Barcelona Motor Show 2009: Nissan

One of the brands with the most new models this year in Barcelona is the Japanese Nissan, which presents everything from the concept car Qazana to the GT-R, including the new Pixo and the 370Z. But, without a doubt, attention at the Nissan pavilion focuses on two models. First, the new NV200, the van that the Barcelona plant will manufacture for all of Europe, and then the spectacular GT-R, the most powerful Nissan model currently available.

We begin our tour of the Nissan pavilion with its new commercial vehicle, which, as we said, will be manufactured in Spain starting in November of this year for all of Europe, and stands out for being a vehicle very versatile and adaptable for both commercial use and passenger transport. It offers the most spacious interior in its segment and equipment and comfort typical of a passenger car.

The NV200 will be available in three different versions: the Van version, with the largest cargo space in the model range, the Combi version, designed for both cargo and passengers, and the Ludospace, a more luxurious passenger version presented last March in Geneva.

The exceptional cargo capacity of the Van version is made possible by the adoption of a compact rear suspension, which has allowed an increase in the width between the rear wheel arches, and by the low height of the loading floor, around 520 mm.

The two passenger versions are exactly the same, but the Ludospace offers additional elements such as chrome trim and different upholstery. Both options offer seven seats arranged in three rows, and all of them recline to improve passenger comfort.

There are two engine options. One is a 1.6-litre petrol engine producing 105 CV with a maximum torque of 153 Nm, and the other is a 1.5-litre diesel with 85 CV and a maximum torque of 200 Nm. According to Nissan, both engines will offer optimal consumption and will be the most efficient on the market.

Leaving behind one of the stars of the pavilion, we leap into the future with the Nissan Qazana, a concept that promises to revolutionise the crossover segment and is a clear preview of what the future compact crossover from Nissan could look like, the smaller sibling of the Qashqai that will debut next year.

The most notable feature of this model is its design, inspired by motorcycles and beach buggies. With its extravagant appearance, it aims to break away from today’s dull models. Officially it is a show car, but due to its apparent success it will be built at the Nissan plant in the United Kingdom.

The Qazana’s compact dimensions, 4 metres long, 1.5 metres high and 1.7 metres wide, make it perfectly suited to urban environments. Moreover, its advanced technology allows it to go far beyond the limits of the city.

Exteriorly, the most distinctive feature of the concept is its unique front end, dominated by four headlights that contrast with the daytime running light line mounted on the wings on either side of the bonnet.

The centre console of the Qazana interior is inspired by a motorcycle fuel tank, and the dashboard is dominated by a large central screen that allows adjustment of a multitude of elements.

Continuing our tour of the Nissan stand, we noticed the Nissan Cube, which will possibly become the iconic model of Japanese vehicles in Europe, as it embodies the best of Japan.

Its asymmetrical lines make it a unique design piece that moves away from the current trend of vehicles looking alike.

Apart from having the wheels placed right at the four corners, which provides exceptional interior space, the arrangement of the glazing allows wide front and rear visibility.

Inside, the highlights are its sliding lounge-style sofa bench, which is set higher than the front seats to improve visibility and passenger comfort, and its sunroof, which gives the Cube incredible brightness.

As for engines, the European range of the Cube will offer a 1.5-litre diesel with 106 CV and a 1.6-litre petrol engine with 110 CV.

Leaving behind this extravagant model, we visited the Nissan Pixo, the economical representative of Nissan, with which the Japanese brand enters the A-segment for the first time. The Pixo is Nissan’s most eco-friendly and affordable city car and will go on sale from June 2009.

This model is Nissan’s response to customers’ need for a car with truly low consumption and almost non-existent CO2 emissions. To achieve this, the small Pixo, measuring 3.56 metres in length and with a 2.38 wheelbase, mounts a 1000 cc three-cylinder engine producing 68 CV, consumes 4.4 L/100 km and emits only 103 g/km of CO2.

The Pixo will have two trim levels, Visia and Acenta. Both will be four-seaters, and the Acenta will be the best equipped.

Approaching the end, we finally visited the most sporty part of the pavilion. We began with the new 370Z. More agile, more powerful, more efficient, more fun and with more performance than the previous generation, the 370Z will go on sale from June 2009.

The improvements of the 370Z over the 350Z are quite significant: it has a shorter wheelbase and is lighter thanks to the 32 kilos it has shed, making it much more manageable. Equipped with a 3.7-litre VQ engine producing around 336 CV at 7000 RPM, the Nissan sports car promises to be really fast.

But if extreme speed is what we want, we have to look at the crown jewel, the Nissan GT-R.

The GT-R is a high-performance machine with many features that brings to life the concept of a supercar that can be driven by anyone, at any time and in any place, yet at the same time has managed to set a time of 7 minutes and 29 seconds on the famous Nordschleife circuit at Nürburgring, one of the fastest times ever recorded by a production car.

Under the bonnet, the VR38DETT engine, a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6 developing 485 CV at 6,400 rpm and a maximum torque of 588 Nm between 3,200 and 5,200 rpm, is coupled to a six-speed GR6 sequential dual-clutch gearbox mounted on the rear axle, which can be operated by paddles on the steering wheel. The sequential transaxle gearbox has one clutch for the odd gears 1, 3 and 5 and another for the even gears 2, 4 and 6, pre-selecting the gears adjacent to the one engaged to provide faster shifts.

The GT-R is available in three trim levels: GT-R, GT-R Premium Edition and GT-R Black Edition. All three share the same 485 CV twin-turbo V6 engine, the dual-clutch transaxle gearbox, the advanced all-wheel-drive system, the adaptive suspension, run-flat tyres and the multi-information system with touchscreen. The Premium Edition adds an 11-speaker Bose sound system, rain-sensing wipers, an auto-dimming interior mirror and automatic headlights, while the Black Edition stands out for its Super Black paint, black-finished alloy wheels and an interior with black and red leather upholstery.

Exteriorly, the Nissan GT-R is a muscular car with a look that sets it apart from the rest. It is robust, energetic, high-waisted, with a firm stance and flat sides. It is one of the most aerodynamic cars in the world – Cd of 0.27 – and, at the same time, one of the most distinctive.

The interior combines style with high functionality. The cabin is unique and shares none of its elements or design lines with other Nissan models. The instruments are large, clear and simple, and are placed in front of the driver for easy reading. The circular analogue gauges are headed by the tachometer, located in the centre with the red zone starting at 7,000 rpm. Within the speedometer, a small, easy-to-read display shows the gear currently engaged.

The seats, specially developed for the GT-R, feature pronounced side bolsters to ensure perfect support and a good level of comfort.

Photos | Highmotor