Specifications

Nissan Tiida – Hatchback – 5 speed manual 1600cc, 16 valve, 4 cyl. Inline DOHC (Double overhead cams) Electronic fuel injection List price: 28000 US $ (49,000,000/= UGX) Supplier – Motorcare Uganda Limited / Nissan Kampala The new Nissan Tiida which launched last month in Uganda is one of the new Nissan models coming into the country. I was given the opportunity to test drive one of the models, courtesy of Motorcare Uganda Limited. I drove the vehicle for two days and covered around 25km’s. I would have preferred to have taken the car for a longer drive and perhaps even on a track to get a better understanding of the handling capabilities under pressure, but the roads in Uganda are not really conducive to giving a car the full road test.

Overall Impressions
The car is a pleasure to drive. It is zippy and responds well to hard acceleration, holds the road and seems like a well built car. The interior is much bigger than I anticipated and there is lots of room for the driver (see more below). It handles fairly well and the brakes are responsive. I accelerated hard up to 100 Km per hour, then braked sharply, to test stopping ability and the car maintained a straight line and braked firmly. Airbags are standard for passenger and driver, an excellent safety feature.

Comfort and Styling
The Nissan Tiida is a sexy car. It reminds me very much of the Renault, which is most likely as a result of the Renault ownership of Nissan. It attracted a lot of attention, with many people stopping by to take a look inside and asking for a ride.

The overall design is sleek, with soft rounded edges. The colour combo of the test car had a black exterior with a beige interior. The seats were cloth, and the inside dash trim black. The dials are well placed and easy to read. The car is comfy and roomy inside. It also has the unique feature of a moveable rear seat, backwards and forwards (to increase rear boot space), plus it has a reclining feature on the rear seats. When the seats are in full backwards position, the inside is big enough for four adults. However, the rear boot space is tiny – no golf clubs. This feature does allow the seats to be moved right forward to maximise the boot space. There is loads of storage space in the interior with compartments and storage spaces everywhere, a great feature. The steering also adjusts up or down, to suit individual preferences.

Specific Likes
• The dash board lights come on whenever the key is inserted into the ignition and is not dependent of the lights being on.
• The zippy handling and acceleration.
• The comfort of driving a sedan on Ugandan roads (Strangely, sedans seem to handle the bumps and holes much better than my truck).
• A good sound system.
• The styling of the interior and dash set-up is easy to navigate without taking your eyes off the road.
• The ability of the rear seat to move to suit different conditions.

Specific dislikes
• No temperatures gauge – this really worried me.
• No mag wheels – the wheels with hubcaps were out of place.
• The boot space is small and would struggle to fit two sets of golf clubs or three large bags.
• The steering, although powered, felt stiffer than I expected and it seemed tighter than it should have been.
• The price to the average Ugandan would be high and would require some kind of packaged finance plan for purchases.

Specifications
Nissan Tiida – Hatchback – 5 speed manual
1600cc, 16 valve, 4 cyl. Inline DOHC
(Double overhead cams)
Electronic fuel injection
List price: 28000 US $ (49,000,000/= UGX)
Supplier – Motorcare Uganda Limited / Nissan Kampala

For more information on the
New Nissan TIIDA please contact:
Motorcare Uganda Limited.
Plot 95 Jinja Road, Kampala.
Tel: 0312 238100
Website:www.nissan.ug