User Test Drive: Excellent Safety Features and elegant design - 2020 Nissan Almera VLP and VLT

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Basic Information About The Car

2020 Nissan Almera VLP and VLT

Time of Visit: 9th April 2021, 1pm

Dealer Name: ETCM Bayan Lepas 4S

Dealer Location: 196, Blok G, Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, Sungai Tiram, 11900 Bayan Lepas

Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price: RM91,310 (VLT), RM85,715 (VLP) Both OTR without SST and Insurance

Dealer Asking Price: As above

Discount: Nil

Vehicle Delivery Time:  Nil

Purpose (Why did you make a visit to the dealer?)

My reason is to survey several cars for my next ride. Among the cars I have surveyed include Honda City, Toyota Vios, Nissan Almera, Mazda 2 Sedan, Subaru XV, Proton X50, and Perodua Myvi. As someone who has driven a Perodua Axia for almost two years, I would like to have an upgrade to something safer and more reliable. So, I decided to call up a friendly and helpful Nissan Sales Advisor by the name of Mr Wilson to get to know more on the Almera.

Moreover, as a car enthusiast, I would also like to share my opinions on cars that are both common and uncommon on the Malaysian Car Scene. Moreover, I would like to review the Nissan Almera as it is something not that common on Malaysian roads despite its attractive design and specs and also to disprove any negative perceptions of the Nissan Almera due to its predecessor's poor reputation. As an open-minded person, I decided to book a test drive of the Nissan Almera to give it a try and provide my own feedback on it.

Before the buy Ativa/X50 crowd starts typing on the keyboard, here’s what I really think about it.

Exterior 

At first glance, my initial impression is that the exterior design of the Nissan Almera is just a beauty and sight to behold. It carries no traces of its not so good-looking predecessor and its design pretty outdo every B-segment sedan available in the market. Unlike its main rivals the Honda City and Toyota Vios, the Nissan Almera got all the curves right and by far it has the sharpest design in its class.

If there is honest feedback from myself, I never believe this was even a Nissan Almera. I would also like to applaud Nissan designers for making the necessary major design step-ups from the old Nissan Almera.

Dealership's test drive car

Rear Design of the Almera

Rear Design of Almera in Grey

Interior

Like its exterior, Nissan also has decided to massively upgrade its exterior design as well as improving its interior materials. Not only it feels a class above, but also stands out against its rivals the Honda City and Toyota Vios. Personally, its white leather stitching also makes the car feel more like a C or even D-Segment rather than a B-Segment.

Moreover, its Zero-Gravity Seats also gives its driver and occupants a very-relaxing feel to it. During the test drive, I have never encountered any seat this comfortable before in a Sub-100k sedan. However, I do wish that the leather seat materials are better as it can absorb sweat quite easily especially for sweaty people.

Moreover, interior space is also ample for most people. Not as spacious or massive as in the Honda City, but slightly better than the Toyota Vios especially for the headroom.

Furthermore, its boot space is about 482 litres which is ample for most people out there. (Let's be honest with ourselves, do we really need so much boot space?)

The dashboard design makes it quite premium

Rear Seats- Zero Gravity Seats provide comfort for its passengers

Boot Space- 482l of boot space

Summary

Pros

• Comfortable during especially in terms of NVH level and suspension (In fact, better than even a Honda Accord)
• Very elegant exterior and interior design
• Excellent Safety Features, (6 airbags, AEB as standard, what mass-market brand gives you that?)
• Radar-Based AEB system will work in less favorable conditions especially in rain
• Fuel Economy is great (22km/l on average, 60-40 City Highway drive)
• Adequately Powerful for a 1.0l Turbo Engine
• Reverse Camera Quality best in class

Cons

• Boot Space is slightly small in class (Almera 482l against Vios 506l and City 519l)
• No Android Auto (but can be solved through aftermarket retrofitting
• Pricier compared to rivals (but then you get what you pay for)
• Turbo engine may need more maintenance in the long run
• Leather seat materials could be better

My overall feelings toward the car

After surveying many cars, no other B-Segment sedan has impressed me more than the Nissan Almera. With its excellent features, with AEB as standard across the range as well as its beautiful and elegant design. I do believe one must give it a try before judging the product.

In term of its drive, I would describe as is like in-between that of the Vios and City, it retains the comfort levels of the Vios while having the performance of the City. Moreover, do not let its 1.0 3-Cylinder Turbocharged Engine fool you, its powerful enough to tackle most situations and its sufficiently powered even on mountainous roads. Moreover, its quite economical as most owners got more than 20km/l on a single tank via owners themselves.

Moreover, wouldn't it be boring just to see just Ativas/X50s or City's/Vios'swarming the road. Please have an open heart and open mind, and try things that you may end up liking it. Sometimes the best product is not always the popular ones but the less popular ones.

Furthermore, please do not give in to keyboard warriors or your judgmental friends/relatives/insert any kind of relation. Keyboard warriors are pretty much people who want to defame the brand and sometimes bring the product to your friends and relatives to try it.

By the way, give this underrated gem a try, you will end up liking it.

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