Nissan Philippines back on track: Altima and Sylphy track drive

MANILA, Philippines—Barely three months into a much-talked-about unification process that produced a company now called Nissan Philippines Inc. (NPI), the real winners are starting to come out of the Japanese company’s Sta. Rosa plant.

 

And it took one track day for NPI to prove that their return to normalcy—meaning getting back to their business of giving the local market the cars perfect to needs, not to mention whims and caprices—ain’t no make believe.

 

Herding the media for a track drive experience at the Clark International Speedway in Angeles City, Pampanga, NPI called it “Nissan Spin: The New Altima and The New Sylphy Drive Experience.”

 

But it really was the motoring guys’ chance to abuse and disabuse Nissan’s showcase models, with everyone from the NPI hierarchy and a couple of top guys from the Tokyo hub ready to take the hits.

 

“Today commemorates a very historic event for us at Nissan Philippines Inc. as it marks the first of many exciting events and activities of the company. We are pleased to spend this event with our media friends and grateful for their support since our launch last March,” said NPI president and managing director Kenji Naito, moments before the  prepared Altima and Sylphy units were allowed for a day of testing.

 

Nissan Motor Ltd.’s John Zhang and Kiyoshi Itoh flew in for the event with loads of information on both cars.

 

With no modifications whatsoever, the test cars used were on the same specifications as dealer-sold models, including the wheels and tires.  This meant there were no performance-enhancing features like wider tires and wheels, and aftermarket modifications on the suspension and engine.

 

Driving the Altima

 

It was interesting to note that the Altima was assembled in the United States; this American-made Altima outperformed expectations, especially with the bigger 3.5-liter engine variant. Inside the cockpit, the automatic dual zone control air conditioner kept the participants sweat-free in contrast to the blistering summer heat on the track. The plush interiors and premium feel of the cabin belie the fact that there was a beast of an engine powering this midsize executive express. Its front seats are said to have been designed under the expert guidance of US space agency Nasa to create neutral posture seats, similar to the posture astronauts assume in a zero-gravity environment. From the pelvis to the chest, the seat layout is designed to offer the correct support for unparalleled comfort and minimal fatigue particularly for long drives.

 

During takeoff, we were asked to floor the pedal to see how much power these cars have until we approached the first corner. The more powerful Altima 3.5-liter SL variant uses its new VQ35DE model engine with a V-6 aluminum engine with dual overhead camshafts and 24 valves to give out a power rating of  266.30 horsepower and 340 Newton-meters of torque.

 

The smaller-engine Altima SV variant is powered by a 2.5-liter aluminum twin-cam 16-valve, four-cylinder engine with a power rating of 177.53 HP and 243 Nm of torque. Both engines are mated with the next-generation Nissan Xtronic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission).

 

While on the track, one can barely feel the shifting of gears, and the engine revolution was kept on high 3,000 revolutions per minute to lessen power loss during the changing of gears, especially on the track bends. It is also now equipped with Vehicle Dynamic Control with Active Understeer Control. This electronic driving aid minimizes understeer, and offers better handling and a more dynamic driving experience.

 

The 3.5-liter SL variant is also equipped with an all-Bose audio system that has been tuned to the Altima’s interior acoustics, offering world-class audio entertainment at a price of P2.03 million, while the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of the 2.5-liter SV variant is P1.65 million.

 

The new Nissan Sylphy

 

Nissan chose to drop the Sentra label in favor of Sylphy to give this model a fresh take in the market. This global sedan is now sold in more than 120 markets worldwide including the United States, Japan, China and Thailand. The Sylphy is one of Nissan’s core models, and NPI hopes to capitalize its part on the brand’s increased presence in the Philippine market.

 

It currently has two engine variants: A 1.8-liter MRA8DE and 1.6-liter HR16DE engine matched with a new-generation Nissan Xtronic CVT with subplanetary gear ensure smooth shifting and better dynamic driving. The 1.8-liter variant comes only in the Xtronic transmission, while the 1.6-liter variant comes in both Xtronic and manual transmission.

 

Having driven the three variants, all the test cars offered high marks in the handling department during the track event, even without any performance-enhancing modifications whatsoever. NPI kept these test cars all-stock to allow the participants to test these as if they just rolled out of the dealerships. What is notable about driving the Xtronic variants (similar to the Altima experience) is the smooth acceleration and seamless gear changes.

 

The test marshals during the event also commented on how fuel-efficient the cars were as they had the engine running all throughout the whole-day event. Despite the summer heat, engine temperature was in the normal range and cabin temperature was kept very cool.

 

Aside from a fuel-efficient transmission, the Sylphy’s aerodynamic body has a coefficient of drag rating of 0.29 Cd, allowing it to cut through the wind at highway speeds. The stiff body structure allows it to be more agile and to lower vibration. The 1.8-liter variant also features an Intelligent Key that allows for full keyless operation with a push-button engine and is priced at P998,000. The MSRP of others are as follows: P812,000 for the base 1.6-liter MT and P915,000 for the 1.6-liter CVT variant.