New Nissan Pulsar and Pulsar NISMO Rock Paris

Nissan is expanding its product portfolio with a new family hatchback, the Pulsar. It combines Nissan's design language in the crossover segment with a more broad appeal than does the polarizing Juke. In-car technologies that are a first for the sector broaden the appeal of the Pulsar further. Nevermind the 2015 Pulsar NISMO also introduced.

The Pulsar will not be seen in the United States, however, as it was designed specifically for the European market. This does not mean that a version of the Pulsar may not be seen here eventually, but given the well-honed strategy of the Juke and Rogue matchup, it seems less likely the Pulsar would inspire another model in North America. If it did, it would fit in between the Juke and Rogue.

The Pulsar launches with two engine options - a 1.2-litre DIG-T petrol unit and a 1.5-litre dCi diesel. Three trim levels, the Visia, Acenta and Tekna (common names in teh Nissan Europe lineup) are also offered.

The NISMO version of the Pulsar features some now-expected enhancements from Nissan's performance arm. Body panels and fascias have been re-done to improve aerodynamics while chassis tuning improves handling characteristics and road-hugging. The only thing missing are engine specifications, which Nissan has not released yet. They'll likely be a 10% or so improvement over standard outputs if the Juke NISMO and similar treatments are a guide.

The 2015 Nissan Pulsar will be produced at Nissan's Sunderland Plant in the United Kingdom.