Are the front ends of new cars too low or parking blocks too high?
June 30th 2018 at 06:00
... Newton's fourth law states: Only one fig to a cookie. Q: I recently had a routine oil change on my 2015 Chrysler 200 completed at a local quick lube outlet that I trust. During the oil change the technician pointed out a very apparent leak from a ...
Future of sedans gets murkier amid rise of SUVs, crossovers
January 7th 2018 at 09:19
... full-size sedan at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. FCA tossed the compact Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200 overboard in 2016. General Motors is reducing sedan production and putting several nameplates, including the Chevrolet ...
Minivan, car parked with keys inside stolen overnight, Dane County sheriff's office says
November 6th 2017 at 16:08
The Dane County Sheriff's Office said a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan was reported stolen from a driveway in Blooming Grove on Sprecher Road sometime between 10:30 p.m. on Sunday and 4:50 a.m. Monday. Then at about 6:30 a.m., a blue 2015 Chrysler 200 was reported stolen from a home on Dell Drive, the sheriff's office said.
Fiat Chrysler Prepares For A Mostly SUV Future Because Money
October 25th 2017 at 05:50
... From the story: Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne eliminated several passenger cars including the Chrysler 200 so that the Italian-American automaker could better tap robust industrywide demand for roomier and more rugged models. The pivot ...
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: Profit Up 15%, Debt Still High
July 27th 2017 at 10:51
... factory shuffling and in part because of the discontinuance of three lower-profit models from a year ago (the Chrysler 200, Dodge Dart, and Jeep Patriot). NAFTA's adjusted-EBIT margin was 8.4%, up 0.5 percentage points from a year ago. Profit in ...
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: Profit Up 15%, Debt Still High
July 27th 2017 at 11:01
... factory shuffling and in part because of the discontinuance of three lower-profit models from a year ago (the Chrysler 200, Dodge Dart, and Jeep Patriot). NAFTA's adjusted-EBIT margin was 8.4%, up 0.5 percentage points from a year ago. Profit in ...
... of the variations were quite large. For example: FCA and its dealers reported more than 15,000 sales of the Chrysler 200 sedan from July 2015 to June 2016 that the automaker now says didn't occur. It also originally underreported the sales of almost ...
Intelligent Emergency Braking, Vehicle Dynamics Control with traction control system functions and Hill Start Assist – previously available only on some two-wheel-drive van grades – are now standard on all NV350 models.
Intelligent Around View Monitor has been installed for the first time in small-size commercial vehicles in Japan, adding safety when parking in narrow spaces, or when cargo obstructs rear visibility.
Convenience features include the Back Door Auto Closer, which can fully shut the rear door without making a loud noise, while the Automatic Air-conditioner with Rear Cooler features a liquid-crystal display and large knobs to improve utility.
For more on NV350, watch this program, which features interviews with Chief Vehicle Engineer Yutaka Makita and others at the Hadano testing course. (English captions provided).
The Caravan is popular among business owners as well as private customers, who use it for hobbies and leisure, such as camping or surfing.
The exterior includes Nissan’s signature V-motion grille, and its LED head lamps and rear combination tail lights add to the strong design impression while aiding visibility for the Caravan.
By Nissan Global Media Center — July 3rd 2017 at 07:31
“Wheels of Innovation” sculpture displayed at Nissan Global Headquarters in Yokohama
YOKOHAMA, Japan – Nissan Chairman of the Board, Carlos Ghosn, Nissan President and Chief Executive Officer Hiroto Saikawa and other Nissan executives gathered at Nissan’s global headquarters in Yokohama on June 22, to unveil the “Wheels of Innovation” sculpture representing the company’s values and transformation over the past 17 years.
Chairman Carlos Ghosn, CEO Hiroto Saikawa and artist, Nadim Karam in front of the sculpture “Wheels of Innovation”
The sculpture was created by Nadim Karam, a Lebanese artist based in Beirut.
The 5-meter tall steel sculpture features five unique wheels that serve as representations for the drivers for Nissan’s growth: Globalization, Sustainability, Challenge, Alliance and Diversity.
“The power of Nissan has always and will always come from inside.” says Ghosn. “The Wheels of Innovations stands here as an external symbol of what that power can achieve.”
Nissan Chairman of Board Carlos Ghosn speaking at the sculpture unveil
... of the awfully disappointing Dodge Dart compact car and the Chrysler 200, FCA is largely missing out on a bread-and-butter vehicle in its lineup; a cash cow, if you will, that will ensure reliable profits ...
Marchionne Keeps Fiat Chrysler Rolling With SUV-Heavy Plans
April 26th 2017 at 10:14
... to 1.24 billion euros, even as shipments dropped 6 percent amid the phase out of the Dodge Dart compact and Chrysler 200 sedan and the ramp-up of the new Jeep Compass SUV. A seasonal increase in net industrial debt was limited to 500 million euros, ...
