 291 horses and climbed straight up without a sweat. I say this because on that day there were plenty of other vehicles around (this area is a favourite with tour operators and off-road enthusiasts alike) and we could see many try the ascent and fail repeatedly before finding success. In our case, as with the others, it was a challenge but with its all-terrain tyres, traction control and locking differential, the Xterra got us in and got us out again.

Safety equipment in the Xterra includes an advanced air bag system (AABS), which consists of dual-stage front supplemental air bags with seat belt sensors and a front occupant classification sensor. Also standard are three-point seat belts for all rear seat occupants (including the center-rear position) and a child seat anchor system. A Supplemental Airbag Package, optional for all models, includes side-impact air bags built into the front seats so they move with you, a rollover sensor, and side curtain air bags. Standard active safety features include Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC), four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock (ABS) and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD).

There are many niches within the SUV market. But mainly the broad choice is between city-crossers or high-speed expresses. The Xterra manages to blend in a bit of both of these in a comfortable and capable expression of the 4x4 lifestyle that is so prevalent here in the Middle East. It offers the most go for the money and is in its element whether playing dirty Harry or the suave gentleman. It’s like saying, “what role are you playing today”?

Pankaj Dev

19

It is always a brave thing to give an added fillip to something already at the top of its game. Take the Nissan Altima sedan for example. It

is one of the most handsome sedans on the market today and doing very well in terms of sales, thank you. This is because of a number of reasons, one of them being an inherently good design coupled with a dynamic chassis and willing powerplants. So what does one do to make a good thing better?

It is difficult to change a stunning shape and make it into a fashion statement. But with the Altima Coupe, Nissan has come up with a stylised car which, while keeping the family image in perspective, is a perfect foil to its four-door brother. And it is to be launched in the Middle East soon! In fact, by the time you are reading this magazine, the Altima Coupe will already be flying out of Nissan dealerships in the region.

Like mentioned above, the Altima sedan is a handsome car and the Coupe version fires up the desire for customers wanting a more personal expression of style, individuality and fashionable appearance. The Altima Coupe’s unique exterior design is intended to stand out in a crowd of sedan-

based two-door models with magnetic, perfectly proportioned styling with a shorter wheelbase, shorter overall length and lower height than the Altima sedan.

This smaller size and lighter overall weight also contribute to the Coupe’s sportier driving feel – other desired attributes of the typically younger, more performance-oriented coupe buyers.

Let’s get one thing clear: the Altima Coupe is not a sedan with the rear doors chopped off. While the family resemblance to its sedan sibling is clear, the Coupe has its own distinct look and shares only the hood with the four-door Altima. All other panels, grille, headlights and rear combination lights are unique to the Altima Coupe. Which is a good thing as anything else, one can confuse the coupe with Nissan’s Z-car which is not at all a bad comparison. The Coupe’s overall length (182.5 inch) is shorter than the sedan by 7.1 inches and the wheelbase (103.5) is down by 4 inches. Overall height too (55.3 inch), as befitting a coupe is lower from the sedan by 2.5 inches.

The interior is familiar to that of the sedan. The dashboard is identical with its large and sporty gauge

cluster and centre stack. The cabin is refined with high quality plastics topped off with aluminium accents in keeping with the Coupe’s sporty yet upscale look. To further accentuate its sporty feel, the handbrake returns to its position alongside the gear shifter rather the footbrake as seen on the four-door. The seats are pretty comfortable and supporting, making for hours of driving without the driver feeling fatigued. Access to the rear seats is quick, thanks to easy reach levers. Furthermore the rear bench seat is reasonably functional for a coupe, with satisfactory knee and adequate headroom.

Underneath the svelte bodywork though, the coupe shares the fourth-generation Altima sedan’s platform, powertrain and user-friendly features and innovations. The highly acclaimed ‘D’ platform has been suitably tweaked to ensure increased body rigidity. Coupled to this is a redesigned suspension which enables the Altima Coupe to stake its claim as one of the best performing large front-wheel drive coupes available in the market today.

