Nissan Pulsar 2004 Review

For a number of years through the late 90s Nissan became known as the Pulsar car company. Such was the strength of sales of its small hatch and sedan that it outshone the rest of the Japanese maker's lineup. That lineup has since been augmented by such hot sellers as the X-Trail but the Pulsar still takes pride of place as the company's most popular model.

Two models are on offer: A Japanese-built four-door sedan, and a UK-sourced five-door hatch, both sharing Nissan's 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine. Despite the same underpinnings and drivetrain, Nissan recognises that the market comprises two distinctly different buyers, and this is reflected in the respective styling of the cars. At the time of its launch in 2000 the more conservative sedan was dubbed by some as a mini-Maxima, while the hatch that arrived mid-2001 carried sportier overtones.

While many of its rivals have headed up the scale in pricing, Nissan has managed to keep its starting sticker price under the psychological $20,000 mark, and that has been one of its biggest drawcards. Thankfully it has not been at the expense of equipment or quality.

Admittedly, only the entry level ST sedan starts at $19,990 with the hatch base model carrying a $2000 premium, but that said, the range still only tops out at $25,990 for an automatic Pulsar Q sedan. There are three spec levels in the sedan - ST, ST-L and Q - and two for the hatch - ST and Q - and all are well equipped for the price. Standard fittings across the entire range include air conditioning, remote locking, CD sound system, dual front airbags and anti-lock brakes. All but the ST models are equipped with power windows, and automatic versions of the sedan feature cruise control as standard.

Generally Nissan has a fairly good line in seating and the Pulsar is no exception, with comfortable and supportive pews. Up front the driver gets plenty of adjustment options and although the steering column only has rake adjustment and not reach, it is easy enough to get a good driving position. Passengers in the rear get plenty of headroom but with the Pulsar being among the shortest cars in the class, legroom is restricted. It's OK for short trips around town but you wouldn’t want to do a longer journey with teenage kids. The boot space is not overly generous, especially in the hatch where practicality has suffered at the hand of style, although the rear seat does split fold 60/40 to increase the luggage area. The fit and finish of the interior is typically Japanese, and it makes for a pleasant place to be while the well-sorted suspension provides good ride comfort over most surfaces.

At launch only the UK-sourced hatch came standard with dual airbags but a minor upgrade in early 2004 resulted in the addition of dual airbags and -- potentially more important -- anti-lock brakes as standard across the entire range. All five seats are fitted with three-point seatbelts that are height adjustable in the front and feature pre-tensioners with load limiters. In general the car feels solid and offers good visibility on the road, but there is one area we feel could compromise safety and that is the sunvisors. They are a particularly bad design and fail to hide the sun while almost blocking out forward vision altogether.

The Pulsar hatch was launched with a 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine as the only powerplant and since 2003, when the 1.6-litre unit was dropped from the sedan range, it remains the only engine option. Featuring variable valve timing, the hatch produces a maximum power of 92kW and peak torque of 161Nm while the output figures are marginally different for the sedan at 90kW and 63Nm. Standard transmission is a five-speed manual with a four-speed auto carrying a $2000 premium. Both models are identical in their other mechanical specs with a traditional MacPherson front end, beam-axle rear suspension, power assisted rack and pinion steering and disc brakes on all four wheels. Depending on the model, wheel sizes range from 14-inch steel to 16-inch alloy.

This segment of the market is one of the most hotly contested with equivalent models from Mazda, Ford, Holden, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Subaru, Volkswagen, Renault and Peugeot all fighting for prominence. Traditionally, the Europeans were at the lofty end in terms of price; the Japanese in the mid-range and Koreans the cheapest, but in recent years the lines have become blurred as more cars are sourced from European countries, and smaller cars in the class below have become more costly. Still the Euro-badged cars tend to start in the mid-$20K region and although Ford's Focus and the Holden Astra come out of Europe, they are priced more in keeping with their brands and start around $21,000. In general terms, European cars probably handle and drive the best; Japanese cars are the best built and Korean vehicles are packed with the most kit, but the choice comes down to personal preferences.

Although the sedan and hatch look distinctly different they are very similar in driving experience. While the hatch offers a more youthful presence, you wouldn't describe its driving manners as sporty. The engine is a reasonably refined unit and about average in terms of power for its class, but it does like to be revved before it really gets going. It's adequate off the line but feels strongest in the mid range and while it will happily pull through to the top end of the rev band, it does get a bit loud as the revs head towards 6000.

The manual gearbox is nicely precise and light enough to use regularly and the steering is well weighted if lacking in feel, making this a pleasant car to drive with ease. The ride and handling compromise is probably biased towards the former but it is by no means soft and although it might not be as sharp as its European rivals, the Pulsar still provides competent and predictable handling, typical of Japanese front-drive cars.