With the global level of fabrication getting higher and higher, many manufacturers are having a hard time meeting the ever-growing expectations of the customers, especially when it comes to luxury sedans, a category in which the European (German and Italian) cars are dominating the whole industry. Their style, quality and ideas and copied and used by their contenders to reach the same standing and claim more sales as well as enhancing the image of their company.
Unfortunately I have to say that these expectations can lead to disappointments when going from one car to another but, thanks to the customers’ feedback and public demands, the manufacturers can work on improving the downsides and always come with a better product.
Now if you are used to visiting Nihoncar.com or Nihoncarandbike.com (and we thank you for that) you probably read our test drive (September 06) of a car with the exact same name; the Nissan Skyline 350 GT in its
Coupe version. To sum things up quickly, despite attractive lines and shape the performances and the interior disappointed us, especially compared to its Japanese/worldwide adversaries. All around the world but mostly in Japan, Nissan communicates on the name “Skyline”, synonymous of image, style and performance but for this we will have to wait for the almighty “GT-R” coming out in 2007/2008 (and that we can’t wait to get our hands on !!). But if you take a look at the history of this name you’ll find that, ever since the 1950’s, the Skyline was representing a family sedan and it appears that, today, Nissan is going back to its roots, certainly a good idea.
Under the influence of Carlos Ghosn CEO of Renault and Nissan Motors) and the strategy of costs reductions that got Nissan out of a good part of its problems, the 1st Skyline (as stated below) disappointed us so we were looking forward to a second impression with the car of the day; the Nissan Skyline 350 GT
Sedan.
So what’s new? What’s not is the awful weather that prevented us from making a video footage just like last time but hopefully there was a bit of sunshine inside the car.
Style…
The first thing that will catch your attention is the style of the body made of soft angles and strong lines, the front features original headlights and a unique radiator grill. Here is a picture to show the differences between the new and previous version of this sedan Skyline.
The rear brings back the style of the Coupe version, sporty and luxurious, so do the 17 inches alloy wheels. Inside it’s the big renewal, no more “cheap looking” plastics, everything looks well placed and accessible, the steering wheel is better shaped, the materials are elegant and good looking and most of all it’s comfortable! As you can read the interior left me a very good impression.
So far we’ve been very pleased with this 1st contact due to the elegance of the lines, the comfort of the interior and the overall quality feel that was improved. Now when we thought about the engine we had some doubts simply because the same 3.5 litre V6 as in the Coupe version was under the hood…so let’s see what it’s like.
…
and Performance
No need to hide it any longer this is another good surprise! The V6 made a jump for 272 to 315HP and the torque from 353 to a 358Nm. The sound was improved as well and reaching the redline should sound like music to the ears of many car enthusiasts, at least to mines! Another reason for this better engine response is the automatic gearbox equipped with flappy paddle shifters, on the Coupe; those were pretty bad…but feel here in perfect harmony with the engine. The driver can switch between a fully automatic mode, perfect for cruising, and a semi-auto mode to get some more sensations. Talking about sensations the handling is excellent probably due to slight modifications done to the chassis and the suspensions system, as the steering feels more precise, the ride feels safer.
To put an end to this article I would say that I was truly amazed by the efforts made by Nissan to improve their Skyline sedan and I tip off my hat for the level of quality and performance that they achieved. With this excellent car, Nissan gives the Skyline name a second youth!
Photo By David MICHAUD
Posted on 04/02/07 By G-A.G
