Date Acquired: 27 Mar 2012, Total kms till date: 408 kms, Efficiency: 13 kmpl, Costs: 0

If I had to classify the Sunny in today's context it would be the modern day equivalent of the Ambassador, which has one of the best back seats in the business.

The first impression that I had about the Nissan Sunny was that the advertisement doesn’t exaggerate the size of the car at all! This is seriously one long car and my curiosity got the better of me for the first thing I did upon receiving the car was jump in the back seat and actually see how much space there is, and I was more than impressed for even with the front seats pushed all the way back, my knees still didn’t touch the back of the seat! If I had to classify the Sunny in today’s context it would be the modern day equivalent of the Ambassador, which has one of the best back seats in the business.

While space is at a premium, the look and feel of the cabin is a little drab. Despite being the top of the line XV spec variant, the Nissan Sunny does disappoint on the interior feel and finish. There’s too much plastic in your face and the dashboard just has too much going on in terms of surfaces and textures. The large silver painted air-conditioning controls look like they belong on a little kid’s toy set and it just stands out like a sore thumb. Having said that, the Sunny does come with its fair share of gizmos and gadgetry. Keyless entry, push button start/stop, climate control air-conditioning and a decent stereo are standard. Safety features include ABS, EBD as well as airbags for the front passenger and driver. I thought it was rather neat to have these on board especially in a car that is built to a price.

I haven’t had driven the Sunny a lot and so far have only undertaken local runs around Gurgaon and a couple trips into Delhi. While these have been short trips, the factors that have stood out are that the engine is extremely refined and silent. The car handles well despite its length, and you really don’t feel as though you are driving such a large car. Mileage has been decent and the on board meter has assured me that I am getting a solid 13.2 kilometers to the litre. The only major grouse that I have found so far on the Sunny is the gearbox. It’s just too notchy and slightly vague. I am not sure if this is a one off situation, or if all the cars are the same. I might drop by a Nissan dealership and drive another Sunny just to compare this aspect.