As speculated yesterday, ETCM’s Facebook teasers were indeed of the new 2013 Nissan Teana, but instead of mid-life facelift, it’s just a minor product update. The introduction of Blind Spot Warning System (BSW) on the 2.5 litre V6 variant takes centre stage, and with the RVM-equipped new Mazda6 still a month away, the Nissan Teana becomes the first D-segment vehicle to offer such a feature. Just.
Nissan’s BSW uses two 24GHz radar sensors mounted inside the rear bumper to detect moving objects within the driver’s blind spots. The driver will then be alerted of potential threats within the alert zone – first via the LED indicators mounted next to the wing mirrors and, should the driver fail to notice the visual warning and uses the turn indicators to signal a lane change manoeuvre anyway, an audible buzzer comes on. The secondary warning – the buzzer – only comes into play if the turn signals are used when changing lanes.
The most visible change is the black interior on the 2.5 litre V6 model (the base 2.0 litre soldiers on with the older beige cabin). The dark-brown wood trim is new as well, as are the full-leather steering wheel (previously part wood/leather combination). Unique for a Japanese car is the new on-roof console illumination.
It’s not a full-fledged facelift so exterior changes are limited to the front grille (the inner blades are now highlighted with smoked chrome elements), standard all-around bodykit and rear lip spoiler. The body add-ons are all new, and are visually different compared to the old aerokit (below right) offered as a cost option before.
There are no changes under the hood, so you still get the same 2.5 litre V6 engine with 182 hp and 228 Nm of torque. The four-cylinder 2.0 litre variant is still available of course, but misses out on the new black interior and BSW.
The mildly updated Nissan Teana 2.5 V6 is priced at RM173,100 (on the road with insurance), which is a slight increase from the older model’s RM173,017.10 (it was launched in 2010 with an introductory price of RM168,000). Book one by March 31, and you’ll enjoy 0% hire purchase interest rate for the first 12 months of ownership. That’s a saving of up to RM8,888.
Nissan has sold over 8,000 units of the Teana since its initial launch, and is currently the second best selling D-segment sedan in Malaysia with a 16.3% market share. No prizes for guessing who’s on top.
So what do you think of the new 2013 Teana? Is it fresh enough to take on its fast-improving class rivals?