Nissan Almera

Overview

The Nissan Almera is one thingamabob. It’s been there for quite some time with little trim updates here and there or a Nismo body kit thrown in to liven up things. Many over here have seen it in the taxi form and truth be told, we prefer that our taxis are the Almera. Come to think of it, the rear seat is a proper lounge and with AC vents to help you stay cool, there is nothing like it. Few taxi drivers also put in the retractable screen to block the elements and we believe they should ideally be made standard by Nissan as well. So, is the third generation still a good deal Higher equipment levels, a slightly freshened face and improved driveability are the changes. We find out more about the Nissan Almera in our extensive review.

Interior & Features

The cabin of the car has aged much more than the exterior. The all-black upholstery of the pre-facelift has now been replaced by a mix of beige, black and grey. At the door pads, Nissan has chosen to use beige, a place where black would have made sense given that it will not show the dirt or stain marks too much. Beige is harder to clean. The piano black used for the central console just about looks okay. In this modern age, Nissan will still not give you a touchscreen audio unit. There is leather upholstery available on the top-spec trim. Auto climate control, speed sensing door locks, day/night inner rearview mirror, power foldable and adjustable mirrors, rear AC vents and a 442-litre boot space. Speaking of which, the Nissan Almera does one thing very nicely and that is a limousine-like comfort. This car is apt for a family of all 6 footers. There is enough space for everyone out there - 5 in all.

What Nissan could have done is ideally added a sunroof, a touchscreen audio system complete with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, paddle shifters for the auto trim and then changed the entire upholstery. This could have brought in an, even more, fresher appeal to the cabin. There are a few storage spaces around and since this is an old design, you are unlikely to find many. Build quality is right up with the newer folk with the Nissan feeling like it is well put together.

Exterior

The car more or less looks the same before the facelift. The precious little Nissan is doing to keep the car relevant err, isn’t working as much as they like. There is now more chrome on the front grille, while the lower lip too receives this benevolence. The alloys too look just about okay, like an intermediary of the old and new age. The rear sees an integrated spoiler and new shape for the lamps. As part of trivia, let us tell you that Nissan was the first to bring indoor request sensors even for the boot. It’s another story that Hyundai and the other Asian brands have now made it famous. The length, width, and height of this car are 4,425 mm, 1,695 mm and 1,505 mm respectively. The wheelbase is 2,600 mm and the ground clearance is 180 mm. Nissan offers the car in five trim options and two engine variants. There is also the choice of four colour options - Alpine White, Brilliant Silver, Bluish Black and Titanium Grey.

Ride & Handling

Nissan has given the Almera MacPherson struts with coil springs and a strut bar in the front and rigid axle torsion beam at the rear. This suspension is set slightly on the softer side. Ride quality, as a result, is very good. Except for the deeper ruts which will cause some lateral movement. The NVH too has been maintained well by Nissan with all the seal points properly secured. The handling in the meanwhile isn’t as enthusiastic but it isn't all over the place either. A family driver will appreciate the way the Nissan handles curves while an enthusiast will look elsewhere. The steering wheel too is light enough and is a joy to use in the city. We found the clutch unit of the 1.5-litre motor to be a tad harder than that of the 1.2.

Engine & Fuel Consumption

While the international markets see the Almera being sold with a 1.5-litre petrol and diesel engine, our country doesn’t get the latter but a smaller 1.2-litre motor from the Micra. This 1.2-litre naturally aspirated 3-cylinder engine has a power output of 79 PS and 106 Nm. This engine is available with a 5-speed manual only. In the city, the car does feel okay to drive with this powertrain, however out on the highway, the engine loses steam. It cruises okay but asking for quick overtakes requires a bit of planning as there is literally nothing to explore on top of the rev band. The bigger 1.5-litre 99 PS/134 Nm naturally aspirated petrol engine in the meanwhile has available torque across the rev band. One can order it with a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed auto transmission. While there are no claimed efficiency numbers, the smaller engine is good for 14 kmpl while the larger motor should return around one kilometre per litre less. The automatic tranny in the meanwhile is a very old torque converter. While trundling around town, its adequate but for the highway, it feels a bit out of place.

We did a 0-100 kmph run with the 1.2-litre motor and it took 15s while the top speed was 158 kmph. The 1.5 engine with a manual did the same distance in 12s and the top speed was 174 kmph.

Braking & Safety

Safety wise, Nissan provides the Almera with a choice of twin airbags, ABS with EBD and Brake Assist, child locks, ISOFIX tethers on the rear seat and engine immobiliser as standard. On higher trim, rear parking sensors are available. In the NCAP rating, the Nissan Almera secured a three-star rating.

The Almera makes use of a front ventilated disc brake while the rear is a drum unit. The braking is confidence inspiring and while repeated runs did cause brake fade, we don’t expect the buyers of this car to drive it the way we did.

Verdict

Overall, while it is easier to go all out and buy the competition cars, the Nissan Almera is for the one who wants none of the nonsense and wants an everyday driver that will also double up as the weekend car. There is enough of space in the cabin, the service is relatively cheaper and if you are an economiser, then the 1.2 engine makes sense. Prices start from Php 657,000 for the 1.2L manual while the top-spec 1.5L VL AT goes for Php 933,000. This decision is to be taken with the mind and not the heart.