All-new Nissan Pulsar launches in EU

The new-generation European-built Nissan Pulsar will go on sale in the UK in October, not long after its public debut at the 2014 Paris motor show, priced from £15,990 drive-away, or just under $A30,000.

But to compare, the Toyota Auris (Corolla) starts at  £14,945 or around $27,000 in the UK.

Although the new car is offered with a range of high-tech safety equipment, super-efficient engines and one of the longest wheelbases in its class, in its current state the new Pulsar could be too pricey for Australia, where small hatches such as the Mazda3 start the bidding at $20,490, while the Golf starts at $21,490. The current Pulsar hatch kicks off here from $19,290.

Nissan Australia's official line is that there are no plans for the European-built Pulsar to be offered in this country, with the current Thai-sourced Pulsar sedan and hatch range to "remain as is" for the foreseeable future, a Nissan spokesman told motoring.com.au today.

As previously reported however, Nissan Australia's CEO Richard Emery, a former Mercedes-Benz executive, is interested in the new Pulsar but said a decision on whether it would replace the current Pulsar wouldn't be made until mid-2015.

Price will be a critical element in making the business case for the new Pulsar work, but if prices in the UK are any indication it could create an impasse. The new-generation European Pulsar hatch is only built in Spain, but that could change in future. Whether Nissan's Thai factories begin building the car will likely contribute to determining its Aussie fate.

UK versions of the new Pulsar are based on a new Nissan-Renault Common Module Family or CMF, which also underpins the X-TRAIL and Qashqai SUVs, with many more vehicles planned.

Power for the Pulsar comes from two engines, a 1.2-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder that pumps out 85kW/190Nm and a larger 1.5-litre turbo-diesel worth 80kW/260Nm. The former uses fuel at a rate of 5.0L/100km while the latter sips like a hybrid at just 3.6L/100km, according to Nissan UK, with CO2 emissions 117 and 78g/km respectively.

All models come with a six-speed manual gearbox.  An automatic XTronic (CVT) transmission will be offered to European customers later in 2014.
The 140kW 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine fitted to Australian Nissan Pulsar SSS vehicles will also find its way into the new Euro Pulsar in 2015.

Nissan says the new 4385mm long five-door hatchback has class-leading interior space and technology, its 2700mm wheelbase affording more room and a smoother ride. The boot has 375 litres of cargo space, which is very good for a small hatch but not class-leading. By way of comparison, the Holden Cruze has a 413 litre boot.

A new system called Active Trace Control is designed to improve handling by mimicking torque vectoring via minute and precise braking of individual wheels, not unlike stability control.

Images of the interior show the new Pulsar has 60:40 split folding rear seats and conservative interior design, spiced up somewhat via a neatly integrated touchscreen 5.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system.

An integrated wireless connectivity system, NissanConnect, assimilates with various apps, such as Google, Facebook and Trip Advisor, while also controlling satellite navigation, digital radio and Bluetooth streaming.

Other tech features the new Pulsar offers (which are not available on the Aussie-spec Pulsar) include LED headlights, autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and a high-tech suite of sensors that contribute to blind spot and lane departure warnings. The car's main camera sensor will even clear and dry itself as filth builds up.

Useful 360-degree around-view monitoring makes use of multiple cameras to paint an overhead view of the car to facilitate parking, and the Pulsar is claimed to be the first car in its class to offer moving object detection.