… Nissan Pulsar Visia, 1.2 DIG-T …
It may not be the prettiest pup in the litter, but having spent a few days in its company the other week travelling backwards and forwards to Knockhill on a daily basis for the McRae Rally Challenge, the Nissan Pulsar proved the perfect accompaniment to stress free motoring.
Sports cars are fine for occasional fun use, or even the daily commute sometimes, but they can get a bit wearing if you’ve been on your feet all day and just fancy a comfy seat and a carefree jaunt home. Similarly, if you have stacks of boxes and bags to carry plus changes of wet weather gear, wellies and brollies, then you need something a bit more roomy and substantial.
Add in the fact that driving a good looking, sweet handling sports car can often be distracting in so many ways that it can take your mind off the job. If you have other things on your mind, you don’t want any other distractions.
The McRae Rally Challenge was a case in point. There was much to worry about. Will the stars turn up, will their autograph pens run out of ink, will the promised cars get there, will they start up when requested, will they break down on track, will the weather break, will the spectators turn up, will they be happy with the show? All that plus Knockhill’s renowned ability to frustrate the predictions of the nation’s weather forecasters.
In other words the old clockwork motor between the ears and under the bunnet had other things to ponder during the daily commute.
Conditions experienced over the weekend ranged from sunshine and tee-shirts to wet and wellies. It was also bitterly cold at times with gusts of wind that would have made a sail-powered car manage a few laps of the track.
Despite all that, the Pulsar was completely unremarkable. And that’s a good thing. It did what it needed to do without requiring any conscious effort from the driver other than to look out for other road users. It drove well, it handled well and it was quiet and comfy. What’s not to like?
It wasn’t the quickest thing I’ve driven recently, but the 1.2 litre turbo petrol motor was more than capable of keeping up with traffic although the gearbox required regular inputs. It was fine in sixth gear on the motorway sections, but there are a couple of hills on the approach to the circuit where the wee motor distinctly requested a few downchanges.
It also felt quicker than the official figures suggest. Nissan claims over 10 seconds for the 0 to 60 sprint, but it felt more lively than that. Perhaps that was down to the frequency of gear changes needed to generate a more urgent response from the 114 bhp motor and getting up to speed from rest at junctions.
The frequency of gearchanges might also have something to do with the size of the car. It’s big enough to accommodate four average sized adults (and occasional five) in comfort with plenty of leg, shoulder and headroom so it’s not a small car. It also weighs around 1300 kgs and with a big bloke and lots of kit on board, the 1200cc engine has to work for its keep.
That may have had something to do with the fuel economy. The official lab test figures suggest an average of 56.5 mpg is possible. I got nowhere near that averaging around 45 mpg, but I blame the hills!
However, the Nissan did what it was supposed to do. Providing stress-free travel to and from Knockhill each day allowing the driver to worry about attractions and crowds. As things turned out, there was no need to worry.
On the Saturday evening of the first day as crowds were leaving the circuit I stopped a few families to ask what they thought. The kids loved the noisy cars and the grown-ups just soaked up the atmosphere. It would appear that the event overall provided a fitting tribute to the man who wasn’t there.
Will it be repeated? Unlikely. But who knows. It was so well received by the fans that perhaps we should celebrate the 25th anniversary of Britain’s first World Rally Champions.
And if Nissan again offers the Pulsar for the week then why not. We can all do with a bit less stress in our daily lives. I liked it.