NISSAN ALMERA TINO IS SAFEST MPV SAYS AUTO EXPRESS

The New Almera Tino, Nissan’s new compact MPV, has won class honours in the Auto Express Safety Test 2000. Fifty of the top selling cars in the UK were tested for their braking performance in wet and dry conditions and on a variety of road surfaces. Stopping distances from 40mph were measured for each vehicle, again in a variety of conditions, giving an average stopping distance. "With the help of electronic brake force distribution and the Nissan’s own brake assist electronic system, the Almera Tino shot to the top of the class", commented Oliver Marriage, Deputy Road Test Editor, Auto Express. "An overall average stopping distance of more than 17 metres is a credible performance which puts the Almera Tino in the top third of our 50-car league. The brakes, and in particular, the ABS system worked well and the firm suspension set-up reduced the incidence of nosedive, which can be a failing on big, softly sprung family vehicles", he continued. The new Almera Tino was top of the class in the MPV sector with an average stopping distance of 17.16 metres, beating competition such as the Vauxhall Zafira and Citroën Picasso, both of which needed an extra metre before coming to a complete halt. Andy Palmer, Director of Vehicle Design and Test at Nissan Technology Centre – Europe in Cranfield said, "We are delighted with the Almera Tino’s success in the Auto Express Safety Test. The Almera Tino has been designed to offer best in class safety for its occupants and boasts a host of standard safety features including all-round airbags and active head restraints for the driver and front seat passenger." ends..

17 August 2000

NISSAN CARS SEE AROUND CORNERS

Nissan has developed a car that can see around corners. The car will be trialled from October of this year as part of a major transport safety initiative. Nissan’s latest technological innovation is designed to increase passenger and pedestrian safety. By offering drivers a view around blind corners, Nissan aims to remove the uncertainty which many drivers experience when emerging from tight junctions, or from driveways onto busy streets. Two small video cameras, mounted on both sides of the front bumper, display images on a dashboard monitor providing the driver with a clear view of right and left before the junction has been reached. The system can also alert the driver to the potential danger of approaching vehicles and pedestrians. If the camera spots an approaching vehicle on either side of a junction, a red indicator light on the screen advises the driver to take care. The technology is being tested as part of the Japanese Ministry of Transport’s Advanced Safety Vehicle Project, which is being run from October through to December of this year. Nissan has worked vigorously to design and engineer safe vehicles based on its unique Triple Safety concept. This concept comprises the principles of ‘information safety’ for forewarning the driver of potential danger, ‘control safety’ for assisting the driver in avoiding potential danger and ‘impact safety’ for helping reduce injury in the event of an accident. ends…

 

 

 

TENNECO AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCES SPECIALLY DESIGNED MONROE SHOCK ABSORBERS FOR THE NEW NISSAN ALMERA

Tenneco Automotive Europe has announced that it is the supplier of rear shock absorbers and front struts sold under the Monroe brand name for the all-new Nissan Almera medium-sized family car, which is built at Europe’s most productive car plant in Sunderland. Production of the specially designed Monroe shock absorbers and front struts began in January 2000 at Tenneco Automotive’s facilities at St Truiden in Belgium and Ermua in Spain. The news further strengthens ties between Tenneco Automotive and Nissan in Sunderland, building on a relationship that began in 1986, with the introduction of the Nissan Primera in 1990. The launch of the new Almera is currently being rolled-out across all major European markets. The Monroe rear shock absorber features an all-new low pressure twin tube of 25.4mm bore, designed specifically for the Almera platform, with a new piston design to improve the hydraulic noise effect, banded with a sealing lip to increase the damping performance. The front axle is equipped with low pressure struts of 27mm bore, again purpose designed for the Almera. Features include a new one-piece bracket designed with the support of a software computer model to ensure the best combination possible between strength performance and weight reduction. Furthermore, a banded piston with sealing lip has been produced to achieve a higher control of the damping performance. Tenneco Automotive’s investment in the new products has been extensive. New design and development processes have been implemented along with a new-style production line to meet full annual production of 240,000 shock absorbers and struts by the end of 2001.

Tenneco Automotive is a $3.3 billion manufacturing company headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois, with 24,000 employees worldwide. Tenneco Automotive is one of the world’s largest producers and marketers of ride control and exhaust products, which are sold under the Monroe and Walker global brand names. The company has 81 facilities in Europe, North America, Africa, South America, Australia and the Pacific region. Internet address: www.eu.tenneco-automotive.com

NEW NISSAN CREATES INVESTMENT AND 2000 JOBS

Nissan is creating 2000 new jobs in Europe as a result of the decision to build the new Almera Tino MPV in Spain. Nissan investment in new manufacturing facilities and tooling will exceed €243 million (£145.8 million). Eight hundred jobs are being created at the Nissan Motor Iberica SA (NMISA) vehicle manufacturing operation in Barcelona and the Cuatro Vientos engine plant in Madrid. Further jobs are also being generated in component supplier companies both in Spain and around Europe. Production of the new car starts in May. Rafael Boronat, managing director of NMISA said: "Nissan’s Spanish operations were the ideal choice for the Almera Tino. Our unrivalled experience in building many different vehicles with varying complexities means we have one of the most multi-skilled workforces in the European motor industry. We have a proven track record in high quality production combined with the right manufacturing skills, flexibility and capacity." The plant, which will be manufacturing five different models by the time the Almera Tino goes into production, occupies a site of more than half a million square metres in the industrial heart of Barcelona. The Almera Tino will be built alongside the Patrol, Terrano II, Serena and Vanette Cargo. The Madrid-based Cuatro Vientos plant is Nissan’s European centre for the development and manufacture of diesel engines. It will build the new 2.2 direct injection engine for the Almera Tino, which will see production rise to its highest ever level of over 145,000 engines per year. NMISA and Cuatro Vientos are supported by a well-established supply network, both in Spain and around Europe. Nissan has spent a substantial amount of the total project investment with 127 European suppliers, 73 of which are Spanish based, supplying 54 per cent of the new vehicle’s content. In total, more than 7000 people work for Nissan companies in Spain. Some 80 per cent of Spanish-made Nissan vehicles are exported. Total investment in Nissan’s Spanish operations is now in excess of €1.2 billion (£0.72 billion). Nissan’s European operations include styling, design and development, manufacturing, sales, finance and industrial machinery. More than 15,000 people are directly employed in operations with additional jobs created in over 4,000 dealerships across Europe.