A City Car

They say good things come in small packages. Nissan Tiida is no exception, as we find out after experiencing a test-drive

When a brand known for its impressive range of SUVs and mid-size sedans launches a small-sized hatchback, it makes one raise an eyebrow. After all, this is a market dominated by SUVs and mid-sized sedans. But Nissan’s latest offering, Tiida, sure seems to be catching the fancy fast. Spending a day with the Tiida, we realised size does not matter. The hatchback does pack in quite a punch.

Nissan has also launched the sedan version of the Tiida and there are two variants each in both the models. We test-drove both the versions though much of our time was with the hatchback version as it has been creating quite a ripple in the market. Going by Nissan’s strong automotive history and impeccable engineering standards, it should not come as a surprise that the first small car to be launched by the automobile giant is a notable contender compared to its existing models though it belongs to a different genre.

Both the versions of Tiida currently come with 1.6-litre engines but the automobile company will be introducing the 1.8-litre versions in the Sultanate very soon. There is little to complain about the 1.6-litre midget though. Here’s a peek into the features of the vehicle.

Outside view
The hatchback is undoubtedly a city car, not just in performance but in styling as well. A high-mounted LED stop lamp on the rear that alerts the drivers following your car when the brakes are applied, stylish wraparound headlamps, slightly protruding tail lights and clean, aggressive frame pep up the hatchback’s city car look. The rear window also has a wiper, a handy aspect in the hatchback. Though the Tiida hatchback is small in size, surprisingly, it does not have a stubby rear like most hatchbacks. Instead, it has a longer and firmly curved end. The Tiida hatchback comes in an impressive range of eight colours. As for the OER team’s favourites, they were the Sapphire Black and Red.

Inside view
Hatchbacks are generally constricted when it comes to interior space. This is where the Tiida differs. The leg space is quite impressive. One of our tall friends, who usually make a fuss about leg space in the backseat inside sedans, was quiet for once.

The interior design of the Tiida hatchback, which includes the dashboard with all its controls, is simple and fuss-free. One of the notable features of the Tiida is the placement of the boot and petrol tank controls. They are placed below the A/c vent on the left-hand corner of the driver. It gives one freedom from bending down or fumbling with the controls to open the boot or petrol tank top. Storage space gets in more brownie points for the Tiida hatchback. There are storage areas just about everywhere. Besides, the notably spacious glove compartment, Tiida has lidded stash away spaces on the dashboard and centre console; there are cup holders for rear seat passengers, console box inside the front armrest and also door pockets. Nissan means serious business when it comes to spaciousness even in a hatchback.

On the road
Quick, smooth and in control. That’s the first impression of the Tiida when you drive it on the road. The 1.6-litre engine puts up quite a performance. The mount up the Qurum Gardens roads was as smooth as it was when cruising on the straight roads of Muscat. The 4-speed automatic version that we took was fast.

Tiida moves with conviction and can zip through the increasing traffic of the city with absolutely zero stalling percentage. And the nimbleness and maneuverability of the hatchback impressed us a lot. For a small sized vehicle, the Tiida comes with superior aerodynamic design that guarantees nil front lift. As a result, you have better control even while traveling at higher speeds.

Safety factor
Nissan has not left anything to chance and included as many features as possible in the hatchback. For starters, the Tiida has a zone body construction with crumple zones in the front and rear. Two airbags have been deployed for the driver and passenger with front seat active head restraints to reduce the scope of injuries in the unfortunate event of accident.

The pretty powerful headlamps ensure that your journey through dimly lit areas is safe, like we found out while cruising through the by-lanes of Muscat.

To sum it up, the new Tiida will hold its ground in the land where SUVs and luxury cars have carved a niche for themselves. For not only is the Tiida neatly packaged with the trusted, reliable Japanese technical know-how, but it also features top of the range traits that are truly global.