Nissan aims to launch luxury diesel hybrid in 2010
03-03-09, 08:31 AM
#1
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Nissan aims to launch luxury diesel hybrid in 2010
Nissan aims to launch luxury diesel hybrid in 2010
Tue Mar 3, 2009 4:01pm
GENEVA, March 3 (Reuters) - Nissan Motor Co (7201.T: Quote, Profile, Research) unveiled on Tuesday a concept car under its Infiniti luxury brand that it plans to adapt for production as a hybrid car twinned with a diesel engine for the European market next year.
Japan's third biggest automaker unveiled the Essence concept, a sporty coupe equipped with luggage in the trunk custom-designed by Louis Vuitton (LVMH.PA: Quote, Profile, Research), at the week-long Geneva International Motor Show which opened on Tuesday.
The concept car is fitted with Nissan's proprietary hybrid system that twins a 3.7-litre, turbocharged V6 petrol engine.
But a Nissan spokeswoman said Nissan's priority for the European market was to launch a production version of the car with a V6 diesel hybrid system in what could be one of the world's first cars to hybridise a diesel engine.
Nissan gave no indication of the car's price range. A diesel hybrid would theoretically be more fuel-efficient than a petrol hybrid but is more expensive to build.
"Customers willing to pay for a diesel hybrid would be in the luxury segment," the spokeswoman said.
Toyota Motor Corp's (7203.T: Quote, Profile, Research) Lexus luxury brand is also due to unveil a new hybrid car, the RX450h, at the Geneva show
Tue Mar 3, 2009 4:01pm
GENEVA, March 3 (Reuters) - Nissan Motor Co (7201.T: Quote, Profile, Research) unveiled on Tuesday a concept car under its Infiniti luxury brand that it plans to adapt for production as a hybrid car twinned with a diesel engine for the European market next year.
Japan's third biggest automaker unveiled the Essence concept, a sporty coupe equipped with luggage in the trunk custom-designed by Louis Vuitton (LVMH.PA: Quote, Profile, Research), at the week-long Geneva International Motor Show which opened on Tuesday.
The concept car is fitted with Nissan's proprietary hybrid system that twins a 3.7-litre, turbocharged V6 petrol engine.
But a Nissan spokeswoman said Nissan's priority for the European market was to launch a production version of the car with a V6 diesel hybrid system in what could be one of the world's first cars to hybridise a diesel engine.
Nissan gave no indication of the car's price range. A diesel hybrid would theoretically be more fuel-efficient than a petrol hybrid but is more expensive to build.
"Customers willing to pay for a diesel hybrid would be in the luxury segment," the spokeswoman said.
Toyota Motor Corp's (7203.T: Quote, Profile, Research) Lexus luxury brand is also due to unveil a new hybrid car, the RX450h, at the Geneva show
03-03-09, 08:27 PM
#4
I'd like to see it. There have been a lot of manufacturers wanting to build a diesel hybrid cause in theory, it should be more fuel efficient. However you do have two sources of low end torque (diesel and electric motor) but not much high end power like you get from a petrol engine.
03-03-09, 09:43 PM
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Toyota and Lexus will start getting its *** handed to them by companies like Nissan pretty soon, I have a feeling. Infiniti, the Germans and companies like Fisker are just destroying Lexus in the "cool" car categories, and if they start coming out with diesel hybrids and electric cars- man, Lexus needs to wake up.
03-04-09, 06:24 AM
#6
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I'd like to see it. There have been a lot of manufacturers wanting to build a diesel hybrid cause in theory, it should be more fuel efficient. However you do have two sources of low end torque (diesel and electric motor) but not much high end power like you get from a petrol engine.
they won't rev to 6500 rpm like agas engine but through gearing, and proper tuning of the torque curve, they will pull strongly all the way to their redline. for example, my truck when stock pulled from 1200 rpm to about 2200, then if fell off. but after a couple mods and changing the fueling and timing curve, it now pulls strongly all the way to 3000 rpm. (redline is 3200). it's a totally different truck tod rive now. it still has the low end for pulling (actually more than stock) but also has the top end of a gas truck. best of both worlds....
03-04-09, 02:31 PM
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Toyota and Lexus will start getting its *** handed to them by companies like Nissan pretty soon, I have a feeling. Infiniti, the Germans and companies like Fisker are just destroying Lexus in the "cool" car categories, and if they start coming out with diesel hybrids and electric cars- man, Lexus needs to wake up.
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03-04-09, 02:32 PM
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I'd like to see it. There have been a lot of manufacturers wanting to build a diesel hybrid cause in theory, it should be more fuel efficient. However you do have two sources of low end torque (diesel and electric motor) but not much high end power like you get from a petrol engine.
03-04-09, 02:43 PM
#9
Toyota and Lexus will start getting its *** handed to them by companies like Nissan pretty soon, I have a feeling. Infiniti, the Germans and companies like Fisker are just destroying Lexus in the "cool" car categories, and if they start coming out with diesel hybrids and electric cars- man, Lexus needs to wake up.
As for "cool cars", the Germans and even Nissan/Infiniti are taking Toyota/Lexus to school on that topic for many years so I don't see how's that going to affect the overall picture.
As for now, German hybrids are still vaporwares but Toyota has been PRODUCING hybrid cars for a decade now. Who has the edge? Your call.
03-05-09, 01:32 PM
#10
eh, toyota moves pretty slow. some good hybrids coming like the insight. but im still waiting for a good looking hybrid with some performance. ashame about that concept hybrid supra....
03-05-09, 02:05 PM
#11
However, you should read what you just posted... The Insight? Are you serious? The Insight isn't even more fuel efficient than the second generation Prius!
If Toyota is moving slow then Honda is barely moving and all others are standing still.
03-05-09, 04:30 PM
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Yes gshb, but the Inisght is clearly on the cheap side. There's a lost of cost cutting done to get the price that low. IMO, I'd spend the extra money looking at the Prius and/or Jetta turbo diesel.
03-07-09, 09:11 AM
#15
In the Prius, you're paying for the leading edge in hybrid technology. Would you buy a Camry over an ES? An Avalon over an LS? People pay for a Lexus for the cache, luxury touches and technology that you can't find in a Toyota.
i don't want to get too far off topic here, but diesels can have a good high end power too. it's common misconception that they are only low end torque engines, but with a different tune, they can pull hard at the top of their rev range as well.
they won't rev to 6500 rpm like agas engine but through gearing, and proper tuning of the torque curve, they will pull strongly all the way to their redline. for example, my truck when stock pulled from 1200 rpm to about 2200, then if fell off. but after a couple mods and changing the fueling and timing curve, it now pulls strongly all the way to 3000 rpm. (redline is 3200). it's a totally different truck tod rive now. it still has the low end for pulling (actually more than stock) but also has the top end of a gas truck. best of both worlds....
they won't rev to 6500 rpm like agas engine but through gearing, and proper tuning of the torque curve, they will pull strongly all the way to their redline. for example, my truck when stock pulled from 1200 rpm to about 2200, then if fell off. but after a couple mods and changing the fueling and timing curve, it now pulls strongly all the way to 3000 rpm. (redline is 3200). it's a totally different truck tod rive now. it still has the low end for pulling (actually more than stock) but also has the top end of a gas truck. best of both worlds....