Another Box From Nissan Introduced

After announcing that the boxy Nissan Cube will make its appearance in showrooms in the United States for the 2008 model year, the Japanese car manufacturer introduced yet another boxy car but only for the Japanese car market. The third largest Japanese car manufacturer announced that the Clipper Rio one-box mini-wagon is now available in dealerships across its home market of Japan.

The said boxy van, according to the car manufacturer, comes in different variations to suit the demand of their consumers. The company expects that the Clipper Rio will be patronized by different individuals, each with their own preferences. That is the reason why the carmaker made different versions of the Clipper Rio.

According to Nissan, the Clipper Rio is suited for daily driving as well as long range driving. This allows the vehicle to have flexibility which Nissan hopes to attract customers with. One of its most notable features is its roomy interior which, according to the car manufacturer, leads its class. The oversized tailgate of the Clipper Rio emphasizes Nissan’s effort to make the Clipper Rio a flexible vehicle. With the size of the rear door, loading and unloading of cargoes is made easier.

As far as its styling is concerned, the Clipper Rio is undoubtedly a Nissan with its standard Nissan grille accented by the Nissan emblem. The front door is also as large as the rear door of the vehicle in proportion. This offers passengers of the vehicle the convenience they need when boarding the Clipper Rio. For children or small grownups, assist grips and door steps are provided for ease in boarding the vehicle.

According to the maker of the boxy vehicle, it comes in a variety of color which includes Black Pearl, Medium Blue Pearl, Cool Silver Metallic, and plain White.

The flexibility of the Clipper Rio is more apparent inside the vehicle with its re-configurable seats. The passenger seats of the Clipper Rio can be arranged in many ways to suit the demand of its passengers. The rear seats of the Clipper Rio can be folded down to increase the luggage space of the vehicle. This flexibility of the vehicle is expected to be welcomed by Americans if and when the vehicle is introduced in the North American auto market.

As for performance, the Clipper Rio is offered with two engine choices. One of these engines is an in-line three-cylinder SOHC (single overhead camshaft) 12-valve turbocharged and intercooled engine. Nissan claims that the internal combustion engine which can be equipped with a Nissan PCV valve can provide adequate power to push the vehicle over hills even when loaded to its full capacity.

The second engine choice for the Clipper Rio is a naturally-aspirated in-line three-cylinder SOHC 12-valve engine. The advantage of this naturally aspirated engine is that it consumes less fuel than the other engine choice. This is because the turbocharged engine produces more power and thus increasing the amount of fuel that it needs to burn.

Nissan announced that they will sell the Clipper Rio with a starting price of 1,254,750 yen. Nissan expects to sell at least 40,000 units of the Clipper Rio per year.