page_title: Nissan Sunny
section_title: B310 (1977–1981)
hierarchical_section_title: Nissan Sunny / B310 (1977–1981)
caption_attribution_description: KM9305 Another delightful old heap, still trawling the streets of Timaru. Can those stripes get any better?! Unfortunately this was parked at a manure processing facility, and the place stunk like nothing else...
context_page_description: The Nissan Sunny is an automobile built by the Japanese automaker Nissan from 1966 to 2006. In the early 1980s, the brand changed from Datsun to Nissan in line with other models by the company. Although production of the Sunny in Japan ended in 2006, the name remains in use in the Chinese market for a rebadged version of the Nissan Latio.
  In North America, the later models were known as the Nissan Sentra; in Mexico, the Sunny is known as the Nissan Tsuru, which is Japanese for the bird species "crane". The latest versions of the Sunny were larger than the early models, and may be considered compact cars. Earlier versions were subcompact cars. All Sunnys through the 1982 model year used Nissan A engine motors. It was designed to compete with the Toyota Corolla.
  The "Sunny" name has been used on other Nissan models, notably various export versions of the Nissan Pulsar model line. The Sunny has been imported and later manufactured worldwide under numerous names, and body styles, in economical, luxury and performance packages. Some configurations appear to be unique based on bodystyle appearances, but sharing a common platform.
context_section_description: This was the last Sunny sold under the "Datsun" brand in Japan. The final rear-wheel-drive Sunny from model year 1978 to 1982 featured numerous variants, including a fastback station wagon as well as more squared-off, utilitarian models with three and five doors, a coupé, and two- and four-door sedans. They were first introduced in October 1977, going on sale on 21 November in Japan. The design received a certain amount of criticism, with Car Styling Quarterly calling it old-fashioned and dumpy at the rear, while the plastic detailing was referred to as overworked. It was, however, recognizable as a Nissan house design. This generation was also the last Sunny to utilize the front engine and rear-wheel drive layout.
  At home they only received the new A12A engine and the slightly larger A14, although the Van continued to receive the earlier, smaller, A12 engine. The "Excellent" trim package was discontinued as the top level model, and the B211 van continued to be built for a little while longer. In Japan on February 1978 the Sunny Coupé 1400SGX-E and the 1400GX-E appeared, as a replacement for the previous Sunny Excellent Coupé. The "E" denotes multiport fuel injection, an option offered only in Japan.
  These models appeared with Datsun 120Y, 130Y, 140Y and 150Y badges in some markets (reflecting the engine size) though Sunny was increasingly used for export, too. The North American version was marketed as the Datsun 210. The B310 was known for its high equipment levels and build quality at the time. It was available with the same A-series engines as its predecessor although the B210's optional 63-series five-speed transmission was replaced with the more compact and lighter 60-series unit, with a standard gear pattern. On all body variants except the Van and "squareback" wagon, the leaf spring rear suspension was replaced by a more advanced coil spring four-link configuration, while the front had struts with coilover springs. Other than that, the chassis was very similar to that of the B210, albeit with a beefier front suspension and a relocated fuel tank in the sedans. It was now beneath the floor of the trunk, freeing up more space for luggage. The body was designed to provide fewer moisture traps, helping protect the car against rust, while added width meant additional space, particularly for the rear seat passengers.
  In October 1979, the B310 was given a mild facelift, with a smoothed off front end, a grille with square headlamps, and a redesigned dashboard. The vans retained the old design, but their chassis codes (unlike the passenger models) changed from 310 to 311 to reflect that they met new emissions standards in place for light commercials. At the end of November 1980 the A12A and A14 engines were replaced by the marginally larger A13 and A15 versions in the Japanese markets (with available fuel injection for the A15). The slow-selling two-door sedan was reduced to the low-cost 1300 CT and DX models. At the end of 1981 passenger car versions of the B310 were replaced by the front-wheel drive B11 Sunny, although the Vans continued to be built for a few more years. With the end of passenger car production in October 1981, the Van models chassis codes was changed and they became the VB312 series.
  In North America, the only wagon offered was the fastback version. In Japan, this fastback wagon was a special model called the Sunny California, aimed at private buyers unlike the square-backed 3-and 5-door Sunny Van (although for the Japanese market these vans were always fully glazed and usually had a back seat) meant for the long-standing Japanese commercial wagon market. In most other markets the more traditional two-box wagon was offered, either alone or alongside the fastback, and some countries where "no rear side glass" was part of a legal definition of a "light truck" got panelled-in versions of the three-door. The van versions also differed in that they retained the leaf spring suspension from the B210, and in most markets had a more spartan interior trim with vinyl covered seats. The five-door van was discontinu
caption: Datsun Sunny B310 series fastback coupé
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