Japan's ultra-tiny home

... today's post is not about cars, but it's still a very interesting one!

Nissan Leaf: Less demo cars due to strong demand

Nissan's US dealers will each give up one of their Leaf demo cars as the factory tries to satisfy initial demand for the car. Initially, dealers were promised two demo Leafs, but now they will get just one. This move translates in as many as 1,000 extra Leafs going to consumers.

Only 20,000 Leafs will arrive in the US in the first year, due to the limited production volume. Nissan is investing $1.6 billion to construct another lithium-ion battery plant in Smyrna, Tenn., where it will also assemble the Leaf, but that supply will not come on line until late in 2012.

The USDM Leaf will be launched in December.

[Source: Automotive News]

Revised Subaru Legacy Sports Tourer comes in Europe

• Fresh, modern styling for longer, wider, taller Legacy Sports Tourer (wider by 50mm, taller by 65mm and longer by 55mm)
• Updated Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive
• Several technical refinements and enhanced environmentally-friendly features for Boxer diesel engine
• Completely reviewed and re-engineered bodyshell
• All-new ‘Cradle Mount System’ adopted where the engine and transmission are mounted on a sub-frame to reduce NVH
• Revised MacPherson strut front suspension design
• New ‘short height’ compact double-wishbone rear suspension
• New electronic parking brake and hill-hold function
• More room inside high-quality cabin (e.g. legroom for rear-seat passengers increases by 99mm, aided by an 80mm increase in wheelbase), and up to 1,726-litres of luggage space
• New Multi-Information Display (MID) positioned on centre stack’s upper surface 
• Recently awarded 5-Star Euro NCAP crash safety rating 
• Available from December 2010, retailing at €41,995