2013 marked 80 years of the Nissan Motor Company – and this year – Nissan hit yet another milestone and celebrated 10 years of Nissan in India with the Nissan Carnival organized at the Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida.
Selected media and Nissan customers were invited by the manufacturer to experience the entire range of cars, like the Micra, Sunny and Terrano on specially prepared courses at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida. The mighty Patrol SUV and the Leaf all-electric car were also part of the driving experience and were imported to the country from Dubai.
Guillaume Sicard, President, Nissan India Operations, kick-started the event with a small presentation about their growth in these 10 years. He said “The Carnival is our way of thanking India for ten great years, and allowing customers to experience our full Indian range, as well as class-leading, innovative products like the Patrol and Leaf from our global line-up. Although we are still at the start of the Nissan journey in India, we have already accomplished a great deal. Our seven locally-produced models are growing in popularity and we are rapidly expanding our retail network and presence in what is a key growth market. There is a lot more to come from Nissan in India as we continue to grow our brand and further evolve our product portfolio to meet and exceed the expectations of our customers here.”
The event comprised of four specially built tracks which included two on-road and two off-road experiences. The Micra and Sunny’s manual transmission models were driven on a specially designed course, while the CVT models were driven on another course with tighter bends under the guidance of driving instructors; the team being headed by Mr. Hari Singh, renowned rally champion.
Nissan also arranged a presentation, which was done by the R&D officials on the subject of performance of the CVT and their cutting-edge technology. The highlight of the event was the imported mighty off-roader: the Nissan Patrol and the world’s best-selling 100% electric vehicle: the Leaf.
The Patrol is known as the ‘Hero of All-Terrain’, thanks to the power of its 5.8-litre 400bhp V8 engine and raft of features including the All-Mode 4×4 drivetrain, with Multi Surface Selection and Hydraulic Body Motion Control Suspension System. Visitors to the Carnival took full advantage of the opportunity to put the legendary SUV through its paces in a specially-constructed off-road zone.
A driving course was also thought up in the quest to manifest the dynamic prowess and sheer comfort of the Leaf hatchback EV, which has seen sales of more than 160,000 units worldwide. The Leaf’s 80Kw AC electric motor delivers 254Nm of torque, all of which is available from 0rpm, which guaranteed Carnival visitors an engaging, whisper-quiet drive with ‘zero’ tailpipe emissions.