Nissan Debuts Compact Sports Coupe in Detroit

Would AZEAL have Appeal with North America's Youth Market?

Do you think there is a market for really, really small sports cars in North America? DaimlerChrysler's diminutive smart brand

Nissan has brought a funky little concept sports coupe to Detroit that is sure to put a smile on the faces of all who see it. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

came to the Detroit auto show with its cute little subcompact roadster, no doubt looking for public reaction to a car that is much smaller than anything currently available in the U.S.

Nissan, not known for microcars since it stopped selling the Micra hatchback in our part of the world, has nevertheless brought a funky little concept sports coupe to Detroit that is sure to put a smile on the faces of all who see it.

Nissan makes a habit of putting smiles on peoples' faces, especially those behind the wheel of its cars. It produces vehicles that are fun to drive no matter what segment of the market it sells in, from full-size pickup trucks to compact sport sedans.

With that in mind, the Japanese brand has long offered a "pocket rocket" among its

While Nissan has had its share of "pocket rockets", the AZEAL would be a stand alone model not based on current sedan. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

compact lineup, but rather than a standalone model its Sentra SE-R is a high-performance version of its 4-door Sentra economy car.

This seems to be the case for the majority of its competitors too, at least in the small car category. Only Hyundai, with its Tiburon, Toyota, with its soon to be discontinued Celica, more or less replaced by the Scion tC in the U.S., Mitsubishi with its soon to be updated Eclipse, and Acura, which is considered to be a premium brand but nevertheless fights it out in the lower end of the segment with the RSX, offer anything in the entry-level sporty coupe segment.