Nissan Sunny Review: The Ideal Family Sedan for Road Trips
When you’ve been driving your own car for long it’s hard to feel comfortable with something else, & so was the case with me as I drove Nissan Sunny to test-drive and review it during a few days long family road trip in the Himalayas.
I mean, I am one of those people who have to do a lot of finagling and manoeuvring of buttons, seats, not to mention adjusting a few things that are fairly critical, such as side rear-view mirrors and the programmed radio station selection.
But with the kind of technology that Nissan Sunny offered (from its automatic CVT transmission to electrically adjustable mirrors), things become a lot easier right from the beginning.
My First Impression Of Nissan Sunny
A road trip really allows you to get to know a vehicle. You get to know about it drivability, the level of comfort it offers, and other things closely. Does it have plenty of cupholders? Are the seats comfortable? Do you have plenty of room to stretch your legs? Can you fit an extra suitcase in the boot? And in the case of Nissan Sunny, it was a yes, yes and yes!
I particularly loved the comfort that Nissan Sunny offered. During the first day of the road-trip itself, we drove over 500km (with 300+km being done in the Himalayas) but it still didn’t feel tiring. With a CVT automatic transmission, the gearshift was effortless, and in fact, so smooth that most of the time didn’t feel any upshift or downshift.
Other things like the push start button, a rearview camera with park assist, steering wheel-mounted controls, an electronic smart braking system made the entire driving experience more relaxing. And if anything was left, its spacious interiors made it up to us. With the premium first-class seats, Nissan Sunny felt like a warm, welcoming home for the entire family!
Also Read: A 5Day Road Trip To Manali From Delhi
Next Up: A Good Gas Mileage
The Nissan Sunny surprised me with its excellent gas mileage (even impressing my father) and for a road trip this always a win/win, especially now that petrol prices are its all-time high.
The Nissan Sunny comes with a 1.5L XV (petrol) 5-speed CVT transmission. It has a 76 kW horsepower, 134 Nm torque and gives you a fuel efficiency of 17kmpl (with 20kmpl on highways). Translation? If you are driving typically good highway conditions, you can be on the road for more than 500 km before needing to fill up again. And for someone like me, who is more of a “let’s drive between 50 and 60 km per hour and get a good mileage” kind of person, doing over 500 km on a full tank in Nissan Sunny and still being left with enough petrol for another 100 km or, was easier.
And hey, did I tell you that Nissan Sunny has a drive computer that keeps you in the know with important information such as your current average km/L, and more importantly, your distance to an empty fuel tank?
A High-Class Limousine-Like Design
Every nook and cranny of the Nissan Sunny speaks of nothing but style and elegance. Even though the basic model starts at nearly 7Lakh Rupees, it well beats Sedans ranging over 9 or 10 Lakh.
I particularly loved its Chrome Grill in the front creating a beautiful frame for the Nissan badge (something that reminded me of a 20L Rupees Mercedes).
Inside, the piano black finish on its centre console, a sporty steering wheel and other premium amenities like leather seating, rear cupholders add to the experience.
The storage compartment between the two front seats was moreover cavernous (seriously I think you could put a small toy dog in there (just like you do in SUVs). The glove compartment was spacious enough to hold a tablet device and a water bottle.
Great Handling
Just like other Sedans, Nissan Sunny is also meant for in-city driving. But I found it equally impressive on highways and mountains too. Its 165mm ground clearance was just perfect to avoid any scape-offs during bad road-conditions and enjoy sharp turns at a good speed at the same time.
I took the car from Delhi to Manali (and further for a 15km offroading to Sethan), with a 250km of a straight highway and nearly 300km of high mountain roads and I was pleased with how it handled on curvy roads, steep inclines and rapid declines. Its ABS turned out to be my perfect partner — more than my father’s “watch it”, “drive carefully” and “slow down” yells.
Hotness Factor
I’m not gonna lie. I love a car that I look good driving and Nissan Sunny was gorgeous little thing that was certainly eye-catching.
Though I would like to well discriminate about the colour of the car I was provided with (yes I am talking about the Plain White) which looked a bit too simple to adore. I honestly think that Nissan Sunny looks better in Sandstone Brown.
Cargo Space
Another thing that you need the most when on a road trip with your family is plenty of space for everyone’s luggage and gear for the weekend. And boom, Nissan Sunny amazed me with what all it let us carry.
It offered a whopping 490L boot space, in addition to all those cup holders and glove compartments.
Bells And Whistles
One of the most interesting things that Nissan cars are equipped with is NissanConnect, which, with the help of a mobile application, lets you track your track in real-time as well as receive notification(s) in case of an emergency or accident. Though kids won’t be liking their parents tracking their movement, I think it’s definitely a step forward when it comes to safety.
The final verdict? I loved the Nissan Sunny so much that I’m actually considering it for our next family vehicle.
