The big news in the local motoring scene last week was the launch of the Nissan Almera and its RM66,800 starting price. When that was announced at the event last Tuesday, a series of gasps were audible even within that big hall, followed by applause – it caught many of us off guard.
Not only, then, is this an important car for Nissan; the competitive pricing alone is enough to make the Nissan Almera a serious contender in the B-segment, already the domain of rivals Toyota Vios and Honda City.
The said segment is a significant one – according to Edaran Tan Chong Motor, it accounts for more than 38% of the Malaysian car market, with between 18,000 and 19,000 cars sold per month. If Nissan is to achieve its sales target of 10,000 units for the first three months, there is little room for error – the Nissan Almera is a car it has to get right.
With more than half a million already sold globally, it makes a pretty strong case for itself from the start. Still, there’s nothing like actually driving it to get some real-world answers, and this was fulfilled for a group of members of the media in a recent test drive to Melaka, where not only did we stretch the Nissan Almera’s legs, we stretched ours too at the back. There’s enough room for that, you bet.
The media drive fleet was made up of Nissan Almera V- and VL-spec cars – the highest and likely to be the better-selling two out of the four variants on offer, which made the test drive all the more relevant. I drove the V to Melaka and the VL on the return trip, and although they’re obviously no different to drive, there is considerable variation particularly in interior trim and equipment.
As standard, both have front fog lamps, black door pillar garnish, variable intermittent wipers, twin airbags, seven-spoke alloys and remote boot release differentiating them from the lower E grade. The range-topping VL adds on keyless entry (called Intelligent Key) and push start, automatic air-con and Fine Vision Meter with multi information display in its instrument panel. V starts from RM76,800; VL from RM79,800.
You can be the judge in terms of looks. I find the Nissan Almera’s styling understated, to say the least. Then again, there are people who prefer their cars this way. Personally, I like the look of the Impul bodykit, along with rear spoiler – it lends a certain degree of subtle aggression to an otherwise sedately styled sedan.
Step inside and you are greeted by a simple cockpit that’s arguably more function than form. Material quality is par for a car in this price range, but switches, knobs and controls in general do have a relative solidness in their operation, although obviously quite some way from premium in outright physical feel. No complaints as far as driver ergonomics are concerned – controls are where they should be and fall intuitively to hand.
The day began with an eco drive segment – we were to drive from ETCM’s Southgate showroom to Port Dickson as ‘normally’ as possible, with air-con on and without coasting or turning the engine off, while keeping between 80 and 110 km/h on the highway. This was managed without fuss, save for the occasional wait at traffic lights and the erratic morning traffic that threatened to worsen our consumption figures.
I drove the Nissan Almera in a relaxed manner during this stint, venturing beyond half throttle only once or twice. I found the electrically-assisted power steering perhaps a little too light for me at low speeds, but this is arguably a matter of individual preference. In any case, it isn’t devoid of feel – feedback from road surface undulations is well communicated to the driver, while directness and accuracy is above average.
The Nissan Almera does feel quite solid to drive and well put together, despite its affordability. Instrumental to that is a pliant, well-damped ride and sufficiently muted engine sound levels at low revs. The cabin also refused to emit any rattles, creaks or squeaks even when going through nasty ridges or potholes.
At the end of the 90 km eco drive, we brimmed the cars’ tanks and worked out our results. My car used 4.87 litres of petrol, which translates to an average of 18.5 km per litre, beating the quoted 14.9 for the automatic transmission variant by quite a margin.
Out of the thirteen Nissan Almeras in the media drive convoy (all of them automatic), the best achieved fuel consumption on that run was a staggering 24.8 km per litre, and the worst was 14.5, which is quite remarkable considering each car had three people on board, plus bags and other equipment in the boot. The average for all thirteen cars was taken to be 16.6 km per litre.
Sitting in the back of the Nissan Almera, I can report that the much-touted 636 mm of legroom is a real boon especially when travelling long distances, and the seat base is angled just so to provide good thigh support. Nissan claims best-in-class cabin space; most of it must be down to that legroom because head and elbow room are skimped on somewhat.
Now I’m not overly tall, but my head hits the tapered roofline if I lean back in my seat. Also, if two regular-sized adults were seated on the rear bench, the person in the middle would find it a real squeeze unless he or she were relatively small in stature. I also noted the absence of door and seat back pockets for the rear passengers.
Soon it was time to hit the open road. Free of eco constraints this time, we engaged the cars in a spirited drive down some scenic and winding rural roads. With 102 PS and 139 Nm of torque from the 1.5 litre HR15DE four-pot, acceleration from a standstill is just short of brisk, and one learns to carry more speed into the corners to save having to bury the throttle getting out of them. The engine note turns a little harsh beyond 3,000 rpm, but it isn’t excessively loud.
Kickdown on the four-speed automatic is quick enough for most overtaking situations, and thanks to an engine that spins pretty freely, the Nissan Almera reaches its 4,000 rpm power band fast. Gear changes are leisurely at best, but for the most part smooth and imperceptible. Steering feel weights up nicely with speed, too, and grip and body control levels are acceptable.
The brakes, although a seemingly outdated front-disc, rear-drum affair, provide more than enough stopping power for a one-tonne car such as this. There is no sudden bite; instead pedal action is predictable and progressively linear, making gradual application and release easier.
At the further end of the speedometer, the Nissan Almera is moderately refined. Wind noise is present, but the car does not fidget excessively and not a lot of steering effort is required to keep it on track. You wouldn’t want to do such speeds for a sustained time, though.
Both the V- and VL-spec Nissan Almeras I drove were equipped with the multimedia navigation system, a RM2,800 option. The in-house developed unit (by TC Auto Tooling) brings together a rear view camera display, DVD, iPod, USB and Bluetooth.
Legibility during the day is fairly good, although most would need to select the brightest setting. The six-inch screen is responsive to the touch, and system response is adequately quick. There’s also a split-screen feature that shows navigation on one side and radio on the other.
