Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Safety, Videos, Nissan

We may not have found much to like about the redesigned 2012 Nissan Versa sedan when we test drove it, but here's something in its favor: A Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

While the old Nissan subcompact never made it to the top of the IIHS rankings, the new sedan earned its award by scoring "good" ratings in front, side, rollover, and rear tests and coming equipped with standard stability control, according to the IIHS. The 2011 and earlier Versas only scored "acceptable" in side impact and roof strength tests.

Keep in mind that the Top Safety Pick only applies to the new sedan, as a redesigned version of the hatchback has not yet launched. The 2012 Versa hatchback is the same design that's been on sale since the 2007 model year.

See below for a video of the IIHS side impact test on the Versa sedan.

Continue reading Nissan Versa named IIHS Top Safety Pick [w/video]

Nissan Versa named IIHS Top Safety Pick [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Mar 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This week our friend Jerry Reynolds, The Car Pro test drove the 2012 Nissan GT-R.  In a few words, Jerry refers to the GTR as crazy fast, incredible engineering, and a marvel of a car. See the full test drive and review here. Be sure to catch The Car Pro radio show on AM 570 here in Los Angeles on Saturday mornings from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon.

Get out there and have a good time!  In a car that's packed with features yet still respects your budget.  In Sentra, there's always been plenty of room for real life, with the generous mpg to get your there and back.  Now advanced technologies, like available Bluetooth and a navigation system with real-time traffic updates, keep life easy.  It's a new day filled with all sorts of possibilities, thanks to Sentra. 

 

There's more fun around every turn in Sentra.  Demonstrating some of Nissan's best thinking, Sentra keeps up with a powerful engine and an advanced suspension that puts you ahead of the curve.  You know you want to drive, so where will you take your new Nissan Sentra? Go ahead; take it everywhere; Manhattan Beach, Torrance, and Downey, Downtown LA, Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Long Beach or south to Orange County.   And in this Nissan you will have a blast.  It is a Nissan, after all!

 

Incredible quality comes with surprising comfort.  The spacious Sentra interior makes you a believer.  There's plenty of room to stretch out and relax, even in the back seat.  Once inside the Sentra you'll notice the attention to detail, like an easy-to-reach shifter and buttons that offer just the right amount of resistance under your fingertips.  Even available leather-appointed seats.  Hop in and get comfy with unique style that only feels expensive. 

 

Connect with something really special, such as in the Special Edition Package for Sentra. You'll find essential technologies combined with conveniences and extras.  Enjoy Bluetooth and Nissan Intelligent Key, plus a navigation system with real time traffic updates, XM Satellite Radio, USB input and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with power moonroof. The available Bluetooth Hands-free Phone System can answer your compatible cell phone even if it's buried in that bag in the trunk.  Just press a button on the steering wheel to pick up incoming calls or dial your friends.  With the Nissan Intelligent Key your days of hide-and seek are over.  With this available feature, the key never has to leave your pocket.  Sentra senses your approach so you can open the doors or the trunk, let your friends in and start the engine, all without taking out the key. The Nissan Sentra is definitely special.

 

Your search ends here at Carson Nissan.  Whether you have a short drive from Downey to Gardena, or are making the commute from Orange County up and around the South Bay curve, the available navigation system is a perfect add on to the Nissan Sentra and it is as affordable as it is helpful.  It does way more than simply provide directions for your Nissan around Los Angeles, Orange and all of California for that matter.  Tap away at the touch-screen on the 5" color display.  Find the closest ATM and the restaurant a friend recommended with Points of Interest.  Check out color-coded XM NavTraffic updates on the map with 3-D perspective and find the highway with the smoothest flow.  And with the available Rear View Monitor, just put Sentra in "Reverse" to get a glimpse of what's directly behind you. 

 

One of the best things about music these days?  It's portable.  Sentra gives you plenty of options to listen to what you want and they all sound fantastic.  Even the radio.  And with the available 4.3" color display, you can track everything you hear.  The available Rockford Fosgate audio system is ready to amp you up with MP#/WMA CD playback capability and eight speakers, including two subwoofers.  Load you iPod with your favorite playlists and podcasts and listen to them on the go.  The available Interface System for iPod puts info up on the dash display and lets you browse through your songs with the audio system's controls.  Or you can plug any MP3 player into the standard auxiliary audio input jack mounted front and center.  No MP3 player?  No worries.  Fill up a USB flash drive with MP3s, plug it right into the available USB jack in the center console and play away.  Sentra makes enjoying your digital music on the road easier than ever.  Looking for even more options?  The subscription based Satellite Radio offers over 170 channels of entertainment, most commercial-free, available XM Satellite Radio has something for every mood, every taste, no matter how long the journey. 

 

Taking your Nissan Sentra for a day of shopping in Cerritos, in San Predro for a day at the beach or how about taking your Nissan Sentra in Long Beach for a bike trek along the waterfront?  Whatever the destination, you can bring all the gear along. Sentra understand that real life can be complicated.  But taking it with you doesn't have to be.  There's unbelievable room and everyday conveniences for almost every occasion.  With up to 13 cubic feet in the trunk alone and plenty more with the rear seats folded, problem solved.