And this was ably demonstrated as we subjected the Altima Coupe to a series of sporting manoeuvres and it responded with alacrity and verve. The power

altima CoupeNissan’s Exciting New Coupe Races in GCC

delivery from its 3.5-litre engine (the Coupe will only be available with this powerplant in the Middle East) is similar to that of its sedan sibling but at the same time having an edge of its own. There is no deep throated growl a‘la the 350Z but that should not take anything away from the way it performs. The growl may not be there but that does not mean the Altima Coupe does not have the grunt. It accelerates with a strong purr as the 285 horsepower comes into play and with 365 Nm of torque to swiftly propel it forward; the Altima Coupe is no slouch thanks to its Continuously Variable Valve Timing Control System (CVTCS). This system enables a wider rpm range for greater low-end torque and a relentless rush to the redline. Power is sent to the front wheels via Nissan’s advanced 6-speed Xtronic CVT with manual shift mode. While most CVTs suffer from a rubber band effect – you can hear the engine rev up while waiting for the transmission to catch up – Nissan’s CVT has all but eliminated this effect. So the engine speed is always in the right power band making for smooth driving, whether you are cruising or driving sportily.

New suspension geometry, shock absorbers with rebound springs, engine placement that is lower in the subframe and equal-length half-shafts that have equal angles and are more parallel to the ground all help to virtually eliminate torque steer – a fact that really surprised us during the days we spent with the car. The ride and handling came as a pleasant surprise as although the Coupe retains the overall suspension geometry of the sedan, it has been specially tuned give the Coupe the sportiness it demands. There is more intuitive damping with less harshness and the ride, although firm does not border on harshness that many other similar cars display. What you get is a supple ride with handling befitting a sports coupe.

Also contributing to the Altima Coupe’s sporty performance feel are a standard twin-orifice vehicle-speed-sensitive power rack-and-pinion steering system and 4-wheel disc brakes with standard 4-wheel, 4-channel, 4-sensor Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD).

The Altima Coupe comes with a host of impressive amenities like the standard Intelligent Key with Push Button Ignition and Bose-developed audio system with nine speakers, Bluetooth Hands-Free Phone System, satellite radio and dual-zone automatic temperature control.

Standard safety features include Zone Body construction with front and rear crumple zones and Advanced Air Bag System (AABS), which includes dual-stage front supplemental air bags. Also

standard are front seat side-impact supplemental air bags for chest protection and roof-mounted curtain side-impact air bags for front and rear outboard occupant head protection. Also included are front seat Active Head Restraints and Tyre Pressure Monitor System (TPMS).

The Altima Coupe is a brave decision by a company who is not averse to taking the lead. While the coupe market is not really hot at the moment, thanks to the non-availability of exciting models, the Nissan Altima Coupe is a shining beacon and is sure to be a hit with those, especially women, who want to a car that makes a statement.

Hey, in fact, if you’re looking for style, performance and affordability, the new Altima Coupe delivers.

Neville Jal Darukhanawalla

2120

FEATURE

TRAvELOgUE

three different stages of tune. We opted for the oil burner for our trip – a welcome change from driving around in vehicles using petrol as the means of ignition. With a 6-speed manual gearbox and 4WD available at the flick of a rotary knob situated on the centre column of the dashboard, we were excited to explore the great outdoors in the Navara. Again, driving a manual would add another dimension and the prospect of shifting gears myself was going to be a good motivator. By the way, our Navara came with the 2.5-litre turbo-diesel with intercooler powerplant designated YD25DDTi, developing 172 hp@4000rpm (net) and 42 Kg-m of torque at a lowly 2000rpm. The other stages of tune in this engine make 142 hp with different torque figures.

My bags were packed and I was ready

to go. Our travelogue for this issue was scheduled to take in the rustic delights of Algeria but some unforeseen circumstances in the form of some unrest in this North African country scuppered my trip. With time running out, we decided to forego another travelogue and instead sample some more delights of the UAE’s vast expanse of golden brown and red sands.

Our vehicle of choice was the newly launched Navara lifestyle pick-up

and we chose this vehicle for our day long journey traversing some of the sandy expanses not really frequented by the usual off-roading crowd. This meant we took the Emirates road from Dubai to Umm Al Qawain, leaving the expressway at exit 96 and taking to the unbeaten path.

Before we get on with the nuances of the terrain and such, it is only fair that I devote some lines to the Navara. While SUVs are a statement of intent, lifestyle pickups like the Navara are the proof. And with four doors and a pickup deck to carry all your favourite toys – to the desert or beach or…the list is endless – the Navara makes for a compelling case to flaunt your freedom and lifestyle without being pretentious.

