Dualis diesel after update

Nissan will add the diesel version of the Dualis next year. First arriving in local showrooms back in 2008 then followed by the seven-seater version last year, the Dualis is currently only offered with a 2.0-litre petrol engine.

Nissan Australia Managing Director Dan Thompson told motoring.com.au at the launch of the Dualis +2 last year that diesel was on the agenda. Over 12 months later there's still no confirmation as to exactly when Australians will be offered a diesel Dualis, and it could be another 12 months from now.

While Thompson couldn't confirm timing for the diesel Dualis, he did say a mid-cycle refresh was on its way, and would in fact arrive before the new engine option. Arrival, then, for the diesel model won't be until the second-half 2012, at the earliest.

The update for Dualis will include additional technology such as an 'around-view monitor' like Land Rover's 360-degree camera set-up for the Vogue and Discovery 4.

Next year will be "massive for us" says Thompson. The company is releasing the LEAF electric vehicle and sedan version of the Micra in 2012. The new Patrol and Tiida replacement are also due next year.

"And every year we'll be bringing out extensions of core models so there's more coming for X-TRAIL, Dualis, Navara..." Meanwhile, most of the brand's available technology will be first seen in the upcoming release of Infiniti models to the local market.

The strategy for the introduction for Dualis and core models like X-TRAIL is to "stagger the roll-out" says Thompson, in an attempt "to keep the product fresh".

The availability of diesel engines to Nissan's lineup for models like Navara, Pathfinder and eventually Dualis is due to 12 years of partnership with Renault, says Thompson.

"There are true synergies coming out of the [Nissan-Renault] Alliance... We're now reaching a space that collectively puts us at seven million cars [sold worldwide] already. When you fast forward our plans it [the sales figure] will be around 10 million, giving us major scale."

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