The models of Nissan are also protected from intense sunlight and summer heat

At this point in the 21st century, nobody would think of going to the beach without proper protection to withstand the intensity of the sun. The effects of ultraviolet rays are terrible, both in the short and long term, on our skin, so we must protect ourselves adequately. And the same precautions must be taken with car paintwork. Normally, this is protected against the effects of the sun and high temperatures.

The intensity of UV rays in our country, as in others where Nissan has a strong presence, is considerable, so the Japanese company has revealed that the paints it uses for the bodywork of its crossovers are equivalent to a sun protection factor of 500. This is the level of protection found on the Qashqai, X-Trail and Juke, for example.

To carry out the tests needed to keep under control the effect the sun has on the paintwork of the Japanese brand’s crossovers, an environmental test chamber has been opened at the European Technical Centre in Cranfield (United Kingdom). This facility, which represented an investment of 1.6 million euros.

The chamber makes it possible to reproduce in a controlled way the effects of the sun and high temperatures on the paint covering the bodywork of Nissan’s models. To do so, it uses bulbs that deliver 90,000 watts of intense heat. The temperature inside the chamber rises to 120 degrees, in order to check the resistance not only of the paint but also of the plastic interior components and other materials that could be susceptible to damage from heat.

These facilities can also lower the temperature to 50º Celsius below zero, which is also very useful for understanding how the different elements of the car will react to both very high and very low temperatures.

With this data, Nissan’s engineers adjust different parts of the car for the various markets, since their climates differ and so does the behaviour of these parts. For example, the tailgate’s hydraulic system differs in each market, because it works differently under the heat of the Costa Brava in Spain than on the Siberian tundra, for instance. Thanks to this test chamber, they will now be able to fine-tune even more and solve more problems.

Source | Nissan

Technical specifications of the cars in this article

CrossoverNissan Qashqai19 versions · from 32,200 €

CrossoverNissan Juke15 versions · from 25,275 €