Nissan ALMERA 1.8 RANGE
The All-Action Almera Has Now Been Given A Primera-Style Makeover. Will This Put The 1.8-Litre Models On More Buyers Shortlists? By Andy Enright
To level the accusation that the
Nissan Almera has something of an image problem wouldnt be entirely fair. In order to have a problem with its image, surely a car needs an image to begin with? And that has been the Almeras problem to date. Sure, its a very good car, but its also one that hasnt registered strongly with UK buyers due its inoffensive personality. The latest set of tweaks aim not only to improve the proposition but also to give the car a good deal more presence.
The 1.8-litre models represent the top of the Almera totem pole as far as petrol-engined models go, yet prices have been massaged downwards a little, the range starting at £11,300 for an SE three door. Nissan have in recent times taken this opportunity to make the trim designations a little easier to understand, and have given the number of models a ruthless pruning. 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 and the SXE slotting in at the top with DVD satnav and stability control. Although Nissan claim to have simplified things, the current range still throws up the anomaly of the entry-level S trim level being more expensive than the plusher SE model by dint of being supplied solely with an automatic gearbox.
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Theres never been anything wrong with the 1.8-litre engine, but
Nissan have seen fit to endow it with a little more power and torque. In keeping with the Primera-style design tweaks, the Almeras 1.8-litre engine now develops the same power as its bigger brother a respectable 115bhp.
This means that the sprint to 60mph can now be covered in a respectable 10.6 seconds, helped in no small part by a 3% increase in torque. Despite the additional go, the Primera 1.8 can still return an average fuel consumption figure of nigh-on 38mpg.
The 183g/km CO2 figure is middling for its class.
"The entry-level S trim level is actually more expensive than the plusher SE trim"
Leaving aside the Almera Tino
mini-MPV, there are three distinct body styles to choose from - three-door hatch, five-door hatch and four-door saloon but they may look a little different to those used to Almeras of old. 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. Although the Primera family resemblance is obvious outside, the family link 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 1.8-litre S specification model that kicks off the range at this level is available in either three, four or five-door variants, each fitted with an automatic gearbox.
Even this entry-level version gets air conditioning, remote central locking, a CD player, twin airbags and electric front windows. The manual SE version is also available in all three body styles and adds the Almeras take on the N-FORM control system. 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. This trim level entitles you to 16-inch alloy wheels and wider tyres, DVD satellite navigation, a leather rimmed steering wheel, an electric tilt and slide sunroof and front fog lamps. The Nissan Almera 1.
8-litre range is a far simpler proposition these days, but does enough to leave you somewhat perplexed. If a car as good as this is so routinely overlooked by UK buyers, what does Nissan have to do in order to place bums on seats? The answer probably resides in offering more radical styling than even this facelifted car serves up. With bold styles like the
Renault Megane II now showing what a family hatch can look like, the Almera looks a generation behind. Drive one and youll be treated to a car that covers all the bases but it still may not be enough to generate big sales figures.
With Renault owning a significant chunk of Nissan, perhaps the Megane II can tie up the bolder customers with the Almera appealing to the more conservative. The radical designs of the latest Micra and 350Z models from Nissans design studios may well prove the Almeras days are numbered. Still, if you want a no-nonsense, versatile family car that is cost effective, pleasant to drive and utterly unintimidating, an Almera 1.8 could well be your wheels.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Nissan Almera 1.8 range
PRICES: £11,300-£14,000 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 7
CO2 EMISSIONS: 183g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 120mph / 0-60mph 10.6s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 27.7mpg; (extra-urban) 47.9mpg; (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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