Nissan Pulsar Sylph launched in Beijing

Promoted as being the car to place Nissan once again at the top of the imported car brand, the Pulsar will in December drive in as the Tiida drives out.

But on show at this week's Beijing motor show, the "Sylph'' - the sedan version of the new Pulsar - was just another small car on China's huge portfolio. The Sylph will be called the Pulsar when it arrives first as a sedan in December. It will be followed within five months by a hatchback version. 

Nissan Australia spokesman Jeff Fisher says Australia becomes the only world market to put the Pulsar name back in the market. The Pulsar was replaced in Australia by Tiida - then Nissan's international name for the small car - in 2007.

Critics blame the small car's sales fall from favour on the name change from the long-established Pulsar badge. But now Pulsar is coming back. Mr Fisher says the sedan and hatch will have a common 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine and choice of six-speed manual or a CVT auto. "The sedan version is badged as the Sylph in China,'' he says. 

"But we get it as the Pulsar.'' Mr Fisher says the origin of the car is yet to be confirmed. "We can source it from Japan, Thailand and other factories,'' he says. "But we haven't yet made a decisi on because there are a lot of factors involved.''

Nissan Australia's managing director, Bill Peffer, expects the Pulsar to do big things on the Australian market. "It has the looks, packaging and expected value to make it the leading choice in the booming small car segment,'' he says.