Has Nissan got the Nissan Almera right? To properly answer that question we would have to line it up side-by-side against its main rivals, but from the drive alone it is clear that the newest B-segmenter to hit town is attractively packaged. Its strong points are its simplicity, frugality, that rear leg space as well as an extensive catalogue of add-ons.
The basic RM66,800 Nissan Almera may be, well, basic, but it’s still good to know there’s an offering in this segment for that money, and at any rate, you can always spec it up with only what you need – a familiar business model that often makes sense. In these times of economic uncertainty, the Nissan Almera may be just what Nissan needs in our market.
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it is a good car.
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Styling a bit lost and too vioslike.
If only they have telescopic steering adjustment.
OMG…..how many people will actually use telescopic adjustment. It’s in all luxury cars but never see anyone using it and you find this a VERY important point in a car…duh….
all cars are using telescopic steering columns.
the actual term is rake adjustment.
and if it is an 8 way adjustable, it is called rake & reach.
OMG…The ‘BEST’ CAR ever for Nissan family car…
ETCM, pls introduced another auto variant priced below 60k as there are those who couldn’t afford the 69K to 79K range. Could be done by using more local components but do not skimp on quality as well as safety. This will benefit those average income earner and of course increase sales.
No full picture of dashboard because it’s UGLY!
dear Paul,
what is the RPM if you drove about 80kmh-120kmh? what is the RM fuel that you filled in go and forth from Melaka?
Hi RVP20, the rpm between 80 and 120 km/h varies depending on gear and throttle position, but at a constant 110 km/h in overdrive the engine spins at about 2,750 rpm. We didn’t fill up coming back from Melaka – we only filled up 4.87 litres after the first 90 km to work out the average fuel consumption.
see, even 4 speed gearbox also can achieve excellent fuel consumption. the secret does not lies only the number of gears but as long as a car is light, with moderate engine capacity and skinny tyres it will do the job well.
even a 4 speeder is fine as long it has an overdrive ratio, which should be below 1.000
now, if the almera can easily gets 20km/L, whats the point of having a prius C if the difference is not much (the range for prius C is 22.5-24km/L)??
i agreed with u…whats the point to have a very expensive hybrid car..like prius c..with cheap interior..n u need to stndby rplacing the btry fr 4-5 years worth 7K… when u can have Almera with fc quite similar
Well, I am driving a Vios and Prius C.
Yes, depending on the way they drive eco mode, actually I can get 18.5 km/l on my Vios too if using the same way they drive. That’s the normal FC of a 1.5 l car in highway speed without jam.
However, in town, things get a little different. Fuel consumption in town is merely 11 km/l. The nissan almera should be around there too maybe slightly better.
However, the Prius C get 23 km/l on highway eco mode, and 27 km/l in town.
Furthermore, people buy it for the 7 airbags and VSC.
Hi,
How is Almera air cond ?
Bloody cold, suitable in Malaysia. I turn on 21 celcius and one level of fan speed also can feel the iceberg feel even though outside is hot like an oven.
is it ? i drove latio and grand livina with tinted windows. these 2 models’ air cond quite lousy for me at 1st fan speed with lowest temperature.
*Due to previous post’s characters problem*
Hi Jonathan and readers,
Compare between almera and ford fiesta, which 1 is more worth overall ?
I’m just collecting opinion !
Thanks !
I will choose this over Preve.
preve wins hands down,
it can do 100km/h at 2,000rpm, more or less like sylphy and in different league already
Preve drinks petrol like an alcoholic during Oktoberfest .
.
…… And personally do not fancy a cvt gearbox, if only there was preve cfe with six speed manual ……if only
don’t compare tiny 1.5 engine with turbocharged 1.6 engine, lol. power wise it cannot go against preve’s 205nm lol.
What is the use of 205nm with a broken lower arm?
amoi lets try crash ur car and see how ur lower arm broke like a piece.
Why aaa.. Malaysian always syok to compare between epal and pear not epal to epal?…
huhuhu…
One shouldn’t always compare the specs. Most of the time it boils down to the feel of driving the car. How refine the car is, how smooth and also how reliable the car is. Putting all these criteria into the picture, I would say the Almera win hands down.
I dun wan to buy proton products anymore…it stink of a non-working 30 years old man who still want to ask the parents for pocket money
I dun wan to buy proton products anymore…it stink of a jobless 30 years old man who still stick with the parents at home and ask for pocket money
Thanks for the rational comment; I think you are right. Like driving a Myvi is quite an enjoyable thing compare to a more powerful Proton, however, I find it more comfortable as a passenger in a Proton car than Myvi. So the spec is just for reference sometime.
Yea and thousands find it more comfortable in Myvi than a Proton. The sales figure tells it all.
Amoi, if sales figure can tell you how comfortable a Myvi is to a Proton. Then Mercedes, BMW, Audi can all close shop d. Same advice to those who use Toyota’s sales figure to compare some ridiculous stuff.
Ha ha… you proton people just don’t get it. It is not the spec. Just drive your Preve (Prayer) for 3 years and try to sell it after. Problems aside, you will lose more and nobody will call you to buy your POS. I hope you know why Smart people drives Toyota, Honda and Nissan.
Smart ppl don’t invest in car.
ya ya…car is nothing…poor investment
Or maybe you’re saying that Smart guys get Inspira?
3 years is the normal period which a car is in its most reliable state. Most people will go for a new one after that.
If you are driving a Preve, are you going to stay driving it for a whole 9 years loan period?
ya, so true!!
Smart ppl drive Proto Saga FLX with lots of Property…:)
Ya. Smart. Smart enough to pay RM180k for a car without ESC and very few airbags.
Smart enough to be so selfish that he is willing to sacrifice the safety of his family, wife, kids, parents for the sake of RV.
what littlebear said is correct. i tested the car already last weekend. even though preve is C segment, but driving feel is no where compare to this almera. proton is still a proton. hopefully they can learn something from honda.and fyi, this car price already increased 5k because the promotion is overed as per SA.
preve test car is pre prod car, of course sucks.
this car actually looks better than preve
Even with that figure Preve is still high on fuel consumption….what can people say about Proton.
