Nissan Pulsar hatch
It’s been more than seven years since the last Pulsar hatchback was sold in New Zealand, and more than 15 years since the SSS was sold here. Robert Barry reports on the new line-up for 2013.
If you are going to bring back a popular nameplate such as Pulsar, and a well-known sporting variant called the SSS, then you need to do it properly, and Nissan has certainly done that with the introduction of the 2013 Pulsar hatchback line-up.
Nissan New Zealand managing director John Manley says the company is returning to its heritage of producing fun and sporty cars, and that there is a real affinity among young people for the SSS brand, which he says will become the halo model for the Pulsar range.
The Pulsar SSS has been absent from New Zealand since 1998, when the 105kW two-litre hatchback was the flagship of the N15 Pulsar range. Well-regarded for its SR20 engine, the N15 Pulsar SSS hatchback was one of the most performance-orientated and well-specified vehicles in its class.
Ironically the N15 Pulsar SSS disappeared off the market in the same year that the last locally- owned Georgie Pie store closed.
So it was even more ironic that just as McDonalds (which bought many of the Georgie Pie sites) announced it would bring back the original recipe mince n’ cheese pie on a trial basis in June, Nissan announced the official on-sale date of the Pulsar hatchback, and reintroduced the SSS.
John Manley told Company Vehicle, that unlike the new Mince N’ Cheese pie from Georgie Pie, which has increased four-fold in price, the new Pulsar hatchback range has a lower starting retail price than it had seven years ago.
The Pulsar hatchback line-up has a starting price of $ 29,990, and each model in the three- car line-up ( ST, ST-S, and SSS), hasgenerous levels of equipment as standard.
The Pulsar ST hatchback is powered by the same 96kW 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine fitted to the Pulsar sedan range. Drivers seeking more spice can opt for the Pulsar ST-S or SSS, both powered by Nissan’s 140kW turbocharged direct-injection petrol engine.
All three models are fitted with Nissan’s X-Tronic CVT ( constantly variable transmission), with the Pulsar SSS featuring a manual-mode override.
Standard equipment on the Pulsar ST hatchback includes: 16 inch alloy wheels. Air conditioning. Cruise control. Four-speaker audio with MP3 capability
and aux-in. Bluetooth hands-free telephone system. Steering wheel-mounted audio controls Power windows. Central locking with remote keyless entry. Cloth seat trim. Stability programme ( VDC). ABS with EBD and BAS. The Pulsar ST-S hatchback shares the same
features as the ST and adds: 1.6-litre turbocharged direct-injection
petrol engine. 17 inch alloy wheels. Front fog lights. Rear spoiler. Six-speaker audio 4.3-inch QVGA colour
display. Leather-accented steering wheel. Premium cloth seat trim. Rear centre armrest. The Pulsar SSS hatchback adds: Xenon headlights with automatic levelling
and washers and dusk-sensing function. Front spoiler, side skirts, rear lower spoiler. 5.8 inch integrated colour display with touch screen and steering wheel-mounted controls. Satellite navigation with 3D mapping and
Bluetooth audio streaming. Rear view camera with distance guidelines. Leather-accented seat trim. Dual-zone climate control. Intelligent key keyless entry system. Push-button engine start.
Driving impressions
We started our Melbourne Media launch in the entry level Pulsar ST, which will soon become a fleet favourite for its blend of low entry price and user-friendly features.
On the road, the 1.8-litre engine has more than enough grunt to keep the Pulsar ST happily dicing in and out of city traffic and commuting along urban freeways. It’s only on the open road and up steep inclines that the CVT gearbox makes itself heard loudly and clearly when firm acceleration is called for.
Melbourne offers an abundance of road surfaces, varying from smooth asphalt to lumpy chip seal, but this proved no discomfort to the Pulsar ST. It has an excellent ride quality and is a nimble handler on its higher profile tyres.
The SSS, however, is a completely different animal thanks to its turbocharged direct injection 1.6-litre engine and mildly modified suspension. This is a beautifully responsive engine which would be better suited to a manual transmission rather than a CVT, but the X-Tronic unit does its best spoilsport routine to rein in both the engine’s power and the driver’s exuberance.
Again the SSS Pulsar handles nasty road surfaces nicely, with good ride comfort, and spoils the occupants with a very high level of comfort inside the cabin. We look forward to a longer test drive for our next issue.