Nissan PRIMERA 2.2 dCi RANGE
Nissans Sunderland-Built Primera Seems To Make A Lot Of Sense In Diesel Form. Jonathan Crouch Checks It Out
A car as forward-thinking as Nissans latest Primera must surely come with a forward-thinking diesel engine. And of course it does a 138bhp common rail 2.2-litre turbocharged unit that is as fast to sixty as its 2.0-litre petrol alternative.
This is a big step forward from the noisy 89bhp 2.0-litre TD unit once used in the Primera line-up and also an improvement on the 128bhp engine that was fitted to the latest generation Primera when it was first launched. Still, it would have to be, given the standard of the competition. To head off cars like Fords Mondeo TDCi and VWs Passat TDI PD,
Nissan boffins talk of features like a variable-nozzle turbo for a flatter torque curve.
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Impressive as this may be, its not the sort of thing with which to impress your dinner party guests. So heres a few facts. With prices for the latest Primera diesel models starting at £15,600, the
Nissan undercuts the
Ford and is a whole lot less than the VW, yet offers a higher specification than either. All models feature climate-controlled air conditioning, front, side and curtain airbags, a 6-speaker CD stereo, a dash-mounted colour LCD display, a trip computer, electric mirrors, remote central locking, electric windows and ABS.
The SX features all this plus 17" alloy wheels, a rear-view reversing camera, a 6 CD autochanger, rain sensing wipers and DVD satellite navigation with traffic information amongst other things, while the SVE level features leather trim, heated electric seats, an upgraded stereo and an electric sunroof. The T-spec model, which is almost obscenely well equipped, is the option should you wish to have more toys than Brooklyn Beckham. So a good start there then, and a useful one given that it gives away both a few bhp and a few mpg to each of these two important rivals. Which is not to say that this cars combination of power and parsimony is really lacking.
Sixty should show from rest in 9.8s on the way to over 120mph, while you can expect to average over 45mpg if you dont insist on verifying those figures.
"If you appreciate Nissans New Form Of Intelligence, this could be an intelligent choice"
The Nissans 314Nm of torque offers ready pulling power in almost any gear, even from low revs, though you may sometimes have to drop a gear to find it. There are six cogs to choose from in the manual gearbox but Nissan have missed a trick by failing to offer an automatic with this powerplant. As diesels go, this one is quite refined: theres a brief commotion when it kicks in but after that, the most pervading sound is a rather strange muted whistle from the turbocharger. The latest model conforms to the established Primera formula which means that youll either love or hate it. Especially that swoopy styling which has divided opinion across the board. What you cant argue about is that this car now has a healthy dose of personality not something you could have said of its predecessor.
The whole thing was signed off by the money men almost exactly how it left the designers drawing board, a strange thing indeed, especially for a Nissan. Underneath the bodywork is a stretched and reinforced version of the smaller Almeras platform, and although the Primera has a decent road presence, the evidence of the tape measure shows it to be a good few inches shy of Passat and Mondeo dimensions. Its longer, taller and wider than its predecessor, however, and uses many modern packaging tricks to increase interior space. Widening the track and stretching the wheelbase help too: the boot on the four-door car is a useful shape and able top swallow 465 litres. Running counter to many contemporary designs, the four and five door cars have been styled to look nigh-on identical, whilst the estate version goes for a trendy Sportwagon-style sloping roofline. Inside the latest model, a revision of the dashboard means that theres now more storage and the facility for an on-dash CD autochanger whereas before it resided in the boot. The steering wheel is redesigned, as is the centre storage box, the larger door pulls, the head lining and the higher mounted armrests.
Small tweaks are everywhere. The in-dash clock now stays visible irrespective of whether the audio selection, climate control or satellite navigation is activated, the ice warning tone doesnt chime on and off if the temperature is fluctuating around zero and the climate control is more sensitive. The reversing camera and excellent Birdview DVD satellite navigation system have been rolled out to more models across the range. The sloping rear window line of the estate version is partly responsible for creating this bodystyles dynamic appearance, but it has an effect on overall loadspace.
With the rear seats in place, the Primera estate has, in shameless Sportwagon style, less luggage room than either the four-door saloon or the five door hatch variants, although when the seats fold down, the possibilities that 1,650 cubic litres generate could equal one rather battered IKEA store card. The load bay is usefully shaped too, Nissan realising that this is far more important than a capacious but inconveniently shaped rear. The rear suspension is compact enough to ensure that intrusion is kept to a minimum and theres no awkward lip to lift loads over either. Ride and handling have always been a Nissan Primera strongpoint and this version is no different.
More importantly however, its a lot more refined these days, with noise and vibration in the cabin usefully reduced, although wind noise is still slightly more insistent than youd expect to find on such an aerodynamically efficient car. The ride is excellent. From being an also-ran in the Medium-range Mondeo-sized sector, Nissans Primera is up amongst the front runners and this diesel version does nothing to change that. If you appreciate Nissans New Form Of Intelligence, this could be an intelligent choice.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Nissan Primera 2.2 dCi range
PRICES: £15,600-£21,250 - on the road
CO2 EMISSIONS: 164g/km
INSURANCE GROUPS: 7-8
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 121mph / 0-60mph 9.8s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (Combined) 46.3mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side and curtain airbags, ABS, EBD
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4567/1760/1482mm [4dr]
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