Jetta 1.4tsi go for 160km/h at 3000rpm.
Top speed 260kmp/h at 1 minute
Well, overall I don said Almera is better then Preve or what, but so far I never encounter any owner, from friends or from the web that say their Preve is problem free after a month owning the car, this include minor issue that require to be fixed at the service center during your 1k or 5k service. Yes. NONE (aft a month owning the car). If you don believe, go to ask your friend, or check yourself at any forum etc. Remember, especially minor issues. On the other hand, performance wise it’s on par, handling even better than same range of car.
Peter, have you actually test drive both car? If not keep your mouth shut. You are just like a regular keyboard warrior who act like an expert after hearing a thing or two from his friends, auntie and uncle.
Yes. Did test drive one. And many friends share a lot too. Thanks for calling me uncle. At least older & more realistic than you. You don have to be so vulgar in forum. Base on my comment, anyone with the right sense won treat me as expert, at most a dissatisfied user. But you, nobody even bother to know who you are.
So true Peter… Better trust you than PENANG PLAYBOY…. who would trust Penang Playboy anyway??? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!! SUCKS big time le you playboy… are you?
Good one Peter.
Almera ke Vios ke City ke Preve ke asal mampu je la. As long as tak kena tarik. For pasar malam guy like me, i only mampu drive proton saga 1982 and never lose to any of this beautiful C segment cars
Just wonder, there isn’t any feedback on handling?
Comparison to Vios,City and Fiesta Sedan of the same segments, and also Preve/Forte in the similar price range.
Handling of the Almera, Vios, City and Fiesta Sedan is quite soft. Body roll is quite pronounced as those are all comfort biased sedans. Great for long distance travel. Haven’t tested the Vios TRD though.
Fiesta Hatch, Preve and Forte have sportier handling ( harder suspension, corners flatter ). Not so comfortable i would say, but if u like to attack curvy roads, those are the cars for u. But also bear in mind Preve and FOrte are C segment vehicles compared to the rest which are B segment
I have tried the Fiesta Sedan before, I do think the handling is the best among the B segment sedan. Yet to try 207 somehow, have to reserve my comment this car.
Forte? Dun know but I dun like the handling it at all, perhaps I was spoiled with the handling of Preve. It does really unrival in the C segment, agreed by Paultan’s review too. Perhaps the New Civic will be a good fight in this segment.
Elantra? To me more like a lady car, the suspension is too soft….
Suitable to fetch kids from/to school, go to work, certainly not for spiritual driving.
What no plate is that?
Toto number
kl dah stat plat number baru ka? who’s lucky registered WYY999?
Should be who is the lucky guy for W1A.
Trade Plate or Temporary license plate.
that is actually trade plate numbers, instead of hanging them JPJ allows the plate number to be displayed like that while the real one is kept inside along with its license.
hence the reason for blue background – similar to trade plates as well.
nissan is roaring again !.. still remember the 80`s when sunny its a hit among many Malaysian … will it rule again?
I guess it’d nice if TC opted Sunny name instead of Almera.
Sunny enjoyed a very good reputation in Malaysia.
“Awas Absorber Bumper!”
Awas! Absorber Bumper! That’s a good one, i missed the writings on the bumper that you don’t quite see it anymore. Hehehe..
all over the world Sunny is also known as Pulsar, Sentra, Almera and Tiida (and also Apria and Platina for south america).
Every Nissan dealers in every country has the right to choose the name they like for that particular model. Nissan Almera was used in UK as long as in the 1990s.
Nissan is not alone in doing this, some other manufacturers including our own Malaysians do use alternative names for different type of markets.
example like
Honda Civic = Ballade
Proton Waja = Impian
Proton Wira = Persona
Proton Satria = Compact
Proton Putra = Coupe
Daihatsu Sirion = Boon
Hyundai Lantra = Elantra
Hyundai Atos = Atoz (A to Z)
Kia Sephia = Shuma = Spectra = Forte
Mazda Capella = 626 = Atenza
Mitsubishi Chariot = Grandis = Space Wagon
Toyota Picnic = Ipsum
Toyota Lancruiser Prado = Colorado
Toyota Previa = Estima = Tarago (Australia)
Perodua Kancil = Nippa (UK)
Too bad Tan Chong is not offering CVT and traction control as options on the Nissan Almera.
Why do you need traction control in a 100hp car?
I tested this car and I feel that the smoothness of the engine and suspension is superb. The car suitable for city drive and to people who opt for comfort. But for heavy footer, this is not a car for you because this car the car is too ‘soft’. The rear leg room is also big (surprisingly) but the width quite small to sit 3 adult people. It just the basic model looks too ugly and if you mind the look, you might need to install the bodykit.
well said, Mozilla.
dear tan..
i already book one..but when i do a test drive..i fell it little “heavy” to move (at the traffic light)(tak de pickup)..so im wondering how it performence when i want to overtaking a car at the normal road without using overdrive funtion…really net ur opinion coz i already have bad experieance on this matter with my old car..it is car got enough power to to do clear overtaking…waiting 4 ur respon..tq
You don’t use the overdrive function to improve pickup! Overdrive is to save fuel, not to increase pickup. Overdrive increases the trasmission ratio – thus the engine can operate at lower rpm.
Use overdrive when cruising in highway.
OD = GB will only shift up at higher RPM range = use more fuel!
But your nick name does say it all. I don’t blame you :)
not sure trolling or dumb
Yup..the correct term shud be Overdrive Off function, not Overdrive function..any gear ratio 1.0 and above will be called overdrive, normally 4th ratio of 4AT is overdrive, thus by off the overdrive, the gearbox downshift to 3rd for better pick-up..
