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Modifications address some complaints. 2007 brings changes to the exterior and interior but minivan still behind Honda, Toyota products
Nissan has introduced a freshened version of its Quest minivan at a time when that market segment is under pressure.
Sales of some minivans have slumped substantially to the point that Ford Motor Company has decided to discontinue the Freestar minivan.
For its part, following a 26 per cent drop in sales in the United States this year, Nissan decided to move production of the Quest back to Japan from Canton, Miss. That shift is expected to come in the 2008-09 time frame.
While the 2007 Quest's basic body structure remains unaltered, changes have been made to the interior and exterior.
Changes to the Quest exterior include a new grille and front bumper fascia, new rear combination lights, revised roof rack design, new 16-inch and 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels, and side sills have been added to the 3.5SE model. The revised grille drops the centre bar, but keeps the Nissan logo.
But the changes to the interior will have the most impact on the driver.
The previous version of this van had the instrument cluster in the middle of the dash, a design shared with other vehicles like the Toyota Echo.
I've always found this layout awkward and somewhat distracting. On the one hand, putting the instruments in the middle of the dash might make the vehicle easier to switch between right- and left-hand drive when it's sold in different markets, but I've always believed that carmakers made the right decision in the mid-1930s when they placed the instruments in front of the driver. Previously, the instruments had been in the centre of the dash.
The 2007 Quest has the speedometer, and other gauges and warning lights in front of the driver. I found that change to be the most significant in the interior.
To me, the centre stack in the Quest resembles a barrel that has been tilted backward. There are some advantages to this design since most of the controls, including the transmission shifter, are on top of the barrel.
On the previous version of the Quest, I found the CD slot, located partway down the front of the centre stack, difficult to see, leaving the driver fumbling to find the slot and insert a CD. In the 2007 Quest, I found this had been changed so that it was easier to see the slot.
Other interior enhancements for 2007 include available Bluetooth hands-free phone system, an in-dash, six-disc CD changer with MP3 playback and auxiliary audio input, larger eight-inch DVD screen, and a new Chili interior colour.
A rearview monitor and rear sonar system are also available.
Second- and third-row seats fold down in the Quest, which Nissan says has one of the largest storage spaces - 148.7 cubic feet - in the front-drive minivan segment. The third row features integrated auto-folding headrests and spring assist for easier operation.
The test vehicle was equipped with a passenger-side power sliding door and power rear liftgate, features that are handy when your arms are full of groceries or you're holding on to a child or two. A power sliding door is also available for the driver's side of the vehicle.
Montreal Gazette