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2006 New York Auto Show Coverage by TCC Team
(4/10/2006)
New Altima from
Nissan

2007 Nissan Altima
In the past six years, Nissan nearly doubled the number of
models offered in
North America
. Sales have doubled as well, surpassing one-million in total for the last two
years, led by the Altima, the highest volume Nissan at 255,000 units during
2005. Now comes a fourth-generation Altima. The 2007 model, on sale this fall, has a
more powerful 3.5-liter V-6 engine and optional continuously variable transaxle.
There is also a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. Both engines are said by
Nissan to have significant performance enhancements. The Altima is based on
all-new Nissan "D" platform with improved body rigidity and a redesigned
suspension aimed at making Altima one of the best performing large front-wheel
drive sedans in the world, according to Nissan. More significant is the ongoing
marketing shift to CVTs. In
North America in the near
future, all Sentra, Altima, Maxima, and Murano models sold with automatic
transmissions will come equipped with CVTs. A hybrid version of the Altima
is also under development. —
Ken Zino
See
more '07 Nissan Altima pics
Maxima Gets Subtle
Facelift
The new
Altima sedan is the volume leader at Nissan, but the Maxima remains the
flagship, the company says. So, early this summer the 2007 Maxima will appear
with a minor exterior freshening —
grille, hood lights, side sills, and bumpers —
and a markedly
upgraded interior with real aluminum trim, revised gauges and controls, new
bucket seats, and “available” leather seating surfaces. The glass-paneled roof
continues as standard equipment. Underneath remains a 3.5-liter DOHC 24-valve
V-6 engine, now rated at 255 hp and 252 lb-ft of torque, down from last year’s
265 hp and 255 lb-ft due to a change in the SAE testing protocol. However, all
automatic transmission models will now come with a continuously variable
transaxle, that Nissan claims will provide the best performance, efficiency, and
feel in the $30,000 sport sedan class. The CVT has a manual shifting mode and is
a more aggressively tuned version of the CVT used in the Murano. While
Toyota has
clearly staked out the hybrid leader claim, Nissan remains the industry leader
in CVTs, with three designs in production. All Sentra, Altima, Maxima, and
Murano models sold with automatic transmissions will come equipped with CVTs in
the U.S. in the near future. Traction
control is also standard on all models. This is now the sixth-generation Maxima
in the U.S. since its 1981 introduction, and
Nissan says that its Maxima buyers are its most loyal customers. —Ken
Zino
Next GT-R Coming in ’08 —
As A Nissan

2000 Lexus LX470
Nissan also confirmed in
New York that the GT-R sportscar, shown as a GT-R Proto concept at
recent shows, will be coming to the
U.S. in 2008. To some surprise, the
GT-R will be coming over as a Nissan vehicle, not as an upmarket Infiniti,
suggesting that it will be the most expensive Nissan ever. The production
version of the vehicle will be shown at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, and will be
on sale in the
U.S. and
Canada in the spring of 2008.
We preview the Nissan GT-R
Saturn Has New Outlook

2000 Chevrolet Blazer Xtreme Concept
The Saturn
Outlook is a three-row, eight-passenger crossover vehicle that goes into
production late this year in
Michigan.
The Outlook is based on GM’s new crossover vehicle platform, Lambda, that will
also see a new Buick Enclave wagon and a GMC with the unconfirmed name of
Acadia, and a new Opel. Powering the Outlook is
the GM 3.6-liter V-6 with variable valve timing. It is rated at an estimated 269
hp and 247 lb-ft of torque. Available with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel
drive, the unibody vehicle shares a six-speed automatic transmission that was
developed with Ford Motor Company. While transmission components are shared with
Ford, application engineering, such as for its calibration, is unique. GM says
that when compared with its usual four-speed automatic, the new transmission
provides performance improvements of about six to eight percent while improving
fuel economy two to four percent. The Aura, Sky Red Line, and Outlook are among
five new vehicles joining the Saturn family for the 2007 model year.
—Ken
Zino
See more Saturn Outlook pictures
Saturn Kisses Sky with Red Line 
2006 Saturn Sky

2007 Saturn Sky Red Line Bob Lutz
Usual auto-industry practice is to
wait a year or two before introducing derivatives of a new car. This gives
companies and dealers something to hawk after the initial sales surge diminishes
and the line needs a promotional boost. Not at Saturn nor at
Pontiac this time around.
The Saturn Sky roadster just now appearing in showrooms starting at $23,690 will
be joined this fall by a Red Line version. Red means 260 hp, and 260 lb-ft of
torque from a 2.0-liter direct-injection turbocharged engine in place of the
base 2.4-liter, 177-hp four-cylinder. This is GM’s highest specific output
engine ever at 2.1 hp per cubic inch of displacement (130 hp/liter) and the most
powerful engine in the Ecotec family. The same powertrain and output numbers
apply to the upcoming Pontiac Solstice GXP, the performance version of the
Solstice, which starts at $20,490 with less standard equipment than the Sky. The
Sky and an upcoming Opel GT version due late this year are based on the same
Kappa platform as the Solstice. The turbocharged versions are not priced yet,
but look for several thousand dollars to be added, especially if current initial
demand remains high. Turbocharged versions should be easily capable of
zero-to-60 mph elapsed times of less than six seconds.
—Ken
Zino
Aura Revealed at
Saturn

2007 Saturn Aura
One more time with an Opel
feeling? The new Saturn Aura is a mid-size sedan, due this summer as the brand’s
second attempt at expanding into a segment long dominated by the Toyota Camry
and Honda Accord, after the unlamented and cancelled L-Series. The Aura is based
on the Epsilon mid-size car platform shared with the Opel Vectra, but built in
the
U.S. A 3.5-liter V-6 with variable
valve timing (VVT) is standard, while there’s an optional more powerful
3.6-liter DOHC V-6 with VVTi. The 3.6-liter engine is mated to a new, six-speed
automatic transmission — the first GM product to receive what is called a
performance-oriented, fuel-saving gearbox. Later in the 2007 model year, an Aura
hybrid model will become available. It uses a four-cylinder-based mild hybrid
powertrain similar to the Saturn Vue Green Line appearing this summer. The Vue
hybrid is predicted to be the lowest-cost hybrid-powered SUV in the market,
starting at less than $23,000, and offering fuel economy improvements of about
20 percent in stop-and-go driving estimated by GM at 27 mpg city. It uses a
combination electric motor/generator mated to a 2.4-liter VVT four-cylinder
engine and four-speed automatic transmission. Efficiency is increased by engine
shut-off at idle, fuel cut-off during deceleration, electric power assist during
acceleration, and regenerative braking.
—Ken Zino
Saturn Aura gets six-speed
transmission
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