We Irish are almost unique in Europe for our love affair with small saloon cars. The huge selling Almera saloon was adored despite having zero personality! The romance looks set to continue with the all-new Nissan Tiida (tea-da).
Dull as dishwater best describes the exterior styling of the old Almera however there is simply no arguing with its impressive reliability and the value the car delivered. Tiida’s exterior styling is certainly not as bland and in time, and the right colour choice, could be liveable with.
Nissan has divided up the Almera class with three very distinct models aimed at three very different customers. The new Tiida (which means ever-changing-tide) is available as a hatchback or saloon and is pitched at mature customers. The four-door on test is pitched squarely at the over 45s looking for sensible motoring and a high level of comfort. The chunky five-door Qashqai is the surprise hit of the year with those torn between an SUV and hatchback, and finally the Nissan Note mini-MPV is a practical family car and more than your average hatchback.
The exterior of Tiida is chunky in an American design school way. The front end is ugly at worst but attractive in a strange way. The stubby boot hides a big storage area while Tiida’s exterior overall is far more impressive than the saloon it replaces. The hatchback on the other hand is a mixture of Toyota Auris (with fewer curves) and Kia’s C’eed. Tiida hatch is far more practical than the saloon as the rear seat bench can slide fore and aft.
Nissan uses the same platform, engine range and general under-bits in all three cars and the economies of scale mean that Nissan is on the rise again in Ireland.
Tiida is huge inside, in fact class leading. A great effort has been put into the seating to make it as comfortable as possible and the Japanese firm has succeeded. ESP is sadly an expensive option (€800) but Nissan assures me that this is the cost price and that the target buyer at the moment prefers to have a cheaper sticker price. Only a handful of orders have come in for the option of ESP on the Qashqai, which I feel reflects the price more than the lack of interest in the potentially life-saving technology.
On the upside Nissan continues to offer the best party trick as standard with the excellent Bluetooth hands-free phone connection that’s integrated in the stereo that also has commendable steering-wheel-mounted controls.
Tiida’s interior is vast and the plastic and trim quality quite good. The dash design and layout could be a little more interesting though. Mazda’s 3 and Toyota’s Corolla both offer more interesting dashboards and a greater sense of quality.
Tiida’s handling on the road is predictable and uninspiring. The controls are light and easy to use. The 1.6 litre petrol unit is nice enough but the 1.5 litre diesel (available from July) will for many make the most sense especially with taxi operators.
Nissan is pulling no punches with standard specification and if you are in the market for a small saloon the new Tiida should be top of your shopping list on price alone!
Michael Sheridan
