[noopster]

Originally Posted by Visaster

I don't think NISSAN will price it lesser than SX4.
It will definitely be a 10lakh car.
If it is sold for anything lesser, Nissan will loose its value like the Toyota did with IDIOTOS (aka Etios)

I agree with you on where Nissan is likely to price the Sunny but taking potshots at Toyota is uncalled for. The Etios by all accounts is a success story- the fact that Toyota is managing to sell 4000+ of these each month is a testament to their keen understanding of the Indian auto consumer. Carmakers are not in business to serve a niche segment of enthusiasts alone- it is teh volume car that brings in the moolah.
With the Etios/Liva, Toyota have ensured they corner a decent chunk of the low-end of the market where the likes of Maruti and Hyundai have had a stranglehold. What's wrong with that? If Nissan had been more sensible with the way they priced the Micra maybe they'd be selling more cars today!

[VeluM]

Apparently Nissan will commence bookings of Sunny in September:

Nissan to commence bookings of Sunny sedan by September | CarTradeIndia.com

Pricing is going to play a big part in the success of the Sunny; or lack-thereof. Etios is definitely not a poor seller, but then there is a long and golden history of reliability and longevity associated with Toyota. Nissan has neither to boast about in India, simply because they have no mass market model apart from the Micra (which hasn't sold too well - mainly because of the negligible number of Nissan outlets).

Nissan Really needs to increase the number of A.S.S. centres at the very least, in order to catch more eyeballs and make it easier for potential owners to get the car serviced. And haven't they heard of advertising?

[mdsaab]

AFAIK the bottom end sunny would be about 7.6L
And the top of the line would be around 9.7 max 10L
Anymore than that and they seem to be asking for trouble. Infact 9L for the top end seems right.
But then a lot depends on the kit on offer.
Stuff like ACC will bring up the price for sure.
A few bits have been shared with the Micra. But the sharing has been kept to a minimum.
And hence the sunny is quite different from the others in its segment.
It certainly does not share the same nose as the hatchback which is otherwise common in this segment.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by oxyzen

What is with cars now a days in this segment ( entry level sedan I guess). Etios, Dzire, Manza and now Sunny has below par interior quality/design. But decent amount of space. (save the Dzire).
Since it is on the same platform as Micra, the Handling is expected to be bad. The interiors look horrible. (I hate the design on Micra). And as stated the pannel gaps are another -ve. Add to that the lack of network. Why the hell would I go for this car specially when there are awesome cars in the segment. (Fiesta classic, Manza, Verito, Dzire & Etios).

Well, the answer is there in your opening line itself. Those are entry level sedans and its ideal for someone who is on a hatchback budget, but need a sedan with a slight budget stretch. No wonder Toyota got in the Etios before the Liva.

And hate is a strong word. There maybe many in the forum who love the looks of Micra

Originally Posted by noopster

The Etios by all accounts is a success story- the fact that Toyota is managing to sell 4000+ of these each month is a testament to their keen understanding of the Indian auto consumer. Carmakers are not in business to serve a niche segment of enthusiasts alone- it is the volume car that brings in the moolah.
With the Etios/Liva, Toyota has ensured they corner a decent chunk of the low-end of the market where the likes of Maruti and Hyundai have had a stranglehold. What's wrong with that?

Completely agree. Etios could be the biggest success story from Toyota in India. Their cars maybe uninspiring, but they are the masters in mass market business. I will not be surprised if Toyota leads the sales chart in next 5 years.

Originally Posted by noopster

If Nissan had been more sensible with the way they priced the Micra maybe they'd be selling more cars today!

Maybe Nissan is not as aggressive as Toyota to capture the market (or does not have the means to do so). With the limited sales & service outlets, the Micra is doing pretty ok IMO. Once they have the sales infrastructure in place, maybe they can look for an increased market share.

