Nissan Sunny facelift review, test drive

Nissan created a fair size sensation when it launched the Sunny back in 2011. This big-on-the-inside car delivered plenty of roominess for the money, and initially customers loved it. The Sunny’s run of success, however, was short lived. More attractive and better equipped new cars overshadowed its core strengths and Nissan’s strictly average service setup did it no favours either.

Now Nissan is doing all it can to reclaim lost ground. The company has taken distribution and dealer development back from independent company Hover, the new feature-rich Sunny has been specifically tailored to meet the requirements of Indian car buyers, and Nissan is likely to offer the car at a really attractive price as well.

It certainly looks more interesting, with its Teana-like headlights that go deeper into the bumper and more prominent Nissan grille. The chin of the car has been tidied up as well, with a bit of chrome around the fog lights that adds to the more grown-up look. The rear of the car is better looking too. A black ‘splitter’ has been used to break up the mass of that large 490-litre boot, and the Sunny gets new tail-lights and alloys as well (the car in the pictures is the mid-spec CVT variant, so it misses out on the alloys and some of the design flourishes).