Nissan Almera VL N-Sport
Sporty sedans are usually a challenge to enjoy every day. Fitted with body kits, fancy wheels, and sometimes sporty suspension, they’re made to draw stares but hardly ever for comfort or practicality.
It seems Nissan is well aware of this, which is why they now offer the Almera VL N-Sport. This is the top-of-the-line Almera, bearing sporty kit, a 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine, and turbo power.
It comes with a sporty exterior with aggressive design and its distinctive V-motion façade that says it means business. The side profile has an almost fastback look with blacked-out pillars to make the roof look like it’s floating. It rolls on lovely 16-inch wheels. Behind, it has boomerang-shaped LED tail lights and a diffuser-like design on the lower bumper. No spoiler here as its overall design is enough to convey speed.
The interior is given the same attention to detail. The dash boasts of generous leather appliques for a soft touch. The driver gets a unique digital/analog combination instrument cluster. It’s paired with a sculpted flat-bottom wheel with remote controls for the stereo. Finally, the front passengers get Zero-G aerospace-inspired seats designed to reduce fatigue on long drives.
The center gets an eight-inch infotainment system that’s also packed with many of the Nissan Intelligent Mobility features seen on the Terra and Navara. It comes with Apple Carplay with Bluetooth, USB and Aux-in connections. Lower on the center stack are digital controls for the climate, two cupholders, and lots of storage spaces.
The cabin is comfortable for passengers behind as well. They get two-tone leather seats at the back as well. A center armrest with cupholders folds down, while the back of the console has two more USB ports for charging. Adding utility is the fact that the entire rear bench can be folded down to accommodate long cargo, easily matching the utility of any SUV of similar size.
Being a new-generation Nissan, it’s not short on safety features. This Almera gets the 360 camera system with Moving Object Detection, forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, rear-cross traffic alert as well as blind-spot warning. It also has six airbags, anti-lock brakes, and stability control.
Propelling the Almera N-Sport is a 1.0L turbo we mentioned earlier. Its 100-PS of power may not seem impressive, but the massive 160-Nm of torque at 2,400 rpm is. Paired with a CVT, it makes the Almera feel like a far more powerful car. Throttle response is adequate and quickly picks up once the turbo kicks in. Best of all, the CVT ensures it’s still quite efficient. I’ve used it over a couple of days and found the needle didn’t even move from the ‘Full’ notch it was at when it arrived.
Perhaps the best part of the Almera is the comfort. Being a sporty model, I was expecting a harsh ride, some road noise creeping in, and perhaps some loud exhaust. The reality was quite the opposite.
The Almera returned an exceptionally pleasant ride. It easily muted all the bumps, the steering was incredibly light, and the cabin was amazingly quiet. And yes, even the fuel consumption was delightfully low.
It’s rare to experience a sedan with all the sporty accoutrements that’s also so practical. Yet the Almera just begs to be used daily with how little fuel it sips, how quiet it is, and how comfortable it is even over the roughest roads. If that’s not enough, Nissan also provides a five-year or 150,000-kilometer warranty with this vehicle for added peace of mind. Priced at ₱1,098,000, it’s easy to put off that SUV purchase until later and enjoy one of the last good sedans while they’re still around.
Indeed, a comfortable yet sporty-looking car seems a bit like an oxymoron, yet Nissan have accomplished that in the Almera. It’s perfect for those that want some style but still want to enjoy a few luxuries offered by larger vehicles.