Nissan Pulsar 2013 News

The all-new Toyota Corolla and Nissan Pulsar have both been landed below the psychological $20,000 barrier as the two Japanese brands look to maximise customer value and boost sales.Toyota has cut prices across the new Corolla range while adding value, as Nissan returns the Pulsar to local showrooms with the sort of value deal that makes plenty of sense. The only downside is that the automatic gearboxes in the two cars, which are both fuel-focussed CVT designs, cost $2000 in the Corolla and $2250 in the Pulsar.The two cars are previewed alongside Mitsubishi's new bargain-basement battler, a Mirage expected to be tagged from $12,000 in showrooms, at the opening of the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney. “If you get the product right, everything else follows,” the executive vice-president of Toyota Australia, Dave Buttner, tells Carsguide.“All the growth in sales this year is with private buyers, as government departments have been winding back and fleet sales are also down. Private buyers are confident and they are spending on the second-biggest purchase after their house.” He says car sales are well on target for an all-time record around 1,080,000 with double-digit growth for much of the year.Toyota is aiming to snap up more than 200,000 of those sales, running a parallel run out program with the old Corolla - at $18,990 on-the-road - to boost its compact conversions while holding onto leadership in the ute field with its HiLux. The only setback for the new Corolla is the late arrival of the four-door sedan, with only five-door hatches for Australia for at least nine months.For Nissan, the Pulsar is crucial and the company is looking for a big impact including a return of the SSS hatch that was a cult car in the 1980s. “Pulsar is back and we have big plans,” Bill Peffer, managing director of Nissan Australia, tells Carsguide. Among the other real-world cars set for spark a sales surge before December 31 is the new Mazda6, with the good looking Peugeot 208 and Renault Clio also on the way from Europe. For Mazda, the new 6 is its first all-new arrival since the GFC and a pointer to the replacement for the top selling Mazda3.“You can see now where we're going,” Doug Dickson, MD of Mazda Australia, says. And the baby Mirage? “It's something new for us, and it's going to bring a lot of people to the brand. I reckon we'll sell heaps,”  Mitsubishi marketing chief Paul Unerkov laughs.He refuses to talk pricing, but everything points to a $12,000 bottom line for a car which must head off the latest Chinese and Korean contenders. 

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)  

Despite tasty hero cars led by the F-Type Jaguar and Aston Martin One-77, it's the real world cars that are of most interest.The return of the Nissan Pulsar, the unveiling of the Toyota Corolla and the first Sydney appearance of the Mazda6 and Mitsubishi Mirage are all proof that ordinary customers now rule the roost. As car sales track strongly towards an all-time record, it's real people spending their own money who are the real target for carmakers."If you get the product right, everything else follows," the top Aussie at Toyota Australia, Dave Buttner, tells Carsguide. "All the growth in sales this year is with private buyers, as government departments have been winding back and fleet sales are also down. Private buyers are confident and they are spending on the second-biggest purchase after their house."Nissan confirmed its commitment to the new-age PUlsar with a $19,990 starting price and a SSS under lights. "Pulsar is back and we have big plans," Bill Peffer, managing director of Nissan Australia, tells Carsguide.For Mazda, the new 6 is its first all-new arrival since the GFC and a pointer to the replacement for the top selling Mazda3. "You can see now where we're going," Doug Dickson, MD of Mazda Australia, says. And the baby Mirage? "It's something new for us, and it's going to bring a lot of people to the brand. I reckon we'll sell heaps," Mitsubishi marketing chief Paul Unerkov laughs. 

