Nissan Sylphy 1.5 (A) Review
09 Sep 2009|58,666 views
“Ben, remember your safety check! Safety check! Safety check!”
Those are the words that echo in my mind when I think about the Sunny. The many evenings spent in and around the Ubi Comfort Driving Centre navigating the faithful Sunny for 90 minutes through crank courses, steep inclines and parallel parking.
The Sunny seemed to be a crowd favourite among driving instructors back when I was a bright-eyed NSF prepping for his driving test. I remember asking my instructor why that was and he said something or rather about the engine being less susceptible to overheating. Personally though, I think it was the hardiness it exhibited in the clammy and unfamiliar hands of learner drivers missing gears and stalling engines.
But the Sunny’s popularity didn’t stop there. Everywhere you turned, you were ‘stalked’ by a Sunny. The reason for the Sunny’s popularity? For its price, you get a full sized sedan with enough room for a family of five and a decent boot space. Another plus point that helped it along was that while most Corollas were being built in places like Thailand, the Sunny was still being shipped over from Japan. Which consumers naturally translated to better build quality.
The Sylphy was launched in 2006 as a successor to the Sunny. The new car takes advantage of the B-platform that was jointly developed with Renault and is the same platform found in the Latio albeit stretched by an additional 100mm. It was offered in 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre powerplants with the 2.0-litre version mated to an ultra-efficient CVT transmission that is popular with continental sedans for its smooth gear changes.
Those are the words that echo in my mind when I think about the Sunny. The many evenings spent in and around the Ubi Comfort Driving Centre navigating the faithful Sunny for 90 minutes through crank courses, steep inclines and parallel parking.
The Sunny seemed to be a crowd favourite among driving instructors back when I was a bright-eyed NSF prepping for his driving test. I remember asking my instructor why that was and he said something or rather about the engine being less susceptible to overheating. Personally though, I think it was the hardiness it exhibited in the clammy and unfamiliar hands of learner drivers missing gears and stalling engines.
But the Sunny’s popularity didn’t stop there. Everywhere you turned, you were ‘stalked’ by a Sunny. The reason for the Sunny’s popularity? For its price, you get a full sized sedan with enough room for a family of five and a decent boot space. Another plus point that helped it along was that while most Corollas were being built in places like Thailand, the Sunny was still being shipped over from Japan. Which consumers naturally translated to better build quality.
The Sylphy was launched in 2006 as a successor to the Sunny. The new car takes advantage of the B-platform that was jointly developed with Renault and is the same platform found in the Latio albeit stretched by an additional 100mm. It was offered in 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre powerplants with the 2.0-litre version mated to an ultra-efficient CVT transmission that is popular with continental sedans for its smooth gear changes.
 |
When we heard that Nissan had recently facelifted the Sylphy, we thought that it would be a good chance for us to finally do a review on it.
Disappointingly though, the Sylphy looks exactly the same as the launch model from three years ago. It still retains the same staid executive looks that are reminiscent of its bigger brother, the Teana.
The front fascia is dominated by the ‘corporate identity’ chrome grill that is present on most of Nissan’s recent model line-up. Flanked by a pair of large headlamps that Nissan says provide 50% better illumination compared to most others due to its Complex Surface Reflector design, it gives the car a rather neutral ‘face’ that helps its executive image.
The design of the Sylphy is an apt representation of its namesake. The smooth elegant lines that start from the A pillar flows gently over the roofline and carries itself down to the curved hindquarters that seem to mirror the front of the car.
 |
Interior
It is here that the Sylphy has me totally smitten. First off, the driving position is one of the most comfortable I have experienced in recent memory. The front and rear passenger seats feel so plush that it feels like you were plunged back in the living room sofa.
Being the unfortunate owner of freakishly long limbs, I have always avoided taking a journey in the cramped backseats of a sedan. But I would make an exception for the Sylphy. The rear seats in this sedan are the most spacious I’ve been in recently.
They’re so spacious that even a six feet tall adult will have no complaints about being stuck in the backseat. The spaciousness continues in the trunk with a class-leading 504 litres of available boot space for all your family oriented paraphernalia or three sets of golf clubs.
The interior fit and finish feels well put together with high quality interior plastics, a quantum leap over those used in the Sunny that this replaces. Which is a step in the right direction considering that the car is being marketed towards executives in their mid-thirties who are just starting a family.
It is here that the Sylphy has me totally smitten. First off, the driving position is one of the most comfortable I have experienced in recent memory. The front and rear passenger seats feel so plush that it feels like you were plunged back in the living room sofa.
Being the unfortunate owner of freakishly long limbs, I have always avoided taking a journey in the cramped backseats of a sedan. But I would make an exception for the Sylphy. The rear seats in this sedan are the most spacious I’ve been in recently.
