2008 Nissan Tiida

NISSAN'S TRADITIONAL VALUES

The constant quest to break boundaries in new car design doesn't appeal to everyone. There's a core of traditional, some might say conservative, buyers who want a car that's roomy and comfortable but above all one that's straight-forward. TIIDA is that car.
Quote:
'The overall trend in the automotive industry is one of always looking to produce something new, something radical, something adventurous. But in doing that, we are sometimes in danger of alienating a vast number of potential customers who don't share that vision. For them we have created TIIDA.'




At a glance
• Global car, sold in Japan, China, Australasia, North and South
America, Russia and several European markets
• Available as a four-door sedan and five-door hatchback
• Three engine options, two petrol and one diesel
• Roomy interior and large trunk
• Easy ingress and egress
• Emphasis on interior space and comfort
• ‘Big car' luxury and equipment levels

OVERVIEW
Nissan's quest to be at the forefront of automotive design has resulted in some highly acclaimed, ground-breaking new models. Recent examples include the Nissan Note, which is seen as the perfect vehicle for a young family, providing ample interior space in a compact package.



Conquest purchasers
By their very nature, Note and Qashqai will attract a large number of customers new to the brand. It is expected that as much as 80 per cent of Qashqai sales and 65 per cent of Note sales will be to new Nissan customers, the so-called conquest purchasers.

The obverse is that loyal Nissan buyers are expected to account for only 35 per cent of Note sales and a mere 20 per cent of sales of the more radical Qashqai.

'Like every manufacturer, Nissan is looking to attract new customers to the brand and with exciting cars such as Note and Qashqai we are doing just that. But not every manufacturer appreciates that you ignore the expectations of your existing customers at your peril,' says Brian Carolin, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Nissan Europe.

Opportunity for loyalty
'Nissan has no plans to fall into that trap. In all markets where Tiida will be introduced, the Almera and Primera have always been an important part of the Nissan range and have been popular with our customers. However, Note and Qashqai may not meet their needs, so being able to offer Tiida gives us the opportunity to have them stay with Nissan for many more years.

'We expect that in most markets, up to 60 percent of customers will have owned a Nissan previously, but Tiida's many strengths will also lead buyers to Nissan for the first time.'

Although TIIDA is not expected to sell in the same high numbers as Almera, it is an important piece of the jigsaw that will see Nissan increase its total European sales in the medium term.

TIIDA – its name is derived from a word in a Japanese dialect meaning the ever-changing tide – sits between Note and Qashqai in terms of price and will appeal to the customer looking for a more conventional type of car.

Available as either a four-door sedan or a five-door hatchback, TIIDA's styling takes a contemporary slant on the traditional three-box design. There's a choice between three engine options, two petrol and one diesel: engine power outputs are 78kW/105hp (1.5-litre diesel); 81kW/110hp (1.6 petrol) and 93kW/126hp (1.8-litre petrol).

Six-speed manual transmissions are standard on the diesel and 1.8 petrol with the choice of a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic on the 1.6 petrol.

Core appeal
With three trim/equipment levels to choose from, TIIDA's core appeal will be to customers who place comfort, quality and space above all other requirements. Not that the more enthusiastic driver will suffer: TIIDA is built on Nissan's acclaimed B-platform and shares its chassis layout with the strong handling Note.

TIIDA has three distinct target customers. These are loyal Almera and Primera buyers who value traditional Nissan qualities of reliability and value for money; conquest buyers who are expected to come from within the segment and who place high importance on Comfort and Quality; owners of D-segment cars who recognise that they can enjoy premium interior comfort and space, but without the large exterior dimenions of an executive car.

The latter group can expect another bonus from TIIDA: although its overall length puts it firmly in the C-segment, its long 2600mm wheelbase provides as much - or in some cases notably more – interior space as D-segment rivals such as the Audi A4, Renault Laguna, Volkswagen Passat and BMW 3-Series.

Customer focused
By focusing on the needs of the likely customer, Nissan's design engineers have ensured TIIDA is easy to live with. Large, wide-opening doors and best-in-class hip points front and rear mean ingress and egress has been made as easy as possible. Even the seats are larger than the class average.