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 Pulsar was replaced by the awkward-looking and oddly-named Tiida in 2006 – and Nissan used Sex InThe City’s Kim Cattrall in TV ads to take attention away from the car’s drab styling. But the public wasn’t buying it – or the car – and sales of Nissan’s sole contender in the most popular vehicle category in Australia plummeted. The new Pulsar goes on sale early next year with the same price it left with – and where it was 16 years ago – $19,990 plus on-road costs. “At this price, the only inflation is in the tyres,” says William Peffer, the boss of Nissan Australia at a preview of the car ahead of the Sydney motor show, which opens this Friday. Nissan dealers protested angrily when the company dropped the Pulsar name in favour of the global Tiida badge – and they’ve been vindicated. Nissan says 7 out 10 of car shoppers still recognise the Pulsar badge even though it hasn’t been on sale for six years. “The Pulsar means a lot to this country,” says Peffer. “We made the right decision to return to the nameplate that for so long characterised and shaped Australia’s small car landscape.” With the new Pulsar sedan arriving in showrooms next February – followed by the Pulsar hatch 100 days later – the company is gunning for the top-selling Mazda3 and the new generation Toyota Corolla, launched later this week. “We hope we will outsell Corolla,” says Peffer. Buoyed by a recent bout of nostalgia, kicked off with the 50th anniversary of the Patrol 4WD, Nissan is also reviving the Pulsar SSS name for its hot hatch. The turbocharged 1.6-litre performance model (140kW/240Nm) will go on sale in the middle of next year priced about $35,000. Meanwhile, at the other end of the scale, grey nomads holding out for a diesel version of the new Patrol continue to be disappointed. The new Patrol, which goes on sale in February priced between $82,000 and $114,000, will be powered exclusively by a petrol-guzzling 5.6-litre V8 – the same type used as the basis for Nissan’s V8 Supercar next year. The old Patrol, which has been on sale for close to 15 years, will continue to sell alongside the new model as a diesel-only model.  

A few years when Nissan decided to drop the Pulsar name, everybody told them they were making a mistake. But they did it anyway. What followed next was the Nissan Tiida which made its debut at the 2005 Sydney show. And, ho hum, wasn't/isn't it boring...the one thing Tiida had going for it was plenty of room inside which made it popular as a rental. “Tiida offers a giant leap forward for Nissan customers with its modern design, premium finishes and spacious interior,” we were told at the time. “The Tiida exterior features a dynamic look with the emphasis on attention to detail. The body form and long roofline suggest both Tiida's performance capabilities and the roominess inside.” (they must have been talking about some other car). Fast forward and Nissan Australia CEO, Bill Peffer, said the new Pulsar will add a powerful dimension to Nissan's rapidly improving passenger car portfolio. He said Pulsar sedan has the looks, packaging and expected value to make it the leading choice in the booming small car segment. Unveiled to the world in Beijing, we'll get the sedan first in Australia followed later by a hatch variant. Nissan have even alluded to a replacement for the oft-lamented Pulsar SSS sports model which was always so popular with young buyers. Powered by a turbocharged 1.6-litre engine, the emphasis however is expected to be on ride and handling, rather than outright performance. All will be revealed soon. Details, including technical specifications for Australia, will be available at a later date.  

A favourite name badge will return to Australian roads next year, but the celebrations will begin at the 2012 Australian International Motor Show when Nissan officially unveils the all-new Pulsar small car locally. The covers will be taken off the born-again iconic Pulsar, which left the Nissan line-up in 2005 and motoring enthusiasts are counting down the days until its return. The all-new Pulsar showcases Nissan’s newest design language with its smooth and modern exterior lines, combining a spacious interior and the latest technology and performance to deliver impressive fuel-efficiency and driver satisfaction. Joining the all-new Pulsar on stand will be the 2013 Patrol SUV, complete with full specification and pricing information, ahead of its on-sale date early next year. The all-new Nissan Patrol will be on display to impress with its luxury and spacious interior, powerful V8 engine and advanced operating systems.  The unveiling of the 2013 Nissan Patrol at the Motor Show will mark the first time Australians will be able to see the right-hand-drive local specification vehicle, with an overseas model displayed at Melbourne last year. “Next year will be one of the biggest years for Nissan Australia in recent times, with the launch of the 2013 Pulsar and Patrol, as well as updates on other key models,” said Russ Tyrie, Show Director. “Nissan will display a comprehensive range of its latest and future models at the Motor Show and visitors will also be able to learn more about its newest motorsport involvement prior to it entering the V8 Supercars Championship in 2013 as a third manufacturer.” The 2012 Australian International Motor Show will be held at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour and will open daily at 10am from October 19 to 28.  

