Nissan’s new Pulsar compact was recently unveiled and its purpose is to go toe-to-toe against the Ford Focus, Volkswagen Golf, Renault Megane, and Astra from Opel/Vauxhall. At first glance and a few glances later, the vehicle doesn’t appear to be anything special. The new Nissan Pulsar is set to replace the Almera which was discontinued after 2006.
The Pulsar name is used in various markets around the world including Australia which will be receiving this new design shortly. A lot of the Nissan vehicles are all starting to look very similar to each other and this new Pulsar appears to be a compact version of the Nissan Qashqai/X-Trail, and Rogue.
The wheelbase of the Nissan Pulsar is the same as Sylphy and Sentra at 106.3-inches and happens to be 115mm longer than that of the VW Golf 7. The Pulsar is in the C-Segment but Nissan claims that the vehicle offers more rear legroom and shoulder room than the competition and also happens to be roomier than even the larger D-Segment vehicles on the market.
Although no interior shots are yet available, Nissan says that the vehicle will feature high quality materials and a clear design approach. The Nissan Pulsar will utilize Nissan’s Safety Shield package which includes systems like the Forward Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning, Moving Object Detection, and Blind Spot Warning. The vehicle will also feature the NissanConnect system allowing you to integrate your smart phone to the vehicle, access various apps, and Google Send-to-Car.
In terms of power plant, the engine lineup from the Qashqai is used and that includes the 1.2-liter DIG-T Turbocharged petrol engine producing 113 horsepower, a 1.5-liter dCi diesel pumping out 108 horsepower, and starting next year – the 1.6-liter turbocharged petrol engine making a 187 horsepower. Both a manual and Xtronic automatic transmission systems will be available on the Pulsar.
The new Nissan Pulsar is to be built in Nissan’s Barcelona plant and is expected to go on sale during the Fall of 2014. Prices will be announced once closer to the launch date.
Overall, the vehicle looks like a good family vehicle which should be affordable and good on fuel.
