Nissan today announced the sales launch of the new Tiida 5-door hatchback and Tiida Latio 4-door sedan at dealers across Japan.

Since their debut in 2004, the Tiida and Tiida Latio have exceeded customer expectations for compact vehicles – offering a premium-quality, roomy interior and outstanding fuel economy and performance. For 2008, both vehicles have been enhanced inside and out. Key changes include new exterior and interior designs, retuned electric power steering, powertrain enhancements and a new "Plus navi HDD" package, among other improvements.

Modern and Dynamic Exterior Styling
Both Tiida and Tiida Latio feature all-new front-end designs, with new grilles, front bumpers and headlights, which impart a feeling of dynamic modern performance. Tiida also features new taillights and a rear bumper for a more substantial look, and all Tiidas and Tiida Latios feature new wheel cover designs.

Eight exterior colors are available on Tiida, including titanium metallic Silky Beige, metallic Brilliant Silver, metallic Champagne Gold, and pearl metallic Pacific Blue. Tiida Latio offers seven color choices, including titanium metallic Silky Beige and metallic Brilliant Silver.

Revised, Roomy, Sporty Interior
The interiors of both the Tiida and Tiida Latio have been redesigned for a new, modern look, as well as increased usability and visibility. The new instrument cluster design features new illumination colors – changed to an orange hue – and a fuel consumption display function. New metallic-finish “dashboard paneling” is available on Tiida models.

The modern look continues with a revised center stack with redesigned automatic air-conditioner controls and new illumination scheme, as well as new silver finishers (available on 18G, 15G, 15M and 15M FOUR models). Additionally, Seat fabrics have been changed on 18G and 15G models, while new Seat fabric patterns and stitching colors are available on 15M and 15M FOUR. Stitching color changes also apply to Tiida 18G, 15G, 15M and 15M FOUR models and Tiida Latio 18G and 15G models with a black interior.

Powertrain Enhancements
The new Tiida and Tiida Latio models each receive a variety of powertrain enhancements, including the new availability of a 6-speed manual transmission on 1.8-liter models for a sportier driving experience. The electric-assisted power steering system has been retuned for improved feel at low and high speeds.

Additionally, 2WD models with the HR15DE 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine and XTRONIC continuously variable transmission (CVT) attain a fuel economy level 20% higher than Japan's 2010 fuel economy standards, thereby qualifying for the highest tax reduction*1 under the Green Tax program in Japan.

The HR15DE/XTRONIC CVT/2WD combination also features fuel economy figures that more closely match actual fuel consumption, based on tests conducted under the JCO8 test mode, recently adopted in Japan to simulate real-world driving conditions more accurately, as well as on conventional 10-15 test mode data. Also, this powertrain, under the JC08 test, attains SU-LEV certification levels by emitting 75% fewer nitrogen oxides (NOx) and non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC) than the levels required by Japan's 2005 exhaust emission regulations.

Special Tiida Packages
Tiida 15S and 15S FOUR models are available with a new, affordable “Plus navi HDD” package, which includes an exclusive HDD-based CARWINGS navigation system with a high-speed, large-capacity 30-gigabyte hard disk drive; steering-wheel-mounted switches for audio controls and hands-free phone; a front center armrest with console storage box; rear Seat cupholders; fully automatic air conditioning system; and chrome-plated waistline molding.

The new Tiida is also available with two optional dealer packages – a “NISMO S-tune Aero Package” and a “NISMO S-tune Performance Package” for further fine-tuning of the vehicle’s aerodynamics and driving performance. Individual NISMO components are also available separately.