Nissan Bluebird Sylphy Preview

[thegriffon]

Nissan will unveil a number of concepts and new model previews at the Tokyo Motor Show in addition to the GT-R Concept. The one with most relevance to the US market is the all-new, bigger, Bluebird Sylphy, which I believe will be the basis of the 2007 Sentra.

http://www.auto-report.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=685

[Northstar]

Reminds me of a miniture Infiniti M in the front (thought much less sleek) and the new IS in the rear. The interior is pretty nice for a car in this class, especially from Nissan.

[Petra]

Looks like a small Maxima to me.

uxury medium-sized (D-segment) saloon...

Somehow, I don't think we'll be getting quite this much of the "luxury" part of the equation over here... which is too bad. The market seems to be headed in that direction, and the current Sentra is already far too much of an econobox as it is. However, I think it will have one high-tech touch: a CVT transmission. Given Nissan's recent expansion of CVT production, I'd bet money on finding a CVT under the hood of this car.

I'm also wondering what they'll call it over here. "Bluebird" sounds kind of stupid and effeminate in these days of ever more masculine cars. "Sylphy" is a meaningless and cryptic Japanese name that might only bring in a few mentally-challenged Ricebois. At the same time, though, I don't think they should stick with "Sentra". Like I said before, Sentras have a reputation for being econoboxes.

[turbo200]

As much as Nissan can get some designs right, so many of thier designs fall flat on thier behind. Nissan barely gets design right, well they have had a lot more success with Infiniti in recent times, but other than that and the Altima and 350z and Xterra, most of thier designs are just plain with wierdly shaped surfaces that don't always seem to blend in together, imo. At least they got the interior right on this one. Though, like Petra, I doubt we will get all the luxury on this. The funny thing is just as Nissan is getting out of their interior design/materials slump [this and the M45 are the first evidence of it], GM is too. And GM's own Aveo will almost outclass this car, just because it is in a lower class of car altogether, and offers what LOOK to be similar materials and design quality.

[thegriffon]

Looks like a small Maxima to me.
Somehow, I don't think we'll be getting quite this much of the "luxury" part of the equation over here... which is too bad. The market seems to be headed in that direction, and the current Sentra is already far too much of an econobox as it is. However, I think it will have one high-tech touch: a CVT transmission. Given Nissan's recent expansion of CVT production, I'd bet money on finding a CVT under the hood of this car.

I'm also wondering what they'll call it over here. "Bluebird" sounds kind of stupid and effeminate in these days of ever more masculine cars. "Sylphy" is a meaningless and cryptic Japanese name that might only bring in a few mentally-challenged Ricebois. At the same time, though, I don't think they should stick with "Sentra". Like I said before, Sentras have a reputation for being econoboxes.

[post="25342"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

It will stay the Sentra. The Datsun Bluebird became the Nissan Stanza and then the Altima in the US long ago.

[ocnblu]

Reminds me of Infiniti's answer to the TSX, all high and skinny, with its ass in the air.

[ToniCipriani]

Could be it. It was the at some point the Nissan Sunny, which in turn is related to the Sentra.

[Variance]

Some people on other boards think this is the Sentra exterior design that didn't garner a great response in test groups. Supposedly the US will be getting a different exterior.

[thegriffon]

Could be it. It was the at some point the Nissan Sunny, which in turn is related to the Sentra.

[post="25475"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Not quite. The Bluebird is one of Datsun's earliest models. With the merger with the Nissan brand it became the Stanza in some markets such as the US. The U11 Nissan Bluebird spawned the U11 Bluebird Maxima, followed briefly by the J30 Maxima, which was rapidly merged into the A31 Cefiro, succeeded after a number of model changes as the US maket A34 Maxima. The U13 Bluebird changed from Stanza to Altima in the US. The U14 Bluebird was downsized slightly and the Altima redesigned on the U13 platform becoming the L30. The U14 was then joined by the G10 Bluebird Sylphy before being discontinued. The G10 was based on the same platform as the B15 Sunny (Sentra in the US), N16 Pulsar (Almera in Europe and Mexico), and Y11 Wingroad (successor to the Sunny, Pulsar and Nissan Datsun station wagons). In many markets Nissan switched from the B-series compact to the N-series, but usually kept the Sunny (or later Sentra) name, and in Hong Kong they did the same thing with the G10 Bluebird Sylphy, selling it in that market as a Sunny. So the Bluebird Sylphy is related to the Sunny, which is the same as the Sentra.

[ocnblu]

Do what? :huh: :P

[ToniCipriani]

Not quite. The Bluebird is one of Datsun's earliest models. With the merger with the Nissan brand it became the Stanza in some markets such as the US. The U11 Nissan Bluebird spawned the U11 Bluebird Maxima, followed briefly by the J30 Maxima, which was rapidly merged into the A31 Cefiro, succeeded after a number of model changes as the US maket A34 Maxima. The U13 Bluebird changed from Stanza to Altima in the US. The U14 Bluebird was downsized slightly and the Altima redesigned on the U13 platform becoming the L30. The U14 was then joined by the G10 Bluebird Sylphy before being discontinued. The G10 was based on the same platform as the B15 Sunny (Sentra in the US), N16 Pulsar (Almera in Europe and Mexico), and Y11 Wingroad (successor to the Sunny, Pulsar and Nissan Datsun station wagons). In many markets Nissan switched from the B-series compact to the N-series, but usually kept the Sunny (or later Sentra) name, and in Hong Kong they did the same thing with the G10 Bluebird Sylphy, selling it in that market as a Sunny. So the Bluebird Sylphy is related to the Sunny, which is the same as the Sentra.

