sunny

Nissan Sunny (B13) January 1990/Sentra (export mainly)

With the Sunny coupe stopped and the wagon transferred to a separate body design on the shorter wheelbase of the VB11 series, there was no need to sell the ‘real’ Sunny any longer in Europe. The 2-door sedan was continued in America. The styling now finally was rounder, a trend initiated by the European Ford Sierra 10 year earlier, and then contradictory.

Now restricted to Japan, the usual full-time all-wheel-drive (with a viscous coupling) was offered for the 1.5-litre, while the triple viscous coupling arrangement was replaced by the ‘Attesa’ system (see hereunder) and available for the 1.8-litre dohc model. Different from the previous generation, the four-wheel-drive models now also had the (reinforced) parallel link rear suspension. After about a half year, on-demand four-wheel-drive became available for the diesel in Japan.

A viscous limited slip differential was now standard on the fwd 1.8 dohc model, for both manual and automatic models, and for America in the SE-R Coupe, actually a 2-door sedan. Two years after its introduction, in Japan the viscous limited slip differential became optional on the two-wheel-drive models with the other engines, except for the 1.3.

Apart from some North American entry-level models, using the 3-speed automatic till 1992, the automatics were now 4-speed, with lock-up torque converter, a device granted to the 1.7 diesel models only by 1992, at the same time when the 1.8 dohc in Japan, and later in the year the American Sentra SE-R 2.0 dohc became available with an electronically controlled automatic with Power, Auto and Hold modes.

This was the generation that made it until 2017 as Tsuru in Mexico and exported to Latin America as Sentra Clasico. These were also the markets, where the OHC engines initially were continued for some years, though the 1-litre engine was still in the general export from Japan as well. Elsewhere all gasoline engines were now dohc 4-valve ones, with carbureted ones still exported from Mexico after the turn of the millennium for various markets. This Tsuru was the best selling car in Mexico in 1994.

The NX Coupe was sold in Japan by the Sunny dealers; sales suffered by the competition of the Silvia 2.0 that was in the same price range as the NX Coupe 1.6. In 1990, less than 10,000 NX Coupes were sold in Japan vs. 63,000 Silvias (and 166,000 Sunnys).

New was the longer Presea, handled by Sunny and Nissan Motor (Laurel) dealers and succeeding on the Laurel Spirit. This model had a 4-door pillared hardtop body style with frameless door windows. A viscous limited slip differential was standard on the 2.0 dohc model. Sales numbers of the Presea came close to those of the Pulsar.

Nissan Pulsar (N14) August 1990/’Sunny’ (Europe)/’Sentra’ (New Zealand)

This one was again designed to compete with the Golf/Kadett-Astra/Escort on the European market. The styling of the sedans certainly surpassed that of the booted Vento/Kadett-Astra-Belmont/Orion, and also of that of the Corolla, mainly due the design of the C-pillar in relation to the back end of the rear side window and the trunk line. Though smaller sized, the N14 sedan proportions equalled those of a larger car. The similarly styled 5-door was now longer than the 3-door and was called a sedan in Japan, rather than a hatchback. All gasoline engines were dohc 4-valve. As at the Sunny, in Japan a viscous limited slip differential was standard on the two-wheel-drive 1.8 dohc model, and after two years optional on the two-wheel-drive 1.5/1.6 gasoline and 1.7 diesel models.

The GTI-R had the 2-litre dohc turbo engine with ‘Attesa’ 4wd, a system with a viscous coupling at the center differential and a viscous limited slip differential at the rear axle. As the brochure says: Nissan's Attesa system differs from other systems in several notable ways. Traditional 4WD systems only provide the best traction when combined with a limited slip differential (LSD). However, LSD is not conductive to tight cornering. Which in effect, takes a great deal of run out of high-performance motoring. This is where Attesa comes into play. By mating viscous couplings to the LSD, the limited slip function operates automatically only when it is needed. As such, the exact amount of torque required to each wheel is allocated milli-second by milli-second. The result is a near perfect balance between front and rear wheels under all driving circumstances.

