Nissan Motor Co. on Tuesday unveiled the ninth-generation models of its popular Sunny series, constructed on a platform that is to be shared by a number of cars to substantially cut development costs.Nissan, which has been plagued by dwindling profits and weak consumer spending, plans to reduce the number of its platforms to five as part of the company's streamlining efforts. The company currently has more than 20 different platforms. "By around 2003, about 1 million automobiles will be produced based on this platform," said Tsutomu Sawada, Nissan vice president in charge of auto development.Sunny is a top-selling sedan, with more than 10 million units sold worldwide since the first models were introduced in 1966.Nissan's platforms combine a floor panel with functional components such as the engine, transmission, chassis and other parts attached to the floor panel.
