The first of Nissan’s newest in its venerable line of sports cars has finally landed in Canada.
Nearly six months after the world caught a glimpse of the next-generation Nissan Z online, it has finally arrived in Canada.
Following on 53 years of heritage tracing all the way back to the original Datsun 240Z, the newest member of the Z family is the first to be badged solely with a letter in North America.
“It’s taken all of the passion of Nissan into these four wheels,” Nissan Canada CEO Steve Milette told Wheels.ca. “It’s really connecting the human, the driver, with the machine. It’s a pure sports enthusiast’s vehicle.”
Every Z will ship with a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine producing 400 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque that peaks between 1,600 to 5,200 rpm. This represents a 68 horsepower increase and 30 percent higher torque output than the outgoing 370Z. Whether the rumoured increase in weight to 1,634 kilograms or just over 3,600 pounds will adversely affect acceleration can only be speculated as the Z is not yet available to drive. Meanwhile, Nissan says it estimates the new Z will demonstrate a roughly 15 percent improvement in 0 to 100 km/h acceleration time. Canadians will be able to choose between a 6-speed manual transmission with a high-performance clutch and a rev-matching system on higher grades or a 9-speed automatic transmission with aluminum paddle shifters.
The exterior certainly looks the part with its well-defined shoulder line, contoured side skirts, brushed chrome roofline accents, long and sculpted hood, and distinctive Z side badging. Inside, the Z’s performance intent is evident: a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster puts the tachometer front and centre flanked by customizable displays, a centrepiece to a driver-centric cabin with leftward-facing turbo and battery charge gauges.
However, we wonder why Nissan didn’t opt for more modern switchgear, a higher-quality key fob, a larger infotainment screen (though this one covers the basics with standard Android Auto and Apple CarPlay), or a flat-bottomed steering wheel, especially when all of these items are included in the new Nissan Ariya EV being launched at the same time. Instead, as much as affordability is one of the Z’s hallmarks, some aspects of the new Z feel pulled from the parts bin rather than meriting special treatment befitting five decades of history.
Nissan Canada has opened reservations for the 2023 Z, which can be placed with a refundable deposit of $1,000 at Nissan.ca/zreserve. Reservations are also available for the 2023 Ariya. Taking reservations is an unusual step for Nissan: the brand has done it in the past for the Leaf EV and some Infiniti product launches, but never for two vehicles at once.
“In terms of something with this big of a launch, to have two simultaneous hot products like these ones, it’s a first for Nissan,” Milette said.
The two core grades can be reserved through the portal: Sport, which is the entry-level grade, and Performance, which adds on larger wheels, a Bose 8-speaker premium audio system, leather upholstery, larger brakes, the rev-matching system on the manual transmission, and other items. The Proto Spec grade, a limited launch edition that is the exclusive path to the yellow exterior colour and yellow-accented interior upholstery shown here, is to be reserved through Nissan dealerships, which will receive it in limited quantities.
Pricing for all of these grades will be announced closer to the Z’s official launch this spring. In the meantime, both the Z and the Nissan Ariya, which is being introduced at the same time, can be viewed at the Nissan Studio, a space where interested potential customers can view and learn more about Nissan vehicles outside of the dealership environment. Those who live close to Toronto can visit the studio in person at Yorkdale Mall, while those outside the GTA can request a digital walkaround at nissan.ca/nissanstudio. Both vehicles will be in the studio until February 28.
Keyword: First Look: 2023 Nissan Z