Nissan Motor on Monday launched a new sedan model that will, with minor styling, specification and name variations such as Tiida, Versa and maybe Sentra, eventually be sold in 170 countries.
Revealed at a motor show in Guangzhou, the new Sunny is on sale first in China in January 2011.
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It replaces a model first introduced there in 2003 – and significant as the first locally built model from the new Dongfeng Nissan partnership.
Nissan has projected class leading fuel economy and is targeting Chinese families with parents in their 30s.
The redesigned Sunny carries over the 1.5-litre HR15DE engine with dual injectors coupled to a new ‘Xtronic’ CVT with an auxiliary transmission but both will be new to China.
MacPherson struts are used for the front suspension and a torsion beam at the rear.
The new car will be assembled in Dongfeng Nissan’s Huadu Plant in Guangzhou.
Some UK media speculation suggests this is the replacement for the Tiida/Versa, which is positioned below the Sentra in the US and also sold as a hatchback; the Sunny and Sentra names have previously appeared on similar models.
Nissan’s sales are forecast to exceed 1,000,000 units in 2010, compared to the original plan of 860,000 units, including passenger and light commercial vehicles, and Infiniti. It plans to sell 1,150,000 units in 2011.
