(first posted 5/29/2018) Ford made headlines last month with its plans to cull almost its entire passenger car lineup, including all of its sedans. Such a wide scale cull seemed unprecedented but Nissan’s European operations did something similar over a decade ago, discontinuing their volume C and D-segment offerings and offering only crossovers in their stead. This Primera was the last in a line of D-segment Nissans in Europe dating back over three decades.
Nissan has continually shown a willingness to axe slow-selling and unprofitable models. It withdrew completely from the mid-size segment in Australia in 1997, only returning in 2013. Then, just last year here, Nissan axed their entire non-performance car lineup including their entry in the largest non-crossover segment in Australia, the C-segment. And so it was in Europe a decade ago where the compact Almera and mid-size Primera were discontinued, leaving only the hot-selling Dualis crossover in their stead.
Although the Primera didn’t survive past this generation, it wasn’t for lack of trying on Nissan’s part. The third-generation was radically redesigned and the influence of Nissan’s new partner Renault was very clear. In fact, the Primera was even more radical to behold than the contemporary Renault Laguna it competed with, French designer Stephane Schwarz aiming for a coupe-like silhouette and penning a shape with crisp lines and exaggerated details.
(from top) Primera sedan, hatch and wagon
The sedan and hatchback, much like contemporary Ford Mondeos and Opel Vectras, were virtually indistinguishable with their fastback silhouettes. There was a wagon, too, which looked just as futuristic as its counterparts.
The interior, too, was revolutionary for a Primera. Gauges sat in a center-mounted cluster, à la the Saturn Ion and Toyota Echo, although they were angled towards the driver. The audio and air-conditioning controls sat on a canted platform, the design reminiscent of the contemporary Infiniti M45 and Q45. It was a modern and rather upscale interior and the feature content was luxurious for its class, including standard climate control on all models. Rather novel for its time, many Primeras came with a reversing camera, although it had only a black-and-white picture for the first few years. Top-spec models were also available with satellite navigation from launch.
The more luxurious feel was also aided by a smoother, more compliant ride which didn’t come at the expense of the keen handling the Primera had become known for. The Primera was powered by a choice of 1.8 and 2.0 petrols and a 2.2 diesel, with 1.6 and 2.5 petrol engines available outside of Europe. A more powerful common-rail turbodiesel arrived shortly after launch and, with 136 hp and 232 ft-lbs, proved to be just as rapid as the largest petrol mill – an extra 90 ft-lbs of torque will do that! Transmissions consisted of five- and six-speed manuals, while Nissan’s latest CVT transmission was made available across much of the range.
first and (facelifted) second-generation Primeras
The daring design was vastly different from the conservative first and second-generation Primera (Spanish for “the first”). Both of these generations were manufactured in the UK and Japan; Primeras from the latter country were sold in North America as the Infiniti G20. The second generation was an exceptionally cautious redesign and despite the Primera’s all-round competence and surprisingly sharp handling, especially in sporty trims, the Primera came to acquire a rather dour mini-cab image in the UK. Overall sales throughout Europe remained well adrift of the class-leading European offerings like the Volkswagen Passat and Ford Mondeo. However, the Primera continually performed better than Japanese rivals like the Toyota Avensis.
As you may have figured from this generation being the last Primera, Nissan wasn’t able to uproot the entrenched European opposition. Sadly, sales actually declined in Europe. The Primera had sold 100-120,000 units annually during the late 1990s but the new model could never muster 100k annual sales. By 2004, it was selling under 50k units annually and shortly thereafter, Nissan pulled the plug.
The third-generation Primera – or should that be “la tercera Primera”? – boasted all the attributes of its forebears but added some much-needed style. Unfortunately, it could never get out of the second tier in a segment that, although beginning to show signs of decline, was still hotly competitive and full of first-rate options. So, Nissan decided to cut its losses, a move that seems remarkably prescient today.
At least they went out with a bang.
Primera – the only one I’ve ever seen – photographed in downtown Brisbane in May 2018. It’s either an import from New Zealand, where Nissan maintained a presence in that segment when Australia didn’t, or a grey import from Japan.
