Radical Nissan van due at Tokyo show
Nissan Design Europe has revealed preliminary details of an innovative small van concept that will make its worldwide debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in October.
According to the company, the concept vehicle, called NV200, "turns conventional light commercial design inside out ... literally."
The NV200 was jointly developed by Nissan Design Center in Japan and NDE, located in Paddington, London. By having no pre-conceived ideas about what form NV200 should take, the team has developed a radical, futuristic, but entirely practical new concept, Nissan says.
Its most striking feature is a storage pod that extends from the van's load area when the vehicle is parked. As the pod is deployed, the then-empty load bay is transformed into a mobile office.
The pod is latched inside the load area when the van is being driven. But upon arrival at its destination, it slides out rearwards to allow easy access to the storage zones.
As the pod is withdrawn from the van, the area left behind is transformed into a mobile office. The front passenger seat swivels backwards on a curved rail to face a computer table, which drops down from the side of the van.
KIA SPORTS COUPE FOR FRANKFURT
Kia plans to unveil a sports coupe concept car on September 11 at this year's Frankfurt auto show.
The concept is the product of the company's European design studio in Frankfurt, now under the direction of Peter Schreyer, who joined Kia as chief design officer last September.
Schreyer spent the previous 25 years with Volkswagen and Audi, where he worked on such iconic designs as the Audi TT and the VW New Beetle.
"I'm sure Kia will surprise the entire automotive world when people see our new sports coupe concept in the metal," says Schreyer of the concept, whose name has not yet been released.
Although the car is labeled a concept, it is believed to be the prelude to a forthcoming production model, as was the case previously with the Euro-only Cee'd compact model.
FORD TO UNLEASH KUGA
Its name may be a play on Ford's historic ties to the Cougar nameplate, but the Kuga, which will make its world premiere in Frankfurt, will be nothing like the cars that previously bore that nameplate.
Rather it will be a compact CUV/SUV – not just a concept but a near-production prototype – that will go on sale in Europe early next year.
According to John Fleming, president and CEO of Ford of Europe, the Kuga delivers on a promise made at the 2006 Paris Auto Show to develop a production model based on the dramatic Iosis concept car.
Both vehicles' design direction vary dramatically from that of current Ford-branded vehicles in North America.
Why should we care about the model? Because the Kuga is likely to form the basis for the next-generation Ford Escape.
RUMBLINGS
Porsche is said to be working with Audi and Volkswagen to develop hybrid powertrains for the Cayenne and the forthcoming Panamera, in preparation for tighter European CO2-emission standards proposed for 2012. There are no apparent plans to hybridize any of Porsches sports cars.
Chrysler, which has confirmed plans to import vehicles built in China by Chery, may not be the only major manufacturer to follow that route. Shanghai Volkswagen, VW's Chinese venture, is reportedly developing a new car for sale both locally and in North America.
Mini diesels sold in Europe will begin offering an automatic stop-start system, like that offered in the BMW 1-Series, this fall. It is unlikely that the system will be available here, however, as the Mini diesels, which are claimed to be as fuel-efficient as a Toyota Prius, will not be part of the Canadian lineup. The 1-Series' start-stop system will not be offered here either.
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