And if that wasn't enough, while Chrysler Group was preparing to
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| That third row must be the heaviest, most awkward seat in the world to pull out of its deep well. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
introduce its best-in-class Stow 'n Go seating system, which drops all rear seats into lidded cubbies under the floor for a completely flat loading area, Nissan was at least smart enough to offer a flat-folding third row and a middle row that at least tumbles forward to offer more load carrying capacity than the majority of its rivals. But that third row must be the heaviest, most awkward seat in the world to pull out of its deep well when trying to restore it to seven-occupant capacity. Ford Freestar's cantilevered rear seat is a dream come true in comparison, and Toyota Sienna's split-rear seats are heavenly in comparison. After all, while this might not seem like much of a problem to the Sumo wrestler that designed the Quest's rear seating system, to the average 5-foot something, 130-pound North American mother of 2.2 children, it's near impossible to execute.
But making one of the easiest rear seats in the industry to operate hasn't exactly helped Ford's traditionally penned Freestar to break any sales
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| So, this brings us back to Nissan's sportier than average exterior styling probably not being a major factor to its slow sales. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
records lately, nor has GM's SUV-like extended nose particularly aided its minivan market share to grow substantially - although its close second to Chrysler Group shouldn't go unnoticed. So, this brings us back to Nissan's sportier than average exterior styling probably not being a major factor to its slow sales.
According to Nakamura, "We're discussing the redesign now. We don't need to go so much on the conservative side. We should maintain the authenticity. We still want to be as distinct as possible, but we also have to be accepted."
