Nissan Russia has revealed the Almera at the Moscow motor show. This small sedan will be made on a specially installed line within the giant AvtoVAZ works in Togliatti.
The new car, which is a heavily modified version of the Nissan Bluebird Sylphy that was built and sold in Japan and China until earlier in 2012, will go on sale in Russia in early 2013. Its basis is the Alliance P3 architecture.
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“We have ambitious expansion plans in Russia and the new Almera will play a central role in that growth,” said François Goupil de Bouille, Nissan Russia’s managing director.
“New Almera offers the interior space expected by a D-segment car but at a B-segment price,” he added.
The Almera is said to measure 4,656mm from bumper to bumper and at 2,700mm, its wheelbase is claimed to be the longest in its class.
The new car has 160mm of ground clearance for Russia’s often bumpy roads, while the rear beam axle and the coil springs have all been stiffened to ensure the car can withstand local conditions.
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By GlobalDataThe bottom of the engine bay is covered by a 2mm thick steel plate while potentially vulnerable brake and fuel pipes running underneath are also covered by a steel plate.
Noise reduction programmes resulted in the use of thicker steel for the platform to reduce stone chipping and splash noise, while the upper body structure was strengthened and stiffened giving both refinement and durability improvements.
The sole engine is a 75kW (102hp) 1.6-litre petrol unit. A five-speed manual gearbox is standard, while the optional automatic transmission has only four speeds.
Nissan says the typical buyer will be a family man living in a regional city. He is making his way up in society and at work and aspires to owning a car with a foreign badge yet retains a rational outlook on life. Almera will be his introduction to the Nissan brand and the Nissan ownership experience and will be used for commuting to work during the week and for extended family dacha trips at the weekend.
It should be noted that the Nissan Almera that recently entered production in Thailand is not the same as Russia’s forthcoming model. Instead, it is a rebadging of Nissan’s latest generation C-segment small car launched earlier this year in China as the Nissan Sylphy. The Thai-built Almera is also sold in Australia as the Pulsar and a similar model for North America, the 2013 Sentra, in built in the US and Mexico.
Author: Glenn Brooks
