Nissan might launch the Sunny facelift in July

Nissan India could launch the Sunny facelift in July this year according to a source. Faint memories of the Auto Expo remind us of the Sunny facelift that was on display, it looked marginally different from the existing car and carried a few additional features.

The front fascia in the updated car now sports a redesigned grille surrounded by chrome, larger headlamps that complement the new grille, new fog lamp inserts with chrome surrounds and an all-new bumper. The ORVMs now get integrated turn indicators, the rear, however, seems to have been ignored with only a black plastic insert on the lower part of the bumper to give that pseudo diffuser look. The all-new alloy wheel design looks really good and adds finesse to the car.

Nissan may add ABS, EBD and Brake Assist as standard features on the updated car, while the variants with the bells and whistles may get side airbags in addition to dual front ones. Feature wise the music system gets the addition of Bluetooth connectivity and a USB port and the centre console is now finished in a piano black colour.

The car will continue to be powered by the same 1.5-litre petrol and the reliable 1.5-litre K9K diesel engines. The Sunny will get the five-speed manual gearbox for the petrol and diesel, whereas the five-speed CVT will be offered only with the petrol engine as before.

The Sunny was one of the products that clicked for Nissan in India before they introduced the Terrano (a rebadged Renault Duster). The car has one of the best legroom in its segment, a choice of good engines, a supple ride and its decent handling characteristics made it a good package. However, compared to competition like the Honda City and the Hyundai Verna it lacked in the features and looks department and although the changes are still cosmetic the car now looks a lot better than before. 

Source: IAB