2020 Nissan Almera: First look

Nissan Almera is quite a popular car in the B-segment sedan category. It is well known for its spacious interior, however, it is kind of outdated now when it comes to the aesthetics which tend to be a let down for many.

To provide what the customers needed, Nissan even launched a sportier Almera Black Series. It did manage to rope in a few more customers but still didn’t have the elements to compete in the growing segment fight.

Nissan learned its lesson and has come up with a brand-new Almera. Launched in Thailand last month, the new 2020 Nissan Almera is drastically different when compared to the current model that’s on sale here in Malaysia. What all new does it have? Let’s find out in this story.

Exterior

Nissan addressed the ageing aesthetics of the Almera and gave the car a total revamp in its latest iteration. Bravo, Nissan! The new Almera looks so much better than its outgoing model. It features Nissan’s signature V-motion front grille and a set of sharp, modern, and aggressive headlamps which are accompanied by LED daytime running lights.

The front end look is completed by a sportier bumper with fog lamps. Seriously, the decision of adopting the V-motion design really made a huge difference in the car’s appearance.

Moving to the side of the car, we see a very subtle character line that runs through the doors. The wheels aren’t that good-looking and just don’t go along well with the car’s front end. We wish Nissan would have paid more attention to them.

The rear end of the 2020 Nissan Almera receives new taillights that are sportier than ever before and gels with the headlight’s design very well. We also like the rear bumper.

Interior

The changes aren’t just limited to the exterior of the new Almera, Nissan has revamped the interior as well. There’s a new dashboard in place which Nissan likes to call as 'Gliding Wing' dashboard. It is certainly an improvement over that of the predecessor.

What are the key interior features of the 2020 Nissan Almera?

Ans. There are many new interior features to point out. To begin with, we have a flat-bottom steering wheel that gives a sporty feeling. It also gets mounted controls. We also get a large 8-inch touch screen display with Apple CarPlay support. Nissan has also changed the layout of the instrument console. It now features a part digital part analogue design with a digital tachometer and an analogue speedometer with a 7-in MID in the middle.

What about interior space?

Ans. The Almera has always been known for its spacious cabin, thus, we have had high expectations with its new model. However, for now, we can’t really comment on that because the car hasn’t been launched yet in the country. But we think Nissan must have kept the cabin space the same, if not increased it for added comfort.

Engine

Another big change in the 2020 Nissan Almera specs sheet is the replacement of the 1.5-litre petrol engine that had 102 PS of max and 139 Nm of torque with a new downsized 1.0-litre 3-cylinder turbocharged engine with a DOHC setup. It has been tuned to churn out a max power of 100 bhp and 152 Nm of torque. For transmission, it has Nissan’s Xtronic CVT unit. Just like before, the power is transmitted to the front wheels.

Safety features

From the safety point of view, the new Almera gets the basic features like-

• Up to 6 airbags
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Blindspot warning
• Hill-start assist
• Vehicle dynamic control

Of course, most of the aforementioned features would vary depending on the variant of the car.

In Thailand, the 2020 Nissan Almera price starts at 499,000 baht which turns out to be around RM 68,603. There are 5 variants of the car with its top-end model selling at 639,000 baht or RM 87,851. The current Nissan Almera price available here in Malaysia ranges from RM 69,888 to RM 79,888.

Now it would be interesting to see what variants of the new Almera does Nissan Malaysia brings to the country and at what prices. We wouldn’t be surprised to see a price hike across all the variants. Also, Nissan Malaysia still hasn’t revealed any details regarding the launch of the new Almera here.

Also Read: Check out GoCar car subscription service; Nissan Almera at RM 1,600 only