Close you eyes and concentrate. Think hard about what single image, what photograph you would show a Martian if you wanted him (her?) to understand what being European is all about. Would you whip out a snapshot of a Eurotunnel train? Would you show him a piccy of you and the kids at Disney? Or would you show him a press cutting of the Berlin wall crashing to the ground?
Apparently not. Those wily people at Nissan, who observe us from afar, have decided that the one single image that sums up what it means to be European is a close-up of a takeaway curry. In the opening pages of the brochure for the new Almera we are told, above a large picture of a carrier bag printed with the words Thai Palace, that the new car is entirely designed for Europeans and is built around something exceptional. You .
The carrier bag is hanging on something called a convenience hook which, the copy explains, is perfect for holding takeaways or handbags. In the old days it was called the choke. But it seems the hook is part of what Nissan term intelligent space, a phrase conjured up to describe the process of catching up with Volvo. Apart from the hook, other conveniences include a briefcase strap, special umbrella storage, luggage nets in the boot and a liner for the spare wheel in which to secrete contraband. If that doesnt fool them there is also a secret box beneath the front cupholders. As the brochure declares: Everythings been thought through. Except the English.
But I carp. Its all clever stuff and is succinctly aimed at the gadget-minded car buyer, who, when faced with a choice of half-a-dozen same-only-different cars, might well be swayed by the lifestyle apparatus. In fact, there is probably a dozen or more cars in the so-called C-segment and the Almera needs to be a strong contender if it's to overcome the gravitational pull of the likes of the Peugeot 306, the Golf and the Astra.
Nissan are serious about the European bit and intend to take on the competition on their own turf. Designed at Cranfield and Munich and built in Sunderland, the Almera is the first example of a car built on their global MS platform. This is a new idea which allows a local version to be built that reflects the taste and culture of the market for which it is intended. Other models on the MS platform will be designed and built in North America and Japan and be available only in those places.
|
