Nissan Winner

The Nissan Winner was an off-road vehicle that Nissan introduced in 1995 on Middle Eastern markets. It was developed over three years of work and many extreme tests on the D22 platform, with the aim of a vehicle that could cope with long desert distances, quick changes of weather, deep soft sand and high, very uneven ridges and stony deserts, and like almost every D22 based model it used parts of the Nissan Pick-up. It stood out for hard suspension, a ground clearance of 63 cm and an aluminium underbody guard painted in the body colour, and its bumpers projected far beyond the width of the body to protect it. Serious weaknesses made it hard to sell: the underbody guard was only 1.50 metres wide and left the engine and suspension partly exposed, and a cabin meant for 8 to 10 people had airbags and seat belts only for the driver and front passenger. It was assembled from CKD kits near Dubai, and after two years of production it was withdrawn for lack of demand. Rivals such as the Nissan Patrol, the Nissan Safari and the Toyota Land Cruiser sold far better, and surviving Winners are now rare, a curiosity among car clubs in the United Arab Emirates and Oman.