TOKYO Encouraged by its highly successful Murano SUV, which came on the market in 2003 in the United States and in 2004 in Europe, Nissan is now developing a sister model for the smaller end of the SUV model range.
The new compact Nissan SUV is set to rival the likes of the BMW X3, the just-released new Toyota RAV4, and the upcoming smaller C-Class-based MLK by DaimlerChrysler, which is scheduled for a 2008 debut.
Here are the first photos showing a prototype, which was spotted testing on a remote country road in Europe and on an ice lake in Scandinavia. The new all-wheel-drive Nissan will adapt some of the styling elements of the Murano and is expected to be powered by 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines with perhaps a six-cylinder power plant for the top model. According to inside sources, the new Nissan compact SUV will be a world car, set for launch sometime in 2007.
What this means to you: Nissan could see some major profits from this sector if they can get this baby to market.
source:http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=109814#7
