New Nissan Sunny launch on September 20 (Upcoming Cars)

WHEN: October, 2011

HOW MUCH: Rs 7.25 - 9.75 lakh, ex-showroom

ENGINES: 1.6-litre 110 PS petrol, 1.5-litre 85 PS diesel

COMPETITION: Honda City, Hyundai Verna, VW Vento, Maruti SX4, Fiat Linea

Nissan's new sedan was officially unveiled on August 3. The new sedan will have petrol power at launch, when it goes on sale to coincide with the festive season of Dussehra and Diwali, with a diesel engine coming later. It will compete in the Linea / Vento / SX4 / Verna class. It is known as the Sunny or Versa in other markets, but Nissan has stuck to its popular Sunny nametag for India.

The Nissan Sunny is built on an iteration of the same V platform which underpins the Nissan Micra hatchback. Of course it boasts of a longer wheelbase (2600 mm vis-a-vis 2450 mm for the Micra), which should give it substantially more interior space. It is 4455 mm long overall, which will make it one of the largest in its class.

The new sedan will be powered by two engines - a 1.6-litre petrol motor producing 110 PS and 145 Nm, and the familiar K9 series diesel engine, but with 85 PS, 17 PS more than the version which powers the Micra hatchback, but 20 PS less than the 105 PS Renault Fluence. A five-speed manual gearbox will be standard for both the petrol and diesel models, although Nissan could also consider the CVT option for the petrol as well.

The interiors have a similar round theme like the Micra hatch, but we really hope Nissan ups the fit and finish of the Sunny for this segment. The Sunny sedan will offer everything from Bluetooth connectivity to USB capability, along with climate control, power windows, retractable mirrors and height-adjustable driver's seat. But the new Nissan Sunny's USP is likely to be its interior space, which given its subtantial wheelbase, should be class-leading.

Nissan has just announced the US market pricing for the new car, which is sold as the Nissan Versa in that market. In the US, the new Nissan Versa (as the Sunny is known in that market) costs US$ 10,990 ex-factory for the base version, but that's before adding any accessories. The top-of-the-line fully-loaded CVT version is nearly US$ 19,000, which should give Indian buyers an approximate idea of what the car could cost. We expect that Nissan will seek to benchmark the new Hyundai Verna on price, so expect prices to start at Rs 7.25 lakh for the base Sunny petrol model, with the diesel Sunny about a lakh of rupees more. The new Nissan Sunny has all the right ingredients to be a competitive package in this segment, but the only limiting factor as I see it is the car's styling, which in an era of sharply styled and aggressive profiles, appears a bit too understated and generic.