I’m a Nissan owner with 4AT trasmission. My car has an “Overdrive OFF” button. The car manual says that it is suitable when driving up the hill. When in OD Off mode, it will stay maximum at 3rd gear. I always use this mode (press the OD Off button) when hill driving (up and down) and overtaking. The OD Off indicator will light up in the display near tachometer.
tengok dari belakang macam vios..
Idont think so,
back look like the old fairlady 350z..
Front oso..
The whole car looks like Fairlady la..easy like that.
One has to applaud Nissan for offering it at an attractive price (Auto A/C and push start FTW!) and with a good optional kit list. Options like reverse camera and GPS are not even offered on cars like the BMW 3 Series or the Mercedes C Class!
I guess this is ETCM’s answer to the rakyat’s call for cheaper foreign brand cars?
This car is not so cheap la bro…RM66,800 for basic spec is not cheap.
What about Toyota Vios J (MT) RM72,404? I think a lot better than this Almera and more affordable for rakyatsss. =)
Hope almera will beat vios n city sales flat.
Almera makes Honda/Toyota look a bit expensive. Especially the City. And who wants to buy a Proton when you can get a Japanese car for the same?
Nice work, Nissan. Competition is good for us consumers.
Did it come standard together with that Eagle F1 tyre?
Test car & standard showroom car fitted with 15″ Continental CC1 (so outdated) but got optional to upgrade to Eagle F1 D5 16″@RM300/piece or 17″@RM350/piece(so cheap!). Any Nissan SA WTS 16″ F1 D5 to me for my current ride hehehe…
It ACTUALLY looks better than a Preve!! Much better!!
Really? Are your serious? I thought malaysian fail to design good looking car, so this probably the reason. The people also have a bad taste.
Really loves this car…
I prefer AT than CVT as the CVT fails very soon…
Especially with those heavy foot driver…
the high spec is having better interior design, becoz the 3 buttons temperature control in d low spec look really ugly. this car is meant for comfort drive, not for golden right leg people.
I saw 2 different dashboard here, One with round controller together with LED display another with 3 controller withou LED display
the round controller one is fully auto air-conditioning..another one is manual adjustment air-conditioning..but both of it is ugly look..hahahah
I thought i could get more info.
U can take pictures with any passenger for eyes comparison. Its hard to imagine for a blank seat.
And maybe can take the boot space with some luggage.
Need more overall review for that 2 hour journey.
Has Nissan got the Almera right? To properly answer that question we would have to line it up side-by-side against its main rivals, but from the drive alone it is clear that the newest B-segmenter to hit town is attractively packaged.
it would be great if can have the comparison for B-segment….
Is this car designed by Tony Stark?
it has the similar design language ^.^
this car looks like it was designed as a hatchback. the rear boot make it look ugly.
when will hatchback come?
actually the design started off as a hatchback.. it was based on nissan march platform.. just like vios born from yaris platform..
when i read that almera only has 102PS, it is really a big turn off. looking at it as a newer model compare to our existing city and vios, it shoould be more advance and develop about 125PS and 148Nm of torque and 6 speed automatic with paddle shift.
this car is really behind time.
i think you can only judge if this car is underpower or not, and how well it moves by actually driving it. i have learnt this when driving many other cars. on paper, they all look like “really?? you gotta be joking!”, but after driving them all, i found myself rather impressed.
it’s not about number of power and torque, and how many gears you for the automatic transmission, especially when you are talking about a no-frills, economy-to-run family car like Almera. i think the combination is fine enough for normal family.
this car is not meant for enthuthiast like most of us here who reads paultan.org. for what it is as a simple daily use “big car” with exceptional Fuel economy it will sell loads. plus reliable. this is what markets wants. not Lotus Ride and Handling. not many are bothered bout it. thats how the malaysian market works. it competes directly with the vios and the city. Preve is in a diff category….the CFE has power similar to 2.0…the FC cant compare with this almera…and also basically when u hit a corner fast, u would like to be in a preve.
but then how many are driving fast these days?
so back to my first point. simple, reliable and economical n big…almera will sell LOADS!
this car should be able to bite some of the typical vios and city market share….perhaps myvi and saga too…good job Nissan
Full spec Almera vs Forte 1.6, both between 80-90k, which is more value for money?
Almera is B segment.
Forte is C segment.
Tested the Almera. The handling is comfort based. Body roll is quite pronounced in higher speed cornering.
Forte’s handling is quite sporty ( Ie: 17 in rims, slightly harder suspension, corners relatively flat ). However for a C segment car, 1.6 is not really enough hence some ppl complain forte 1.6 is underpowered. Almera is not very powerful also so i would say they are quite similar in performance. But u don’t buy these cars for performance do ya?
The interior design of this car is….ridiculous.
3k for the Impul bodykit..isnt it a lil overpriced compare with toyota TRD for vios??
Currrent IMPUL kit price is at RM1500 during special promo launch. If u dont wanna spend that much on kit, there’s always accessories shop but i guess u gotta wait awhile before they are available on market.
Personally I think Almera is only presentable with the kit-on. Without the kit, the look is just too weird.
u wail like another 3 months, there will be a seller sell the Impuls bodykit online
It’s pretty cheap compared to the Honda Modulos *facepalm*
beautiful car with the bodykit.
The interior is too drab, lacks design cohesion.
The perfect Malaysian car.
First the price.
Then the B-Segment classification.
And then the brand.
We will see as many of these cars, as we used to see the Nissan Sunny in its hey days…
ugly inside out, this car
we had a same taste , maybe only us here..
i had book one and on the way for bank loan. i had test it and its good for me. At least we can get the car that globally sold at our country at reasonable price. Great job TC
FYI;
A friend of mine working in TCM factory mentioned the propose price was around MYR43K for E ( approx 35% from the currently selling price) but the price was rejected by govt as it will jeopardize other car maker. Or the only car maker PROTON
Nissan are proven for economical cars even my first car was Nissan Sunny 1.5 Extra II (second hand). My personal option the price tag is very high and ppl should consider Kia forte or The new Proton Inspira 2.0 for the same price tag.
but my friend that working in gov says……
also friend of mine working in proton says…..
people says….
