Nissan Almera preview test drive on a test track

Since there’s only a half-handful of you who read till the end, there is something you need to know first. This is not a preview test drive but a preview of a preview. Think of this a sampler, like the sliver of fried chicken ball promoters push at you as you walk through an aisle of a supermarket.

The reason I’m bringing this up is that the Nissan Almera was tested on Nissan’s own test track in their assembly plant in Serendah. It is a 1.5 km track that features various road conditions, long stretches, a skid pad and speed bumps to simulate roads you drive on every day. Since it is so short, there are plenty things I could not catch, which makes this preview not quite complete.

A point to note here is that all Almeras – all Nissan vehicles built in this plant in fact – will have to be tested on this track before delivery to customers. The test drivers will try to pick up a few things like unusual noises, suspension and power to name a few, which will mar the experience of owning a Nissan car.

Before I start telling you about how the car feels, let me brief you on what I gathered from the product presentation. Firstly, the Almera is built on a new ‘V’ platform, which stands for – and I’m not making this up – versatile. Secondly, Nissan says that this car easily passes the ECE R94 and ECE R95 regulations. In case you don’t know, the R94 and R 95 are front and side collision test regulations.

Third, the Almera will be powered by the HR15DE, 1,498cc, four-cylinder, DOHC with VTC engine that produces 102 PS at 6,000 rpm and a torque of 139 at 4,000 rpm. The two choices of transmission available are, depending on trim, a five-speed manual and a four-speed automatic. What!

Nissan says the four A/T is new. When compared with the old four-speed slushbox, the new one is 11% more compact (43 mm shorter), 15% lighter (10 kg lighter), 32% lower friction and 12% less parts. The gearbox and engine transmission is said to give a fuel economy of 14.9 km/l combined cycle (or roughly about 6.7 l/100km).

At the moment, the Almera will come in three trims – E, V and VL. Here’s what I know about the three grades, which I am told is not complete. Between now and launch day, things might be taken away or added. But if you walk into a dealership tomorrow (booking starts September 6), read on to know what each grade has.

Buyers of the E grade will get to choose between the manual and automatic gearbox. Remote keyless entry with panic alarm, 15” steel rims with wheel covers, standard combi-meter with trip computer and a single airbag comes with the E. According to Nissan, the reason why this grade has only one airbag is due the chassis’ rigidity, which is enough to withstand front and side collision. The E is also meant to be the lowest grade hence the omission of the front passenger airbag also means saving a few more Ringgit.

V grade (automatic only) will come with dual airbags, 15” alloy wheels, self-illuminated combi-trip meter with trip computer, additional interior luxury trim (silver/chrome decoration) and fog lamps. The VL also comes in four-speed automatic only. It also has intelligent key with trunk release and panic alarm, push-start button, auto aircon with LCD display and illuminated steering with audio controls.

Safety-wise, all grades come standard with ABS, EBD and Brake Assist. 3×3 ISOFIX child seat mounts are also standard in all grades.

I started the Almera test in the back seat. Off the mark, I noticed that this car has plenty of legroom. Nissan says that this car’s legroom measures 636 mm, which is best in class. I can tell you that the space is more than the usual B segment fare but you really need to sit in and feel it for yourself.

The Almera could do better with more shoulder room. A third seat belt in the rear bench suggests that the Almera can sit three at the back. As is, put two adults inside and there’s only enough space for a very skinny or a very small human.

The ride was comfortable; the suspension absorbed whatever the test track throws at it. I went through a few – pebbled road, roads with large stones and uneven surfaces just to name some. Through every road condition, the Almera seem to make the grade with flying colours. What’s more, the cabin was devoid of any rattling or juddering noises that would suggest poor built quality.

Then it was my turn at the wheel and the first thing I noticed was the smoothness of four-speed automatic. Changes between gears were unnoticeable and it felt as if I was driving a CVT car instead. Since there was not enough tarmac to get the car pass 110 km/h, I could not tell if the four-speeder has what it takes for long range cruises.

Acceleration was respectable as well. The car was loaded with four fully-grown adults and the Almera had enough fire in its belly to shove off from zero without troubles. At this point, I was impressed by this narrow-but-long car.

There was not a lot of feedback from the steering, but this isn’t an enthusiast’s car so steering comfort should be paramount. In spite of the lack of feel, the Almera tracks well with the road. The steering does not need a lot of input to get it to turn. After my time around the skip pad doing figure-8s, I felt the car’s steering to be accurate and immediate.

The test was far too short and ended far to quickly. In total, I had done only 1.5 km in five minutes, and there was only so much I can squeeze out from this car.

See, I told you this is a preview of a preview. But there is a media drive and the official launch that will happen later. We will get more information when that time arrives.