Lesley: Hit. Nissan's making a bold statement these days with the focus being on innovation. The Ellure is hard to ignore, while visually dramatic, it's also an exercise in design efficiency. The front fascia's deep skirts and bold grille direct wind over and under its fully panelled underbody. Ho hum, so what, you say? Well, further reducing drag, the side mirrors have been replaced with rearview cameras. The 21-inch five-spoke rims sport transparent covers - which aside from being aerodynamically efficient will be considered sheer genius by anyone who's ever had the misfortune to clean aluminium rims. And, the Geode White paint features pearlescent blue and gold flakes and changes, chameleon-like, depending on light and temperature.
Mike: Hit and Miss. Ellure signals a possible design direction for a future Altima, with “future” being the operative word. The short front hood acknowledges that future engines will be compact. As a design it looks great, I’m just not sure I’m ready for car design that de-emphasizes the engine compartment, and what’s lurking there.
2012 Volkswagen Passat
Matt: Hit. Well, almost. Call me a purist but Volkswagen should have more character than this. Clearly though, a sober German automobile is something the buying consumer wants; consider the new Jetta. In all fairness, the new Passat may have traded it's 2.0T and some soft-touch materials but has gained affordability and a larger cabin. These are key elements for a successful product. Guess what? The Passat will sell well. Wait and see.
Lesley: Hit. Outwardly a bigger, blander Jetta. It's not a bad looking car, I just didn't care enough to work my way to the front during the presentation to get a better look. The good news is that the Passat is expected to sticker at a far lower base price than the outgoing model which will absolutely endear it to the masses. Attainable German engineering – if that, or the turbo diesel powerplant, doesn't hook you… the Darth Vader Jr. commercial certainly will.
Mike: Miss. This is a very attractive package, but I’m not sure it says Volkswagen. With its bigger proportions and high belt line it seems almost more “American”, which may in fact been the effect VW was looking for with this new “Camry fighter”. Like the Camry, VW seeks a mass of mid-size buyers, and probably didn’t want to alienate too many potential suitors, with a more polarizing design. But while the styling leaves me mellow, the powertrains get me all giggly inside. Not many in this segment offer TDI engines, great shifting five-speed manuals, and dual-clutch automatics.
Mike: Hit and Miss. Ellure signals a possible design direction for a future Altima, with “future” being the operative word. The short front hood acknowledges that future engines will be compact. As a design it looks great, I’m just not sure I’m ready for car design that de-emphasizes the engine compartment, and what’s lurking there.
2012 Volkswagen Passat
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| 2012 Volkswagen Passat (Photo: Michael Wong) |
Matt: Hit. Well, almost. Call me a purist but Volkswagen should have more character than this. Clearly though, a sober German automobile is something the buying consumer wants; consider the new Jetta. In all fairness, the new Passat may have traded it's 2.0T and some soft-touch materials but has gained affordability and a larger cabin. These are key elements for a successful product. Guess what? The Passat will sell well. Wait and see.
Lesley: Hit. Outwardly a bigger, blander Jetta. It's not a bad looking car, I just didn't care enough to work my way to the front during the presentation to get a better look. The good news is that the Passat is expected to sticker at a far lower base price than the outgoing model which will absolutely endear it to the masses. Attainable German engineering – if that, or the turbo diesel powerplant, doesn't hook you… the Darth Vader Jr. commercial certainly will.
Mike: Miss. This is a very attractive package, but I’m not sure it says Volkswagen. With its bigger proportions and high belt line it seems almost more “American”, which may in fact been the effect VW was looking for with this new “Camry fighter”. Like the Camry, VW seeks a mass of mid-size buyers, and probably didn’t want to alienate too many potential suitors, with a more polarizing design. But while the styling leaves me mellow, the powertrains get me all giggly inside. Not many in this segment offer TDI engines, great shifting five-speed manuals, and dual-clutch automatics.
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