So what’s happening with pick-ups? Four doors that is. And the Navara is a good embodiment of owning a multi-purpose vehicle - in the truest sense of the word – which has the advantage of taking on manifold personalities, ensuring you stand out from the me-too crowd.

Two engine options are available – a 2.5-litre, 4-cylinder, 16-valve petrol unit churning out 162 hp at 5200 rpm and 25.5 kg-m of torque at 4499 rpm (gross) and a turbo diesel equivalent in

22

Go Anywhere, Do AnythingNissan

23

Navara

24

The cabin ambience and trim are good too, not like a LCV, but more of a passenger car. A neat and functional facia greets the driver with spacious and comfortable interior. There is a premium music system, a three-spoke steering wheel with cruise control buttons, faux pas wood trim and power everything. The Navara easily seats five.

Making the transition from road to the great unknown, i.e. from rear-wheel drive to 4x4 – which is possible on the move – is a cinch thanks to the click of the rotary knob on the centre facia. The front hubs lock automatically on engagement of four-wheel drive. Our off-road sortie showed wheel travel to be fairly good and dune-climbing ability to be excellent. One is able to putter along in low range first and second gears at idle speed, only tickling the throttle pedal to gain some momentum on particularly testing uphills. This is thanks to the enormous amounts of torque that come into play

25

I must admit though, I was a bit intimidated at first to take it into the desert but once into the golden brown stuff, all inhibitions and apprehensions vanished and the Navara and me became one.

There was a time when pick-ups were only gauged by the vehicle’s toughness, reliability, power and the ability to lug a certain amount of cargo. Nobody was much interested in how it looked. So Nissan is, in a way, entering uncharted territory by aiming a substantial proportion of its Navara at crossover buyers interested in a workhorse that thinks it’s a racehorse.

The Navara is undoubtedly one of the best looking pickups one can get. Look at it this way, if you want a working pick-up, plain Jane is what you get. If you want a double cab, you get a sport utility. And as these pictures of these pages show, Nissan’s concept of ‘SUV in a pick-up’ makes a bold statement, from its macho-looking nose with trendy clustered lights, to its curvy styled loadbox panels and centre-latch tailgate.

The Navara is akin to a big boxing glove – tough with the punches but soft to the touch. The result is a tough vehicle in a most modern form. The tough part of the design equation includes such elements as the bumper mounted on to the ladder frame.

Being a topliner, our Navara came with the customary roll bar, roof rack and side rails with anti-slip inserts. Nissan offers a range of custom accessories to further enhance the Navara’s good looks. Overall, we would rate the Navara’s image as alternative and sporty for this genre. Clearly, younger, more affluent buyers are in the frame – the kind that is most interested in knowing that the Navara’s genes are borne out of some serious workouts in the world of rally raids, having taken many stage wins in events like the Dakar and the UAE Desert Challenge in the years gone by.

pulling the Navara past almost anything the terrain throws at you.

I remember one particularly rough crest which had another lip out of sight and the Navara yet did not bottom out. Top marks to the suspension with the independent front with double wishbones and coil over shock and rear rigid leaf springs. This may sound anarchic but the fact is that it works and very well too! The road holding on black top may not be as plush as a SUV but for a pick-up it is really good as is the ABS assisted braking which is surefooted in bringing this big fella down from speed.

The terrain around Falaj Al Mualla in Umm Al Quwain is undulating but without any massive dunes as found in Nizwa or other locations in Dubai. With the UAE having being blessed with intermittent rain showers in early January, the desert showed encouraging signs of vegetation with many shrubs

and bushes having sprouted up. The ground too was reasonably packed up but this can be a good and a bad thing as sometimes the crest of a dune can easily crumble, leading to an unpleasant situation at times.

There are plenty of trails leading to lush green farmlands which suddenly spring up out of nowhere. This makes a welcome change in topography and scenery and most often than not black tops are quite close so that an exit, whenever needed, can be accorded.

In many ways, this short trip was a welcome change as I could get back home at the end of the day after having spent a few entertaining hours with the Navara amidst some scenic desert vistas without having to break into a sweat.

