New Nissan Skyline fast-tracked thanks to AI
Nissan is claiming the development time for the new Skyline sedan has been reduced by using AI tools.
The Nissan Skyline is soon entering its 14th generation in Japan, after the carmaker teased earlier this year a new sedan is on its way.
Set to be unveiled later in 2026 or in early 2027, the new Skyline will reportedly borrow parts from the current ‘V37’ generation model, partially to reduce costs but also cutting the time it takes for it to reach showrooms.
Speaking to Nikkei Asia, Nissan’s global CEO Ivan Espinosa said the carmaker is also utilising new technology to get cars from design to production even faster, with the Skyline’s development time cut from 55 months to just 26 months.
"A big part of this is built on AI capabilities and the utilization of new tools, more digital tools in the design phase, in the testing phase, in the manufacturing phase,” Espinosa said.
According to the executive, the rapid development time movement was inspired by that of Chinese carmakers, including Nissan’s joint venture partner Dongfeng.
"China is as of now setting the industry standards of the future in terms of technology, in terms of cost competitiveness and in terms of development time," Espinosa said.
"[We need] to learn from China and export know-how from China."
As previously reported, the new Skyline is characterised by Nissan as one of its ‘Heartbeat’ models, which isn’t expected to be a volume seller, rather a product which is important to how it’s perceived by the public.
While there have been Skyline coupes in the past, it’s unlikely that the bodystyle will make a return, having exited the lineup in 2016 when production of the 12th-gen ‘V36’ ended.
Teasers shared by Nissan show the Skyline will once again get the circular tail lights made famous in the R30 and R31 generations, and which have become less noticeable in recent models.
Last year Japanese publication Best Car reported the new Skyline won’t go electric in 2027 as once expected, and will instead carry on with the 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 heart available in the current model, but with the added twist of a three-pedal option.
Nissan’s current Skyline was given the Nismo treatment in 2023, producing 309kW and 500Nm from the same engine which now powers the Z sports coupe, the latter of which develops 298kW/474Nm in standard guise and 313kW/521Nm in Nismo trim.
Nissan also announced its luxury brand Infiniti, which focuses on the US market, will get its own “performance orientated V6 sedan”, tipped to be the new Q50, a model which has previously been twinned with the Skyline.
Reports from the US emerged last year that Nissan and Infiniti dealers were shown a teaser of the upcoming ‘Q50S’, which would run on the platform of the current Japanese-market Skyline and also be powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 engine.
Despite the new Skyline being produced in right-hand drive for Japan, it’s unlikely to come to Australia. The current Skyline was never officially sold here, though the Infiniti Q50 was available for a handful of years.
