WITH the largest SUV lineup in the region launched just a year ago, Nissan is back in the forefront presenting for the very first time the all-new Nissan Pathfinder featuring three-row seating and powerful 4.0-liter V6 engine.
In September last year, two new Nissan SUV’s, the Murano and Armada were launched embodying Nissan’s bold styling, technology and comfort. Nissan’s flagship model Patrol also got a face-lift both exterior & interior. These models have been well accepted and taken the markets by storm since last year’s launch and achieved great heights of popularity.
While keeping pace with the reputation built by Nissan Murano and Armada and focusing on the growing SUV market and its ever demanding customers, Nissan made a quantum leap in bringing the all new Nissan Pathfinder which is a highly capable, mid-sized adventure vehicle for highly active families in the Middle East. The all-new Nissan Pathfinder, which has already been launched in the US last year has received overwhelming recognition and recorded escalating sales.
Murano
The Murano, launched last year as Nissan’s first crossover SUV, has since become a familiar eye-catcher on GCC with its distinctively ravishing looks.
Bold styling, exceptional craftsmanship, and an interior defined by comfort, utility, and sophisticated technologies will again be the hallmarks of the 2006 edition, fulfilling the Murano promise to exceed the expectations of owners, drivers, and passengers.
The Murano is billed as ‘a sculpture in motion’ – an ambassador for the Nissan brand in terms of advanced design and technology that signposts how Nissan will lead the future of SUV styling.
Technology and engineering excellence are presented in a stylish silhouette that changes traditional perceptions of SUVs. Inside, spaciousness combines with versatility and comfort to create a world-class driving environment, featuring crafted and contoured seats with leather upholstery and memory function, brushed aluminum trim, an intelligently-designed instrument panel, and a multi-purpose information centre.
Power comes from award winning VQ engine, a 3.5 litre V6 that produces 266 hp at 5,800 rpm and 36.2 kg-m of torque at 3,600 rpm. It’s equipped with the most advanced automatic transmission (CVT) for linear and smooth acceleration and fuel consumption, with 6-speed manual mode and an all mode 4WD.
Armada
The Armada – also launched last year as the first Japanese entrant in the full-size SUV segment – is characterized by V8 power and flagship refinement, particularly seating arrangements, where eight passengers can be comfortably accommodated in three rows of seats with more second-row room than any vehicle in its class.
Foldable rear seats create unmatched spaciousness for passengers and cargo. Second-and third-row seats fold flat or 40/60 for multiple configurations. Even the front- passenger seats fold down for the ultimate in versatility, creating enough room for a ten-foot ladder. And cargo space is further maximized by a convenient flat floor.
Patrol
Although the Murano and the Armada are the glamorous entrants on the Nissan showroom floors, the brand’s evergreen flagship is still the Patrol – the iconic 4x4 that has earned “King of the Desert” status in the Middle East over the past half century and has now moved up a gear to earn “King of All Terrain” status.
The 2006 version retains the best features of its predecessors – a tough, no-nonsense presence – consolidating the new role of 4x4s as city cars as well as off-road warriors.
Patrol enthusiasts have a choice of two six-cylinder gasoline engines – 4800 or 4500cc – generating 280hp and 230hp respectively and a 4200cc/135hp Diesel engine. Four grades are on offer – the Super Safari, Safari, GL and S – all with five-speed manual or automatic transmission. The 4800 Twin cam 24-valve engine is equipped with Valve Timing Control (VTC) system and Nissan Induction Control System (NICS) providing the Patrol with impressive top speed on the highway and exceptional off-road performance.
The 5-speed automatic transmission with manual mode provides sporty performance in all driving situations. Straight-line drive transfer allows shifting from 2WD to 4WD with one touch of the lever; shifting from 2H to 4H is also possible even in motion (up to 40 km/h).
X-Trail
The Nissan X-Trail has already won a clutch of awards from motoring journals around the world and the new 2006 model is destined to continue enhancing an already impressive package and image.
The X-Trail features an easy-to-use all mode 4WD switch that offers a choice of three driving modes for the 4-cylinder, in-line, 2.5 litre, DOHC engine, coupled to electronically-controlled 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual transmission. New for 2006 is high-intensity discharge Xenon headlamps and fog lights for increased illumination in poor visibility situations, providing added safety for the driver passengers, and other road users.
Pathfinder
Completing the SUV lineup from Nissan is the All New 2006 Pathfinder featuring three-row seating and powerful 4.0-liter V6 engine.
When it was first introduced, the Nissan Pathfinder sport utility vehicle (SUV) stood as an innovator in class. Today, at the Dubai Motor show, the largest SUV line up in the region encompassing the full-size Nissan Armada, Patrol, X-trail and Murano welcomes a completely redesigned Pathfinder.
The new Pathfinder remains true to the adventure roots of the original with an all-new larger, more powerful design featuring, for the first time, three-row seating, and improved performance driven by the use of a new 4.0-liter 291HP version of the award-winning Nissan VQ-series V6 engine and a new fully boxed, all-steel frame based on the full-size Armada.
“We’re strengthening the original Pathfinder concept by providing what we believe is the best balance of off-road and on-road capabilities and utility in class,” said Takeshi Nakajima, Deputy Managing Director at Nissan Middle East. “Each of our five Nissan SUVs has a specific role in the lineup.
Sales of the new Pathfinder in the GCC will start as of April 2006.
“For 2006 we have an unprecedented range of options right from the start, the biggest lineup in the region. SUVs have a very special place in the emotions of the Gulf market, and each new Nissan 2006 model appeals to specific customer needs, each reflecting in its own way how the SHIFT_ philosophy has transformed Nissan vehicles and their self-expression” added Nakajima.
