Shiotsu Autotrade Japan – President’s Blog

According to consumer reports recently rated six sedans in the upscale segment.  Three Japanese cars , Infinity G35 from Nissan, Lexus ES 350 from Toyota and Nissan mixima found their way among the top.  At the top of the list, comes the Infinity G35 , with a combination of sporty performance,  best luxury and handling.

INFINITY G35: The rear-wheel-drive journey version,it has got a 3.5 liter V6 engine which delivers 306 horse power,  it comes with optional sunroof and power adjustable steering wheel.  The quick, agile and sporty sedan delivered 19 mpg in mixed highway and city driving on premium fuel.  The all wheel drive G35X costs about $2000 more than the version tested which costed $35,140. Though a slight loss of fuel economy was reported in the G35X version.

LEXUS ES350: The lexus ES350 is lavish in contrast with the sporty infinity. The ES350 provides a big luxury car feel and refinement in a trim package. The 3.5 liter, 272 horse power V6 version tested was smooth,delivered quick acceration and a good 23 mpg overall on premium fuel. The few negatives for this sedan are limited rear-seat head-room and rearward visibility; the handling is sound, not sporty.  The ES350 tested cost $41289 and come with optional navigational system, cooled seats and power -adjustable steering column.

NISSAN MAXIMA: The 3.5 liter v6 255 horse powered 3.5SL version tested has a roomy interior, logical quick acceleration.  However, the ride is not all that great;steering wheel pulls hard under acceleration and handling is not agile. The tested maxima 3.5SL has optional stability control,  sunroof , memory seats, and power-adjustable steering column, and cost $ 33,715.

LINCOLN MKZ,BUICK LUCERNA CXS and SAAB 9-5 were the other cars that ranked below the japanese cars in the upscale sedan segment.

The Buick lucerna cxs is a full-size car sold by the buick division of general motors that repalced the park avenue and the lesabre in 2006.

If you don’t need sportiness or opulence in your car, consider high-end V6 versions of Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.  These family sedans are equally good in performance and amenities while costing much less.

Technorati Tags: Japanese cars, Infinity G35, Lexus ES 350, Nissan mixima, sedan, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry

Nissan has recently launched the 2008 nissan Altima Coupe which offers gorgeous, striking styling.  The Altima coupe is a four door, 5 passenger vehicle.

The Nissan Altima Coupe is available only in trim levels 2.5S and 3.5SE which are consistentwith the sedan version, all Coupes come with antilock brakes and sport seats.

Talk of the Nissan Altima sedan, very perfect car,  new looks combined with the v6 and  six-speed manual transmission,  all this offers a genuine attitude in car segment  filled with mediocrity.

Nissan Altima Sedan is available in four trims, with the a number indicating the type of engine-Base 2.5, 2.5S, 3.5E and 3.5SL not forgetting the hybrid.

The base 2.5 comes with full power accessories,cruise control,16 -inch wheels, push button ignition, a split/folding rear seat and a tellescoping steering wheel.

The 2.5S is enhanced with a 175hp 2.5 litre 4 cylinder engine, anti-lock braking system, push button ignition, 6 speed manual transmission,  a trip computer, mp3 input jack, that’ s not all, the list goes on and on.

The 3.5SE has everything in the 2.5S, with performance up to 270 hp,3.5-litre V6 engine,17-inch alloy wheels,power folding side -view mirrors,power driver seat,automatic headlights, TCS, this is the Traction Control System, excellent vehicle!!

The 3.5SL, all the functions of a 3.5SE , also equiped with luxury features like a leather seating, moon roof, heated seats, automatic climate control, auto-dimming rearview mirror,16-inch alloy wheels, xenon HID headlights, base audio system with CD changer, more comfort and advanced technology.

The Nissan Altima 2008 is surely a head turner with its stylish looks and super features.

Technorati Tags: Nissan, Altima Coupe, car, Sedan, automatic

The export of used cars from japan has been increasing over years.  Considering the August of this year compared to August of last year,  a total of 118687 units was exported, this is an increase of 23.5%.

The largest car importer of used cars, Russia reached  42,180 units, an increase of 13.9%.  From January to August of this year, a total export quantity of 850095 units used cars was done, compared to last year, this is an increase of 15.8%.For August,  the export quantity according to the type of car was;

Small cars-95685 units,an increase of 26.9% compared to last year.

