Vianta previously was an island territory under the influence from Fruinia; however following the Great War the island was swept up by Gasmea as reparations for Fruinia's alliance with the Axis powers per the Chapelle Accords. Vianta's incorporation into Gasmea's sphere of influence has not sat well with the island citizens, some of which formed a group called the Vianta Freedom Fighters, or the VFF.
The VFF have gained strong support from Viantan citizens, whose protests have only grown larger and more violent throughout the 1960s. The latest protest in Occia started peacefully, however quickly turned violent when shots were fired in the crowd. In a matter of minutes cars were flipped and torched, fights broke out with riot officers, and multiple businesses were looted. Some citizens called the event the start of the "Viantan Revolution."
The riot has slowed down, however the Gasmean Federal Government is taking no chances with the VFF, with reports of military support on route to Vianta to curb uprisings on the island.
Despite the rough development behind the scenes, the FB-414 was the right car to bring Njord from a plucky startup to an established competitor in the Hetvesian automobile industry. Over its 11 year production over 140,000 FB-414s were delivered to happy customers across Hetvesia, Gasmea, and even some in Fruinia. This was also during a market recession through the mid 1960s. It was by far the most profitable car Njord had produced yet bringing company valuation above $200M.
Since 1966, Njord Automobile had been making use of that profit - along with a $150M business loan - to introduce the next generation Njord to replace the FB-414 and the large scale factory infrastructure the advanced design demanded.
Image modified from PICRYL
The factory expansion was designed and constructed by Laine Heavy Industry AB, a Hetvesian contract engineering consultancy firm specializing in large scale industrial applications. Securing a $103M contract from Njord Automobile AB, the manufacturing and industrial engineers at Laine Heavy Industry developed a world-class production facility for the auto company.
Mechanical stamping presses, hydraulic presses, and press brakes were sourced from some of the largest legacy heavy duty manufacturers including the Crafton Machine Corporation and Pollard LLC. The dies were designed and manufactured in house by Laine Heavy Industry.
All housed in a facility just outside of the main factory building, the tooling expansion made the in-house manufacture of doors, body panels, and chassis floor pans possible. Compared to the highly manual chassis and body manufacturing process used by the old version of the factory, the factory automation introduced massively improved production efficiency by 10% while also bringing 400 new jobs for the Reimsboden community.
To handle the increased production capacity of the optimized automobile chassis facility, the in-house team of Njord Automobile industrial engineers updated the 4CCT engine assembly line with higher quality milling machines less prone to breakdowns and stoppages. The factory also received a major injection of automated manufacturing technologies to improve manufacturing tolerances and overall unit output. One of the improvements - an automated pneumatic gauging system directly integrated in the line - used air pressure to measure cylinder bore tolerance and could automatically stop production when issues were detected, improving quality inspection consistency and preventing defect escapes.
The $170M spent and years of work would pay off. With the bump up in manufacturing capabilities, the next generation Njord Automobile could now utilize chassis structure technology that was impossible to produce a decade ago.
The ND Series is the most advanced automobile to come from the Reimsboden headquarters, featuring the latest and greatest in passenger safety technology, premium creature comforts, and - depending on the spec - ultimate traction capabilities to get you just about anywhere. It is a complete rethinking of the car.
The modern look was commissioned by vehicle stylist Heimo Pietilä from Hetvesian company Henki Design Studio. Henki Design is one of the largest industrial design firms of the era and contracted styling for a wide range of products: including tractors, train cars, home appliances, and of course cars.
When designing the ND Series Heimo took inspiration from the boxy executive cars that were coming from the Hetvesian luxury automakers. There are multiple styling cues that call back to the designs of Njord’s past; the chrome venting on the front fender - housing a side-mounted indicator - was pulled from the FB-414, and the front split grill takes some inspiration from the '50s Futaero concept car.
In every dimension the car is bigger, wider, and taller than the outgoing FB-414. Now, the car is 4.5 m long and 1.8 m wide, leaving plenty of room to stretch inside. The beltline is also shifted upwards making the car feel much larger and stately; the ND Series could be mistaken for a luxury car.
