Driven - Nissan diesel Caaaar

04/03/2012 - 14:17 | ,  ,  ,   | Shrawan Raja

Nissan Sunny diesel front fasciaThe Nissan Sunny diesel has helped Nissan double its volumes in India. This is now turning out to be the best alternative to the Volkswagen Vento or Hyundai Verna which are predominantly bought in diesel.

The diesel Caaaaar is stretching from the segment that comprises of the Manza and Etios till the Ford Fiesta and Honda City. This has ensured its constant featuring in discussion people have when they want to move up from their entry level sedans or B+segment hatchbacks.

We have concentrated on the car's exterior through our first look and petrol variant review, so we're going to focus on the car's driving habits and analyze its features closely.

The rear visibility is good, rear parking sensors would have been appreciated as this is a long car

There are some manufacturers out there claiming their car is a limousine, but the real limousine in this segment is the Sunny. The downside is it feels woefully incomplete.

Except for the stereo, AC vents and twin pod instrument cluster, this is a photo copy of the Micra's interior

A limousine has a feel-rich interior, leather trimmed parts and chrome highlights. Is the Sunny one? Its long, has good fit and finish all through its beige interiors, a step in the right direction, but with hard plastics and a functional layout, it falls between premium and economy.

There is ample knee room and ankle room though thigh support in relative terms is moderate

The rear seat journey was helping out in vacating a flat - so much space, so less things!

AC cools well, but the fan speed could be faster for tackling Indian summers. The upside is the fans operate silently

But then Nissan never told us that they were selling a limousine! The fact is this is a low priced global sedan and if you want to feel plush, go to the D Segment.

Audio system usage is as easy as it gets - There are buttons for preset tracks and a seek button that's easy to spot and use

The 1.5L engine asks for you to push it, I have to go back to the Fiat Palio Multijet review to see the same sentence. This is a rare breed in diesel engines that likes to be pushed with seamless power delivery and almost nil turbo lag. Overtaking needs no planning, just stay above 2k RPM and push the accelerator to overtake anything in your way!

There's no iPod sliding feature to increase volume! These buttons have to be made compulsory safety features.

Although there is vigorous body movement when driven over pot holes, you are not tossed around. Ride quality is not hugely impressive, but you'll thank it for not being choppy or unsettled.

Doors are big and wide - be careful that you don't run it into the next car at the park.

Its shocking when you find out that there's no seat belt warning light or alarm. Sunny's little sibling Micra receives passenger airbag as a standard feature - Why this inconsistency in thinking, Nissan?

Hand brake operation is soft, the visible hole is certainly not a touch of luxury or premiumness

Don't try this at home - Start-stop button can be operated while the car is in motion, but you'll have to take your leg off the accelerator pedal for the engine to be killed.

Width of the mirror can be increased, the view could be larger for better safety.

The controls come straight out of the Micra and look out of place on a 10 lakh rupee car. The gear lever needs to be bigger while the puny steering wheel begs for thickness and better grip.

Without opening the door, the seat height adjust lever is difficult to operate.

While shifting the gears, someone is taking a drums lesson under the car! Shifting without a Bang! is simply impossible in the Sunny. The need for a 6th gear is felt at 110kph in top gear.

The gear knob moves around when you accelerate.

The spongy brakes doesn't like communication. The ABS modulation is faint or wasn't working properly on our test car.

There's no other way to put this - The rear seat is THE place to be in on the Sunny

Wind noise intrudes the cabin at three digit speeds but there' no need to raise your voice to communicate.

Brakes need pumping even though they have ABS assistance

Engine is audible on the highway but does not get too vocal - at city speeds the engine is hardly audible and the NVH levels are more than acceptable for a diesel sedan.

12V Power socket is helpful if you are a blogger and this is your test car!

The clutch transmits vibration when it starts engaging, a good warning for drivers who are guilty of clutch riding.

Unlike Volkswagen, Tata and Maruti, Nissan did not extend the Micra to offer an inexpensive spin-off

Horn is powerful - but unlike Micra the buttons don't extend to the side of the steering due to presence of the controls.

Nissan has already started exports of the Sunny from India to nearby countries

The Sunny is powered by a 1.5-liter diesel engine producing 86PS @ 3,750 RPM and 200 Nm @ 2000 rpm.

A tray above the glovebox can be used to store files or stuff the trash

The engine and the 5-speed transmission come from the Micra.

There's no gender discrimination here - Nissan knows ladies drive cars too!

It is available in two variants, the XL and the XV. Both variants have dual airbags, ABS, EBD and sport features such as Auto AC and rear fan.

The 490 liter boot, with oxygen support, can seat another member of your family!

Surprisingly the XL variant weighs 1092kg, light for a car with such a big footprint.

The fan sucks air from the front and delivers it to the rear passengers - These are no aircon vents

At 5.3m, the turning radius is .1 meter off the best in class (Ford Fiesta). The light steering is a delight in city traffic and weighs up well at triple digit speeds.

The key fob feels at home on the upper door pocket.

Despite having the lowest power and torque in its class, the Sunny diesel is never caught napping and is the most engaging to drive.

We manages to get 16.9kmpl even after two days of hard driving

Nissan claims an ARAI fuel efficiency of 21.64 kmpl and that can be achieved with careful driving.

Keyless entry and start-stop buttons are features that got our friends and relatives excited

At the end of the day even if we didn't like the car's brakes or its cleared-out interiors, we knew we can't drive home complaining. This car is sheer value for money if you look at the facts. It has the longest wheelbase in its class, arguably the most comfortable back seat ride, the best in class fuel economy and the nil-turbolag engine is a refreshing facet. It carries biggest boot, and dare I say the best driving diesel engine for a car under 12 lakhs.

Nissan Sunny diesel XV rear three quarters

When Nissan groups together to sort out a mid-life refresh, they must think of giving the dashboard a few chrome accents, a USB slot for the stereo, Bluetooth pairing facility, chunky steering and gear lever, ABS that works and parking assist on the top-end model.

If you only need a ridiculously spacious and immensely fuel efficient diesel car that does not suck to drive, then the Nissan Sunny diesel is the obvious choice.

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