sunny

Nissan Sunny (B15) October 1998/Sentra (America)

Succeeding on the somewhat slab-sided B14, the ultimate Sunny reverted to the looks of the B13, but also had similarities with the BMW 3 series of that era. The Americans chose to remodel it beneath the greenhouse. Sunny B15 exports from Japan occurred only marginally with Singapore and Brunei among the main markets. In the Middle East and in South East Asia, the B14 Sunny lasted till 2000 (the B14 diesel in Japan till September 1999) and was replaced by the N16 Sunny/Sentra. This was also the case in Singapore, where the B15 was sold as ‘Sunny VIP’. In China, the Sunny started as an N16.

Keeping its wheelbase, the B15 was on a new global MS-platform with improved body rigidity by the use of two-zone body technology. Over 300,000 Sunny B15 were built, precisely 242,000 units from 2000, with 239,000 sales in Japan.

Used Sunnys B15 from Japan were frequently imported to countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Kenya. Similar things happened in Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay where they came via the free zone of Iquique, Chile, and were converted to left-hand-drive. Japan is exporting almost two million used cars per year.

A direct injection gasoline engine with CVT transmission was new in Japan, followed by a direct injection diesel the next year. Until September 2000, Japan sold the VZ-R with the SR16VE engine. This was the only fwd Sunny with a limited slip differential. With annual sales dropping in Japan from 90,000 in 1996 to 56,000 in 1999, the years of the Sunny were here numbered. Back in 1990 Sunny had sold 166,000 units.

Nissan Tino (V10) December 1998 /Almera Tino (Europe)

This MPV was mainly meant for Europe and was built in Spain from 2000 to 2005 (over 200,000). In Japan it was built and sold from 1998 to 2003 (over 30,000) and exceeded the dimensions for the small car class. All Japanese models were automatics with column-mounted lever, while a front limited slip differential was only optional in cold regions. The 2-litre engine with CVT was deleted in October 2002. The Tino was sold by Sunny, Prince and Cherry dealers, the later so called ‘Red Stage’ dealers.

Initially, the Tino was sold in Japan only with a small center seat in front (functioning as large arm rests when the seat back is folded down), but separate front seats became available from April 2000, with a built-in child seat at the rear center for the 6-seater (seat belts with child seat fixing mechanism were available earlier for the 2 rear seats, left and right). In October 2002, the 6-seater was cancelled, and the child seat at the rear became optional for the 5-seater. In April 2000, a hybrid model with an electric model could be ordered in Japan with 100 to be made.

Nissan Wingroad/AD (Y11) May 1999

Succeeding on the Y10, that used the wheelbase length of the VB11, and which stopped production for the export in 2000, the Y11 was granted the 13.5 cm longer wheelbase that was introduced for the B14/N15 in 1994/1995, but the flex-beam axle of the two-wheel-drive models continued with the Panhard rod, rather than the costlier Scott-Russel linkage.

This generation had a contemporary curved roof line, reducing the cargo height with 2.5 cm as compared with the VB11 and Y10 predecessors, but not for the four-wheel-drive models that used a new wishbone suspension with lower placed struts, that was also in the front-wheel-drive ZV models with the 190 PS SR20VE engine, coupled to a CVT transmission with 6-speed selection, until the (‘Metal Toy’) facelift in October 2001, when a milder 150 PS QR20DE engine was used in the ZX with the flex-beam rear axle.

The limited slip differentials were now gone. The 4wd models used an ‘auto torque control’ coupling, which distributes the optimal torque to the rear wheels according to road surface conditions and vehicle speed.

As before, the Wingoad/AD models were sold by all dealer outlets in Japan. Again, Mazda sold the AD Van as Familia Van, benefiting from the fact, that its own S-Wagon cargo space was at less than three-third level of that of the Nissan.

In Japan by 2002, the Wingroad outsold both Sunny and Bluebird Sylphy, sharing the latter’s price level. AD Van sales were close to those of the Wingroad. Exports were limited to Singapore (shortly), New Zealand and some Latin American (mostly Caribbean) countries.

Nissan Bluebird Sylphy (G10) August 2000/Almera (N16) (Europe) January 2000

Succeeding on the Pulsar, but still based on the Sunny, this model initially was priced about 40% higher than the comparable Sunny, but this difference dropped to 25% after a price elevation for the Sunnys in April 2001, when also a Bluebird Sylphy basic package was offered for the corporate fleet market, lowering its price with 10%.

The Bluebird Sylphy was 3 cm higher than the Sunny B15, which itself was 3 cm higher than the B14/N15 predecessors. It was meant to be “a conservative 4-door sedan developed for older people.” Hatchbacks were mainly sold in Europe and Australia/New Zealand. New in Japan was a 2-litre direct injection gasoline engine with CVT transmission.

The four-wheel-drive models used the common ‘full auto full time’ system, rather than the ‘auto torque control’ one of the Wingroad, and also the parallel link rear suspension was retained.

