Future may emphasize quality

From page 34

it ever reaches production, the
owner of this vehicle can have fun
on twisty mountain roads, while
having the peace of mind that it
isn’t using up our fossil fuels.

First shown at the Tokyo Auto
Show last fall, the Nissan TRI-X
concept car, like the NX coupe, is
another flexible fuel car wrapped
up in a trendy, smoothly-rounded
coupe body. It professes to be the
first concept car specifically
designed to harmonize the rela-
tionships between man,
automobile, society, and the en-
vironment.

The handsome-looking touring
coupe incorporates light-weight
materials such as magnesium,
titanium, aluminum and plastics,
to reduce the weight of the car.
The TRI-X’s high-tech fuel injec-
tion system, called SOFIS
(Sofisticated Optimized Fuel In-
jection System), utilizes a 16-bit
micro-controller to more accu-
rately monitor and adjust the
air-fuel ratio and ignition timing,
which improve fuel efficiency and
reduce emissions. Being an en-

vironmentally responsible car, it
obviously has the CFC-free
refrigerant in the air-conditioning
system.

The car is equipped with a host
of safety features too, like dual
airbags, four-sensor ABS, front
and rear crumple zones, and a
headway warning system which
warns a driver if the car comes
too close to an obstacle ahead. To
improve comfort and convenience,
the TRI-X has an advanced active
suspension and a head-up display
which is also combined with a
navigation system.

Although not a sports coupe,
Nissan showed off the highly
publicized future Electric Vehicle
(FEV) at the recent Globe °92
trade fair. The most significant
component of this electric vehicle
is the FEV’s advanced Super
Quick Charging battery system,
which weighs about half as much
as the conventional! batteries and
can be recharged to 100% capaci-
ty in less than 15 minutes. Nissan
could have chosen a van or an
econo-box shape to highlight its
high-torque electric motor and the
hig-tech Nickel-Cadmium battery,

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introduces. ‘the freon. “after”
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air

but instead, Nissan styled the car
as a smooth 2 + 2 coupe to fur-
ther signify Nissan’s sporty image.

Nissan had done an excellent
job of building its sporty image,
despite the struggle it faced when
the old Datsun badge was dropped
in 1982. Nissan’s reputation as a
performance brand was further
supported by a survey conducted
in the U.S., in which consumers
said that Nissan was known for
being ‘‘fast.”’

This sporty direction taken by
Japan's second largest automaker
may soon change, however. The
marketing people there are con-
cerned that the performance image
is not translating directly to the
higer sales. So don’t be surprised
if some of Nissan’s future pro-
ducts start emphasizing quality
and reliability as opposed to per-
formance — after all, Nissan’s
number one rival, Toyota, has
been very successful with this ap-
p r ° a c h .
Whatever the direction Nissan
decides to take, it’s nice to know
that tomorrow's environmentally
friendly cars can have style and
performance.

2 month unlimited —>
mileage warranty on all
< genuine Mopar/Autopar->
parts instaled includings

J30 is here,
dn't be happy?

How about BMW & Lexus.

e more horsepower than BMW 325i or Lexus ES 300
* more luxury features as standard equipment
e more safety features as standard equipment,
including dual air bags and ABS

INFINITI

* °
price includes PD!

* plus freight & taxcs