Nissan Sentra Launched in Malaysia
The long-awaited Nissan Sentra has finally arrived in Malaysia, its introduction no doubt having been delayed by the economic crisis. Its earlier launch in Singapore (as the Sunny) and successful sales there have caused quite a strong interest among Malaysian Nissan fans and now they finally get it here.
With some of the sporty cues of the previous generation and the dominant chromed grille reminiscent of the Nissan Cefiro, the new Sentra has a more upmarket image balanced by a clean rear end. The interfaces between the bumper and body panels are now so tight that the car appears to be a single form.
With the new platform comes more space and as before, luggage capacity is impressive although the exterior of the boot seems to suggest the opposite. But what is more significant is the increased safety levels of the new Sentra. Its ‘Zone Body structure’ has been rated ‘AAA’ in crashworthiness tests conducted under the independent Japanese New Car Assessment Programme. According to Edaran Tan Chong Motor, the safety levels of this new model are among the best in the world.
New engines power the latest Sentra and three different sizes – 1.5 litres, 1.6 litres and 1.8 litres – are available to suit different budgets. All three powerplants come from the new QG family which has similar configurations of four valves per cylinder and twin overhead camshafts. For the 1.6 litre and 1.8 litre engines, a Valve Timing Control feature is also available to broaden the torque band.
The Sentra 1.5SE has 5-speed manual and 4-speed automatic transmissions while the Sentra 1.6XE and Sentra 1.8GXE only come with 4-speed electronic automatic transmission.
Edaran Tan Chong Motor will be providing more detailed technical information in the near future and although they had said that testcars will not be available till January 2001 due to great demand, the company now says that they can provide testcars in the very near future.
As for prices, the new Sentra 1.5SE Manual retails for RM88,481.95 (non-metallic) and RM89,171.65(metallic). Automatic transmissions adds about RM3,800 to the prices. The new Sentra 1.6XE is priced at RM99,209.52/RM99,899.22 (non-metallic/metallic), while the new Sentra 1.8GXE is RM112,428.08/RM113.117.78. All prices include a year’s insurance premium and roadtax as well as an optional accessories package.
Meanwhile, for those who want to see more of the car, check out our Image Gallery.
