2011 Nissan Sylphy Review
Price
from: RM111,758
to: RM117,102
Installment
from: RM1,066/mth
to: RM1,117/mth
2011 Nissan Sylphy at a glance
The 2011 Nissan Sylphy may take second place overall behind the Honda Civic. But the brilliant CVT transmission and longest wheelbase in the class give the 2011 Nissan Sylphy class-leading refinement and interior room.
2011 Nissan Sylphy quick specs
| Body Style | Sedan |
| Class | Mid-size Family |
| Assembled | - |
| Engine Range | - |
| Fuel Options | - |
| Seating Capacity | 5 |
2011 Nissan Sylphy ratings (overall rating : 4/5.0)
| Styling | |
| Handling | |
| Comfort | |
| Quality + Reliability | |
| Performance |
| Roominess | |
| Running Costs | |
| Value for Money | |
| Equipment | |
| Environment |
Styling
The 2011 Nissan Sylphy wears a neat, inoffensive design, one that would not excite or disappoint most neutrals. Nissan clearly intended for the Sylphy to follow the same styling theme as big brother, the Nissan Teana. And you would not be the first to confuse the two, especially from the front end.
Handling
The 2011 Nissan Sylphy feels nimble and changes direction keenly. Body control and grip levels are highly commendable. The sharp, light steering however lacks in feedback. When it comes down to driving pleasure, the 2011 Nissan Sylphy engages the driver too little, too remotely.
Comfort
Much thanks to the 15-inch tyres, ride comfort is good over urban bumps and rough surfaces. Road, wind and engine noise are very well-contained at cruising speeds. Adding to the class-leading refinement is the extremely smooth drivetrain. The dashboard looks neat and tidy, with large displays and intuitive-to-use controls. Finding a comfortable seating position is easy, but the steering wheel offers no reach adjustments or audio controls.
Quality + Reliability
The cherry wood trim is convincing enough, giving the dashboard a fine contrast of colours. Build quality is superb and the material quality is generally sound, but some plastics used lack the tactility and polish typically seen in Toyota and Honda models. As for all cars wearing the Nissan badge, we expect the 2011 Nissan Sylphy to be mechanically reliable in the longer term.
Performance
Mating an in-line four 2.0-litre to Nissan's XTRONIC CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission), the 2011 Nissan Sylphy's drivetrain is simply one of the smoothest in the class. The engine output of 131 bhp and 191 Nm is no more than modest, but thanks to the slick, brilliant CVT, all output power and torque are fully utilised. As a result, the 2011 Nissan Sylphy puts up an adequately quick performance on the roads.
Roominess
Interior spaciousness is one of the 2011 Nissan Sylphy's strong points. Similar to the Honda Civic, its key rival, the Nissan Sylphy has a 2700 mm wheelbase and features an almost flat rear floor, meaning front and rear occupants are well-catered for in terms of room. In fact, the rear legroom is class-leading, probably only matched by the Civic's. The boot capacity is also class-leading at 504 litres.
Running Costs
Nissan claims the Sylphy can return an excellent 16 km/litre because of the efficient, fuel-saving CVT transmission. We expect both servicing bills and depreciation to be reasonable. The popular Nissan brand, while still not as strong as Honda or Toyota, will enable the 2011 Nissan Sylphy to maintain fairly competitive second-hand values.
Value for Money
The obvious and strongest competitors in this mid-size sedan segment would have to be the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla Altis and Mitsubishi Lancer. Under comparison, the Lancer is the weakest of the four, and the Altis shouts boring even if it looks more interesting now. The Civic still remains the overall class-leader, while the 2011 Nissan Sylphy leads the class in refinement, interior room and fuel economy (as claimed).
Equipment
The 2011 Nissan Sylphy gets Masumi fabric for seat and door panel, leather steering wheel, automatic air-conditioning, 4 door speakers and 2 front tweeters, single-CD audio player, auto-headlamps, front fog lamps, keyless entry system, reverse sensor, central locking, power windows and folding door mirrors, but wears only 15-inch alloy wheels. Dual SRS airbags, ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), EBD (Electronic Brake-force Distribution) and BA (Brake Assist) are standard safety features.
Environment
The drivetrain comprising the 2.0-litre with the CVT is not only smooth and fuel-saving, but also low in carbon dioxide emissions. Adding to the 2011 Nissan Sylphy's list of merits is its class-leading environmental awareness.
Live Life Drive Verdict
Class-leading refinement
Interior spaciousness
Excellent fuel economy (as claimed)
Steering lacks feedback
No steering wheel audio controls
Only 15-inch alloy wheels
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