Tag Archives: Nissan

NEW CARS

Nissan Teana Plus: China Gets the Altima That Won’t Quit

The Nissan Altima’s future in North America is shakier than a CVT at full throttle. Sales are sliding, SUVs are eating its lunch, and the word “discontinuation” keeps hovering around like an unwelcome in-law. But while the Altima clings to life in the States, its Chinese twin—the Teana—isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s getting a makeover. Meet the Teana Plus, a facelifted sedan that’s determined to prove the mid-size four-door still has some fight left in it.

Face Off

The big news is up front, where the Teana has borrowed some design DNA from Nissan’s latest electrified sedans. Darker, sharper LED headlights now flank a chunkier grille with new DRLs baked in. Beneath that sits a wider lower intake, a styling cue lifted straight from the sleeker N6 and N7 models. It’s all meant to drag the Teana into the modern age without actually electrifying it. Think of it as a petrol-powered chameleon trying to look like its hybrid cousins.

From the side, you’d be hard-pressed to spot major changes unless you’re a wheel nerd. New alloy designs—stretching up to 19 inches—provide the only real update, although one trim gets a two-tone paint job with a contrasting roof, which is basically shorthand for “please look at me, I’m premium.” Out back, a full-width LED bar now spans the tail with illuminated Nissan lettering glowing proudly at its centre. Exhaust pipes? Gone. Because hiding the fact you burn petrol is the new cool.

Size Matters (Sort Of)

The nip-and-tuck job has added a smidge of length—14 millimetres, or just over half an inch—bringing the total to 4,920 mm. Width, height, and wheelbase remain unchanged, but the Teana Plus still sits on a healthy 2,825 mm wheelbase, enough to keep rear passengers comfortable while they wonder why they didn’t buy an SUV.

Inside Job

No official cabin shots yet, but expect a digital cockpit, larger screens, and tech updates designed to keep pace with the Camry and Accord. Given how hard Chinese buyers value in-car gadgets, Nissan can’t afford to skimp.

Engines: Same Wine, New Bottle

Under the bonnet, things are familiar. The Teana Plus sticks with a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder good for 240 horsepower, feeding the front wheels through Nissan’s trusty Xtronic CVT with eight fake gears. It’s not exciting, but it’s predictable—like ordering fried rice at a hotel buffet.

Curiously, filings also mention a new entry-level engine rated at just 142 hp—actually weaker than the current naturally aspirated 2.0. Why? Nobody knows. Maybe emissions regs. Maybe cost-cutting. Maybe someone at Dongfeng just enjoys trolling spec sheets.

Launch and Legacy

The Teana Plus will hit Chinese roads in late 2025, priced somewhere between ¥179,800 ($25,000) and ¥239,800 ($33,400). The current model will likely soldier on alongside it for a while, because nothing dies in China until the last taxi fleet has finished wringing it dry.

Meanwhile, back in the States, the Altima soldiers on with a facelift from 2022 and endless rumours about the axe. Could it get a Teana-style glow-up? Possibly. But given the SUV-obsessed American market, don’t bet your lease payment on it.

For now, the Teana Plus stands as proof that, in at least one corner of the globe, the humble mid-size sedan still has some life—and some LEDs—left in it.

Source: Nissan

NEW CARS

Nissan X-Trail Nismo Premiere

Nismo, Nissan’s performance arm, has been busy lately. After giving the hulking Armada a suit-and-tie makeover with a splash of track-day attitude, it’s now turning its sharpie toward something a little more… family-friendly. Enter the X-Trail Nismo—Japan’s take on what happens when you send a sensible SUV on a Red Bull and chin-up bar diet.

The official debut is set for August 21 in Japan, but Nissan’s already teased it with a moody YouTube video full of shadowy angles and menacing DRLs. As expected, it’s got the full Nismo wardrobe: chunky front splitter, red pinstripes in all the right places, and enough badges to make sure your neighbors know you bought the spicy one. Expect new bumpers, side skirts, wheel arch cladding, and some rather tasty 20-inch Enkei alloys wrapped in Michelin performance rubber. It’s the automotive equivalent of dad sneakers—only these ones are cut for sprints.

