L.A. auto show: Nissan Quest back after a year off, rested and ready to roll

Nissan debuted its new 2011 Quest minivan at the Los Angeles auto show, with a host of innovative features.

"It's all about the interior," executive vice president Carlos Tavares said.

That's good, because the exterior of the old one looked a little too much like the shuttle craft from the original "Star Trek." The "bold, sophisticated, modern" exterior of the new van takes most of its cues from the Forum concept van of 2008, a handsome styling job shown at Detroit that year.

Interior features of the 2011 Quest include rear seats that fold forward and flat, even in the third row. That gives it the best cargo capacity in the segment, Nissan says, since most competitors' seats either come out or fold into the floor. The Quest's seats can't be removed but Nissan says that the fold-flat configuration added an extra 40 quarts of space and a two-inch-lower step-in height.

Other inside features include second-row power seats, a removable second-row console and power-sliding side doors and windows. There is even a storage well in the rear.

The 3.5-liter V6 sends 253 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels through a continuously variable transmission. The Quest does not have cylinder deactivation like the Honda Odyssey minivan, but Nissan claims its CVT--if hooked up to competitors' V6s--would increase the fuel-economy numbers of those engines. So there.

The Quest rides on a version of the Altima/Maxima platform, with struts in front and a multilink rear.

The base sticker price will be $27,750, including destination, when it goes on sale in early 2011.

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