TOKYO -- The gloves are off in a war of words over electric vehicle styling, with Nissan blasting Fiat for its recent dig at the Nissan Leaf's looks and saying if any car is guilty of "visual pollution" it is some of the Italian brand's own designs.
"Let's face it, Fiat has not shied away from controversial styling themselves," Nissan head of global marketing communications Simon Sproule told Automotive News Europe sister publication Automotive News today. "Many would describe many of their products as visual pollution. Take a long, hard look at the Fiat Doblo."
A Fiat spokesman in Turin declined to comment.
Sproule's barb came in response to comments made by Matt Davis, head of Fiat product marketing, before last month's debut of the all-electric Fiat 500e at the Los Angeles auto show.
"Let's be honest, ugliness is probably one of the worst forms of pollution," Davis told Bloomberg News in a veiled critique of Nissan's electric vehicle. "The Fiat 500e proves that you do not have to give up on good looks to deliver an electric car."