Fiat Chrysler Profit Rises 34% on Strong SUV Demand
April 26th 2017 at 08:18
... 6% drop in the number of vehicles sold. The sales drop came as FCA discontinued the lower-margin Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200 sedans and reduced its rental-fleet sales, which led to a modest improvement in margins. FCA's adjusted-EBIT margin in North ...
Fiat Chrysler Q1 profit rises on shift to SUV sales; N.A. results flat
April 26th 2017 at 07:04
... euros. The gains came even as shipments dropped 6 percent amid the phase out of the Dodge Dart compact and Chrysler 200 sedan and the ramp-up of the new Jeep Compass SUV. Adjusted margins in North American ticked up to 7.3 percent from 7.2 percent, ...
Fiat Chrysler Q1 profit increases on Europe rebound, Maserati surge
April 26th 2017 at 05:38
... euros. The gains came even as shipments dropped 6 percent amid the phase out of the Dodge Dart compact and Chrysler 200 sedan and the ramp-up of the new Jeep Compass SUV. Adjusted margins in North American ticked up to 7.3 percent from 7.2 percent, ...
New Nissan X-Trail with Intelligent Mobility: Auto Shanghai 2017
By Nissan Global Media Center — April 26th 2017 at 03:44
April 26, Shanghai – Nissan showcases the new X-Trail SUV with innovative technologies and design at Auto Shanghai 2017, bringing Chinese customers a range of different vehicles to meet their diverse needs.
New Nissan line-up at Auto Shanghai 2017, China
The updated X-Trail with advanced safety features brings Nissan Intelligent Mobility to customers in China.
Nissan Intelligent Mobility is Nissan’s direction for developing and offering autonomous drive, electric vehicle and connected car technologies while making driving more enjoyable.
“It’s a very popular model and a very important model for our brand in China.” said Daniele Schillaci, Nissan’s executive vice president for global marketing and sales.
“We are confident that the new Nissan X-Trail, will meet the diverse needs of our customers in China and help make driving safer and more exciting for them.”
New Nissan X-Trail
New Nissan X-Trail introduced at Auto Shanghai 2017
The X-Trail is one of Nissan’s best-selling SUVs in China. The new X-Trail’s refreshed exterior reflects a high sense of style. The interior features a new D-shaped steering wheel and optimized space, including a flexible 5-seat/7-seat configuration.
This popular SUV delivers an outstanding, sporty drive.
The new X-trail debuted in China on April 6 and is scheduled to be sold in about 150 markets.
For more about Nissan at Auto Shanghai 2017, please go to our global newsroom.
FCA: Sales drop 4.6% as company posts 7th consecutive monthly loss
April 3rd 2017 at 08:45
... rose by 22 percent. Chrysler brand sales fell 33 percent in March on the continued sell-off of the discontinued Chrysler 200 sedan and a 19 percent decline in sales of the larger 300 sedan. The automaker's total minivan sales were off 8.5 percent ...
Nissan Electric Vehicles for a more resilient world
By Nissan Global Media Center — March 10th 2017 at 04:41
March 10 – When a natural disaster occurs, one of the first things you’ll miss having is electricity. Nissan’s electric vehicles are more than cars. They have the ability to supply power at times of emergencies when it is needed most.
LEAF to Home system
While the world is faces challenges such as natural disasters and climate change, Nissan EV’s can play a key role in responding to crises, like the major earthquake and tsunami that Northern Japan experienced six years ago.
Nissan e-NV200
The LEAF and e-NV200, not only can it be a from of transportation taking people in and out of disaster areas but it can also become a power source. Re-establishing electricity and access to much needed daily necessities like food, hot water and connectivity.
Nissan is committed to being part of the solution with its 100% electric LEAF and e-NV200, focusing on the Nissan Intelligent Mobility vision.
By Nissan Global Media Center — February 9th 2017 at 00:06
YOKOHAMA, Japan – Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. today announced financial results for the nine-month period to December 31, 2016.
“In the first nine months of the fiscal year, Nissan generated an operating profit of 503.2 billion yen, which represents a 6.1% margin on net revenues of 8.26 trillion yen,” said Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Although these results reflect continued currency headwinds, we remain confident of achieving our fiscal year guidance.”
“On a constant currency basis, operating profit rose 30.1% to 764.6 billion yen, equivalent to an 8.1% profit margin. Our underlying performance was enhanced by solid product demand in the US, China and Western Europe, along with the continued benefits of our strict cost controls and synergies from our Alliance strategy.”
Fiscal Year 2016 Nine-Month Financial Highlights
The following table summarizes Nissan’s financial results for the nine-month period to December 31, 2016, calculated under the equity accounting method for the Group’s China joint venture.
On a management pro forma basis, which includes the business results of Nissan’s operations in China, FY16 nine-month net revenue was 9.01 trillion yen. Operating profit was 601.9 billion yen. The operating profit margin was 6.7%.
