Nissan’s new sedan based on the V platform – The Sunny has been of keen interest to IAB. We have been following its progress since the time the first sketches were rolled out. We have brought you everything, right from prototype testing, patent scans to brochure leaks. Now it is time for the official reveal.
**Drumrolls** The New Nissan Sunny will debut at this month’s the Guangzhou Auto Show starting on December 21. This car, more popularly known as the Micra Sedan (although Nissan says it’s a new car altogether and advised all of us from using it) will be Nissan’s first foray into the affordable sedan market in India.
The Sunny will get a 1.5 liter diesel engine mated to a 5-speed manual or CVT gearbox. In India, it will go against –Honda City, VW Vento and Hyundai Verna. There are also talks of a 1.6-liter gasoline engine for India next year, but nothing is official.
From the image, one is able to make out the similarities to the hatch. Parts from the center console, the gear lever, steering wheel and door components are the same.
The Sunny will be launched in the second half of 2011 and will be completely made in India in Nissan’s Chennai plant. In order for the launch to be a successful one, the company plans to increase its dealerships to around 100 by 2013. The Chennai plant capacity will also be increased (if necessary) to take care of growing demand.
The styling of the last generation Nissan Micra can best be described as ‘girly’. There is no offense in a car looking feminist, but when a manufacturer is aiming to sell the car in 160 markets worldwide, it can’t offer a car that only the fairer sex would like to be seen in one. That is the main reason why Nissan has made the fourth generation Micra’s styling appeal to both the sexes.
At first glance, the front of the car is bold. Not the sharp, edgy kind of bold, but a unique, subtle, soft refreshing kind of bold.
The soft curves on the front give a very pleasing look to the Micra. The narrow ‘grille’ of the car somewhat gives it its cheerful character. Only the top end variant XV gets a horizontal chrome lining cutting across the grille. The Nissan badge sits proudly above the grille.
The side profile of the new Micra looks very similar to the old gen Micra except for the rear end of the roof, which doesn’t slope down but extends a bit and rises gently and then falls, which results in an integrated rear spoiler. The 14 inch wheels fill the wheel wells sufficiently and there wouldn’t be a necessity to beef up the tyres to make the car look better.
The roof of the car features a unique boomerang styled ridge which is more of a technical addition than a cosmetic feature. This boomerang shaped ridge increases the stiffness of the roof and this makes the Micra’s roof lighter and stiffer.
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After snapping ties with its erstwhile JV partner in India, Mahindra and Mahindra, Renault has decided to go it solo in the Indian car market from now. Renault has plans to enter the volume small car segment of the Indian car market, with a small hatchback sometime in 2012. It is expected to base its hatch on the V-Platform, which also underpins the soon-to-be launched Nissan Micra hatchback.
Renault’s hatch based on the V-Platform is expected to be a very stylish and funky looking modern hatchback with the typical French design flair associated with all of Renault’s products. The hatch will be offered with petrol and diesel engine options and should be priced around the Rs. 5-lakh mark. Such pricing will put in bang in the Swift’s territory, which means it will have stiff competition to contend with when its launched in the Indian market.
Renault India’s Spokesperson -
The Renault-Nissan alliance is the most successful example of two major car companies creating synergies for growth while maintaining their individual identities in global markets. The V platform was developed for use by both companies. As far as India is concerned, we would not like to comment on any specific models that will be launched by Renault based on the V-platform
IAB had earlier reported about Renault’s aggressive plans for India which included the launch of five new models in the Indian car market by 2012. The plans for a small car based on the V-Platform were also revealed then, and this information about Renault’s V-Platform based hatchback is just one of many which will be revealed prior to the car’s launch in 2012.
Autoincar and Bloomberg have reported that the Renault-Nissan alliance is working on bringing out a low-cost SUV on the V-platform by 2013, which will take on the role of the Juke’s younger brother. Remember that the Juke itself is the Qashqai’s younger sibling.
The Nissan V-Platform will be worked on for the next few years to yield a sedan and MPV, apart from the hatchback (Micra) which hits showrooms next month.
The platform is designed in such a way that it can host engines up to the size of 1.5-liters. If the SUV comes out in the next three years, it will be the fourth derivative of the V-Platform.
Didn’t we talk about the rush of mini SUVs awaiting us in the coming years a few days ago? The signals are only getting stronger by the day.
Nissan today called members of the media and briefed them on the V-Platform, the architecture that Nissan’s Micra will be based on. No photographs were allowed inside the screening room. The details discussed follows.