Nissan Australia managing director Bill Peffer Jr last week confirmed performance variants are high on the agenda as the importer looks to resurrect the Pulsar name - and the company's share of the small car class - but refused to give details. “The sedan will arrive early 2013 and the hatch versions will follow about 90 days after,” Peffer says. “We will offer vehicles across the price range that will be hot hatches.” Just as Pulsar is instantly identified with Nissan and small cars, so is the SSS moniker seen as the performance variant. Both badges will be pivotal in regaining sales lost when Nissan was forced to adopt the Tiida name. The Tiida was introduced in Australia in 2006 and was an instant dud. Nissan's share of the small car segment dived from around 10 per cent in the Pulsars final years to about1.5 per cent last year. Nissan has sold fewer than 2000 Tiidas to the end of July this year, which is less than the monthly sales of the Mazda3, Toyota Corolla, Holden Cruze and Hyundai i30. Nissan is claiming a “product renaissance” over the next 18 months and the revived Pulsar plate will do most of the heavy lifting as the company looks to step up from being the sixth most popular brand in the country. “Pulsar - our 500-pound gorilla as I call it - 82 per cent of our plan for growth next year comes on the back of these two cars: sedan and hatch,” Peffer says. The Pulsar will be joined by a new Patrol four-wheel drive and the mid-sized Altima sedan, which will replace the Maxima. A new Pathfinder will follow in 2014. Nissan has already launched the Almera light sedan - based on its popular Micra hatch - and is aiming for 250 sales a month. “We won't get a lot of sales out of Almera, it's not one of our core models and around 80 per cent of the light car segment are hatches,” Peffer notes. “The Accent and Barina (sedans) are doing 3000-4000 a year and we think we can do around that number. “It's part of our strategy to compete in any segment where there is growth and the light car market is one area we need to be.”  

It also has the compact Almera, a Diesel Dualis, and the battery-powered Leaf, as well as another sharpening tweak to the GT-R supercar to fold into a richer product mix. Then there are four upscale Infiniti models in a big brand stretch at the top end of the Nissan family. The flood of new models is intended to get Nissan onto many more Australian shopping lists, as the company looks to overtake Hyundai and Mazda to become the country's favourite pure import brand."We will be putting eight new products into the market in the next 12 months. We have four on the Nissan side and four from Infiniti," says Dan Thompson, managing director of Nissan Australia. "There are also the regular updates across the other models like the 370Z. It's all coming together within two years. It's great." Thompson is nearing the end of his time in Australia before taking up a promotion in Europe in April, but is clearly still committed to a product update that's easily the biggest since Nissan closed its local manufacturing operation in Australia. "We've got a lot happening. Leaf is in June, that's the next one to come," Thompson says. "Then Almera, then Patrol, then Pulsar. It's all in the next 12 months. Probably the biggest challenge is probably prioritising things. It's going to be a busy, busy period."Thompson says the return of the Pulsar nameplate - which was dumped byJapanese management in favour of the Tiida - is a big event. "We've got big plans for the Pulsar and there is a lot of good stuff we're going to do, especially with the hatch," he says. Right now, he says Nissan is working towards the end of the Japanese financial year and its target of overtaking Mitsubishi in Australia. "We're also up there again in the top three fastest-growing brands. We're starting to get there. We've had seven percent-plus market share for a while now."But Thompson says it's the new cars that are going to make the biggest difference. "We've got the new GT-R landing this month. And that's a pretty big update for just a running change. "We've got the update to the Z, which is the US cycle. We've got Dualis diesel coming towards the end of the year. And we have some other big stuff. "We've got lots of good little running changes for all the core product. We've got a new Navara product coming this month out of spain. With the capacity constraints in Thailand we moved the ST, our best selling variant, to Spain. We're scrambling to find capacity."

China is clearly on top of the car world in 2011.