Nissan Presea
Encyclopedia
The Nissan Presea was a compact car, produced for the Asian market from 1990 to 2000. It competed with entry level luxury 4-door hardtop
sedans that were popular in Japan during the '90s, notably the Toyota Carina ED
, Toyota Corona EXiV
, Subaru Legacy
, Mazda (Efini) MS-8
, Honda Vigor sedan, and the Mitsubishi Emeraude.
"Presea (Presea)",is Spanish for "jewel" or "important".
platform. It shared many attributes with its sibling model, however, body panels and interior were done to a much higher specification. Interior fabrics matched those on the Bluebird
, with standard features including automatic headlights, lighted keyslot, rear-illuminated instrument cluster, integrated sound-system, automatic climate control, digital temperature control, adjustable shoulder height seat-belts, 4-way adjustments, lumbar support for the driver's seat, windscreen wipers with adjustable intermittent timings, remotely-controlled wing mirrors that folded close and most importantly, frameless windows that mimicked the NX Coupe and Silvia
.
In fact, so feature-full and advanced was the car that many units had 4-disc brakes with ABS and a rear windscreen wiper.
The A-pillar was slightly thinner than most compact cars, and the B-Pillar was practically non-existent from the outside, and on the inside, it was just wide enough to accommodate the seat-belt assembly. The C-pillar created a wrap-around rear windscreen. All these design features allowed for a more than 300-degree of vision for the driver, much like that of a fighter pilot. The rounded exterior left no visible straight edge on the car, and the grill-less front end gave the car a very sleek and futuristic look.
In some countries including Japan, the venerable SR18DE with 125 hp replaced the 110 hp SR18D(i) engine, alongside with GA15DE and SR20DE engines. It still had the same drive-train as Nissan Sunny
B14 (1994-1998) and the same frame-less door windows as the R10 Nissan Presea, although it was a little longer (4425 mm + 2525 mm wheelbase) wider (1695 mm) and taller (1325 mm).
In Singapore, Thailand and New Zealand, the R11 Presea came predominantly with the ancient 1.6L GA16DE.
With essentially every curve and panel being unchanged, and only a fresher looking headlights and rear lamp cluster the car still had the same old Macpherson struts suspension up front and rear multi link geometry. Market demand for such a car fell rapidly, which was similar to the disappearance of the 4-door Honda Integra. The demand for luxury compacts had fizzled out.
Compared to most compact cars of that time, the Nissan Presea was quite long. The R10 stood at 4420 mm, 15 centimetres longer than the Sentra. It was also pretty low for a sedan at 1320 mm; with passengers often feeling the need to stoop to get into the car. At 1690 mm wide, it was as wide as it needed to be for 2 adults (and possibly a child) in the rear seats. The slightly longer wheelbase (compared to the Sunny) at 2500 mm was class leading for that era of compact cars. All these dimensions added up to a comfortable (albeit low) car with decent comfort and presence. The boot space was more than adequate, at over 300L in capacity. Due to the way the backseats lean back (which in turn gave the rear passengers a lot more comfort) objects over 1000 mm in length and 1200 mm in width could fit. The boot height of over 400 mm also allowed for a competent handling of most purchases during shopping sprees. However the narrow aperture height limited its usability.
For the rest of the world, a more common 1598cc GA16DE engines was available, providing sufficient grunt and fuel economy with its VTC (Variable Valve Timing) and DOHC design. As its engine bay was slightly longer than a B13 Sentra, an SR20DET engine could be shoehorned into it without much trouble. Standard Nissan mounting points allowed for the easy swapping of clutches and gearboxes between models in this range of cars. With the ample under-bonnet capacity, larger turbos and intercoolers could be fitted provided the owner did not mind slight modifications to the engine bay.
Hardtop
A hardtop is a term for a rigid, rather than canvas, automobile roof. It has been used in several contexts: detachable hardtops, retractable hardtop roofs, and the so-called pillarless hardtop body style....
sedans that were popular in Japan during the '90s, notably the Toyota Carina ED
Toyota Carina ED
The Toyota Carina ED was a Japanese compact car created in 1985 as a companion to the 1984 Carina sedan. It was positioned as the 4-door Celica, with a similar focus on luxury found on the Corona EXiV. Its design sought to emulate the hardtop styling of large American sedans, resulting in a small,...
, Toyota Corona EXiV
Toyota Corona EXiV
The Corona EXiV was an automobile by Toyota Motor Company. Released in 1989, it was the sporty Toyota Corona and a sister car to Toyota Carina ED. EXiV stood for EXtra impressiVe....
, Subaru Legacy
Subaru Legacy
The Subaru Legacy is a mid-size car built by the Japanese company Fuji Heavy Industries, and manufactured by its division Subaru since 1989, and is available as a sedan or wagon. Part of the original design goals for the Legacy model was to provide Subaru a vehicle in which they could compete in...
, Mazda (Efini) MS-8
Efini MS-8
The Efini MS-8 was a luxury car produced by Mazda and sold through the Efini marque from March 1992 through 1995. The car is a replacement to the Mazda Persona and Eunos 300....
, Honda Vigor sedan, and the Mitsubishi Emeraude.
"Presea (Presea)",is Spanish for "jewel" or "important".
