New 22 coupe spor

NISSAN’S NEW NX 242 sports
coupe replaces both the Pulsar
NX (the Pulsar name has been
dropped) and the Sentra Coupe.
{ts distinctive and rather unusual
styling was done at Nissan's San
Diego design studios and reflects
the current trend to rounder,
aerodynamic styling.

Ten centimetres (four inches)
shorter than the Pulsar was, the
NX now has a short, squat,

‘boy-racer’ look. Its only real
competitors in this class are the
2-seater Honda CRX and the
Toyota Corolla GTS.

Despite its sporting pretensions,
it’s sulla practical lithe runabout,
Fue} economy is very good, and
the hatchback and fold-down rear
seat offer cargo-carrying ability.
This kind of versatility is what
makes ‘pocket rockets’ attractive
to those who want performance
ona budget.

The Pulsar, as you may
remember, had a removable rear
hatch section and could be con-
verted into a wagon or mini
pick-up. This unique feature is no
longer available, probably because
it was such a chore to remove the
hatch section.

The froni-wheel-drive NX is
available in’ two models, the
NX1600 and the NX2000. At a
base price of $13,490, the NN1600
is Sporty and fun to drive, but not

nl pe.
Flite

Friday, March 8, 1991 - North Shore News - 24

as performance-oriented and not
as well-equipped as the NX2000.
Standard equipment on the
NX1600 inchides power steering,
power mirrors, four-wheel in-
dependent suspension, a five speed
manual transmission, and digital
instrumentation,

The NX1600 comes with a 1.6
litre four cylinder engine that de-
velops 110 horsepower (20 more
than last year), This engine has
dual overhead cams, four valves
per cylinder, multi-port fuel injec-
Won, and variable valve timing,

If you want more than the base
NX1600, | recommend you con-
sider the well-equipped NX2000
rather than add extra options to
the NX1600. The price will prob-
ably end up about the same, but
the NX2000 has more power and
better looks.

The NX2000 is powered by an
aluminum alloy 2.0 litre, 16 valve,
DOHC powerplant with 40
horsepower. Standard features on
the NN2000 include wider
(P195/S55R-14) tires and aluminum
ulloy wheels, four-wheel disc
brakes, T-bar roof, fog lights,
front and rear spoilers, power
windows and locks, cruise control,
AM/FM stereo cassette, and

we “ . © . n d *
Fechnical. data
© Price as tested

$18,040
© Base price (22000)
$16,990
* Type
2 door, 4 pass, coupe
¢ Layout
transverse front engines fwd
e Enyvine

NEWS photos Mike Wakefield

y, but still economical

Greg
Wiison

TEST DRIVE

Nissan's unique limited stip front
differential (for better traction in
slippery conditions). The NX2000
starts at $16,990.

A five speed manual transmis-
sion is standard on both madels,
and « four speed automatic is op-
tional. ABS (anti-lock brakes) are
also available as an option,

{ drove both models, and found

See NX page 22

valve, MPFI
© Horsepower
140 @ 6400 rpm
Tires
P195/55R-14
* Height
1,305 mm/51.4 in.
* Fuel economy
ave. 8.7 1/100 km, 33 mpg.
* Warranty
Basic 3 yrs/60,000 km
Powertrain 6 yrs/100,000 km