#Nissan Unveils Electric #Ariya SUV

[Auto Styling News]

The all-new 2023 Nissan Ariya electric crossover model is getting closer to its upcoming U.S. on-sale date with the opening of a special reservation portal, giving customers the opportunity to be one of the first to purchase the most advanced and connected Nissan vehicle ever.  

Four Nissan Ariya SUV models will initially be available for sale in late 2022.

The preliminary 2023 Ariya reservation model lineup, specifications and initial MSRP starts at $45,950 for the Venture+ front-wheel drive model. Pricing for additional Ariya models will be announced at a later date.

Additionally, the first 10,000 reservations made before Jan. 31, 2022 will qualify for a two year free EVgo membership plus $500 in charging credits upon purchase. That's worth up to an estimated 5,000 miles of EV driving for the Ariya Venture+.

The all-new Ariya is "the embodiment of the new Nissan," says Michael Colleran, senior vice president, Nissan U.S. and Marketing and Sales. "Ariya leverages our decade of expertise selling mass-market EVs, uniquely positioning Nissan and our dealers to deliver both a thrilling vehicle and outstanding ownership experience."

The company says the Ariya will be a cornerstone to the Nissan NEXT global transformation plan and is the first production model to represent the company’s new electrified brand identity.

Nissan has for years sold electric vehicles like the Leaf, but this SUV is taking this to the next level.

Visually, this crossover bears a scary similarity to several others hitting the market this year and next. The front end, at least, bears Nissan's signature styling, but the sides and rear could be mistaken for a Hyundai, or a KIA. Or the new electric Ford Mustang SUV.

Not that it's in any way unpleasant to look at, it's just that once a trend gets started, every car company copies it, endlessly.

Nissan has announced a target that more than 40 percent of its U.S. vehicle sales by 2030 will be fully electric, with even more to be electrified. 

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Auto Styling News is a blog that covers car concepts, newly released models, and the auto industry.

#Nissan Debuts 2019 Altima, Resembles Maxima Styling [Auto Styling News]

Nissan today revealed the all-new Altima, bringing excitement back to the mid-size sedan segment with expressive styling (which resembles older brother Maxima) and the first available Intelligent All-Wheel Drive in a Nissan sedan in the U.S. and advanced Nissan Intelligent Mobility features, including ProPILOT Assist.

The car bears a striking resemblance to the Vmotion 2.0, a concept vehicle released last year showcasing Nissan’s new sedan design direction, is the winner of the 2017 EyesOn Design Award for Best Concept Vehicle.

The 2019 Altima goes on sale in the U.S. in the fall, followed by other global markets at later dates. The sixth generation of Nissan's best-selling sedan made its world debut at the 2018 New York International Auto Show, alongside the first North American showing of Nissan's Formula E racing car. "

This new Altima builds on 25 years and more than 5.6 million Altima sales to date – but to us, this is just a starting point," said Denis Le Vot, senior vice president, chairman of management committee, Nissan North America, Inc. "That's why we decided to shake up the midsize segment in terms of design, driving enjoyment and technologies that are advanced and affordable."

The Nissan VMotion Concept

Photos: Nissan USA

#Nissan Xmotion Concept Signals Future Design Direction [Auto Styling News]

Nissan revealed the Xmotion concept at the 2018 Detroit International Auto Show this past week, and it signals the company's potential design for the early 2020s.

The six-passenger, three-row Nissan Xmotion (pronounced "cross motion") concept is a worthy successor to the company's long history of cutting-edge SUVs. The company says it is meant to fuse Japanese culture and traditional craftsmanship with American-style utility and new-generation Nissan Intelligent Mobility technology.

The Xmotion concept's stunning (or polarizing) exterior features a powerful dynamic presence, including unique U-shaped highlights and a bold evolution of Nissan's signature V-motion grille.

The concept's exterior features rugged, metal-crafted wheels and all-terrain tire design. Like the rest of vehicle, the mechanical tool-inspired wheels and all-terrain tires coexist as one piece, with the tire tread physically laminated over the 21-inch aluminum-alloy wheels. Additional exterior features include a retractable "rooftop box" and a unique tail light design inspired by Japanese woodwork.

With its long wheelbase, with wheels and tires pushed out to the extremes of the corners, the Xmotion concept allows for the creation of a fresh, "4+2" passenger layout. Featuring three rows of side-by-side individual seats, it's designed to provide a perfect space for a young couple, another couple and two children or pets in the third row.

The concept's "suicide" rear doors won't make it to production, of course, and a b-pillar will obviously be added to the car to accommodate proper rear doors that open to the front, rather than the back. Still, the concept is visually stunning, and will likely come to production, adding to the stunning design style we've come to expect from Nissan.

New York International Auto Show: Mercedes, Nissan, Ford

The 2011 New York International Auto Show is underway, and there are a few stand-outs that merit comment.

There are, as usual for auto shows, a lot of pie-in-the-sky models that are simply "design studies" that are created to feature the ability of designers to do wild things.

There are, however, plenty of "do-able" models that conceivably show up on showroom floors in a few years - with some major, or even minor, adjustments, of course.

One of these is the Mercedes A-Class concept (below.) It's smaller size and European-approved high front end (to meet pedestrian-bumping standards. Seriously.) give it an aggressive and able stance. The headlamps, which look as if they are melting off the hood, are also aggressive, though are unlikely to make it to production in * precisely* that style. Oh, and it's unlikely Americans will get it. Europeans, and the Indian and Chinese markets have gotten a baby Benz for a decade or more now. For a bit of perspective on this photo, envision a car the size and shape of a VW Golf. Yes, it's a hatchback, but a gorgeous one.

The jaw-dropping Nissan ellure, below, can easily be seen as hitting the US market, since it has shades of current models within it already. The headlamps mimic what already exists in the Nissan Maxima and the front fascia is simply an exaggerated version of what appears on current models. The full-length, tinted-glass roof will likely not make it to production, especially if this is a future Maxima.

Ford's Vertrek is the company's concept for a sleeker, more energy-efficient SUV, and it looks like the1.6-liter EcoBoost engine may do the trick. In fact, the SUV even LOOKS thin, light and wiry enough to deliver great mileage. And in a market in which it looks as if gas is headed towards $5 per gallon, any appeal to energy efficiency will be welcomed.