Nissan Almera Tino


The Nissan Almera Tino is a car which was produced by the Japanese automaker Nissan between 1998 and 2003 in Japan, as the Nissan Tino. Nissan's Spanish factory produced the Almera Tino between 2000 and 2006. It has been described as a mini MPV, a compact people carrier, or an estate car.

History

The Almera Tino was based on floorpan of the Almera small family car, and launched in Europe in May of that year, and was sold until the end of 2006, ceasing production in the February of that year - just before the Almera hatchback and saloon were axed. The car was known as simply Tino in Japan, where it was sold from 1998 to 2003, with the 1.8 and 2.0 petrol engines only. Spanish production began in May 2000 in Barcelona; the Almera Tino's 2.2-litre direct injection turbodiesel engine was also built in Spain, in Nissan's Madrid engine plant, while the petrol engines for the European model were built in Sunderland, UK.
In Japan as well as in Europe, the 2.0-litre petrol engine was only available coupled to Nissan's Hyper CVT transmission. The 1.8 was only available with a four-speed automatic transmission in Japan, while European buyers could only get this with a five-speed manual transmission. The diesels were only ever available with manual transmissions, although a six-speed option appeared after the 2003 facelift. Japanese equipment levels were J, G, X, and Aerosports. European buyers received a welter of different equipment levels, with continental markets typically using names, such as Comfort, Tecna, or Acenta, while British buyers got to choose between acronyms. Europeans also received a welter of special editions, such as the Twister, DVD, Hurricane, and even a Haribo edition for the French market.
The television advertisements for the Almera Tino in Japan in 1999 featured Mr. Bean, a character played by Rowan Atkinson. In April 2003 the Tino Hybrid went on sale in the Japanese market. The 1.8-litre petrol engine was revised to only produce, but while emissions were considerably improved, the gas mileage only improved marginally and compared badly to Honda and Toyota's contemporary offerings. Nissan quietly discontinued the model after a test run of 100 examples, only available online.
Aside from the most basic models, Almera Tinos got climate control and front electric windows, and additional equipment such as front and side airbags. Various safety extras like ABS, traction control, EBD, and active headrests were also available. Later models also received other extras such as a back-up camera and a satellite navigation system, made possible by the redesigned dashboard which included space for a 5.8-inch LCD screen. Early JDM Tinos had a front bench seat with a sixth seatbelt, and after the European model was presented, the five-seat layout became an available option across the board.

Facelift

A lightly facelifted model, with new head- and taillights and a redesigned interior, appeared in Japan in October 2002. The range was also reduced, with the six-seat layout as well as the 2-litre petrol engine discontinued, leaving only the 1.8 with five seats, in the J or X equipment levels. The redesigned model had an extremely short life in Japan, being discontinued in February 2003, after only five months on the market.
In January 2003, the Spanish-built Almera Tino was also updated, including a new steering wheel and new dials, whilst on the outside, the front indicators had clear plastic instead of orange, and the engines were revised. The diesel engine benefitted from a new common rail injection system developed by Renault as part of the two companies' recent alliance. The Almera Tino also gained a more powerful diesel option, now offering - thanks to a variable-geometry turbocharger being used in the more powerful engine. The top diesel option had of torque at 2,000 rpm and was fitted with a 6-speed manual transmission.

Engines

In the Tino range, there were four powertrains available, with three diesel engine variations:V10: 1,769 cc QG18DE petrol with 4speed automatic transmissionPV10: 1,769 cc QG18DE petrol and EM29 17kW electric motor with CVT automatic transmissionHV10: 1,998 cc SR20DE petrol with CVT automatic transmission
  • 2,184 cc YD22DDT direct injection turbodiesel
  • 2,184 cc YD22DDTi common rail turbodiesel
  • 2,184 cc YD22DDTi common rail turbodiesel with variable vane turbocharger