Paint options? Six of them. Three safe single-tone shades—white, black, gray—for those who want their aggression muted. Or, if you’re the type who orders extra chili, three two-tone combos that pair bright body colors with a contrasting black roof. Think Prism White with black, or Cardinal Red with black. It’s a bit like dressing up for a business meeting and then slipping on scarlet socks—subtle, but not really.

Inside, Nissan hasn’t gone full boy racer. Expect black trim, red stitching, and some carbon-effect garnish. If you tick the right boxes, you’ll also get Recaro buckets in leather and Alcantara, plus a Bose nine-speaker setup for blasting Eurobeat on your way to the school run.

Now, before you ask: no, it’s not getting a snarling twin-turbo V6 or a detuned GT-R motor. In fact, the powertrain doesn’t change at all. You still get the familiar e-Power setup—a 1.5-liter petrol engine working as a generator to feed electricity to dual motors. Combined, that’s 211 horsepower and 525 Nm of torque. Respectable numbers, but not the sort to have AMG drivers sweating at the lights.

Instead, Nismo’s magic is happening under the skin. The steering, suspension, and shock absorbers have all been fettled for sharper responses. Even the e-4ORCE all-wheel-drive software gets new code to keep things tidier in corners. Think of it less as a power upgrade and more as a handling masterclass—like swapping out your loafers for racing flats.

So, will we see it outside Japan? That’s the billion-yen question. The X-Trail’s American twin, the Rogue, is due for a full redesign around 2026, and the whispers say a Nismo trim might be in the cards then. Which means if you’re in the States, you’ll have to wait a little longer for your school-run special ops SUV.

For now, though, the X-Trail Nismo is shaping up as a fascinating experiment: take an everyday crossover, dress it like a street brawler, tune the bits that make it dance, and leave the horsepower wars to someone else. It might not be the fastest SUV on the road—but it’ll probably be one of the cheekiest.

Source: Nissan

News

Nissan Slashes Ariya Price to Qualify for UK EV Grant

Nissan has given its flagship electric SUV a substantial price haircut, making the Ariya more attainable — and more competitive — in the UK’s red-hot EV market.

Following a major price shuffle, the Ariya now joins the list of 19 models eligible for the UK’s Electric Car Grant (ECG). Until now, Nissan’s stylish crossover sat frustratingly above the scheme’s £37,000 cap in all trims, preventing buyers from pocketing the £1500 discount.

That changes with the introduction of the Ariya Shiro, a newly minted entry-level model that drops the starting price from £39,645 to £33,500 after the grant. The Shiro wears exclusive pearlescent white paint, comes in Engage trim, and packs a 63kWh battery good for everyday driving. Buyers who want the beefier 87kWh pack can still sneak under the threshold, with pricing from £35,500.

Only front-wheel-drive Engage models qualify for the grant, while the mid-spec Advance trim starts at £37,500 and the all-wheel-drive e-4orce kicks off at £45,500. Performance enthusiasts eyeing the Nismo edition will need deeper pockets — its price remains an unapologetic £56,630.

The move means both of Nissan’s current UK EVs are now grant-eligible, with the all-new Micra starting at £21,495 including the £1500 incentive. Looking ahead, the brand’s UK lineup is set to expand with the third-generation British-built Leaf later this year — a prime candidate for the higher £3750 discount — followed by an all-electric Juke in 2026 from the company’s Sunderland plant.

“Nissan Ariya now offers greater value without sacrificing the innovation, design, and performance customers expect,” said Fiona Mackay, Nissan GB’s marketing director. “It’s all part of removing barriers to EV ownership and helping more drivers make the switch to zero emissions.”

For EV shoppers, that “barrier removal” translates into one of the most significant price drops in the segment this year — and a sign Nissan is willing to play hardball in the increasingly crowded electric SUV market.

Source: Autocar