All automatics were now 4-speed with lock-up torque converter, while by the 1992 facelift an electronically controlled version with 3 modes was used in the 1.8 dohc model, improving the fuel consumption.

Worldwide B13/N14 engine choice went down from 20 to a still impressive 14. More stringent exhaust gas emission regulations in Europe enforced engines changing from carburetor to fuel injection at the facelift in early 1993, while Japan in some cases still used engines with a smaller displacement due to MITI fuel economy standards.

In late 1990, Sunny sold about twice the number of Pulsar in Japan. Sunny prices started at a lower level than Pulsar’s. Now that the Cherry dealers were diminishing during the 1990s, and after halting the manufacturing of the Liberta Villa and Langley siblings, the Pulsar was mainly sold by the Jidosha (Bluebird) and Prince dealers.

At a time that the B13 Sunny/N14 Pulsar were out of production, the permanent four-wheel-drive Rasheen (RB14), based on this platform arrived late 1994 and was sold through all Nissan dealer outlets, and exported on a limited base. The ‘Attesa’ system was used for the 1.8 and 2.0 models that arrived in 1997. In April 1998, a separate series ‘Rasheen Forza’ was added with a less steep back end and double headlamps, exceeding the 1.7 meter width by using wheel arch extensions, in this way putting it above the ‘small car’ class.

B13/N14

wb 243, length 421, width 166, J* std. p/s

wb 243, length 397.5-414.5-423, width 167, J: std. p/s

wb 243, l 414, w 168, J/USA: std. p/s

wb 243, l 398, w 169.5, p/s

wb 250, l 439.5, w 169, p/s

market:

from

B13 rear susp.: parallel link, coil

from

N14 rear susp.: parallel link, coil

from

NB13 parallel link, coil

from

RB14 parallel link, coil

from

R10 parallel link, coil

market:

Japan

9001

Sunny

9008

Pulsar

F2h4h N4

9001

NX Coupe

C2h

9412

Rasheen'

9006

Presea

N4p

Japan

USA/Canada

9009

Sentra

N24

n/a

9012

C2h

n/a

USA/Canada

Mexico

9110

Tsuru III

N24

n/a

Mexico

Europe

n/a

9102

Sunny

F2h4h N4

9106

100NX

C2h

n/a

Europe

South Africa

n/a

9204

Sabre/Sentra

F4hm/N4

n/a

South Africa

Australia

n/a

9110

Pulsar

F4h4h N4

NX Coupe

C2h

n/a

Australia

New Zealand

n/a

Sentra

F4h4h N4

NX Coupe

C2h

n/a

New Zealand

Taiwan

Sentra

n/a

Taiwan

export

Sunny, Sentra

Pulsar

F2h4h N4

NX Coupe

C2h

n/a

Presea

N4p

export

cc:

L4 ohc

988

J USA MEX exp

E10S

J USA AUS exp

L4 ohc

988

L4 ohc

1597

J USA MEX exp

E16S

N24

L4 ohc

1597

L4 ohc

1597

J USA MEX exp

E16E

N24

L4 ohc

1597

L4 dohc

1295

J USA MEX exp

GA13DS

J EUR RSA AUS NZ exp

GA13DS

F2h4h N4

L4 dohc

1295

L4 dohc

1392

J USA MEX exp

GA14DS

J EUR RSA AUS NZ exp

GA14DS

F2h4h N4

L4 dohc

1392

L4 dohc

1392

J USA MEX exp

9302

J EUR RSA AUS NZ exp

GA14DE

F2h4h N4

L4 dohc

1392

L4 dohc

1497

J"USA MEXexp

GA15DS

J EUR RSA AUS NZ exp

GA15DS

F2"4h;N4"

