Combination of elegance and power

Exterior - This is probably the area where Sunny loses out to most of the competition - Verna, City,... It doesn't win over them however it's not the ugly duckling either. Looks are decent but not something that'll turn your head. I have the 2015 model with changes in styling - headlamps, indicators on mirrors..

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) - It beats every other car in terms of comfort hands down. I've owned a Verna for couple of years and have used City which one of my friends' drive, nothing comes close to this in comfort or space. I'll start with the music system in features list and for me it's a breeze with USB, AUX, IPOD support and a bluetooth for phone connectivity. The call quality is really good without any drop in performace. The screen works as camera while reversing with lines to help park/reverse. The AC is pretty good on automatic climate control mode (I've rarely used it on manual mode till now), they could have connected AC to the rear blower though. Seats are fabric but comfortable with ample thigh support. What I sorely missed was arm support for long drives.

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox - The dci puredrive engine is superb, I've taken the car to extremes and it lives upto the expectations. 1st and 2nd gears don't have enough power but 3rd gear onward car starts to come in shape. I've used the 3rd gear from a speed of around 25 kmph to 90 kmph. If you just want to cruise on a highway you can easily do 120-130 kmph at 2.5k RPM. Any speed above that you'll gear the grunt from engine, I've personally taken it to 170 kmph for couple of seconds max and it did maintain its stability even then. If you have a good 4-6 lane highway then cruising at around 120 is the best speed for this car.

Brakes are pretty decent though it would take some time to get used to them as their response builds up rather than hitting immediately. 

Gearbox is something that they probably can work on especially while shifting from 2nd to 3rd the response is pretty poor and it feels super stiff.

Fuel Efficiency - Is one of the plus points, I've got around 16 kmpl in city and 21-22 kmpl on highways with 60% of running in city and 40% on highways.

 

Ride Quality & Handling - This is the area where this is unmatched, it does not feel super light like other Japanese cars nor it feels heavy like most of the European cars. Nissan has somehow found the sweet spot in terms of handling. There is slight body roll on the car when you corner too quickly but it maintains its shape. Steering is inch perfect, no play nothing. You have to move by certain amount - you steer it at corresponding angle and it works flawlessly. It rides over small potholes without you knowing they existed.

On days I've done 500 kms (to and fro) within 12 hours (4 hours of driving on each side, 4 hours of work) and never felt tired. 

 

Final Words - It is a beautifully assembled car but you can see its true colours only on highways, I personally still feel it might not be the best city car.

  

Engine performance, Suspension and comfort, Overall feel while drivingAt times stiff gearbox, Looks bit dull