Nissan has revealed its international “Midterm Plan Announcement”—a product plan for the next six years that the company is more colorfully calling “Nissan Power 88.” Whatever the name, this is a major product offensive for Nissan, which will unveil a new product somewhere in the world every six weeks for the next six years; the total should be 51 new cars and trucks worldwide. The U.S. will see a significant number of these. Over the next four years, Nissan will launch seven new models in the States, and Infiniti will benefit from five vehicle introductions. Here’s the breakdown.
Nissan
Altima
Nissan’s family sedan—and the nameplate that saved the brand in the U.S. a decade ago—is due for replacement with an all-new model some time in 2013 or 2014. It will probably be more evolutionary than revolutionary, and this teaser rendering (which is taken from the company’s presentation) reminds very much of the current car.
Sentra
The me-too Sentra is also aged and ready for a remake. But it’s still a strong seller in the segment. Can we ask for the next SE-R to borrow the excellent 1.6-liter turbo four from the Juke?
NV200
New York City recently settled on Nissan’s NV200 small van to serve as the city’s taxi starting in a few years. We strongly expect the company to offer a version of the van—which is comparable to a Ford Transit in size and shape—to regular retail customers, too.
Three-Row Crossover
To the left, you can see the current Nissan Murano. Just as Infiniti is receiving a three-row crossover on the Murano’s platform (read more about it below), so, too, will Nissan.
Heavier-Duty Titan
Nissan’s Titan was never a hit with customers, and its platform is now quite old. We expect Nissan to replace it in 2013 or 2014, and, as we previously reported, it should ride on a frame derived from the heavy-duty underpinnings of the new Nissan NV full-size van.
Maxima Replacement
The car we know in the U.S. as the Maxima is closely related to a sedan sold in other countries as the Teana. Our Maxima was introduced in 2008 as a 2009 model, so the image here that teases the next-gen Teana probably presages a replacement for the Maxima, too. Figure on Nissan cramming even more high-tech toys and gadgetry into the car.
Surprise Vehicle
Nissan’s product plans call for seven new vehicles to be introduced to the U.S. by the end of 2014. What’s the seventh? It’s too early to say. For the company that put the Murano CrossCabriolet into production, anything is possible. Can we request something like the ESFLOW or the Urge concepts?
Infiniti
Three-Row Luxury Crossover
We expect to see the new JX three-row crossover this year, and an L.A. auto show debut seems likely—it’s the only major American show left on the calendar for 2011.
Front-Drive Hatchback
In 2013 and 2014, Infiniti has plans to roll out an additional four models that it’s calling “all new.” One will be a front-wheel-drive hatchback aimed at the Audi A3, which was previewed with the 2011 Etherea concept. (You can read our first drive of the hand-built concept here.)
Electric Vehicle
Also in either 2012 or 2014, Infiniti will launch an electric vehicle, which will be based on the Nissan Leaf’s architecture. We previewed this car as part of our most recent “25 Cars Worth Waiting For” package.
G37/G25
Next up: the next-generation G, which we expect to return in sedan, coupe, and convertible forms in 2013. We’ve heard that the car’s manual transmission is in jeopardy; we hope it remains available as an option on at least some G models.
Flagship Sedan, Compact Crossover, or Something Else
This leaves space for one more all-new Infiniti model; take your pick on speculation of it being a new range-topping Q luxury sedan, a replacement for the slow-selling EX crossover, or something else altogether.
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