NISSAN Australia must be nervous indeed, replacing the conventional Pulsar with the distinctly offbeat Tiida. Changing the well-known name against its will (Japan insisted) hasn’t helped either. And in almost every department the Tiida won’t conform to the small-car norm that presently is the most popular out of all the vehicle segments. But are these bad things? Is Nissan actually clever for realising that different might end up being better? Or is the newcomer just a jumped-up light car? The answer may surprise you.
Nissan N16 Pulsar hatch
Released: June 2001
Ended: January 2006
Family Tree: TiidaNISSAN didn’t build the last Pulsar hatchback in sedan-mad Japan, so Australians had to rely on Britain for supply of the significantly altered N16 Almera. Using the same slightly uncouth 92kW/161Nm 1.8-litre engine and five-speed manual/four-speed auto combo as the sedan, the two-pronged ST and Q hatch hit back with better dynamics, a smarter interior, more versatility and cooler styling. But unfavourable exchange rates means the hatch always cost more than the value-focussed sedan, so its consumer appeal was always limited.
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