Another Nissan box was presented
After announcing that the boxy Nissan Cube will make its appearance in US showrooms for the 2008 model year, the Japanese automaker has introduced another boxy car but only for the Japanese car market. The third largest Japanese automaker announced that the Clipper Rio one-box mini-wagon is now available at dealerships in its home market of Japan.
Said boxy van, according to the automaker, comes in different variations to suit the demand of its consumers. The company expects the Clipper Rio to be sponsored by different people, each with their own preferences. That is the reason why the automaker made different versions of the Clipper Rio.
According to Nissan, the Clipper Rio is suitable for both daily driving and long-range driving. This allows the vehicle the flexibility with which Nissan hopes to attract customers. One of its most notable features is its spacious interior, which the automaker claims leads its class. The Clipper Rio’s oversized tailgate emphasizes Nissan’s effort to make the Clipper Rio flexible. With the size of the tailgate, loading and unloading cargo is easy.
When it comes to styling, the Clipper Rio is certainly a Nissan with its standard Nissan grille accented by the Nissan badging. The front door is also as large as the rear door of the vehicle in proportion. This offers vehicle passengers the comfort they need when boarding the Clipper Rio. For children or small adults, handholds and door steps are provided to make boarding the vehicle easier.
According to the maker of the boxy vehicle, it comes in a variety of colors including Black Pearl, Medium Blue Pearl, Cool Silver Metallic, and Plain White.
The Clipper Rio’s flexibility is most evident inside the vehicle with its reconfigurable seats. The Clipper Rio’s passenger seating can be arranged in many ways to accommodate the demand of your passengers. The Clipper Rio’s rear seats can be folded down to increase the vehicle’s luggage space. Americans are expected to welcome this flexibility of the vehicle as long as the vehicle is introduced to the North American automotive market.
When it comes to performance, the Clipper Rio is offered with two engine options. One of these engines is a SOHC (single overhead camshaft) inline-three, 12-valve, turbocharged and intercooled. Nissan claims that the internal combustion engine that can be fitted with a Nissan PCV valve can provide adequate power to push the vehicle up hills, even when fully loaded.
The second engine option for the Clipper Rio is a naturally aspirated SOHC 12-valve inline-three engine. The advantage of this naturally aspirated engine is that it consumes less fuel than the other engine option. This is because the turbocharged engine produces more power and therefore increases the amount of fuel it needs to burn.
Nissan announced that it 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 a year.