Nissan launches Almera in Thailand

Nissan Motors Philippines, Inc. executives have recently been hinting at the possibility of a new model in the subcompact segment for the Philippines; not a hatchback, but a sedan.

Perhaps it could be this car: the new Nissan Almera.

Launched today in Thailand, the Almera follows the Thai government's eco-car program; Nissan being the first automaker to launch a sedan that fits the program's profile.

Produced at Nissan's plant in Samutprakarn, Thailand, the new car features a modern, stylish exterior with a spacious interior, and showcases Nissan's eco-friendly Pure Drive technology. The Almera is powered by a 1.2-liter, 3-cylinder engine with a maximum output of 79 PS and a maximum torque of 106 Nm. The car was launched with both a five-speed manual transmission and Nissan's XTRONIC-CVT. It is also equipped with an idling stop system that stops the engine in traffic, reducing consumption and lowering CO2 emissions to just 102g/km and a claimed economy of 20km/l.

Currently, Nissan Motors Philippines has no model competing in the subcompact segment. It was expected that the Nissan March was going to arrive, but those plans were stalled because of a high projected MSRP.

Hopefully Nissan Motors would invest in producing a left-hand drive model for the Philippines and, of course, that it arrive with a competitive price tag.