 

Sentra offers the best of both worlds with its 2.0-liter engine - a fuel-efficient 34 mpg and an impressive 140 horsepower.  With a lightweight, all-aluminum core, weight is down and muscle is up.  While performance-enhancing technologies, like continuously variable valve timing and microfinished components, make for more power and efficiency.  Enjoy bold performance with a practical side - over 400 miles between fill-ups.

 

Over 5,000 quality tests.  Nissan's brutal durability tests put Sentra through more extremes in a short period than it may ever encounter in its lifetime.  Ordeals like locking it in a heat chamber at 140 degrees and 95% humidity to simulate years of wear and tear.  Coating the under carriage with 13years worth of corrosive salt over 120 days.  And running it through 600,000 potholes.  All to help ensure that years of regular use and miles of average roads won't faze Sentra a bit. 

 

Sentra is one reliable performer.  What are power and efficiency without reliability?  Mile after mile of worry-free driving is coming your way thanks to the use of tough, long-wearing materials.  Like a metal timing chain that doesn't require scheduled replacements like rubber timing belts.  And iridium-tipped spark plugs that last up to 105,000 miles - a lot longer than traditional ones.  Giving you plenty of time to drive your heart out before your Sentra needs those plugs replaced.  Think of it as an extended honeymoon with your new car.

 

In the end, it is important to have a safe trip!  Safety is the ultimate must-have on any journey, and it comes along with every Nissan Sentra, with standard advance safety technologies including Vehicle Dynamic Control, an Anti-lock Braking System and six standard air bags.

 

Care to learn more about the Innovative Nissan Sentra? Drop Carson Nissan a line today.

Or, visit us in person at 1505 East 223rd St.. We're always happy to share complete specs, set up test drives and - if a model isn't available -special order it for you.

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Minivan/Van, Nissan, Electric

Before we go any further, let's just acknowledge the obvious: The Nissan e-NV200 Concept has a face only its mother could love. As far as styling goes, what we see is basically the Japanese automaker's NV200 with the fascia of the electric Leaf grafted on up front. To top it all off, the e-NV200 is painted in the Leaf's familiar shade of Aqua Blue.

Inside, the e-NV200 features two foldable rows of seating for passengers. The driver is treated to a unique instrument cluster that Nissan calls a flat C-cluster display. There are also some so-called EV Meters, which we assume must bean battery gauges and telematics.

Moving past its unfortunate exterior aesthetics, we see plenty of good in the electric van's conceptual design. Nissan says that the e-NV200's laminated 24 kWh lithium-ion battery will provide similar range as the Leaf. That means an estimate of between 47 and 105 miles. Like the Leaf, the e-NV200 is powered by an 80kW electric motor that's rated at 207 pound-feet of torque.

Because it's based on the NV200, there's plenty of room inside for passengers, cargo or both. Nissan figures its electric van would be suitable for both commercial and passenger use in large metropolitan areas. The fact that Nissan's small van is also slated for taxi use in New York offers one potential usage scenario. Under that kind of scenario, the fact that it doesn't burn gasoline could turn into significant cost savings.

Though the e-NV200 is being shown in concept form at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, Nissan is calling the electric van a potential mass-production vehicle. Check out all the images in our high-res gallery above, and be sure to click past the break for a video and the official press release.

Continue reading Nissan e-NV200 Concept makes up for its looks with utility [w/video]

Nissan e-NV200 Concept makes up for its looks with utility [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The tsunami that Japan experienced this year tossed around some of Nissans electric cars. But the batteries remained intact.

The exhibition booth, put together by Nissan, Autech Japan and Nismo, is designed to deliver the look and feel of a race circuit, and includes a spectators' stand. In line with this racing-themed booth design, Nismo will showcase the Juke Nismo Concept and the LEAF Nismo Concept. 

 New research from State Farm® shows that though texting while driving remains a concern on the nationâ??s highways, drivers are accessing other mobile web services at much higher rates. These behaviors may pose equal or greater concerns in the battle against distracted driving.

In a new survey of nearly 900 motorists, the company found that use of mobile web services has increased dramatically over the last two years.
For drivers 18-29:

• Accessing the internet while on a cell phone while driving increased from 29 percent in 2009 to 43 percent in 2011.
• Reading social media networks while driving increased from 21 percent in 2009 to 37 percent in 2011.
• Updating social networks while driving increased from 20 percent in 2009 to 33 percent in 2011.

"Calls from the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) and others to ban cell phones are focusing now on both texting and web use while driving. The mobile web is a growing issue for safety advocates concerned about distractions while driving," said David Beigie, State Farm Public Affairs Vice President. "Additionally, while the focus has been on young people, the data also indicates that motorists of all ages are increasing their use of the mobile web while driving."

Google won a U.S. patent for its autonomous-vehicle system, paving the way for us dumb meat pods to be eliminated from the driving process. The patent applies to how the system switches from person control to machine control using "smart" parking spaces.More Â»

If you also own a monster truck-grade lifted Diesel pickup, we don't recommend doing burnouts inside some warehouse. That said, hats off to you, Dodge driver, for laughing in the face of safety and respiratory health and smoking those '49s indoors.More Â»