The new March is the third generation of this popular series and has been developed with the design concept of "a modern stylish compact car, thoroughly pursuing user friendliness." The March continues its tradition of being exceptionally easy to drive and features a newly developed engine that delivers nimble driving performance ranking among the best in its class.

The March also features the world-class environmental performance. All models have been certified as ultra-low emission vehicles (U-LEV) by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport under its low-emission vehicle certification system. The March also complies with Japan's 2010 fuel economy standards, qualifying owners for tax reductions under the Green Tax program.

Adopting Nissan's advanced Zone Body construction, the March provides top-level safety performance. A six SRS airbag systems and an array of other safety technologies have also been engineered for the safety of the driver and passengers.

"One-make races for the new March are scheduled to begin in 2003 where March drivers will compete against each other in the new vehicle.

A rich, original design, with a unique balance of roundness and sharpness, and a wide selection of twelve body colors

Superior driving ease and nimble agility ranking among the best in its class, thanks to its newly developed engine

Outstanding environmental performance as shown by its U-LEV certification, top-level safety performance provided by the advanced Zone Body construction and six SRS airbag systems

Nissan expects to sell an average of 8,000 units per month for the new March. The car will be available in Nissan Blue Stage, Nissan Red Stage and Nissan Red & Blue dealers.

The March was unveiled at the Nissan Headquarters Gallery and the car will remain on display there and in Nissan's Ginza Gallery in a display featuring the wide array of color variations. The display will run from Wednesday, February 17 to Tuesday, March 5. The galleries will hold an exhibition highlighting the lifestyle depicted by the new March entitled, "Colorful Delicious Happiness in My Life with My New March" from Wednesday, March 6 to Sunday, March 31.

EXTERIOR DESIGN
Uniquely designed headlamps, turn signal indicators incorporated in the grille and headlamp markers integrated in the headlamp assemblies all combine to create a highly distinctive front view.

The side view is characterized by the horizontal shoulder line, a fundamental element of driving ease, and by the arched roofline that accentuates the March's unique image.

The roof treatment at the rear blends excellent aerodynamics with an attractive design. In addition, the rear combination lamps project a high-quality look while giving the rear hatch gate ample width to achieve both a feeling of stability and ease of use.

There is a wide selection of twelve exterior colors to choose from, five of which have been specially developed for the new March. The exclusive body color lineup consists of Paprika Orange, Aqua Blue, Fresh Olive, Apricot and Beans.

INTERIOR DESIGN
On the inside, the March features a functional, clean-cut design and has been meticulously appointed to give users superb quality never before expected in a car of this class.

The low instrument panel rounded like a rugby ball deftly integrates all the functional components to give the interior a look of simplicity and highlighting the interior spaciousness.

The audio and climate control knobs, shift lever button and other operating controls are unified in an attractive ivory color. A premium-quality titanium-looking accent embellishes the meter cluster ring and inside door handles, among other places.

The front seats adopt a tapered upper silhouette and doughnut-shaped headrests to give rear-seat passengers an open feeling and excellent visibility. In addition, the rear headrests are specifically shaped to avoid affecting the driver's rearward visibility.

The interior color selection offers a choice of Ecru, Cinnamon and Creek Gray, with all three colors emphasizing a stylish appearance.

Superior driving ease and nimble agility ranking among the best in its class, thanks to its newly developed engine

PLATFORM
The March is built on an all-new platform with a " minimum- mechanicals " concept that minimizes the space devoted to mechanisms. This platform provides for a spacious interior with ample roominess comfortably seating four adults, while at the same time creating a compact vehicle with nimble maneuverability and attractive exterior styling.

PACKAGING
Based on the "minimum mechanicals" concept, the front and rear overhangs have been shortened, making the overall length shorter than the previous March. Yet, the new March provides comfortable interior spaciousness equal to a car one class higher.

The expansive glass area, headlamp markers that project above the lamp assemblies and various other innovative features make it exceptionally easy for the driver to perceive the car's four corners both day and night.

While the March is fitted with 14" tires, it achieves a minimum turning radius of 4.4 m, one of tightest in its class.

