Nissan Sunny B15

In Kenya, the car ahead of you is always a Toyota, that could be true but not always the case. Personally I am a sucker to Mitsubishi but of late I have come to admire an like this saloon car. Nissan Sunny B15 is the cheaper alternative to Toyota corolla and most people if not all consider it a town car because of its suspension system.

Unlike the Corolla which has rear torsion beam type coil spring and front strut type coil spring, the B15 has an independent suspension strut type for the front and a link beam type for the rear, thus if it slips into a pot hole with one wheel in our Kenya roads, effect is likely to be felt by the other wheel. But on the brighter side of it this type of suspension makes the B15 very capable in handling. The Nissan Sunny comes in two sub-models of super-saloon and Ex-salon, both are available in similar engine models. The super salon is more though has more striking interior features. Notably, rear seat head rests, an armrest on rear-passenger seat and an RPM gauge. It also has retractable mirrors and all-round power window as standard feature in both. Even so it’s not unusual with the EX-Saloon to find the traditional roll down window mechanisms.

Notwithstanding its cost (its cheaper to its competitors), this car has power and sprint. This sedan is four door car with four seats just like toyota corolla but with 4400 rpm on its 1497cc engine which delivers 135Nm of torque, which precedes 77kW of power at 6000 rpm. the B15 beats the Lancer Cedia but falls short of the NZE.

When well tuned, it operators smoothly with minimal cabin noise and you can barely tell that the engine is running when you are on the move. It's four-speed full range electronic control transmission ensures that the gear change is smooth.

The Interior of this car is a let down, with nothing more to write home about. It is a basic transportation tool with all the comfort and safety features such as duo airbags, front passenger cup holders. THe Nissan Sunny are no longer in production as they have been replace by the Tiida since 2007.