The answer really lies under the swollen hood, where a more powerful
version of the same Renault-sourced K9K 1.5 litre motor that powers the
Micra is pressed into duty. In the Sunny, power is up by 21bhp to 84bhp
and there’s an additional 4kgm of torque as well. These gains are thanks
to some additional hardware like an intercooler and a beefier
fixed-geometry turbocharger.
Start the motor and you will be impressed with its refinement. There’s
very little vibration and apart from a distinct clatter at idle and a
gruffness at high revs, it’s fairly quiet too. Sitting in the back seat,
you would be hard pressed to tell what fuel is powering the Sunny.
And, unlike other diesels which deliver a sudden burst of torque as
the turbo comes on boost, this engine delivers power in a very linear
manner. It also responds eagerly from low revs and pulls well till
around 3500rpm. Push past this and the engine starts feeling a bit
strained and power tails off. So, this engine feels best when you shift
up early and make the best of its 20.4kgm of torque.
Based on Nissan’s lightweight ‘V’ platform, the Sunny’s 1097kg bantam
weight plays a key role in delivering impressive performance. This is
the fastest sub-100bhp diesel which has a clear performance edge over
its lesser rivals like the Etios and Manza diesels. It’s not too far
behind the Skoda Rapid and the pricier Verna either.
While the gearbox is slick and easy to operate, the clutch which has
been beefed up to take the extra torque, feels heavier than in the
petrol Sunny and as a result, constant gear shifting can take a toll on
your left leg. The light steering though makes parking in tight spaces a
cinch and not many cars are easier to manoeuvre in town than the Sunny.
The Sunny diesel’s front suspension has been tweaked to take the
heavier motor. The damping is a bit firmer and this flattens the ride
quite nicely. It’s only at low speeds and over sharp edges that the
lightweight Sunny feels jittery. Up the pace and the ride smoothens out
and in fact is quite comfortable, especially on the highway where the
Sunny’s consistent poise gives the driver a fair level of confidence.
With a full load too, the suspension copes well and the saloon feels
planted over most road surfaces.
The handling though is more comfort-oriented than sporty – fair enough
given the kind of car it is. There’s considerable body lean in bends,
and while the light steering weights up the faster you go, it doesn’t
have enough feedback to keep you completely in touch with the road.
That’s unlikely to bother most owners who will end up driving the Nissan
saloon in a relaxed manner and for that, the Sunny’s dynamics are
perfectly acceptable.
While the Sunny’s light weight helps its performance and economy, the
flipside is that the Sunny lacks that solid feel you get from even cars
like the Tata Manza. It’s quite obvious that in its quest for weight
saving, Nissan has also skimped on some essentials like sound deadening.
There is quite a bit of road and tyre noise entering the cabin.
But this lightness does translate into good fuel efficiency figures.
Thanks to the linear power delivery on the 1.5-litre motor, you can get
around town on small throttle applications. This helps the Sunny deliver
13.6kpl in the city. On the highway it ran for 18.7km on a litre of
diesel.
There are no surprises with the rest of the car. The cabin remains
unchanged except for the addition of a new gear knob and also new silver
inserts on the steering wheel. The Sunny has big windows and skinny
pillars, so visibility is pretty good all round. Most of the switchgear
is easy to use too, but a couple of controls, like the one for the power
mirrors, are tucked away out of sight. Getting comfy could be an issue
too – the steering wheel only adjusts for height, and there’s no
seat-height adjustment. Cabin quality, though better than the Etios and
the Manza, doesn’t feel as rich or solid as, say, a Rapid or a Vento.
Front and rear legroom and headroom is better than most cars in its
segment — sitting under the roof’s highest point, the tallest of seat
occupants won’t fall short on headroom. But the cost cutting shows
through in the thin cushioning on the seats; we wish Nissan could
rectify this and also give the rear seats more under-thigh support. The
light beige colour adds to the feeling of roominess as well, but it has a
tendency to soil easily.
As for equipment, you get two airbags, ABS, automatic climate control,
MP3 player, powered mirrors and alloy wheels as standard on the top-end
XV version.
VERDICT
This addition of a diesel motor makes the Sunny a complete saloon that
is more in tune with Indian needs. In this latest guise, it is refined,
has adequate power, is fuel efficient and easy to drive thanks to a
responsive and tractable engine. The huge cabin and boot add up to make
it a near-perfect mid-size family saloon. What lets it down is its
price — at Rs 8.78 lakh for the top-end XV model, it is on the expensive
side, which puts it closer to plusher and better equipped mid-sizers.
But if you’re still willing to sign that cheque then you will find a car
that may not enthuse you but one that you can happily live with day in
and day out without burning a hole in your pocket
SPECIFICATION
What it costs
| Ex-showroom (Delhi) |
Rs 8.78 lakh |
| Warranty |
24months/50,000km |
Engine
| Fuel |
Diesel |
| Installation |
Front, transverse |
| Type |
4-cyls in-line, 1461cc |
| Bore/stroke |
76.0/80.5mm |
| Compression ratio |
17.9:1 |
| Valve gear |
2 valves per cyl, SOHC |
| Power |
84bhp at 3750rpm |
| Torque |
20.39kgm at 2000rpm |
| Power to weight |
76.57bhp per tonne |
| Torque to weight |
18.58kgm per tonne |
Transmission
| Type |
Front-wheel drive |
| Gearbox |
5-speed manual |
Chassis & Body
| Construction |
Four-door saloon, monocoque |
| Weight |
1097kg |
| Tyres |
185/65-R15 |
| Spare |
Full size |
Suspension
| Front |
Independent, MacPherson strut, anti-roll bar |
| Rear |
Non-independent, torsion beam, anti-roll bar |
Steering
| Type |
Rack and pinion |
| Type of power assist |
Electric |
| Turning circle |
10.6m |
Brakes
| Front |
Ventilated discs |
| Rear |
Drums |
| Anti-lock |
Yes |
Performance
| 0-20 |
1.12 |
| 0-40 |
3.03 |
| 0-60 |
5.15 |
| 0-80 |
8.70 |
| 0-100 |
12.89 |
| 0-120 |
19.65 |
| 0-140 |
30.90 |
Range at a glance - Engines
| Petrol |
1.5-litre 97bhp Rs 5.78-7.68 lakh |
| Diesel |
1.5-litre 84bhp Rs 7.98 to Rs 8.78 lakh |
The Sunny is the car that has put Nissan back on the Indian car buyer’s
radar. This mid-size saloon’s massive interiors, upmarket feel,
user-friendly 1.5 petrol motor and keen pricing evoked a surprisingly
good response in a market that’s essentially shifted to diesel power.
And now, the Sunny’s popularity is all set to take another leap forward
with the diesel version which was officially launched at the Auto Expo
this year. Nissan wants to cash in on the premium that diesel cars
command in our market, which explains why the top-end XV diesel is a
substantial Rs 1.10 lakh dearer than its similarly specced petrol
sibling. Is that too much of a price gap? Or is the Sunny diesel well
worth the extra money Nissan is asking for it?
Nissan
Motor India Private Ltd (NMIPL), following the successful commercial
launch of the petrol variant of its first ‘Made-in-India compact
hatchback –Nissan Micra announced that the diesel variant of Micra will
hit Indian roads in December 2010. The Nationwide sales for the
Diesel-powered Micra would commence from December 10, 2010. The
announcement was made by Kiminobu Tokuyama, M.D. and CEO, NMIPL, Dinesh
Jain –CEO, Hover Automotive India Pvt Ltd (HAI) –the strategic alliance
partner for Nissan in India, accompanied by other senior officials of
Nissan and HAI.