On a constant currency exchange rate basis, pro-forma net revenues were 10.34 trillion yen and operating profit was 882.2 billion yen, equivalent to a profit margin of 8.5%.
Seamless Autonomous Mobility: The Ultimate Nissan Intelligent Integration
By Nissan Global Media Center — January 7th 2017 at 14:25
Jan. 6 – Advances in artificial intelligence are making vehicles smarter, more responsive, and better at making decisions in a variety of driving environments. But we are still not at a point where autonomous vehicles can know exactly how to handle unpredictable situations. This is one of the roadblocks to realizing a fully autonomous future for driving. The solution is Nissan’s Seamless Autonomous Mobility system or SAM.
During CES, Nissan conducted a live demonstration of the system in operation using a link-up to our Silicon Valley Research center. The demonstration of the drive showed just how SAM will work in reality.
Maarten Sierhius, Director of Nissan Research Center
SAM will ensure a seamless mobility system in which millions of autonomous cars can operate safely and smoothly. SAM can help cars to navigate unforeseen situations that occur on city streets, such as accidents, road construction, or other obstacles.
Here’s how it works: imagine an autonomous vehicle is moving through city streets and comes across an accident, with police using hand signals to direct traffic, perhaps across double yellow lines and against traffic lights. The vehicle cannot and should not, reliably judge what to do by itself.
Vehicle sensors (LIDAR, cameras, radars) can tell the car where obstacles are, the traffic light state, and even recognize some hand gestures, but human judgment is required to understand what other drivers and pedestrians are doing and decide on the appropriate course of action.
A Mobility Manager maps a new path for the AD
With SAM, the autonomous vehicle becomes smart enough to know when it should not attempt to negotiate the problem by itself, as in this instance. Instead, it brings itself to a safe stop and requests help from the command center. The request is routed to the first available mobility manager – a person who uses vehicle images and sensor data (streamed over the wireless network) to assess the situation, decide on the correct action, and create a safe path around the obstruction.
The mobility manager does this by “painting” a virtual lane for the vehicle to drive itself through. When the policemen wave the vehicle past, the manager releases the car to continue on by itself along the designated route. Once clear of the area, the vehicle resumes fully autonomous operations, and the mobility manager is free to assist other vehicles calling for assistance.
As this is all happening, other autonomous vehicles in the area are also communicating with SAM. The system learns and shares the new information created by the Mobility Manager. Once the solution is found, it’s sent to the other vehicles.
As the system learns from experience, and autonomous technology improves, vehicles will require less assistance and each mobility manager will be able to guide a large number of vehicles simultaneously. There are several factors that will determine how many managers are necessary: for example, how busy the zone is, and what service the vehicle is providing, whether it’s for robo-taxis, robo-shuttle, or a robo-delivery vehicle.
Live demonstration from the NASA Ames Research Facility
NASA’s Visual Environment for Remote Virtual Exploration (VERVE) software, used to visualize and supervise interplanetary robots, was the starting point for Nissan’s SAM platform. NASA’s robots use autonomous technology to avoid obstacles and calculate safe driving paths through unpredictable and uncertain environments. Where the environment makes autonomous decision-making difficult, NASA supervisors draw the desired route and send to the robot for execution.
Back on Earth, SAM is not for just Nissan vehicles, but for all vehicles.
By Nissan Global Media Center — November 7th 2016 at 16:42
Yokohama – Nov. 7 – Nissan Motor announced financial results for the six-month period to September 30, 2016 that showed an operating profit of 339.7 billion yen, a 6.4 percent margin on net revenues of 5.32 trillion yen.
On a constant currency basis, operating profit rose 31.5 percent to 519.5 billion yen, equivalent to an 8.5 percent profit margin. This reflects demand for core products, particularly in North America and benefits of continued cost-discipline, on-going product introductions and Alliance strategy.
“These solid results were achieved despite recent currency headwinds and continued challenges in Japan and emerging-markets,” said Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
In the first half of the fiscal year, Nissan’s total unit sales were 2.61 million units.
In the U.S., Nissan’s sales rose by 3.7 percent to 783,000 units, equivalent to a market share of 8.7 percent, amid strong demand for the Altima, the Rogue and the Maxima.
Nissan unit sales in China, which reports figures on a calendar year basis, rose 3.8 percent to 610,000 units, equivalent to market share of 5.0 percent. In Europe, excluding Russia, Nissan’s sales rose by 4.4 percent to 319,000, which resulted in a market share of 3.6 percent. The Qashqai SUV and X-Trail helped drive demand in the region.
Nissan’s performance in these key markets helped compensate for a decline in the Japanese market where Nissan was impacted by the suspension of Dayz/Dayz Roox minicar sales.
Total unit sales in the quarter for Japan were 211,000 units, representing a market share of 9.2 percent. In other markets including Asia and Oceania, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, Nissan’s sales decreased 4.9 percent to 382,000 units.
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