VIDEO REPORT: Nissan brings the family out for a day with media

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nearly every vehicle in the current Nissan lineup, plus a few eye catching vintage and test vehicles, was on display in Nashville for an expansive media drive program this week. It was held at a mansion in Belle Meade, Tennessee, at what was the set for the pilot of the "Nashville" TV series.

"This event is absolutely brilliant because not only does it give access to the media to our full lineup, but also to things that we may want to have their feedback on. Today we have the European Nissan Qashqai diesel. We have the Nissan Micra, which we sell in Canada but not the U.S. We have new technologies – some we are looking at like Smart Rearview Mirror. Some ones we are just beginning to study, like the World's Cleanest Car, the Nissan LEAF, with the Nano paint technology," said Pierre Loing, vice president, Nissan Product Planning.

Nissan's product and marketing teams provided product walk-arounds and ride-alongs with media. The goal? Celebrate one of the freshest Nissan lineups in recent history and provide a glimpse at what is just over the horizon.

"The all-new generations of the five core models that we have launched are very successful. You see that Rogue is on fire. You see Versa and Versa Note being leaders of their segment with over 20 percent market share. The 25 percent remaining starts with the new Murano. At the Detroit show, we'll unveil the new Titan, and then the new Maxima," said Loing.

Media from throughout the U.S. and Canada attended this special event in Nashville. All had a chance to drive and to admire what is the true sense of Nissan's passion for design, driving and innovation – a brand on the rise.

"It has been fun to test a lot of the cars in this context. We also got to see a lot of models that are not necessarily available here for instance, the Qashqai, so that was interesting. Also, the older models, the classic ones – it was a good opportunity to discover the Nissan product," said Sabrina Giacomini of autogo.ca.

"It's a great opportunity to taste all of the cars in the lineup. It allows us in one day to test all of the cars. I get a really good idea of the capabilities, the handling, the ride, the quality, the workmanship of all of the cars in the lineup," said Neil Vorano of Canada's The Globe and Mail.

And the most popular vehicle?

"The most popular vehicle that the journalists have taken out? There are really a couple of them. One of them is a 1965 pick-up truck. They love driving that, but also the NISMO GT-R. GT-R is always a favorite, but this one especially," said Steve Parrett, Nissan Corporate Communications.

# # #