Nissan ALMERA 1.5 RANGE
Nissans Almera Has Always Been There Or Thereabouts In The Focus-Dominated Family Hatchback Sector. With A Primera-Style Makeover And Some Extensive Fettling, The 1.5-Litre Version Could Continue To Gain Additional Prominence. By Andy Enright
Who can forget
Nissan billing the Almera as the car "they didnt want you to drive"? Unfortunately, a considerable quantity of car buyers took Nissan at their word and decided that there were other manufacturers who would bend over backwards to accommodate them. Nissan have responded with a revised Almera designed to propel it a little closer to the lucrative limelight. In entry-level 1.5-litre guise the Almera certainly offers competitive pricing.
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With the Almera range opening at a mere £9,995, the Almera comfortably undercuts mainstream rivals like the
Ford Focus and the
Vauxhall Astra. Versatility is guaranteed by offering three distinct bodystyles three-door hatch, five-door hatch and four-door saloon. Should you need even more space, youd need to opt for a
Nissan Almera Tino, a model covered separately. A 1.
5-litre engine has long been a fixture in the Almera range although in this version it features a little extra power and torque. The 98bhp 1.5-litre unit is 9% more powerful than the old version yet retains the same 43mpg fuel consumption figure and lops 0.7 seconds from the sprint to 60mph.
Combine the keen fuel economy with a sizeable 60-litre fuel tank and you have a vehicle with a healthy aversion to petrol station forecourts. The 158g/km CO2 emissions showing is also competitive. Not that too many buyers will notice the improved figures but other changes may well attract interest.
"A 1.5-litre engine has long been a fixture in the Almera range although in this version it features a little extra power and torque"
Of far more immediate impact is the Primera-fication of the Almera range. Many of the bold styling touches pioneered by the Primera have been slightly watered down and applied to the Almera. As with most automotive makeovers, the first targets for amendment have been the grille, headlamps and a curvier front bumper. If you want it in more detail, the upper and lower grilles are now honeycombed and the headlights have clear lenses which house a four circle lamp system.
Moving to the back, the tail lights on the hatchback are also a good deal more interesting than the outgoing car, with overlapping circles much like the Primera. Likewise, the 15" wheels sported by most Almeras get Primera-style wheel trims, whilst upspec models get 16-inch alloys. The family link with the Almeras bigger brother is a little more tenuous once you move indoors. It was here that the Primera broke new ground with its N-FORM centre console and though Nissan claim to have adapted the Almera to accommodate the system, much of the visual drama has been removed. Indeed, the entry-level version continues with the same set of knobs and buttons as before.
Whereas the Primera features a horizontal shelf that juts out from the centre console atop which are the N-FORM controls, the Almera merely installs said controls in the vertical slot where the old knobs and buttons were. Still, it looks a good deal neater and works a treat. The Almera range had become more than a little confusing, so Nissan have taken the axe to a good few trim designations. Just five have survived the cull: S, Flare, SE, SVE and SXE. Gone are the Almera E, Twister, Sport, Hurricane, Sport+ and SE+. The S And SE carry on much as before with the SVE effectively replacing the SE+ model. Easy.
The 1.5-litre S specification model that kicks off the range is available in both three, four and five-door variants with a manual gearbox. Even this entry-level version gets air conditioning, remote central locking, a CD player, twin airbags and electric front windows. Star Trek fans may well have found their vehicle of choice.
Why? The S specification models features Vulcan
seat fabric. Logical, really. If you find a Pulse version of this car, it means you get a useful pack of safety equipment items thrown in for free. The SE version adds the Almeras take on the N-FORM control system.
For £655 more than the S version, you also get side airbags, a centre display monitor, ABS with bake assist and brakeforce distribution, a trip computer, body coloured addenda, smarter seat trim and steering wheel mounted stereo controls. Plus rear parking sensors and the electronic climate control. The Flare adds 16-inch alloy wheels, front fog lamps, a leather clad steering wheel and seat trims and body styling borrowed from the range-topping SXE. The SVE version isnt available in four-door guise but both other body styles are on offer for £700 over and above the asking price for an equivalent SE.
This helps to buy 16-inch alloy wheels and wider tyres, a leather rimmed steering wheel, an electric tilt and slide sunroof and front fog lamps. The Nissan Almera 1.5-litre range offers an inexpensive entry point to a very versatile series of cars. Although more modern quasi-MPV style designs like the
Peugeot 307 and the
Honda Civic offer more room, the more conventional looking Almera will appeal to those of more conservative tastes.
The latest set of modifications may not be enough to propel the Almera 1.5 into the top tier of family hatch best sellers, but they are more than enough to make it a worthwhile consideration. With more equipment, more power, a neat freshen up and lower prices, this Almera has to be worth a look.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Nissan Almera 1.5 range
PRICES: £9,995-£13,000 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 5
CO2 EMISSIONS: 158g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 110mph / 0-60mph 13.1s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 32.8mpg; (extra-urban) 51.4mpg; (combined) 37.7mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Dual Airbags
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 4120/1690/1395mm [3dr]
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