Nissan Announces U.S. Pricing for LEAF EV, Buy from $25,280, Lease from $349

The all-electric Nissan Leaf will sell for $25,280 (about €18,800) including federal tax credits, the Japanese automaker announced on Tuesday, making it more expensive than conventional gasoline/diesel or hybrid cars.

The actual MSRP (not including applicable tax, title and license fees) for the Leaf is $32,780, but there’s a $7,500 federal tax credit which brings the price down to $25,280 for the entry-level version. According to the automaker, the Leaf can leased for a monthly payment beginning at $349.

Nissan said that there is an array of state and local incentives that may further reduce the costs such as a $5,000 statewide tax rebate in California; a $5,000 tax credit in Georgia; a $1,500 tax credit in Oregon; and carpool-lane access in some states, including California.

Buyers will have to pay an additional $2,200 (including installation) for personal charging docks, which operate on a 220-volt supply. However, Nissan said that the charging dock and installation are eligible for a 50 percent federal tax credit up to $2,000.

Carlos Ghosn: 2011 Nissan Leaf sold out

If you aren’t already on the list to purchase a 2011 Nissan Leaf, you’re officially out of luck. During a speech to the Detroit Economic Club today, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn announced that the U.S. market allotment for the first year’s production of Leafs is already sold out more than six months before the EV even goes on sale. Nissan has now received 13,000 orders for the $32,780 electric car – quite impressive for a vehicle almost no one’s driven.

So far, the orders are comprised of refundable $99 deposits, so it will be interesting to see how sales and orders hold up once people begin getting calls from dealers. Prior to going on sale in 2008, the Smart ForTwoalso received thousands of orders before deliveries began – and we all know how well that turned out. While the Leaf will undoubtedly be a much more pleasant and practical car to drive than the Smart, it remains to be seen how customers will react once they get used to the real world electric range.

Ghosn remains extremely bullish on electric vehicles and will be adding production capacity in both the United States and Europe over the next three years.

Nissan prices 2011 Juke in UK – What should it cost in the States?

It’s a big day for the upcoming Nissan Juke. Not only did Nissan drop UK pricing details on its little run about, but the company also dumped a smattering of new photos on the interwebs at the same time. If you happen to find yourself living in the old empire and want to lay your hands on the new crossover, get ready to shell out around £12,795 for the base model. That equates to around $18,500 at current conversion rates, but includes Britain’s 17.5 percent Value Added Tax. Subtract the VAT and the base MSRP would be around $15,250. That’s a reasonable baseline comparison, but of course, there are other market-specific factors to consider in a price comparison.

The base model packs a 117 horsepower 1.6-liter gasoline engine, though a 110 horsepower diesel mill is also available in ol Blighty. Step up to the 190 horsepower turbocharged 1.6-liter and all-wheel drive, and you’re looking at a final price tag of £19,995 – around $23,850 after converting from the mighty pound and ditching the VAT. At that price point, buyers are treated to a new XTRONIC CVT with torque-vectoring all-wheel drive.

Those numbers should give us a feel for how the 2011 Nissan Juke will be priced once it hits our shores, though don’t hold us to it. The oddly styled Juke is deceptively small and will likely straddle the various segments in the entry-level class. Off-hand, we can see it doing battle with the forthcoming Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, the Suzuki SX4, inexpensive ‘box’ cars like the Kia Soul, along with basic hatchbacks.

Be sure to check the gallery for the rash of new photos, hit the jump for the full press release, and most importantly, vote on where you think the Juke needs to be priced when it comes in the states in our poll below.

Nissan Revises JDM Skyline Sedan and Coupe for New Era

Following in the footsteps of Infiniti and its facelifted 2010MY G37 Sedan and Coupe models, Nissan has updated the Japanese market versions of the car that is sold under the Skyline nameplate. Both the Skyline Sedan and Coupe models receive a number of changes including an updated exterior for the Sedan and a refined interior, enhanced navigation system and new air conditioning for both body configurations.

In particular, the Skyline Sedan models receive a new grille, bumper, headlamps and fog lights up front as well as a redesigned bumper at the back and new 17-inch alloy wheel designs.

Furthermore, the sport trim levels of the Skyline Sedan (370GT Type SP, 370GT Type SP, 250GT Type S) get a new unique grille, front bumper, headlights, rear bumper and use of black trim for the inner headlamp panels.

Mechanical refinements for the sedan are limited to the introduction of the 7-speed automatic transmission with the 2-wheel drive models equipped with the 2.5-liter V6 engine. Previously, this transmission was offered only with the larger and more powerful 3.7-liter V6 engine.

Nissan has made improvements to the interiors of both the Sedan and Coupe models that benefit from a new center console trim (only automatic versions) with a reshaped armrest. Other upgrades include the use of softer materials for the for the console sides and cupholder lid, new decorative trim and minor enhancements to the instrument panel.

