Detroit Auto Show: 2004 Nissan Quest Minivan 'Breaks Out of the Box'

    DETROIT, Jan. 6, 2003; The 2004 Nissan Quest is a revolutionary,
category-redefining approach to the minivan -- one that is about to reverse
the long-held stereotypes about minivans and their drivers.  Its all-new
design elevates the traditional minivan strengths of safety features,
functionality and utility with enhanced roominess, design innovation and
technology, while adding the missing emotional elements of contemporary
styling and a spirited, fun-to-drive personality.
    The Quest has grown in size to be the roomiest in the front-wheel drive
minivan segment and provides such user-focused enhancements as flat-folding
2nd and 3rd row seats and the widest opening sliding doors in class.  New
safety features include the first North American application of the Nissan
Advanced Air Bag System, and standard head curtain supplemental air bags to
help protect 1st, 2nd and 3rd row outboard occupants from side-impact
collisions.
    Style is another key component of the new Quest, with both the dramatic,
flowing exterior and "urban loft" themed interior designed to address consumer
concerns about traditional minivans' conservative imagery.  And, as expected
from the company behind the award-winning new Nissan 350Z(TM) sports car, the
new Quest offers responsive acceleration and handling -- from its standard
3.5-liter V6 engine and new 4-wheel independent suspension.
    Quest was developed, styled and engineered in North America and will be
the first of four new vehicles scheduled to be assembled at Nissan's new
$1.43 billion manufacturing facility in Canton, Miss.
    "Minivans have always been a rational purchase decision, rather than an
emotional one, but not anymore," said Bill Kirrane, vice president and general
manager, Nissan Division.  "The most impressive thing about the new Quest,
even with all its great design and engineering advances, is its exciting
personality and attention to personal style."
    The new Quest, which made its world debut at the 2003 North American
International Auto Show in Detroit, is scheduled to go on sale at more than
1,100 Nissan dealers nationwide in summer 2003 as a 2004 model.

    Room For Innovation
    With its long 124.0-inch wheelbase, 77.6-inch width and 66.9-inch front
and rear track, the new Quest offers the largest interior volume of any
current front-wheel drive minivan.  Overall interior volume of 197 cubic feet,
as well as ample cargo space behind the 2nd row seat and 3rd row seat are
significantly improved over the previous generation Quest and are also larger
than the current leaders in the minivan class.  Special attention was also
paid to front seat dimensions, with first row shoulder room among the best in
class.
    Quest's sliding door openings measure 33.8 inches, over four inches longer
than the nearest competitor (2003 models) and over six inches longer than the
previous generation Quest.  The wide doors combine with a 2nd row seat "tip
up" feature to address one of consumers most frequent complaints regarding
current minivan designs -- getting in and out of the 3rd row.
    Another innovation that addresses owner dissatisfaction with current
minivan designs is the Quest's new flat-folding seats.  Quest advances the
flat-folding seat concept by applying this feature to both the 2nd and 3rd row
seats.
    The unique folding operation does not require the owner to remove the 2nd
and 3rd row seats in order to create a fully usable storage area.  The 2nd row
seats fold down and drop forward into the floor.  The 3rd row easily folds and
rotates into a recess in the floor behind it.
    "The result of our double row of folding seats is 'complete spontaneity'
in how customers can use the interior of the 2004 Quest," said Kirrane.
"There's no longer the need to plan ahead in removing seats prior to going
shopping.  Owners can purchase large or bulky items on a whim and be able to
transport it home by simply folding down the seats."
    The Quest also features spring-loaded retractable strikers (versus
competitors' fixed striker designs) for the 3rd row seat for added flexibility
in carrying wide objects and the new Quest's ample length and width allows for
carrying of standard 4x8 plywood sheets on the floor with the rear door
closed.
    Another Quest innovation is the available Skyview(R) roof, a series of
four panoramic glass roof windows for the 2nd and 3rd rows that (along with
the front sunroof) help enhance the use of natural light throughout the
vehicle.
    A full-length rear overhead console, available with the Skyview roof,
offers increased functionality while creating an aircraft-like interior
environment with personal reading lamps and air vents.  The rear overhead
console includes heating and cooling vents, reading lamps and also houses the
Quest's available DVD Entertainment System's dual color display screens.

    Exterior Styling and Interior Design That Break Out of the Box
    True to the design originated on Nissan's boldly original Next Generation
Quest Concept, which was shown at North American auto shows in 2002, the new
Nissan Quest offers a highly expressive and distinctive appearance.
    Designed by Nissan Design America, Inc. (NDA) in La Jolla, Calif., the
Quest exterior is marked by an arching roofline that transitions seamlessly
off of the A-pillar, a strong shoulder that adds dimension to the body sides,
well-defined wheel forms that have a minimal gap with the tire sidewalls and a
fluid gesture in the beltline that starts low off of the headlights and kicks
up toward the rear of the vehicle.
    "We wanted to avoid the anonymous box design that has become the industry
standard in the minivan class," said Tom Semple, president, NDA.  "We have
accentuated the wheels, because Nissan is all about the driving, and pulled
the sheet metal to the tires.  The body is well balanced on the wheels and
overall Quest has strong Nissan styling cues, such as in the grille design."
    The Quest interior, again following the theme set out by the Next
Generation Quest Concept, creates a sense of a modern, "urban loft" -- a
comfortable, open and inviting space for family and friends.
    The interior's remarkable sense of openness comes from several design
innovations, beginning up front with Quest's unique, low height instrument
panel that departs from the typical "driver centric" concept to one of "social
space."  The new instrument panel layout utilizes a center-mounted instrument
cluster with a 6.3-inch information display screen, an instrument
panel-mounted transmission shifter lever and numerous storage
compartments -- including driver and passenger side lower instrument panel
storage.
    The designers also rethought the traditional minivan interior
architecture, with the shape of the centralized control stack taking on the
look and feel of a desk or table, and leaving ample legroom for driver and
front passenger to easily turn around toward the rear of the Quest.
    It's a combination of design features that helps create an open feeling
without increasing dimensions.  "There are always other driver distractions in
a minivan so we wanted to make the driving environment simple but
aesthetically pleasing, including the adoption of appealing,
non-minivan-traditional colors and materials," said Semple.  "We brought the
controls close to the driver without limiting knee room as you turn to where
the action is in the back of the van, while the seats themselves are more like
furniture in look, feel and texture."

