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Nissan Pulsar

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Nissan Pulsar Review, For Sale, Models, Specs & News in Australia

The Nissan Pulsar was one of Australia's favourite cars during its heyday through the 1990s, and was even manufactured locally between 1983-93. Australia first saw the Pulsar nameplate attached to the N10 model in 1980 during that awkward phase where Nissan products wore Nissan and Datsun badges at the same time. The N12 generation that replaced it in 1982 started as a Japanese import, but was produced locally from 1983. The 1987 N13 boosted its Australian content by using a Holden-produced engine shared with the Camira, before the 1991 N14 reverted to Nissan mechanicals. The N14 - which included the rally-developed GTI-R that only came to Australia as a grey import - reverted to Japanese manufacture from 1993, which continued with the N15 that arrived in 1995. The 2000 N16 saw hatchback versions sourced from the UK, and both were replaced by the Tiida in 2006. The Pulsar name returned in 2013 with the B17, but sales trickled to halt in 2017 due to competition from the Toyota Corolla and Mazda 3, along with our growing preference for SUVs.

Nissan Pulsar Q&As

Check out real-world situations relating to the Nissan Pulsar here, particularly what our experts have to say about them.

  • Trouble starting my 2013 Nissan Pulsar STS

    This sounds a lot like a faulty ignition barrel or an electronic key that has a semi-flat battery. A worn barrel can often prevent the necessary contacts meeting to complete the ignition circuit and, likewise, an electronic key without sufficient power can also give these symptoms as it struggles to enable the ignition. This can be a very hit and miss thing, which is just how you've described it.

    So check the condition of the battery inside the key and perhaps the condition of the car's battery as well. If the situation gets worse, a trip to the auto electrician is probably in order. At least your STS model has a relatively conventional ignition key set-up, rather than the push-button, proximity key of the SSS model which brings another layer of complexity to this function.

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  • I have a 2003 Nissan pulsar ST. How much is it worth?

    Mileage is a very important factor in the retained value of a car like this. The more kilometres it has covered, the less it will be worth. There’s also a sort of kilometre-cliff over which a car will plummet in residual-value terms once it breaches that distance-covered.

    Even though you’ve cared for the car and serviced it properly, most buyers will be a bit leery of a car like a Pulsar with so many kilometres on board. Even in otherwise good condition, it would probably struggle to fetch more than about $3000 in the current market.

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  • Do you think owners of Nissan CVT cars like the Pulsar should create a class action for all the out of pocket repairs on cars doing less than 100,000 km but more than three years old?

    The CVT transmission has haunted many a car-maker over the years and just when another car-makers thinks they’ve got the tech nailed, along comes another series of failures that makes consumers think again.

    Late last year in the USA, Nissan paid out a US$277 million settlement for a class action brought by owners of its CVT-equipped cars, so there’s certainly a precedent for this. However, don’t assume that US and Australian consumer law are the same – they’re not. The lawsuit, meantime, accused Nissan of knowing about the fault for years and doing nothing. Nissan, while admitting no wrongdoing, agreed to pay the claims.

    The viability or otherwise of a class action legal case is not the sort of advice Carsguide dispenses. You would need to talk with a law firm specialising in this type of litigation and then weigh up the costs and potential benefits, bearing in mind a win is no certainty in these cases.

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  • I tried to turn on the white LED lights in my 2016 Nissan Pulsar and they're not working...

    I’ll assume you’re talking about what Nissan calls the Pulsar’s `Accent Lights’ which are fundamentally LED daylight running lamps. I have heard of these failing, and the cause was a poorly soldered connection which should be pretty easy for an auto electrician to put right.

    Finding the fault will involve checking for power at the lights and then working backwards to the switch to see which component is not playing. Even though they’re LEDs, trouble-shotting is no different to any other electrical component that appears to have lost power. Again, a good auto sparkie should be able to figure it out.

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See All Nissan Pulsar Q&As
Disclaimer: You acknowledge and agree that all answers are provided as a general guide only and should not be relied upon as bespoke advice. Carsguide is not liable for the accuracy of any information provided in the answers.

Nissan Pulsar Models Price and Specs

The price range for the Nissan Pulsar varies based on the trim level you choose. Starting at $10,120 and going to $21,450 for the latest year the model was manufactured. The model range is available in the following body types starting from the engine/transmission specs shown below.

Year Body Type Specs Price from Price to
2018 Sedan 1.8L, ULP, 6 SP MAN $10,120 $20,350
2018 Hatchback 1.8L, ULP, 6 SP MAN $11,000 $21,450
2017 Sedan 1.8L, ULP, 6 SP MAN $9,020 $18,590
2017 Hatchback 1.8L, ULP, 6 SP MAN $10,120 $19,690
2016 Sedan 1.8L, ULP, 6 SP MAN $8,030 $16,610
2016 Hatchback 1.8L, ULP, 6 SP MAN $8,800 $17,930
2015 Sedan 1.8L, ULP, 6 SP MAN $7,920 $16,610
2015 Hatchback 1.8L, ULP, 6 SP MAN $8,250 $21,560
2014 Hatchback 1.8L, ULP, 6 SP MAN $7,150 $19,030
2014 Sedan 1.8L, ULP, 6 SP MAN $7,370 $13,970
See All Nissan Pulsar Pricing and Specs

Nissan Pulsar Fuel Consumption

The Nissan Pulsar is available in a number of variants and body types that are powered by ULP and PULP fuel type(s). It has an estimated fuel consumption starting from 7.2L/100km for Hatchback /ULP for the latest year the model was manufactured.