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That “facelifted” 2G looks like a Pontiac Bonneville too long in the dryer.
The design language is too radical to be badged as a Nissan. It may have had done better as a Renault.
The Renault Laguna (second gen) was based on the same platform as this, and the wagon profile is very similar.
I’ve heard this, but I have some rather strong doubts. Yes there are similarities in shape, but when you look into it they’re quite different in many ways, different suspensions both front and rear, different wheelbase and track…. I don’t think this is right, and I haven’t found anything that makes me think it is…..
I’d be interested to be proven wrong, but to go from an initial corporate alliance in March 1999, to full production of the P12 Primera with a shared platform in Jan 2001 (21 months) seems unlikely to say the least.
Even component sharing didn’t kick off that quickly, it was only post about ’03 that we started to see Renault components in Nissan cars, and as far as I can tell platforms didn’t start being shared until mid ’00s……
It looks like numerous Nissan models’ of that age they shrink and stretch it over various platforms.
I’m not surprised this third-gen Primera was a slow seller – the first two generations were handsome, but this one was beaten with the ugly stick. On the inside, those centrally mounted dials were unforgivable.
Wow. I’ve never even seen this car before! Definitely very interesting design to say the least. Would be very fitting as a Renault or Citroen.
Nice try, but that segment of the market is in near-terminal decline in Europe. So the weaker entries are the first to go.
the first two generations are handsome, the last was pretty hideous.
I loved my first-gen G20, excellent car. They got a little blander by the second gen and the featured Primera always looked a little strange to my eyes. Mike Brewer was driving one on one of the WheelerDealer seasons.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cars-of-a-lifetime/coal-1993-5-infiniti-g20-ahead-of-its-time/
These Primera appear to be quite popular in NZ at least I see lots of them on the road all day, once the import regs changed all the exJDM cars suddenly upgraded none of the old 90s junk could pass compliance so these cars flooded in,
Central instruments OMG my 59 Hillman has those but so does my mates C4 Citroen diesel and having driven his car a little I kinda like it, his has a sort of UFO shaped floating display above the dashboard and only the tacho is in front of the driver, the centre of the steering wheel doesnt turn either which is a little disconcerting at first, but the central instuments I quite like they are just off your eyeline and clear to see unlike the Hillman,
I was wondering how on earth you managed to find one of those to photograph in Australia. Unlike many others, I actually prefer the looks of this third generation, and wonder whether it could have done something positive for Nissan in Australia if they had sold it here. When it comes to passenger cars they never seem to have been really trying in this country for the past 20 years or so.
Yes I was waiting for the line that they weren’t sold here. At the time Nissan didn’t have a mid-size offering after the U13 Bluebird finished in 1997, only the A33 Maxima then J33 Maxima (Teana) and N16 Pulsar then C11 Tiida (aka Versa).
They currently have 5 SUVs I think, and the Kicks and possibly the Terra are coming too.
Interestingly here in NZ we received a few (about 20) pre-production English assembled P11 Primera that were ex Aus evaluation models. Why they never went ahead I don’t know, but they had Australian market model codes….. they’re a pain to look up parts for, as they don’t “exist” in the catalogues.
I owned a 1st generation G20 and loved it just a little bit more than the same year of Acura Integra that I also owned…but that Integra was “hobbled” by an automatic transmission.
I had seen a few pictures of the 3rd generation Primera a few years ago but none were as good as the pictures here. Had it been available I think I would have bought this 3rd generation. Styling would not have been the deciding factor but rather the engine lineup and the handling.
I actually like the styling of these cars, and it looks like it would have fit in pretty well with the concurrent Infiniti lineup. The center mounted instrument cluster? If the rest of the car was as good as my 1st generation car I would learn to live with the instrument cluster.
We never got the wagons here, with a manual transmission and/or the AWD that I believe was available in some markets it would have been a terrific alternative to the usual European choices.
A couple of things. First of all, I get a bit wound up with the whole “Renault influence” thing. This car was based on the Fusion 2000 Concept, designed by Nissan Design Europe, which had been around since the early 90’s. Nothing whatsoever to do with Renault. I got real sick of it back in the day when these were selling new. “Oh, you can see that Renault have already started changing things”.