Bus-1117 units , an increase of 18.8% .

Trucks, a total export of 1885 units,  an increase of 11.1%

Apart from Russia, Chile which is the second largest importer of used cars,  had a rapid increase of 104.4%.
UAE imported 8753 cars,  an increase of 38.7%,  Newzealand imported 8203 cars, an increase of 41.7%.
All in all the total export quantity of used cars is on constant increase.

Technorati Tags: used cars, japan, export, importer

Air bags offer protection to the driver in case of accidents, however air bags can also cause injuries to the driver because of the impact.  New versions of air bag protection come with sensors which can sense a person’s weight and distance from the steering wheel and adjust the air bag impact pressure accordingly.

Such new features are very useful in preventing injuries due to high intensity impact of the air bags. We still need to take some basic precautions to minimize such injuries in case of an accident.  As a good habit, the driver should maintain a distance of about 30 cm from the steering wheel. Many women drivers and short people sit very close to the steering wheel. They have to realize that they are sitting very close to the air bags which can hit them at high impact pressure. Many new cars come with adjustable pedals which allow the driver to adjust the pedal height, so that a short person can sit comfortably and maintain a safe distance from the steering wheel. You can also use a pillow and pedal extender to maintain a safe distance from the steering wheel.

Technorati Tags: Air bags, protection, impact, new cars, adjustable pedals, pedal extender, safe

Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co. is determined to draw the global limelight from booming competitors Toyota and Honda, through its “diversity” drive aimed to provide a friendlier workplace for Japanese women.

In Japanese corporate culture, seniority rather than the performance is valued for promotion and salary raise. There are many obstacles for Japanese women such as long working hours, lack of understanding from male colleagues-causing women to be underrepresented in management.  At Toyota,women comprise only 1 percent of management and just 0.4 percent at Honda.  At Nissan, women in management have reached 4 percent in 2007; it is the result of the diversity initiative started by Nissan.

Japanese women feel more empowered at Nissan because of the support they receive from the top management. Nissan Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn is determined to make “diversity” a buzzword and to create a corporate culture committed to diversity where merit alone opens every door.

In Japan, about 67 percent of working women quit after giving birth to their first child. But Nissan is attracting more women and retaining them through its on site daycare,family leave of up to two years, and flexible working hours for women. Nissan is also spreading the word about its diversity drive at universities and seminars to recruit women. This message from Nissan as a cross-cultural automaker certainly sets itself apart from its rivals such as Toyota and Honda.

Technorati Tags: Japanese, automaker, Toyota, Honda, Japanese women, Nissan, Carlos Ghosn

Hybrid cars are increasingly becoming popular because of their superior fuel efficiency. However, there is a new complaint against hybrid cars. Bodies like The National Federation for the blind are insisting that car manufacturers install noise making devices in their hybrid cars so that the blind pedestrians can hear  “so quiet” cars while crossing the street.  Blind pedestrians often depend on the sound of car engines in deciding when it is safe to cross a street.  Many hybrid cars, however, switch off the gas engine when the car  is running at low speeds, coming to a stop and also when it is  accelerating from the start.

Well, it sounds like a genuine concern for the blind pedestrians. However, there is no word from any of the hybrid automakers yet that they will add any sort of audible alarm that their hybrids are running in electric hush-hush mode.

Technorati Tags: Hybrid, cars, blind

Japan is the land of raw  fish eaters and Japanese sushi and Sashimi is getting popular in many countries  like the United States, South Korea, China, Taiwan and Russia.

In this country which is crazy for seafood,tuna is the king.  In Japan,we have many different names from maguro to otoro for different varieties of tuna and all its edible parts.  However the shortage of tuna has recently sparked sushi panic in Japan, and many Japanese sushi chefs are considering extreme alternatives like red colored smoked deer meat or raw horse meat to replace tuna.

Global fishing bodies recently began restricting tuna catches in The Eastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea,and this has helped to push up the prices of bluefin tuna which is considered the best tuna to eat raw.

Tuna is disappearing from supermarket shleves and revolving sushi chain restaurants. Many sushi restaurant owners believe that sushi has to evolve to keep up with the times, and so they are experimenting with substitutes like smoked duck with mayonnaise and sea urchin with crushed daikon.

However, I feel that sushi without tuna just won’t be sushi!

Technorati Tags: Japan, Japanese, sushi, Sashimi, tuna