J USA EUR AUS exp

GA15DS

J exp

GA15DS

L4 dohc

1497

L4 dohc

1497

J exp

GA15DE

L4 dohc

1497

L4 dohc

1597

J USA MEX exp

GA16DS

J EUR RSA AUS NZ exp

GA16DS

F2h4h N4"

J USA EUR AUS exp

GA16DS

L4 dohc

1597

L4 dohc

1597

J USA MEX'exp'

GA16DE

N24

J EUR RSA AUS NZ exp

GA16DE

F2h4h N4"

J USA EUR AUS exp

GA16DE

J exp

GA16DE

L4 dohc

1597

L4 dohc

1838

J exp

SR18Di

L4 dohc

1838

L4 dohc

1838

J"USA MEX exp

SR18DE

J EUR RSA AUS NZ exp

SR18DE

F2h4h N4

J USA EUR AUS exp

SR18DE

9701

J exp

SR18DE

9206

J exp

SR18DE

L4 dohc

1838

L4 dohc

1998

J USA MEX exp

SR20DE

N24

J EUR RSA AUS NZ exp

SR20DE

F2h4h N4

J USA EUR AUS exp

SR20DE

9710

J exp

SR20DE

J exp

SR20DE

L4 dohc

1998

L4 dohc

1998

J EUR RSA AUS NZ exp

SR20DET

F2h (4wd)

L4 dohc

1998

L4 ohc

1681

J"USA MEXexp

CD17

J EUR RSA AUS NZ exp

CD17

F2h4h N4

L4 ohc

1681

L4 ohc

1974

body style

J EUR RSA AUS NZ exp

CD20

F2h4h N4

L4 ohc

1974

45M34A

5M4A

body style

5M4A

turbo

" also 4wd * p/s optional in LE till 9201

" also 4wd

opt. T-top

' 4wd, 14"/15" wheels

turbo

diesel

' also GA16DNE w/o variable valve timing

RSA 1997: GA14DNE, GA16DNE w/o variable valve timing

USA incl. CDN, AUS incl. NZ

diesel

USA incl. CDN

Sabre 94-99

In Japan, 1597cc and 1681cc engines are quoted 1596cc and 1680cc, due to rounding down the decimal

13"/14" wheels

engine availability by market and by body style independent of each other

Nissan AD/Sunny California (Y10) October 1990/’Sunny’ (Europe)/’Sentra’ (New Zealand)

This model succeeded on the Sunny VB11, but now had its own body design, about 10 cm higher than the B13 and N14, using their front train, but with a coil-sprung slightly flexible beam axle at the rear with trailing arms and a Panhard rod (similar to the 1960s~1980s Audi ‘Torsionskurbelachse’). In Japan, four-wheel-drive was available, permanent for the AD Wagon and on-demand for the AD Van, both featuring a 5-link rigid rear axle with coil springs. The AD Wagon was succeeded by the Wingroad in Japan in May 1996. When in the AD Van the 1.7-litre engine in the 4wd diesel was replaced by the 2-litre in mid-1997, the Attesa system was adopted for this engine.

A high-roof van on a 7 cm longer wheelbase with a rigid axle and leaf springs was listed for the export, and launched in 1992 as AD Max in Japan and as Sunny Q-bic in various European markets, but with the flex-beam axle and coil springs. By mid 1993 Nissan Mexico started to build it as Tsubame with exports as AD to Japan.

The 4-speed automatic transmission was mated to a lock-up torque converter, but up to August 1993 the 1.3 model used a 3-speed automatic without lock-up clutch, when a viscous limited slip differential became optional on the two-wheel-drive 1.5 gasoline and 1.7 diesel models in Japan, where these AD models were sold by Nissan Jidosha (Bluebird), Cherry and Sunny dealers.

After the deletion of the Datsun 1200 pick-up in March 1994, the Thai-built AD Resort pick-up took its place, mainly for South East Asian markets.

