The Nissan Silvia: A New Era for an Iconic Nameplate
The Nissan Silvia has always been ingrained into most car lovers around the world. This ‘S’ series Japanese coupes have always been known for their zealous performance and boisterous driving pleasure to drivers in Japan, Europe and North America in various forms such as 200SX and 240SX. However, with the last model being produced in the early 2000’s, the figure of this car in the hearts of people has been replaced only by nostalgia for the good old days.
Now, after a long period of time filled with more guesses and beliefs than any facts, it has been officially stated that Nissan is indeed working on a new Silvia. Ivan Espinosa, Vice-President of Global Product Strategy at Nissan, assured that the company is still at the initial stage of working on this promising development. Let’s discuss what we know at this date regarding the affordable sports vehicle in question.
What Will It Be Called?
“Silvia” is the most appropriate name to go by for a fair reason, but there is a twist. In America, it was, however, sold as the SX, thus there is a chance, that other regions may have different name. Moreover, as the future tends to be more electrical, we may have something like “SX-E” or even “E-Silvia” provided that it comes in a dedicated battery electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid version.
What Will It Look Like?
Many feel that Nissan IDx Nismo concept may set the design direction of the new Silvia and for good reasons. This concept-car was a take on the trad style of a compact sports car – the clean cut, retro, and aggro all made a complete look. There was also a hint at the concept of a restomod Silvia EV by Nissan, which focused on its electric character and perfectly sleek figures.
Perhaps a designer eagerness as one could bet on the novel dynamo of an electric vehicle which s mostly due to the light weight of the vehicle. Espinosa observed that the power-oriented propulsion system with fewer parts making it simpler offers the opportunity to thin out the design thus no need of a bulging structure in front carrying a grille. Our imaginative experiments are compositionally based on the IDx concept and involve exhaust pipes, indicating the presence of a plug-in hybrid – such a concept must still include the good old engine sound, right!
Localized Rendering, What Is It?
The revived Nissan Silvia is rumored to get an electrified drivetrain, but nothing more is known about it. While a plug-in hybrid system might be feasible, it seems that the ordinary hybrid will not be included in the lineup. And as regards the power figures and how far one can go driving the car, these are still confidential information so there is a lot of excitement remaining.
What About the Manufacture?
Nissan wishes the Silvia project to be done internally, but Espinosa admits that this will be difficult. Paradoxically, it is possible that other manufacturers may come in and redesign the Silvia. This development would create a twist in the history of the vehicle.
The Date Of The Premiere?
In the words of Espinosa, the launch of the new Silvia shall take place within this current decade. Followed by the issuance of a complete announcement a few years after that, camouflaged prototypes are likely to be seen on the streets by about 2026.
What Is the Price Range?
In order to uphold the classic Nissan’s pricing scheme, the new Silvia will probably be priced lower than the current Nissan Z which starts at approximately $42,920. Considering the fact that the Nissan Leaf is $28,140 making it the cheapest electric vehicle from the brand, we are inclined to place the Silvia somewhere in the middle, most likely in the region of $35,000.
