Nissan’s turn

NISSAN’S ‘360’ is a turn in more ways than one, heralding the end of one era and the commencement of another.

The media showcase in Portugal this year is only the second one that the company has organised, but it won’t be the last.

The raw figures are astounding – around 650 journalists from around the world, spread out into four waves covering a period of a month, in a resort location, with up to 95 vehicles to sample and an entire showcase of technology fresh and upcoming to digest, in the space of two frenetic days for each lot.

Unusually free access to cars, trucks and senior Nissan executives and engineers, involving a variety of driving locations including a few dazzling laps on the famous Estoril racetrack in this year’s white-hot GT-R, ensure that journalists willing to dig will find plenty to write about – particularly as Nissan 360 only happens once every four years.

It has taken Nissan and two event organisations over 10 months to put the event together, with around 30 cars imported from Japan and 30 from the USA. All will be returned when the month is over.

On the surface, the timing may not seem so good for Nissan to be showcasing its latest hardware. The 370Z is still six months away from being unveilled so is the next-generation Cube, while the vitally important K13 Micra is still at least a year away from debuting.

Yet ‘360’ symbolises the end of one era and the beginning of another for Nissan.

From top: GT-R, Murano, Maxima and Micra SR (bottom).

On May 13, the company announced its Nissan GT 2020 five-year business plan. G for Growth and T for Trust, it is a blueprint for the period commencing April 1, 2008, outlining a number of “corporate commitments” and “business breakthroughs” that cover all aspects from running the company under quality leadership to Nissan’s desire to be ahead with electric vehicles (EVs).

The latter forms part of a 60 all-new model rollout strategy and a promise to introduce 15 new technologies every year from 2009, while shareholders will be expecting five per cent revenue growth on average over the next five years.

Nissan GT 2020 replaces the three-year “Value-Up” business plan implemented in April 2005, which, after the “Nissan 180” revival plan of the early 2000s, aimed to reach 4.2 million units by the end of the fiscal year 2007 maintain near industry-leading operating profit margin levels while returning 20 per cent on investment and oversee 28 all-new Nissan and Infiniti models, with the later rolled out internationally by April 2008.

However, while almost 3.8 million annual sales and no Infiniti in Europe or Australia as yet suggests that Value-Up was devised in more optimistic times, an undeterred Nissan at 360 remains bullish about its plans and growth in a forum open to discussion.

Hence this is perfectly realised as far as the timing of the event in Portugal is concerned.

Furthermore, no mainstream car-maker with as many disparate products as Nissan has the nerve to allow journalist to scrutinise their vehicles in such a way.

And nobody could come away less than totally impressed with the sheer magnitude of the performance and value of the GT-R, or the cheeky, feel-good user-friendliness and charm of the Cube.

We are confident, after driving the racy Micra 1.6-litre SR, that Nissan is an economy-car titan that will deliver on the promise of a fuller range come Micra revamp time in 2010 or thereabouts. And that, properly specified and priced, the next Murano will overcome the current vehicle’s shortfalls to be a force in the medium SUV segment.

However, from an Australian perspective, we left with more questions than answers about the vehicles denied to Nissan’s Antipodean outpost.

Has Nissan completely forgotten Skyline’s history and goodwill with Australian consumers? Not only would Toyota kill for this sort of reputation for its Aurion or lower Lexus models, but floundering Ford and Holden might do themselves in if faced with selling up-spec Falcons and Commodores against the 3.5-litre sedan and sensuous 3.7-litre coupe versions. The Skyline is that good. Whispers of a 3.0-litre V6 diesel only serve to whet our appetite more.

The Skyline also served as a vivid contrast to the next-generation Teana/Maxima – while much improved in the cabin, drivetrain department and features list departments – has challenging styling that suggests it will be aimed more to the Hyundai Grandeur set than Honda Accord Euro buyers.

Teasing journalists with the much-more evocatively styled US-market 2009 Maxima further served to confound us about the Teana/Maxima’s role in Australia.

Why is there no turbo-diesel in the Dualis yet? And is the Note – a real sleeper among small cars, with its excellent packaging, quality driving capabilities and striking design detailing – not deemed good enough for a combined light and small car segment that nudged one-quarter of a million units last year? Conversely, after driving the US-market Sentra small-car and Altima mid-sized offerings, we see the maligned Tiida in a much better light. And we are not going to miss the off-road X-Terra SUV or Titan full-sized pick-up truck.

And as for Infiniti – perhaps Nissan is cautious about launching another premium/luxury brand into Australia after all the challenges of getting Renault off the ground. We don’t really need another luxury SUV like the X3-sized EX or X5-chasing FX – certainly not before Nissan rolls out the coming diesel and hybrid versions.

We think Nissan missed a trick not allowing journalists to drive an EV electric vehicle prototype.

General Motors couldn’t be more impatient for Australians to sample its zero-emission SUVs in Detroit last January, and the resulting sea of ink applauding this one-time American dinosaur’s future vision should not be overlooked – especially as EV leadership is Nissan’s new mantra.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Australia’s first modern exposure to Nissan, when a pair of Datsun 1000s were sent to, and won their sub-1000cc class in, the Mobilgas Around Australia Trial – opening the door for Japan to use Australia as a litmus test for international markets from the 1960s onwards.

If the Nissan 360 showed us anything, it is that the company is ambitious and prepared to take on the challenges of the future – but it really needs to remember the past and be more flexible to ensure that the path forward doesn’t involve a 180.