They’re so spacious that even a six feet tall adult will have no complaints about being stuck in the backseat. The spaciousness continues in the trunk with a class-leading 504 litres of available boot space for all your family oriented paraphernalia or three sets of golf clubs.
The interior fit and finish feels well put together with high quality interior plastics, a quantum leap over those used in the Sunny that this replaces. Which is a step in the right direction considering that the car is being marketed towards executives in their mid-thirties who are just starting a family.
But with the cherry wood trim being the ONLY trim available for the Sylphy, it is here that it fails to lose the last shred of its ‘elderly’ image. Which could possibly work against their efforts towards appealing to their target clientele.
Moving on to the centre console we finally notice changes from the pre-facelift model. The analog climate control system found in the pre-facelift model has been replaced with a digital system here. Also, the car now comes fitted with a factory audio system compared to retrofitted ones in the pre-facelift.
The factory audio suffices for most average listeners and even provides an AUX-in jack for your MP3 player. If you prefer, you can play your MP3s through its MP3 capable CD player as well. But the only irksome thing about the Sylphy’s audio system is the lack of steering wheel controls, which is present on most Japanese sedans currently on the market.
Moving on to the centre console we finally notice changes from the pre-facelift model. The analog climate control system found in the pre-facelift model has been replaced with a digital system here. Also, the car now comes fitted with a factory audio system compared to retrofitted ones in the pre-facelift.
The factory audio suffices for most average listeners and even provides an AUX-in jack for your MP3 player. If you prefer, you can play your MP3s through its MP3 capable CD player as well. But the only irksome thing about the Sylphy’s audio system is the lack of steering wheel controls, which is present on most Japanese sedans currently on the market.
 |
Driving Impressions
Power from the 1.5-litre aluminium 4-cylinder unit was adequate on pick up but does seem to run out of puff a little early when your right foot gets heavy on the throttle. Overtaking on the highways can test one’s patience as you wait for the engine’s 109 ponies to whinny up the power. Which wouldn’t be too much of a concern for the car’s demographic since they’ll be cruising more often than attempting any hot blooded overtaking manoeuvres.
The Sylphy’s MacPherson strut (front) and Torsion beam (rear) suspension setup does live up to expectations as it soaks up the road’s undulation without much fuss. Feeling very much like a continental sedan when cruising on the highway which makes one wonder if its due to Renault’s input on the chassis.
On taking a tight corner, you immediately notice the Sylphy’s understeer which nearly landed this writer on a bottom of a hillside if not for the car’s Electronic Brake Distribution and Brake assist systems.
Power from the 1.5-litre aluminium 4-cylinder unit was adequate on pick up but does seem to run out of puff a little early when your right foot gets heavy on the throttle. Overtaking on the highways can test one’s patience as you wait for the engine’s 109 ponies to whinny up the power. Which wouldn’t be too much of a concern for the car’s demographic since they’ll be cruising more often than attempting any hot blooded overtaking manoeuvres.
The Sylphy’s MacPherson strut (front) and Torsion beam (rear) suspension setup does live up to expectations as it soaks up the road’s undulation without much fuss. Feeling very much like a continental sedan when cruising on the highway which makes one wonder if its due to Renault’s input on the chassis.
On taking a tight corner, you immediately notice the Sylphy’s understeer which nearly landed this writer on a bottom of a hillside if not for the car’s Electronic Brake Distribution and Brake assist systems.
Conclusion
Though the car might be better served with a little more ‘oomph’, it is still arguably the best 1.5-litre sedan currently on the market. But perhaps if Nissan could offer more trim options, they might find a wider demographic beyond family men in their mid-thirties. Yes, it might be a little too much to pay for a 1.5-litre but what you’re paying for is space, comfort and did I mention the incredibly comfortable seats?
The Sylphy has definitely upped the standards of refinement far more than where the Sunny left it. Bringing you a safe, elegant and practical family sedan that does it all and more in a economical fashion. Now if only I could get my Dad to buy one and let me bling it up with 17 inch chrome rims.
Though the car might be better served with a little more ‘oomph’, it is still arguably the best 1.5-litre sedan currently on the market. But perhaps if Nissan could offer more trim options, they might find a wider demographic beyond family men in their mid-thirties. Yes, it might be a little too much to pay for a 1.5-litre but what you’re paying for is space, comfort and did I mention the incredibly comfortable seats?
The Sylphy has definitely upped the standards of refinement far more than where the Sunny left it. Bringing you a safe, elegant and practical family sedan that does it all and more in a economical fashion. Now if only I could get my Dad to buy one and let me bling it up with 17 inch chrome rims.
“Ben, remember your safety check! Safety check! Safety check!”
