W2B-035 Technology matters 3-2.txt
Test drive Ð the Nissan Sunny SR

A car you 'll warm to É

Nissan might not be the marque that springs to mind when it comes to performance hatchbacks, but look out for the nifty little Sunny SR.

It's one of that new breed of cars Ð the 'warm hatchback'. Put simply, cars like this, the Citroen ZX Furio and others, are a way of giving customers 'hot hatch' style performance without the insurance penalties.

It's part of a huge array of Sunny models: hatches, saloons, estates, and even a costly GtiR version which is ready for rallying.

The SR, which comes in three-door hatchback form, is a sort of under-stated Gti. From the outside, it has a few of the Gti dressings like upgraded wheel trims, spoilers at the front and rear and so on.

It costs £ 11,230 here, which places it well below most so-called fully fledged Gti cars.

For that price, as I 've said, you get a sporty looking car but, unlike the Clio at least, it comes with a fair amount of space, both for passengers inside, where it's particularly roomy, and in the boot.

Equipment, as it tends to do on most Nissans, runs to a high standard. The SR comes complete with power steering, electric windows, mirrors and sunroof, remote control boot release and 'plip' central locking with a built-in alarm system; one which takes a bit of getting used to, in fact.

But what of the car's performance capabilities? In short, they 're very impressive.

While the range-topping Gti Sunny uses a 2.0 litre power unit, the SR employs a 1.6 litre 16-valve engine. Working through a crisp five-speed gearbox, that gives the hatchback a claimed top speed of 121 mph and a 0-60 mph rating of 11.2 seconds.

In effect, the car uses its 102 bhp very well indeed. You don't need to pump up the revs to get it to move swiftly and smoothly up through the gears, and it isn't a noisy performer by any stretch of the imagination.

It's a very good cruiser, too, moving along effortlessly at motorway limit speeds and above.

What impresses more about this Nissan is its handling ability.

Unlike some hatchbacks one could mention, this seems to be solidly built with a first-class chassis. It has a reassuring wide stance on the road.

All of that gives it a very encouraging sure-footedness once you try to throw it around a corner or two.

The suspension is the same as that used in the Sunny Gti, which makes it firm without being too hard. On the stopping front, there are no ABS brakes, but the ventilated discs at the front seemed capable enough in my spell with the Nissan.

So what you get with this package is a roomy hatchback with plenty of power on tap, great fun to drive, and better than average handling abilities.
