Automotive

Nissan reveals its new Pulsar hatch

Nissan reveals its new Pulsar hatch
The Pulsar can be specced with LED headlights
The Pulsar can be specced with LED headlights
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Nissan claims the Pulsar's interior is more spacious than that of its competitors
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Nissan claims the Pulsar's interior is more spacious than that of its competitors
Nissan's new Pulsar can be specced with a 5.8-inch touchscreen
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Nissan's new Pulsar can be specced with a 5.8-inch touchscreen
The rear seats will fold flat to increase luggage space
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The rear seats will fold flat to increase luggage space
The Pulsar is available with two engines at launch
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The Pulsar is available with two engines at launch
Nissan has been generous with standard equipment on the Pulsar
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Nissan has been generous with standard equipment on the Pulsar
Nissan's Pulsar draws on the styling direction of the X-Trail
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Nissan's Pulsar draws on the styling direction of the X-Trail
Both Pulsars will exceed 55 mpg
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Both Pulsars will exceed 55 mpg
The diesel Pulsar has CO2 emissions of less than 100 g/km
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The diesel Pulsar has CO2 emissions of less than 100 g/km
The Pulsar's long wheelbase grants extra rear legroom
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The Pulsar's long wheelbase grants extra rear legroom
The Pulsar's rear suspension is a torsion-beam system
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The Pulsar's rear suspension is a torsion-beam system
Up front, the Pulsar uses a MacPherson strut front suspension system
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Up front, the Pulsar uses a MacPherson strut front suspension system
The Pulsar's Active Trace Control mimics a limited -slip differential
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The Pulsar's Active Trace Control mimics a limited -slip differential
The new Nissan Pulsar hatch
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The new Nissan Pulsar hatch
The Pulsar is available with a full range of active safety features
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The Pulsar is available with a full range of active safety features
Drivers can spec a 360 degree around-view monitor
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Drivers can spec a 360 degree around-view monitor
The new Nissan Pulsar
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The new Nissan Pulsar
The Pulsar can be specced with LED headlights
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The Pulsar can be specced with LED headlights
Drivers can option lane-keeping assist on the new Pulsar
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Drivers can option lane-keeping assist on the new Pulsar
Nissan is offering the Pulsar with a standard 6-speed manual gearbox
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Nissan is offering the Pulsar with a standard 6-speed manual gearbox
The Pulsar's rear suspension is a cheaper setup than the Ford Focus' independent system
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The Pulsar's rear suspension is a cheaper setup than the Ford Focus' independent system
The new Nissan Pulsar
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The new Nissan Pulsar
There are 4 different trim levels available on the Pulsar
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There are 4 different trim levels available on the Pulsar
Pricing starts at £15,995
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Pricing starts at £15,995
View gallery - 23 images

Nissan has revealed its all-new Pulsar hatchback, which will be available with a raft of active safety features and two fuel efficient engines at launch: a turbocharged 1.2-liter petrol engine and a 1.5-liter diesel motor.

A product of Nissan's alliance with Renault, the Pulsar's 1.5-liter, turbocharged 4-cylinder diesel engine produces 110 hp (81 kW) of power from 4000 rpm. The engine's real strength is its 260 Nm of torque, available between 1750 and 2500 rpm, which should allow drivers to easily surge through gaps in stop-start traffic. Nissan has paid particular attention to refinement with the diesel, with "major changes to the engine's internals" contributing to smoother startup and idle than the diesel in the outgoing Pulsar. To achieve its CO2 emissions figure of 94 g/km, the car comes standard with auto start-stop, and returns 78.5 mpg (3.6 l/100km).

The petrol option is a turbocharged 1.2-litre motor, which produces more power than the diesel with 115 hp (85 kW) but significantly less torque, with 190 Nm from 2000 rpm. Like the diesel, the 1.2-liter Pulsar comes standard with Nissan's auto start-stop system, which helps achieve a CO2 emissions figure of 117 g/km and a combined economy figure of 56.5 mpg (5.0 l/100km).

The Pulsar's rear suspension is a torsion-beam system
The Pulsar's rear suspension is a torsion-beam system

Suspension is MacPherson struts up front and a torsion beam rear setup, which saves space and weight, but also isn't as advanced as the independent rear suspension system on the Ford Focus. Nissan says the car's Active Trace Control will help with handling by braking individual wheels when it detects the car running wide under power, theoretically mimicking the action of a traditional limited-slip differential.

On the inside, Nissan has focused on making the Pulsar spacious for front and rear passengers thanks to a 2,700 mm (106 in) wheelbase, which is 100 mm (4 in) longer than the Toyota Auris and 15 mm (0.6 in) longer than the wheelbase on Chevrolet's current Cruze. The Pulsar also uses this extra length to provide a 375 liter boot, which is bigger than the Auris' but smaller than the 410 liter boot on the Chevrolet Cruze hatch.

As well as extra space, upper-spec cars include a dash mounted, 5.8 inch touchscreen that controls the latest generation of NissanConnect. The infotainment system integrates navigation and Bluetooth phone control with apps like TripAdvisor.

Nissan is offering the Pulsar with a standard 6-speed manual gearbox
Nissan is offering the Pulsar with a standard 6-speed manual gearbox

Nissan has filled the option list with active safety options, under the umbrella of "Nissan Safety Shield". The Safety Shield is comprised of blind spot warning, lane departure warning and automatic emergency braking, and is driven by a camera that will clean (and blow-dry) itself when special sensors detect dirt on the lens.

Those who find parking tricky can opt for a 360-degree around-view monitor, which uses cameras mounted on the front grille, rear bumper and door mirrors to project a birds-eye view of the car's surrounding onto the Pulsar's dashboard screen. It is automatically engaged when the car is in reverse, or can be turned on manually at speeds up to 10 km/h (6 mph).

The new Pulsar will be assembled at Nissan's factory in Barcelona for the European market. It will be available in four different trim levels, and pricing starts from £15,995 (US$26,057). There is no word on how (or if) the Pulsar hatch will slot into Nissan's US range (the outgoing Pulsar sedan is the same car as the current Sentra in the US).

Source: Nissan UK

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