2014 Nissan Sunny Test Drive Score Sheet

The Nissan Sunny is the most spacious machine in its segment, but it’s best enjoyed from the comfort of the rear seat.

One of my favourite cars in the world is the Nissan GT-R, and I admire Nissan as a brand for creating such a powerful and beautiful piece of machinery. They are also the creators of the Juke, which is a very daring product that has done well in the international market. In India, the Terrano is a very capable SUV that performs well. But, when I look at the Nissan Sunny, it just doesn’t strike me as being very inspiring.

Sure, the Sunny is all about practicality – and that’s where it grabbed top points – but besides being very spacious and comfortable in the rear seat, it has very little to offer. Yes, from the driver’s seat, you get a refined and punchy engine, as well as good high-speed stability, but there isn’t much joy to be had in the driving experience. The track, especially, shows up the lack of driver involvement. Steering feel is a foreign concept and body control around the corners is not its strong point.

The 1.5-litre diesel engine is turbocharged and pumps out 85bhp and 200Nm of torque, which isn’t too bad, but the throttle response is lethargic and the car takes time to gather pace. So, sportiness and X-Factor aren’t really its strong points. But if you need a car to be chauffeured around in, there’s very little in this segment that comes close for space and comfort. So, the Sunny is a dish best enjoyed from the capacious confines of the rear bench