Automotive News Europe - September 22, 2010 - 49

New Product | Automotive News Europe

Nissan Juke goes from Paris stand to owners’ hands
The Paris auto show coincides with the start of customer deliveries for the Nissan Juke. The Japanese automaker already has more than 22,500 pre-orders for the all-new British-built subcompact hatchback/SUV crossover. Nissan expects 80 percent of the Juke’s sales will be to first-time Nissan buyers, a similar figure to that achieved by the slightly larger Qashqai, which accounts for about half of the automaker’s European sales. Nissan has sold more than 600,000 units of the Qashqai since it launched the compact hatchback/ SUV crossover a little more than three years ago. Nissan Europe’s general manager for compact, medium and EV products. The Juke’s design is a development of Nissan’s Quazana concept, which was shown at the 2009 Geneva auto show. “Its cantilever roofline and upswept waist are reminiscent to the Nissan GTR and 370Z silhouettes, creating a sporty coupe look,” Ebeling said. The car sits on the new Renault-Nissan alliance B platform, which is longer and wider than the preceding B platform, and has an option for all-wheel drive. With a wheelbase of 2530mm and an overall length of 4135mm, the Juke only just fits in the subcompact segment. In Europe, the Juke is offered with a choice of two 1.6-liter gasoline engines with 117 hp and 190 hp, emitting 138g/km and 159g/km of CO2 respectively, and a 110-hp, 1.5-liter diesel with CO2 emissions of 134g/km. Nissan hopes that three-quarters of Juke customers will be younger than 30. KEY FACTS Name: Nissan Juke Launch date: September/October Main competitors: Mini Countryman Annual sales forecast: 80,000 in Europe; 30,000 in U.S.; 15,000 in Japan Where built: Sunderland, England; Oppama, Japan Base price: 16,990 euros (Germany) Best bits: It has a sporty, coupe-like silhouette despite its high-seat SUV design All-wheel versions of the Juke have a system called “torque vectoring” that allows for more accurate and faster speed differentiation of left and right hand wheels. “It is an industry first, with full electronic control and weighing just 29kg,” said Ebeling, who expects 10 percent of Jukes to be sold with awd. Wim Oude Weernink

A new niche
Nissan says it saw an opportunity to create a new niche with the Juke, which will be on Nissan’s stand in Paris. “It appeals to a growing group of buyers who like the high-seat concept of a SUV but want something more original,” said Thomas Ebeling,

Electric car wars Continued from page 5
be thinking about heading home and hoping there’s no hills.” The jabs at Renault-Nissan’s bid to be the initial EV leader come after the automakers, particularly Nissan, spent years being criticized for not having a hybrid. At one point, Ghosn derided the hybrid craze as a costly fad.

Cover Story | Automotive News Europe
Motors Group, which has two Nissan dealerships “VW has never been a first mover, but they and one Renault store in southern England. have always entered the market with a mature “Whichever way we dress this up, EVs are product and succeeded,” Christian Aust, an the future of the industry,” said Finn, whose analyst at UniCredit in Munich told ANE. “I think Nissan store will be one of the first to offer the they could do the same in the powertrain race.” Leaf in the UK. Stefan Bratzel, head of the Center of When asked whether he believes the Leaf can Automotive Management in Germany, agrees do for Nissan what the Prius did for Toyota, Finn that VW is behind in bringing electric cars to the said “definitely.” market, but that is not a dramatic problem. Because of the successful launch of the Prius “Pioneers are not always the winners – they gasoline-electric hybrid, get shot by the Indians,” he said. Pioneers are not always Toyota continues to be Bratzel said the winners in the considered among the EV sales race will not be decided the winners – they get greenest automakers in until between 2020 and 2025, so shot by the Indians. the world. those that enter the market early STEFAN BRATZEL, HEAD OF CENTER OF Finn believes that may not be the main beneficiaries. AUTOMOTIVE MANAGEMENT, GERMANY after the Leaf arrives “Between now and then there and the Renault models follow then the alliance will be a lot of uncertainty until it becomes clear partners will becomes synonymous with zerowhich will be the dominant technology for electric emission cars. mobility,” Bratzel said. “VW should not neglect “We feel we’ve got a not-so-secret secret electric cars but it does not need to be first.” weapon,” Finn said about the Leaf. “This gives Risk and reward us a head start.” One person who is happy with Renault-Nissan’s Rivals are determined to make sure that head shock-and-awe approach to launching EVs is Mike start doesn’t last. Finn, who is managing director of Wellington Douglas A. Bolduc/Luca Ciferri/Paul McVeigh

‘Betting the family silver’
Nissan’s Thomas also sees hybrids as just an interim, transitional technology. “Basically, you’re doubling up because you don’t know whether you want to go left or you want to go right. We think it’s going to go right. So we are betting the kitchen sink and the family silver on EV,” Thomas said. The question is whether rivals such as VW are ready to commit the cash and time needed to become the world’s EV leader. In the past, VW has been successful at coming from behind. For example, it was a non-player in Europe’s volume SUV market for a decade. Then the VW Tiguan arrived in 2007. By 2008, the Tiguan had passed Toyota's segment-dominating RAV4 to become Europe’s best-selling SUV.

49
Sept. 22, 2010. Volume 1, Issue 1 ANE Executive Edition

Automotive News Europe - September 22, 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Automotive News Europe - September 22, 2010