370Z gets the Nissan N-Sport treatment

BY TIM NICHOLSON | 24th Jul 2018

NISSAN Australia has applied the N-Sport treatment to its 370Z sportscar, with just 50 examples of the sporty looking special edition available to customers.

N-Sport will only be available on the 370Z coupe, not the convertible. Nissan is also offering N-Sport versions of its X-Trail mid-sizer and Pathfinder large seven-seat SUV.

The N-Sport version of the 370Z differs from the Pathfinder and X-Trail in that it is based on the Heritage edition that was revealed at last year’s New York motor show to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Z car.

Nissan says it also pays homage to the Datsun 280ZX ‘Black Gold’ edition, which was designed to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Z, in 1980.

N-Sport 370Zs gain “GT-inspired” graphics that run from the tip of the bonnet over the roof and to the bootlid, and along the base of the driver and passenger doors.

It also adds black 18-inch alloy wheels and black gloss side mirrors.

Inside, it features yellow accents on the door trim, steering wheel, shift knob, knee pads and dash, while the bespoke black cloth seats has yellow embroidery.

The 370Z N-Sport is available in three colours – Chicane Yellow, Diamond Black and Shiro White – the latter two hues carrying a premium of $550.

Pricing starts at $48,490 plus on-road costs for the 370Z N-Sport six-speed manual, which unusually is $1500 less than the standard manual coupe. The seven-speed automatic transmission adds $2500 to the price.

The 370Z was updated earlier this year and is powered by a 3.7-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine delivering 245kW/363Nm, with fuel consumption of 10.4 litres per 100 kilometres for the manual.

Other standard gear on the 370Z that will carry across to the N-Sport includes a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, reversing camera, satellite navigation, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, an eight-speaker Bose sound system, keyless entry and start, climate control and heated seats.

Nissan Australia managing director Stephen Lester said he expected the N-Sport to be a popular pick as it was last year with the special-edition Navara.

“The Nissan N-Sport series has been popular with buyers in the past, so we have listened to a market that wants more, and offered N-Sport editions on a wider range of Nissan nameplates,” he said.

“Black highlights certainly add to the exterior styling of a vehicle and make them stand out.

“The Navara N-Sport was a strong seller, we think the N-Sport treatment on 370Z, Pathfinder and X-Trail will also be popular.”

Nissan launched the Nismo version of the 370Z in September last year that offers an extra 8kW/8Nm for a total output of 253kW at 7000rpm and 371Nm at 5200rpm.

The Nismo is a coupe-only proposition and is priced from $61,490 for the manual and $63,990 for the auto.

Nissan has sold 165 370Zs so far this year, marking a 2.5 per cent increase on the first six months of 2017. The ageing sportscar finished last year 2.0 per cent ahead of 2016, with 363 units shifted.

2018 Nissan 370Z N-Sport pricing*