When the World came to Portugal

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We know Nissan for its Altima...and 350Z...and Murano. But did you know that the rest of the world associates this brand with a Wingroad? Livina? Bluebird? Sylphy?

To help celebrate the rollout of Infiniti into the hyper-competitive European market, Nissan invited a crew of journalists to the coast of Portugal to put just about every one of its products through the wringer and experience what the rest of the world has been driving. While it was sad to see rows of U.S.-spec vehicles sit practically untouched, the European and Asian vehicles were rarely idle. What follows is a photo essay on some of the more interesting vehicles that I encountered--including some that will be fighting for space in your garage in the near future.

Nissan Pino--Built for Nissan by Suzuki, the Pino is one of four Nissan entries into Japan's highly competitive 600cc microcar segment. While the 54-horsepower engine makes most bicycles feel downright powerful, this type of vehicle might be just what the U.S. market needs as we prepare for gas at $5.00 and beyond.

Nissan Micra C+C--Already the best-selling car for Nissan in Europe and a perennial hit in Japan, the Micra is one of those vehicles that the executives in Portugal told us (with a wink) might make it to the U.S. some day soon. To the exciting folding glass-top version, I say "Can I have mine now?" This car is my pick for the best way to save fuel, save traffic, and look GOOD!

Nissan Cube--In this picture you can see the Cube coming face-to-face with a mini/maxi car from a different European era, a vintage Renault 4. If these cars remind you of the popular Scion xB, then Nissan will be happy to sell you the next-generation Cube when it hits our market in a few years.

Nissan Teana--Built for the Russian and eastern European markets as well as for Asia, the Teana is a perfect competitor for the Lexus ES350. But since Infiniti, Nissan's version of Toyota's Lexus division, already has the highly successful G35 sedan and G37 coupe, don't expect this car on our shores any time soon. A beautifully crafted, appointed, and powerful sedan, the Teana shows us how far the eastern European car market has come in such a short amount of time. Seems like just yesterday their roads were clogged with smoky Trabants!

Nissan Patrol--A classic and authentic 4x4 to the point of feeling like a professor from the Land Rover school, the Patrol has been patrolling the dunes, rocks and streams of the world since 1951. Toyota's Land Cruiser was once a vehicle like this--100% rough and ready. But while Toyota has slowly moved the Cruiser upscale, the Patrol has stayed true to its roots as a vehicle tough enough to cross any terrain but simple enough that you won't mind getting it dirty along the way.

Nissan GT-R--The new King of the Hill. It just set the production-car record time for a circuit of the Nurburgring. Simply awesome.

Big thanks to Nissan for such an amazing opportunity. While it was great fun to taste all these different flavors, I could not help but notice how strong the current U.S. Nissan (and Infiniti) lineup is today. From the Versa to the Titan, the Nissans you can purchase here today are refined, stylish, powerful, efficient and reliable. While it will be fun to watch Nissan plug a few holes in its U.S. lineup with some of the vehicles noted above, rest very assured that the Nissan/Renault alliance sees your own driveway as one of its most cherished.

Posted on 2008-05-12 | Permalink | |

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