Class leading levels of interior space include excellent rear headroom while, in best Nissan traditions, the cabin abounds with clever storage possibilities.

Trunk volume is also surprisingly generous for a car of its size, its 467 litres of space comfortably leading the class and, again, embarrassing many larger cars. Extra versatility can be found in the hatchback model, which has a sliding rear seat: it can be moved up to 240mm fore and aft to increase load space or rear leg room as required.

Big car features
Standard or optional equipment centres on ‘big car' features such as satellite navigation, climate control, leather trim, automatic wipers and lights, Xenon headlights and Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity while safety features include ABS with brake assist, four airbags and, depending on the version, curtain airbags, too. ESP (electronic stability program) is available as an option right across the range.

TIIDA is already on sale in Japan and in the Únited States, where it is called Versa. Models destined for the European market will be built at Nissan's Civac plant in Mexico. TIIDA is also built in Japan and Thailand.

Most popular markets
Tiida will be distributed in the markets where there is strong demand for such models. These markets include: Baltics, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Malta, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Úkraine. As part of the launch strategy, Nissan may, at a later stage, study the possibility of introducing the model to further markets in Europe.

'TIIDA has been designed for an audience that is in danger of being overlooked by some motor manufacturers as they strive to create ever more daring niche vehicles.

'Beneath its classic yet contemporary exterior, TIIDA places the emphasis on traditional values such as comfort, interior space and ease of use. It is the car many loyal Nissan owners feared they might never see again,' said Pierre Loing.

'They needn't have worried. At Nissan, we are proud of how hard we listen to our customers.'

Source - Nissan

NISSAN TIIDA /CHASSIS AND DRIVETRAIN STORY

COMFORTABLY QÚICK
Central to TIIDA's design philosophy was the provision of high levels of comfort and refinement, but not to the detriment of handling, vehicle stability or performance. Careful suspension tuning has created a chassis that provides fluid handling with exceptional levels of comfort, while class leading engines provide the punch.





Pierre Loing, Vice President, Product Planning, Nissan Europe

At a glance
• Acclaimed B-platform underpinnings
• Tuned for comfort and…
• … fine handling
• Two petrol, one diesel engine options
• Six speed transmissions
• All round disc brakes



Stretched platform
Like Note, TIIDA uses a stretched version of the platform with a wheelbase of 2600mm, ideal for achieving the car's two main goals: a roomy interior with class leading comfort.

The chassis features a tried, trusted and acclaimed combination of front-wheel drive coupled with MacPherson strut front suspension and a torsion beam rear axle. Three engine options are available, two petrol and one diesel, providing a range of power outputs from 78kW (105hp) to 93kW (126hp).

TIIDA's front suspension features a strut-type system with combined coil-over-strut springing and a forward lower link all mounted on a sub-frame. A front anti-roll bar is attached directly to the strut assembly for more effective control of body roll.

At the rear, the torsion beam and trailing arm suspension system features separate coil springs and damper units to ensure minimal intrusion into the trunk area, while a substantial anti-roll bar keeps body roll to a minimum.

Design philosphy
Central to the design philosophy behind the development of TIIDA is that it should provide class-leading levels of comfort and refinement. Further enhanced by engineers from Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE), TIIDA's ride quality and general refinement matches or beats that of many larger and more expensive cars.

The front sub frame, for example, has compliant rubber mounts to isolate road noise and vibrations from the platform while the use of rebound springs (as pioneered by luxury cars such as the Infiniti FX45) at the rear and ripple control shock absorbers further enhance TIIDA's ability to soak up small road imperfections as well as providing a high level of straight line stability.

Fine handling chassis
Not that handling has been forgotten. NTCE engineers have fine-tuned the chassis for European demands by retuning spring and damper rates and revising suspension bushes. These changes, added to a rigid body shell and an inherently fine handling chassis, ensure TIIDA can tackle a winding road with as much composure as it handles city streets and motorways.

Depending on the version 15inch wheels are either steel (with full width wheel covers) or seven spoke alloys shod with 195/65 tyres.

Electric power steering
Despite the long wheelbase, TIIDA is highly manoeuvrable with a turning circle of just 10.4m. It features a state-of-the-art electric power steering system (EPS) which checks speed inputs every 40 milliseconds and is speed sensitive to 0.01 km/h. Tuned specifically for European tastes, it provides a strong self-centring action at lower engine speeds for easier town driving and greater feel at higher speeds.