Sales of the regular (U14) Bluebird, that had started in early 1996, ended in September 2001, with 5,000 built in 2001 vs about 44,000 Bluebird Sylphy. Another 82,500 N16 Sunny/Sentra (Pulsar for Australia and New Zealand) were built in Japan that year, next to 112,000 Almera in England.

The N16 was produced in South Korea from 2002 till 2013, also for export, and from 2003 till 2006 in China, where the SR20DE engine was installed that was also used in the Chinese Bluebird. About 2 million Nissan G10/N16 were made, mainly for the eastern hemisphere.

B15/N16

wb 253.5, l 434.5, w 169.5, std. p/s

wb 253.5, length 418.4~447, width 169.5~170.6, std. p/s

wb 253.5, l 427, w 176, std. p/s

wb 253.5, l 437, w 169.5, std. p/s

market:

from B15 rr susp. flex-beam*, coil

from

G10/N16 rear suspension: flex-beam*, coil

from V10 flex-beam coil

from Y11 flex-beam*, coil

market:

Japan

9810

Sunny

0008

Bluebird Sylphy

F2h4h N4

9812

Tino

MPV

9905

AD, Wingroad

Japan

USA/Canada

0002

Sentra

n/a

USA/Canada

Mexico

Sentra

Almera

F2h4h N4

n/a

Mexico

Europe

n/a

0001

Almera

F2h4h N4

0005

Almera Tino vMPV

n/a

Europe

South Africa

n/a

Almera

F2h4h N4

n/a

South Africa

Australia

n/a

Pulsar

F4h4h N4

Tino

MPV

Pulsar

New Zealand

South Korea

n/a

0209

Renault Samsung SM3'

F2h4h N4

n/a

South Korea

China

n/a

0304

Yangguang Sunny

F2h4h N4

n/a

China

Taiwan

n/a

0005

Sentra

F2h4h N4

n/a

Taiwan

export

Sunny

Sunny, Sentra

F2h4h N4

n/a

AD, Wingroad

export

cc:

body style

cc:

L4 dohc

1295

J USA MEX exp

QG13DE

J"EUR RSA AUS ROK TW exp

QG13DE

F2h4h N4

J NZ exp

QG13DE

L4 dohc

1295

L4 dohc

1497

J"USA MEXexp

QG15DE

J"EUR RSA AUS ROK TW exp

QG15DE

F2h4h N4

J EUR exp

J NZ exp

QG15DE

L4 dohc

1497

L4 dohc

1597

J"EUR RSA AUS ROK TW exp

QG16DE

F2h4h N4

L4 dohc

1597

L4 dohc

1769

J USA MEX exp

QG18DE

J"EUR RSA AUS ROK TW exp

QG18DE

F2h4h N4

J''EUR NZ

QG18DE

J"NZ exp

QG18DE

L4 dohc

1769

L4 dohc

1769

J USA MEX exp

QG18DD

J EUR exp

L4 dohc

1769

L4 dohc

1998

2002

J"EUR RSA AUS ROK TW

QR20DE

F2h4h N4

0110

J NZ exp

QR20DE

L4 dohc

1998

L4 dohc

1998

J"EUR RSA AUS ROK TW

QR20DD

F2h4h N4

L4 dohc

1998

L4 dohc

2488

0108

J USA MEX exp

QR25DE

L4 dohc

2488

L4 dohc

1596

J USA MEX exp

SR16VE'

L4 dohc

1596

L4 dohc

1998

J USA MEX exp

SR20DE

J"EUR RSA AUS ROK TW CHN

SR20DE

F2h4h N4

J EUR NZ

SR20DE

L4 dohc

1998

L4 dohc

1998

J NZ exp

SR20VE

L4 dohc

1998

L4 dohc

2184

9909

J USA MEX exp

YD22DD

J"NZ exp

YD22DD

L4 dohc

2184

L4 dohc

2184

J"EUR RSA AUS ROK TW exp

YD22DDT

F2h4h N4

J EUR

YD22DDT

L4 dohc

2184

6M: 2.5, CVT: 1.8 d.i.

56M4ACVT

6M: YD22DTi, CVT: 2.0 d.i.

56M4ACVT

CVT: 2.0 engines

5M4ACVT

diesel

" also * 4wd independent, parallel link

" also * 4wd rear susp.: independent, parallel link

" also * 4wd independent, wishbone

diesel

turbodiesel

USA incl. CDN, AUS incl. NZ

EUR 0301: K9K 1461cc Renault common rail ohc turbodiesel

' 0004: also hybrid, 100 built

* SR20VE: independent, wishbone

turbodiesel

Sentra: reshaped, l 450.8, w 171 cm

EUR 0308: YD22DDTi common rail

0308: YD22DDTi common rail

0001: + QG18DEN (CNG)

14", 15" wheels

' 312 sold

14", 15", 16" wheels

15", 16" wheels

13", 14", 15", 16" wheels

flex-beam with Scott-Rusell linkage

flex-beam with

flex-beam with Panhard rod

' 2006: export as Nissan Almera (Classic)

Scott-Rusell linkage

9906: Mazda Famlia

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

Sources: sales brochures, Driver magazine, publicly accessible internet sites

Far East Auto Literature

12 March, 2020