Nissan’s new Z car looks promising
We knew Nissan’s 370Z successor was on the horizon after the brand registered its latest retro-themed Z logo, and now, Nissan’s “A to Z” product preview confirms that very logo on the C-pillar of its new sports car, which features a familiar roofline over a fairly small footprint. Especially when parked next to the upcoming Terra.
The next Z could feature a 4.0-liter version of Nissan’s V-6, in a body designed to remind us of the 1969 240Z. However, Nissan leaves us without a word on the GT-R’s fate, adding only that its business plan includes the reduction of the global product line by 20 percent, from 69 to fewer than 55 models. Looking into the future, the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance will be all about the alliance part, with the standardization of vehicle platforms and upper bodies and a dedicated “mother vehicle” in all segments.
Nissan will also close its plants in Spain and Indonesia, while shifting southeast Asian production to Thailand. In North America, manufacturing will be consolidated around core models to reduce fixed costs. Currently, Nissan employees over 8000 workers in the U.S., who assemble the Altima, Maxima, Leaf, Pathfinder, and Rogue in Smyrna, Tennessee.
Nissan’s plan includes the launch of a wide range of crossovers, SUVs, and pickup trucks, starting with the new compact Ariya as well as the next generations of the Armada/Patrol, Frontier, Kicks, Navara, Pathfinder, Qashqai, Rogue, and Terra lines.
Still, either way the coin flips regarding the now-13-years-old GT-R, at least there’s a new Z car we can look forward to:
