A celestial intervention?

With a high equipment count, low emissions and masses of interior space, the new Nissan Pulsar is a good value, clean family hatchback. But in which other areas does it shine?

The family hatchback market is a fiercely competitive one and full of seriously good players. Nissan abandoned it in 2006 and thought outside the C-sector box with the introduction of the SUV-styled Qashqai. A mid‑size crossover, the new Nissan idea has caught on and become one of the best‑selling cars in the UK. Ironically, the Japanese company has now thought it time to bring back its standard family hatchback template. The Pulsar name first appeared in 1978 and now resides again in 2014 on the back of Nissan’s Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf rival. Of course, the UK has known it as the Sunny and also the Almera, but is the 2015 Pulsar Nissan’s shooting star?

LEAF and Qashqai styling cues
While the new Pulsar has received a dose of LEAF and Qashqai-esque styling cues, it resolutely stays true to its conventional-looking hatchback roots. Sharp body and wheel arch creases, and a rear diffuser-style bumper make it stand out from the crowd a little, but, although handsome, it remains a car easily confused with its Korean or Far Eastern rivals. And they are the Pulsar’s key rivals. Priced to compete more fairly with the likes of the Hyundai i30, Kia Ce’ed and Toyota Auris than the ubiquitous Golf, the Pulsar range starts at £15,995 for the 1.2-litre DIG-T 115 petrol Visia, and rises to £21,945 for the range-topping dCi 110 Tekna.

The mid-range n-tec tested here costs £20,595 with its 1.5‑litre diesel engine and six-speed manual gearbox. Powered by the well‑trusted Renault 1,461cc dCi unit (Renault is Nissan’s strategic partner), it develops 108bhp and 191b ft (260Nm) of torque between 1,750-2,500rpm. It’s an easy car to hustle along and Nissan quotes 11.5 seconds to reach 62mph from rest. Chasing fleet sales, all dCi versions of the new Pulsar are fitted with a stop/start system as standard and emit only 94g/km of CO2 (117g/km on the petrol model), meaning no VED is payable and a BIK rate of 14 per cent. Those are benefits not to be underestimated in the fleet world, but the Pulsar delivers in selected other areas, too.

Class best rear space
The Japanese car has plenty of space for back seat passengers – a best‑in‑class wheelbase of 2,700mm liberates 692mm of rear legroom. There’s a decent level of equipment, too. The n-tec comes with automatic LED headlights, cruise control, dual-zone climate control, an engine starter button, rain‑sensing windscreen wipers, and steering wheel audio controls. There is also Bluetooth and USB connectivity, DAB digital radio, a 5” full colour TFT screen in-between the main instrument dials, NissanConnect 5.8” touchscreen navigation and entertainment system, a reversing camera and 17-inch alloy wheels. Safety is taken care of by a forward emergency braking system, six airbags, and Active Trace Control – a system which controls brake pressure at individual wheels to aid ‘tracing’ at corners. Top-range Tekna models also receive Around View Monitor, Blind Spot Warning, Lane Departure Warning, and Moving Object Detection systems.

Eco Driving Score
The interior has a hint of Renault about it and is a comfortable place to be. Chrome detailing and a ‘wood-grain’ finish to the central dashboard panel add to the ambience, and everything works with the precision you would expect from a Japanese car. The central 5.8” touchscreen displays all the essential information and also provides an ‘Eco Driving Score’ function which measures the driver’s pulling away, cruising and deceleration activity. The higher the score, the more environmental a driver you are. A stop/start indicator also informs the driver of how much CO2 has been saved while the system has been operational. Nissan quotes a claimed 78.5mpg on the combined cycle. Over our 294-mile test distance we achieved a real-world average of 51.3mpg, with an all-time high of 61.0. For comparison, the petrol-engined model’s official combined cycle figure is 56.5mpg.

Incredibly refined
It’s distance travel where the Pulsar shines. Extremely quiet when on the move at speed, the Nissan hatchback is incredibly refined on the motorway and makes for an easy and admirable cruising companion. Wind and road noise is noticeable only by its absence and the engine pulls well in top gear, with no need for fuel-sapping down changes. At 70mph, the engine is spinning at a lowly 1,850rpm. Very comfortable front seats add to the relaxed feeling. As with most modern cars with electric power steering systems there’s not much feel, but there is a nice degree of weighting. The six-speed gearbox benefits equally from a feeling of tightness, meaning no mis-shifts. An absorbent ride smooths out bumps and lumps, and the Pulsar enjoys good visibility.

Extremely competent
Nissan reports that the 2015 Pulsar is pegged around £1,500 less than the equivalent Golf. The equivalent-specification 100g/km Hyundai i30 Style Blue Drive is £19,840, the 100g/km Kia Ce’ed ‘3’ 1.6 CRDi ISG is £19,495 and the 103g/km Toyota Auris Icon Plus D-4D is priced at £19,795. Nissan intends to sell a modest 10,000 units in the first year of UK sales (2014-2015), a figure which should be eminently achievable.

The Japanese company unashamedly states that the new Pulsar is a car created to fill a (fleet) sales need and for business users who cover lots of motorway miles and favourite lots of technology, it’s a definite addition to the family hatchback shopping list. As it is, the new Pulsar is an extremely competent and very likeable five-door hatchback, which is cleaner and offers more equipment than its key rivals.

Nissan Pulsar

ENGINE: 1,461cc, four-cylinder diesel
CO2: 94g/km
MPG (combined): 78.5
VED: Band A, £0
BIK: 14%
PRICE (OTR): £20,595