Nissan Latio N17

2013 Nissan Latio

This is what the fuss is all about. Sure it may be a compact sedan imported from Thailand but what this is, is part of the plan, well Nissan's Power 88 plan where they add every new model for the next six weeks up until fiscal year 2016. Anyway, no time for fussing about their master plan. Back to this compact car, anyway, as you can see, this is somewhat a different kind of compact sedan. In America, this is what they called the Versa. In China, they call it Sunny. In ASEAN and others, it's called the Almera. Here in Japan, they called it the Latio.

2013 Nissan Latio

With the Fit Aria from Honda axed in late 2008 and the Toyota Belta dead in the summer of 2012, the all-new Nissan Latio N17 is a class of its own. Yep, it's in a class of its own but underneath, it's just a Nissan March/Micra K13 because it uses the Nissan V Platform, which is a kind of platform applied on the K13 March and the latest Note E12. Also, the new Latio N17 carries the fuel-efficient HR12DE engine mated with the new-generation XTRONIC CVT and is equipped with an idling stop feature that turns off the engine when stopped at the red light and then starts again when you set off. Sure, the HR12DE produces 79PS of power but in terms of fuel efficiency, because this is classified as an eco-car, the N17 Latio/Almera/Sunny/Versa will keep going all the way to 22.6km/L based on Japan's JC08 test cycle. This is about as fuel-efficient as the eleventh-generation Toyota Corolla (Axio).

2013 Nissan Latio

Also, the inside of the new Latio does really look like the March because as I said, the all-new Nissan Latio N17 is just the sedan version of the Nissan March/Micra K13. So, am I gonna talk about the interior? Nah, let the owners decide.

2013 Nissan Latio

So, how can I sum this up? Well, the things I like about the Latio are its fuel efficiency, the front view, the HR12DE, and of course, the reasonable price because the Latio starts at 1,419,600 Japanese Yen or better yet convert this price to Thai Baht, Philippine Peso, Indonesian rupiah, Malaysian Ringgit or whatever means necessary. What I don't like about it is the rear view because it looks hideous and the interior looks similar to the March.

Malaysians, take note, if this arrives soon, please be careful about it. Sure, Malaysia is a very notorious country because of its reputation for "modified cars" (type that on your Google Trends and you'll see), I mean, if you want to have the so-called Nissan Latio/Tiida/Versa/Sunny/Almera, do it properly because, like most Japanese cars of today, it has a 180kph speedometer and converting it is proven "ILLEGAL" and a higher chance to "break the law".

Available Colors: Titanium Grey, Pure Black, Burning Red, Brilliant Silver, White, White Pearl.

PRICE LIST:

1.2 S - 1,419,600 Japanese Yen

1.2 X - 1,470,000 Japanese Yen

1.2 G - 1,698,900 Japanese Yen

Photo: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.