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The Paris Show finally begins tomorrow
By UKOHA KALU, Paris
Wednesday
, September 27, 2006
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Ford
mondeo
Photo: Sun News Publishing |
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The Paris Motor Show is here and it's looking already packaged
with new models of all brands.
We've already collected and run several stories, but there
are many more to come, including Ford's near-to-finish Mondeo
concept and the next-generation Toyota Corolla to name just
two.
Check back here in Daily Sun for regular
updates and make a date to return to us for our comprehensive
show report.
This will include, news and gossip from the exhibition floor.
Our report will also be crammed with hundreds of photographs
and, of course, our trailblazing tit bits.
Unbeatable Toyota Corolla
Nissan, through the Alliance and Sun Motors, is making a come-back
to the Nigerian automobile scene and seems somewhat poised
to give Toyota Nigeria Limited something to chew in terms
of offering it a little bit of competition. Toyota has consistently
made no mistake to show all its competitors that it is the
marquee and brand to beat. What with their breath taking Toyota
Corolla, Avensis, Camry, all in the car segment. And the RAV
4, Prado, The FourRunner, Land Cruiser and the Hilux in the
light truck segment.
Nissan Qashqai
Meanwhile, this is the new Nissan Qashqai on display here
in Paris - the company's replacement for the Almera small
family car. If it looks more like a 4x4 than a hatchback,
that's entirely intentional. Nissan says it is offering a
chunky, urban SUV instead of a regular five-door.
The Qashqai arrives showrooms in February 2007and is designed
to steal sales from more mundane VW Golfs, Vauxhall Astras
and other small family cars. Although, the same length as
a Ford Focus, the rugged Qashqai is noticeably higher.
Nissan has deliberately styled the Qashqai to look like its
bigger Murano 4x4, with a striking nose and kicked-up rear
side windows. A panoramic glass sunroof will be offered, bathing
both rows of seats in natural light.
Four engines will be available: 1.6 and 2.0-litre petrols,
and 1.5 and 2.0-litre dCi diesels. Nissan expects the smallest
petrol car to be most popular, followed by the higher-powered
diesel. Nissan predicts that 70% of buyers will choose the
front-wheel drive models, although both 2.0-litre engines
can be allied to four-wheel drive. It's the same system as
in the X-Trail 4x4, giving the driver the choice of fully
automatic power distribution, or manual over-ride for better
traction on slippery roads.
Exact specifications have not yet been fixed, but the Qashqai,
they say will offer alloy wheels, air-conditioning and six
airbags as standard. Niceties such as rear-view cameras to
aid reversing will be optional.
The Qashqai was designed and engineered in Britain, and will
be built there too. Around 100,000 will be produced every
year at Nissan's Sunderland factory, one of the most productive
in Europe.
Nissan is not the first to abandon the traditional small family
car segment; Dodge's new Caliber is also a chunky 4x4 look-alike
priced as an alternative to European small hatchbacks. However,
the Dodge is not available with four-wheel drive.
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