2003 New York Show, Part III

Related Articles:
2003 New York Show Coverage by TCC Team (4/16/2003)
All the news from the Javits Center, circa 2003.

 

 

 

 

NISSAN TROTS OUT A TRIO OF NEW PRODUCTS

Nissan had big news for the Big Apple, very big, starting with its first-ever full-size sport-utility vehicle. The 2004 Pathfinder Armada is meant offer Nissan buyers an alternative to the compact Pathfinder, the long-beating heart of the automaker’s SUV line-up. “This is just a natural extension for us,” suggested Jed Connelly, head of Nissan’s North American sales subsidiary, and those who own the company’s current products should make up 40 percent of Armada’s market. The three-row, eight-passenger rig features a 300-horsepower, 5.6-liter V-8, and a rated towing capacity of 9100 pounds. The automaker knows it has a tough fight cracking into a segment long dominated by domestic automakers, so it aimed to offer more power, more cargo capacity — and more cupholders, a total of fourteen in the Armada.

 

Call it Titan, Take II. It’s been only three months since Nissan unveiled its long-awaited, full-size pickup at the Detroit auto show, and it hasn’t even gone on sale yet. But the automaker had yet another version to introduce in New York, the Titan Crew Cab. All Titan models share a 5.6-liter Endurance V-8. The Crew Cab offers even more interior space than the King Cab displayed in Detroit. It is otherwise nearly identical, with a range of features Nissan hopes will let it quickly gain access to the American-dominated segment, one of the largest in the U.S. auto industry. Nissan officials are betting they can sell at least 100,00 Titans annually, once production reaches capacity at their new plant in Canton, Miss. “But we’d love to have this market tell us” it needs more, said Connelly, hinting there could be room to produce quite a few more.

 

The popular 350Z will go topless with the introduction of a new convertible version of the reborn roadster. The cloth-top Z car will go on sale this summer, Nissan officials announced in New York. The roadster’s power-operated soft top features a glass rear window, and will take only 20 seconds to raise or lower. Nissan figures the convertible will account for about 20 percent of Z car volume, which has far outstripped initial expectations. Longer term, it’s expected to level off somewhere between 25,000 and 30,000 of the roadsters annually. There will be only two versions offered, a Touring Edition and an Enthusiast Edition. Look for prices to run between $34,000 and $36,000, company officials said.

 

LINCOLN MERCURY LAYS OUT ITS FUTURE

The two domestic Ford luxury brands rolled out two new concept vehicles during their New York Press preview. The Mercury Mariner is a stylish and more sophisticated version of the compact Ford Escape. It features a number of more luxurious features than the Escape, including keyless entry, a door-mounted keypad and 17-inch wheels and tires. Borrowing styling cues from the bigger Mountaineer SUV, the Mariner is meant to underscore Mercury’s imminent revival, declared Jim O’Connor, North American sales and marketing czar for Ford Motor Co. “We’re fully committed to Lincoln Mercury,” he told a media gathering. The Mariner shown in the city was officially labeled a “concept” vehicle, but according to O’Connor, it is “very close” to the production model coming next year. Mercury has plans to bring four new products to market in the relative near-term. Along with Mariner, there’s the Monterey minivan that launched recently, the Montego sedan coming in mid-2004, and a mid-size sedan that will share the same platform as the new Ford Futura mid-size sedan. That as-yet-unnamed Mercury is due to market in 2005.