Tokyo -- Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. today announced the domestic release of the new Bassara minivan, which has been developed around the concept of a "dandy minivan" and provides a spacious, comfortable interior of stellar quality in a strikingly distinctive exterior design.
The following features of the Bassara clearly differentiate it from existing minivans.
A selection of three outstanding engines is offered to meet diverse driving needs and preferences. In addition to the NEO Di YD25DDTi direct-injection diesel engine distinguished by its low fuel consumption, high power output and noticeable quietness, the powerplant lineup also includes the impressive VQ30DE and KA24DE gasoline engines.
Moreover, meticulous care has been taken to promote environmental friendliness, including the provision of a low-emission vehicle (LEV) specification for models fitted with the VQ30DE engine, in addition to adopting the YD25DDTi engine that simultaneously reduces emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and black smoke.
The high-contrast, two-tone color scheme of dark gray and warm gray hues creates an interior ambience of premium quality. In addition, the instruments, power window switch finisher, shift lever knob and other trim parts adopt a carbon accent, imparting a sporty look to the interior.
The main and side surfaces of the seats are designed with a two-tone color coordination scheme harmonized with the interior colors to give the entire passenger compartment a feeling of unity. The seats are built with amply thick and long cushions to provide superior ride comfort and minimize fatigue even on long journeys. Moreover, the front seats of all models adopt urethane padding of differing firmness in the seatback sides for improved holding capability and also come with angle-adjustable armrests as a standard feature for enhanced occupant comfort.
The Bassara is available in two types of interior option packages (a luxury package and a leather package) to give customers a choice of interior specifications. Each package offers different seat covering materials and includes a three-spoke steering wheel with a combination of wood-grain and genuine leather accents, handsome wood-grain panels and other items to create a stellar-quality ambience. The luxury package offers a seat covering combination of needle-punched neo-suede and neo-suede, and the leather package offers a combination of genuine leather and Cabron* artificial leather.
*Cabron is a registered trademark of Achilles Corporation.
3. Packaging
In addition to the remarkably comfortable seats and exceptional quietness achieved at all seating positions, the driver's seat provides ample headroom and the second- and third-row seats allow generous knee room. These and other considerate features create an eminently comfortable cabin that even luxury sedan owners will find irresistible.
A driving position comparable to that of a sedan has also been achieved by reducing the distance from the floor to the hip point in the driver's seat and the inclined angle of the steering column.
The rear doors open wide to nearly 90 degrees and the second-row seats adopt a walk-in feature that moves the seats forward for easier access to the third-row seats. These thoughtful considerations enhance ease of ingress/egress for both second- and third-row seat occupants.
Moreover, the combination of long-sliding second-row seats (300 mm of travel while still providing seating) with third-row seats that flip up and fold toward the sides allows a wide variety of seating arrangements for greater versatility.
4. Engine, body and chassis
The engine lineup offers a selection of three outstanding power units to meet a broad range of driving needs. The NEO Di YD25DDTi direct-injection diesel engine combines powerful output with excellent interior quietness, the VQ30DE gasoline engine enjoys wide popularity for its nimble driving performance and quick response, and the KA24DE gasoline engine delivers powerful performance in city driving and exhilarating acceleration in the high-speed range.
The body and chassis achieve a high level of limit performance to provide superb handling and stability along with supple ride comfort. This outstanding performance results from the highly rigid body construction achieved by the front side members with their large cross section and straight orientation, the optimal positioning of the outrigger structure and the reinforcements applied around the rear pillars. Moreover, to ensure exceptional quietness, models fitted with the NEO Di YD25DDTi engine feature Nissan's Active Control Engine Mount (ACM), which dramatically reduces interior noise and vibration, and models powered by the VQ30DE engine adopt electronically controlled engine mounts.
5. Environmental friendliness
Nissan is moving ahead with a vigorous program of company-wide activities aimed at promoting environmental protection and effective utilization of natural resources.
Bassara models fitted with the YD25DDTi engine incorporate Nissan's unique Modulated Fire (M-Fire) combustion system that improves fuel economy and reduces carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. This cutting-edge combustion system also reduces emissions of NOx and black smoke simultaneously, thereby helping to prevent air pollution by achieving notably cleaner exhaust.
Models equipped with this engine qualify for a reduction of the automobile acquisition tax as low fuel consumption vehicles under Japan's revised fiscal 1999 tax code (15,000 yen tax reduction on models registered for personal use). In addition, the YD25DDTi engine was honored with the FY 1998 Sho-Ene Taisho (Energy Conservation Center Chairman's Award). The Sho-Ene Taisho (The Energy Conservation Prize) program, sponsored by the Energy Conservation Center, Japan (ECCJ), commends equipment and systems for residential and commercial use that demonstrate outstanding energy conservation and other superior performance qualities.
