The new Nissan Almera is now available in South Africa (S.A.), where Nissan hopes its value proposition as an affordable, comfortable and spacious family sedan, will earn it a place in the crowded B-segment.
The new Nissan Almera is built in Chennai, India and will eventually be sold in over 170 countries. Over 500 000 units have already been sold, with the U.S.A, Thailand and China being key markets for the car. In a South African context, Nissan’s Product Manager for Passenger Vehicles, Janico Dannhauser, says “The all-new Nissan ALMERA is an extremely important new car for Nissan in South Africa, where the B-segment is the largest and fastest-growing segment in the market.”
Hallmarks of the Nissan Almera include its large exterior dimensions, spacious interior and a big boot. The 2 600 mm long wheelbase lends itself to affording 636 mm of rear knee-room and a 490-litre boot, which has a deep loading area, as well as a low loading sill.
The interior is finished in a a durable black and grey cloth combination, with interior panels also finished in black. The driver’s instrument cluster features two analogue dials flanking a central LCD trip information display screen. Silver accents and polished detail around the instrument dials, centre console, facia and air vents, provide some contrast within a dark cabin. Rear passengers benefit from a shared centre arm rest and two air vents with independent fan speed control.
The new Nissan Almera is powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine with 73 kW and 134 Nm of torque at 4 000 r/min. Combined with a 5-speed manual transmission, the new Almera requires and average of 6.3 l/100km. A 4-speed automatic transmission is also available, with an average consumption figure of 7.2 l/00km. C02 emissions are 149 g/km and 171 g/km respectively for the manual and automatic transmissions respectively.
The chassis is lighter, more rigid and features a more aerodynamic undercarriage than the previous generation car. As a result, Nissan say NVH levels has been reduced, while handling and safety have been improved. Suspension is by Macpherson strut-type with coil-over dampers up front, with an H-type torsion beam arrangement at the rear.
Standard equipment for the single Almera Accenta speciifcation includes: colour-coded door handles and mirrors; chrome exterior detailing; 15-inch alloy wheels, power-adjustable side mirrors, air conditioning; radio/CD/MP3-player with aux input port, four speakers and steering-wheel audio controls; height-adjustable driver’s seat and steering wheel; remote central locking with speed-sensitive auto-lock function; on-board computer with trip, fuel and serivce information.
| Pricing (Incl. VAT) | |
| Nissan Almera 1.5 Acenta M/T | R165 000 |
| Nissan Almera 1.5 Acenta A/T | R175 500 |
Prices include a 3-year/100 000km warranty and 3-year/60 000km service plan.
