Nissan compact saloon revealed

Nissan’s all-new Micra-based ‘New Global Sedan’ (codenamed L02B) has been revealed. Nissan will officially unveil the saloon at the Guangzhou Show this month, but we already have some accurate illustrations and information to give you a heads up.

Known as the Sunny internationally, but probably not in India, you can see no trace of the Micra in the design of this car. The sedan gets a new nose, a new rear and even the roof looks totally different. The lines are long and flowing and there is plenty of Nissan DNA in the styling as well; the Teana-like kink in the ‘C’ pillar, the vertical orientation of the headlights, the strong shoulder line and especially the rake of the tail-lights.

Nissan will use a lot of the Micra’s interior bits for this car though. The round central console pod will be carried over, the vents are similar, and the steering is the same too. Nissan will also use the Micra’s very comfortable front seats for the saloon. The rear bench, however, will be all new. The wheelbase has been extended slightly to 2500mm from the Micra’s 2450mm to give passengers more room in the rear.

Nissan’s V-platform focuses on reductions in both weight and in the number of components, and we expect there will be a considerable advantage reaped here. The light weight will allow for greater performance, better efficiency and lower stress on the suspension. And as with the Micra, efficiency could be better than or match the best in class.

Powering the car will be a 1498cc four-cylinder petrol engine churning out a healthy 100bhp. The motor doesn’t make too much torque though, at 13.8kgm, but the light weight of the car should help it compete with cars like the VW Vento on an equal footing. An 83bhp diesel engine will also be available and here torque is a very healthy 20.3kgm. Famous for its incredible frugality and robustness, this motor will be Nissan’s ace, fine-tuned to give even more economy and power.

The ‘New Global Sedan’ is expected to make its Indian debut in September 2011, and will be rolled out from Nissan’s plant at Oragadam, Chennai. You can expect on- road prices to start at Rs 7.5lakh for the base petrol, going up to Rs 10lakh for the top-of-the-line diesel. And there’s even the likelihood of a CVT automatic-equipped version being sold as a range topper.