[post="25549"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Isn't this what I said? (scratching my head)

Although a closer look the styling resembles closer to Infiniti in NA. But most likely Infiniti will not get it since they are going all RWD. Edited October 10, 2005 by ToniCipriani

[thegriffon]

It's designed to resemble the midsize J31 Teana (following the long-departed J30 Maxima and succeeding the A33 Cefiro/Maxima outside NA), a (larger?) variant of which looks set to replace the Altima.

[ehaase]

We simple folk are not familiar with Nissan's Japanese or European lineup. Were the 1980's Nissan Stanza (which I believe replaced the Nissan 610 or 710) and the 1993 through 2001 Altima the same as the Japanese Nissan Bluebird? I appreciate Griffon's high level of intelligence, but I couldn't follow his post either. Please relate the Bluebird to the U.S. Nissans that we are familiar with. Please leave out the European market Nissans, because we don't know anything about them.

[thegriffon]

I'll try again. The model 310 Datsun Bluebird was introduced in August 1959, succeeded by the 410, 510, 610, 810 and 910 Bluebirds, apparently known only by their model numbers in the US. Maxima was introduced as a trim level of the Model 910 Bluebird (originally Datsun 810, later Nissan Maxima in North America?). With the switch to the Nissan brand models adopted the Nissan model codes, so the 910 was succeeded by the U11 Bluebird and the U11 Bluebird Maxima. After that the Maxima became a seperate model. The U11 and U12 Bluebirds were called Stanza in North America. The U12 was joined by the J30 Maxima and A31 Cefiro, apparently similar vehicles on the same platform. The U13 Bluebird became known as the Altima in NA. The J30 Maxima was not replaced, the A32 Cefiro being known as either the Maxima or Cefiro depending on the market. The U14 Bluebird was downsized and not sold in NA. Instead Nissan created a new model Altima based on the U13, the L30. The A33 Cefiro/Maxima/I35 was replaced by the A34 Maxima (NA) and the J31 Teana (which kept the Cefiro and Maxima names in some markets), reviving the J30 series. For it's last year of sale, the U14 Bluebird was joined by the compact G10 Bluebird Sylphy sharing the platform of the B15 Sunny (Sentra in NA), N16 Pulsar (Almera in NA) and Y11 Wingroad wagon. The B15 was only designed as a sedan, so the hatchback and wagon models sold as the Sunny or Sentra were the rebadged N16 Pulsar and Y11 Wingroad. Although they are different vehicles to the B15 Sunny, both the G10 and the N16 sedans are also badged as Sunny or Sentra in some markets.

[ehaase]

As always, thanks for sharing your outstanding knowledge.

[titan]

Reminds me of Infiniti's answer to the TSX, all high and skinny, with its ass in the air.

[post="25384"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

That's an interesting point. Any chance of a version coming here as an Infiniti?

[Guest swallowit]

it cant be, just cant ok

[thegriffon]

Reminds me of Infiniti's answer to the TSX, all high and skinny, with its ass in the air.

[post="25384"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

You're not far off. Outside North America, the TSX is just an ordinary Honda Accord in the same lower-medium segment as this new version of the Bluebird Sylphy. Nissan also has the Primera (the former Infiniti G20), related to the U-series Bluebird and A-series Cefiro and now in it's third generation (P12), and Toyota has the Premio, Allion and the slightly bigger Avensis imported from the UK.

[Cory Wolfe]

The interior looks nice... but not the rest.. Ugh. :puke: Edited October 10, 2005 by blackviper8891

[thegriffon]

Just to clarify one thing - Stanza was an alternate name for the Violet, a smaller car than the Bluebird. Successive generations (710, A10) were known simply as the Datsun 710 in the US before the T11 became the Nissan Stanza. The T12 Stanza switched to the longer wheelbase of the U11 Bluebird before being dropped, but with the bigger new J30 Maxima many markets such as the US simply waited to switch to the U12 (sold variously as Bluebird, Pintara and Stanza) instead.

[regfootball]

G20?

[LosAngeles]

Basically, Nissan is the one confusing the game, what with all these different four doors (and in many cases, SUVs) for every region of the world, all with 40 million names. Their only real world vehicles these days are the Z, Murano, and now the Infinitis. It's funny that Nissan has all these different goofy platforms when GM is trying to consolidate to a mere six or eight for the world.

[LosAngeles]

Just to clarify one thing - Stanza was an alternate name for the Violet, a smaller car than the Bluebird. Successive generations (710, A10) were known simply as the Datsun 710 in the US before the T11 became the Nissan Stanza.

[post="28680"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Wasn't our 710 actually the Laurel in Japan? Or was that the first 810 (the one before the version that got its name changed to the Maxima--the one like Sizxty8 owns)?

[ehaase]

Back in the 1970's and 1980's there was a very expensive book that came out each year called "World Cars." I have "World Cars" for 1975, 1979, 1980, and 1981. Seeing the photographs and reading the descriptions of the Toyota, Honda, and Nissan lineups sold in Japan was very interesting. There are many cars sold in Japan that we do not get here, even I think that in many cases they share the same platforms of the Japanese brand cars sold here.