Mitsuoka Updates Galue Limousine, Based on Nissan Teana

There are coachbuilders and coachbuilders. And then there's Mitsuoka, a Japanese company that believes in bettering a vehicle's appearance by collecting styling bits from here and there. Memorable creations include the Mazda MX-5-based Himiko Roadster, the Ford Mustang-based Galue Convertible and last but not least, how can we not forget the fish-faced Orochi...

In its latest venture, the Japanese coachbuilder has updated the design of its Galue Limousine, a four-door sedan built on the newest version of the JDM Nissan Teana sedan (see here).

We weren't able to decipher much from the Japanese-only press release, but looking at the photos it appears that Mitsuoka reworked the car's front (which continues to fuse styling elements from classic British cars) and rear ends. Talking about the Galue's buttocks, is it me or are those tail lights look eerily similar to the ones found on the Fiat 500?

The new Galue Limousine is offered in several trim levels and two engine options, a 2.5-liter and a 3.5-liter V6. It goes on sale in Japan on November 12, with prices ranging from 3,680,000 to 5,284,000 Yen (approximately US$44,700 to $64,200).

*Correction: The Galue is based on the JDM Nissan Teana and not the Fuga as previously noted

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Nissan to Begin Production of X-Trail and Teana Sedan in Russia

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Nissan president Carlos Ghosn took part in the opening ceremony of the Japanese automaker's first plant in Russia on Tuesday. Located at St. Petersburg, Nissan's new US$200 million assembly plant has a production capacity of 50,000 vehicles a year. The facility, which is scheduled to employ 750 workers at start of production with one shift, will build the Teana mid-size sedan and the X-TRAIL compact off-roader.

"This is Nissan's breakthrough in Russia," said Ghosn. "The opening of our plant in Saint Petersburg in the current conditions underlines our confidence in the high potential of the Russian economy. With the start of production at our new plant Nissan become an integral part of the local community."

Even though the financial crisis has taken its toll on the Russian car market as sales plunged more than 40% in the first four months of the year compared to 2008 when Russia briefly overtook Germany as Europe's largest car market, many analyst believe that Russia will be a key growth market for automakers when a recovery starts.