:p
Almera is a CKD below 1,800 ccc. As such, the excise duty and sales tax are 75% and 10% respectively. Not including the tax on parts yet. Refer here http://www.maa.org.my/info_duty.htm. As such, I deduce that Almera selling price is only RM40K excluding tax. Adding the said excise duty and sales tax, it would be another RM35k. Plus another RM5k for insurance and we will arrive at the OTR selling price of RM80k.
In fact, the US equivalent Almera known as Versa starts at only $12k (about RM36k). I believe that Almera can sell for as low as RM40k if there is no tax imposed by government at all.
Come on….this is Malaysia
Whoever@ smart ppl has deep pockets, they can splash the money out and buy cheap car with high price …. No point in blaming the govt… The ppl them-self spoiling the M’sia automotive industry and buying power…
Make judgement based on hearsay ……..
Rubbish! 43K most probably the BOM cost obviously, not including the assembly charge and excise duty! And the only person that probably know the proposed price of the car will be from Purchasing. And knowing how family business works, its really a rubbish hearsay.
And knowing the Malaysian business model, definitely Nissan/ETCM doesn’t want their car to be cheaper than 1.3 MyVi AT at 46K!
43k without excise duty eh? :p
@Fredo – you are comparing this car with the Saga and Myvi? Is it that bad? I think it should be compared to the Vios, City, Mazda 2, and others within the segment and price range.
nope, im not comparing them…but rather saying that those whore r considering buying saga or myvi might be considering this model too as the base model price is not tht far different
The fc here is real gimmick.. average of 16.6km/l means for highway fc..
What about 100%urban style driving? just within klang valley.
14km/l will be it.
The antenna was too long..looks additional horrible for tht car..and the body shape from side view look weird..overall nothing impressive except the fuel consumption..
the FC is good. because this car is even lighter than toyota vios tough a lot bigger than a Vios..
nothing is lighter than paperweight vios.
paultan.org ,
please come out with head to head comparison for all cars within the same price range (vios, city, preve etc).
how about the servis interval for almera? some insight about running cost will be all welcome.
good job on the report. :)
a boring car, yes?
well..express my opinion: first time see it> holy xx design-.-…for the second time i hardly accept it..and for the third wow with kits looks adorable than without kits ^^..now see it again..hmm..considerable because vios and city price too high yet almera for me personally seems much better than those two :)
Remember what they did to the Teana? Cheap price when first launched, then the Chinamans of Tan Chong decided that “wow, this car is selling great, let’s raise the car price to reap in HUGE profits”.
So, not surprised they launch with low price. For all you know, they’ll quietly raise the price of the car in a few weeks’ time.
They have a history already. ’nuff said.
the fuel consumption is base on ron 97 or 95? as we know ron 97 gives better mileages…
to be honest, people buying vios/city/almera their priority should be value for money instead of performance… after all, this is just 1.5 liter car… how fast can you go right?
this type of car is suitable for family man, wanting good FC and spacious interior.
i think the performance is not important.. if performance is important, one should look at 2000cc or 3000cc car.
good car but air-con 3 round knob very ugly!
Nissan cars offer a fine balance of driveability and comfort..See paul tan’s accord vs camry vs teana review…
This has got to be the deal of the year.Test drove it already.Much better than Forte in almost everything.
For this kinda money,the engine is way better than the Forte 1.6.Of course the Almera’s engine is abit on the noisy side but it does have the oomph!
Interior space is fantastic! It is seriously huge inside and the seats are so comfy.
Boot is humonguous! Only thing is that the dashboard design is abit weird with alot of round looking things.
Ride is so much better than Forte! Of course The Honda City is so much more sportier and drives better too but then its much more expensive.
So for the money your paying,its worth every sen.
Here we go again. Bashing korean makes again using subjective and mostly points that are plucked from the air.
PLus u r comparing a B segment with a 1.5 engine and C segment with a 1.6 liter engine. I see that u don have much knowledge about the auto industry eh to make such a comparison.
And fundamentally, why do people bash kimchis?
Its simple, they are low quality, dangerous, unreliable, not durable which leads to low resale value
Hi,
Would like to ask u, yesterday went to test drive Almera E Auto (plan for VL), mine also feel that suspension quite hard, my wife sat behind also feel really like lorry/bus during bump and potholes, make her feel to cancel for almera and take vi*s or same segment and budget.
Is it like that or maybe the test car problem with it suspension. The SA cannot say more coz he also feel like that :D….read many review said Almera quite comfort almost same like Slypy…so pls…already sent the docs for loan, plan to test another car maybe VL spec.
For long-term fuel cost, Almera is much better buy than Preve. It’s pure logic and common sense choice rather than turbo rosak semput pretend become mat salleh design.
I wonder why ETCM states that VL only has Fine Vision meter while the V shown in the pics has it..
dont arguelah just bought kia forte 1.6 ,6speed nicer look and better pick up so you all solve the problem , beutiful and nice to drive ok lo
better buy Preve..
0-100 at 9.6seconds
Traction Control
4 air bag
Super TOUGH body, lanngar lori pun hidup.
Siapa drove preve then langgar lorry still alive with speed 80km/h?
Prove us….
don’t compare with preve, it’s c segment, cfe has 4 airbags, stiffer and heavier body.
this almera is not meant for spirited driving but soft and fuel saving
4 airbag? langgar lori? hahah i worry the airbag malfuntion bro. i dont trust proton. not because the product, but their qc tidak apa attitude.
Nanti engine bocor baru tahu.
ETCM, UMW, HM and etc only offer better cars if our local “big brother P1 and P2” can come out the real world standard cars. If not, the one you see in US, Euro or Japan markets are different from the one we get. Worse still Japanese “waste” re-cond car still can command a handsome price here.
the car design will surely attract apek and auntie customers……
Almeera untuk apek sama nyona, bad design
hate the 3-dials at the dash. looks worst that toilet flushing mechanism.
