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Road Test: Nissan Pulsar 1.5 dCi 110 Tekna

By / 9 years ago / Road Tests / No Comments

Segment: Lower medium Price: £21,945 Fuel: 78.5mpg CO2: 94g/km

It says a lot for Nissan’s re-shaping of C-segment norms that, in launching the Pulsar, it’s probably the only manufacturer which can claim its hatchback has inherited crossover DNA, rather than the other way around.

The Qashqai’s (and subsequently the Juke’s) phenomenal sales success has left almost every other mainstream manufacturer playing catch up since 2007. Crossovers have become such big business that it’s an area no carmaker can afford to miss out on, and Nissan’s duo regularly hold top-ten sales spots despite not fitting into the conventional B or C-segment format.

But crossovers don’t suit everyone, particularly in fleet where restrictive policies can shoehorn would-be buyers into traditional lower-medium options and leave Nissan with a hole in its range. That’s where the Pulsar fits in, now tasked with slotting back into a segment which Nissan hasn’t suffered much from leaving, without evoking memories of its forgettable previous efforts.  

First impressions are positive, though. There’s a convincing translation of Qashqai styling into hatchback form, and on the Tekna’s part-polished alloy wheels it’s by no means an unattractive car. This may be a conservative effort, but where the Almera, Sunny and Cherry had been wallpaper-like in their exterior styling, Nissan’s European design team has saved the Pulsar from being overly bland.

It’s hard to argue with the price, either. Nissan has positioned the Pulsar towards the value-led end of this segment, and it makes a good case for itself. Even in this, its top trim level, diesel fuel economy with heated leather seats, cruise and climate control, satellite navigation and the Safety Shield driver assistance systems come in at less than £22,000.

For the most part, it feels more expensive than that might suggest. Renault-Nissan’s 1.5-litre diesel engine is remarkably hushed, particularly on the motorway, and the biggest optional wheels don’t affect its class-above ride quality. Plus, with the longest wheelbase and one of the highest rooflines in its class, cabin space is generous and rear legroom is only 19mm shorter than a Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

But this car’s price point does start to show up in details. So, where the Qashqai gets soft-touch materials across the dashboard, the Pulsar’s hard plastics and moulded faux wood grain feel like something two generations older. The rear seats may be spacious, but offer little sculpting for passengers and there’s a lip of around six inches between the boot floor and the folded bench because it hasn’t inherited the Qashqai’s customisable luggage board system.

They’re not reasons to dismiss the Pulsar, by any means, but it’s a shame that this feels like it hasn’t benefitted from the same level of care in development as the big-selling Qashqai. Nissan has the basics of a good hatchback here, but by stopping short of the innovation engineered into its crossover products, the Pulsar feels like a decent product in a segment filled with excellent ones. Packed full of rational appeal, but never really wowing either.

Verdict:

Space, refinement and equipment are all firmly on the Pulsar’s side, and it’s a much more appealing option than its predecessors ever were. It’s just a shame that it’s stopped short of adopting all the Qashqai’s best points in a smaller package.

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Alex Grant

Trained on Cardiff University’s renowned Postgraduate Diploma in Motor Magazine Journalism, Alex is an award-winning motoring journalist with ten years’ experience across B2B and consumer titles. A life-long car enthusiast with a fascination for new technology and future drivetrains, he joined Fleet World in April 2011, contributing across the magazine and website portfolio and editing the EV Fleet World Website.