The sun has dawned on the marketing folks at Nissan and they’ve made the competition sit up and see the light, with the pricing of the Nissan Sunny. The Sunny is available in three-variants – the base XE priced at Rs. 5.78 lakh, the mid-level XL priced at Rs. 6.88 lakh and the top-end XV priced at Rs. 7.68 lakh.
With these prices, the Sunny comes bang into the middle of the competition. On one end, the Toyota Etios is in its crosshairs, while on the other it’s going after bigger fish like the Maruti SX4 and the Hyundai Verna. Price-wise the Sunny straddles the gap between entry-level sedans and proper mid-size sedans. And we dare say, at this pricing the car is extremely good value. Read more: Driving impressions of the Nissan Sunny
Strong value for money compared to Etios
Here’s why. The base variant of the Sunny, the XE, really doesn’t have much to write home about in terms of features – but it has all the essential features in place, the one’s that really matter to buyers looking for space, comfort and good looks, fit and finish. Features include power steering, AC, ABS, single air bags and tachometer.
The Sunny XE stacks up against the Toyota Etios G which is priced at Rs. 5.55 lakh. And that’s for the Etios G variant without the safety pack. If you want safety features, you have to pay Rs. 40,000 extra for ABS and two airbags, which makes the Etios G more expensive than the XE. All variants of the Sunny come with ABS and airbags (only single in the base, but two airbags on the other two variants). Also read: Toyota Etios road test
Yes, the Etios’ prime selling proposition is space. But guess what? The Sunny has more of it! In terms of rear seat comfort and legroom, the Sunny is much better than the Etios. It also has a longer wheelbase which has helped achieve better ride comfort as well. The Etios still boasts of a larger boot (590 litres), while the Sunny’s boot is second-best in category (490 litres).
The base Sunny lacks some features compared to the Etios G, such as power windows and central locking. But the Sunny feels like a more complete car and is more solid, with better levels of fit and finish. You don’t notice areas of cost-cutting (thin panels and seats for instance) like you do in the Etios. And in terms of looks, the Sunny actually has a more premium look compared to the slightly boxy design on the Etios.
Better value than SX4 and Verna 1.4
The mid-level Sunny XL is going after the base Hyundai Verna and the Maruti SX4. The Sunny is slightly cheaper than both the cars (Hyundai Verna 1.4 priced at Rs. 6.99 lakh and Maruti SX4 VXI at Rs. 7 lakh).
When compared to the Verna, the Sunny again beats it on space, ride comfort and safety features. The Sunny also boasts of extras like automatic climate control and a rear-comfort fan – things which are missing in the base Verna as well as the SX4. The SX4 suddenly looks expensive in comparison, as the VXI does not have airbags, climate control, and does not have great rear seat space as well. Other features are all comparable, including music system and electric mirrors. Read more: Sunny variants and features
Among the three cars – the SX4, Verna and Sunny, the Sunny has slightly lower power specifications, with its 1.5 litre engine churning out 98 bhp of power compared the 1.4 litre engine in the Verna that puts out 105 bhp of power, and the SX4’s 1.6 litre engine that puts out 104 bhp of power. But in regular city driving conditions this hardly makes a difference, as these cars are not targeted at enthusiast buyers.
In terms of mileage, the Sunny’s claimed 16.95 kmpl compares well. The Verna 1.4 claims 17.3 kmpl, while the SX4 loses out at a claimed 15.5 kmpl. Only the Etios’ claim of 18 kmpl betters the Sunny, which again makes the Sunny a tough competitor to reckon with.
And then you have the top-end Sunny XV which is slightly cheaper than the SX4 ZXI, which till now was one of the best value-for-money cars in that price segment. The Sunny offers comparable features – climate control, safety features, alloy wheels, but is cheaper and more spacious. The Verna 1.6 priced similar to the Sunny of course, seems a much better deal for those looking for raw power.
Conclusion: Great value!
As we’ve said earlier the Sunny is a spacious and comfortable family sedan. And at these prices, the car is great value for those who are looking for space and comfort. It even pleases buyers looking for a feature rich car, as it offers features comparable to the segment favorites.
Nissan now has 50 dealers in place to distribute the Sunny, which should make the car more accessible and serviceable. Of course, on this count it still has a long way to catch up with Hyundai, Maruti or Toyota, but nevertheless it’s a car worth considering. It will be available in a diesel version in a few months’ time.
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Nissan Sunny Technical specifications
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