Nissan Pulsar SSS 2014 Review

On the road

It's a curious thing; the most unlikely-looking vehicle turns out to be the most zippy, but slowest lapper of the bunch.

Also fascinating is that the Nissan's donk is shared with the Renault Sport Clio RS 200 EDC. But this tune (140kW at 5600rpm and 240Nm at 2000rpm) actually feels livelier than the 147kW/240Nm offered in the French car.

Coupled to a continuously variable transmission (CVT), the Pulsar SSS hits 100km/h in a group-leading 7.5sec. Its 50-70km/h time is only a tenth off the Alfa's pace, but its 2.1sec 80-100km/h sprint wins by 0.3sec!

It's also okay on fuel; 8.6L/100km is a small price to pay for this level of performance.

Why, then, did the Nissan post the slowest lap-time (1:06.7) of all at our test track?

This can be partly explained by its unsophisticated torsion beam rear suspension, but Nissan has also missed the market in its chassis tuning. Although the Pulsar SSS rides very nicely, the angles of body roll it can achieve (see accompanying photos), leave gaping gaps between the 17-inch alloys and the wheel arches.

The Nissan is also under-tyred, riding on 205/50-series Continental Premium Contact 2s – essentially an economy-biased compound – and this affects most aspects of the driving process.

Its stopping distance from 60km/h also trailed the otherwise tightly-compacted group and was half a metre off the Mazda and Alfa Romeo.

The steering feels disjointed; offering too much assistance early in the turning phase, with no sense of what's happening other than a change in horizon.

In short, the Pulsar SSS is a wonderful driveline crying out for hot, rather than tepid, chassis treatment.

Fit and finish

Like the Ford Focus, the Nissan Pulsar SSS is sourced from Thailand and shows similarly competent levels of build quality.

The interior impresses passengers with its sumptuous trim and fine attention to detail. Fit and finish is another strongpoint, with cabin materials that look and feel like they'll last the distance.

A more rounded feel to the interior makes the Nissan seem softer and a little more luxurious in this company. The neatly moulded dash, the microscopically-accurate meeting together of the components that make it up, and the tactility of the controls come together to make it all a Zen-like experience.

The joints in the steering column shroud are neatly finished, there's a nice action to the closing of the centre cubby lid and all four outboard passengers get soft, cushy door armrests.

It's not all good news. The inner doors aren't perfect, with some roughly-finished welding evident at the base of the windows frames, and the heat-welded knots in the cables that lift the rear parcel tray look like a cheap cop-out.

But the paintwork is great, the panel fit and alignment excellent and the under-bonnet display is pretty much a replica of its peers.

While the Nissan features some big ticket items (sat-nav, Bluetooth telephony and audio streaming, cruise control, remote keyless entry and push-button start), its manually-adjustable seats, six-speaker audio system and basic trip computer prove very 'vanilla' when compared to the Mazda3 SP25.

Dual-zone climate control is similar to many rivals, while the 5.8-inch screen above it is easy to navigate with straightforward pathways for tasks such as phone pairing.

Power windows and mirrors are also included, as are a reversing camera, 'leather-appointed' seat trim, and auto-levelling xenon headlights with washing function.

Nissan's Pulsar SSS is pushed to over $30,000 in CVT form, retailing for $32,390 (as tested, plus on-road costs). In addition to the technology items listed above the Pulsar SSS receives a comprehensively-skirted body kit. Metallic paint is a $495 option.

Nissan provides an industry standard 36-month/100,000km warranty, as well as a solid 72-month/120,000km capped-price servicing arrangement. Blighting this are six-month/10,000km service intervals, the initial service costing $258.16.

Standard roadside assistance is included for three years.

According to RedBook.com.au, a three-year retained value for the Nissan Pulsar SSS is 55 per cent. That equates to $17,815.

Nissan might not welcome the thought, but the latest ‘Pulsar' does owe a little conceptually to the maligned Tiida that preceded it. It's all to do with the fundamental shape of the body, and what it does for packaging.

Plainly, the Pulsar is the most welcoming hatchback here when it comes to accommodating passengers. The tall roofline means a higher hip point that in turn assists all-round legroom. It's demonstrably more generous in the cabin, particularly in the back seat, than its competition.

What's more, the seats are softly padded and instantly cosseting, even if there's no lumbar adjustment. Unfortunately, the side support tends to collapse during sporty driving. At least it's easy to get a comfy driving position, and there's a footrest.

Perhaps the only shortcoming of the high-set cushions is that they encroach – a bit – on headroom.

The control layout has been given some thought in terms of ease of use, with the sat-nav screen set conveniently lower than most, adding to the clean and neat dash. But only the driver gets an auto-down window and the rear view (although assisted a little by portholes in the heavy C-pillars) is restricted.

The boot is the second smallest on test (at 310 litres) and there are no tie-down points provided. The lift-up floor panel is made of cheap-looking, corrugated cardboard-style plastic.

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