Year Body Type Fuel Consumption* Engine Fuel Type Transmission
2018 Hatchback 7.2L/100km 1.8L ULP 6 SP MAN
2018 Hatchback 7.7L/100km 1.6L PULP 6 SP MAN
2018 Sedan 7.2L/100km 1.8L ULP 6 SP MAN
2017 Hatchback 7.2L/100km 1.8L ULP 6 SP MAN
2017 Hatchback 7.7L/100km 1.6L PULP 6 SP MAN
2017 Sedan 7.2L/100km 1.8L ULP 6 SP MAN
2016 Hatchback 7.2L/100km 1.8L ULP 6 SP MAN
2016 Hatchback 7.7L/100km 1.6L PULP 6 SP MAN
2016 Sedan 7.2L/100km 1.8L ULP 6 SP MAN
2015 Hatchback 7.2L/100km 1.8L ULP 6 SP MAN
2015 Hatchback 7.7L/100km 1.6L PULP 6 SP MAN
2015 Sedan 7.2L/100km 1.8L ULP 6 SP MAN
2014 Hatchback 7.2L/100km 1.8L ULP 6 SP MAN
2014 Hatchback 7.7L/100km 1.6L PULP 6 SP MAN
2014 Sedan 7.2L/100km 1.8L ULP 6 SP MAN
* Combined fuel consumption See All Nissan Pulsar Pricing and Specs for 2018

Nissan Pulsar Dimensions

The dimensions of the Nissan Pulsar Sedan and Hatchback vary according to year of manufacture and spec level.

Year Body Type Height x Width x Length Ground Clearance
2018 Sedan 1520x1760x4610 mm 160 mm
2018 Hatchback 1520x1760x4295 mm 137 mm
2017 Hatchback 1520x1760x4295 mm 137 mm
2017 Sedan 1520x1760x4610 mm 160 mm
2016 Sedan 1520x1760x4610 mm 160 mm
2016 Hatchback 1520x1760x4295 mm 137 mm
2015 Hatchback 1520x1760x4295 mm 137 mm
2015 Sedan 1520x1760x4610 mm 160 mm
2014 Sedan 1520x1760x4610 mm 160 mm
2014 Hatchback 1520x1760x4295 mm 137 mm
The dimensions shown above are for the base model. See All Nissan Pulsar Dimensions

Nissan Pulsar Wheel Size

The Nissan Pulsar has a number of different wheel and tyre options. When it comes to tyres, these range from 195x60 R16 for Hatchback in 2018 with a wheel size that spans from 16x6.5 inches.

Year Body Type Front Tyre Size Front Rim Rear Tyre Size Rear Rim
2018 Hatchback 195x60 R16 16x6.5 inches 195x60 R16 16x6.5 inches
2018 Sedan 195x60 R16 16x6.5 inches 195x60 R16 16x6.5 inches
2017 Hatchback 195x60 R16 16x6.5 inches 195x60 R16 16x6.5 inches
2017 Sedan 195x60 R16 16x6.5 inches 195x60 R16 16x6.5 inches
2016 Hatchback 195x60 R16 16x6.5 inches 195x60 R16 16x6.5 inches
2016 Sedan 195x60 R16 16x6.5 inches 195x60 R16 16x6.5 inches
2015 Hatchback 195x60 R16 16x6.5 inches 195x60 R16 16x6.5 inches
2015 Sedan 195x60 R16 16x6.5 inches 195x60 R16 16x6.5 inches
2014 Hatchback 195x60 R16 16x6.5 inches 195x60 R16 16x6.5 inches
2014 Sedan 195x60 R16 16x6.5 inches 195x60 R16 16x6.5 inches
The dimensions shown above are for the base model. See All Nissan Pulsar Wheel Sizes

Nissan Pulsar Towing Capacity

The Nissan Pulsar has maximum towing capacity of 1200kg for the latest model available.

Year Body Type Braked Capacity from Braked Capacity to
2018 Hatchback 1100kg 1200kg
2018 Sedan 1100kg 1200kg
2017 Hatchback 1100kg 1200kg
2017 Sedan 1100kg 1200kg
2016 Hatchback 1100kg 1200kg
2016 Sedan 1100kg 1200kg
2015 Hatchback 1100kg 1200kg
2015 Sedan 1100kg 1200kg
2014 Hatchback 1100kg 1200kg
2014 Sedan 1100kg 1200kg
See All Towing Capacity for Nissan Pulsar