For sure in the next issue we will be back with a full fledged travelogue. Wonder where our wanderlust is going to take us…

cOncEpT cAR

NISSAN FORUm CONCEPTA FAmILY LImOUSINE

26

Manufacturers are always looking for different niches to fill in as they stretch the envelope in finding innovative means

of transportation solutions. While cars have always been the most basic and traditional way to travel, they soon grew in size and shape to accommodate large families. Enter the minivan. Soon auto makers explored the possibilities of converting hard core utility vehicles for the road and the modern SUV was born. This provided a vehicle with capabilities to work and play hard and soon spelled the death knell of minivans.

Minivans have been traditionally well accepted in the USA and closer in our region, in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. While many manufacturers have taken a step back from making minivans entirely, there are some who continue to be dedicated to providing these traditional family movers.

For the companies that dropped their minivans but still need to offer shoppers something for large families, change is coming, as now Nissan showed a concept at the 2008 Detroit Motor Show that could bring a crossover with strong minivan overtones to its line-up.

The concept is the Forum which represents the next revolution in family transportation. The challenge, Nissan officials add, is “making family passenger vehicles more appealing to both drivers and passengers.”

The Forum concept isn’t unrecognisable to minivan drivers and owners. It has the big box in back for kids and cargo, but Nissan designers have gone with a higher beltline, styled side glass and a wider stance, to give a more sporty feel to the traditional one-box van. Emphasising that theme is a curvaceously sweeping grille that is accented by a soft LED light bar. While the sliding doors that parents love hasn’t been eliminated, its tracks have been carefully hidden, thanks to the Forum’s trackless sliding door design. This has been made possible by a special patented hinge system.

The front doors swing open to a 90-degree angle. Further enhancing the sense of spaciousness, the Forum’s sides have lost the typical B-pillars that would reinforce the middle of its body; instead, designers have penned in stronger door and roof frames. Atop the Forum, the huge SkyView roof contains hidden sunshades, permitting the glass to be closed off on hot days.

“From a conceptual standpoint, the Forum is closer to a family limousine than the minivans Gen Xers have grown up with. But unlike a real limo - or sometimes traditional minivans - the Forum driver is just as important as the passengers,” explains Rachel Nguyen, Nissan North America’s Director of Advanced Planning and Strategy.

As the name suggests, the interior of the concept is seen as a place to bring people together. It is divided into two connected zones. There’s the parents’ zone, up front, with comfortable but sporty seats, as well as the vehicle’s gauge and control center, as well as

electronics like Bluetooth, for hands-free calling. Mood lighting under the upper and lower consoles further invites occupants to spend more time in the Forum, making for a calm environment.

The rear, or children’s, zone is dedicated to keeping kids safe, comfortable - and something parents will appreciate - entertained. As you’d expect, that means a variety of the latest infotainment systems. There’s even a console-mounted microwave, accessible from the front or middle rows, sized for making popcorn.

The second row’s turntable-style seating allows the twin buckets to rotate 90 degrees and face out for tailgating and picnicking. Or the seats can swivel a full 180 degrees, to face the rear three-seat bench, creating a sort of living room environment.

Close watch on rear cabin occupants is provided

Forum also employs Nissan’s advanced Around View Monitor (AVM) system. The AVM system includes front, side and rear-mounted cameras and an advanced controller that combines the images together to give the driver a unique view of all four sides of the vehicle – helping to reduce driver blind spots when parking.

Forum’s efficient, intelligent design features also extend to the powertrain. Though as a design exploration, Forum’s emphasis is limited to form and functionality, conceptually a modern, next-generation family passenger vehicle would include a clean diesel or other environmentally sensitive powerplant.

“Nissan has previously announced that it will be offering a clean diesel engine in the United States in the next generation Maxima, so a similar powerplant

by a ‘Kids Cam’ monitoring system, which utilises 2nd and 3rd row cameras mounted in the headliner and connected to the main instrument panel LCD display monitor. Selectable camera control switches are mounted above the rear view mirror.

A one-button audio muting ‘Time Out’ system, with the controller located in the lower centre portion of the steering wheel, allows the driver to simultaneously mute all audio playing in the Forum and broadcast the driver’s voice over all interior speakers – enabling quick and easy communication to both rows of rear seats.