Nissan Wingroad (Y10) May 1996

To face the growing popularity of wagons for private use in Japan, Nissan decided to launch this model based on the AD, but with a less steep back end, style-wise succeeding on the roomier B12 Sunny California that was abandoned in late 1989. In Japan it replaced the Y10 AD Wagon/Sunny California, and was available with permanent four-wheel-drive for the 1.5 model, and the Attesa system for the 1.8 model. A viscous limited slip differential for the front-wheel-drive models was only offered for the 2.0 gasoline model, prepared by Autech in mid-1997. Mainly esthetically different from the AD Wagon, the Wingroad was not exported, and sold by Nissan Jidosha, Prince, Cherry and Sunny dealers, with only the latter offering the top California trim line.

With prices starting between those of Pulsar and Sunny 4-door models, in 1997 over 40,000 units were sold vs almost 60,000 Pulsar (N15) and 70,000 Sunny (B14), next to ± 15,000 Rasheen and Presea each. 80~85% were automatics.

body style

wb 240, l 417.5, w 166.5, opt. p/s

reshaped, l 429.5, std. p/s

wb 247, l 427, w 168, opt. p/s

wb 247, l 422.5, w 166.5, opt. p/s

from

Y10 rr susp.: flex-beam*, coil

from

Y10 flex-beam*, coil

from

Y10 rr susp.: flex-beam, coil

from

Y10 flex-beam, coil

Japan

9010

Sunny California'/AD"

9605

Wingroad

9206

AD MAX

WV2h+2

Japan

Mexico

Tsubame

Mexico

Europe

Sunny

Sunny Q-bic, Van

V2h+2

Europe

Thailand

NV AD Resort, Wagon

1994

NV (Queen Cab)'

P2D2

Thailand

Philippines

AD Resort

AD MAX

WV2h+2

AD Resort

Philippines

New Zealand

Sentra

New Zealand

Taiwan

AD Resort (N-RV)

AD Resort

Taiwan

export

AD Wagon

9011

AD Van*

V2h+2

1994

AD Resort

export

cc:

L4 dohc

1295

J MEX EUR NZ exp

GA13DS

L4 dohc

1295

L4 dohc

1295

9705

J MEX EUR NZ exp

GA13DE

L4 dohc

1295

L4 dohc

1497

J"MEX EUR NZ exp

GA15DS

J EUR SEA NZ exp

GA15DS

L4 dohc

1497

L4 dohc

1497

9506

J"MEX EUR NZ exp

GA15DE

9506

J EUR SEA NZ exp

GA15DE

L4 dohc

1497

L4 dohc

1597

J MEX EUR"NZ exp

GA16DS

J EUR SEA NZ exp

GA16DS

SEA exp

GA16DS

L4 dohc

1597

L4 dohc

1597

J MEX EUR"NZ exp

GA16DE

J EUR SEA NZ exp

GA16DE

SEA exp

GA16DE

L4 dohc

1597

L4 dohc

1838

SR18DE

L4 dohc

1838

L4 dohc

1998

9707

J**

SR20DE

L4 dohc

1998

L4 ohc

1681

J"MEX EUR NZ exp

CD17

J EUR SEA NZ exp

CD17

L4 ohc

1681

L4 ohc

1974

9308

J"MEX EUR NZ exp

CD20

9706

J EUR SEA NZ exp

CD20

SEA exp

CD20

L4 ohc

1974

5M34A

5M4A

diesel

* 4wd: rigid, 5-link, coil " also 4wd

* 4wd: rigid, 5-link, coil

* rear axle: rigid, leaf

' or 'NV Wingroad'

diesel

' 1.5 only "AD Wagon, AD Van

" also 4wd

MEX: also GA16DNE w/o variable valve timing

** 15" wheels

13"/14"wheels

9404: Subaru Leone, 9409: Mazda Familia

9606: Mazda Familia

flex-beam with Panhard rod

In Japan, 1597cc and 1974cc engines are quoted 1596cc and 1973cc, due to rounding down the decimal

Sources: sales brochures, publicly accessible internet sites

Far East Auto Literature

15 May, 2021