R10 (1990 - 1995)
The original R10 Presea was based on the P10 series Nissan PrimeraNissan Primera
The Nissan Primera is a medium sized family car produced by the Japanese automaker Nissan for the Japanese domestic and European markets.-Nissan Primera P10 :...
platform. It shared many attributes with its sibling model, however, body panels and interior were done to a much higher specification. Interior fabrics matched those on the Bluebird
Nissan Bluebird
Although Nissan's own materials indicate that the Bluebird name emerged in 1959, some records show that the name first adorned a 988 cc, four-door sedan in 1957, which was part of the company's 210 series...
, with standard features including automatic headlights, lighted keyslot, rear-illuminated instrument cluster, integrated sound-system, automatic climate control, digital temperature control, adjustable shoulder height seat-belts, 4-way adjustments, lumbar support for the driver's seat, windscreen wipers with adjustable intermittent timings, remotely-controlled wing mirrors that folded close and most importantly, frameless windows that mimicked the NX Coupe and Silvia
Nissan Silvia
The S12 was produced from 1984 to 1988, with revisions to the exterior trim in 1987 . It was sold in three configurations—a coupe , a hatchback, and a widebody chassis called grandprix .A number of different engines were equipped in the S12 chassis, depending on production year and more...
.
In fact, so feature-full and advanced was the car that many units had 4-disc brakes with ABS and a rear windscreen wiper.
The A-pillar was slightly thinner than most compact cars, and the B-Pillar was practically non-existent from the outside, and on the inside, it was just wide enough to accommodate the seat-belt assembly. The C-pillar created a wrap-around rear windscreen. All these design features allowed for a more than 300-degree of vision for the driver, much like that of a fighter pilot. The rounded exterior left no visible straight edge on the car, and the grill-less front end gave the car a very sleek and futuristic look.
R11 (1995 - 2000)
The R11 Presea launched in 1995 was slightly lengthened.In some countries including Japan, the venerable SR18DE with 125 hp replaced the 110 hp SR18D(i) engine, alongside with GA15DE and SR20DE engines. It still had the same drive-train as Nissan Sunny
Nissan Sunny
The Nissan Sunny is a small car from Nissan. It was launched in 1966 as the Datsun 1000 and although production in Japan ended in 2004, it remains in production today for the African, American and Sri Lankan markets. In the US, the later models were known as the Nissan Sentra; in Mexico, the Sunny...
B14 (1994-1998) and the same frame-less door windows as the R10 Nissan Presea, although it was a little longer (4425 mm + 2525 mm wheelbase) wider (1695 mm) and taller (1325 mm).
In Singapore, Thailand and New Zealand, the R11 Presea came predominantly with the ancient 1.6L GA16DE.
With essentially every curve and panel being unchanged, and only a fresher looking headlights and rear lamp cluster the car still had the same old Macpherson struts suspension up front and rear multi link geometry. Market demand for such a car fell rapidly, which was similar to the disappearance of the 4-door Honda Integra. The demand for luxury compacts had fizzled out.
Dimensions
The Presea was an in-betweener - halfway between the Sunny/Sentra/Pulsar and Bluebird/Primera ranges. The car was in compliance with Japanese government regulations concerning exterior dimensions and engine displacement size, offering buyers higher luxury content of the larger Bluebird/Primera, while still offering the economy and tax savings of the smaller Sunny/Sentra/Pulsar.Compared to most compact cars of that time, the Nissan Presea was quite long. The R10 stood at 4420 mm, 15 centimetres longer than the Sentra. It was also pretty low for a sedan at 1320 mm; with passengers often feeling the need to stoop to get into the car. At 1690 mm wide, it was as wide as it needed to be for 2 adults (and possibly a child) in the rear seats. The slightly longer wheelbase (compared to the Sunny) at 2500 mm was class leading for that era of compact cars. All these dimensions added up to a comfortable (albeit low) car with decent comfort and presence. The boot space was more than adequate, at over 300L in capacity. Due to the way the backseats lean back (which in turn gave the rear passengers a lot more comfort) objects over 1000 mm in length and 1200 mm in width could fit. The boot height of over 400 mm also allowed for a competent handling of most purchases during shopping sprees. However the narrow aperture height limited its usability.
Handling Prowess
For more decent handling, it had Macpherson struts up front with multi-link rear suspension (with parallel arms). This independent setup combined with the longer wheelbase gave good comfort on the highway, and a pretty good grip for aggressive cornering. For many Preseas, the car was endowed with a ventilated front disc brakes with a single large piston. The rear brakes were either a solid disc brake or a semi-trailing drum brakes with self-adjusting shoes.Engine Sizes
In Japan, most Preseas came with either a 1498cc GA15DS, 1798cc SR18Di engine and the venerable 1998cc SR20DE.For the rest of the world, a more common 1598cc GA16DE engines was available, providing sufficient grunt and fuel economy with its VTC (Variable Valve Timing) and DOHC design. As its engine bay was slightly longer than a B13 Sentra, an SR20DET engine could be shoehorned into it without much trouble. Standard Nissan mounting points allowed for the easy swapping of clutches and gearboxes between models in this range of cars. With the ample under-bonnet capacity, larger turbos and intercoolers could be fitted provided the owner did not mind slight modifications to the engine bay.