What's new about Nissan's new Sunny?

Press, 24 April 1986, Page 29

What's new about Nissan's new Sunny?

BEHIND the WHEEL with

Peter Greenslade

“New Nissan Sunny Wins on Price and Features,” says the heading on Nissan New Zealand’s latest press release. Fair enough! That is until the three double-spaced typed sheets are scanned and there is not even a mention of price. And although the heading indicates that this Is a new Sunny, the main body of the release indicates that its newness is “mainly in points of detail.” That gives rise to the inevitable question: Just how new is the new Nissan Sunny? The company answers that question in the following manner: “The interior trim has been changed right through the range to bring a new opulence to even the lowest-priced model. “Dark grey forms the background of the new trim, which, in the SG and SGS models, takes the form of a woven check of light grey. “ZX models feature German Thiel velour, again in light greys contrasting with a dark grey

background. “All models are now equipped with tilt-adjust steering columns for added driver comfort Seatbelts in the rear are of the inertia reel type.” There is little more to follow in the same vein. It is no secret that most local assemblers are generally coy when it comes to publicising the price of their wares. Of course,

they can offer the excuse that the price at the time of posting the hand-out may differ from that at the time of receipt, thanks to New Zealand’s floating dollar and the hardening of the yen. Ail the same, the motoring public is surely entitled to ask and to receive an explanation outlining the reasons for such quick-fire changes. After all, C.K.D. assembly kits are not landed in New Zealand today and sold as new cars in dealers’ showrooms tomorrow. Also, and arguably, motoring reporters have a right to know why they, or their employers, should help further swell the Post Office’s coffers seeking information about prices of new models from coy local assemblers. In fact, Nissan’s latest Sunny Sportwagon — to my mind the best of the bunch in the Sunny range — was tagged at $17,974 for the 1.3 litre model and $18,488 for the 1.5 last Friday when I inquired from Carthy Nissan, a helpful local Nissan dealer.