All 2010 Skylines receive an updated navigation system, which now offers enhanced entertainment features such as a built-in digital terrestrial broadcast tuner and USB connections for iPod and other music playback devices, as well as new air-conditioning system.

Prices for the 2010 Skyline Sedan in Japan range from 2,892,000 yen to 4,410,000 yen and for the Skyline Coupe, from 3,864,000 yen to 5,019,000 yen.

Remote-controlled exhaust valves now available for the Nissan 370Z

German tuner Cobra Technology and Lifestyle has developed a range of aesthetic and performance parts for the Nissan 370Z coupe and roadster. One of them is an exhaust with a remote-controlled butterfly valve that allows the driver to control how loud it bellows. Delivering the same kind of effect you’d get by revving an Aston above 4,500 rpm, you can buy 120-mm pipes with a flap that ranges from “discrete sportiness to pure racing sound.”

You can check it the sound range in the video after the jump. Even with the flaps open it doesn’t seem bad at all, but it might still come in handy for those hamlets where any kind of loud noise is a no-no.

[Source: Gizmag]

Full Carbon Nissan GT-R with 600HP+ Upgrade by Original Runduce

The sketch you see pictured above represents a new tuning proposal for the Nissan GT-R R35 from Japan’s Original Runduce that will certainly capture the attention of enthusiasts. The full carbon-fiber bodied GT-R will come with an overly aggressive aero kit bundling wider front and rear fenders, a new hood with several air vents and a larger rear wing plus different alloy wheels just to mention a few of the upgrades.

Original Runduce is keeping most details secret for the time being, but the Japanese tuning firm did reveal that the pumped up GT-R R35 will benefit from numerous engine mods that will lift output to over 600 horsepower.

The finished Nissan GT-R R35 is expected to make its debut at next month’s “Tokyo Auto Salon 2010″ in Japan.

Nissan to Show Nine Models at Tokyo Auto Salon, Including Skyline Sports Sporty Package and 2010 GT-R Nismo

Nissan, together with Autech Japan and NIMSO have announced that they will be displaying a total of nine models equipped with the latest custom and after-market parts at Japan’s equivalent of the U.S. SEMA Show and Europe’s Essen Motor Show in Germany, the Tokyo Auto Salon to be held from January 15-17, 2010 at the Makuhari Messe.

Nissan’s range of standard road cars stylized with the latest factory aero body-kits will include the Roox Highway Urban Selection and the 2010 Skyline Coupe and Sedan facelift equipped with the Japanese firm’s new Sporty Package.

Autech Japan will show its Rider Series comprising of the Nissan Serena, Cube and Note cars.

Last but certainly not least, NISMO plans to exhibit the Xanavi GT-R race car, the Fairlady Z Version NISMO (370Z) and the 2010 GT-R model with the Club Sport Package and the newly developed “NISMO Data Logger Kit”, which it says, makes it possible for the driver to download their driving data via USB and view it on a computer.

Nissan Puts a Price on the Limited Run 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition

Shortly after releasing MSRPs on the 2010 Rogue S Krom Edition, Nissan announced pricing for another special edition model, the 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition, which is scheduled to go on sale in early spring 2010. Created to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the original Datsun 240Z, the special 370Z will be produced in a limited run of 1,000 units for the States with prices, including destination and handling, starting from $39,580 (that’s about €26,800 for our Euro readers).

Based on the 370Z Touring model equipped with the Sport Package and six-speed manual transmission, the 40th Anniversary Edition adds a unique “40th Quartz” exterior color, special red leather-appointed interior along with red stitching on the center stack, shift boot and kneepads, smooth leather steering wheel with red stitching and a plaque of authenticity.

The smoke finished alloy wheels, red brake calipers and 40th Anniversary badges on the rear hatch and front shock tower brace complete the package.

Like the other 370Zs, the special edition model is powered by a 3.7-liter V6 powerplant producing 332-horsepower.

Nissan: 6,635 customers have signed up to reserve a Nissan Leaf

How many people plunked down $99 to register for a Nissan Leaf? According to an email from Nissan, “As of this morning, 6,635 customers signed up to reserve a Nissan Leaf.” The reservation line has only been open about 70 hours (Nissan began taking reservations late Tuesday), so that’s a pretty solid rate of ~100 an hour.

Katherine Zachary, who handles PR for Nissan North America, told Autoblog that during the first three hours, 2,700 people registered for the Leaf, and that it’s been a steady flow ever since. However, if you were one of the people with an itchy trigger finger Tuesday, don’t count on getting your Leaf first. Nissan is looking at where the most demand to help determine where to roll out the vehicles. So far, Zachary said, 75 percent of the people registering for a Leaf are from the areas Nissan has targeted as early markets – places like Tennessee, Oregon, San Diego, Seattle and the Phoenix/Tucson region in Arizona. “Through the work we have been going and what those markets have been doing, people are ready,” Zachary said. Most of the reservations are from California, but a “fair amount” are from Georgia, due in part to the extra state incentives for plug-in vehicles there.

