Nissan built a car for dogs – we find out what they truly think
D ogs get a fairly raw deal when it comes to cars. I’ve always thought that vehicle manufacturers pay too much attention to the driver, and that passengers are practically disregarded by some designers. But it’s the poor family members who have to rail in the boot that get the worst car practice of all.
Put it this way – you wouldn’t like it if you were compelled to cling on to the scratchy surface of a modern car boot. It might be augmented with a damp towel, or perhaps a quilt, but it won’t convey the same practice as, say, leather. Or even basic upholstery.
T hen there’s the indignity from being separated from the rest of the family. Everyone else gets to sit in a quiet, comfy, sociable cabin, all facing forward. Why does the boot-dweller have to peer through a horrible fence?
And then there’s the climate control. Those up front can choose their temperature, the strength of the airflow and whether the air is ‘conditioned’ or not. In some cases, the left and right passengers have different temperatures, while in more expensive cars each quarter of the car gets its own setting. The luggage department – perhaps the key is in the name here – gets a draught if its fortunate.
Dogs are aware of all these injustices. So, evidently, are some engineers in Nissan’s Spanish facility, who’ve put together a prototype designed to make journeys more pleasant for dogs.
I t’s based on the venerable Nissan X-Trail, a car we fairly like. You very likely wouldn’t notice the tweaks at very first glance, especially not from the human compartment. Most of the adaptations in the Nissan X-Trail ‘4Dogs’ (yes way) are only visible when you open the boot.
I nside it’s instantly pretty clear that this isn’t your standard SUV. The boot is lined in a sort of faux buttoned leather, providing the impression of a space-age Chesterfield. This surface is hard-wearing and doesn’t show up to mind being trampled by successive hounds – see the movie above.
Mounted on the bulkhead is a television screen. Whether this could be used to see Crufts this weekend remains to be discussed with some Spanish engineers, but for the time being it solves one of the main problems listed above – separation from one’s pack. The screen is connected to a camera, permitting you to see whoever’s sitting in the driving seat (presumably your pack leader). In come back, the driver gets to see the occupant of the boot – there’s a camera back there that can display a live feed on the sat nav screen, if it is so asked.
A ll of this is managed using a discreet switch to the left of the steering column (at least in this Spanish, left-hand-drive model). It permits you to have Skype-like contact with your pet, or your proprietor, depending how you look at it.
Less popular with canine users is the shower facility. A special dog-washing contraption is stowed in a clever drawer, meaning that muddy dogs can be rinsed off before they get everything near them raw and smelly – something that owners, rather than the pets, might find valuable.
But if you’re a dog and you don’t fancy the prospect of going for a car rail while soaking humid, you’ll be pleased to know there’s help at palm in the form of a hair dryer.
T here’s also warm air heaters in the boot, meaning you might even get to rail in a warmer environment than you would in a standard X-Trail, or indeed anything else on the road.
You’ll also find a buffet of sorts – a clever motion-activated electrical cup that serves up petite portions of dry kibble, as required – and a water cup which is hard to spill. There’s even a ramp to get into the boot in the very first place, effectively the crimson carpet treatment instead of an undignified (and periodically unsuccessful) leap.
We took this prototype to Greenwich Park in order to find out what dogs indeed thought of the setup. Few of them were bothered by the ramp, but all were blessed to explore the inwards of the boot or, in one case, the front seat. Observe the movie above for more.
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