Disc brakes front and rear with ABS are standard on every TIIDA, and are backed by Brake Assist and Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD). The advanced Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) is optionally available on every model in the range.

Three engine range
With three Euro IV complaint engines available, there's a power unit to suit most requirements. The two petrol options, displacing 1.6 and 1.8-litres respectively, are newly developed Nissan units, while the common rail 1.5-litre diesel has been designed by Alliance partner Renault.

Both petrol engines are light-weight in-line four cylinder units designed to provide not only strong performance and good fuel economy, but also low emissions and high levels of refinement. Much of the development work has centred on reducing levels of internal friction as well as boosting low-end torque.

The entry-level version is a 1.6-litre as seen in the Micra 160SR, C+C and Note. Developing 81 kW (110hp) and 153 Nm of torque, the all-aluminium design is notably lighter than similar capacity units from rival manufacturers and is some 25kg lighter than Nissan's previous QG family of engines.

Available with a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic, the TIIDA 1.6 has a top speed potential of 186 km/h. It returns 6.9 l/100km on the combined cycle while oil change services are needed only every 30,000 kms (approximately 18,500 miles).

Brand new 1.8-litre petrol
The range-topping petrol-powered TIIDA is driven by a brand new 1.8-litre (1797cc) version of the engine. Sharing similar design features and layout as the 1.6-litre engine, the new unit develops 93kW (126hp) and 173 Nm of torque at 4,800rpm.

Available only with a six-speed manual transmission, the TIIDA 1.8 has a top speed of 195 km/h. It returns 7.8l/100km on the combined cycle while oil change services are needed only every 30,000 kms (approximately 18,500 miles).

Known internally as the HR/MR family, both twin cam engines have four valves per cylinder, variable valve timing, multi-point port injection and vane-type continuous intake cam phasing. Notably compact, the engines have a front intake and rear exhaust layout, meaning they take up less room under the bonnet providing more for the passenger compartment.

Development on both engines focused on maximising energy efficiency with the application of a variety of technologies to eliminate energy loss and maximize performance. Crankshaft and camshaft journals, for example, are polished to a mirror-like finish to reduce friction while motor racing techniques are used to ensure the cylinder bores are as circular as possible, again to help reduce friction.

To enhance low and mid-range torque – arguably the most important requirement to satisfy everyday driving needs – the intake and exhaust system were optimised to provide the smoothest possible flow of air.

To attain complete combustion of the air/fuel mixture, thereby reducing hydrocarbon emissions and increasing efficiency, the HR/MR engines feature 12 hole fuel injector nozzles in place of the four hole versions used previously. This refinement allows an even finer particle spray – reduced by as much as 40 per cent – to promote better combustion efficiency.

Class leading diesel
With diesel still considered an ‘emerging' trend in the markets where Tiida will be sold, it is well placed to take advantage of that growth with one of the best diesel engines currently available. The advanced turbocharged and intercooled 1.5-litre dCi unit has been developed by Renault and develops 78 kW (105hp) and a remarkable 240Nm of torque at 2,000rpm.

Acclaimed for its blend of performance, economy and low emissions mixed with refinement and smoothness, the newest version of Renault's 1461cc eight-valve unit features the latest generation Siemens common rail technology. With a top speed potential of 186 km/h, it also returns 5.2l/100km on the combined cycle. The diesel TIIDA has a six-speed transmission as standard.

Superior Interior Quietness
TIIDA's quiet interior is also aided by acoustic techniques applied to the development of the engines. The intake manifolds of the engines have been fine tuned to provide acoustically equal lengths, while the camshaft drive chain has been redesigned to lessen the impact noise as the pins mesh with the sprockets. This so-called ‘silent chain' engages the sprockets at additional points thereby distributing the impact and reducing noise.

Refinement as standard
A unique pendulum engine mounting system has been adopted on TIIDA, which helps to absorb the transmission of vibration to the body shells. Enhanced noise isolation and damping materials have also been added while improved exhaust mountings and exhaust silencers help further to reduce noise penetrating the cabin.

Source - Nissan