Nissan is apparently rushing to modify some of its current models, both mechanically and by juggling option combinations, to help them qualify for bigger trade-in rebates as part of the United States government’s Cash for Clunkers program.
“We want as many of our products as possible to pop up on the shopping list,” Nissan North America spokesman Brian Brockman told Automotive News.
The engineers at Nissan’s facilities in Japan and Michigan are working feverishly to re-tune engines, find lighter-weight wheels, different tires and even to adjust vehicle option configurations in an effort to cut down on weight and squeeze out an extra mile or two per gallon.
Nissan says it has squeezed an extra 1 mpg out of its Sentra, which could be enough for some buyers to qualify for the $4,500 rebate given if the vehicle they purchase averages 10 mpg more than their trade-in car.
The improvements will have to be tested by the EPA, but even a 0.6 mpg improvement could be rounded up to a full 1 mpg.
“This program is a driver for us for the next few months,” Brockman says. “We don’t want to miss out on that.”