Oh my… my frens will laugh at me if they see me stepping down from this car..
why dun u buy ferrari or lambo? no one will laugh at u…that is if u can afford it la…..so wat makes ppl stepping out of p1 or p2 car?? laugh n spit at them as well??
value for money.
haiyooo…i saw this in PD Avillion Admiral Cove..i was there when u guys stop there…very simple car but with very very boring head light..why arr all nissan head light very boring look one..i hear price below rm70k? true arr?? still expensive..this is basic car…if below rm50k ok lorr…can buy 1 for wife, 1 for gf also…haissh!
Nice car to drive…with the promo impul kit…makes it look much nicer. The kick down was smooth…..nice engine sound at high revs….tyres are wide enough for most cornering….only had 1 passenger with me so can’t comment if it feels spirited if there was another 3 adults with travelling gear..overall…7.7/10
I already enough using satria, saga & persona before this so everytime want to trade in have to dig out money to top up more for trade-in…
although my wife city already 7 years with higher maintenance cost than myvi & nissan but still untung more than 10k when trade-in…(still wondering to take almera OR vios)
even my current altis (7-gear & dual vvti)maintenance is cheaper than city, can beat Nissan & same with myvi…
so I believe almera can win some market share by taken some from vios & city in the near future.
Lastly its all about minimizing your car loans so that you can buy another house in klang valley…
untung apanya, you buy more you lose more.
13 test cars, TC dont even bother to have ONE just O..N..E with a stick. HAIZ.
Still a dugong. No value for money.
I rather buy a boring car like VW than an Almari.
Whne the VW DSG kwai tai, be sure that your plastic has enough credit to pay for the repair bills
If life is only about driving from A to B, then Almera is for you.
Bro, Sam Loo ride a horse from point A to point B, cause horse got higher resell value, So he don’t need this Almera
Only for people with bad taste. The number of people booking this reflects the design preference of Malaysians.
Give me for free also don’t want.
Rather get a VW as “People’s Car”.
OMG THIS IS NOT SUCH A BAD CAR AFTER ALL!
I was surprised how well it does things without rattles or loud engine noises like the Preve or City !!!
I think I’ll wait for Proton+Honda new line of car models
If anak pemimpin drives this, then i buy.
Guys, we proposed to your Gov for selling at RM43K but the price was rejected by the Gov as it will jeopardize other car maker(You know who). Please don’t buy the car as the price is a rip off to support cronies that wouldn’t even touch this car.
Even Tax free Langkawi also 45k++. Selling 43k with tax? Very good business indeed
Worst design since slice bread.
“If you can’t make something good, at least make it look good”
This is a kimchi killer.
Many will buy this car over the Forte and Elantra, even if its a smaller B segment.
And the reasons are beyond obvious, Korean cars are low quality, unreliable and has low RV
what korean car are low quality???! u must not even test drive them isnt it? hahah pls la compared the interior and overall qualite. even Forte interior quality beat the new civic interior quality that feels like penutup botol plastic haha..
Btw Sam Loo. Smart people doesnt invest in car. dont be an idiot k. LOL
If you are doing marketing, you will hear a lot of stories about Korean car. One of the customer she driving a Hyundai Sonata, crashed and died because airbag not deployed even she fasten her seatbelt ( also blame her driving altitude ) and another customer of Hyundai also complains that “worst quality than Proton Waja”.
See the differences ? Email me if you want to listen more stories !
Does anyone notice that there is someone riding a horse the picture?
Considering this car as firstly, it us still NEW in the market opposed to vios n city which is almost 3 to 4 years in the market. My personal opinion, Nissan hardly upgrade their model I.e. Nissan Sentra, has been there for years…Secondly, given that price range, what other cars can u get if one priority is for fc, city driving, spacious interior, reliability etc. The car is suitable for young family and when kids come into the picture, a spacious boot is essential. I still think it is a reasonable buy despite all the negative comments on its interior n exterior design, it boils down to personal preference though. Just my 2 cents ^^
Vios n city already in the market for 10 years la u moron… Dont know about want to speak about car.. Dumbass stupid moron
Please watch your words! People who normally call others morons are the biggest morons themselves!
…probably referring to latest model……city..harlo…since 96, asian version…but that is an entirely different car
Some people are just kurang ajar
It’s a good handling, responsive and easy to drive car. I just tested today and choosing – plus minus all the full specs + impul sports rims and body kit close to 94k.
cant wait for the first almera taxi!
aiya…Im here to seek information based on forumers experience test drive the Almeera…some pretend to be automotive hero here saying this and that good….just share your experience here….else…keep your fingers off the keyboard…. *feels annoyed….
My wife booked one (E A/T version + navi pack + tint) to replace her old Vios E 2004 (so I will compare only with Vios and not my own C-segment car). Test drove it in Penang, town area only. Handling better than Vios, a bit firmer and doesn’t roll around so much. Steering is accurate and very light at low speeds (maybe too light for me but ladies will love it). Acceleration OK for city use, but response seems to be slightly slower than the Vios’. Brakes are very good even though it has only drums on the rear wheels. Engine is very quiet and smooth at 80 km/h and below (sorry, couldn’t drive any faster in Georgetown traffic) and its transmission’s performance seems the same as the Vios’. It has comfortable seats and a spacious cabin (I am 5′ 7″ and can fully stretch my legs on floor when seated at the back without touching the front seat with my toes). Front passenger seat legroom is also better than that of the older Vios. The front seats seem a bit small but will fit an average size person adequately. Boot looks like C-segment size; beats Vios hands-down. At first didn’t like the external look, but it kinda grows on you after a while; looks conti to me now, LOL. IMHO – value for money in the non-national B-segment.
conti?
in what way it’s conti looks?