Bose designed a SeatCentric system for the concept, with a variety of speakers, including some built into headrests and seatbacks. Independent audio is available for each of the Forum’s three rows.

would be a definite consideration for a vehicle like Forum,” says Bruce Campbell, vice president, Design NDA. “Nissan is also an industry leader in CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) technology, so you could predict smooth, responsive performance worthy of the Nissan badge.”

While some people think that family transportation vehicles are a thing of the past, Nissan’s view is that vehicles just need to evolve along with changing family dynamics. Quality time used to be more about the quantity of time spent together with the kids. Today, it’s more about dedicated moments for family fun, entertainment and communication. Forum is a great place to gather together and rediscover each other once in a while.

If the Forum gets people talking the idea up at Detroit, Nissan could very well find a place for this new people mover.

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TEcHnOLOgy

WORLd’s FIRsT dIsTANcE cONTROL AssIsT ANd NAvIGATION-ENABLEd INTELLIGENT cRuIsE cONTROL

ENhANcEd INTELLIGENT cRuIsE cONTROL

Nissan has introduced two pioneering technologies, released in Japan last December – the world’s first Distance Control Assist and Navigation-Enabled

Intelligent Cruise Control systems.Nissan’s pioneering Distance Control Assist system helps control the distance between two vehicles under various

traffic conditions, from congested urban roads to high-speed expressways. The improved Intelligent Cruise Control system integrates route-information via the on-board navigation system to monitor the vehicle’s cruising speed to match actual road e.g. the sharpness of the next curve on the road.

WORLd’s FIRsT dIsTANcE cONTROL AssIsTThe Distance Control Assist system determines the following distance of the driver’s vehicle, as well as the relative speed of both vehicles, using a radar sensor installed in the front bumper. When a vehicle approaches close to the vehicle ahead and the accelerator is not engaged, the system activates the brakes to decelerate smoothly. Alternatively, if the accelerator is engaged, the acceleration actuator is activated through a “push back” mechanism to help the driver to release the pedal.

In a situation where the vehicle ahead slows down or brakes, requiring the driver to respond by braking, the system instantly alerts the driver through message and audio warnings. Simultaneously, the system pushes back the accelerator to assist the driver to switch to the brakes.

The new system features several pioneering technologies:

FuLL-spEEd RANGE FOLLOWING FuNcTIONPrevious systems functioned only within the range of

approximately 5-100 kilometres per hour, whereas the new system functions across the full-speed range, starting from zero. The system is capable of activating the brakes in order to stop the vehicle under certain traffic conditions.

WORLd’s FIRsT usE OF NAvIGATION mAp dATAUtilising route-information fed through the on-board navigation

system, the Intelligent Cruise Control system can modulate the vehicle-speed in anticipation of the next curve on the road. When approaching a curve, the system gradually decelerates, and as it clears the turn onto a straight road, the system seamlessly reverts to its original speed.

When both the Distance Control Assist and Intelligent Cruise Control are installed, the driver can select either function setting, using a wheel-mounted switch according to different driving conditions.

The Intelligent Cruise Control system operates using information from a radar sensor installed in the front bumper. When following a vehicle ahead, the system controls following distance appropriately, using the driver’s preset speed as the maximum limit. With no vehicle ahead, the vehicle cruises at the constant driver preset speed.

MOTOR spORTs

A 24-hr race is one of the true tests of a machine’s engineering and man’s endurance. When the race has a grid of nearly 90 cars,

with various levels of power and thus speeds, it makes for a cracker of an event where even just finishing is a mean achievement.

And this is what happened in the third running of the Toyo Tyres 24-Hrs of Dubai race held on January 11-12, 2008 at the Dubai Autodrome. In the midst of some serious competition was a lone ranger – a team made up of gentleman racers run by Bob Neville, a former motorsport director of Nissan Europe – racing under the banner of Nissan RJN Motorsport. Their racing car of choice: a nearly stock Nissan 350Z. Their ambition: to finish in the top three of their category and in the top 10 overall.

The Nissan ran in its VLN configuration (a race series run in Germany), which included a rear wing and front splitter to aid in the aerodynamics to

enhance the 350Z’s handling and provide a slippery profile to get that extra tenth of a second. “I am hopeful of a top 10 finish and a podium in the class”, said Bob Neville, Team Principle of Nissan RJN Motorsport at the beginning of the race.

