Nissan Pulsar Review Australia | Features, Specification, Price

• Car Reviews,
• Jul 01, 2020

Looking for the best family car? We are sure that your search must have brought you in close range with the Volkswagen Golf and some midsize sedans and hatchbacks that can meet your requirements. The Nissan Pulsar must have crossed your eyes while on your search for the family car, which is a pretty straightforward yet tech-savvy family car.

 

The perfect family car needs to fulfill some basic needs for your family, like having ample space in the boot for all that extra luggage when going on holidays, enough room in the cabin to commute children to and from school and a good comfortable drive for everyone in the family to drive. This sets standards for a huge class with hundreds of cars that are manufactured by various car manufacturing companies.

In this article, we go in-depth in the features and specifications of the Nissan Pulsar, briefly looking at the different trims and the engine options that are available for you to choose from.

 

The literal meaning of pulsar is derived from a pulsating star which is highly magnetized. It is rightly chosen by Nissan for its subcompact and compact car which was initially produced in 1978 and continued till 2000. It was then replaced by the Nissan Sylphy but remained as the Pulsar in the Australian market.

 

The Nissan Pulsar car was aimed to cater to the family size sedan but has some other variants throughout its history which deviated from its base class. One such was the three-door hatchback called the Nissan Pulsar GTI-R, introduced as a homologation variant.

 

The recent generation of the Nissan Pulsar brings the concept of the traditional family car to life with their latest hatchback, and the sportier Nissan Pulsar SSS. It offers a great value for money, equipped with standard equipment and a five-star NCAP safety rating. The petrol and diesel variants are offered by Nissan which means that it becomes easy for you to choose the one that suits your needs and pocket.

 

Nissan Pulsar 2020 Specifications and Performance:

Loaded with a 1.2-liter turbo petrol engine in the base model which outputs 114 bhp and the 1.6-liter turbo petrol engine at 109 bhp. The diesel variant is a 1.5-liter engine and may not be the most robust solution if you are looking for speed, but it still revs well when the turbo comes into action.

 

The 1.2-liter turbo petrol engine might be the most optimum choice with a greater acceleration than the diesel engine. The 1.6-liter engine is adequate, but it increases the price tag considerably.

The Nissan Pulsar offers a great ride when you are driving smoothly on the motorway or when cruising around town but can become tiring when you take it in the countryside. The road grip is pleasantly good, and the handling is superb. That being said, the steering wheel could have been more responsive since you feel a slight lag when you turn around corners.

 

The Pulsar 1.2-liter and 1.6-liter petrol are surprisingly hushed, with almost zero road or engine noise entering the cabin. The diesel variant may be slightly gruff but that can be expected from a diesel engine. The power delivery is smooth, even when you work the engine hard.

 

Nissan Pulsar Features:

The interior of the Nissan Pulsar is laden with all the latest Japanese technology and features. Starting from the driving position, the Nissan Pulsar offers plenty of seat and steering adjustment for you to arrive at the perfect driving position. For longer distances, the seats may not be as comfortable as one might hope for and you might feel that they are not exactly supportive. However, the controls for air-conditioning and radio are smartly situated and labeled making it easier for the driver.

 

The Nissan Pulsar offers an excellent 360 view of the surroundings due to the tall windows and the compact body. This makes it easier for the car to be maneuvered around the city and really helps to find those rare parking spots.

 

A reverse camera, 5.0-inch display screen for the driver and a satellite navigation system in the more expensive models are included for a better picture of your surroundings, adding to the safety features. The dashboard is simple, yet elegant, and you will not fail to notice some similarities with the infamous Nissan Qashqai. The material used is high-grade and is found to be durable.

 

Nissan Pulsar Safety Features:

Nissan is known to provide the best safety features in most of their cars, and the Nissan Pulsar is a family car, is no different. With a five-star safety rating from NCAP, the Pulsar includes six airbags, wheel pressure monitoring system, and a stability control function. Higher variants get further updates like the forward emergency braking, reversing camera, blind-spot warning, and lane-departure warning.

 

Nissan Pulsar Review:

All in all, this is a great family car with a spacious interior for fitting everyone, standard features that are top of the line, one of the best safety features that you can get in the price range. The price range is attractive, more so if you opt for the 1.2-liter petrol turbo variant. The engine is efficient, and the maintenance cost is less. The service intervals are less frequent and projected to be after every 15,000 miles on average.

 

On the downside, the engine power may seem inadequate and you might feel that there is nothing extra special about it, but that comes with an added perk due to the fuel economy. The driving experience is so-so and rather uninspiring but does not compromise on its practicality nor refinement. Final verdict: A good family car that is easy to drive and navigate around the city with a spacious cabin. But if you are looking for that extra fun while driving, this might not be the car you are looking for.