Calm, just calm / Nissan test drives

The presentation venue for the new Nissan Teana was the westernmost region of Russia – the Kaliningrad Oblast. The measured pace of life there, the calm driving style of motorists, and the almost universal 70 km/h speed limit suited the Teana perfectly. Such conditions made it possible to highlight the model's main and undeniable advantage, its “life credo” – comfort and comfort again. We were able to appreciate the Teana's revised exterior immediately after leaving the airport building. Right in front of the entrance, a row of brand-new sedans in two colors awaited us: Framboise Red and Deep Amethyst Gray. Previously, such shades were not available in the palette of possible colors.

The Teana has undoubtedly become much prettier. The previous model seemed like a bulky overgrown thing. This one looks quite elegant, despite the fact that the overall body proportions are preserved, which is also not surprising, since the car's dimensions have remained almost unchanged. But still, the exterior has become more refined. The details that catch the eye first are the new front and rear lights. Flowing strongly onto the sides of the body, they emphasize the dynamism of the silhouette. Increasingly, on modern cars, lighting technology carries not only a functional but also an artistic load. The Teana is no exception.

A strip of LEDs of a fanciful shape is built into the rear embossed light blocks. The radiator grille has acquired greater massiveness and solidity, resembling that on the luxury brand Infiniti models, but with fewer longitudinal “ribs.” Along the lower perimeter, the car is girded with a chrome molding. Wheel arches, the front air intake, and a fog lamp that appeared in the lower part of the rear bumper fit well into its gaps. According to Japanese designers, the shape of this peculiar “waterline” resembles a katana sword and is intended to symbolize the highest quality of workmanship. I don't know about the symbolism, but the fact that this detail, successfully combined with the chrome door handles and the trim of the side windows, gives the exterior a sense of completeness and refinement is a fact.

Still, I think the strongest point of the new Teana is the interior. For a car whose price ranges around $40,000 depending on the trim level (there are three for versions with the 2.5-liter engine and two for cars with the 3.5-liter engine), the cabin is simply magnificent. In any color scheme – light or dark – it gives some amazing feeling of warmth and coziness, and many potential buyers will choose the Teana only because of this. The quality of materials and the fit of all panels are at a very high level. The “wood” trim fits perfectly into the interior and successfully passes for real. The overall symmetry of the interior space relative to the longitudinal axis is disturbed on the left by a new instrument cluster with three overlapping dials, a multifunctional steering wheel, whose hub shape vaguely resembles the letter V, and an engine start button (all modifications are equipped with the Intelligent Key contactless access system). For the sake of the “purity” of the central tunnel, the designers even hid the controls for heating and ventilation of the front seats in the central armrest box. The solution is quite debatable from an ergonomic point of view, but beauty, as we know, demands sacrifices. As for the seats themselves, for those who are used to sitting at home on a soft, sprawling leather throne, they will be just right. As if enveloping the body from all sides, this peculiar ottoman carefully supports the shins of the right front passenger, and the hand itself rests on the ideal plump armrest. As if you never left home! Perhaps, I have not seen such soft, comfortable, and cozy seats on modern cars. The same applies to the second row. And there is a lot of space there; if desired, you can cross your legs. But, as they say, there is no good without bad. The negative side of all this homeliness of the seats is the lack of adequate support and not ideal load distribution, despite the new material for padding used by the Nissan folks. But perhaps in this case it is not so important, because it is unlikely that the owner of a Nissan Teana preaches an active driving style. For those who like to drive fast, the Teana is contraindicated.

The above does not mean that the new sedan from Nissan is a slow car. No. In terms of acceleration dynamics, everything is in order. Both V-shaped “sixes” – the 3.5-liter one, which traces its lineage from the engines of the 350Z and Infiniti G35, but detuned to 249 hp for lower taxation and even greater reliability, and even the 2.5-liter one, for which, by the way, 92-octane gasoline is recommended – provide the large car with good acceleration. The intermediate link is the CVT variator, whose operation seemed not entirely correct: its “hanging” during intense acceleration at about 6200 rpm looks strange. Of course, on the Teana 350 this manifests itself less often, and the car accelerates more briskly, in just 7.2 seconds, unlike 9.6 for the less powerful version. But the younger version pleased with the perky voice of the engine. Although why is it needed in this kingdom of comfort and tranquility?

The spirited engine sound cannot improve the Teana's handling. After the trip, the impression was that Nissan decided to act in contrast to most modern car companies, which try to give “sportiness” to the most seemingly unsporty cars. They decided and did it. The Teana, like a yacht, sails around the outskirts of Königsberg. Calm, measured, if not sluggish reactions, a lulling suspension, and good sound insulation (an order of magnitude better than on the previous model) elevate this feeling almost to the absolute for a car of this class. And even the far from ideal climate system is perceived as a fresh Baltic breeze.

The price for the amazing smoothness of the ride is the lack of feedback on the steering wheel, large rolls during maneuvers, and noticeable suspension impacts when the shock absorbers work in rebound when driving over bumps with sharp edges. The desire to “drive fast” fades after the first series of turns. As a result, throughout the entire test-drive route, my colleague and I leisurely rolled along the roads to the sounds of relaxing music pouring from the 11 speakers of the Bose audio system, capable of playing DVD Audio and mp3. And, oddly enough, we found our own pluses in this. Or rather, one big plus – comfort and detachment from the outside world.

Remember the famous phrase of Karlsson, the man with the propeller on his back – “Calm, only calm”? It seems to me that it could well become a humorous advertising slogan for the new Nissan sedan. Given that many people are looking for exactly the opportunity for comfortable movement in a car, and not sharp handling and nervous reactions, the Teana will certainly find its buyer. And if we take into account the quite adequate price for a car of this class and the presence of powerful 6-cylinder engines, the Japanese may well count on a serious increase in sales.