1990 Nissan Primera Hatchback 2.0L 16V 5MT FWD (116 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Nissan replaced the aging Bluebird in 1990 with the Primera, a car designed for European customers, engineered to suit their driving styles, and built in England.

Designed with the European customer in mind, the Primera P10 was available in three shapes: sedan, hatchback, and station wagon. While the sedan was the most sought-after version, the hatchback was needed to compete against other European cars, such as the Opel/Vauxhall Vectra and the Ford Sierra. The Primera, on the other hand, was a new vehicle concept, and even if it didn’t excel in terms of styling, it was convincing thanks to its engineering solutions and interior quality. Furthermore, it was available in six grades, which helped customers find the one that could suit their needs and their pockets.

At the beginning of the ‘90s, car designers started to move from the wedged shapes of the ‘80s to rounded ones. As a result, the Primera’s first generation was a mix between these two trends. Its rectangular headlights had shaved corners but still had that rectangular look of the previous Bluebird. Between them, the automaker installed a slim grille shaped with two wings that were available with chromed surrounding, depending on the trim level.

From its profile, the Primera Hatchback shared its front parts, up to the B-posts, with its sedan sibling. It had the same raked windshield and tall greenhouse compared to the car’s overall height. The side panels were adorned by a black rubber stripe that crossed the vehicle from bumper to bumper, and the door handles matched its color. The door mirrors, on the other hand, sported the car’s body color. Depending on the grade and options, the Primera hatch featured steel wheels with plastic caps or light alloy wheels. Finally, at the back, the thick and raked forward C-pillars supported a wide tailgate. Unlike the sedan, the hatchback version had taller and narrower corner-mounted taillights instead of horizontal ones.

Nissan extensively used velour for the Primera’s interior, covering the seats, the door cards, and the transmission tunnel with it. Fronting the driver was a rounded-shaped instrument cluster that housed the large dials for the speedometer and tachometer. Nissan also included two smaller gauges for the fuel level and temperature gauges. As a final touch, a digital clock was included in the speedometer’s dial at the bottom on a black and white LCD. The front seats were similar to the ones offered in the sedan, while in the back, the automaker installed a folding bench seat able to host three adults. Thanks to the split-folding rear bench, the trunk could be expanded from 470 liters (16.6 cu-ft) to 1,290 liters (45.6 cu-ft).

Under the hood, Nissan installed a range of gasoline or diesel engines that sent their power to the front wheels via a five-speed manual transmission. The automaker also offered an option for a four-speed automatic.