So far, the upper SL trim is beating the SV base trim level three to one. This makes sense to us, since the extra $940 does get you quite a few nice features. As for there being any cancellations yet, Zachary said she hasn’t heard of any at this point. Someone will be the first, but apparently no one wants to do so quite yet. Nissan will continue to issue periodic statements on the number of reservations as time goes by. We’ll be ready.

Nissan Maxima, Sentra receive 2011 prices, minor changes

Nissan has released pricing for its 2011 Maxima and Sentra sedans, complete with specification changes that are more along the lines of ‘running changes’ than they are actual product freshenings. No matter, the Maxima will start at $30,810 in 3.5S CVT guise, while the sportier SV rings up at $33,530. On the more frugal side, the Sentra 2.0 6MT rings in at $15,520, spooling all the way up to $20,080 for the line-topping SE-R Spec V 2.5 model.

On the upgrade front, the 290-horsepower Maxima receives smoked headlights, darkened chrome grill and “shiny gray interior stitching” on sport models, along with a new exhaust pipe finisher. Metallic Slate and Brilliant Silver also join the Max’s paint palate. For 2011, the Sentra doesn’t really get any new features, but a six-speed manual is now available with the base 2.0-liter four-cylinder, giving the range a new entry-level model.

The 2011 model-year Nissans are available in dealers now, and you can check out the full press release after the jump.

Nissan Murano gets first-ever diesel, snarlier new fascia… just not in the States

A perfect powertrain… for the United States, perhaps. As we all know, diesel is the name of the game across the pond in Europe, and Nissan has never offered its attractive midsize crossover with an oil burner. Until now, that is. For the 2011 model year, Nissan has fitted the Murano with an optional 2.5-liter four-cylinder diesel powerplant that musters up 190 horsepower and over 330 pound-feet of torque (450 newton meters).

This new torque-rich engine finds itself mated up to a six-speed automatic transmission with Adaptive Shift Control in lieu of the gasoline-powered model’s continuously variable unit. This combination delivers estimated fuel economy of 29 miles per gallon U.S. (35.3 mpg U.K.) on the Combined Cycle while emitting 210 grams of carbon emissions per kilometer. These figures are no doubt aided by the Murano’s first electric power regeneration system.

That’s not the only update our European friends get that we’ve yet to see in the States. Taking a close look at our high-res image gallery will reveal a more aggressive front fascia that Nissan claims was engineered to provide additional cooling airflow to the new diesel engine. It remains to be seen if the new toothy grin will show up in other markets, like, uh… ours. In any case, the diesel-equipped 2011 Murano will start at £37,795 in the UK – that’s a startling $58,000 USD, although that figure includes the UK’s massive Value Added Tax, among other market-specific considerations.

Report: Hertz to rent Nissan Leaf starting in 2011

For those of you who aren’t quite sure if an electric vehicle is something you can live with, you’ll have an easier way to find out early in 2011. According to The New York Times, Hertz – the same company that bid for rival Dollar Thrifty last month – will begin renting the Nissan Leaf in the United States and Europe shortly after customer deliveries begin late this year. At this point, it is unlikely the Leaf rental will available everywhere. Instead, the same regions where the car is first offered for sale will probably be in the lead for rentals. That means places like California and Hawaii will get the first batch of cars.

While tourists may be interested in renting the Leaf, they might want to check with their lodgings first to ensure there will be somewhere to plug it in. Not being able to charge the car at your hotel could put a real damper on your Hawaiian vacation.

Nissan Juke blows away domestic projections with nearly 11,000 orders in first month

t’s really difficult to pin down whether the Nissan Juke will sell well when it arrives here in the States this fall. The micro-crossover doesn’t have a lot of competition and its affordable anticipated starting price of well under $20,000; both good signs. The big unknown is whether Americans will embrace the Juke’s cartoonish looks, which could turn away potential suitors.

Unique looks and diminutive stature doesn’t appear to be affecting the little Juke in Japan, though, as Nissan says it already has orders for 10,943 little utes. We already knew Nissan was on track to best its estimate of 1,300 orders in the first month due to the fact that the Japanese automaker had already rung up 5,296 ordersin the first week the Juke went on sale.

Among the nearly 11,000 orders cataloged so far, the top color is Radiant Red, with 29 percent of all orders to date. The red interior is a big hit as well, with 59 percent of total orders. And if you’re thinking that a bunch of young kids are picking up these affordable little mini-crossovers, think again. So far, the largest demographic for the Juke is the 50 and older club, with 44 percent of all sales. The 20- to 29-year-old club accounts for 15 percent, and the vast majority of orders come from men. Hit the jump to read Nissan’s brag-tastic press release.