A visibly wet track, an English weather and hard racing – doesn’t it sound something like a cliché? And that too in sunny Dubai! But these were the conditions prevailing as the race got underway and in typical no fuss manner the Nissan 350Z got stuck in its task. Piloted by the quartet of Danish DTM star Kurt Thiim, Britain’s Alex Buncombe and journalist drivers Holger Eckhardt and Richard Meaden, the 350Z was soon in its groove despite lacking power to its competition - its 380 bhp from the engine that was basically stock with very little modification saw it loosing out on its rivals by some margin.

Throughout the race the 350Z ran flawlessly but then towards the last hour or so when running in the top three in its class and fifteen overall, the

gearbox (which was standard also, by the way) gave them problems. The subsequent loss of time pushed the team down and at the end of a gruelling 24-hrs of hard fought racing, the 350Z came in 21st overall and fourth in class. But for their misfortunes, the team would have been much higher up in the rankings but then this is motorsport for you.

This result is not at all bad when you consider that the car was built in just three months in a limited budget and is just at the beginning of its development. It was a magnificent effort by a small team who affirmed their faith in the 350Z and intends to take it to the top in their class.

RJN Motorsport has notched an impressive record since being formed in 1999-2000, with wins in the FIA European Touring Car Championship, the Moroccan Rally, the Goodwood Festival of Speed and wins at Silverstone.

We wish them the best of luck.

NISSAN 350Z PROvES ITS mETTLEToyo Tyres 24-hrs of Dubai

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ME & My nIssAn

Yet to get over the euphoria of her country winning the African Nations Cup football tournament, Egyptian Nermine Osman does not come across as the typical soccer fan. “I love sports,” says the bubbly 29-year-old (she has no qualms giving out her age). “I go to the gym thrice a week, besides swimming and playing basketball. Football is a passion, as my husband is a big fan of the game.”

After all, a couple who watch football together stay together for ever!

Nermine got her Nissan Murano as a wedding gift from her husband Mustafa and she is in love with her set of wheels ever since. Actually, she liked the class contours of the Murano much before and had tacitly mentioned it to her hubby who being the gentleman he is, got it for her. Working at the Internet City in Dubai for software giant Oracle as a sales account manager handling Egypt and some North African countries, Nermine has been in the UAE for a year and a half and loving it. Part of it has to do with the Murano as she loves driving and can’t bear to be apart from her car and husband …ok it is the other way round… for long.

So much so, that she says that she actually communicates with her car and although her dream car is something else (see alongside), the Murano has got her smitten.

A woman with her head on her shoulders, she gives credit to her parents and elder sister to have sacrificed much to set her up for a good career in life.

We put the SHIFT_ questionnaire to Nermine and here’s what she has to say.

NiSSAN MuRANo

If you were a car, what would you be? Nissan GT-R. I just love the strong design element and of course, its power.

What’s your favourite stretch of road? Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai and the Dubai-Abu Dhabi highway.

What’s your proudest achievement whilst driving? I like to feel the car working well when driving fast.

What are the trends in your field of work? In my field there is a lot of stress at times, so I feel the need to calm myself down more often.

What made you buy a Nissan Murano? I have always loved it and was happy my husband bought it for me.

Describe your Nissan? It is the second most precious thing after my husband.

What kind of mileage is on the odometer? 40,000 trouble free kilometres.

If you were to switch careers, what would you do? I am happy to be in the IT industry as sales is my forte. I cannot contemplate doing anything else.

What’s in your car stereo right now? A mixed lot – Arabic, English and French. I absolutely adore French music.

What would you do with the last tankful of fuel in your car? I would only use it sparingly. Never know when I might need it.

Describe yourself in one word? Romantic

What’s the maddest thing you have done in your Nissan? I love my car, so I do not subject it to any craziness. How sensitive are you to other people’s judgement? I am very sensitive. I respect other’s opinions as long as it does not get too personal.

Your views on the traffic situation? Bad. Rush hours are extremely taxing.

What’s the fastest you’ve driven on the public highway? Too fast, let’s say!

Your favourite cuisine? Junk food, honestly.

Your favourite phrase? Wow and Allah!

Your favourite destination? California as well as Hawaii

Home is where the heart is…what does your heart yearn for? The warm hugs of my mother and sister and the sound advice of my father. I miss them and think of them a lot.

NERMiNE oSMAN

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