Those are the words that echo in my mind when I think about the Sunny. The many evenings spent in and around the Ubi Comfort Driving Centre navigating the faithful Sunny for 90 minutes through crank courses, steep inclines and parallel parking.
The Sunny seemed to be a crowd favourite among driving instructors back when I was a bright-eyed NSF prepping for his driving test. I remember asking my instructor why that was and he said something or rather about the engine being less susceptible to overheating. Personally though, I think it was the hardiness it exhibited in the clammy and unfamiliar hands of learner drivers missing gears and stalling engines.
But the Sunny’s popularity didn’t stop there. Everywhere you turned, you were ‘stalked’ by a Sunny. The reason for the Sunny’s popularity? For its price, you get a full sized sedan with enough room for a family of five and a decent boot space. Another plus point that helped it along was that while most Corollas were being built in places like Thailand, the Sunny was still being shipped over from Japan. Which consumers naturally translated to better build quality.
The Sylphy was launched in 2006 as a successor to the Sunny. The new car takes advantage of the B-platform that was jointly developed with Renault and is the same platform found in the Latio albeit stretched by an additional 100mm. It was offered in 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre powerplants with the 2.0-litre version mated to an ultra-efficient CVT transmission that is popular with continental sedans for its smooth gear changes.
Those are the words that echo in my mind when I think about the Sunny. The many evenings spent in and around the Ubi Comfort Driving Centre navigating the faithful Sunny for 90 minutes through crank courses, steep inclines and parallel parking.
The Sunny seemed to be a crowd favourite among driving instructors back when I was a bright-eyed NSF prepping for his driving test. I remember asking my instructor why that was and he said something or rather about the engine being less susceptible to overheating. Personally though, I think it was the hardiness it exhibited in the clammy and unfamiliar hands of learner drivers missing gears and stalling engines.
But the Sunny’s popularity didn’t stop there. Everywhere you turned, you were ‘stalked’ by a Sunny. The reason for the Sunny’s popularity? For its price, you get a full sized sedan with enough room for a family of five and a decent boot space. Another plus point that helped it along was that while most Corollas were being built in places like Thailand, the Sunny was still being shipped over from Japan. Which consumers naturally translated to better build quality.
The Sylphy was launched in 2006 as a successor to the Sunny. The new car takes advantage of the B-platform that was jointly developed with Renault and is the same platform found in the Latio albeit stretched by an additional 100mm. It was offered in 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre powerplants with the 2.0-litre version mated to an ultra-efficient CVT transmission that is popular with continental sedans for its smooth gear changes.
|
When we heard that Nissan had recently facelifted the Sylphy, we thought that it would be a good chance for us to finally do a review on it.
Disappointingly though, the Sylphy looks exactly the same as the launch model from three years ago. It still retains the same staid executive looks that are reminiscent of its bigger brother, the Teana.
The front fascia is dominated by the ‘corporate identity’ chrome grill that is present on most of Nissan’s recent model line-up. Flanked by a pair of large headlamps that Nissan says provide 50% better illumination compared to most others due to its Complex Surface Reflector design, it gives the car a rather neutral ‘face’ that helps its executive image.
The design of the Sylphy is an apt representation of its namesake. The smooth elegant lines that start from the A pillar flows gently over the roofline and carries itself down to the curved hindquarters that seem to mirror the front of the car.
|
Interior
It is here that the Sylphy has me totally smitten. First off, the driving position is one of the most comfortable I have experienced in recent memory. The front and rear passenger seats feel so plush that it feels like you were plunged back in the living room sofa.
Being the unfortunate owner of freakishly long limbs, I have always avoided taking a journey in the cramped backseats of a sedan. But I would make an exception for the Sylphy. The rear seats in this sedan are the most spacious I’ve been in recently.
They’re so spacious that even a six feet tall adult will have no complaints about being stuck in the backseat. The spaciousness continues in the trunk with a class-leading 504 litres of available boot space for all your family oriented paraphernalia or three sets of golf clubs.
The interior fit and finish feels well put together with high quality interior plastics, a quantum leap over those used in the Sunny that this replaces. Which is a step in the right direction considering that the car is being marketed towards executives in their mid-thirties who are just starting a family.
It is here that the Sylphy has me totally smitten. First off, the driving position is one of the most comfortable I have experienced in recent memory. The front and rear passenger seats feel so plush that it feels like you were plunged back in the living room sofa.
Being the unfortunate owner of freakishly long limbs, I have always avoided taking a journey in the cramped backseats of a sedan. But I would make an exception for the Sylphy. The rear seats in this sedan are the most spacious I’ve been in recently.
They’re so spacious that even a six feet tall adult will have no complaints about being stuck in the backseat. The spaciousness continues in the trunk with a class-leading 504 litres of available boot space for all your family oriented paraphernalia or three sets of golf clubs.