Rant over.
These were probably the best Nissan of the early 00’s, fit and finish was spot-on, handling was good while also smooth. Here in NZ we only got the QR20DE with CVT, which was OK, but could have done with a little more grunt. in Japan they for the 20V with the revised SR20VE, with 150kW. That would have been a good car.
They were somewhat polarising here, as it was such an unusual shape. People were also put off by the centre instruments, but I found them to be quite good. It never sold in the same numbers as the P11, but was still a contributor. We had them in Japanese domestic spec, localised for the NZ market, in sedan and wagon, with one grade initially, then after facelift went to two grades. Then there was a break of a year or so, as I recall, then we got UK assembled ones. The UK ones weren’t as good as the JDM ones, in fit, finish, or quality of materials, but still not a bad car. We also got the liftback then, but I think the wagon was dropped at that point.
After a few years imports started coming in, and they had quite a few problems with the QR25DD engine, and general used import issues related to lack of maintenance. Not helped by the fact that once they get here used imports don’t tend to get maintained either.
The one in Brisbane looks to be a Japanese spec car (the slim weathershields are a giveaway), looking at the Queensland Govt registration check site it has arrived there via NZ, as it has a VIN that starts with 7A. Japan doesn’t use VIN numbers, just their own chassis numbers, so when used cars are imported into NZ they get a NZ Vin.
Good to see a write up on this certainly very unusual Nissan.
Well, you’d understand the Renault attributions considering Nissan seemed to have made a concerted corporate effort for years to produce non-cars. Surely “It’s a Nissan, that’s my car” wasn’t so much an ad slogan as much as a reminder program for carparks, taught as a chant to owners on getting the keys.
The looks are rather good, if a bit humpy, and I recall the English journos really liking the drive. Most odd sight on Aus roads, that’s for sure.
But central instruments! I have a problem with them, permanently ringing in my (admittedly odd) mind as a cheapness from some miserable post-war austerity English fartbox. Just no. Anyway, they’re ergonomically wrong, making the driver’s gaze go away from the oncoming traffic, so there.
Yeah, I wasn’t initially a fan of the centre instrument thing, but it did work OK. We were fed the line that it was better because lateral peripheral vision is better than vertical, so instead of looking down, looking across provided better.
The first X-Trail had central instruments too.
Oh, genders in Latin-based languages.
Funny thing is that in Spain cars are masculine (we call them “he”), so Primera is kind of ankward to say.
Nevertheless, those were somewhat nice but in the flesh they look bloated. And Nissan did right, they can’t make enough Qashqais to sell
Sorry, but when this designs came out I was amazed at why they would ruin a handsome design. This may work in the European compact segment, but in this class people want conservative, if not a little dull, styling
I wonder how big Renault-Nissan would be it they have never dived into odd and not-so pleasant designs…
Well in 2016 they were 3rd behind Toyota and VW group with 8.8million…..
The last Primera looks quite tame compared to today’s offerings but at the time it was very radical, particularly for the at the time conservative market segment. The flashy looks, already a step too far for most, couldn’t cover up the compromised practicality, the significant step back in handling prowess that the previous Primeras were known for, and the dowdy image of Nissan in general and the Primera in particular. My socks-in-sandals-wearing physics teacher drove a 2nd-gen for illustration. A test by the main automotive magazine of 15 midsized cars in ’05 ranked it dead last with the Citroën C5 – interestingly the Opel Vectra C won, narrowly beating the Ford Mondeo.
The news of the Primera being discontinued came with next to no publication; it just disappeared from Nissan’s website. At the same time, they’re making money hand over fist with the Qashqow, so I doubt anybody is bothered. The Vectra (now Insignia) and Mondeo don’t sell anywhere near those numbers today.
Nice write up. Surprised to find this when I googled my plate.
Yes, the Primera was imported into NZ and subsequently followed us to Australia. Nice car.
Have driven these alot and while the generations before were sporty these felt like a Renault, soft and comfortable but with questionable buildquality.