Car buffs in Trivandrum was taken by surprise, when 3 brand new global models were seen around the Technopark location. Nissan digital hub, which aims to make Thiruvananthapuram, a technology hub fo automotive OEM’s has brought in 3 epic models to showcase as part of their inauguration in December 10th. Of these the one that makes city enthusiasts go mad is the famed Godzilla or the Nissan GTR R35. The other beauties are the e variants, which are are 2018 Leaf and 2017 Note E Power. The cars will be displayed in the Nissan digital hub premises in Technopark Phase 3, Yamuna. Sources close the the developed has said the the cars totalling a value of 3.7 crore INR will be lifted to their display locations which is on the first floor. Our readers have shared pics of the electric ones doing the test rides and and test charging. E cars are not new to Technopark as Mahindra’s Verito green is already playing the associates and charging using the docks in the basement. An interesting development is that the Note or Leaf could be actually plying the roads in the city as two cars are being planned to be procured.
Nissan Digital Hub is a global facility for Nissan for the development of Connected cars which will use high end data analytics to solve mobility problems. Nissan’s CTO, Tony Thomas, an alumni of CET was instrumental in bringing this global office to the city.
GT-R- a.k.a Godzilla
The GT-R is a mammoth as its calling name is and true to the name it has slayed every other contender on the race track in its period. The one in the city is the sixth gen R-35 costing a whopping 2.7 crore. GT-R disproves the notion that JDS’s( Japanese Domestic Machines) are only good for fuel frugality and low maintenance costs. The Godzilla is a 3.8 liter V6 machine which churns out 570 Bhp of power and 635 Nm of torque. The car is wider and lower and features the signature V motion grille, giving it a killer Pirana look. The 19 inch alloys on wide lower profile tires are menacing. It has its signature aircraft styled windshield along with the jet afterburner styled 4 tail lamps. The interior has double stitched black leather seats with an all black theme dashboard. The car is a two door with 4 seating. The in-car entertainment is powered by massive Bose HU and speakers. The car sprints from 0-100 kmps in 3 seconds. Though it is not the fastest among the current generation supercars, it still carries the legacy which begain in 1969 as the Skyline GT-R.
Nissan Leaf
Nissan Leaf is the most widely sold electric car globally. This is true electric car and departs from its successor by packing in a 40KWH Li ion battery giving it a remarkable range of 370 Kilometers. As is its name it has a very cute and delicate design and carries the V motion signature grille. The car has a charging time of 8 hours while a quick charging mode gives in 80% charge in 40 minutes. An innovation here is the E pedal, where by Nissan plans to promote single pedal driving. The braking force will be provided by the regenerative braking energy on the front wheel when the pressure on accelerator is decreased. The car will be showcased by Nissan for technology demonstration as it is not planning local assembly and importing as completely built units or (CBU’s) makes it costly by 30-40lakhs. The central government is also planning standardized charging docks pan India and unless that project happens, car will only be seen on such small city pockets.
Nissan Note
Contrary to Leaf, Note is a hybrid MUV. This is a car that can travel 37 km on one liter of petrol. It is hybrid because the motive force is provided by an 108 hp electric motor. While there is 1.2-liter petrol engine, which acts as a generator to charge the batteries thus avoiding the low battery, low range has hassles. e- Power is a proprietary hybrid technology from Nissan where it uses a range extender. Since the engine runs only to power batteries, it performs in optimal efficiency. GoI currently provides the subsidy to only e vehicles and not to hybrids. This essentially adds huge duties on a CBU making it also in the range of 40 lakhs.
