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.June 09, 2004
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This Week:

• General Motors Officially Launches Cadillac Brand in China

• 2005 Ford GT Joins Ranks Of World's Fastest Cars With A 205 Mph Top Speed

• Porsche sales in North America slightly below last year's

• Nissan Unveils Hybrid Altima Prototype

• Mercedes Car Group: New Generation C Class and New SLK Roadster Off to a Dazzling Start in Europe

• Klaus Berning appointed Director of Region Asia, Pacific, Africa and Eastern Europe at BMW Group

• Toyota Announces Best-Ever Sales Month In 47 Years Of Business In The U.S.

• Volkswagen AG and Salzgitter AG develop solution for end-of-life vehicle recycling

• Former GM Chairman and CEO James M. Roche Dies at 97

• Verena C. Kloos Named President Of DesignworksUSA

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Nissan Unveils Hybrid Altima Prototype

2005 Nissan Altima

Photo: Nissan
 

SAN FRANCISCO - Nissan today unveiled a prototype of the 2007 Altima Hybrid, a hybrid vehicle based on the Altima mid-size sedan. The car is scheduled to be launched in 2006 for the US market. Featuring the unique combination of Nissan\'s four-cylinder gasoline engine and new hybrid system components supplied by Toyota Motor Corporation, the Altima Hybrid is a new generation hybrid vehicle, which achieves the acceleration performance of V6 engines with fuel efficiency higher than compact cars.

Hybrid vehicles available today are mostly equipped with rather small motors focused on environmental performance. However, the Altima Hybrid is a breakthrough model, which provides new feeling of driving pleasure to customers with its dynamic acceleration performance, while minimizing the impact to the environment at the same time.

In September 2002, Nissan and Toyota signed a basic agreement that Nissan will produce 100,000 hybrid vehicles within a five-year period. Toyota will supply the hybrid system components (transaxle, inverter, battery, and control unit), and Nissan will develop the engine and unit adaptation which defines the attractiveness of the product. This prototype model is the first completed by Nissan under the agreement.

The cooperation between Nissan and Toyota is proceeding extremely well, which made it possible to complete the prototype earlier than two years after signing the basic agreement.

Nissan will further refine the vehicle based on this prototype, and will start production of the 2007 Altima Hybrid in 2006.

The major environmental advantages of hybrid vehicles are low CO2 emission and cleaner exhaust gas. Nissan will continue to develop hybrid vehicles not only as means of complying with environmental legislations but as key technology to deliver new value to customers.

In addition, Nissan is developing diesel engine technologies mainly for European market, and continuing the R&D of fuel cell vehicles for the future.

(June 2, 2004)