High on the highway: The new Nissan Sunny rides with effortless ease at high speeds

Nissan’s all-new entry saloon is built on the same ‘V’ platform as the cute-looking Micra and is modelled on the American-spec Nissan Versa. Only, it won’t be called the Versa. That name belongs to Maruti in India, and Nissan has chosen to badge it the Sunny here. But what’s so special about this car and is it worth waiting for?

The Japanese carmaker wants it to become the largest selling compact saloon in the U.S., China and India, and that’s a huge task. Engineered specifically for a market like ours, the Sunny will be revealed in India before Diwali. And for once, you can believe the hype.

STYLE FILE

Initial impressions are clearly not what you expect. First comes the disbelief. Can this full-sized looking car really be categorised as a compact saloon? It looks quite large, especially when viewed from the rear, with its big boot, long wheelbase and massive cabin. It’s closer in size to a Civic or a Laura; compact it is not.

If you compare the Micra and the Sunny, the only thing common between them appears to be the Nissan badge. Although based on the same platform, there is very nearly no resemblance between the two. While the Micra is all round and cute, the Sunny is a fully grown up car. And that’s all down to the flexibility offered by Nissan’s new ‘V’ or versatile platform — versatile enough to accommodate both compact and medium-sized cars.

The new petrol motor has a block that’s shared with Alliance partner Renault. Many chassis systems on the car have been plucked from the French carmaker’s parts-bins and Renault has helped with parts sourcing in India as well. Other key strengths of the platform, that are likely to give this car a huge advantage, are the fewer components used (less by 20 per cent) and the 100-odd kilos of weight knocked off.

Long flowing lines, a beautifully crafted nose and an elegant rear section mean that the new Sunny looks very attractive. Sure, the stubby nose means some odd proportions, but it also features Nissan’s new asymmetric chrome grille. The wraparound headlights are full of intricate details and that mild power bulge in the centre of the bonnet adds a bit of muscle too.

INSIDE STORY

Climb into the backseat and it’s evident there’s more legroom here than even a Mercedes E-class. Indian customers will just love that. Slender seats and a tight-fitting compact dashboard make that possible, and the rear seat is pretty comfortable as well. Even with the front seats pulled all the way back, thigh support is decent and you get a flat floor. And the front seats, if anything, are even more comfortable — with both under thigh support and side bolstering very impressive.

Nissan has tried very hard to make the cabin look upmarket as well. The chrome-ringed dials are beautifully crafted, the silver accents on the steering wheel look good and the Micra-like chrome door handles give the ambience a bit of a lift too. And at 420 litres, the boot is pretty large.

UNDER THE HOOD

Power for this U.S.-spec model comes from a new-generation 1600cc petrol motor that uses a blend of small displacement and high technology to attain both performance and economy targets. Producing a useful 109bhp, it makes more than sufficient power, and initial responses to the throttle are very good too. For the Indian market, however, the Sunny will come with a smaller 1.5-litre petrol developing 107.5bhp.

This Nissan peels away from the line pretty energetically, the engine feels nice and smooth and there’s enough performance here to make it feel effortless. However, there isn’t too much grunt in the mid-range and flattening the accelerator doesn’t quite deliver performance you get from something like an SX4. But downshift, and the motor delivers a rush of power that gets stronger as you rev the engine.

The Sunny is sold in the US equipped with both a five-speed manual and a planetary gear-type torque converter-equipped CVT, and both gearboxes complement the engine nicely. The CVT is surprisingly good, with very little rubber-band effect present and the ability to hold engine rpm. It could be an interesting option for India. The manual has a crisp shift that’s light and effort-free too.

DRIVER’S DEAL

Also interesting for Indian customers is the fact that the Sunny rides well. There is a bit of pitter-patter at low speed due to stiff damping, but ride quality is excellent once the car is up to speed. Also impressive is stability and handling. The Sunny tracked straight and true even at speeds as high as 140kph, with only a light grip needed on the wheel. Nissan has also done an outstanding job with the brakes. They are easy to modulate, have plenty of bite and are well set up. And this is true of the electric power steering as well.

FINAL VERDICT

It’s hard to overestimate the potential of the new Nissan Sunny. Here’s a car that has almost everything Indian customers want. It looks large and attractive on the outside, is extremely spacious and comfortable inside. It performs and drives well and feels robustly engineered too. Nissan will have a more powerful version of its 1.5-litre diesel, which powers the Micra, on sale soon. You can expect the car to be well equipped, and after sales service and support should be very good as well. Get the pricing right and the Sunny has the potential to shake up the competition. Here’s a car worth waiting for.

Spec check

NISSAN SUNNY

Price: Rs 7 lakh to Rs 9 lakh (est)

L/W/H: 4455/1694/1513mm

Engine: 4-cyls in-line, 1498cc, petrol/ front, transverse

Power: 107.5bhp at 6000rpm

Torque: 15kgm at 4400rpm

Gearbox: 5-speed manual/ Xtronic CVT

Suspension (f/r): Independent struts/ torsion beam

Brakes (f/r): Ventilated discs/ drums

Photographs by author