Review: Nissan Pulsar DIG-T 190
We’ve always thought the entirely competent but also entirely dull Nissan Pulsar needed a little life injected into it, and our prayers appeared to have been answered when the DIG-T 190 was revealed earlier this year.
The recipe is fairly simple – the 190 is essentially a high-spec Pulsar with a 187bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine stowed away under the bonnet – but is it enough to bring Nissan’s new family hatchback up to speed?
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Not that dramatic
With over 100 fewer horses than a Honda Civic Type R, there’s no question of the Pulsar being a true ‘hot hatch’. A 0-62mph time of 7.7 seconds isn’t too shabby though, edging the new Hyundai i30 Turbo, and the fettled chassis promises improved handling.
So it all looks good on paper, but sadly the 190 doesn’t fare quite so well on tarmac.
When it girds its loins, you know about it – there’s a pleasant surge and your seat gives you a fair old shove in the back – but it isn’t that dramatic and it doesn’t appear until the turbocharger kicks in at about 2,500rpm.
If you’re happy to keep the revs up, of course, that turbo lag is no problem, but the vague gearshift makes the requisite changes a drag and the fuel consumption suffers from the increased workload.
Where the 113bhp 1.2-litre petrol engine will return 56.5mpg and 117g/km CO2 emissions, the best you can hope for from the larger engine is 49.6mpg and 134g/km, but if you drive like your hair is burning away merrily, you’ll probably be looking at around 35mpg.
Fails to impress
The chassis tweaks haven’t been all that successful either. Stiffer springs have been fitted in a bid to reduce the Pulsar’s body roll, and while it is very slightly more stable through the corners, it’s a minor improvement that has come at an enormous cost.
Comfort was one of the Nissan’s strengths, with a marshmallow-soft ride providing a welcome highlight in a sea of mediocrity. The new suspension setup, however, makes the car feel jiggly around town and fidgety over the bumps of rural B-roads. Only on the smoother surfaces of a motorway does it settle to the calmness we’ve come to expect from a Pulsar.
Even the new steering rack fails to impress. It’s supposed to be heavier and more accurate, but the weight feels false, and the feedback is still non-existent.
Drive quickly over the bumps of a rural B-road and it feels like the car has gone ‘floaty’, although the shudders sent through the cabin suggest the car is still firmly stuck to the road. It’s a disconcerting sensation that eats into your confidence in the car and thus reduces the amount of fun that can be had.
Lots of kit
On a more positive note, we have to declare ourselves fans of the 190’s model-specific styling. The bigger wheels, chrome exhaust and new headlights fit the Pulsar well, while the interior is lifted by contrast stitching and alloy pedals. The one fly in the ointment is the fake carbon fibre trim, which somehow manages to look even tackier than the fake wood of the standard car.
Fortunately, the standard Pulsar’s practicality (its other great strength) has been left well alone. There’s still an impressive amount of rear legroom, and the boot is still bigger than the VW Golf’s, at 385 litres.
There are plenty of toys, too. The 190 engine can be had in the Acenta, n-tec and Tekna trim levels, with prices starting from £19,945. For that, you’ll get 17in alloys, climate control, a touchscreen infotainment system, keyless start, automatic lights and wipers, LED daytime running lights and audio controls on the steering wheel.
Upgrading to the n-tec costs an extra £650, but adds rear privacy glass, LED headlights and satellite navigation, but the top-spec Tekna we tested comes in at £22,645 and provides the 360-degree parking camera, leather seats, 18in alloys and safety kit like lane departure warning and autonomous emergency braking.
That’s a lot of kit for a car with a price tag that’s on a par with the Hyundai i30 Turbo, especially considering the i30 is slower and has a less desirable badge.
The verdict
Some cars are greater than the sum of their parts, but this one is the complete opposite. A powerful engine, sensible price point and decent kit should have made this a compelling option, but it doesn’t quite come together as well as we’d hoped.
Nissan Pulsar DIG-T 190 at a glance
Length: 4,387mm
Width: 1,768mm (2,017mm incl. mirrors)
Height: 1,520mm
Wheelbase: 2,700mm
Boot space: 385 / 1,395 litres
Engine: 1.6 DIG-T petrol (187bhp)
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Trims: Acenta (£19,945), n-tec (£20,595), Tekna (£22,645)
0-62mph: 7.7 seconds
Top speed: 135mph
CO2 emissions: 134g/km (138g/km with 18in wheels)
Fuel economy: 49.6mpg (47.9mpg with 18in wheels)