It costs from £15,995, and it uses the mechanical and electrical bits from the Qashqai in a lower, lighter profile. At 4,200mm long, it’s smack in the middle of Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra sizes, but much more spacious inside.
Why has Nissan built a hatchback? Firstly, it discovered that a stubborn section of buyers didn’t like their crossovers as they associated the SUV-style image with poor handling and high fuel consumption. The Pulsar is designed to bring them in from the cold, and by and large it deserves to. The 1.2-litre direct-injection petrol turbo engine develops 113bhp, and moves the Pulsar along at a perfectly acceptable pace. It tries to entertain with a bit of turbo whistle, but what engine noise there is remains rather dull, and the long gearing of the six-speed manual box can catch it off-boost at times.
The Pulsar isn’t memorable to drive. The slick gearshift and light steering are a copy-and-paste job from the Qashqai – fine, but hardly engaging. Of course, it rolls less in extremes than a Qashqai, and stays resolutely neutral unless you really push it. But there’s none of that agile rear end and direct steering turn-in that you enjoy in the Focus or Mazda 3. Let’s just hope the Nismo and Nismo RS hot hatch versions, due next year, are a bit better in this respect.
And what of that second reason Nissan’s dreamed up the Pulsar? Well, the company says that the Qashqai and X-Trail are bought by larger families with older children. Once those children have flown the nest, they look to downsize their car but end up buying from a rival as Nissan had a gap in its range.
Yet these buyers are still after lots of space, and thanks to the tall roofline, the Pulsar easily delivers. A class-leading 2,700mm wheelbase means rear space will embarrass a BMW 5 Series, and there’s also big 395-litre boot, which is on a par with rivals like the Hyundai i30 and only trails a Qashqai’s by 35 litres. Split-folding rear seats are standard, and while the loading sill does have rather a pronounced lip, the upshot is 1,395 litres of space when the seats are folded.
Up front, the Pulsar’s cabin is a bit disappointing. The driving position is fine – a little high, ironically, despite the fact that this car is trying to stand apart from crossovers – and the dials are clear, but in its attempt to maintain a sense of familiarity to its best-selling crossovers, the Pulsar’s dashboard has an overwhelming feeling of déjà vu.
Nissan Pulsar interior
The interior design is inoffensive and easy to use, but lacks flair, plus it’s let down by some unsatisfactory plastic in the centre tunnel and doors. The whole problem with the old Almera was that it did nothing to stand out from the crowd in a hugely competitive class. Eight years on, the Koreans have upped their game and the Germans are targeting luxury car refinement – the Pulsar’s cockpit is left looking ‘not bad’.
Clawing back the difference is the car’s refinement. Before he jumped ship to Aston Martin, Nissan vice-president Andy Palmer told Auto Express the Pulsar would have noise and vibration levels on a par with a Golf or Audi A3. The quietness of our test car vindicates that bold claim. Aside from a ripple of wing mirror wind noise, the Pulsar is an exceptionally quiet and comfortable family hatch.
It’s also a potential tech fest. Shell out for the top-spec Tekna model, and you get Nissan’s Safety Shield driver aid.
Verdict
Nissan has taken all of its crossover know-how and used it to make the Pulsar a safe, spacious and surprisingly refined hatchback. The looks are awkward from some angles and the interior is a little too bland – like the driving dynamics – but as an everyday proposition for transporting your family around, Nissan’s return to the hatchback market has been worth the long wait.
Key specs Model tested: Nissan Pulsar 1.2 DiG-T Tekna Price: £20,345 Engine: 1.2-litre 4cyl turbo Power: 113bhp Transmission: Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
0-62mph: 10.7 seconds Top speed: 118mph Economy/CO2: 55.4mpg/117g/km On sale: Now