The forward-thinking styling carries through to the interior. The patterned cloth and leather seats make a return, and the dashboard is now completely padded in soft-form plastic. Interior safety technology has made a massive leap forward, introducing three-point seatbelts and headrests for all passengers.
The front seats include multiple adjustments including lumbar to ensure just the right fit for maximum comfort. Thick jute and bitumen sound insulation is used extensively throughout the passenger compartment; the only sound you’ll hear is the great jams coming out from your high-quality AM radio with retractable antenna.
On the topic of vehicle safety, the chassis and body structure has been completely redesigned with your safety in mind. Utilizing mechanical designs from the Futaero concept car, the ND series features a unibody steel frame and a stiff safety cell encapsulating the passenger compartment.
The heavy-duty steel bumpers front and rear keeps you and the body safe from fender benders; in the case of serious impacts the engine compartment and trunk have been engineered to deform in a controlled manner. If you find things upside-down, not to worry as the roof pillars have been reinforced to support the weight of the car.
The 4CCT powertrain makes a return, and small tweaks have been made to bring tailpipe emissions into compliance with the latest requirements from Gasmea and Fruinia. The engine has also gained some extra power, bringing 72 kW (98 hp) @ 5000 RPM.
Despite the added weight from all the premium interior goodies and safety structures, 0-100 km/h (62 mph) is capable in 11.6 seconds. Efficiency has also improved, bringing a 10.2 L / 100 km (23 mpg) rated average fuel economy.
The trim levels have been completely rethought. Gone is the base trim level; all Njord automobiles now come with the same level of luxury across every model. Rather than having trim levels based on price points, the trims are now separated by what experience you desire. Want the sleek lines of an executive sedan? Option for the ND-4202. Are you the type who likes to haul lots of luggage? Option for the ND-5202 with its estate body.
But wait a minute, we are far from done. There is also a third trim option, a wild one for the adventurous types.
Njord does things differently, and the ND-5204 is the newest example of what happens when we let our engineers break the rules. Where the ND-4202 and ND-5202 retain the standard drivetrain layout pushing power to the rear wheels only, the ND-5204 is the first ever family car equipped with four-wheel drive.
Under normal driving conditions, the ND-5204 behaves like a standard Njord - sending power to the rear wheels. When the environment calls for extra traction such as in the snow and ice, the driver can actuate the 4WD system with a lever mounted on the center column, pulling the car out of sticky situations.
Along with 4WD, the ND-5204 also comes with all-terrain tires, a 4 cm (1.5 in) lift, mudflaps, and a factory-fitted roof rack for carrying all sorts of cargo for the journey. Adapters can be purchased at Njord dealerships for mounting specialty cargo suck as bikes, skis, surfboards, and even canoes.
Three trims for three different lifestyles. Whether you pick the sleek ND-4202, the dependable ND-5202, or the sturdy ND-5204 is up to you, each will come with eight available color options to choose from. Be sure to check out the accessories shop at your local Njord dealership and customize your car with optional extras including a bug shield, rubber floor mats, and a Njord branded cargo bag.
The ND-4202 is the sedan variant of the new car: available with a 4-speed standard for $14,299 MSRP or a three-speed automatic for $14,699 MSRP. Colors shown are Blabar (left) and Stuga Gron (right).
The ND-5202 is the estate variant of the new car: available with a 4-speed standard for $14,599 MSRP or a three-speed automatic for $14,999 MSRP. Colors shown are Askvader (left) and Jordguppe (right).
The ND-5204 is the 4WD model with the estate body and other adventurous accessories: available only with a 4-speed standard with a transfer case for $14,799. Colors shown are Svart (left) and Torr Mossa (right).
Vehicle Downloads
Njord ND-4202 - Manual
ND_-4202(M).car|attachment (248.6 KB)
Njord ND-4202 - Automatic
ND_-4202(A).car|attachment (253.9 KB)
Njord ND-5202 - Manual
ND_-5202(M).car|attachment (250.3 KB)
Njord ND-5202 - Automatic
ND_-5202(A).car|attachment (249.4 KB)
Njord ND-5204 - Manual
ND_-5204(M).car|attachment (262.2 KB)