Leader in space race
IF SPACE is the final frontier in Australia’s enormously popular and competitive light and small-car segments, then Nissan’s new Almera has more than enough to turn the space race on its head.
The legroom on offer rivals some of Australia’s premier large sedans. Headroom is another matter, though, with the rapidly falling roofline biting not only into head space but also making passenger ingress a duck-and-dive affair.
The boot is also surprisingly spacious, with 470 litres-worth of deep, flat space that should easily swallow a double pram, a bike or a couple of sets of golf clubs. Surprisingly, given Nissan’s space-led pitch, the rear seat doesn’t fold forward at all to allow tall/long items to be accommodated.
Pricing starts at $16,990 (plus on-road costs) for the base ST model equipped with a five-speed manual, while a four-speed auto that desperately needs at least one extra cog adds another $2000.
For your money you do get a Bluetooth connection with audio streaming, steering wheel-mounted audio and phone controls and six airbags in the base model, while the top-spec Ti adds singlezone climate control air-conditioning, keyless entry and start, and rear parking sensors. Cruise con- trol is the obvious omission, as is a steering wheel that adjusts for reach.
The interior is neat and instruments fairly intuitive, even if the package lacks much sparkle and comprises lots of hard plastics with a few uneven panel gaps evident.
Instrumentation in front of the driver has commendable clarity and a fairly comprehensive trip computer is good to find at this price point.
The front seats are still comfortable after a couple of hours in the saddle, despite incorporating little supportive bolstering. Rear seat passengers get flat, firmish cushions with a relaxed position and plenty of room to stretch out.
The Almera is only 39kg heavier than the Micra (on which it is based) but feels as though it puts more strain on the 1.5-litre, fourcylinder unit that makes 75kW at a tall 6000rpm and just 139Nm.
The five-speed manual version is the better option, although it’s only available on the base ST model.
The DIY gearbox makes it easier to keep the little powerplant in its moderately more responsive mid-to-upper rev range.
Even so, the pace is little better than leisurely on the country roads presented in the drive program, although we suspect the Almera will give a better account of itself in the city sprawl where it can weave through traffic without needing to dig too deep for acceleration that isn’t there.
Nissan estimates it will sell 3000 Almeras next year and certainly the quirky-looking sedan-cumhatchback, light-cum-small car will find fans of its spacious dimensions.