Marking the carmaker’s return to the sector and the revival of the Pulsar name, the new model offers ‘traditional C-segment buyers an alternative to the successful Qashqai crossover, and will open the brand to a new and wider audience’.

Nissan added that competitive pricing will boost its C-segment return, along with class-leading technology and interior space.

Designed and engineered for Europe, the model will be built at Nissan's Barcelona plant and bears a strong resemblance to its Qashqai and X-Trail big brothers with a bold design including the Nissan V-motion grille, signature boomerang-shaped lights with LED headlamps

At 4,385mm the Pulsar is slightly longer than the Golf but is said to have the longest wheelbase in the class (2,700mm) helping it to offer ‘considerably more rear legroom and shoulder room than its sector rivals’.

From launch, Pulsar will be available in four familiar grades – Visia, Acenta, n-tec and Tekna. The entry-level Visia, priced from £15,995, brings kit from higher-specification rivals, including a 5-inch colour screen, steering wheel-mounted controls, Bluetooth and air conditioning.

Moving up to the Acenta model, priced from £17,645, adds in Forward Emergency Braking, automatic lights and wipers and Nissan’s i-Key system.

Meanwhile, the n-tec, which starts at £18,995, adds large 17-inch alloys, privacy glass and Nissan’s signature LED lights. It also offers a colour reversing camera and the latest NissanConnect 2 infotainment system offering full smartphone integration, Google Send-to-Car and access to a wide variety of apps.

Finally, the range-topping Tekna, priced from £20,345, adds further Nissan Safety Shield Technologies including Forward Emergency Braking, Moving Object Detection, Lane Departure Warning and Blind Spot Warning.

Customers will have the choice of two new engines – a 1.2-litre DIG-T petrol unit and a 1.5-litre dCi – with either manual or Xtronic automatic transmissions. The petrol powerplant offers an output of 113bhp and 140lb.ft of torque, while the 1.5-litre dCi common rail diesel unit generates 108bhp and 192lb.ft of torque.

A more powerful 187bhp, 177lb.ft 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine will join the range early in 2015.