28th June, 2012
The Nissan Sunny, like the Toyota Corolla, has been a ‘bread and butter’ family sedan since the mid-60s – at least two generations of Nigerians have grown up with memories of having one of these vehicles around, if not learning how to drive in one, or at least having an uncle or aunt that had one.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, or have been in deep hibernation for the last decade or so, you’ll know that things just can’t remain the same – things are more complicated now, and a basic family sedan just does not exist anymore, at least one from Japan.
And would you really want to be driving a model that your father or uncle was driving? If your answer is ‘no’, then Nissan have played their cards right with the new Almera.
This accounts for Nissan brushing off the Almera badge for its latest 1.5-litre family car, and also helps us to understand the car’s unusual lines and proportions.
Though built to compete in the B Class auto segment, the new Nissan Almera has the attributes of cars in the C and D segments. With amazing interior space, generous luggage compartment, high level safety features and comfort, the new Almera handles like a ‘senior’ sedan with less noise.
Powered by a 1.5 litre engine, the new Almera comes with either manual or automatic transmission. Its fuel efficiency ranks about the best in the class while the ground clerance is 5mm higher than the class leader in the segment (155mm ground clearance). The Almera boasts very stylish design. Built on the Nissan V-platform, the Almera has the right contours in the right places, giving it the imposing look of a bigger sedan, built with quality materials. The comfortable, yet functional interior endows the Almera with the assets to meet real customer needs.
According to the Managing Director Alliance Autos, Mr. Ian Middleton, the new Almera is a global sedan by Nissan and a very important model for the company in Nigeria. “The new Almera is very important for the Nissan development in Nigeria as we hope to sell over 3,000 units of the sedan annually. You should also know that the Almera is already making waves in most parts of the world, especially in India and China where it has been well received since introduction late last year.
Also speaking during the occasion, the General Manager, Sun Motors, Mr. Pankaj Arora described the new Almera as a smart and stylish car which has proved Nissan’s continuous endeavour to deliver quality and stylish vehicles that gives value for money.
The Almera, no doubt, has raised the bar in terms of safety in its class. Standard safety features include two airbags, anti-lock braking system (ABS), Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), electronics managing braking for shortest stopping distance while maintaining full control in emergency situations.