You are here: Used Car Expert > Nissan > Nissan Primera > Nissan Primera Reviews > Nissan Primera 2 2 Dci T Spec Estate

Nissan Primera 2.2 dCi T-SPEC Estate - Nissan Primera Car Review

Review

Added: 17 Feb 2005
Last update: 23 Dec 2009

IT has a backside you'll either love or hate. I don't want to sound sexist, but look at its butt. You'll either think this top-of-the range estate is super-curvy or be unimpressed.

The Sunderland-built Primera now comes as either an estate or a hatch back, because the saloon version was discontinued in the UK last year. There are three engine options and five trim levels.

Nissan insists its radical styling encapsulates the changes that have taken place at Nissan over the past few years. Its aim was to break free from the stereotype sedan concept. Designers began working from the 'inside out.'

First they came up with a spacious and comfortable interior before approaching the exterior design. And turning conventional thinking on its head has helped revitalise the company, Nissan says.

One such element is the centrally mounted dashboard dominated by a command centre, which Nissan calls N-FORM, that reduces the number of buttons by half.

I have to confess, I'm unsure about the positioning of the command centre. I tended to have to look down on it when I should have really been looking ahead of me.

I did gradually get used to it throughout the week I had the car on trial, but my preference remains for dashboard buttons which face me, rather than in a flat, almost keyboard form.

I'm all for it in theory. It's Nissan's answer to the growing plethora of functional, information and convenience features appearing on dashboards and cuts, by half, the number of switches facing drivers of rival, equivalently equipped cars.

Fine, it's just that the buttons you do get feel awkwardly placed.

The Primera is also leading the way in offering a rear-view reversing camera to make parking more of a miss than hit affair, and integrated hands-free operation for your mobile phone.

And you get additional, cutting edge driver aids. For instance, there is intelligent cruise control, which monitors the speed of the car in front and will slow the Primera automatically if needed.

That kind of thing has previously been reserved for the likes of Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Jaguar cars.

Overall the Primera is the tallest car in its class to create maximum interior space. I did enjoy the high seating position, which gives an enhanced feeling of space and has a clear and unobstructed view.

The tall roof ensures plenty of headroom while shoulder room is similarly generous. Back seat drivers will also be pleased that the front head restraints are as narrow as possible, as it allows them to see not only the road ahead but also keep on eye on navigational progress.

The car's navigation gear is impressive. Using DVD technology, one disc covers not only the whole of the UK but also the majority of the European road network. The display can be switched between a conventional 2D map and 3D-style which gives a bird's eye view of progress - something you can only do in a Nissan.

It is also fully integrated into the vehicle diagnostic system so that if, for example, the car starts to run low on fuel, the navigation system will guide the driver to the nearest filling station. All very clever.

Luggage capacity in the estate is a fair 465-litres with the 60/40 split rear seats in place.

With practicality ever in mind, the boot also features a 40-litre 'wet box' water resistant storage area under the reversible boot floor, where sports gear can be stowed without it soiling the rest of the car.

FAST FACTS

Nissan Primera 2.2 dCi T-SPEC Estate

Price: £21,250

Mechanical: 138bhp, 2,184cc, 4cyl diesel engine driving front wheels via 6spd manual gearbox

Max speed: 126mph

0-62mph: 10.1 secs

Combined mpg: 46.3

Insurance group: 10

CO2 emissions: 164g/km

BiK rating: 21%

Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles; 3yrs paint; 6yrs anti-rust

Words: Andy Richards

Keywords: nissan, primera


Other Nissan Primera Reviews

Haggling to buy a car (2008 Jul)
Q&A
Relevance / rating:
Hi How much do you think I can get off the price of a Nissan Primera? I have a £5000 budget with no car to trade in. Thanks, Haggling to buy a car

Nissan Primera Service (2008 Apr)
Q&A
Relevance / rating:
I am at present looking to buy a 2003 Primera with 75,000 on the clock. What servicing is required? When is there a major servicing required? Nissan Primera Service

Acellerator problem (2008 Jan)
Q&A
Relevance / rating:
Hi, I am having a problem with my 1994 nissan primera. It is a 1.6i 16v manual, abs and pas. It has started having an unusual problem, when I stop the car at say, traffic lights, the revs of the car is still high, as though the choke was still on but... Acellerator problem

Heavy metal thunder from Nissan (2011 Oct)
News
Relevance / rating:
NISSAN has strengthened the pledge to double its share of Europe's LCV market inside three years with the arrival of the company's new NV400 heavy van.Nissan’s claim is that the newcomer is one of the most versatile and practical heavy van ranges on ... Heavy metal thunder from Nissan

Nissan's new talk of the town (2010 Oct)
News
Relevance / rating:
WE all know about the ipod. Well here’s the Townpod, courtesy of Nissan rather than Apple.This latest design concept, revealed at the Paris Motor Show, is aimed at individuals who can’t be – or don’t want to be – easily pigeon-holed.Nissan makes the ... Nissan's new talk of the town

More Nissan Primera Articles:

12345...Last »

New search

Overall score:  (1)
Add your rating: