The Nissan Cima is a luxury sedan built over five generations for the Japanese market and, for three of them, sold internationally as the Infiniti Q45. It was introduced in 1988 on an elongated Cedric and Gloria chassis. Its main rival has always been the Toyota Crown.
Nissan Cima at a glance
| Production | 1988–2022, in five generations |
|---|---|
| Also sold as | Infiniti Q45 (three generations) |
| First generation | Y31, sales from January 1988 |
| Y31 engines | VG30DE 200 PS, VG30DET turbo 255 PS |
| Body | four-door hardtop, no B-pillar |
| Interior | lacquer wood, Connolly leather or silk-wool |
| Dealers | Nissan Store (Cedric Cima) and Nissan Prince Store (Gloria Cima) |
| Rival | Toyota Crown |
| Name meaning | summit, top, in Spanish |
based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Nissan Cima.
History of the Nissan Cima
Why the Cima existed
Until 1989 Japanese tax rules drew a line at 4,700 mm long, 1,700 mm wide and a 2-litre engine, and both the Cedric/Gloria and the Toyota Crown were stretched to that limit. When rumours came that Toyota was preparing a wider, larger Crown, the 4000 Royal Saloon G, Nissan acted quickly to add a full-size version of the Cedric and Gloria. The new Y31 Cedric and Gloria had only just been launched in June 1987, so the wide car could not be ready in time. Nissan announced the Cima on 2 September 1987, showed it at the Tokyo Motor Show on 29 October 1987 next to the MID4-II, and began sales in January 1988.
The Cima phenomenon
The Y31 Cima came with a 200 PS VG30DE or a 255 PS turbocharged VG30DET. The turbo version was especially popular during the Japanese bubble economy, so much so that the press coined the phrase “the Cima phenomenon”. Some 36,400 were sold in the first year and 129,000 in the first generation. It was built only as a four-door hardtop without a B-pillar, with lacquer wood inserts and a choice of Connolly leather or a silk-wool combination later shared with the President. Trims ran from Type I Limited through Type II-S and Type II Limited AV to Type III, the last with every option as standard. A Fujitsu Ten CRT screen controlled climate and audio, with satellite controls on a fixed centre hub so the buttons stayed still while the wheel turned, and a mobile phone could be fitted in the armrest console.
Later generations
The first two generations were larger, more luxurious versions of the Cedric and Gloria, sharing the V8 of the President. Later generations shared the President’s platform as a shorter version, and the last three were sold in the United States as the Infiniti Q45 until 2006, while the Cima and President continued to August 2010. The name returned in April 2012 as a long-wheelbase Fuga Hybrid. Production stopped at the end of 2020 and restarted in October 2021, only to end for good in 2022, leaving the Skyline as Nissan’s only sedan in Japan.
Design and features
- Bubble-era icon: the turbo Cima became a symbol of late-1980s Japan.
- Pillarless hardtop: a four-door body without a B-pillar.
- CRT dashboard: climate and audio through a Fujitsu Ten screen.
- Infiniti Q45: the same car for the American market.
Nissan Cima versions
- Cima Y31 (1988–1991): the first generation, 200 PS and 255 PS turbo.
- Cima Type III: the fully equipped top trim.
- Infiniti Q45 (to 2006): the export version of later generations.
- Cima Hybrid (2012–2022): the long-wheelbase Fuga-based revival.
The Cima was the flagship above the Cedric and Gloria, and shared its platform with the President. More cars are in the Nissan collection.
Video: 2012 NISSAN CIMA HYBRID VIP G – Exterior & Interior
Video by YouTube on YouTube.
Sources
- Nissan Cima, English Wikipedia: origins, Y31 engines and equipment, later generations, end of production
