Report: Nissan Planning Luxury Hybrid

Nissan is planning to build a front-engine, rear-wheel drive luxury hybrid saloon that will compete against the Lexus GS450h. Wheels magazine reports that a Japanese source is saying that the car will be based on the next Infiniti M45 and should debut in the second half of 2010. Toshiyuki Shiga, Nissan COO, has said that Nissan will develop its own hybrid technology for use in the new vehicle.

While Nissan’s CEO, Ghosn admitted that hybrid cars are pointless due to the high production cost and that diesel vehicles have better mileage, this report could indicate that Nissan to will be jumping on the hybrid wagon which is becoming overly popular amongst environmentally conscious drivers.
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EL34 - 1/25/2007 10:51:48 AM

+7 Boost

monkey see, monkey doo

mitchatlexusofmarin - 1/25/2007 11:55:20 AM

0 Boost

Now that was funny!

S4cabriofoxone - 1/25/2007 5:15:57 PM

+2 Boost

No, I like the GS450h. It's a very nice car, best of the GS lineup. We just don't like it as much when you compare it to the E320 Bluetec.

Speaking of diesels, I saw my first GL320 CDI today!

indifferent - 1/25/2007 5:55:05 PM

-1 Boost

dude, its not copying lexus/toyota... its giving the customers what they want. Whether toyota had a hybrid or not, every company would come out with a hybrid. The public might not have a clue about the efficentcy of a hybrid, but if its the cool thing to do, they will buy one. I mean, just how many escaldes were sold to soccer moms becuase their 10 year old son thought he would be cool rideing around in one?

answer - 1/25/2007 1:06:38 PM

0 Boost

That's all well and good, but where the hell is the next Q flagship? Is it just going to stay dead?

EL34i - 1/25/2007 2:09:35 PM

0 Boost

With the styling of the last two generations, hopefully so.

PropellerHead - 1/25/2007 1:09:41 PM

+2 Boost

Why are people consistently and blatantly biased in favor or against automakers on this site? You see the same people all the time as the Toyota guy or the Audi guy or BMW guy. I like trying a different car each time out. There's a lot of good stuff out there and life is too short to limit yourself to one flavor of rides.

1970toyotamarc - 1/25/2007 2:09:26 PM

+1 Boost

All these auto execs declaring how worthless hybrids are, cant wait to jump on the bandwagon. Go ahead Nissan, by that time Toyota will be on gen III, maybe you can buy those from Toyota too.

indifferent - 1/25/2007 5:58:28 PM

-3 Boost

and one day, GM or VW's fuel cells will become popular and toyota will end up buying that technology from them. Whats your point? At the end of the day, toyota borrowed the combustible engine from benz, the assembly line from Ford, the notion of a luxury car from Cadilic/Packard.

Willis - 1/26/2007 12:10:47 AM

+3 Boost

Indifferent,

The internal combustion engine was invented by Nikolaus Otto, a German engineer. Karl Benz built his own engine, but he did not invent it.

Lexus - 1/25/2007 6:58:38 PM

-1 Boost

Don't forget Lexus is the first company to come out with a Lexury hybrid car.

Lexus

Bill - 1/26/2007 12:13:49 AM

+1 Boost

Lexus is not only the first, it's basically the pioneer of the whole thing.


Really? The Germans essentially used a crude form of hybrids in 1908, long before the Japanese.

Then in the late 1980s, early 1990s, Audi / VW actually came out with a hybrid design and a prototype, but it never went into production.

Bottom line, Lexus didn't invent hybrids. They are simply the first to bring this technology to the market, that's all.

cbro980 - 1/25/2007 10:45:24 PM

-1 Boost

But in previous blogs, many have said Lexus never pioneered "nothin". I guess they are just too biased to admit the advances Lexus has made or more likly, they are ostriches by nature.

Agent63 - 1/26/2007 7:13:38 AM

+2 Boost

It's about time Nissan joins the hybrid segment. I feel Nissan & Infiniti have fallen behind in the luxury segment as well with Lexus light years ahead. Infiniti just doesn't have the proper marketing so the people don't think Infiniti as a premium brand. It's just not well known as Lexus.

Nissan should put more funding into the Infiniti brand to revive the company. G35 IMO saved the company but now it seems like the G35 is what's keeping the company going along with some FX and M45 sales. Not sure about the figures but just from what I see.