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By EWAN
KENNEDY
10 August 2009
Nissan has sprung a surprise on the Australian market by
importing the two-wheel drive version of its Dualis at a price
considerably lower than anticipated. Prices start at just $24,990
for the Dualis Hatch ST, about $2000 less than most had forecast,
thus putting this Japanese vehicle down into Korean territory.
Dualis Hatch is very similar to the existing Dualis 4WD which has
been selling well on the local market since its introduction early
in 2008. However, the Hatch is driven only by its front wheels, so
is aimed at the pure passenger wagon market rather than the
crossover buyer. Hence the decision by Nissan Australia to promote
it as a hatch rather than an SUV.
Not driving all four wheels means some 90 kilograms, and some
complication, has been pulled out of the mass of the Nissan. We
found it to have a lively feel on the road and the ability to
climb hills with ease. Power comes from the same 2.0-litre engine
as is used in the 4WD, 102 kW and 198 Nm. A turbo-diesel engine
may be imported in the future, but Nissan Australia is still not
convinced that Australian buyers are looking for that engine in
this Japanese car class.
Transmissions are either a slick six-speed manual or a CVT
automatic, the latter with pre-selected ratios that can be
operated manually should the driver so wish.
Dualis ST’s price includes alloy wheels, air conditioning, power
windows and door mirrors, and cruise control. The upmarket $27,990
Dualis Hatch Ti also has leather seats, with heating on the
fronts; a leather-wrapped steering wheel with inbuilt audio
controls; trip computer; CD stacker; automatic lights and wipers,
and Bluetooth compatibility.
Major safety features in all Dualis are front, side and curtain
airbags, ABS brakes with brake assist and electronic brakeforce
distribution, and electronic stability control. The Dualis
obtained the maximum five stars for occupant protection when
tested in the Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).
These prices are for cars with the six-speed manual gearbox.
Automatic transmission adds $2500. On-road charges by dealers and
governments have to be factored in.
There’s good interior space in all seats and a reasonably large,
practically-shaped rear storage area. The rear seats have a 60/40
split and the luggage area is good for a vehicle of this type.
However, it loses out on depth by having a full-size spare wheel
instead of a space-saver. The full-size makes sense in a Dualis
4WD because it might suffer punctures on unsealed roads, but maybe
a space-saver would have made more sense in the 2WD Hatch.
Ride comfort is pretty well sorted out, though the suspension is
firm in the European manner and those who like a really soft,
cruisy feel may not like it. That firmness is more than balanced
out by the very good handling. Dualis is almost car-like in the
way it reacts and feels, though you do sense it has higher centre
of gravity than a conventional hatch. The front seats have a nice
blend of support and comfort. Some coarse-chip road surfaces
caused more interior noise than we like, but that’s not unusual
in European cars.
Dualis was the first vehicle to be designed at Nissan’s new
European design centre in London. Those sold in Australia are
built in the Nissan plant in Sunderland in the UK, to a quality
that looks to be as good as that of Japanese factories.
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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