if you say almera has conti looks then vios has too
funny
when nissan priced this car between 67k-80k…I’m starting to think that vios and city are overpriced car
when nissan priced this car between 67k-80k…I’m starting to think that it’s overpriced car coz proton offer c segment car around this price despite similar tax applied. that’s 2 times better, no?
every car in malaysia are overpriced
ada duit beli maaaa.
tak da duit jangan manyak mising…
itu keleta cantik dan power macam mana pun, bukan lu punya
Banak punya maaa,,,kalau dah abih bayar baru lah boleh manayk komen..
hu hu hhu
Bingai punya komen kpmen negatif lu olang…
Bahaya kereta ini. Ini test drive kereta sudah terkeluar tayar belakang..hahrahrhahra
Dah tengok dekat2..BODY cun dari Vios, enjin kemas gak..luas dari Vios, minyak sama je kot..tapi satu je aku tak berkenan tang DASHBOARD dia mcm TUA cikit design dia dan agak hodoh dari vios..dashboard Vios cun..smart..tapi Vios model lama..
What I like about Nissan is that they have a clean styling and its engine is quite reliable. Well, I’ m just think if there’s a japan used cars with the same model?
dont forget, Nissan almost went bankrupt and salvaged by Renault as its new owner.
Japan just released this on 2012, in Japan they are known as Nissan Latio.
Front is looks like Saga size, but the rear looks like Persona. Not gonna win the beauty contest but good idea. compact front, huge leg room and boot. a winner, maybe ?
hitam itu menawan!
average 16.6km/l… that’s what i like.my saga auto 1.6 struggle enough to get 14km/l. i think to compare proton price with other car isn’t fair as proton is our own product. it should be cheaper in any way.
in real time traffic crawling the figures should be lower, as to what most buyers will face in their day-to-day drive.
I’m not sure if it’s just me or what, but I think this Almera looks better in pictures & adds than the real one.. I’m a Nissan owner too, looking for a new car as a replacement since my Sentra is 7 years already, so did have a look at an Almera.. Seriously I guess the looks are not appealing enough to me especially the cheapest variant…plus its interior looks ugly, IMO.
Malaysian cars still lack of solidness and for sure its own philosophy
Been driving this car for nearly 3 weeks, and im glad I bought this over vios, cabin is extremly quiet, fc is good! Im travelling daily 66k each day. bout the design, hmmm its a bit subjective, u get what u paid for I guess. But for new buyer, this is a good buy. Btw sure lots of people gonna gun me down based on this statement but im just an average joe with average salary, so this is some of the models I can afford. So pls dont bash me.. thanks
hi all
This is my first nissan …i ve been driving the almera vl spec for 2 weeks..bought the leather seats add on sahaja …leather upholstery is nice not too slippery or too hard…cabin is well insulated from engine and wind noise when driven up to 120km/h..interior to me is ok since the components are assembled nicely..no rattles or big gaps notice..the dashboard knobs (ultraman life indicator) to me is quite practical..the buttons are arranged in a practical order although the design is a bit pelik to some…steering is a bit light at lower speeds but becomes a bit heavier as the speed increases..on highway drive it does have sufficient power to overtake or cruise at 110-120km/h with ease.. car a bit slow to move from idle at traffic light..handling wise ok i.e better than my previous ride alza..body roll a bit pronounce at higher speeds…fc to me is ok since full tank let me go from kajang-usj-kajang-ipoh+ipoh town ronda2-tapah (refuel with quarter left in the tank) ..so far we are satisfied with the car quality and performance vs the price we paid..
p/s: please dun bash me also k.. i bukan TC salesman or TC propaganda machine
Sorry, its 66km each day :)
Checkout the starting price (converted to RM) in :
China – RM 40,562.0640
Thailand – RM 42,697.1259
US – RM 51,853.4800
Philippines – RM 52,942.0730
Australia – RM 54,326.8842
Indonesia – RM 57,393.4710
Into your face, idiot. Go buy for your whole family and let yourself being fooled. Losers.
go to china then.. its cheaper there.. if u got no money… dont talk la.. go buy second hand kancil.. very cheap.. then install all the turbos (kepish2* sound effect lol) and drive it like ur drivin a lambo.. u own peoples money eh? its their own money.. so let them decide to buy what they want… i think ur brain cheap alrdy..
Dear Nissan salesman, I think what he is trying to convey is that the Government (or rather Mahathir Mohamed) is killing the majority of people with NAP policies. Millions of people in Malaysia agrees with this fact, on the other hand you’re on the minority side (are you Mahathir cronies?). The way he use is like ‘reverse psychology’. And the solution is ‘go to china’? I think he loves Malaysia than you do. By the way, not all kancil owner didn’t have money. Please don’t make your brain look cheap. It’s obvious you that are shallow minded.
I am so glad I chose my Almera over Preve even though I think Preve is a better looking car.
Just look at the growing complaints of Preve in many other forums.
So far I am happy and I cannot find anything wrong. I taken it up to Butterworth and back to KL and was a very pleasant journey. For the price, I am very impressed.
Growing? It’s reducing, most of the problems are rectified already.
almera VL keyless got weakest once engine started then you bring the key go far away 15m,the engine wont stop automatic,only alarm and sign blink in meter
No it won’t activate the immobilizer if you don’t try to drive the car, even though the engine is on and the intelligence key is out of range. It will sound buzzer and blink intelligence key lamp if the intelligence key is out of driver range.
So far i didn’t try turn-on the engine, leave the intelligence key out-of-range and drive. =)
Nissan should make a hatchback version of this. That would make the Honda jazz/fit feel insecure
I hope that TC don’t use those nasty adhesive/glue that corrodes metal like what happen to sentra and serena roof top. I find it hard to recommend Nissan cars as my own serena experience roof rust. Sad to say it only happens to our country only leh! Wanna skimp also dont skimp on build quality also mah! Have i already mentioned about the “Autah bonnet stand”??