Originally Posted by mdsaab

AFAIK the bottom end sunny would be about 7.6L
And the top of the line would be around 9.7 max 10L
Anymore than that and they seem to be asking for trouble. Infact 9L for the top end seems right.
But then a lot depends on the kit on offer.
Stuff like ACC will bring up the price for sure.
A few bits have been shared with the Micra. But the sharing has been kept to a minimum.
And hence the sunny is quite different from the others in its segment.
It certainly does not share the same nose as the hatchback which is otherwise common in this segment.

Yes, they have managed to workout something different from Micra (at least on the external looks). And I guess your pricing prediction is spot on. If they can keep the top end below 9 lakhs, Sunny will do really well.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by noopster

The Etios by all accounts is a success story.
With the Etios/Liva

While Etios is a good success for toyota, and will be even better once the diesel is introduced- it's still early days for Liva.

I don't see Liva replicating the Etios success story because it's just not as VFM and cost cutting is all too visible.

Pricing is going to play a big part in the success of the Sunny; or lack-thereof.

IMO-
it simply doesn't have the looks/ features/ engines/ service network to take the fight to city, verna, vento and all. Based on micra story, I don't think they can be too competitive with prices either.

[V-16]

Guys this is a discussion and not a one car v/s another but is it not just so in the real world? Nissan are expected to bring in the Sunny, a hugely popular people's car wherever launched, i read. Then they are expected to price it at the sub & lakh range. That my friends is the catch and their game plan is revealed there. The Sub 7 lakh market is where this will compete with the likes of Maruti SX4, Hyundai Verna, Ford Fiesta, Fiat Linea, Honda City, Volkswagen Vento and Toyota Etios, thats a huge list.

I think if the pricing is right, which they should have learnt by now, a whole lot of cars should be worried. A lot of them are overpriced, especially those above the 10-11 lakh bracket but we have a dearth of choices. If its priced close to the Dzire, Linea Etios levels, all three should be worried. The Dzire, though ugly is in great demand but in its diesel avtar. The Etios though ugly is in demand because of the brand name and sheer Toyota amour plating. The Linea...well its beautiful for starters and thats where it ends. If Nissan plan their price tag right and aggressive, which they should, they will have people eating out of their palms. Well, the Nissan is also as ugly as the other two, apparently more spacious than the Dzire and more comfortable than the Linea. It also has lower NVH levels and is more comfortable than the Etios, well at least it doesn't have fixed head rests which i think is a stupid idea from Toyota.

Then come the engines which is a Japanese trick out of the hat. The same mill used in the diesel Micra, maybe tuned in a better way with VGT, maybe will do a great job. Frugal and enough power to hit the spot. Along with go get prices, should make the SX4s, the Verna, the Hondas and the Ventos sweat a bit, not much but a bit as they are in a different league in looks and creature comforts.

While one cant avoid comparing the similarity of the rear ends of the Dzire and the Sunny, the Sunny's rear end looks better. Its the lights and the lifted butt which makes them similar. Im sure that Nissan must have made a very able handling car with a great engine and dynamics.

If its priced closer to the City and Vento range, i dont think it will work. What would be very interesting to note would be the price and spec level of their top level version vis a vis the others. but it basically will boil down to one thing,...... Price, price, price as Nissan is not yet considered a premium brand in India. Most Teanas are sold as Tourist Taxis (though i think its a brilliant chauffeur driven drawing room) even though the pricing is very very good for what they offer. The Micra has not done much and the X-Trail has not sold much.

Lets just wait and watch and hope that Nissan has learnt its lesson.

[nomadabhi]

Finally I too caught a glimpse of Nissan Sunny. Appearance is big. The whole cockpit had monotonous black. To my surprise I caught one in Kalyan.
Guess it was a base model (silver color) as the steering wheel was missing audio controls though had chrome Nissan logo

[sahakar]

+1 V-16 - If Nissan prices this right, they really will have a winner. Versa is indeed the price warrior in the US and if they match Desire prices or stay a bit above, the whole segment including the City and Vento are gonna feel the heat.

