Nissan Pulsar at the motor show

The SSS Pulsar storms back on to the local hot hatch stage with its Australian debut at AIMS, ahead of going on sale early next year.

The sedan that also graces the Nissan display will go on sale first, with the hatch variants arriving around three months later. The SSS will be the hero model to headline the return of one of Nissan’s best-known badges. The Pulsar helped build Nissan as a popular brand.

Thailand is the regional sales hub for the car, though Nissan plans to have the Pulsar in more than 120 countries by 2014. The SSS gets a turbocharged four. Regular models will use a considerably milder but wholly adequate four. They come with a six-speed manual or CVT which transfers that power to the front wheels.

The designers have focused on comfort and refinement, with a class-leading 510-litre boot and one of the most spacious interiors in the class. The Pulsar also marks the launch of Nissan’s “drive-by-wire” electric power steering.