Renault’s version of Almera
http://renault.co.in/cars/Scala/home.html
hi all. i bought a almera before chinese new year. im the 1 where unlucky to get a problem car. (1st) my car get 3 dot of skratch and touch up by paint.(2nd)my 1 is button start, so once in a while my alarm will trigger when you open the door. (3rd)very bad petrol comsumption (rm0.25 perkm) or full tank only go 260km. even the engineer from nissan test the car and said it is ok(the way he test is=ask me to fuel full petrol and drive 50km,then fuel up again. the petrol that i just fuel to divide 50km.)do u think this can test my car?please give me more advise. thank you
Problem nissan Almera VL Push button start, once in a while my alarm will trigger when you open the door…
Can Nissan be sued for giving false information on fuel consumption. They claim fuel consumtion can be as low as 42 mpg but I am getting 30 mpg at best for my Nissan Almera 1.5. Also there is a lot of strain on the engine when the car is going uphill especially for a 1.5 litre engine.
hi all. can i know the original part number of the alternator and starter motor for nissan almera? thanks
hello, i have a lil bit of problem here i got almera and just yesterday i drove a lil bit on the right and got scratch on the paint any advice where to bring im from penang by the way. or nissan technician will be able to fix this who installed the aero kit?
i planning to buy nissan almera…guys please give ur option …
Got my almera VL for 3 weeks dy..and glad to say i’m very satisfied with almera…good performance..good fc..n worth for your money..recommend to all ppl who looking for.. non national b-segment car
Hope can buy one soon :)
For all Preve fan boys, have a look at link below, to quote the unbiased australian review of preve: “Overpriced; below-average performance and economy; poor refinement and build quality; too-firm urban ride quality; no cruise control; compromised driving position; detail design flaws”
Read more at http://www.caradvice.com.au/231533/proton-preve-review/
Hi, I’m Nissan Almera owner. last Hari Raya Haji my car had problem on A/C Fan. Send to Service center to check and they told me the spare parts need wait until end of Oct’14 (more than 3 weeks) or maybe more.
I’m feel upset why is happen on my less than one year car. Now my wife is driving this car every day to work. She every day feel unsafety due to any time the A/C Fan is not working……
Every time I’m look at the car will feel angry and loss confident on Nissan. I’m don’t know until when I can hold and decide to let go the car
in case what we refer is all the best.
fuel consumption is 14.9km/L.
BUT why my wife new car is 8.8km/L??? somemore the service central guy told it is normal….?
HOW???
Hi, I’m Nissan Almera 1.5E AT owner, the 1st day drive the new car Almera on January 3, 2015 when the afternoon about an hour 2.00pm,air cond very hot and just wind feels. Air Cond already open to the maximum. on 17 Jan 2015 I go to Service Centre TCM Cheng Melaka then the Technician said everything is ok and no problem with the Almera Air Cond.
Sometimes, you guys are kind of funny when i read all the quarrel comments. But educating too.. okay back to cars.. i currently own a 2011 Saga FL Manual with stage 1 simple mods…cam pulleys, crank pulley, fuel reg, fuel rail and ect..just basic stuff..so performance wise..i guess i am all good and satisfied with a 1.3 DOHC Campro IAFM. Its not the fastest car in malaysia but it does capable to leave dust at a stock Preve cfe as i floor it from 80kmh 3rd gear all the way to 200kmh 5th gear.But fuel consumption…with a small engine and a short gear ratio ( 5th gear 200kmh 7000rpm) is like hell..but fun though. Bought that bucket of fun for only rm38k and still runs like a champ even after rolled it at bentong caused by oil spill. My mom own a 2007 Honda City IVTEC CVT (honda tikus)..bought it for RM85K 1.5… Trust me…CVT SUCKS HELL…just 2 years of owning the engine coil burned which cost us about rm 2k for replacement. Now the gearbox for almost 4 years..already 3 times dropped down the gearbox to fix the jerking problem and still the same.. which cost us a bomb around rm4k now…planning to sell it off soon so HONDA is blacklisted on my list. Toyota seems very good on every model..but..again like i said.. RM95K for a medium size 1.5L car….not worth it for me.. better off with a 1.6 K3 by KIA.. Testd both the 1.6 and 2.0..it was good especially the 2.0 has tonns of power at your disposal..but then heard by a few foreman that KIA K3 has electrical issues which can disable the whole car as the whole car is basically controlled and dominated by electronics gizmos. Then i stumbled with a close friend who recently bought an Almera with free bodykit option (not the nismo kit). Interior was plain..but damn that this is quiet and comfortable.. yes..much..much..much quiet and smooth then the City. Drove the car from KL – Tggnu – KL… body roll was less since he was running on sport spring with 15′ vossen cv5 rims. Pickup was good.. and maintained 160kmh-180kmh (2-3am) along the straight LPT road and was running 100kmh along the bentong twisty bends.. That was a good car.. I am into performance..but this Almera is a good comfortable car and i am planning to get 1 by end of this year especially the Nismo pack which really transforms the boring (UNCLE & AUNTY )look of the Almera into a mean Racing Pedigree Breed of Nissan. and…ITS A NISSAN… for under RM80K…yes..this will be my choice… and guys..1 question, any serious problem so far for the A/T model Almera..?? (PS : FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DONT LIKE MY COMMENT PLEASE DONT BOTHER TO SAY ANYTHING CAUSE IM NOT INTRESTED. FOR THOSE BLOKES OUT THERE WHO HAS REAL INFO REGARDING CARS THAT THEY WANT TO SHARE WITH ME..PLEASE..DO SO..I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A GOOD EDUCATIONAL,INFORMATIVE & PROFESSIONAL CONVERSATION/DEBATE. TQ )
I just come back from melaka to k.l. drove almera facelift.. At 110-140km/h the car is not stable at all.. Steering feel so light when you overtake.. I think saga blm better on this.. Yes i know it is standard.. But this is not a(highway car).. Even on uneven road the car going left and right.. I will not drive or own almera.. Period..