Nissan Motor Philippines has finally joined the B-segment (subcompact) fray with its bigger, better equipped Almera sedan. The Almera is shaped like much of its Japanese subcompact competition, but it has a longer wheelbase—2600mm, as long as the Toyota Corolla Altis’. This translates to more kneeroom for the rear passengers. Nissan reckons that the Almera has the kneeroom of C or even D-segment sedans. The roofline is also taller, for more headroom. Nissan hasn’t neglected the trunk space, either, with a City-rivaling 490 liter capacity.
Almera is powered by a 1.5-liter dohc 16-valve four-cylinder, with 98hp and 134Nm. It runs on 93 octane gasoline. The engine mates to a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic.
The Almera chassis uses MacPherson strut front and a torsion beam rear axle. Brakes are disc front/drum rear, with ABS, EBD, and Brake Assist. 15-inch tires are standard. The chassis is highly competent both for city use and the occasional drive out to the country.
Features include electric power steering, avaialable rear aircon vent and blower control, power windows and door locks, three-point seatbelts for all passengers, and keyless entry system.
Almera starts at P710,000 for the base 1.5 MT; P760,000 for the base 1.5 AT and P830,000 for the “Mid” AT variant.
Almera is proudly assembled in the Philippines, at Nissan’s modern Santa Rosa plant.
Here’s more from Nissan: Nissan announced the launch of the all-new Nissan Almera, showing the company’s growing ambitions in the Filipino market.
“The Philippines’ steady economic growth and receptive market have encouraged Nissan to get more involved in the market,” said Nissan regional vice president Takayuki Kimura. “Followed by its global success, launching the Almera in the Philippines will strengthen our local product lineup and become an important milestone to engage with our Filipino customers.”
Total industry volume in the Philippines for calendar year 2012 reached 178,645 units, a 10.6 percent increase compared to 2011.
Since it was first launched in China in January 2011, the global sedan (named Sunny, Versa and Latio in other markets) has boasted a combined sales of more than 591,000 units through December 2012. Attracting customers in major markets such as the US and China with features such as low fuel consumption, a spacious interior, and competitive price positioning, the sedan has been well-received in all 104 countries that it is currently available.
Thailand led the introduction of Almera in the ASEAN region in October 2011, being the first sedan to meet the Thai government’s eco-car policy. With cumulative sales of 64,934 units through December 2012, Almera contributed significantly to solidify Nissan’s position as the country’s eco-car leader. The vehicle was launched in Malaysia exactly a year later and since then, more than 12,800 customers have placed orders for Almera, six times the monthly sales target.
“Thanks to Almera’s strong performance in Thailand and Malaysia, expanding our footprint to the
Philippines was a natural move. We hope to attract many first-time car buyers to this global sedan and reach sales of 3,000 units annually, which will contribute to our ASEAN mid-term business plan goal of achieving 15 percent market share in 2016,” added Kimura.
Assembled for the Philippines at the Nissan Tecnopark plant in Santa Rosa City, Laguna, Almera is powered by a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder engine. Available in both five-speed manual and automatic transmissions, the sedan is offered in three variants.
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