My friend was generous enough to let me do a few kms in town on his new Nissan Sunny XL which had clocked just above a hundred kms. I was extremely sedate as it is clearly mentioned in the owner's manual about the running-in that the RPM should not exceed 4k for a minimum of 1600 kms for the HR15 engine. I just wanted to have a feel of the ride and the engine and I think I was able to judge it within the short drive. I will just point out what I felt.
- The major thing you will notice about the caaaar is the caaaar itself. Oodles of space is present every where except the glove box. If a leg-rest is also provided for the back seats, you now own a semi-sleeper!
- The boot space is too much and is relatively flat. The boot opens almost half way using the remote.
- Though I do not applaud the design lines of the Sunny, I don't think it hurts and is bearable than say the Micra. Subjective.
- The MID was showing an FE of 13.3 kmpl, which I do not think is that accurate. After topping up the tank initially, not even a bar has disappeared for approximately 140 km of driving.
- The steering felt small and extremely light and too responsive at slow speeds.
- The light colored interiors all around adds to the already cliched space inside the Sunny. Even the steering is light colored. I wonder how one will upkeep the interior spotless.
- The head room in the rear seats is nothing commendable.
- Like the Polo petrol sounds like a diesel engine upon starting, the Nissan Sunny too feels like a diesel upon starting. But if the A/C is not switched on, the Sunny beats the Chevy Beat in terms of NVH upon idle. Though from the outside, if one is to listen to the idling engine, the tone of the engine sound seemed a bit like the old Qualis. I personally do not like such an engine note. It reminds me of an old vehicle - something similar to the Willy's station wagon. Like someone has forgot a bolt inside the cylinder when it was built.
- Though I didn't push the engine, it felt powerful with lot of low-end torque and felt like it is capable of doing a lot more.
- One real negative is the transmission though. It was really irritating to hear some clatter upon gear shifts, especially on lower gears. I did not like the slotting of the gears and the position of the slots. Another thing I noted was a buzz coming from the transmission as and when the RPM increases. We might mistake it coming from the engine, but I felt it coming from the transmission. Zero marks for the transmission.
- Felt that the OEM speakers is just average. There is distortion / vibration of the speakers on maximum volume.
- It is good thing that the ABS and airbag is present even in the base model.
- I loved the windshield washer. When I sprayed it first, I thought the washer motor didn't have enough power. Hold on. Keep it pressed a bit more, you won't get a jet of water, but a nice spray all over the windshield.
- Felt the sound of the horn creeping into the cabin.
- Doors close with the lightest of effort.
- The center console housing the buttons for climate control are a straight lift from the Micra. So are the voice controls for the head unit on the steering. But good that they limited the lifting to these two.
- Plastic quality is just above average.
- Noticed that the rear glass do not have a rubber beading around it! Is it glued to the body?
- Ride quality. I personally did not like the ride quality. Expected the ~7 lacs car to glide over small potholes, but it was not the case. I could not find a comfort which I expect from cars of this segment.
- Driver seating position felt a bit high, but I think it is adjustable. Couldn't try it though.
- Personally, I liked the black color to match the Sunny well. The Sunny looked like a big whale in black - front grill and the rear quarter adding to the feeling.
These are all that I remember now.