‘Caaar’ is definitely stretching the point but the Nissan Sunny is certainly the most spacious saloon in its price range. It may only be a centimeter longer than the Tata Indigo Manza but has an eight cm longer wheelbase to give it valuable extra inner space. It is also 14.5 cm taller so there is a much greater feeling of space. As the little Dutch boy, with his finger in the dyke, might have said a few centimeters can make a huge difference.
As a late entry into the Indian market, Nissan has had to go the extra mile with better products and better prices to get customer attention in a fiercely competitive market. In size it compares with formidable brands like the Honda City, Hyundai Verna, Ford Fiesta Fiat Linea, Maruti SX4, Skoda Rapid and Toyota Etios. As Japan’s third largest car company and the world’s eighth largest it is pulling out all the stops to also make a mark in India.
It offers two excellent 1,500 cc petrol and diesel engines offering 99 and 86 HP respectively. Although these engines are the same as are fitted to the Nissan Micra hatchback they are big enough to give a big car feel with outstanding fuel consumption of 17 and 21 kmpl respectively under ARAI test conditions. This will translate into roughly 13 and 15 kmpl under normal driving conditions. Although the peak HP is not too great both engines have good torque to provide good pickup and smooth acceleration even from low engine speeds. With its effort to look and feel big the looks are undoubtedly a bit bulky and the big heavily chromed grille is very much in your face. It looks a bit bold for some but has a look that cannot be missed on the street. The interiors are well laid out though not especially exciting, except for the AC vents to cool the rear seats. The USP of the Sunny is definitely to ensure that the rear seat passengers are pampered. I first met the 1970 model Sunny that had a 1200cc engine which had long powered the Premier NE118 but how the car and its technologies have changed over the years. On a test drive it is a smooth and very comfortable car to drive or be driven in. Not a great car for the fast and furious but the Sunny is very good family car for those who want economy in purchase and in ownership.
The writer is an automotive expert and the former editor of a national magazine