    A Long List of Available Comfort and Convenience Equipment
    The new Quest's expressive and distinctive interior also comes through in
the high quality, luxurious feel and in the careful selection of standard and
available equipment.  Up front, Quest offers an available 8-way power driver's
seat with adjustable lumbar support, available driver's seat memory system
(seat position, foot pedal position and outside mirror position) and heated
front seats.
    Also offered are available leather-appointed interior, steering
wheel-mounted audio controls, dual zone automatic temperature control for
driver and front passenger, rear heating and air conditioning system, power
front windows with one-touch auto up/down, a front overhead console with
sunglasses holder and dual map lights, and a rear sonar system.
    Eight cupholders, along with bottle holders/map pockets on each sliding
door, offer flexibility and convenience for all passengers.  There are also
numerous storage bins and areas, including a driver-accessible storage drawer
located under front passenger seat and four 12-volt power points.
    A standard 150-watt AM/FM/CD audio system with eight speakers is offered,
along with a first-ever Bose(R)-developed audio system for the minivan
category -- a 10-speaker audio system.  All audio systems also feature "dual
media" capability (when equipped with rear audio controls), allowing rear
passengers to use wireless or wired headphones for a different media source
than what is played through the speakers.
    Taking mobile technology to the next level is an available DVD
Entertainment System with the option of one or two roof-mounted display
screens.  The system's DVD drive is located under the front passenger seat,
oriented toward the driver, for ease of changing discs.  Also offered is a
DVD-based Nissan Navigation System with 7.0-inch color display.

    A Focus on Safety
    Safety is a particularly important part of the minivan purchase decision
and the new 2004 Quest was developed with a strong focus on both active safety
-- through the responsive engine, suspension and braking technologies -- and a
comprehensive set of passive restraint systems surpassing the air bag systems
currently available among the major competitors.
    Standard safety equipment includes a Zone Body Structure with front and
rear crushable zones and occupant zone, the Nissan Advanced Air Bag System
(which utilizes crash zone sensor and advanced occupant sensing capability to
control front air bag deployment force) and front seat supplemental
side-impact air bags for thorax protection.
    Also standard are Head Curtain Air Bags to help protect 1st, 2nd and 3rd
row outboard occupants from side-impact collisions (among the first available
in the minivan segment) and 3-point seat belts and height-adjustable head
restraints for all seating positions.
    Every new Quest also includes the LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tether for
CHildren) child seat anchorage system and child safety rear door locks.

    Nissan Driving Dynamics
    Powering the new Quest is a standard 3.5-liter DOHC 24-valve V6 engine
based on Nissan's VQ engine series, which was recently named one of Ward's
Auto World magazine "10 Best Engines" for the ninth consecutive year.  For use
in the new Quest, the V6 produces 230-plus horsepower and 235-plus lb-ft of
torque.
    The engine design includes state-of-the-art design features as Continuous
Variable Valve Timing Control System (CVTCS), microfinished crankshaft and
camshaft, molybdenum-coated pistons and sequential multi-point electronic fuel
injection.  The engines are assembled at Nissan's Decherd, Tenn. engine
assembly facility.
    The Quest engine is matched with a choice of 4-speed or 5-speed
electronically controlled automatic transmissions with overdrive (transmission
varies with model).  A Traction Control System (TCS) is standard and Vehicle
Dynamic Control (VDC) is also available on select Quest models.
    Another element that is often overlooked in the minivan category is
responsive handling and ride comfort.  Utilizing Nissan's advanced FF-L (for
Front engine, Front-wheel drive, Large) platform, also found on the Nissan
Altima, all-new 2003 Murano crossover SUV and upcoming 2004 Maxima, the new
Quest features a 4-wheel independent suspension with an advanced rear
multi-link suspension and front and rear stabilizer bars.
    The Quest is offered with 16x6.5 wheels and 225/65R16 tires on 3.5 S and
3.5 SL models or 17x6.5 aluminum-alloy wheels and 225/60R17 tires on the
3.5 SE model.  A sensor-type Tire Pressure Monitor System is standard on all
2004 Quests.
    Power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering is standard, along with 4-wheel
vented disc brakes with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Brake Assist (BA) and
Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD).

    Three Well-Equipped Models
    The 2004 Nissan Quest will be offered in three well-equipped
models -- Quest 3.5 S, 3.5 SL and 3.5 SE.  Optional equipment packages include
leather-appointed interior, DVD Entertainment System (single or dual screen)
and navigation system.
    "The new Quest challenges convention in the minivan class, bringing a new
level of style, performance and innovation to a category that hasn't evolved
much since its creation over 20 years ago," said Kirrane.  "It's a minivan for
people who might never have considered a minivan before -- a multi-dimension
vehicle for people with multi-dimensional lives."