Nissan has today revealed the new Juke, remaking its big-selling small SUV as an electric car, with pretty dramatic styling. You can read more about that elsewhere on CompleteCar.ie, but there's a lot more going on in the background at Nissan, as the company is laying out its vision for future mobility, as well as teasing some key new models.
What else is happening at Nissan?
Quite aside from that striking new Juke, Nissan has also previewed a next-generation X-Trail SUV which will get an updated e-Power hybrid setup.
The new X-Trail is twinned with the US-market Rogue, and will likely go on sale there first, arriving in Ireland and Europe later as an updated version of the current X-Trail has only just launched in this part of the world.
Speaking of the US market, there will also be a new Xterra, which Nissan describes as a 'heartbeat' model for the American market, and which will once again be a chunky body-on-frame SUV.
Finally, there's something really intriguing, and so far, we've only seen a heavily cropped image of its brake lights, but Nissan is working on a new Skyline.
That's hugely significant, as the Skyline is of course the model lineup that eventually evolved into the mighty GT-R, and the round brake lights in the photo certainly seem to hint at a new generation of Nissan's mighty supercar. Here's hoping. For the moment, though, the Skyline is expected to be a model only sold in the Japanese domestic market.
What else is Nissan planning?
Well, Nissan is hoping to make its business more efficient by streamlining the number of different models that it makes, trimming its global lineup from 56 cars to 45. Then there are two technological routes that Nissan wants to follow - AI and electrification.
As far as electrification goes, of course, Nissan is potentially well ahead of the herd having put the original Leaf on sale 16 years ago, and has just launched the really impressive third generation (see more on that here).
The plan now is not just more electric models - such as the new Micra which is launching in Ireland this week, and the new Juke of course - but a broader, more diverse lineup that leans heavily into the company's e-Power hybrid expertise.
As far as AI is concerned, don't expect to see AI-designed cars in the future from Nissan, but the Japanese giant plans to integrate AI into its vehicle safety systems, creating a far more sophisticated version of the ProPilot electronic driver assistance system.
Anything else?
Yes, Nissan also plans to lean on AI to help it develop what are known as 'Software Defined Vehicles' or SDVs. These are cars in which the physical, metal stuff is less important, overall, than the software and that can be constantly updated and improved, potentially meaning that cars can feel fresher for longer, keeping them on the road for longer, which is a possible environmental benefit.