Pop-up bonnet’s a crash hit

First it was Citroen. Then Jaguar. And now, Nissan has developed a pedestrian-protecting pop-up bonnet. The safety system will debut on the new Japan-only Skyline, due to be unveiled at October’s Tokyo Motor Show.

The set-up is expected to appear on UK models in the future. “We are committed to building cars with advanced safety technologies,” a spokesman for Nissan told Auto Express. The technology, demonstrated above, sees the trailing edge of the bonnet rise when the car senses an impact. Once lifted, it protects a pedestrian’s head from the hard engine components beneath.

Nissan has also devised a catalytic converter which uses 50 per cent less precious metals, and is cheaper to make. It will be fitted to new models from 2008