In 2006, Nissan killed off its dreary Almera, and set about building a new type of five-door family hatchback – the now extremely succesful Qashqai – that would set the brand apart from the VW Golf, Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra. But now Nissan’s back with a traditional family hatchback, called the Pulsar.
It costs from £15,995, and it uses the mechanical and
electrical bits from the Qashqai in a lower, lighter profile. At 4,200mm
long, it’s smack in the middle of Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra sizes,
but much more spacious inside.
Why has Nissan built a hatchback? Firstly, it discovered that a stubborn section of buyers didn’t like their crossovers as they associated the SUV-style
image with poor handling and high fuel consumption. The Pulsar is
designed to bring them in from the cold, and by and large it deserves
to. The 1.2-litre direct-injection petrol turbo engine develops 113bhp,
and moves the Pulsar along at a perfectly acceptable pace. It tries to
entertain with a bit of turbo whistle, but what engine noise there is
remains rather dull, and the long gearing of the six-speed manual box
can catch it off-boost at times.
The Pulsar isn’t memorable to drive. The slick gearshift and light
steering are a copy-and-paste job from the Qashqai – fine, but hardly
engaging. Of course, it rolls less in extremes than a Qashqai, and stays
resolutely neutral unless you really push it. But there’s none of that
agile rear end and direct steering turn-in that you enjoy in the Focus
or Mazda 3. Let’s just hope the Nismo and Nismo RS hot hatch versions, due next year, are a bit better in this respect.
And what of that second reason Nissan’s dreamed up the Pulsar? Well, the company says that the Qashqai and X-Trail
are bought by larger families with older children. Once those children
have flown the nest, they look to downsize their car but end up buying
from a rival as Nissan had a gap in its range.
Yet these buyers are still after lots of space, and thanks to the
tall roofline, the Pulsar easily delivers. A class-leading 2,700mm
wheelbase means rear space will embarrass a BMW 5 Series, and there’s also big 395-litre boot, which is on a par with rivals like the Hyundai i30
and only trails a Qashqai’s by 35 litres. Split-folding rear seats are
standard, and while the loading sill does have rather a pronounced lip,
the upshot is 1,395 litres of space when the seats are folded.
Up front, the Pulsar’s cabin is a bit disappointing. The
driving position is fine – a little high, ironically, despite the fact
that this car is trying to stand apart from crossovers – and the dials
are clear, but in its attempt to maintain a sense of familiarity to its
best-selling crossovers, the Pulsar’s dashboard has an overwhelming
feeling of déjà vu.
The interior design is inoffensive and easy to use, but lacks
flair, plus it’s let down by some unsatisfactory plastic in the centre
tunnel and doors. The whole problem with the old Almera was that it did
nothing to stand out from the crowd in a hugely competitive class. Eight
years on, the Koreans have upped their game and the Germans are
targeting luxury car refinement – the Pulsar’s cockpit is left looking
‘not bad’.
Clawing back the difference is the car’s refinement. Before he jumped ship to Aston Martin, Nissan vice-president Andy Palmer told Auto Express the Pulsar would have noise and vibration levels on a par with a Golf or Audi A3.
The quietness of our test car vindicates that bold claim. Aside from a
ripple of wing mirror wind noise, the Pulsar is an exceptionally quiet
and comfortable family hatch.
It’s also a potential tech fest. Shell out for the top-spec Tekna model, and you get Nissan’s Safety Shield driver aid.
0 Responses to “Nissan Pulsar Tekna 2014 Review”
Post a Comment