MECHANISMS
Powering the March is the newly developed DOHC 4-cylinder CR engine that is available in 1.0-, 1.2- and 1.4-liter versions. Providing substantially improved power performance, the CR engine features low fuel consumption, low exhaust emissions, high power, low noise, all in a compact, lightweight package.

A strut suspension is used at the front and a newly designed H-shaped torsion beam suspension has been engineered for the rear, providing enhanced handling, stability, ride comfort and quietness. The H-shaped torsion beam suspension allows a lower luggage area floor, increasing the luggage-carrying capacity.

In the area of aerodynamic performance, the March achieves a Cd figure of 0.32. This is the result of pursuing a delicate balance between styling and aerodynamics in repeated wind tunnel tests, while realizing car's round form as a core element of its design concept.

The March is scheduled to be available with Nissan's E-4WD system in autumn of 2002. Compact and lightweight, this new 4WD system is based on a front-wheel-drive configuration and uses an electric motor to drive the rear wheels only when 4WD capability is needed. Because the E-4WD system drives the rear wheels by means of a rear-mounted motor, there is no need for a propeller shaft or a transfer unit. This achieves 4WD capability without sacrificing interior space as well as a lighter system that also contributes to improved fuel economy.

'CARWINGS' - the First Toal Telematic Service in Japan
The March is the first Nissan model to be available with CARWINGS, Japan's first comprehensive telematics service that supports driving ease and proposes new ways of enjoying everyday life with the March (optional on the 14e and 12c). By simply connecting their cellular phone to an onboard device, users can enjoy a variety of information services, e-mail access and hands-free calling, among other features. This service provides the enjoyment of being able to access a wealth of information from inside the car. It also facilitates comfortable and convenient driving through its simple navigation functions and assistance available from a service center operator in the event of an emergency.

The March also comes with a new-generation keyless entry system, called Intelligent Key, that enables users to lock/unlock the doors and to start/stop the engine simply by carrying the key fob with them. As there is no need to insert a key or operate a key fob button as in the case of a conventional keyless entry system, the Intelligent Key system provides greatly enhanced convenience when carrying things in both hands or when entering/exiting the car in the rain or at night.

Outstanding environmental performance as shown by its U-LEV certification, top-level safety performance provided by the advanced Zone Body construction and six SRS airbag systems

ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLINESS
The March is certified as a U-LEV under the low-emission vehicle certification system of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, reducing exhaust emissions by an additional 75% from the levels required by Japan's 2000 exhaust emission regulations. This outstanding environmental performance stems from the adoption of tandem-arranged catalysts with ultra-low heat mass substrates and the internal exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) effect achieved with continuously variable valve timing control, among other cutting-edge measures. It also qualifies for tax reductions under the Green Tax program by meeting Japan's 2010 fuel economy standards.

The number of parts made of polypropylene (PP), one of the easiest thermoplastic resins to recycle, has been increased, providing a recyclable rate of 95% by weight.

SAFETY PERFORMANCE
The new March is built with a more advanced and augmented version of Nissan's unique high-strength Zone Body to provide world-class crashworthiness. With this body construction, cabin deformation in a frontal collision is suppressed by dispersing crash energy in four directions, i.e., to the members above the floor, front pillars, door waistline and sills; in a side collision, body deformation is suppressed by means of the side door beams and impact energy-absorbing doors, which disperse and transmit crash energy to the reinforced body sides.

The March features SRS curtain airbag systems that protect the heads of front- and rear-seat occupants in side collisions (standard on the 14e and optional on the 12c and 10b). Together with driver's and front passenger's SRS airbag systems and SRS side airbag systems for the driver's and front passenger's seats, a total of six SRS airbag systems are provided for enhanced safety performance.

Seatbelts with pretensioners and two-stage load limiters have been adopted that work in concert with the front-seat SRS airbags to mitigate the impact to the occupants in frontal collisions. In a collision, the pretensioner mechanism immediately takes up the slack in the seatbelt to restrain the occupant more quickly, and the two-stage load limiter mechanism progressively lowers the belt load so as to lessen the impact to the occupant in concert with the deployment of the airbag.