Nissan set to unveil new car for Europe in Geneva

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. said today it will unveil a new car for the European market at the Geneva motor show on March 6.

It said the new car would "reinforce the company's profit and growth aspirations in Europe" and would be presented by Carlos Tavares, Nissan's executive vice president for corporate strategy and product planning.

A spokesman for the group in France decline to give any further details.

Nissan, which issued a profit warning earlier this month, plans to launch 11 all-new models during the 2007/08 business year, on top of the strategically important Qashqai crossover and two other vehicles to be rolled out in the fourth quarter.

The group already offers a series of models in Europe, from the small Micra, to the bigger Note and the sporty 350Z.

In the SUV sector it has no fewer than five models -- X-Trail, Patrol, Murano, Navara and Pathfinder -- that make its market position different from European mainstream makers.

It has a European design center in London and a factory in Sunderland which makes 60 percent of all Nissan cars sold in Europe.