Nissan Pulsar 2006 News

Cue cat, assemble the pigeons - the ultra-competitive small car segment is about to get even busier.Nissan is literally hatching a plan to shake up the segment with an $18,990 kick-off price when it throws the Pulsar hatch into an already-crowded marketplace from June 1. The prodigal SSS son will also re-appear in hatch form, slotting into the Nissan pricelist at $29,240, completing the nameplate's return.Nissan is banking on a volume boost from the Pulsar's resurrection - last month they sold 1644 sedans but the segment is dominated by hatchbacks - and has priced the five-door $1000 below the equivalent sedan.The Pulsar ST manual hatch features mirrors the four-door - a 96kW/174Nm 1.8-litre four-cylinder, six-speed manual (with the option of a continuously-variable transmission model for $21,240), 16 inch alloys, cruise control, Bluetooth, power windows, cloth trim, stability control, anti-lock brakes and air conditioning among the features.Stepping up to the $22,490 ST-L puts front fog lights, an upgrade to the cloth trim, six speakers and USB/auxiliary inputs for the sound system, a rear spoiler and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.The Ti model has been left out of the hatch range, with the ST-S added as part of a sports-model duo, priced from $24,990 utilising the 140kW/240Nm double-overhead cam turbocharged direct-injection drivetrain from the SSS but sitting on 17in alloy wheels.The SSS squeaks in under $30,000 - $29,240 for the six-speed manual - and has the obligatory sports body kit, a touchscreen infotainment and satnav system, leather trim, Bluetooth phone and audio link, automatic xenon headlights, rear camera, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and ignition.The CVT transmission - $2250 on the mainstream 1.8-litre models - is a $2500 option on the two 1.6-litre models.Introduced into Australia in 1991, Nissan last had the Pulsar SSS on its Australian pricelist in 2000, when it offered a 105kW/179Nm two-litre engine for just under $25,000.But the SSS nameplate has history with Datsun dating back to the 1960s, including the legendary 1600, as well as 180B and 200B models and appearances on the rumps of Bluebird and Stanza sedans.Nissan Australia managing director and CEO Bill Peffer is confident the return of the Pulsar hatch will be seen as a value for money. "My team and I are confident Australian small car buyers will find the all-new Pulsar hatch to be exceptional value, each grade in the model range has a compelling mix of price and standard equipment," he says. 

The Pulsar ST hatchback is $18,990, or $1000 under both the recently released sedan and even its 1996 equivalent. It also undercuts by $500 Holden's base model Cruze.The four-model hatchback line-up includes the return of the SSS Pulsar, a local hero of the days before turbocharged champions such as Subaru's Impreza and the Golf GTI. The range-topping SSS is priced from $29,240 manual and $31,740 automatic.“It's a compelling balance of price and equipment in what is easily the most hotly contested new vehicle segment,” Nissan's Peter Fadeyev says.“We've worked very hard at providing the best value. The Pulsar has undergone extensive tuning for Australian conditions.”The ST and ST-L models are powered by the sedan's modest 96kW 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. The ST-S and SSS share a 140kW/240Nm 1.6-litre turbocharged direct-injection petrol engine.Standard fitment on all grades is a six-speed manual transmission. A constantly variable automatic is a $2500 option. The basic ST is more than decently equipped - better value than the Spartan entry level Toyota Corolla ($19,900) but a little less lustrous than the $19,490 Cruze Equipe.Its package includes 16-inch alloys, four-speaker audio, Bluetooth, cruise control and steering wheel-mounted audio controls. Starting from $22,490, the ST-L adds front fog lights, rear spoiler, two more speakers, 4.3-inch display and leather-accented steering wheel. The ST-S is a new grade, one that competes roughly with the turbocharged Cruze SRi, matching its 17-inch alloys.That puts the SSS in Cruze SRi-V and Opel Astra GTC terrain -- and it's equipped to that standard with xenon lights, body kit, 5.8-inch colour touchscreen with satnav, rear-view camera, leather-like trim and starter button. 