Additionally, models fitted with the VQ30DE engine feature an LEV specification that reduces carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbon (HC) and NOx emission levels to around one-tenth of the average regulation values currently specified for operation under Japan's 10-15 test mode.
Other notable results of the extensive measures taken to safeguard the environment include the attainment of a recyclable rate of 90% by weight, as calculated by Nissan's in-house standards, and the adoption of lead-free parts in place of ones that previously used lead.
6. Safety
The Bassara adopts Nissan's high-strength Zone Body construction for high-level crashworthiness that meets the safety standards of countries around the world as well as Nissan's in-house safety test criteria that are even more rigorous. This includes compliance with the requirements for full lap frontal impacts at 55 km/h, offset frontal impacts at 64 km/h, side impacts at 55 km/h and rear-end impacts at 56 km/h to provide a high level of occupant safety.
All models also come with an Electronic Braking Force Distribution (EBD) system, an antilock braking system (ABS) and Braking Assist as standard equipment to deliver stable braking performance matching diverse changes in operating conditions, including variation in the number of occupants.
Price Range and Sales Target
The new Bassara is priced in a range from 2,318,000 yen to 3,108,000 yen in the Tokyo area. Nissan projects a monthly sales volume of 2,500 units.
SPECIFICATIONS OF THE BASSARA
| Grade |
X (2WD Gasoline2400 E-AT) |
| Overall Length |
(mm) |
4,795 |
| Overall Width |
(mm) |
1,770 |
| Overall Height |
(mm) |
1,725 |
| Wheelbase |
(mm) |
2,800 |
| Tread |
Front (mm) |
1,535 |
| Rear (mm) |
1,520 |
| Ground Clearance |
(mm) |
155 |
| Curb Weight |
(kg) |
1,610 |
| Turning Radius |
(m) |
5.7 |
| Steering |
Rack & Pinion with power assistance |
| Suspension |
Front |
Ind., struts |
| Rear |
Multi-link beam |
| Brakes |
Front |
Ventilated disks |
| Rear |
Leading-trailing |
| Tires |
Front |
215/60R16 95H |
| Rear |
215/60R16 95H |
| Engine |
Type KA24DE DOHC, 16-valve In-line 4 |
| Displacement |
(cc) |
2,388 |
| Bore x Stroke |
(mm) |
89.0 x 96.0 |
| Max. Power |
(kW[ps]/rpm) |
110[150]/5600 |
| Max. Torque |
(Nm[kgm]/rpm) |
216[22.0]/4400 |
| Compression Ratio |
9.2:1 |
| Induction |
EGI(ECCS) |
| Transmission |
| Electronically controlled 4-speed Automatic Transmission |
| Gear ratio |
| 1st |
2.785 |
| 2nd |
1.545 |
| 3rd |
1.000 |
| 4th |
0.694 |
| 5th |
- |
| Reverse |
2.272 |
| Final |
4.425 |
Release of Bassara Axis and Bassara Enchante
In conjunction with the release of the new Bassara, Autech Japan, Inc., a Nissan affiliate, today released throughout Japan the Bassara Axis featuring special equipment specifications and the Bassara Enchante lifecare vehicle*.
*Nissan Group companies use the term lifecare vehicle (LV) to refer to vehicles that are specifically designed to assist persons with special mobility needs in their everyday lives.
Overview of New Bassara Axis
The Bassara Axis has been created around the concept of a "more stylish and more elegant dandy minivan" and features an extensive roster of special vehicle specifications that include many dedicated exterior and interior trim parts different from those used on the Bassara.
The exterior has been executed in a distinctive, sporty styling exuding a unique sense of presence, thanks to the adoption of a highly refined, original design for the front-end, 16-inch aluminum wheels and lowered suspension.
The interior trim is attractively coordinated in high-contrast gray tones to create an elegant cabin ambience imbued with a sporty feeling.
Overview of New Bassara Enchante
The newly released Bassara Enchante is specially designed for easy ingress/egress by senior citizens, persons with leg disabilities and others who experience difficulty in entering and exiting vehicles. A "slide-out lift seat" that swivels manually 100 toward the outside and can be lowered by an electric motor so that the cushion is only 45 centimeters off the ground is provided as the passenger's seat for easy ingress/egress by senior citizens and others needing assistance.
Price Range
The Bassara Axis is priced in a range from 2,668,000 yen to 3,158,000 yen in the Tokyo area. The Enchante is priced in a range from 2,816,000 yen to 3,366,000 yen in the Tokyo area.
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