Nissan Pulsar, presentation and test drive in Barcelona

A few weeks after its unveiling, at Highmotor we have already had the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the first units that have arrived in our country.

The Pulsar arrives in the European market ready to become one of the reference compacts within one of the most contested segments of the automotive market.

The Nissan Pulsar is one of the Japanese brand’s firmest and strongest bets in recent years. It has been designed and built with the European market in mind, with an investment of more than €114 million and developed at the brand’s technical centre in Barcelona. Its production will also be handled by the plant located in Zona Franca, where, once the launch has stabilised, it will produce around 63,000 units in line with sales forecasts for the European market.

Exterior design and dimensions

One of the pillars of the Pulsar’s development has been achieving an attractive design for the typical customer. That is why Nissan has opted for a mid-size body within the C-Segment, offering an overall length of 4.4 metres. A truly notable point of the Pulsar is its wheelbase, the largest in the segment at 2.7 metres. This translates into a surprising interior space, which we will discuss later.

The front of the Pulsar maintains the family look of the Japanese manufacturer’s latest creations, with a grille finished in an arrow shape. The headlights feature the LED lights we can already see on other models such as the Qashqai or the X-Trail. The lines created at the front extend along the side, which features a very high waistline. The rear of the vehicle stands out for its boomerang-shaped tail lights, a characteristic trait also found on the most modern models in the Nissan range.

Interior design

Moving on to the interior, we immediately find one of the most spacious and bright interiors in the segment, in some respects surpassing even vehicles from higher segments. The driver’s seat offers a slightly higher driving position than other rivals, providing a pleasant sense of confidence.

The straight dashboards that once dominated interior designs have given way to a completely rounded surface, where the instrumentation catches the eye thanks to its 5″ colour screen. The dashboard is dominated by a large floating-style console from which we control the entertainment and climate systems.

In the centre tunnel we find the start button (on vehicles equipped with it), as well as a pair of storage compartments. The front seat heating controls are also operated from separate switches on the centre console.

The rear is brilliantly spacious. Second-row occupants will travel like true kings thanks to the generous room they enjoy for both knees and head. Visibility is really good thanks to a glazed area that, contrary to the trends of recent years, is very notable.

The interior materials attract few criticisms thanks to the extensive use of soft plastics in the trim of both the dashboard and the doors. The armrests, both central and on the doors, are upholstered in leather and provide a pleasing sense of quality. It is also true that details such as the instrument hood, finished in hard plastic, or the painted glossy plastics of the centre console may detract somewhat from an interior that, as a general rule, is very well finished.

Equipment and technology

The Pulsar stands out for equipment on a par with the segment’s big names. From the start of its sales, the Nissan compact will be offered in four trim levels:

Visia: Alloy wheels, electric windows on all four doors, tyre pressure sensor, Stop/Start and Active Trace Control, among others.

Acenta: Adds to the Visia items such as fog lights, dual-zone climate control, light and rain sensors or keyless start.

N-Tec: Adds to the Acenta tinted glass, LED headlights for dipped beam and position lights, the front anti-collision system or the rear-view camera, as well as the NissanConnect system.

Tekna: The Tekna is the highest equipment level. It adds to the other trims items such as leather upholstery, the Intelligent Protection Shield or the 360º camera.

As we can see, the Pulsar offers a very complete technological package, capable of greatly simplifying the task of driving.

Engines and driving

We now arrive at one of the most interesting parts of our first contact with the Pulsar. Finally we get behind the wheel to drive the two versions that will initially go on sale. One is a diesel option powered by the well-known 1.5 dCi with 110 CV and 260 NM and origin Renault, and the other is a petrol version powered by the 1.2 DIG-T with 115 CV and 190 NM.

The diesel version will probably be the choice of the vast majority of buyers. It is an engine that responds well in almost any situation, moving the approximately 1,350 kg the Pulsar weighs with ease. It is a very well-balanced option, capable of consumption figures around 5 litres per 100 kilometres, responding firmly to the accelerator.

The petrol alternative offers an extra dose of smoothness that may win over a good number of buyers. Consumption is not as low as the diesel version, but it is possible to achieve around 5.5-6 litres on the road, and not exceed 7 litres in town. Both versions are paired with a 6-speed manual gearbox with a precise and quick feel, although the petrol version will also be offered in a few weeks with a CVT automatic gearbox called X-Tronic.

The Pulsar’s chassis is, at present, far ahead of the powertrains that move it. So much so that at Nissan they are so aware of this that they have already announced that in the coming months they will present a higher-performance version equipped with the 1.6 DIG-T engine with 190 CV, which will delight users looking for extra thrust and driving sensations.

The price of the versions that Nissan considers will be the best sellers sits at around 20,000 euros, which gives it a slight advantage over its rivals, which in any case cost between 5 and 10% more.
As a launch promotion, the Pulsar in its Visia version, powered by the 1.2 DIG-T engine with 115 CV, can be purchased for €13,900. Without a doubt, Nissan wants to make its Pulsar a reference, and we have no doubt it will achieve it.

Source | Nissan and Highmotor