The interior fit and finish feels well put together with high quality interior plastics, a quantum leap over those used in the Sunny that this replaces. Which is a step in the right direction considering that the car is being marketed towards executives in their mid-thirties who are just starting a family.
But with the cherry wood trim being the ONLY trim available for the Sylphy, it is here that it fails to lose the last shred of its ‘elderly’ image. Which could possibly work against their efforts towards appealing to their target clientele.
Moving on to the centre console we finally notice changes from the pre-facelift model. The analog climate control system found in the pre-facelift model has been replaced with a digital system here. Also, the car now comes fitted with a factory audio system compared to retrofitted ones in the pre-facelift.
The factory audio suffices for most average listeners and even provides an AUX-in jack for your MP3 player. If you prefer, you can play your MP3s through its MP3 capable CD player as well. But the only irksome thing about the Sylphy’s audio system is the lack of steering wheel controls, which is present on most Japanese sedans currently on the market.
Moving on to the centre console we finally notice changes from the pre-facelift model. The analog climate control system found in the pre-facelift model has been replaced with a digital system here. Also, the car now comes fitted with a factory audio system compared to retrofitted ones in the pre-facelift.
The factory audio suffices for most average listeners and even provides an AUX-in jack for your MP3 player. If you prefer, you can play your MP3s through its MP3 capable CD player as well. But the only irksome thing about the Sylphy’s audio system is the lack of steering wheel controls, which is present on most Japanese sedans currently on the market.
|
Driving Impressions
Power from the 1.5-litre aluminium 4-cylinder unit was adequate on pick up but does seem to run out of puff a little early when your right foot gets heavy on the throttle. Overtaking on the highways can test one’s patience as you wait for the engine’s 109 ponies to whinny up the power. Which wouldn’t be too much of a concern for the car’s demographic since they’ll be cruising more often than attempting any hot blooded overtaking manoeuvres.
The Sylphy’s MacPherson strut (front) and Torsion beam (rear) suspension setup does live up to expectations as it soaks up the road’s undulation without much fuss. Feeling very much like a continental sedan when cruising on the highway which makes one wonder if its due to Renault’s input on the chassis.
On taking a tight corner, you immediately notice the Sylphy’s understeer which nearly landed this writer on a bottom of a hillside if not for the car’s Electronic Brake Distribution and Brake assist systems.
Power from the 1.5-litre aluminium 4-cylinder unit was adequate on pick up but does seem to run out of puff a little early when your right foot gets heavy on the throttle. Overtaking on the highways can test one’s patience as you wait for the engine’s 109 ponies to whinny up the power. Which wouldn’t be too much of a concern for the car’s demographic since they’ll be cruising more often than attempting any hot blooded overtaking manoeuvres.
The Sylphy’s MacPherson strut (front) and Torsion beam (rear) suspension setup does live up to expectations as it soaks up the road’s undulation without much fuss. Feeling very much like a continental sedan when cruising on the highway which makes one wonder if its due to Renault’s input on the chassis.
On taking a tight corner, you immediately notice the Sylphy’s understeer which nearly landed this writer on a bottom of a hillside if not for the car’s Electronic Brake Distribution and Brake assist systems.
Conclusion
Though the car might be better served with a little more ‘oomph’, it is still arguably the best 1.5-litre sedan currently on the market. But perhaps if Nissan could offer more trim options, they might find a wider demographic beyond family men in their mid-thirties. Yes, it might be a little too much to pay for a 1.5-litre but what you’re paying for is space, comfort and did I mention the incredibly comfortable seats?
The Sylphy has definitely upped the standards of refinement far more than where the Sunny left it. Bringing you a safe, elegant and practical family sedan that does it all and more in a economical fashion. Now if only I could get my Dad to buy one and let me bling it up with 17 inch chrome rims.
Though the car might be better served with a little more ‘oomph’, it is still arguably the best 1.5-litre sedan currently on the market. But perhaps if Nissan could offer more trim options, they might find a wider demographic beyond family men in their mid-thirties. Yes, it might be a little too much to pay for a 1.5-litre but what you’re paying for is space, comfort and did I mention the incredibly comfortable seats?
The Sylphy has definitely upped the standards of refinement far more than where the Sunny left it. Bringing you a safe, elegant and practical family sedan that does it all and more in a economical fashion. Now if only I could get my Dad to buy one and let me bling it up with 17 inch chrome rims.
Photos by Benjamin G, Kline
Car Information
Nissan Sylphy 1.5 (A)
CAT A|Petrol|14.5km/L
Horsepower
81kW (109 bhp)
Torque
148 Nm
Acceleration
-
This model is no longer being sold by local distributor
All Used Nissan Sylphy
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