A first generation Nissan Fuga sedan, seen on the outskirts of Beijing in 2019. The good Fuga was painted in a light shade of black and seemed to be in a fine shape, albeit a bit dusty and dirty.
The Nissan Kuga is a somewhat sporty mid-size luxury sedan based on the rear-wheel drive FM platform. Production of the 1st gen (Y50) started in 2004 and ended in 2009. In North America, it was sold as the Infiniti M.
The Nissan Fuga had a luxurious and for the time high tech interior, with wood trim, leather seats, an infotainment system, a multi-disc CD player, sat nav, and power seats.
The Fuga was available with 3 engines: a 2.5 V6, a 3.5 V6, and a badass 4.5 liter V8. However, in China, the only engine buyers could get was the 3.5 V6. It had an output of 280 hp and 363 Nm, which was a lot for the day. The engine was mated to a five-speed automated manual transmission (AMT).
The Nissan Fuga was sold in China as an import for a very short time: from 2005 until 2007. It didn’t sell well, mainly due to its high price compared to the competition. In 2005, price of the Nissan Kuga started at a hefty 515.000 yuan. There even was a Fuga VIP model with TV screens for the rear passengers. Never seen one myself, unfortunately. That one cost a massive 585.000 yuan. The second generation Fuga (2009-) isn’t available in China.
XV was the base trim level.
Twin pipes for sportiness. License plate is from Liaoning Province.
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