New Nissan Sunny: A value for money family car

Alright, Nissan India recorded a massive sales growth of 141 per cent in May '14. Furthermore, it registered a mammoth 328 per cent of growth in sales in the month of April 2014.

But sadly, it doesn't have the tiniest of contribution from company's flagship offering, the entry-level saloon, Sunny.

Instead, it's the pocket rocket GO from the legendary brand Datsun that accounts for more than half of the aforementioned growth figures.

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Hence, the Japanese automajor in a bid to revive its flagship product, for once and all, has launched the refurbished version of the sedan which had lost its charm and had become insipid among the auto freaks of the country.

But, again, the question rises - will it make any difference? Is it worth the hype and hoopla which is being spread by the press and journo? Let's find out.

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The 2014 Nissan Sunny has several aspects to look forward to sans the engine specifications and performance. However, Nissan had showcased this sedan about four months back at the prestigious event of 2014 Indian Auto Expo.

There, it grabbed quite a few eyeballs due to its striking exterior appearance and much premium interior cabin. But, people were desperate to get the sneak peek of variants and their pricing.

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Pricing, undeniably, holds the key to success for a vehicle, especially in the Indian sub-continent.

And, Nissan has excelled in this aspect significantly well and hasn't disappointed its fans by launching the petrol and diesel variants at a starting price of Rs 699,000 - Rs 799,000, respectively. (Ex. Showroom, Delhi)

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To be honest, Sunny was never an obnoxious product and it, initially, started pretty well while launched back in 2011. But its limited stint of success was cut short by more advanced and well versed cars and it never really took off after that.

Also, Nissan's weak after sales service network was a cause for the fuss. But now, the company with all guns blazing has made the 2014 Sunny sedan more feature rich and up-market than ever in order to cover the lost ground.

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Being offered with as many as eight variants, the sedan now gives plenty of options to choose one. Precisely, there are 3 variants in petrol - XE, XL and XL CVT, while remaining five belong to the diesel guise including two optional paid trims.

Talking about the cosmetic changes, the Sunny facelift now has new Teana inspired (boomerang) headlamp cluster which is being integrated deep inside the restyled front bumper.

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Then, there is the traditional Nissan front grille with chrome treatment given to the twin fog lamps.

The flared arches now flaunt all new Alloys while the rear profile is being graced by a black ‘splitter’ that compliments the redesigned tail lamp cluster fairly well.

All these changes make it completely plush and enigmatic in appearance.

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The most sought after aspect, the boot space of 490 litres, is icing on the cake. Even, inside the cabin, we observe a bunch of modifications and upgrades.

It was a cock-a-hoop feeling to see that the ordinary looking grayish interior shade has vanished and been taken over by a more eye soothing colour which is far more enticing than the predecessor.

On further investigating, it looked as if the changes inside the cabin were more in numbers than the exterior ones.

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The 2014 Sunny facelift boasts an all new piano-black centre console, a leather strapped 3-spoke steering, advanced 2-DIN music system with Bluetooth compatibility, reverse camera, reverse parking sensors etc. to name a few.

The paid optional packs have the premium leather seats and upholstery while the regular ones have fabric seats.

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Chrome finished audio controls on the steering wheel further accentuate the plushness inside the cabin.

There are no two opinions in the acknowledgement of the fact that these comfort and convenience features go highly in the favor of Sunny and make it more seductive and tempting than ever.

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Mechanically, the powertrains in both guises are retained but still there are changes. The fuel economy of the diesel variants which was supposed to be 21.64kmpl in the phased out model has come up to 22.71kmpl in this refreshed Sunny.

The 1.5-litre diesel motor pumps out a top power of 86PS while the torque performance is 200Nm. The possibility of automatic gearbox with diesel variants has gone for a toss and company has stick to its conventional 5-speed manual transmission.

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On the other hand, the 1.5-litre petrol powertrain develops power in two tunes - 99PS and 101PS.

The former is associated with 5-speed manual gearbox while the latter comes out with a CVT transmission.

The 1498cc engine also develops a peak torque of 134Nm which is common with both manual as well as CVT transmission.

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Not to forget, Nissan has gone all out to ensure the safety of the occupants by introducing Airbags, Antilock Breaking System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA) and Central locking as standard safety features across every variant.

There was never skepticism surrounding Sunny in terms of performance, especially diesel version; it was always a driver's car and this time by adding plushness inside the cabin, it is certainly going to get its due which was hanging for a long time.

Perhaps, this time the 2014 Sunny would reign for a longer period and make for its lost glory earlier and might turn out that fortune swinging wagon for Nissan.

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