Nissan ALMERA RANGE
Thanks To A Primera-Style Makeover And A Stronger Range Of Engines, Nissans Almera Family Hatch Makes A Decent Case For Itself. Andy Enright Reports
Since Nissans avant garde Primera ushered in a brave new future for the Japanese brand, the companys product planners have had their hands full. Take the smaller Almera Family Hatchback, often a forgotten choice in a cut-throat market. Didnt it deserve its moment in the sun?
The most recent package of changes aim to achieve just that though many of them are either cosmetic or aimed at improving the cars value proposition. Nothing wrong with that of course: there was nothing much wrong with the basic package to start with. Dealers just needed to get a few more people to consider it. So of course, in recent times, weve been treated to a makeover and as usual, that means restyled 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.
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Moving to the back, the tail lights on the hatchback are also a good deal more interesting than the original current generation Almera, 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. Theres also a 2.2-litre dCi diesel that packs 136bhp available in plusher SX and SXE guises. 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.
"With a fresher look and a keener value proposition, the Almera now justifies itself in terms of price rather better than before"
Both petrol engines have in recent times been tweaked to generate more power and torque. The 98bhp 1.5-litre unit is 9% more powerful than the original version yet retains the same 42.8mpg fuel consumption figure and lops 0.
7 seconds from the sprint to 60mph. The 1.8-litre powerplant now does a convincing imitation of that found in a Primera, replicating its 118bhp output. Hitting 60mph in 10.
6 seconds, this is a pleasingly lively installation yet still returns fuel figures that average around 38mpg. A 50mpg 112bhp 2.2-litre common-rail dCi diesel engine is well worth checking out, but of far more interest is the top diesel models 136bhp dCi unit. Capable of notching off the sprint to 60mph in 9 seconds this makes the six-speed Almera dCi 136bhp one of the quickest diesels on the market, yet it will still return an average of 48mpg.
Priced from £14,050, it weighs in far cheaper than a more feebly powered TDI Golf. The Almera range had become more than a little confusing, so Nissan have taken the axe to a good few trim designations. Just six have survived the cull: S, Flare, SE, SVE, SX 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 SX and SXE models slotting in at the top. Easy.
Pricing has been thoroughly revised and in the right direction too downwards. The old 90bhp 1.5 S three-door hatch retailed for nearly £10,500, whereas the latest 98bhp version is available for just £10,250 or in Flare form for £8,995. The Flare includes 16-inch alloy wheels, front fog lamps, a leather clad steering wheel and
seat trims and body styling borrowed from the range-topping SXE.
Powerful 118bhp 1.8-litre petrol models start from £11,905 including rear parking sensors and electronic climate control. The S specification model that effectively kicks off the range is available in both three, four and five door variants, either with a 1.5-litre engine and manual gearbox or a 1.
8-litre unit with an automatic. Even this entry-level version gets air conditioning, remote central locking, a CD player, twin airbags and electric front windows. The SE version adds the availability of the 2.2-litre diesel into the mix and features the Almera 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 those rear parking sensors and the electronic climate control. The SVE version isnt available in four-door guise but practically every other combination of body style and engine is on offer and its spec includes 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 SXE version is available with the much-vaunted 136bhp dCi diesel as well as the 1.
8-litre petrol from £13,605. This features such refinements as a 7-inch colour monitor with sat nav, electronic stability control, 16-inch alloy wheels and a neat spoiler kit. With a fresh look and a keen value proposition, Nissans Almera now justifies itself in terms of price rather better than before and deserves a place on your Family Hatchback shortlist. It may once have been the car they didnt want you to drive.
Thats certainly not the case any longer.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Nissan Almera range
PRICES: £8,995-£15,650 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 5-8
CO2 EMISSIONS: 158-180g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.8] Max Speed 115mph / 0-60mph 10.6s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.8] (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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