As the advertising campaign said way back then, the lazy guy in the pricing department hasn’t been doing a lot. Though imports of the new Nissan Pulsar will begin in February next year, we won’t see the complete range until midway through the year. Indeed, further models may still be released after that. Nissan is remaining tight lipped on details of them. As previously, Pulsar will be sold in four-door sedan and five-door hatchback bodies. Both are larger than in previous Pulsar generations, with a strong emphasis on interior space. We haven’t had a chance to drive them yet, but our seating tests of cars specially imported prior to the Sydney motor show showed them to have good legroom, headroom and width in the rear seat. Two adults could sit there in comfort for extended trips. Just as importantly from the point of view of family car buyers is the huge 510-litre boot in the sedan. The range will consist of Pulsar ST, ST-L and Ti. A high-performance model will revive the famed Pulsar SSS name and add a bit of life to what can be a fairly dull market segment when it comes to sporty driving. Equipment levels are high, with even the lowest cost model getting alloy wheels; Bluetooth, MP3 and iPod connectivity; and a six-speaker audio system. Topline Pulsar Ti gets satellite navigation, dual zone air conditioning (the others have single zone air) and a remote key.  The engine in the standard Pulsar range will be a 1.8-litre unit producing up to 102 kW of power and 174 Nm of torque. The hot SSS engine is a turbocharged 1.6-litre with a handy 140 kW and 240 Nm. Manual six-speed and continuously variable automatic transmissions are offered. Aiming to hit the sales floor with a big bang, Nissan is making a pre-sale offer on the 2013 Pulsar sedan. With a 10 per cent deposit and a comparison rate of 7.5 per cent per annum, customers who order an all-new Pulsar sedan ST manual now can pay as little as $299 per month with a guaranteed future value. A $1000 ‘Nissan voucher’ scheme is offered to those buying a car outright. Full details of these offers are available from your local Nissan dealer. Specification levels and prices for the first group of 2013 Nissan Pulsar models are: ST: $19,990 (manual), $22,249 (CVT automatic) ST-L: $23,650 (manual), $25,900 (CVT automatic) Ti: $28,990 (CVT automatic)  

FEW people had heard of Amy Taylor when she was just a member of the Australian women's soccer team.  But baring all for a calendar in 1999 to lift the profile of the game turned the former Matilda into something special and she now co-hosts Foxtel's Football Superstar alongside Delta Goodrem's other half, Irish-born pop star Brian McFadden."Everyone seems to remember it because it was such a big deal at the time. I think now it's been done that many times by different people, it's lost its shock value,'' Taylor says.  Her career in soccer had many highlights and the retired defender was a member of the Australian women's team for eight years.She represented Australia in the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, the 2005 Four Nations Tournament in China and was a member of the 2000 and 2004 Olympic squads.What was your first car?Nissan Stanza SSS -- black and white with an upside down racing gearbox. Mum and dad bought me sheepskin seat covers and it had a gear stick handle that flashed with red lights. I was always racing from one training session to another and blew the head gasket and the engine a couple of times . . . which my dad rebuilt for me -- thank God he loves cars. I guess I was a bit of a revhead.What do you drive now?A Nissan Pulsar Q. It's black, great on fuel and for parking in today's smaller spaces.Do you have a favourite drive and who would you take?The Great Ocean Rd is awesome but I also love the drive along the coast from Bundeena (Sydney) to the south coast. I'd always take my husband as my co-driver, in fact I might even let him drive.How far would you drive in an average year?I have no idea. Most days I don't venture far, maybe 20km max. I do drive a couple of days a week up to Sydney for work and then we love driving holidays, but I'm not sure what that adds up to.Do you have a favourite motoring memory?I have a couple. I loved driving holidays as a kid with my family and remember at least on one occasion sleeping in the car as the motels were all booked out. I love driving out to our family farm, the roads lined with trees and the smell of dirt roads and the bush. And I love taking trips with my husband. Plenty of time to talk, sing along to cheesy music and explore new places.What would you buy if money was no object?I've always wanted a Porsche, though it never seemed practical for my lifestyle -- and I'd be scared to fill it with stinky sports clothes and boots covered in mud and grass.What music is playing in your car?Right now it's Jack JohnsonHow much is too much for a new car?Over a couple of hundred thousand dollars is hard to justify. I'd rather buy houses, but I guess it depends on what one earns.What should be done to make driving safer?People need to leave 10 minutes earlier, relax and remember manners on the road. A lot of people only think about themselves when they drive, but what they don't realise is we are trusting everyone else on the road with our lives, too. I also think P-platers need to have a limit on the engine capacity of the cars they are able to drive.Are you sponsored by a car company?Not right now but I am more than happy to be if there's a company out there who'd like to see me in their cars.