Nissan Almera reveals itself

Nissan has a hit on its hands if public reception to its Almera is anything to go by.

It’s the trend these days for car makers to whip up anticipation for key products in their line-up. The pre-publicity months before the official launch seeks to tease and whet the public’s appetite for what’s new in the market and what’s better (hopefully) than the competition.

Usually, by the time of the launch, much of the vehicle’s main selling points would have been drummed into the car-buying consumers except for the actual price.

Proton did it with its Preve, Ford with its Focus, and now Nissan with its Almera.

Nissan distributor Edaran Tan Chong Motor wasted no time in getting the media to sample its latest model.

A day after the launch, it packed the whole bunch off on a convoy drive from Kuala Lumpur to Malacca.

The journey took in the old trunk roads with its many turns, twists and potholes followed by the expressway route on the return leg.

With three grades and four variants selling from around RM67K to RM80K, the 5-speed manual transmission is the entry model while the rest are 4-speed automatic transmission units.

We sampled the V-spec version, which is bookmarked by the standard E grade and the high-end VL grade. The top grade gets, among others, push-button ignition, automatic air-conditioning and steering wheel audio controls.

Cars built to a budget are not going to offer the pampering niceties that a RM150,000 car can afford, so let’s be realistic about it.

While the Nissan distributor has made every effort to price itself into the hearts of the public, so to speak, it has relegated some of the nice-tohave features as options.

They involved items like the onboard multimedia navigation console (with a rear view camera, DVD player, iPod connectivity, USB and Bluetooth capabilities), LED scuff plate and leather seats.

For a sporty flavour, the optional IMPUL sports package is a RM9,500 out-of-pocket expense for all grades.

In short, pay more to get more goodies.

But the Almera has a few features going for it that makes it stand out.

Two things are certainly true of this car in the B-segment, an increasingly competitive space that Edaran Tan Chong hopes to gain the upper hand against the likes of the Toyota Vios and Honda City.

The asking price is irrefutably attractive, and there’s a measurable gap of at least RM6,000+ between the base model of the Almera and that of the Vios, for instance.

This makes the Almera arguably the cheapest 1.5-litre B-segment non-national car in the market.

On the outside, a robust waistline bolsters the overall design that makes the Almera pleasant to look at.

Its arching roofline, jovial face, and tapered rear add to the impression. The taillights are placed high up for better visibility by other motorists.

The cabin presents an amiable environment to spend a few hours in; controls for the driver are intuitive to operate and easily within reach. Readings on the so-called Fine Vision meter cluster are clear and sharp.

With eight cupholders on board, cabin storage is adequate although the open shelf above the compact glovebox serves little utility especially when the car is on the move.

But it has to be said that the 4.4m length, 1.7m width and 2.6m wheelbase are all the better to carve out a larger interior.

Front row seats are comfortable and firm enough but it’s the rear seating that elicits the “wow!” reaction.

The locally assembled Almera straddles a price band that has Vios at the leading end and several Proton sedans at the trailing edge. It’s aimed at those looking to upgrade to a Japanese make, with the Almera filling a gap that has not been exploited until now.

At its launch, it was announced tthat the Alliance’s global V-platform (V for Versatile), shared by the Note, March and upcoming Renault Clio. It uses fewer parts, is lighter and has a stiffer chassis.

The boot is huge and can take in four golf bags, so Nissan has not bothered to make the seatback foldable.

Safety is taken care of by front airbags, Antilock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist, as well as ISOFIX Child Seat System. Note that the E-grade only gets a driver’s airbag. As a city car, the Almera is an easy one to drive. A four-cylinder engine with Continuously Variable-valve Timing Control offers modest output, delivering 101hp aand 139Nm. At just a little over a totonne, the engine is sufficient to propel the light Almera along at a decent clip.

Ladies will find the steering wheel eeasy to turn as it is electrically-operated. When the occasion for understeer occurs, it comes in early and is progressive and easily tamed.

At 14.9km/l, the fuel efficiency is laudable as an eco-run in the KL to Malacca leg proved with many of the cars in convoy matching or exceeding the figure in normal driving conditions.

A downpour showed the Almera to have good grip levels on wet undulating roads, with the ABS kicking in fast when crossing slippery stretches.

With a design geared for passenger comfort, and an engine tuned for fuel economy, the Almera is frankly no driver’s car. There’s no shame in that. It scores well as an effective daily runabout, with plenty of space for five.

For many Malaysians, the engine’s frugal nature coupled with the attractive sticker price are added incentives to head to the nearest Nissan dealership.