Nissan to Launch Automatic Clean Diesel X-Trail

Nissan Motor Co. said Monday it will add an automatic transmission model to its clean diesel X-Trail 20GT sport-utility vehicle in spring next year as part of the firm’s efforts to boost sales of environmentally friendly vehicles. Equipped with the M9R clean diesel engine, the X-Trail 20GT hit the Japanese market in September last year as the first automobile to meet Japan’s strict exhaust emissions regulations to be implemented in October this year. Nissan set a conservative monthly sales target of 100 units as the SUV is only available with manual transmission. But the vehicle has actually sold about 200 units per month, with the cumulative total reaching some 2,500 units at the end of last month. The larger-than-expected popularity stemmed from the vehicle’s fuel efficiency and driving performance, company officials said, expressing hope that the easier-to-drive version will boost the sales further. The X-Trail 20GT is the only Nissan model that fully qualifies for cuts in automobile acquisition and weight taxes under a government program designed to promote purchases of eco-friendly vehicles. (June 22, 2009)