I hope they do some sane pricing and have enough capacity.

Why do you think I still haven't bitten on the City discounts Versa aka Sunny is really on the back of my mind.

I drove it in the US and it felt amazingly appropriate for us here.

I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Cheers

[zariquez]

Originally Posted by mdsaab

While i tend to agree with the majority of your post.
I think this particular Nissan Sunny launched in India, is an India specific model only. and is quite different from the Sunny's sold abroad.
Nissan is probably using the Sunny monicker as it is widely known across the globe.

Hey, in fact this is the same Sunny being sold in every other country around the world. Guaranteed! The only difference is the 1.5lt engine that replaces a 1.6lt if I'm not mistaken, and of course maybe interior strappings.
I believe the car should do pretty well provided Nissan gets its dealerships in place. If Indians could lap up the Indigo Manza and Swift Dzire, the Sunny's sub-par design can definitely slip by.

Carl

[markiv]

by god, what an ugly car. what were they thinking!!

[9thsphinx]

Originally Posted by markiv

by god, what an ugly car. what were they thinking!!

Never go by the looks. They're rather deceptive. And with our Indianized taste - if that even is a word - we've loved some rather odd designs, read Dzire, Logan, Micra et al. As long as its priced right, ANYTHING works.

[mdsaab]

Originally Posted by zariquez

Hey, in fact this is the same Sunny being sold in every other country around the world. Guaranteed! The only difference is the 1.5lt engine that replaces a 1.6lt if I'm not mistaken, and of course maybe interior strappings.
I believe the car should do pretty well provided Nissan gets its dealerships in place. If Indians could lap up the Indigo Manza and Swift Dzire, the Sunny's sub-par design can definitely slip by.

Carl

I think you are right, the other day i did a search for the Nissan Sunny.
Another model popped up. and now today when i browsed to re-check i realised that it was the older Sunny which was launched in 2005.
and in some countries like USA it's known as the Versa sedan.

Something interesting i found in the bargain though is that there is a Versa Hatch too. and this does not look at all like the Micra.




and that there is a notchback version too, like the Dzire and indigo CS.


Note: Pics courtesy respective owners.

On another note.
Nissan probably could not get the Versa name in India, being a moniker used by Maruti.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by mdsaab

I think you are right, the other day i did a search for the Nissan Sunny.
Another model popped up. and now today when i browsed to re-check i realised that it was the older Sunny which was launched in 2005.
and in some countries like USA it's known as the Versa sedan.

Something interesting i found in the bargain though is that there is a Versa Hatch too. and this does not look at all like the Micra.

Note: Pics courtesy respective owners.

On another note.
Nissan probably could not get the Versa name in India, being a moniker used by Maruti.

Nissan has this habit of mixing up the names. If I am right, the car in picture (Versa) is still on sale here in Singapore. But here it is known as the Latio. And the sedan version is indeed a DZire job

The new Sunny looks to have some inspiration from the Latio/Versa, especially on the front. Towards the rear, the Sunny looks much better though.

Here is a link to the Latio sedan http://www.nissan.com.sg/lookfor/lat...io_gallery.cfm

[mdsaab]

The Latio hatch is the same as the one from my previous post.
But the Latio sedan is quite different from the Sunny.
It looks more like the Renault Logan or Mahindra Verito.
Maybe the Sunny is the updated Latio sedan.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by mdsaab

The Latio hatch is the same as the one from my previous post.
But the Latio sedan is quite different from the Sunny.
It looks more like the Renault Logan or Mahindra Verito.
Maybe the Sunny is the updated Latio sedan.

Possible, if that is the case, they have done a good job by reworking the boot. Just for reference, I have included a Latio gallery link in my previous post.

Anyway, for Nissan to bring up the volume, they really need more outlets countrywide to sell the car.