​​Why Do Cupholders Matter at Nissan?​

Cupholders have been part of our everyday routines for decades now. Filled with our favorite beverages to keep us going, we rely on them for our daily commutes. Whether it’s coffee in the morning or a bottle of water on a very hot day, cupholders serve as our lifelines.  

While we take the cupholder for granted, there is always room for improvement. How do we perfect one of our favorite automobile features? Meet Chris Fischer, Senior Manager of Vehicle Performance Development at Nissan. He is the guy that made your cupholders. 

Both the Autopian and TopSpeed websites interviewed Fischer recently about cupholders in the latest Nissan models. As TopSpeed puts it, he “shared how Nissan transformed this feature to meet American drivers’ love for oversized drinks, tackling complaints with engineering solutions that make your Starbucks run go a little smoother.” 

One thing that came up in these conversations with Fischer was the minimum number of cupholders “required” in a Nissan. That number is eight. As he explained to Autopian, that “means two cupholders in front, usually in the center console between the two seats, two in the rear, usually on the back of the fold-down armrest, and then one in each door pocket, usually designed for a water bottle. So, two plus two plus four gives our eight cupholders.” 

The reason why there are eight cupholders in most Nissan models is because of customer satisfaction survey feedback. TopSpeed explained that “it all started around 2015, when Fischer and his team were working on the Nissan Pathfinder. Customer feedback, including J.D. Power surveys and online forums, showed that the existing design wasn’t cutting it. ‘We got a lot of complaints that people couldn’t put coffee mugs in because there was no space in the middle,’ Fischer said, explaining how ceramic mugs and handled travel mugs were a pain point. A full redesign wasn’t possible at that time, so Nissan got creative.” 

On some models, you will notice that the cupholders in the center console look like a “dog bone.” This was to address the concern about customers using mugs in their vehicles. That design was applied to the rear center armrests. It has evolved over the years to fit multiple sizes of cups, mugs, and bottles. Autopian stated that Fischer even created “fingers,” which are “spring-loaded little tab-like things that allow a larger-diameter cupholder to still hold smaller vessels securely.” You can find three to four of them depending on the vehicle.  

When it comes to cupholder, TopSpeed summarized: “Nissan’s work has evolved to embrace America’s big-drink culture. The journey from small, round holders to versatile, large ones shows Nissan’s commitment to getting even the smallest details right.” 

If cupholders are important to you, Dick Smith Nissan of Columbia invites you to check them out for size on your next vehicle from us. Contact us to see if your drink fits. Plus, each vehicle we sell comes with the Dick Smith Advantage.